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Turtle watched in confusion as the DreamCatcher fiddled with his whistle. It wasn't a command, even though it was a very deliberate and small motion. He whined silently in the back of his throat. He didn't like not knowing what the man was up to. The Catcher could be nasty when he was being spontaneous.
The parade of strange multiple-headed animals came in out of the ring and the DreamCatcher made his announcement. In the silent bubble offstage, everyone looked startled. They all spoke at once, not making a sound. There was tumult and confusion as those who prided themselves on being the heart of the DreamCatcher's show grew more and more upset at being upstaged by this surprise. The man with no skin pulled out his eyes and looked at himself, afraid of seeing a has-been. Turtle trotted through the mob, casting bloody looks at those who were beginning to look rebellious. They calmed instantly, shivering under his gaze. The naked and gelatenousy obese siamese twins comforted each other in a corner. Turtle gave them a moment before herding them into the ring along with the other mutated memories gleaned from nightmares. This act was usually pretty disturbing, showing the strange warping that a mind could inflict upon loved ones when within the dreaming state. Turtle watched them as they went out and one by one, sang their sad stories in sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrible melodies. The dog shook himself from his own memories and checked through the upcoming acts again. All had calmed themselves, though they were red-faced with anger (especially the skinless man) Turtle reached the back of the crowd and peered into the cage that was hiding in the shadows there. For a heart-pounding moment he thought the contents had escaped, but then his eyes adjusted to the lack of light and he saw the creature huddled in the corner, half buried under the straw that served as its bedding in an attempt to keep warm. The dog wondered vaguely if the boy would finally cooperate... and he half hoped that he wouldn't. |
Shan watched the show, completely stiff. Moving had become more painful than it should have been, although at the most it was as if she had exercised for two hours too long, leaving her body feeling as if it were bruised. She had heard the ruckus behind the curtain, but not very well. She wished now more than ever that the ringing would stop. She had not been planning for anything like this. At all.
The Catcher was relieved when the noise behind the curtain quieted down. It would be very annoying if he had to go there and quiet them himself. Nobody would like that. He wondered if it was the caged boy's fault. He never associated anything bad with himself. That was just to dirty for his image. Now that the creatures had settled down, everything seemed to go without a hitch. His biggest problem would be the boy. He had better cooperate or else. Yuki became almost as tense as his mother. After evaluating their situation in his head for a few moments, he was sure that this would not end well. For the Catcher, for them, or both. And what about the audience? |
Ani spoke Yuki's thought as she could sense Shans hurt from deep within herself. "This will not end well for any of us..including the audience." Ani said her eyes closed. She had heard the DreamCatcher announcement and knew it had to do with Shan. She could feel his eyes on their group evaluating them, whatever he was thinking he thought wrong...he was in for a real surprise.
Micheal put the bottle aside as he sat up in his chair a little more alert than he already were in his relaxed position. He folded his hands on the table, he had heard what Ani said, when she was in her meditating state, it was easy to tap into what she was saying, he after all was an angel, even being a fallen he had strong powers. This indeed will not end well Ani. Is there any way that your Angel there can move? He asked, invading her mind. A bit intrusive since he didnt even give her warning. But now was no time to be courteous. A showdown was about to happen. Ani gasped as the message broke apart the relaxed state she was in. Immediately opening her eyes she looked over at Shan, "Can you move Shan?" She asked the question although she really wanted to glare at Micheal. |
Shan cast a sideways glance at Ani. "Hardly," she replied softly, knowing where the question had really come from. She had to say more, and there was only one way to do it. The same way Micheal had. I'm very sorry. I must be the second one to do this to you, but moving my lips hurts, she said. Her mind wasn't exactly in the best condition either, but it was much better than her body. I'm trying not to move so that my muscles will relax, but it's not happening fast enough. And if the Dream Catcher notices, he'll only do it again. If I try to run away, the same thing will happen. I have to stay still for as long as possible before I can even try to run away. Shan took deep but quiet breaths maintaining her back straight. Even this was beginning to hurt, and she'd have to start taking slightly shorter breaths.
Yuki had his flute in his hand. Something was going to happen and there would be no way around a fight. He had to be ready. He was feeling better somewhat, and he would do whatever he could to avoid the worst. |
"I'm not sure if tiring is even the right word for this," Ari said with a thoughtful frown to Shan. "It's... like glorified enslavement." After all, how was he supposed to see this? Michael, so that was who the two women have been looking at the entire time. He was a little confused by the conversation that ensued, but the looks between the three told him that there was some sort of mental conversation going on. He watched Yuki's hands tighten and wondered if even the youngest member knew more about what was going on than him. Something was going on with Shan, obviously, as no normal member of an audience would sit in such an upright position.
"Is he doing something to her?" He whispered to Ani, looking at the Dream Catcher. Indeed, the man was giving him the chills with that sly smile. |
"A whistle," Yuki said when he heard he question. "I read the note on mama's lap, and she told me a bit about it as well. The note said something about an angel whistle. I've never been near one before but I know that they're dangerous. The man has one in his pocket, probably, and he keeps doing something that's making mama freeze like that. There," he said, not pointing, but looking at the Catcher directly. "He keeps touching it as if to make sure it's there."
It was to make sure it was there, and worse. Shan's jaw was shut tight in a way that made her think she might not open it ever again. With nothing else to do, she began listening to the rhythm of the vibrations. She found that if she breathed more in tune with them, it was a bit easier, although it definitely made her feel more like she was being manipulated. The Catcher could hardly contain himself. He was less than a full show's length away from catching nothing less than a real angel, live and in the flesh. He could almost feel the tension coming from her. Just looking at her made him feel like his jaw would stop moving, but it kept on moving just fine, and so he kept tapping the little whistle. Many thanks went to whoever it was that made the thing. |
Ani nodded at Shans words, this was turning out to bad. She let Yuki explain the whistle, as it was what she would of said as well. "Let me speak with Micheal..see if there is anything we can do.." Ani said looking at the dark area that led to Micheals table before looking at Shan, her state was bad. How could they protect her, help her when that man had something that can render her paralyzed.
Micheal had already been in tapped with Ani and her conversations going on, Dont come, I dont want him to think that we are together, or even know each other. Though he might of sensed so much already. Lets not make him positive. Ani felt the mind invasion again and nodded, putting up barriers in her head so that the rest of her mind was not exposed to just anyone, since that was all that seemed to be going on. |
The next act was the closest thing the DreamCatcher had ever caught to an angel. A woman, with wings instead of arms, fluttered, leaped and glided around the ring, but did not fly. She could not fly, and while her dance and movements celebrated the freedom of flight and the wonders of the sky, her eyes were empty and haunted. She looked devoid of hope, beautiful and sad. At some point there had been a spark in those eyes, but it had been stomped out.
Turtle was ignoring the acts, instead looking deep into the cage. Usually by this time in the show, the boy was well on his way to making himself a nuisance, but here he was, still cowering from the previous night's punishment. The master HAD been particularly harsh, since some very important men had been in the audience yesterday. Turtle looked over his shoulder. The other acts were all behaving accordingly, almost as if they didn't need him. He circled the cage. |
Yuki found this act particularly disturbing. The woman he saw looked trapped by her own so-called gift. She could not fly the way a bird could, and she could not hold things in the same way a person could. He wanted to take a hold of his mother but remained completely still. He didn't want her to be more hurt than she already was. And he knew it wouldn't get better before it got worse.
Shan closed her one visible eye, unable to watch this particular act. She felt as though she had been looking at what could be her possible future. She couldn't stand it. The more she saw, the worse she felt. She really wished there was a way to free all of them. But then what would they do? Where would they go? It's not like she could bring along and take care of everyone. But they all looked so hollow. |
Turtle peered through the bars of the cage at the boy, expecting him to be asleep. It was the only explaination he could think of for his silence. The dog's bleeding dead eyes met with the darkened golden eyes of the young dragon. He was far from asleep.
Turtle broke eye contact immediately, then slowly looked back at the dream. His eyes were hollow, empty. It was as if he was looking far into the distance, watching something far beyond the reach of the human eye. He didn't blink, he didn't move. His pupils were so large that there was only the vaguest sliver of gold left in his gaze, and even then it looked vaguely rusted. Turtle at first feared that the boy was dead, but the slow rise and fall of his emaciated ribcage told him otherwise. The bruises and cuts inflicted by the DreamCatcher's magical whip were already mere spots and scars, having been reversed by the dragon's natural immunity to magic. That didn't mean that they hadn't hurt while being inflicted, but it gave the dangerous man free reign with his punishments without fear of permanent damage to his reputation, or his prisoner. Turtle stared at the boy, willing a spark to come back into his eye. Any sign of emotion at all would have sufficed. The dog was amazed at himself for thinking these thoughts, and had no idea why he would want to have to fight this creature into obeying. Unbidden, he imagined the child if he were clean and whole, smiling and running. His dead heart pounded some long-stilled beats and he felt his soul brighten, then shrank away from the image in his mind, scared. "What the hell?" he thought. |
As the acts went on, Shan could hear the people gasp, screm, laugh, cry, among other smaller things. But she herself was not so well as to do any of those things. Her breaths were becoming shorter and shorter. Her chest was hurting, and she wasn't always aware of her immediate surroundings. Every second made her more and more anxious.
By command of his mother, Yuki took the bag under her seat, it was small enough and light enough for him to carry, "just in case", as she had told him. He was the ever-obedient child of hers. He felt his own heart pounding in his hears. He was nervous. Even more nervous than when they had fought the monsters before. The Catcher was growing more anxious as well. He was getting closer and closer to his prize. A real angel within his reach, and moments away. Lord save the creature who dared come between him and his new treasure, he thought as he tapped the Angel's Whistle gently. Excitement and nerves went hand in hand. |
Turtle watched the boy for a long time. The circus ran smoothly even without his sheepdogging, and he allowed himself the luxury of sitting in front of the bars. The boy did blink occasionally, slowly, but even though there was a horrifying dead zombie dog sitting in front of his face, he registered no emotion or reaction.
The time came for the boy to get ready for his act. Two large and very hairy men approached the cage and mechanically set about opening it and retrieving the creature within. They were both more or less armoured, ready in case the scratching and biting should happen again. To their joyful surprise, the boy was easily extracted from the cage. He didn't scream or yowl or even cling to the bars. There was no projectile maggoty food or anything. The men almost bounced with happiness at how smoothly things were going. One of them held the boy tightly against his chest while the other wheeled up the contraption. They adjusted the clamps accordingly for his thin wrists, then locked him into it, hanging from extended arms, belted around his chest to the upright pole that held up the crucifix-shaped stand. Turtle watched as they clamped on the heavy metal collar. The dog was waiting for anything, positive or negative. A sneak attack or an attempt at escape would have made him happy, and he still did not know why it would be so. Outside in the ring, the act ended with a crescendo of organ music and a storm of applause. It was time. |
Shan became more and more tense. This was it. One more act and she would find out just what the Angel's Whistle was capable of doing to her. But now there was something else too. Another part of her filled with dread. What kind of final act could a circus like this have?
Yuki felt as ready as he would get for anything that might happen. He knew hoping nothing would happen would do him no good. He was ready to turn his flute into a staff if he needed to. He would loose a lot of energy and he knew it. But nothing else could be done. He waited. One more. One more. No matter what happened the Catcher intended to capture a new, rare prize. To his surprise, he heard no struggling behind the curtain. Good. This would go smoothly. At least, that's what he thought. |
"Should we get her out of here?" Ari whispered to no one in particular, his eyes on the Dream Catcher. It was hard to stop the shiver going up his spine from the unpleasantness of their surroundings. The smile on the man's face was creepy to say the least.
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"No, I don't think we can," Yuki said in a low voice. "If that man notices any movement, I'm sure he will just cause problems sooner. He looks like the kind of man who will do anything to catch the prize, even if it endangers others." He kept his eye on the man. "He's been holding out for as long as he's had to, but he's getting impatient. If we move, so will he." Yuki realized just how correct his words were, and this only sunk his mood.
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"Besides..." Ani said, looking at the whispering two, "Hes already had the exits blocked." She said nudging her shoulder in the direction of the two openings that were tightly secured with beefy looking men. She was sure that she and anyone in their group could immediately render then useless, but the commotion it would cause was something they didnt want.
Ani watched as the final act commenced. She prayed that it wasnt long. She was ready for a fight and she was ready to defend Shan. Micheal leaned back in his chair, his hand stroking his chin in thought. When he was a young Angel, he had heard many stories of the ancient item that can paralyze any angel within reach. There was only five originals made, scattered across the world...and many ranging in the thousands made that were just imitations, ones that couldnt even cause a faint injury to an angel, let alone be able to capture one. Micheal thought deeper about how this man was able to acquire an original angel whistle, where did he get it from? |
Shan had been looking at the exit for a few moments, but once the final act began, she was completely petrified. Her inability to move was no longer the work of the whistle alone; she was horrified. She could not turn away because her body would not allow her to. There he was. She could never have not recognized him. But his golden eyes seem to look right through her. When she thought she could no longer despair, a different emotion overcame her. Pure hatred for the man who had done this so powerful that if a glare could kill, the Catcher's head would have been blown clean off his head. She had held back with Layla. She wasn't sure she could hold back with him if put right in front of his horrid face.
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Turtle followed the two men up to the edge of the curtains and stopped there, watching them wheel out the contraption with the boy strapped into it. If he had had breath, he would have held it.
A clown in a scientist's outfit was presenting the act, causing giggles in all the right places. "I have here before you," he announced in an imperiously snobby voice (with obviously fake accent) "A strange specimen. Or at least most of one" (laughs) "Remember that it has been proven that dreams do not suffer pain! They are figments of your imagination, made by your own minds and thus unable to feel anything that is their own. This is the truth of the world and the truth of this show. Tonight you have seen things that have haunted you in your sleep, things that have elevated your spirits only to let you crash into despair upon wakening to the outside world. "Nothing," he paused for dramatic effect "is as beautiful or as horrible as a dream. Tonight we present to you the truth behind this particular lie." he indicated the boy in the contraption. Wires had been attached to the collar and shackles, and twisted their way through the curtains to the back of the tent and into a box that was labeled "DANGER DO NOT OPEN". "I know you might feel pity for this dream right now, but... I know something you don't know." He sang this last in a mocking singsong that made people laugh uncomfortably. "You will never feel the same way about sleeping ever again. I present to you... an unveiling!" The clown threw up his arms dramatically and the lights changed to focus on the show. The audience was plunged into darkness, only their eyes visible, reflecting the spectacle about to begin. Phineas felt, rather than heard, the clown's presentation. He closed his eyes and let his head hang, his longer hair hanging in clumps over his face. He didn't want to give up, but there had been months of fighting and retribution to no avail, and even so he would never see his friends again. He was out of options. A certain memory played over and over again in his mind. "I'm so sorry, I could not save your friends from that Layla." the DreamCatcher had said, kindly, consolingly. "Save?" Phineas asked from where he was sitting in the rattling cart. "I mean, that they are dead. ALL of them." "What is dead?" but he knew somewhere in his heart what it meant, and when the nice man driving the cart explained it to him, he had cried. When they arrived at the camp, the nice man ended up not being so nice. And though his kindness had been a lie, who would ever lie about anything so important as death? Only a real monster could do something like that. The wires began to hum and the feeling of the collar made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "Let it come" he thought. "Where they are, I want to be. Let it come." ((wow, am I dramatic today or what? ^_- )) |
[[Oh yes~ OwO ]]
Move, Sha thought desperately. Move. Move. Move! Please... She wanted her body to move, she wanted Phineas to move, but neither so much as flinched. She'd have to force herself to move past the pain, for she knew it would be there, and that she might not be able to do much at all. But at least now she was cloaked by the darkness, and only one of her eyes was visible, if at all, to the man she so deeply hated now. The first thing she tried to move was her arm. It made her want to cry, but at least she could move. And if she could move her arm, then she could move her lips, although this sensation was all on its own a very unique one. Shan felt like hardened caramel. "Be ready for anything. I just can't stand to watch this," she whispered before bracing herself to call out loudly. She could not bear to watch any longer, especially after what the man had said. She knew for a fact that dreams could feel pain, and she would not let this go on anymore. She had to get him to move. "Phineas!"Her throat burned so much she could have convinced herself into breathing fire. But she had been able to call out his name. Before the Dream Catcher could make his move, she yelled again, louder this time. "Phineas! For some time, the Catcher remained frozen and dumbfounded. She was moving. She was speaking. For a good while he was convinced that the whistle he had been given was a fake. He took it out and scrutinized it carefully. But there was definitely a quality about this small object that was far too abnormal to not be something special. This had to be a fluke. It had to be. He would not be upstaged in his own circus. But he'd been lost in his own thoughts long enough for Shan to get close to him. Startled, he brought the whistle to his lips. She was going to ruin the final act. She might as well be the final act. Shan knew what she had been walking into and how defenseless she was as she moved slowly. But the distracted nature of that man had given her momentary hope. How could she have imagined something like this? The instant she had heard the shrill cry of the whistle her head had snapped upwards and her back had become arched. She had absolutely no control over her body and was frozen in what looked like an almost kneeling position. She felt like her back had split open. Her six wings had burst out all at once. A forced transformation. But contrary to the moments when she had frozen under the influence of the whistle, her mouth was not clamped shut. It was wide open as she looked up at the tent's ceiling and beyond. And the sound that came out of it was so unbelievable that even afterwards she never associated it with herself. It was a combination of a high-pitched shriek and and a thundering boom. Along with the sound came a surge of power that the two ribbons on her left arm tried to contain. The power was increasing, however, and the ground under Shan caved under her. Still she remained in the exact same spot, even if there was nothing for her to kneel on any longer. Her white skin almost seemed to be glowing. The gemstones on her forehead and chest were no different. Her hair seemed to flow eerily. Her wings were spread in such a way that she gave an impression of being a very large white and violet flower with a person's face. Every atom in her body was screaming for a release that she knew would not come. The Catcher would have grinned had he not been taken aback by the sudden power that knocked him clean off his feet. He had been embarrassed in front of his audience and so would remain quiet, letting them figure out what they were seeing. Not that he would have been able to provide one. He would have to make something up for the next up. He blew the whistle again, for good measure. A larger burst of power knocked him even further, and the ground caved in once more, creating an even bigger hole. But this time when he had stopped blowing, Shan had not stopped. She could not have done so even if she wanted to. Now her powers were surging forward in a way that caused her only pain. Violet lightning danced around her and would occasionally strike into the hole below, and this too slowly began to expand. She had to get rid of it. All of it. The more she did, though, the more it came. She was scared of the damage she could cause to others and herself. |
Through the rest of the acts Kira had tried to remain silent and just enjoy the circus, at least as much you could when the Dream Catcher was there messing with people. She had occasionally glanced over at Shan, Yuki, and Ani, listening in on them. Angel whistle? Obviously that wasn't good and the fact that she didn't know what exactly the whistle would do to Shan. From what she observed it was definitely controlling her to a point.
She put her hood up, before turning over to the exits. Well, no way to get out now. Sadistic bastard. She sighed, going back to the show and watching the final act. Of course she wasn't prepared for when Shan had suddenly moved and yelled for Phineas. She could move again? She almost stood up when the Catcher blew the whistle and Shan's wings sprouted out of her body. |
Moments when Yuki became angry were extremely rare. It was just something that did not happen, certainly not in public. While his disposition was largely shaped by his mother, his anger had been shaped by his father. Yuki's anger was silent but tense. It was a very cold type of anger. Preparing himself, he murmured a spell and his flute became a long white staff. He had not had to use it up until this point, but he knew he'd have to. "We have to find a way to stop her before it gets even worse," he said, taking his mother's bag with him as he stood. He had to get close to Shan to stop her from causing more damage, but he didn't know how they would get her to stop. Not even the Catcher knew how. It was clearly displayed on his face.
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Of course the scene was stunning. He hadn't be ready when Shan suddenly took action and stood to shout out Phineas's name. We all knew, the youth realized with an inner sigh. When they had seen the poster they all knew that Phinease was here, though he, for one, never expected to have to enact such a dramatic rescue. The little boy looked to be in such sorry shape, and all Ari could remember was how those few months ago he could have gotten up minutes earlier and perhaps saved the Dream from such a fate. He had risen, though, by the time that Shan was out of her seat and a spell was already ready. But the surprise from what happened to Shan erased it clean out of his mind and hand. What was this? As Phineas spoke, Ari could only nod. "Perhaps we should find a way to evacuate everyone at the same time, just so they're not endangered? Kira!!!" He shouted to the girl who was already so close to the doors. "Try to get those open again. Everybody, you have to leave, now!" Did he care that people thought of his as strange? No, not really. Adrenaline was running through his system as he shouted even more loudly, trying to raise his voice above the crackling of the lightning and Shan's shriek. He used the wind to carry his words through the audience, next the the ears of each of the audience member that sat, stunned in their seats.
"This isn't an act! You're all in danger!" Would they believe him? He watched the Catcher as he gritted his teeth. Despicable, to use such power without knowing its extent. "Ani, would Michael know if there's a reverse to such ... an action?" He asked, stringing his bow quickly. Of course he had his eyes set on the Catcher already - divide and conquer would be the best way to go, and he was looking forward to rendering the man powerless. His eyes trailed warily about the perimeter of the ring, measuring up the vile man's assistants and such. "Someone needs to free Phineas too..." He murmured as his gaze slid past each of the henchman concealed in the shadows, realizing that as the 'final' act, the Dream was probably the most valuable of all of their prisoners. |
Ani was already out of her seat as she watched in horror at the display that Shan was when the Dream Catcher blew the whistle. The inner circle of the tent was the only light, the audience was dark still. She murmured something and spread her arms wide, light began rising from the candles, the audience fianlly coming into view. "Speak to them again Ari, make them listen!" She said rushed, "Ill find out from Micheal." She said, and in a second she was gone, climbing over the railing as she reached the table that Micheal was at. He himself was already standing. "We need your help Micheal." She said looking at him.
"Thats the boy from your group isnt it." He said matter of factly of Phineas strung up on the board. "Ill see what I can do, get the people out here." He said and with a leap as he jumped from the railing to the flooring. "The body guards are not real, they can be dealt with easily, but they will keep coming back!" He called out from behind him. He moved quickly. The whistle he had to get the whistle if he had any chance of saving Shan. He didnt know why he should ...the way to stop the whistle was that an Angel, no matter any kind of angel had to blow it. Or that was what he thought had to be done. Either that or destroyed it. He would try both alternatives. Ani watched after Micheal, before he heeded her words, she ran down the wooden stairs to the rows of people here, "Get up! Leave now! This is not an act anymore, your life is in danger. Leave!" She shouted hurriedly, forcing people to get up. She saw that people from different parts of the crowd were getting up in a hurry and leaving, mass whispering and crying from little children were now loud. |
At Ari's statement about someone needing to free Phineas, Yuki volunteered. "I need to go in that direction either way," he said walking towards the center of the circus floor, or what was left of it. As he headed over there, he realized how lucky they all had been that his mother had not been sitting close to them when the man blew the whistle. He shuddered at the thought before beginning his work. Looking at Phineas was one of the more difficult things he'd ever had to do. He raised his staff and his eyes began to glow white. As he broke every singe piece restraining Phineas, he was all to aware of his mother close by. The ground under him would soon break.
Even when freed Phineas was difficult to look at. He had suffered at the hands of the catcher, there was no doubt about that. Some of those cuts looked fresh, but nothing was as piercing as his eyes. Yuki tried not to think about it. He had a shield to put up, and it would have to be a strong one. He took a step back as the floor near him was crushed. He held his staff horizontally with his thumbs, palms facing his mother. After gathering energy, he began chanting. The thin, white shield began to appear slowly but at least it was having some effect, even if it was just a little. He was forced back again moments later, but kept the shield up and strengthened it. He hoped with all his heart that no one would have to go against his mother. That would be trouble. How would they stop her, though? And Phineas... He had looked so resigned. Unwilling to fight. The energetic boy Yuki had seen before seemed to have disappeared and left his shell behind. |
[[Oopsie. Sorry guys, my computer lagged]]
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