• Welcome to The Cave of Dragonflies forums, where the smallest bugs live alongside the strongest dragons.

    Guests are not able to post messages or even read certain areas of the forums. Now, that's boring, don't you think? Registration, on the other hand, is simple, completely free of charge, and does not require you to give out any personal information at all. As soon as you register, you can take part in some of the happy fun things at the forums such as posting messages, voting in polls, sending private messages to people and being told that this is where we drink tea and eat cod.

    Of course I'm not forcing you to do anything if you don't want to, but seriously, what have you got to lose? Five seconds of your life?

Closed Masque Carnivalia

Connor looked over his shoulder at Celest. “Cel… I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.” He smiled at her. “You’re obviously many things. Dead weight, I’m afraid, is not one of them. Even if you try to make yourself believe that, it’s not a good enough act for me!” He saw her start blushing for some reason. But why? He hadn’t said anything, Logan wasn’t exactly the flirty type, so what was making her blush? This wasn’t the sort of blush a person got from being cold-this was a warm blush, embarrassment of some kind. ‘And he puzzled, and puzzled, ‘til his puzzler was sore.’ Connor thought.

“Thought it’d be obvious! We’re headed to the ferris wheel! I get to test out a ride like I wanted, and we get a vantage point of pretty much everything, so maybe we can figure out where the hell Tess is. There’s just one teensy little problem, I think. I can’t see that far at night, so we need your Aura Vision from that high point. If the ride doesn’t work, we’ll have to climb our way up there. Should be fun!”

He grinned at the prospect as they drew nearer to the wheel. He began to wonder if he might just be making an excuse for Celest to come with him, despite her fears. Some stupid excuse about him helping her conquer her fears. Except he knew that wasn’t right. Was it him still just trying to improve her mood? No, that wasn’t right, either. In his gut, he knew only one thing for sure; she was even more adorable when she blushed than when she was staring up at him.
 
Man this Conner guy is a god or something.

He's just... so smooth. Celest basically melts in his arms, Logan thought as he followed them, at a mild jog, because of his large trunk-like legs. He couldn't stand it, really. Sure, Connor was nice and cool and stuff, but Logan wasn't sure how he felt about him. He wasn't sure if he resented Connor or not. That depended on what happened with Celest, at whatever point in time something happens.

And who was this Tess? Logan was never introduced into anyone named Tess. At least, not that he remembered. Then again, the only two people he had talked to were Connor and Celest, and the majority of the time he spent trying to woo her, but.

Logan needed an edge, but what?
 
Celest blinked as she listened attentively to Conner's plan. Yes, it made perfect sense in every possible way. But... She never was too terribly fond of heights... Shaking her head, she sighed deeply, trying to think of a good excuse to slide out of the deal. But, detailed she rack her brain for answers, nothing came to mind. Nothing reasonable, at least.

"I... I don't know, Conner... I mean, it sounds great and everything, but... Um..." The girl scratched her blue ears for a moment, then looked back at the Blaziken morph with big red eyes. "... I get kind of dizzy when I'm up high and stuff..."
 
Ok, it was obvious that Logan and Ally weren't coming. She guessed it was up to herself to find Tess. She noticed something else as she looked around.

"Guys...Where's Ally?" she said in a monotonous tone.
 
Connor stopped as they reached the wheel. This is where he had been able to first have a coherent thought after entering the carnival. It felt nice to come back. He looked back at Celest. She was doing the eye-thing again, and it almost killed him to refuse the eyes. They put Bambi to shame.

"Dizzy, huh?" He looked up at the top. "No biggie, we won't let you go anywhere." He grinned, then looked over at Logan. "Alright, Cel, who do you want to go up there with you, and who do you want down here manning the controls? You're the VIP in this situation, so it's your call." He considered if the controls didn't work. Celest would be utterly terrified, then, he knew, because they'd have to climb up the wheel the old fashioned way, and get back down just the same.

Connor felt the hairs on his arms raise as a breeeze came through. He pushed away the urge to shiver, and bit his tongue to keep from chattering his teeth. If they had to climb, then it was almost certain that Logan would be stuck down here. To be honest, Connor wouldn't mind that too much. Maybe that was rude of him to think. I feel like I should want Logan to be picked. If the controls work, he IS the premium choice, since he's a bit more stable than I am, and Cel can use him as an anchor better. But I don't feel like I want Logan picked. Mom would probably ground me for a week if she knew how selfish I'm being. It's just that bad.
 
"I... Umm..." Celest looked from Logan and Conner as she stopped in front of the ferris wheel. On one hand, she wanted to go with Conner since she trusted him the most by far. Besides, she got a strange, warm feeling when she was near him, and truth be told it was a pretty nice feeling. On the other, Logan was in all likelihood probably more- what's the word- stable, if one could relate to that. The Lucario girl would probably not fall if she clung to him.

But then on another hand, she just didn't want to go period. Why not just stay on the ground and seek her out through her aura sensing? It didn't make as much sense to her at this realization, but she kept that to herself and shivered as a chilly breeze sliced the air. She hugged herself more tightly as her nose colored a soft red. Her tail wrapped around her legs and she sighed. "... I-I guess I'll g-go with you... Conner," she responded finally, looking at her feet. She felt as though she was leaving Logan out. Trying to push that guilt out of her mind, she exhaled another breath.
 
Logan was severely disappointed. After all, he was probably a lot more, oh whats a good word for it, stable than Connor was. He was beginning to dwell on this, when an idea hit him.

"Well, if the controls don't work, I'm probably strong enough to move this thing on my own, right? I mean, if you're comfortable with that, Cel. I wouldn't want to freak you out." Did that sound desperate? Logan thought, Or too nice? He would never know how to speak to girls.
 
Tess blinked. The sun peeked over the horizon, a bright, hopeful sphere, but Tess was far from cheerful. She twisted her head around and gasped. Thorns were embedded in her hide, and bloddy scratches covered her back and sides. She moaned pitifully and looked around. There was no one in sight. This is it, she thought, I'm going to die here. I'm going to starve, or, or... Bleed to death or...
"No!" she reprimanded herself aloud, "Someone is going to find me!"
Gathering her flagging strength, she opened her mouth and...
"HELP ME! SOMEONE, HEEEEEELP! HEEELP MEEE!!!"
 
Celest was about to answer, but she gasped and flinched at deafening screams that filled her sensitive ears. In fear, she quickly was clinging to Conner, her head buried in his shirt. Her tail hung between her legs and she was shaking, fearful it was some sort of monster that was, simply put, going to eat her.

But as she soon realized it was Tess, she looked up from Conner's shirt and gasped again. "Tess!" she whispered. She looked up at Conner as she noticed the sun was slowly creeping up. Wow, she thought vaguely, a whole night passed. Just like that.
 
Me...? Why me, though? Well, Connor had no intention of arguing. He felt a little pride well up within him, and forced it down. He began to approach the nearest seat when Logan voiced his idea. Well... That's problematic... I doubt it would be a very comforting ride. He saw the sun begin to show in the east, and he sighed with relief as a bit of warmth touched his skin.

In an instant, and for seemingly no reason, Celest was on him like he was a life line. He stared down at the top of her head, a little shocked. She was shaking. Connor looked around for something thirty feet tall with sharp teeth and an empty stomach, but saw nothing. Celest said Tess' name, and took her face out of his ribs. "Huh? Where? Geez, you're efficient." He glanced around, and didn't see Tess.

And it occurred to him that Celest had first heard Logan. At first he had thought that she had already gone all 'Aura-Sight' on them, but Tess might have started making some noise, wherever she was. He looked up at the top of the wheel, a little saddened by the change in events. "Next time, maybe." He told the giant steel circle. To himself, he though, And I'll make Celest come, to. She said she'd get on the wheel, and dammit, she's GOING to get on the wheel. "Alright, where do you think Tess is?" He asked.
 
Celest furrowed her eyebrows, thinking hard. She... She remembered it coming from the east. Or was it west? She couldn't think clearly at the moment. Okay, well, she knew it was to her left. ... So it was to her right at this point, because she was facing Conner now. ... Right? "Um, it was... it... that way," she stuttered, her face cold. Brushing the back of her hand across her cheek, she shivered again, huddling closer to the Fire Carnie. "She... She was saying "H-Help me." We should hurry up and f-find her," Celest added.

She took a step away from Conner in the direction of the cries for help and looked back at the two. "... If... If something is out there and hungry, you guys will help me... Right?"
 
Tess strained her ears, listening for a resonse. She scanned her surroundings, looking and listening for something. A shaking bush, the rustle of pine needles-- anything. She heard nothing and collapsed, defeated. She sighed and, feeling utterly alone, began to cry.
 
"Definitely," Logan responded without hesitation, "I would never let anything happen to you. ...Becaaaause we're friends." He felt really awkward now. Would he never be able to talk to women?
 
Connor blinked at Celest. He wondered if she might be making her first joke. No, she was too serious all the time. Still, he laughed a little. "Yeah, we've got your back, Cel!" He agreed with Logan's awkward statement. "It'll be fine! And once we find out where Tess went, we can all go and eat something!" He laughed again, and hoped they were going the right way. It wouldn't hurt to yell and scream a bit, though.

"Alright, gimme' a moment, here, gotta' let Tess know we're comin'." He took in a big puff of air, and released it in the direction Celest indicated. "TESS! OI! ON OUR WAY! SAVE A SEAT!" He wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that last one, but it would definetly let her know it was him.
 
Voices called to Tess as she wept. Go away! she thought, but she jerked her head up when she heard a familar voice.
Oi...On...Way...Save a seat?... It mush be Connor!
CONNOR!", she yelled, 'OVER HERE!"
 
Celest blinked as a reply came from the distance. Tess... She was okay! She looked back at Conner. "Come on," she urged, motioning him to join her, "We need to hurry. Her voice sounds a bit weak, but... There is still time."

She glanced back where she heard Tess's voice again and shivered from both the cold and fear. Sure, it seemed simple enough. Get in, get Tess, get out. But... something was holding her back. Was it this crippling fear she knew so very well? Shaking her head, she took a few small steps forward, her hands shaking in fear.
 
"Hah! Sweet!" Connor slapped Logan on the shoulder as he ran past, and grabbed, once more, onto Celest's wrist, pulling her with him. "Whadda' you know, Tess is doing alright, I guess! Hah! Like, I said, everything will be fine!"

Yet... Something was wrong. It was Celest. He had noticed, just as he took hold of her wrist, the shaking. The excessinve timidness. Celest was scared, and not of something about ready to crawl out and take her to the Boogeyman. She was anticipating something. What, though? Connor bit the inside of his cheek. What?
 
[.... Just realized I've been saying "Conner" instead of "Connor." ;_; I suck so badly.]

Celest matched Connor's speed as they raced toward the sounds of Tess's cries. She slowly slid her hand out of his, her eyes narrowing. There was a feeling bubbling up inside of her. She felt as though... she could get there faster. Somehow. Picking up her pace a bit, her arms extended behind her, having streamlines of fog rush alongside them from the light fog. Her footing became short hop-like steps in one straight line, and the girl shut her eyes, letting her aura sensing guide her to Tess.

Everything around her turned into a fuzzy bluish hue as she pressed onward. Moments later, Celest stopped abruptly in the clearing of a few thick trees, opening her eyes. As the blue faded from her vision, she darted her eyes to the right, spotting a limp figure. Once figuring out this was Tess, she quickly knelt beside her, her eyes worried. "Tess?" she asked meekly, brushing the back of her hand on her face, "Are you alright?"

It was indeed a rhetorical question, to say the least; thorns were all in Tess's side and scratches covered her whole body. Worriedly, Celest softly ran her pale fingers over the scratches, her brows furrowing. Maybe they could take her back to where those berry trees were. Maybe a healing berry of sorts was there, and they could heal Tess back up.

Celest looked around at the dismal brushes surrounding them, vaguely hopeful for a few scarce berries on the skinny trees. As her eyes glazed over a few blue patches in a dying one, she gasped mentally and stumbled over to it, recognizing the berries as Oran Berries. Plucking a few from the branches, she rushed back over to Tess, holding the healing berries in front of her. "Here," she urged, "take this, please. It will help, I promise."
 
"Here... Take this..."
Celest's words were distorted and fuzzy in Tess's mind. She groaned and struggled to open her eyes. Celest was offering her... berries? They must be. She craned her neck, but collapsed as thorns dug into her. Gritting her teeth, she reached up and grabbed the berries, before falling limp again from the effort.
When the pain had subsided, she carefully began to chew the berries. It was dry, and the taste was a mixture of sweet, spicy, sour, and bitter. The juices stung her throat as she swallowed, but she soon felt some frail strength returning. She ate another, and was able to lift her head to see Celest.
"Thank you," she whispered.
 
All of that happened so fast. Kiara had no time to react. She ran up to Tess.

"Tess, are you ok?" Kiara asked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom