Avalin Seranu's Story

The cool morning air was refreshing, carrying the gentle scents of a recent rain. Small mud puddles dotted the country road, but the increasing heat of the day made it clear that the mud would be gone by the afternoon. As the sun rose, each color seemed to grow more vivid, the morning dew twinkling in the light. A small, feminine figure briskly trotted down the road at a pace that could barely be called a walk, giving each puddle a overly wide berth. Slowly, the road became more crowded as the woman approached a small town. Her pace slowed as she quietly took in the surroundings. The town was small, with a few buildings lining a main street, a train station, and post office, and a factory. A dilapidated sign near the factory read, "Temperance, Illinois" in faded white letters. A half dozen houses branched off of the main street, with about thirty or so more scattered about the countryside.

Evie became more nervous as she neared the train station. Her fingers were drawn to her pocket once more as she felt the money for the train ticket and the circus fare. She had been saving as much money as she could for more than a year, and she kept feeling uncertain that she would have enough, though she had carefully counted it several times. Arriving at the train station, which was just a small two-room building with a platform for boarding, she shyly peered through the crowd already gathering for the next train. In reality, there were only about seven or eight people, but it seemed rather packed to Evie. She hurried over to the counter, hesitating a moment before asking for a two-way ticket to Hallowbrook. A blush colored her face as she handed the man behind the counter some money, and she watched with apprehension as he counted it. Without a second glance, the man handed her a ticket and told her the train would arrive in about twenty minutes.

Evie went out to the platform and sat on one of the wooden benches, watching nervously for their arrival. It was their idea to go to the circus after all. Even though Evie had always wanted to go to a circus, it took a lot of convincing to get her to come. She was still worried that her mother would drag her back home when she figured out Evie had left with her chores undone. She hated not doing them, but she couldn't go to the circus if she had. Moments later, Jack showed up, to Evie's relief. However, he seemed to be having some trouble getting his ticket, and the police man came over. Though Evie presumed he was coming to help Jack, the policeman immediately began pushing him. Evie watched in horror as the man grabbed Jack by the collar, not only because of that, but also the glimpse she got of Jack's hand in the man's pocket. She carefully watched the policeman's face, hoping he wouldn't notice. The man let Jack go, and Evie scooted over to make room for Jack to sit. She waited for him to start the conversation, but responded with a gently scolding tone in her voice. "Now why did you have to go and do that? You're lucky that bull didn't notice your little caper. That gave me the heebie-jeebies, I thought you would get caught for sure!" There was genuine concern in her eyes as she spoke, but there was also a weariness that said they had this conversation many times before.

Evie became concerned when she caught sight of the train before Avalin had arrived. Hopefully she wouldn't come too late. The train arrived in the station, and after a few moments the final boarding call sounded. Finally, Avalin arrived and hastily boarded the train and joined them, and they took the last few open seats on the car. Evie smiled at her two friends, finally beginning to relax when the train ground into motion. Evie had only been on a train a few times before, but she enjoyed it. Though the trio talked for a while, Evie soon dropped off, content just to listen and comment every once in a while.

Soon, however, her thoughts turned to her mother and her home once again. She dreaded returning after a day of neglecting her chores. Everyone would be cranky and her mother would probably berate and beat her. Her thoughts quickly turned from the depressing subject as she stared at the landscape quickly passing them by. She began to wonder what the circus would be like. What unimaginable wonders would await her there? Suddenly, a thought came to her. What if she just joined the circus? She wouldn't have to go home ever again, and she could see the world. Her cheeks began to flush with excitement as she imagined what adventures she could have. Then she began to wonder what exactly she could do at a circus. She had almost no sense of balance, so she could not be a tightrope walker or a uni-cyclist. She was not nearly flexible enough to be a contortionist. The idea of swallowing swords made her feel queasy. Joining the circus was beginning to sound less and less practical.

Finally, they arrived at their destination. Since the circus was set up just outside the town, it only took a short walk before they arrived. Evie smiled at her friends as she bought the admission ticket and hurried in. Taking a couple steps toward the main tent, she immediately tripped and fell to her knees, feeling somebody stumble over her and walk past with a murmured curse. She yelled an apology to the man's retreating form before standing and brushing her dress off. She gave an embarrassed nod to Jack, who helped her brush off the dust. Mostly unfazed, she motioned to her friends and continued on, pausing a moment to watch a man who seemed to be flying on a piece of wood. Excitedly, she realized that this circus, the Torture Circus, also had mutants! This just could not get better. She made some comments on these things, but as she came closer to the tent, the name began to bother her. Why the Torture Circus?

Another fresh coat of mud clung to Jack's shoes with each puddle that he trudged through. He sniffled in vain to clear his stuffy nose and yawned. A result of staying up most of the night trying to 'scrounge' up enough money for the train ticket, circus, and...a pair of new shoes, or risk getting an ear full from his mother when he gets back home. Then again he wouldn't have to worry about that for a good few hours. Where he was heading would be the closest thing to a real retreat from familial issues and that was something that a teen like him needed. He looked at his now fairly ruined shoes as he walked towards the train station. He didn't really like this pair anyways. They always squished his feet a few hours into wearing them. In a way the moisture from the mud was doing him a favor by granting more give in the materials that they were made from.

He pulled his hat from his head and scratches at the annoying itch that nagged at his scalp. His locks of dreaded hair fell over his face and neck like an old mop that fell onto his head. If he didn't decide at the last minute that he wasn't going to use his savings to pay for the day's trip he wouldn't have wasted so much time caught up in thought when he could have let the top of his head breath for more than a few minutes before he would have to stuff his hair back into his hat. Sure he could just let it down today, then again he didn't like being stared at. Not when he still wasn't exactly sure that he had enough money for everything. It was just another thing that he could avoid worrying about. Having to endure a sweaty head for a while bothered him none compared to unwanted attention. He naturally attracted it enough as it was already. Sometimes it was to his advantage. Right now, having a pocket full of waded up money wasn't something that he wanted discovered.

Getting the train ticket was easy. Only pulling enough money to pay for it without several others falling out onto the floor. The man behind the counter looks down he disappears underneath the counter to pick up the crumpled up bills. He shoots a look at a passing officer. There was no real need for security. Not consistently anyways since there wasn't much trouble that could be caused there. Occasionally police still made their rounds since the station was still part of the city. The officer practically shoved Jack before he could stand up completely. He was quick to jump back up, refraining from pushing back once he saw who it was. The officer grabbed onto the collar of Jack's shirt and stared him down. Jack waited a few moments before breaking the silence. "...can, I get my ticket?"

The officer smiles, reaches down and picks up the cash Jack didn't have time to recover. "This is quite a bit for a boy like you to have." Jack slips from the cop's grip and fixes his shirt.

"I've been saving up all year sir...the circus is in town." Jack doesn't break his eyes away when he sets his hand palm up on the counter. "I just want to get my ticket. Its already paid for." The officer allows Jack to take the train ticket but pockets the money and returns to duty.

He lost a chunk of his money, but he managed to get his ticket as well as the cop's wallet which he pocketed when he was grabbed. There were too many people looking so he would have to behave himself and keep his hands in his pockets for a while.

Giving Evie a tight-lipped smile he sat down next to her when she scooted over. She most likely didn't notice him grabbing the wallet but it was only a guess. "I guess it could have been worse. I think there's still enough to get through the day." He wasn't all that committed to his words. Couldn't quite stop worrying about his parents back at the brewery. He just hoped that he would never come home to police raiding and arresting them. His attention is brought back when the train and Avalin arrives.

The trip felt like a blur by the time they had reached the circus. By the time he bought his ticket and walked in he noticed that Evie had tripped and fell. Jack rushed over to help her up but not before bumping shoulders with the person who tripped over her. It didn't matter if Evie was at fault or the fact that the other person wasn't watching where they were going. Jack helped Evie brush herself off with his hat before replacing his hat. He heard her mentioning something about someone being in the air. When he looked up however he didn't see anything. He hoped that the day would pick up. He noticed that she was looking at the sign.

“Did you remember to wash the dishes?” A rather flat voice called out harshly to the girl who stood kneeling on the floor, rubbing voraciously at it. “Yes, ma.” She replied with stretched patience. “Well, don’t forget to do the cabinets and pantry. I’m expecting it done within the next hour.” It was still spoken in the harsh, uncaring tone. However, at the mention of time, Avon’s head suddenly shot up. She smacked her forehead, a very surprised expression on her face. “Oh no, I completely forgot! How could I possibly forget that the train- I gotta go, ma!” The child babbled on, quickly dropping what she was holding and dusting off her trousers, zooming past the room where her mother was seated. “What!? You’re not going anywhere until you get those chores-“ The girl quickly cut her off. “Bye mother, I gotta go or I’ll completely miss my chance! I’ll do them later, plus more, promise!” The woman couldn’t respond or get up to grab her child’s arm in time before she darted out of the door. A very furious expression alighted on her strained face.

Avalin let out a loud sigh of relief, letting her frustrations out into the air. She let her hands spread out into the air suddenly, and she almost smacked someone straight in the face. She turned to them, smiling in a rather silly manner, showing her apologies. The person merely shook their head after looking her up and down. “Oh, train! Gotta go, focus Avalin, focus.” Her feet pounded against the ground as she ran in a full sprint to the train station. The girl burst through the door, surprising those who were seated around the office. “Ah, good! My train’s still here.” Her eyes flashed across the board over the man’s head, and she trotted up to him, a huge grin on her face. She rummaged around in her pockets before producing some money. But there was one problem- she had left quite a sum of it back at home. Lynn’s whole countenance fell, and her face paled. “Noooo! I swear I had the money, Mr. Kinley!” Her head drooped in her downcast, but the man merely chuckled, patting the counter. “That’s rather fine, it’s on me. You did help me out the other week.” A huge grin of relief was on the gal’s face as she clapped her hands together. “Attaboy, Mr. Kinley, who woulda’ thought it that you were so generous!”

Avalin clutched her train ticket, running out of the building and down the pavement to where the train was positioned. Her entire focus was on getting to the man who stood right outside, announcing the last call for boarding. She thrust the object out at him, and he chuckled, taking the paper and motioning for her to get on the train. Renu obliged gratefully, and took hold of the railing, propelling herself up and hopping the stairs. Her keen eyes scanned the carts as she searched for her friends. After spotting them, she strode over to them, plopping down into the seat with a huge, “Whooh, what a hassle!” She panted, bringing her feet up onto the seat and retying her boots. “Can you believe it, Mr. Kinley paid for most of my ticket because of the reconnaissance quest I worked him last week! What a nice man.” She grinned pleasantly, dropping her feet back down onto the floor before bringing her hands up and waving them away in opposite directions. “I can imagine it now: the great heroine was assisted so grandly by a copacetic gentleman in her most dire of times!”

With another grin, she eased back into her chair, resting her hands behind her head as she grinned at Jack and Evie. “It’s good to have the trio back together again!” She patted her thighs excitedly. “I can’t wait to see the circus, it’s just ducky! So many new possibilities and ideas for the novel, guys! Can’t you just smell it!?” She fell into explaining some other things that had happened during the day, painting them much grander than they might ever be seen by any other soul.

Once the train halted to a stop, Renu was the first to hop to her feet- although almost lost her balance in the process. She grinned laughingly, rushing out of their car and down the steps to the ground. Her eyes drank in the scene before her, a huge grin of awe scrawled across her face. In doing so, she also waited for her friends to join her in the sights. She quickly departed with Jack to purchase a ticket- this money she had made absolute positive she had before hand- and then ran out excitedly to gaze around again. She heard Evie’s comment, rather oblivious of the girl’s tumble, and her mouth formed a huge ‘o’. ’This place has real mutants!? It’s that kind of circus!?’

“So what are we doing first??”

Before responding to Avalin's question, Evie hesitated a moment to consider what their options were and to see if Jack would say something. When no one spoke for a moment, she quietly suggested, "We could go look at the various games and booths first, and then, maybe..." She paused, cheeks flushing, looking up at both of her friend's faces before continuing, "And maybe then we can go see the mutants and the acts?" Jack and Avalin did not object, so they started off going around to the various booths, laughing and having fun. It was the most fun Evie had had in a long time. She was slowly beginning to lose her awkwardness and was able to laugh more easily. She only tripped a couple times, skinning one knee, but she paid it little attention. Something like that had no power to dampen her mood. Soon, the cheery group of friends was ready to enter the various tents.

They visited the main freak show tent, which had a pleasant looking exterior that was only slightly faded. Inside, however, it was much darker, and Evie had to wait a moment for her eyes to adjust to the candle lit 'room.' When she was able to see clearly, she saw that all the mutants were locked in cages. She immediately wondered if any of them were dangerous people, but when she saw their weary expressions, she wondered if the bars were there to protect the mutants. Whatever festive air was created by the lights strung across the walls was dampened for Evie by the ugly cages. Were they supposed to look like caged animals?

She winced when she heard a young kid crying by one of the cages. The man inside, who had some sort of wings, stood staring coldly at the girl. Evie let out a small gasp when she saw the father come and kick the cage, and she hoped that he would go no further. Thankfully, the man was satisfied with that, and he walked away, dragging the crying girl with him. Evie shyly came closer as the mutant sat down and spread his crooked wings. He closed his eyes as if shutting out the world. Though her eyes were automatically drawn to his odd, bird like legs and wings, there was also plain concern on her face for him. Avalin, however, seemed even more transfixed. After a few minutes the man had not looked up, and Evie figured it was time to move on. Avalin merely waved them on and stayed with the bird mutant.

First, Jack and she headed to a tent that was connected to the main tent. Apparently, this was a tent for water based mutants. One of the mutants was tossed a key, and he unlocked the chains and floated to the top before he was dragged out by a large man. Then his arms were restrained, but it seemed like the men holding him were holding him up more than restraining him. A plain look of discomfort crossed the man's features as he took a shaky breath. People began to murmur about how unnatural he was, and Evie nearly winced. Her ma always told her that people were people, no matter what they looked like. She also told Evie that everyone should make themselves useful, usually accompanied by a scolding for dilly-dallying when she should have been working.

Sorrow and concern were plain in Evie's eyes as she looked at Jack and motioned that she was ready to move on to the next tent. They went to a tent with many young children, each with some unusual feature. For the most part, they were either tired and hungry, or as interested in the spectators as the spectators were in them. Soon after, Evie heard music starting, heralding some performance. She quickly followed the sound, and found herself in a performance tent that was already filling fast. She and Jack found a seat, saving an extra seat in case Avalin decided to join them, and watched as the woman began dancing with two snakes. Evie was amazed that the woman was blindfolded, yet danced so gracefully. She was tall, and she resembled a snake not only in looks, but also in how she moved. Evie was transfixed, as though she had been charmed along with the snakes.

At Evie’s suggestion, Avalin jumped up into the air and clapped her hands together. “Sounds just ducky to me!” She grinned and linked her arms with her two friends, cheerfully walking around with them to marvel at all of the amazing sights and all of the fun games that they had. Of course, just like Avalin would, she made ridiculous narratives and comments that caused bubbles of laughter from herself- she knew it was all in good fun, and made the narratives to do so in the first place. She was rather impatient to go and see these mutants, but she didn’t let it show. She was more self disciplined than that. She could wait.

But then the glorious moment came, and she practically dragged her friends to the large blue and red tent that held the mutants. However, she did slow down when they hit the tent flap that served as an entrance. It was eerily dark, and a shiver ran down the girl’s spine, a huge grin plastered on her face. This would be such a great addition to her story, she just couldn’t believe it! They stepped in, and she too had to stand and wait for her eyes to acclimate to the new dimness. But once they did, her eyes immediately jumped to the cages, and a sense of wonder stole her countenance- and boy did it run with it. She immediately gravitated towards that first cage, feeling only the giddy excitement of what the cages did for the whole scene. It was just so mysterious and she was sucking it up! Her fingers softly enclosed around the bars of the cage as she looked at the mutant before her. He was just absolutely brilliant! So different and so beautiful because of it; just think, having someone like that in her novel was just so right and exciting! And these thoughts were plain on her face.

But then she realized just what was happening around her- all of a sudden it wasn’t just them. Avalin then realized just how the bird mutant felt and looked like- cold and distant, while those around her mumbled things like: “Freak; Hideous; That is just not right; What’s wrong with him; Who would want a freak like that, it’s ridiculous!” Snickers followed, there were a few children crying, acts of anger were portrayed, and a frown scribbled itself across Lynn’s features, her hands closed tighter around the bars. She was only brought out of her self fury when her friends wanted to move on to the next mutant. She just forced on a huge grin and shook her head. “Nah, that’s okay, I’ll catch up with you guys later. Go go, shoo shoo.” She waved them off, and then turned back to the man in the cage with her previous expressions.

This creature before her was just awe inspiring. Seriously, having wings was just something she couldn’t possibly even dare to imagine herself having. She could actually be free. Sure, his weren’t exactly pristine for such a task, but the desire and respect was still there! It made her angry that these people couldn’t see that. So the girl stood there, hands clutched on the bars and her head drooped as she shook ever so slightly. It seemed like they were treated terribly, and that wasn’t fair at all! This would definitely be going in her story. And she would enjoy writing it down. ’But what if he- they… were to-… No Ava, that’s silly, leave that thought alone. … But what if….’

Ester was beginning to lose focus again when Mark said he had just fallen off his board. That would explain why it was broken, and his drunken speaking could be because of his nap. Oh good, he was fine. When he patted the boards they fell to the ground and for some reason they reminded her of a dog. Obedient and playful, what a silly way to think of it. Wooden boards being dogs, it was absurd to even compare the two.

At the mention of Mark tusseling Ester felt a little something in her. It was a nice feeling, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was. Happiness? Maybe, she didn't know how that felt anymore. Mark in a tussle? She was sure that he didn't seem like the fighting type. He was rather, extremely stick slender and just had this look to him that made it seem like if he had to fight a fly, he would let it win. She put a fake smile on her face that was as believeable as any of her best. She had gotten quite good at fake smiling. It wasn't that difficult, just a curve of the corners of your mouth and their it was, a beautiful and real-looking smile. "Oh Mark, you're my knight in shining armor aren't you? No, there wasn't a tussel, just a bit of words and thoughts tossed around here and there. Nothing to make a fuss about."

Her schedule! She completely forgot that she had to perform today. Oh no, what act was she? She knew what she was going to do but what if she had already missed her performance? A crease of worry formed on her forhead but was quickly, and forced, to disappear. No need for Mark to know she might be late. But to make sure none of the staff overheard her she spoke to Mark in the most secretive way she knew how. "Sure you can tag along, I have to get to the performance tent like yesterday though. Before the Big Cheese finds out I'm not there anyways." She almost reached out to grab his hand to pull him along but stopped herself. She had moved it towards him slightly but hardly enough to get too close.

As she moved out of the tent she could pretty much feel his breathing on her neck as he followed. Normally he wouldn't even dare to get that close. She had never been near him so much as to even feel his breath. "I gotta bad feeling about today, love. Something's different." She almost stopped but thought twice about it when he said it. Did he mean a premonition? She hadn't dreamnt of anything. Then again she probably wouldn't have noticed if she had. Such vague visions they hardly told her anything. ’But what if he- they… were to-… No Ava, that’s silly, leave that thought alone. … But what if….’ What did that mean? She dismissed it as she pushed through the curtain and into the performance tent. Happy was performing, blindfolded, while charming snakes. Didn't Happy hate charming snakes? Ester couldn't remember. She hardly talked to Happy, not that she didn't read her mind a few times.

She passed the aquatic tent without even looking twice but did give a second glance to a girl she saw just as she found the performance tent. She was holding onto the bars of Ezekiel's cage. Ester frowned and read into her thoughts without stopping moving. ’But what if he- they… were to-… No Ava, that’s silly, leave that thought alone. … But what if….’ What did that mean? She dismissed it as she pushed through the curtain and into the performance tent. Happy was performing, blindfolded, while charming snakes. Didn't Happy hate charming snakes? Ester couldn't remember. She hardly talked to Happy, not that she didn't read her mind a few times.

Looking at the acts she sighed in relief. She was next. Good, she hadn't missed her part. But that had been to close, if Mr. Torture had found out...she didn't want to think of that. She made it and that was all that mattered.

Jack was strung along by the two girls, following wherever they went. He didn't mind it at all. There was just as much fun in watching their reactions and excitement as it was to see with his own two eyes. If not more so. Anything that they suggested he would simply smile and nod in approval. And if they stopped at an area that lasted a bit longer than he had liked he would find himself sizing up purses and the sized of the wallet-shaped bulges in unguarded pockets. It wasn't like he could turn off the part of him that always looked for money earning opportunities. The only saving grace was that he would be pulled away to another area before he could slink two fingers into an open pocket or purse.

He would wait until they were near a food stand so that once they realized that he had slipped away he was already back holding up candied apples. One of the few things that could possibly make him forget about bad habits. It was so rare for him to be able to find them that he would end up spending more than anyone should if they only remembered how bad of a stomach ache they would get if they ate that many. The first two that he had in one hand he offered to Evie and Ava leaving the third one all to himself. His mouth watered when he smelled the caramel and candy coated apple.

Before long they found themselves in a tent full of mutants put on display for people. What interested him more was how differently people reacted to them. He himself found it to be somewhat of a challenge for his own eyes to digest. It would have been a lie if he said that he didn't show interest in how odd or almost completely normal they looked. But there must have been a part of himself that was projected into them that really made it difficult to keep his gaze on them. Despite thinking to himself that maybe most if all of it was fake until he saw a pair of wings move and stretch without the use of wires or a bunch of chicken feathers glued together to make it look like the person was part bird. They moved too naturally, eerily real, and that unnerved him. He only briefly made eye contact Ezekiel. His eyes were just as emotionless as a birds. Jack turned his eyes away and at that point he wanted to leave the tent. It was strange that Ava wanted to stay behind to look at the bird boy but he wasn't going to object. There was no danger with separating from the group and she also knew where he and Evie were headed to next anyways.

He again let himself get pulled away to the next event where they found seats and waited for the show to start. Another mutant that he didn't notice before began to perform on stage. What was different from this one was not just how she looked but how she moved. It was rhythmic and entrancing. Her form almost just as serpentine as the snakes. Not only did she perform well, she did it blind-folded which added another level of tension. However something pulled him away from the act. It wasn't her lack of skill that pulled him out of the feeling of being entertained. The corners of her mouth hinted at something far withdrawn from the show. Enough that he didn't have to look at her eyes to see that she was just as unhappy about what she was doing as the others back in the tent were. 'How bad could it possibly be?' He somewhat answered his own question by immediately thinking back to the people and kids gawking at the ones behind the bars. To perform in front of large crowds blind folded with no real way of telling what those snakes would do next. It would be a recipe for disaster if someone did or threw something to startle those snakes.

Even under the curtain of darkness words still continued to pierce through and interrupt his vain attempt at peace. Some spoke in disgust, others in excitement, but both were the same to him. There was no such thing as a good crowd, especially when they were gathered in close proximity, their numbers creating a hullabaloo and a certain stench. His wings twitched as the uncomfortable feeling of being watched grew. He continued tell himself to not let it bother him, yet their eyes still got under his skin, making him feel squeamish and anxious. When Ezekiel felt the slight vibrations move throughout his cage, he couldn't keep his eyes closed any longer.

The boy's eyelids rose open, his olive colored eyes being met with the sight of the culprit behind the shaking - a thin girl who was clutching onto the bars that separated them. Startled, he shot backwards to put a greater amount of distance between him and the stranger. His wings folded shut and his arms were used to support himself, both being behind him now with his palms pressing against the floor of the trailer. The scrambling motion had forsaken him into reacting in a rather embarrassing manner. His eyes were wide and eyebrows were arched in a manner that was astonished and hostile. Overall he felt rather silly.

He could feel his skin grow hot, he was acting too balled up and stupid. In an attempt to regain his composure he sat back up straight and crossed his arms in front of him, relaxing his expression until it reverted into a minor gaze of aggression. His wings even spread back out, relying too much on his instinct to make himself appear bigger to compensate for his situation of being used for entertainment. He could be perturbed about that later.

"What're you looking at, doll?" Ezekiel made and effort to sound unaffected by her presence, he tried to keep his voice flat, but a bit rough. Like how the gangsters sounded, they really liked coming around here with their molls. In his mind he may have succeeded, but in reality his voice sounded more awkward and strained. The people passing by sent them glances albeit, made no attempt to come closer, most of them were heading towards the performance tent instead. He couldn't be more grateful for that, maybe this dumb dora over here was just an interested, and would leave him be after she realized that it would be funner to watch a girl charm deadly snakes or another read the minds of the audience. Absolutely chilling, much better than standing in front of a winged adolescent, she should hurry and beat it before she misses the good stuff.

Despite his attempt to appear calm and in control, his body was still far from being relaxed. It was unnerving to have someone so close to him and it didn't help that he couldn't exactly scram out of here whenever he wanted. "Well?" He leaned towards the curly haired girl, rearranging his arms so his chin was resting on his fist, the other appendage lying across his lap. "Is there nobody home in there?" Ezekiel exhaled loudly, his cheeks briefly puffing up in the process.

Maybe if he was lucky this one was a bit different from the others, and by that he meant that perhaps she was carrying cigarettes and would give him one, like how a child would throw peanuts at the circus animals. Unless she wanted something in return, then he could exchange nicotine for information, nosy people always seemed to be thirsty enough for that. "Butt me or dry up."

Avalin’s head suddenly tilted up as she heard the scrabble, only to see the male launching backwards. It surprised her, and she ended up attempting to jump back but instead tripped over some unseen board and fell to the ground in a sitting position. She looked dazed for a split second before she glanced back up to look at the boy in the cage. “Ow.” She spoke in a breath, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish grin.

"What're you looking at, doll?" The boy’s tone merely made her blink, though she didn’t really comment on it. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes scanning over his face. Luckily, there weren’t many people within the tent at that moment, but those that were sent her odd glances and scowls. She looked up, momentarily distracted by the new attention she had managed to grab. She completely forgot to answer him, and a grin was on her face as she was suddenly swept up in thought- considering this to be a fairly dramatic and excellent addition to the chapter she’d get to writing to.

"Well?” Ava’s attention was only recaptured when he shifted his position, however she didn’t fully comprehend what he was saying- she was so distracted by his physical appearance and how his wings would shift whenever he moved. "Is there nobody home in there?" Lynn finally blinked off her daze to focus on what he was saying. Another sheepish smile scribbled itself across her features, and she gave a indifferent shrug. “More like too many up here.” She tapped her head with an index finger before dropping her hands to her lap; She still hadn’t moved from her fallen position. She was completely unfazed by his otherwise harsh remarks, and she just shot him a silly grin.

"Butt me or dry up." Once more the girl blinked before suddenly patting her pockets in search for some cigarettes. “You know, I’m not much of a smoker, but my mom is, so she always makes me go out and get her some.” She produced one of them from the pack and held it out for him to take. Yep, she was definitely going to make him come over and take it from her. “I don’t know how you’re going to smoke that without a lighter. Assuming, of course, that they don’t allow you to have a fire starter.” A teasing look of playfulness lit up her features before she continued. “You know, your wings are really nifty, though they could probably do with a good preen. You look a bit like a ragamuffin.” The girl had really just simply spaced on the need to actually go watch the acts perform- she was obviously enthralled with the mutant before her.

“You know, I’m not much of a smoker, but my mom is, so she always makes me go out and get her some.” He rolled his eyes at the useless bit of information, but they soon found focus on the cigarette that she was holding out towards him. One of his eyebrows quirked upwards at the interesting, in an unusual way, gesture. It wasn't exactly rare for people to toughen up and talk to him; mobsters and various types of men figured that someone that saw people come by day in and day out would catch onto a lot of gossip, and they were right. Although a woman being so bold like this, well, it was different to say the least. His eyebrow lowered and he leaned forward to take the tobacco product from her. Ezekiel's arm stretched out between the bars to reach, having his fingers nearly brush against hers on purpose, if just to see how she would react.

Immediately he pocketed the item. Obviously he couldn't smoke it in here, he'd get caught. "Thank you." He wasn't completely without manners, though they weren't weren't pristine, as he continued to study her without shame. His lips pulled into a smirk at her comment. "Just because I'm not allowed doesn't mean I hadn't managed." He was sitting closer to the bars now, this girl didn't really seem to be out to harm him. Hell, she was still on the ground. "The big shots around here are just a bunch of saps." Though, even if he said that, his eyes still glanced to the sides, checking to make sure nobody heard what was spoken.

He was relieved to find that most of the staff members had moved to the performance tent, and the few that stuck around weren't in close proximity. Ezekiel looked back to the girl, and while she didn't really act like the brightest gal out there, she had to be bothering him for some reason. Outsiders just didn't beat their gums off to him to pass the time or out of the goodness of their hearts; there was always something they were looking for in return, or else they'd just keep their distance and watch. Right? His gaze reverted back to being suspicious, but his composure didn't last long.

“You know, your wings are really nifty, though they could probably do with a good preen. You look a bit like a ragamuffin." The boy made a choking noise and his wings tensed, before closing shut behind him. A glare was sent to the girl before he avoided looking at her. He wasn't sure what bothered, or surprised, him more - his wings being noted as nifty or the suggestion of having them preened. Zeke looked back at them for a moment, jerking his head away when he realized that doing so would mean he actually cared, and focused back on the nosy girl before him.

He opened his mouth to speak, about to make a sarcastic remark, but was cut short when he heard commotion coming from the tent next door. At first the noise was rather mundane, like most crowds chatter, though now it had risen to where it had garnered the attention of many people in the display tent. It sounded like a mix of panic and excitement, Ezekiel looked over with worry sketched into the furrow of his brow. Happy was performing, and while they weren't chums, he didn't want harm to befall her. Soon he heard clapping coming from the performance tent and his shoulders dropped ever so slightly, assuming that a crowd that wasn't screaming in horror was a good sign.

Ava just smiled cheerfully at him, making absolutely no move toward or away from him as he took the cigarette from her hand, almost touching her in the process. It looked like it was on purpose, but many people did that anyway, didn’t they? With an internal shrug, her thoughts quickly shifted elsewhere.
"Thank you." She looked up at him and nodded. “Sure.” The gal shifted a bit so she wasn’t so uncomfortable in her position, however she stayed on the ground. She liked it much better, not to mention it said volumes when considered in book form. "Just because I'm not allowed doesn't mean I hadn't managed." Lynn put her hands up in mock defense, “Of course, of course.”

"The big shots around here are just a bunch of saps." The girl leaned forward, her hand up to her mouth as she stifled a small laugh, instead letting out a half cough half snort in her so-so attempts at covering it up. “Boy, do I ever know how that goes.” She leaned to the side with one arm, pointing vaguely up in the air with the other.

However, she caught the suspicious gaze she flashed her, even if it was only for a small moment. Slight confusion scribbled itself on her features, but she just shook it off. However, she was not expecting his reaction to her comment on his wings at all. She definitely didn’t mean to make him feel uncomfortable about them, and the glare he shot her made her feel actually pretty bad. ‘I should watch my mouth more.’ Internally, she gave herself a half hearted smile, knowing that that wasn’t very likely. He did however look back at his wings before snapping back to her, something like irritation on his face.

Avalin’s whole demeanor fell, and her voice came out rather uneasily. “I’m s-“ However, she was soon cut off by the noises coming from the main tent- and it didn’t sound good at all. She had instinctively leaned forward to touch him when she attempted to make an apology, but was caught off guard by the unusual noises. Registration suddenly dawned in her eyes, and she realized that she had missed one of the acts. She was actually rather glad she had- it was worth it to talk to this mutant, in all honesty. Avon was actually not that fazed that she had missed it, because it sounded like something very wrong had gone down. “Oh horsefeathers, it should appear I’ve missed the entire first act!” She smacked her forehead and immediately rose from her previous position, quickly getting up and trotting to the flap of the tent. She paused and turned back to the mutant in the cage. “I’ve probably given you an earful… um… sorry! I guess I’ll see you around then.” She rubbed her left arm rather sheepishly before she heard another collective gasp from the crowd in the other tent. That was a Jack-did-something-stupid-again kind of gasp, and she really should see what was going on. She dropped her hands and quietly grinned, disappearing outside and into the main tent.

She quickly made her way up to the stands, seeing Evie quite clearly among the crowd with her signature hat and motions. Plus the crying boy kind of attracted one’s attention. She hurried over to them, a confused look on her face. “Hey, what happened? What’d I miss?”

The girl wasn't around for much longer; just as the noise from next door has gained his attention, it had done the same to her. Only in her case, she was free to get up and check it out, having the ability to go and see if anything was wrong and if there was anything to be done to help. “I’ve probably given you an earful… um… sorry! I guess I’ll see you around then.” He hardly nodded his head at her farewell, it wasn't like he expected to ever see her again. Ezekiel's gaze lingered at where she last stood, before he fell onto his ride side, lying down and looking out into the nearly empty display tent - aside from the other mutants that were caged, of course.

She was odd, a bewildered expression started to arise on his face as the previous moments replayed in his head. There were always children that were curious and unafraid of them, apparently not knowing better, but he hardly met anyone older that was like that. He had conversations in the past with normal human beings, most of them looking for the novelty of speaking to a mutant, more of them working for a newspaper, but they were the few that didn't look at him as if he was a bug, or worse. If he had to describe it, he'd call this a nice feeling. Even if she seemed a bit out there, and had said a couple of bothering things about his wings, Ezekiel guessed that this would become a fond memory of 'Times people treated me like I wasn't an abomination.' He would attempt to exclude the fact that she just talked to him for some sort of kicks, because that's just how people were.

A rattling sound came from the back of his cage, causing him to glance backwards. A staff member was unlocking him and opening the door, muttering something about 'Not getting paid enough for this'. Judging by how Ezekiel didn't recognize the man, he figured that this guy was only a temporary employee, someone Mr.Torture hired from a nearby town to work for the week they were in the area. The winged boy made his way out of the trailer and immediately stretched, not just his arms but his wings as well. The man who unlocked his cage grunted when one of the wings hit him in the face, yet the perpetrator made no effort to apologize. "Be back to the main performance tent in time for the next act." His voice was deep and rough, unlike his scrawny appearance. Perhaps he was the unlucky type of smoker who'd voice got damaged in the process?

"What? Are you yanking my chain?" He sounded irritated, with disbelief hinted in his tone. The other man rolled his eyes and replied that 'No, now get out of my sight.' before walking off. Ezekiel groaned and rubbed his forehead, briefly thinking of checking out the performance tent but deciding against it. By now it sounded like whatever had happened was long over and all was just dandy, there was no reason to draw attention to himself. He pinched the bridge of his nose momentarily before walking out of the display tent and back outside, startling a group of girls who were passing by. They scurried off quite quickly after they noticed his bitter expression, and Ezekiel was left to put the cigarette that girl had given him in his mouth, lighting it with the lighter he had found on the ground about a week ago. He usually wouldn't preform again so soon, it seemed like Mr.Torture had it out for him today. His mind went back to his actions of the day, it wouldn't be ludicrous for him to assume that he wasn't happy with the Fallen Angel's behavior with the customers in the display tent, it might be some sort of punishment.

After inhaling the smoke deeply, he exhaled the toxin into the air before walking down the path wedged between two rows of tents. He could hear people all around him, all the noise bleeding together to create a large presence that many people would call lively, although he would call it annoying. There was the noise of people cheering or gasping during performances, children yelling and crying, and teenagers snickering and gossiping. Sometimes he wished he would go deaf just so he wouldn't have to listen to it anymore.

He ended up finding himself back in the freak show tent, which was surprisingly still empty, aside for the commotion from the performance tent. They were starting to move around the mutants now, switching ones that had behaved badly or ones that had their break, or had an act coming up, with others that had nothing else to do. Ezekiel didn't stop wandering until he was outside of Samael Barker's cage. He knew the boy well enough, having being in this hole together for eight years. Sam was nearly silent and he was cold, paired with his white hair and pale complexion you had a person that easily put other people off. Ezekiel however never wavered because of this, he guessed it was just because they were both in the same situation.

The younger boy blew out his final breath of smoke before putting the butt out casually on one of the iron rails of the cage, soon discarding it on the ground without a care. There was no staff looking at them currently, they'd just assume it was a customer that littered. "You look unhappy, as always." He commented, not really expecting to get an answer out of the other, or any words at all. Ezekiel reached into his right pocket and pulled out a Baby Ruth, offering it to the other. The mask he often wore may prevent any consumption right away, though it could always be saved for later. "Do you want it?" He was always snatching up things, and with such a strong sweet tooth it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for him to have a bit of an overstock of candy. Apparently they would rot his teeth, but they tasted good and made him happy, kind of like cigarettes; Zeke figured it couldn't hurt to at least see if the daemon mutant wanted it or not.

Evie heard some shouting and general fighting behind her, but ignored it for a moment. A skinny, secretive looking man, one of the stage hands, came up to her, gave her a watch, and told her to put it in her pocket and keep it hidden for a bit, before disappearing back into the crowd. She looked at it for a moment in confusion before stuffing it in her pocket just as the next act was announced. However, when she heard the thud of someone falling, she whirled, nearly falling herself, to see what was going on behind her. Seeing Jack on the floor, she gave a gasp, covering her mouth with her hands, before hurrying over to him. Tears were already streaming down her face when she crouched beside him, hurriedly and gently checking for injuries. She looked up into the crowd and saw the bright red, angry face of the man who had started the fight. Recalling his words earlier, she realized it was her fault. Because of her clumsiness and stupidity, Jack was hurt. The man who had pushed him merely grunted and turned away as if he had done nothing wrong, and Evie felt even worse.

She quickly dried her tears, not wanting to upset Jack, and helped him into a nearby seat when he was ready. "Are you alright, Jack. I am so sorry I got you into that. You gonna be okay?" she gushed, almost hysterical. Just then, Ava walked up and asked what happened. Evie quickly explained that she knocked a guy's popcorn out of his hand and Jack got hurt because of her clumsiness. She heard the announcer mention a watch, and her thoughts briefly flashed to the one she held, but her mind was quickly filled with concern for Jack once more. She heard her name called, and she realized the watch was part of the act. So that is why a stage hand gave it to her! Quickly asking Avalin to look after Jack, she uncertainly walked up to the stage. She realized the woman was a mutant as well, and immediately wondered if she was happy here at the circus, or if she was just forced to act like the snake woman seemed to be.

Arriving at the steps, she walked up the steps, slowing as she realized everyone's attention was now on her. As she reached the top step, her foot caught under the step and she tripped, falling on her hands and knees. Embarrassed, she rose as the crowd roared with laughter. Her cheeks blushed a flaming red, and she brushed the dust off her skirt as she timidly walked over to the woman and stood beside her, head down, abashed by her awkwardness as well as the crowd's attention. Realizing she was up there because of the watch, she dug in her pocket, fished it out, and held it out for the woman, daring to look in her face for a moment. She expected to see either disapproval or mocking. That is how her mother would look after Evie had just embarrassed herself in front of a room full of strangers after all.

No one really took much interest with Jack on the ground. Aside from the few onlookers sitting at the front there was no one who bothered to help him. That is except for Evie who rushed to his side. The light wasn't that bright where they were at but he could still see the glint of tears in her eyes. Seeing her eyes water was more than enough to make him snap up to a seated position. His hat lay on the ground nearby and his dreads were a tussled mess; some of it covering his face till he used his arm to brush it back. There clearly was a look of pain in his eyes when he did so. "I'm okay I'm fine." He blurts before she even has a chance to say anything. He felt stupid for turning his back blindly to the angry man who pushed him. He felt like an ass for making Evie tear up due to his fall. He faked a smile in an attempt to keep her drying eyes clear.

Picking up his hat he moved with Evie to an empty seat. The only thing that hurt more than his shoulder and head was his pride. "It's fine. I'll just walk it off after the show. I'm okay, really." Evie was quick to fill Ava in on all the details. He knew Evie did it because she cared but it made him feel like he was living the embarrassingly painful incident all over again. He sure as hell hoped that no one would snicker about it or he was going to make up for not doing anything to the guy earlier with the next person who laughed.

His shoulder felt stiff and slightly numb until he tried to move it. Pain shot through his shoulder and up his neck. He wasn't sure if it was the pain that prevented him from being able to lift his arm or if there was something more to his injury. Instead of continuing the assessment of his injuries he decided to ignore them just so his friends would stop worrying. The sooner they forgot about the accident the better. He held his arm to his chest with his elbow on one of his raised knees. It made him hunch forward somewhat but it was better than holding his arm with a blatant 'I'm injured' stamp on his forehead. It took just about all of the fun out of the show. They barely started to enjoy themselves and here he was, injured and practically had them stop their day short. Maybe he was just being too hard on himself but he really wanted the girls to have fun.

Jack's self-brooding was cut short when Evie tripped on one of the steps to the stage. His eyes widened as he nearly leapt up to help her. Another pain shot through his shoulder when his muscles tensed forcing him to freeze in place. He felt rather helpless when he saw her all alone up there with the crowd using her mishap as an excuse to laugh at her. There wasn't much that he could do now but he made sure to memorize some of their faces so that they would have an unfortunate time paying for their next bag of popcorn when they find their wallets missing. He only needed one working arm in order for that to still happen. Jack tried to get Evie to focus her attention on him by waving with his good arm to her. He put an overly goofy smile on his face to try to get her to relax. If he could be fine after what he went through, surely she would be able to start smiling again after her little fumble.

Ava put her hands on her hips as Evie explained what had happened. She grinned largely and shook her head, clicking her tongue against her teeth. “Oh, Evie, you silly bird, you really need to learn how to be more graceful. Just think of it, it’ll be a great story addition, the guy tries to save the damsel in distress, and the villain ends up pushing him off a few rows of seats. It’ll be better once I write it, of course, but it’s still good stuff! Jack just needs to watch what he’s doing and try to stop harassing people.” She grinned, her tone teasing and not worried at all by what had happened. Her friends were pretty strongly built, and she knew they were both fine.

Ava plopped down into a vacant seat and placed her elbows on the armrests, her eyes intently focused on the stage as the next act came out. It was almost as if she had completely forgotten about her encounter with the mutant just moments before, but in all honesty, it was still a very present factor in her mind; her friends just didn’t need to know about it, not to mention now wasn’t a keen time. Lynn’s eyes trailed after Evie as she was called up to the stage, and then frowned slightly when she tripped. However, as she got back up, Avalin smiled brightly, “Attagirl, Evie.”

She was more than ready to see what the next act would do with her friend, however it seemed like there was a small amount of tension, especially considering those around her were still chuckling at the girl. However, she had a small amount of time to herself by the pause onstage, and Ava let her mind wander back to what had happened.

Ava’s attention flickered back into focus as the act actually began, and strained to hear their words. She caught a lot of it, but still missed quite a bit. She did wonder what question Evie had asked, but shrugged and figured she might be able to ask her later- if she remembered.

The act ended abruptly after the answer, and Ava looked expectantly to Evie as she returned to her seat. Jack leaned forward slightly to ask the same question she had been thinking about, and Lynn put her feet on the boy’s lap, disregarding any strange looks that might have been shot towards her unusual position in her chair. An uneasy look spread across her face as Evie began to explain what her question had been, and Avon’s arms crossed. It had been rather obvious with Ezekiel, but she didn’t entirely realize it was the same for all of the mutants.

The trio departed rather quickly from the show tent to sit sort of away from the masses, and Evie revealed her plans for setting some of the mutants free. Ava immediately jumped in, a huge grin on her face. When she said they’d find Ester, Ava protested rather fiercely. She was definitely set on helping Ezekiel out- besides, they hardly needed three people to set one mutant free. It’d be only better this way.

While they had time to wait for the night to fall, Ava went to see a few of the other mutants in different tents, she was also inspecting the cages and tanks and such but it never showed. Eventually she got bored and started wandering around aimlessly to look at things, until nightfall finally hit.

The gal returned to her friends and sat on a nearby crate as they went over their plans again. Jack had already swiped some keys from one of the guards, and Ava’s gaze ran over it intently. However, discontent soon struck her features, and a frown etched itself onto her lips. “Well that’s just copacetic.” Her tone was dry and sarcastic as she referred to the keys being welded onto the dang loop. It probably wasn’t all of the cages anyway. With a small frown, she rose from her seated position and wandered over to Jack and slipped one of his lock picks from a pocket and brought it up so he could easily see it- although he probably had already felt it. “I’ll borrow this and see if I can crack one of the cages while you guys are off trying to free that other mutant.”

She grinned brightly, a gleam to her eyes as she split off from the group to go search out Ezekiel. She decided that the first place to look was where she had seen him last- the display tent. She made sure that she wasn’t spotted by any passing guards as she slipped through the night towards the tent.

As Lynn pushed the flap of the tent gingerly aside, she quietly edged her way in and then came to a small stop to wait for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Once acclimated, she snuck towards Ezekiel’s cage. Almost by her second step she had been hit by the smell of cigarette smoke. She grinned, rather relieved that she didn’t have to go about the circus grounds looking for him. Adrenaline was coursing through her as she approached the cage and stopped at the door.

Avon immediately set to work on the lock, fitting the pick in and beginning to jiggle it around and listen to the tumblers. Her gaze flickered over to his form to see if he had bothered to look up and see what the commotion was with the lock.

"And now, prepare yourselves for this next exotic beauty! All the way from the distant lands of the Far East, this Asian snake will charm you with her secret ways! Behold, the mysterious dragon lady!"

That was her cue.

Happy slid out, feeling the hot light from the spotlight on her. There was applause, shaken with hushed whispers. Some cat-calling. Happy had to stop from rolling her eyes behind her shut lids. Not like anyone could see through her blindfold.

The band started playing, some cheesy Oriental music, and Happy danced. She knew after her introductory dance, a prop would come to play. She hoped for the pole. The ropes could get too disorienting, suspended in the middle of the air. Especially on this night, with the snake. She really needed a pole.

Mr. Torture must have been feeling a touch bit merciful, because she saw the cold line that was the pole, dragged in by two hot bodies. Happy allowed herself to smile, and she pulled the veil off her face, still blindfolded, but revealing her face. She heard some gasps as her facial scales and pits were seen, for the first time for many. She saw a few leave, their heat exiting the tent. She could have sworn she heard the words "unnatural" and "damned chink", but maybe she was just imagining things with the music. It wasn't like it mattered. She had heard all the slurs and more.

She wrapped her ankle around the cold metal and gripped the pole with a hand. She pushed off with her other foot, grabbed higher, and was now off the ground. Still, she felt more comfortable this way. With the harsh spotlight on her, she could easily see the pole. The fact that it wasn't trying to bite her helped a lot. She swung around the pole before splaying out sideways, only her legs hugging the metal. She let loose her top, displaying a skimpy negligee underneath. As she turned her back to the audience, she heard some cries and more gasps. No doubt they had caught sight of her spinal scales.

Suddenly, Happy spotted more movement. Her stomach dropped at the recognition, and she slid down the pole a little less gracefully than normal. They were bringing out the ropes? But it was only a prop per night! What was Mr. Torture doing??

The announcer explained: "Many of you might recognize this young dame as the snake charmer from earlier. As apology for the mishap that happened, she has graciously decided to reward all of you to a second display. Watch as she tames these ropes as if they were living snakes themselves!"

For a moment, Happy considered leaving the stage. She had done her bid. She could keep pole dancing all night long. But not this. Not now.

But she knew, reluctantly, as she stepped towards the ropes, that she couldn't do that. Mr. Torture would have her head. She'd be punished, like the others. She couldn't let that happen. She was too proud for punishment. She was too proud for this too, but what could she do? Her hesitance must have been evident, because a shout came from the audience to hurry it up already. Oh, she would have told him off if she could! Bite into his neck. Bite into Mr. Torture's neck. Watch their hot blood escape their body as they turned from bright yellow to blue.

Happy was empty as she performed on the ropes. Empty. The only thoughts she had were those of strangling Mr. Torture, if she didn't end up strangling herself. She continued stripping until she was only in the negligee, and hung upside down, suspended from her ankles, for the finale. As the applause broke through, she righted herself, sitting patiently on the ropes until they lowered. There were some shouts calling for her to take the top off, even with the supposed horror of her scales. One man was standing. Typically, Happy would oblige, but tonight, with the ropes and humiliation, she didn't. This would be her protest. After all, she wasn't required to strip entirely naked. She had walked away in just her negligee before. So she just ignored the shouts, waving and smiling and waiting for the ropes to lower.

But they never did.

This angered her. Did Mr. Torture want her to strip? Was this further punishment for the snake? Did she dare defy? She decided she would. This was the last straw. She continued sitting. She could sit here all day. He knew she could. Eventually the crowd grew unruly. They demanded a full strip. Why was she sitting there anyways? Who did she think she was? This was why the goddamned chinks needed to go back to where they belonged. It wasn't long before the tent was filled with jeers of Chink and Jap. But Happy kept her chin up and ignored it all, like a regal queen.

Finally, the ropes lowered, and Happy stepped off briskly, picked up her clothes, and walked off, the jeers attempting to follow her. As the announcer tried to quiet down the audience and announce the next guest, Happy was met by a large, intimidating blob of white heat.

"What was that?" Mr. Torture hissed.

"My act." Happy replied, not lowering her head, but not raising it upwards towards his face either.

"Your act is to do what the audience wants!"

"My act is to perform my routine, and indulge the audience when I feel necessary."

Suddenly, Happy felt her face being grabbed and pulled up, the harsh fingers squeezing her cheeks. Tears pricked in her eyes immediately from the sudden pain, combined with humiliation. The blindfold was ripped off, but she kept her eyes shut.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you're getting too tall for your britches. I own you, and without me you'd be nothing! Remember that the next time you're dangling ten feet in the air, or I might not be so gentle in lowering the ropes."

There was a pause, and Happy said nothing. But the grip on her face tightened again as her head was shaken. "Look at me!" the man demanded, his disgusting breath rolling around her nose.

Happy snapped her eyes open, as wide as she could, and glared at him. She couldn't see his face, but she knew the effect her eyes had. It wasn't long before her face was released, Mr. Torture spitting on the ground inches away from her. "Get away from me, Freak," he uttered, before stomping away back to the tent.

Happy didn't move for minutes, still caught up in the tension of her previous position. Finally she relaxed, and blinked. She quickly wiped the tears away, clutched her clothes closer to her and mustered as much dignity as she could before walking away from the performance tent. Treacherous thoughts crossed her mind. She couldn't stay here any longer. She had to leave. But how? Should she poison Mr. Torture? Kill him? Bite him? Strangle him? Feed him to the animals? The possibilities were endless and oh so entertaining...

As she neared her tent, though, she was surprised to sense active heat. Most of the others were sleeping, but there were two...no, three...bodies that were awake and moving. As one ran towards another tent, she realized they weren't even caged. Could they be escaped performers? Or perhaps customers sneaking in? As Happy neared, she recognized one of them as the girl who had been called up for Ester's show. She was near Ester's cage as well. What was she doing here? And so close to the mutants as well. A thought popped up in Happy's mind, but she shoved it out of the way. No need to get optimistic. There had been sympathetic customers before, but they rarely did much for them. If anything, they were just trying to get a closer look.

Typically, Happy would shoo them off, but revenge was still brewing in her mind, and she decided to take advantage of the situation. She halted, about yard or so behind the humans, and cleared her throat. "Might I help you with something?" she asked with a smile.

His lungs filled with smoke; soothing, calming the bitter remains of his mind. Ezekiel lets his wings stretch outwards, not in pride but in comfort, or as much as he could get in this cramped trailer. It wasn't until the noise of scraping metal did his eyes flutter open, confusion becoming proposed to him. The circus was filled with its typical noise at this hour, people around the pornographic tent, guards chatting with one another as they shared alcohol and cigarettes. He hoped they would drop their packs in a drunken daze and leave half used remains behind so he could support his habit, just so he could hold onto a bit of solace at the end of his day.

There was still that inconsistent, aggravating noise, and he pinpointed it to be nearby. His gaze went from the little light that came into the tent to where he trailer would open, and when he saw someone else there he inhaled the smoke wrong in a panicked, thoughtless action. Clutching his chest, the cigarette falling from his lips, Ezekiel coughed, covering his mouth to muffle the cacophonous noise. The boys shoulders were shaking as his body tried to evacuate the poison that entered his body wrongly, forcing his eyes to shut during the struggle.

Finally the infliction ceased, each cough becoming further apart until he was able to catch his breath. His eyes became wide open as he stared at the person fumbling with the lock on his cage, eyes narrowing in accusation. "What are you doing?" He questioned, voice hoarse and laced heavily with his current vexation. The wings growing out of his back folded, allowing him to turn around to get a better look at the person. When he recognized it to be the girl from earlier, he felt like he was hit by a wave of cold water.

"It's you!" Being surprised was an understatement. He had never been approached to like this before, not by an outsider at least. No one dared to cross Mr.Torture, even the public could tell he is a man whose temperament was to be avoided. Ezekiel's eyes were wide, and they returned to their previous state when he was clouded with suspicion. What was she doing here? He couldn't think of any plausible reason for her to come at the circus at night, let alone purposely find him so she could experiment with some lock picking. As he could recall, he hadn't been exactly all that nice to her, and his rudeness never came off as coy.

His posture stiffened and his arms became folded across his chest, leering at her with a choleric visage. "You didn't bring a group of boys, hopin' to reach up your shirt, to teach me a lesson - did you?" He questioned, wondering if she was about to try and get some sort of revenge on him. "I have talons, doll, you don't want any trouble." Ezekiel warned, stretching out his bird-like feet for good measure. Well, it wouldn't be the first time that someone wanted to see him become black and blue, he just hoped he could find a way out of it.

Ava’s movements immediately froze as she heard the coughing, rather startled than anything else. However, as he continued on leagues quieter, she returned to her lock-picking maneuvers, doing her absolute best to work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

”What are you doing?” A hiss of voice flowed to her ears, and she paused for a second before returning to her work. A broad grin settled itself onto her lips, and she just looked up at him. “Miss me?” Her voice was not patronizing at all, purely innocent and cheerful, although it did admittedly hold a teasing ring to it.

”It’s you!” Avon’s form tensed, and she hurriedly tried to put a finger up to her lips to hush him, when she realized she had still need to work on the lock- she couldn’t lose her progress now. She hardly even needed to, as he hushed himself in wary contemplation, his wings folding back to their previous position she had seen earlier that day. She simply continued fumbling with the lock-pick.

However, she looked up at him once more as his posture shifted, the lighting was fairly dim, but she did think she saw the faint lines of irritation on his facials. "You didn't bring a group of boys, hopin' to reach up your shirt, to teach me a lesson - did you?" A huge wave of red completely drowned her face, and she coughed awkwardly with a small squeak. “W-what? I’d n-“ Lynn stammered out in an urgent whisper, completely thrown off by his suspicions, but he continued anyway.

"I have talons, doll, you don't want any trouble. She watched him lift a foot, her face still blushing up a storm, unable to truly process his threat at that moment. However, she quickly regained herself, and cleared her throat very quietly to aid in doing so.

She tilted her index finger a small bit and curved her thumb under with the tool, and a satisfying click resounded from the lock. She stamped her foot quietly, and immediately crossed her arms. “N-no-“ The gal coughed once more, putting behind her what she’d just gone through at the instance of his comments, and spoke again, this time more clearly. “That’s just baloney, I hardly have a beef with you. I’m trying to get you out of this joint.”

Silently, she put a hand on the cage door and eased it open, leaning against one of the bars with her arms crossed. A faint remnant of her blush lingered on her cheeks, though she hardly realized it. “Now get a wiggle on! Just consider this a bum’s rush, but in your favor.”

The girl's face was drowned in crimson color, and he had to admit that it was a nice shade against her slightly tanned skin. For a reason unknown to him, his own blood vessels broke under his cheeks, tinting them rose and causing a wave of confusion at the butterflies that tried to fly up his throat. Ezekiel glanced away, shut his eyes and furrowed his brow, cursing his teenage hormones or whatever people called them. So what if she was pretty? Who cares if she was vaguely interesting, she was a regular, human girl and well he, he was deformed, in all honesty.

His gaze switched back to a glare, though this time it was directed at himself. He didn't have time for feelings that were fitting of a school boy, romance was for the week and he wouldn't let fleeting attraction turn him into a flustered fool. Ezekiel looked back down at her as she cleared her throat, his eyebrows rising as the lock clicked and the door opened, no muscle headed boys walking in to give him a good beating. His mouth opened, wanted to ask her another question, wanted to know why she was risking her skin to play around with circus freaks, but then she answered him before he could make a peep.

"I’m trying to get you out of this joint.”

For a second he was sure his heart ceased to function, that the air from his lungs escaped through his skin and left him but a hollow shell without thought or comprehension. He could feel himself blinking, lost, surprised, perplexed. His lips pressed together and he examined her, looking for any reason not to trust her, to tell her to get lost and never bother him again. Yet, he found nothing, just a naive, benevolent girl who had just given him what could be an opportunity at a better life. A life without the beatings, or scraping up cigarette butts, or walking across a tightrope several feet in the air as people secretly wished for him to fall, splatter onto the ground below.

He inhaled, reminded himself of all those times he tried to escape and failed. Without his permission one of his hands rose, his fingers traced over his shoulder, brushing against material that hid scars to prove it. Ezekiel's mouth turned into a frown, fighting off an inner debate between trying once again, or avoiding failure. New hope kindled inside of him, but if it was stomped out for the hundredth time he wasn't sure how able he would be to get back up again. Despite every thought that told him this was stupid, a pointless, useless attempt at freedom, he smirked and nodded.

"Well aren't you a bearcat?" The winged boy teased, but it was lighthearted, almost admiring. He stood from his spot and climbed out of the cage, touched solid ground, and fixed a few of the buttons on his short sleeve, white button up. If you can't beat them, join them. If they were going to go down, they would do so together, only she would be driven away in a cop car and he would have to face the wrath of leather. That was fine by him, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle, nothing he wasn't used to. As long as he could get a taste of adrenaline, a piece of the outside world, then he would learn to live with the result given to them.

Ezekiel walked towards an opening in the tent and glanced back at her, expecting her to follow. "There are some other people I'm going to try and get out here." He said, not a request but a fact. He felt like he owed it to them. Sam, who was miserable here and remained closed off, and Kraus who was new here and had a chance to get away from Hell before he descended into the deepest layers. He might not be able to trust this girl yet, but he could at least try and get along, she did just break him out of what might as well be a prison.

"I'm Ezekiel." He decided on giving her his name, at least it would prevent them from awkwardly wondering what to call each other. Carefully he stepped out of the tent, glancing down the empty pathways before he reached out, grabbed onto the girl's wrist and pulled her along. Ezekiel didn't let go of her until they were outside of a small sized trailer, standing on the top of his toes he peaked over, looked between the bars of the window and whispered, harsh and demanding. "Sam, Kraus." He hissed, sounding angry even though it was only the nerves that was twisting his spine. "I'm getting out of here. Meet me in at the south end near the oak tree, if either of you don't make it in time I'll leave the both of ya'." He warned, paused before speaking again. "I'm unlocking your cage but we're splitting up, it's too dangerous to sneak around here with these goons hangin' around."

Suddenly he reached towards the girl, snatched the master key from her hands and shuffled towards the door, making sure no one was around before he unlocked it. "Don't be stupid." He muttered, hoping that the two wouldn't manage to blow this for him, and snuck back towards his savoir. "You're not a first time caper, are you?" Ezekiel questioned, wondering how she got a hold of the key in the first place, but didn't properly ask. "Lets keep moving." With those hushed words being spoken they were headed past tents and small trailers that held sleeping misfits and supplies alike. It was all going well, and he had the feeling that it was too good to be true. That it was, because the closer they got to another that group that planned their escape, they closer they got to Mr.Torture, who was looking for some skin to break.

Ezekiel looked back to her, a smile on his lips, and completely unaware that behind the upcoming corner was the devil himself.