• 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

Annie raised her eyebrow at the new person. Grass-type by the look of her, though Annie had a hard time saying what species she was specifically supposed to be. She had never been too keen on Grass-types. The girl asked which of them hurt the Squirtle-morph. Annie froze, then slowly turned her stern face directly towards the newcomer.

And then she had one of her semi-explosive episodes. "Who do you think you are?! Accusing us of hurting someone like that! I should kick your ass here and now for saying that! If you payed any attention, you'd see that we're helping her! So don't go around saying we even touched her, missy!" Annie considered actually going and hitting the girl, but managed to contain that much. Instead, she only glared and thought angry thoughts.

She dispelled the anger from herself as quickly as she had summoned it, and turned her attention back to Logan. "Just put her in the cage. It's dry in there. We can get a bucket of rainwater in a few seconds. But I need to rest for just a little..." She sat down on the edge of the cage, resting her chin on her palm, and pulled the wet strands of hair out her face. She just couldn't keep her hair in order, and if she didn't find a mirror soon, she might tear some out.
 
To be accurate, Annie exploded. Not at Logan, but at Tess, who had just come into the tent and accused the two of them of hurting Kiara. Watching her do this made Logan's missing finger burn more than ever. He wasn't sure why, but whenever Annie flipped out it made him feel good, and his hand burn. It certainly was the strangest thing.

Following this, Annie did a complete 180 and returned to her conversation with Logan, telling him to bring Kiara into his cage, because it was dry there. He wasn't going to say anything, mostly because Annie yelling was also a very scary thing, but there was quite a bit of blood in the one corner, so Logan resolved on his own to bring her to one of the less crimson corners, saying "Whatever you like, Annabelle." As he did so, almost looking forward to the coming retribution.
 
[God, I haven't replied in ages. :P]

Celest kept her fast pace for a long while, not once looking back to acknowledge the fact she knew Connor was right behind her. She balanced her weight on each leg evenly as she hopped along, making her steps elegant and graceful, and vaguely recognized the rain falling heavily on her back. Her clothes stuck to her figure as she slowed herself. Celest stopped near a small shack on the side Annie came from in the carnival, the side that was less familiar to the Lucario morph, and she stared at it distantly. Celest knew that Comnor would be along soon, and she sighed. "... I feel guilty all over," she choked out, her breath shaky.

The girl turned back to him, still unable to contain the tears falling down her face. "D-didn't you hear him? He said that... that we were the reason he tried to kill himself! I can't deal with the fact I almost caused a death, Connor. I'm not the sort of person that can handle that stuff lightly." She turned back to the shack as she stumbled over to it. "I can take my own pain, let alone my own decease, but I won't stand for someone else's when I'm a driving factor that caused it."
 
Last edited:
Connor came to stop in front of Celest, his breath comming in short bursts, not so much that he was tired, but that he was afraid. Celest said she didn't mind her own death, that she didn't take another's near-death lightly. Celest began moving towards the shack, and Connor sighed. He silently followed her to the shack, wondering if she was going to do what he was thinking.

How could she be so hard on herself when Logan was alright? Connor didn't understand it. But things would turn out alright. Connor just had to stress the fact that she didn't go anywhere without him. Possibly easier said than done. Of course, He thought. Once we're out of here, I won't be able to go EVERYWHERE with her. I'll have to settle for pictures in my wallet.
 
Kiara coughed a few times. She was semi conscious, so she could think and interpret her thoughts, but not able to speak. This is it, she thought. I'll die here. I just want to go home. I miss my friends, my family, my life. I don't want to be here anymore...I just want to leave. Now I'm gonna die...

Without choking back a sob, she let tears go down her Squirtle face. Why did she have to suffer here? She never did anything bad or wrong. Why did she have to be so unlucky that she had to come here? It's not fair. It's just not fair!

Kiara, by that time, became fully conscious, but only able to whisper words. "I don't want to be here anymore...I just want to go home...enough is enough, I just want to leave this deadly Carnival..."
 
Celest silently kicked the door to the shack down and, as soon as she slipped in, slammed it back in the doorway, hardly leaving any time for Connor to interfer. She slid to the dirt ground and pressed her back against the door. Celest sighed deeply, her breath trembling. She wasn't planning on injuring herself too terribly bad, though the idea seemed very tempting...

Celest turned over her hands. They were still bloody from both times she drove her spikes deep into her palms, but they had yet again scabbed over to stop the blood flow. Breaking the skin in her palms didn't seem as appealing this time, though. The girl threw her hands back to the ground and rested her cheek on the door. Her crimson eyes slowly wandered upon her stomach.

... Hmm... She had spikes now. So she could... That was it! It was relatively flawless. The only problem would be stabbing through the skin... No matter. It would certainly cause a great deal of pain, and that's exactly what she deserved for what she almost caused.

Celest interlocked her fingers together and flexed them so the spikes pointed toward her stomach. But her whole body was shaking. ... Did she really want to go through with this kind of pain? It would certainly be much more than she was used to... Sure, stabbing her palms and sliding a knife across her neck was agonizing, but this... This might be too much. ... No, Celest scolded herself, I'll handle whatever pain there is. This is nothing near what I deserve, seeing as since I almost caused death I should receive that sentence, so I better make the best of it.

And, before she could second-guess herself on this decision, the spikes were already digging into her skin. They easily ripped through her sweater, and gradually they dug deeper through the skin. Celest clenched her teeth and closed her eyes forcefully, ignoring the throbbing pain. Applying more pressure on her hands, Celest cried out in pain and lurched forward, holding herself up on her hands. She panted heavily, blood dripping from her stomach, and didn't care to wipe her eyes from the tears. There, she had done it. It wasn't as much as she wanted, but nonetheless it hurt. Badly. This pain was more intense than she usually inflicted upon herself, and that was a bit reassuring. However, it also was disappointing. If dying is a lot worse than this... I don't know if I can drag it out so I can feel all the pain I deserve...
 
Connor blinked at the door slammed in his face. He lifted a hand nervously to the door, running his fingertips against the grain. "Cel?" He tried to push the door open again, but there was weight on it. Celest against the other side. Why leave him out here alone like this?

There was a cry of pain from inside. Connor froze, his eyes widening in fear. He lurched forwards ramming his shoulder on the door, but her weight was still there, and he couldn't get in. "Cel!" He pounded his fist on the door. So it wasn't going anywhere. That was fine. He could get in other ways. He moved around the shack, to what was essentially 'the back.'

I'm not a true fighting type, but there's still a little of that in me. If this doesn't work, then I guess I'm screwed. He took a guess at where the supports were, and aimed between them. His leg shot out, kicking at the wall. There was a crack in the wood, and a loud splitting sound. connor smiled, and kicked with the other leg.

The crack more than doubled in size, and was noticeably dented. Connor took a few steps back. So being part Blaziken had its benefits. He bolted towards the crack, and for the end, he jumped into the air, kicking both legs into the air. The wood gave way, and he finally got through the wall. He ended with a rather painful landing, rolling across the small shack as he entered.

"Now, Cel," He smiled as he pushed himself up to his knees. "You didn't think you could lock me out for-" He stopped dead as he saw the injury. "... ever." He finished. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't understand it. "Cel..." He reached a hand to her, unable to stop it from shaking.
 
Celest didn't notice Connor had fought his way into the shack at first; her full attention was on the ground. However, as she slowly glazed her eyes over his figure, she hung her head in shame. It pained her even more than the agonizing injury to her stomach to see him like that. He was in pain for her. The Lucario morph just couldn't understand why he cared for her. It complexed her thoughts to no end why Connor- let alone anyone- would feel for her that way. ... Or maybe it was because of how she grew up. No one to love you. No one that felt for you. No one that cared for you.

Celest sat back on her knees and stared at the ground, her head still bowed. Her hands softly ran across the deep wounds in her stomach, and she winced with a sharp cry. Instantly her hands fell back to the dirt and she exhaled a deep breath.

Celest slowly looked back up at Connor's hand. ... She knew he just wanted to help. He didn't want to hurt her. And she certainly didn't want to hurt the only person that cared for her like Connor did. ... But she feared that she already was. Her pain was hurting him internally, she could tell. But Celest couldn't live with herself anymore! After everything she had done...

"... I hate myself with a burning passion, Connor." Celest sniffed and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "I don't know any other way to deal with it. With me." She sighed shakily, looking back at the ground.
 
Connor sighed. He stared at the ground in front of Celest while she told him how very much she hated herself. He pulled up to her side and sat next to her, taking one of her hands in his and holding it tightly. "I don't how you're supposed to deal with that, either." He admitted. "But I don't think it matters." He pulled lightly on her chin so she'd be facing him. "In the end, it's not you that deals with you. It's others who deal with you, and that means they deal with me, first."

"You see, Cel..." He leaned towards her, the side of his forehead pressing lightly on hers. "The thing is, life kind of sucks. That's how it is, and we can't avoid people getting hurt or other misfortunes. But once in a while, we get ahold of something that trumps it all, something that we'd do it all a hundred more times for." He looked directly at Celest at this point. He slipped his hand out of hers, and placed it on the shoulder opposite to him in a half-hug.

It was something that his family had always told him when he asked them how they met. His parents had told him that, his father's parents, all of his aunts and uncles on his father's side, and even his older brother had spewed those very words. He used to hate them because they were 'a cheap way out of a good question.' But he thought, then, that he was understanding.
 
Almost as soon as Logan set Kiara down, she regained consciousness. Logan could tell by the tears that were running down her face that she was feeling very weak and depressed. When Kiara expressed her desire to go home, Logan was certain of his previous observation. He wanted to help her, or at least make her more comfortable. He looked around for a blanket or something, but he sadly found nothing. He did another scan of the tent when Annie's cardigan caught his eye.

"Annabelle? Would you be willing to lend your sweater to Kiara for the night? I mean, she seems so weak and cold, and I'd give her my shirt if it weren't weird..."
 
[Aaaaand, da da duuuuuuh, the moment we've been desperately waiting for...]

Celest tried her best to follow what Connor was saying, but it still confused her. If one should encounter just a few misfortunes in life, that shouldn't be a problem. However, if one was like Celest, whom faced trauma everyday because of their very existence and had to put up with hate and abuse and all the other crap she dealt with... why should they live, anyway? What was the meaning of their life if all they did was get mocked and jeered at and hit and kicked? ... Or did they aimlessly wander the world to meet people like Connor and find a real meaning of life?

At this realization, Celest looked up at him. She forgot all about her injury and focused on him, the man she solely... loved. She slowly swung one of her legs over Connor's and whipped around to where she was facing him right in the eyes. She sat in his lap and stared. Moments later, she softly kissed him, then rested her head under his neck. "... As much as I hate myself, Connor, I... I..." Celest paused. How would be react if she expressed her true feelings for him? Would he... abandon her, as much as the idea pained her? Or... would he maybe return the confession...? ... No matter. She was going to tell him. She just had to get it off her chest, or, by God, she would die of anticipation! "... I... l-love... you." There. She said it. Now came the excruciating time of waiting for whether he would run off from her or do whatever the hell his heart told him to do.
 
Connor was surprised when Celest moved so quickly. He blinked once at her when she said that she loved him. He blinked a second time before his expression softened a little. "Well, that's a relief." And he quickly leaned forward and kissed her back. After he leaned back, he managed to return the favor. "Me- I-I mean, uh... I love you, too." He beamed at her. He ignored the trickle of blood from her wound staining his clothes.

Glad that's out of the way. It's a shame I don't have a ring right now. Actually... Maybe I should wait until we're both legal adults. That might be better. More time for me to gather up the courage to ask her. In any case, Connor was content. No, beyond content. He was downright giddy.
 
Celest, despite that she was glad he didn't run off or cut her down, was still a bit perplexed. She didn't get why he would love her... But she pushed those thoughts away and embraced the fact that she had someone. She softly pressed her lips onto his another time, holding it out longer, and pulled away, her face unreadable. "I know I've said this before, but... Don't ever leave me alone, Connor..." Celest felt her eyes start to water again. "I... I don't know what I would do by myself... The only thing productive I can do is rid myself of life. But I think you would frown upon that..."

Her face had flushed a bright pink again, and it clashed with her ivory skin. Nonetheless, Celest felt her body warm up as usual when she was with Connor, and she snuggled closer to him for the warmth he radiated. Tears streamed down her face, and her stomach injury sent short, sudden surges of pain throughout her whole body, leaving her shaking.
 
Connor let a small chuckle out when Celest asked him to never leave her again. "Wouldn't dream of it, Cel." He whispered. She claimed that she wasn't productive, and Connor closed his eyes.

"Productivity is over-rated. All that matters is where you are, and the moment you're there, and just occasionally, who you're sharing that moment with." He once more felt the desire to just stay with Celest, here, forever. But there was a fruit-sized problem in Celest's torso.

He gently pushed her back a moment so he could get to his feet. He looped her arm over his shoulders before standing, acting as a support for her. "The carnival-workers had to have first-aid kits evenly distributed around the carnival-probably in almost every stall. Let's see if we can't find one before you lose too much blood."

He walked her to the hole he made in the wall. He hoped that she wasn't in to bad of shape to not even find a kit. He considered that she might not be able to go anywhere, even with his help, but he didn't like the idea of her being alone like this. "Think you'll be alright?"
 
Annie gave Logan a 'what the hell' look, before tossing her sweater to him. "Annie." She muttered just loud enough for it to be heard by the deformed rock-morph. "And what do mean, 'if it wasn't wierd?' You're a guy. I've hundreds, if not thousands, of shirtless men. Swimming pool, beach, media, and a coupld of gross rednecks on lawnmowers who think their beer bellies are a gift from God to women."

She made a scoffing sound, and looked around the tent for a bucket or something. There was nothing in the tent, but when she poked her head out the entrance she found something that would suffice. A stack of plastic top hats sat on their side, knocked over long since they were valued by children as prizes. She was about to go and grab one to fill, when a thought came to her. Logan was probably hitting on her, and at the very least, sucking up. Why get herself wet when he would almost surely do it for her?

"Logan," She said in as innocent voice as possible, just in case he felt like being stubborn this time. "Could you please go get a plastic hat from the stall out there and fill it with water? Pleeeeeease?" Without really waiting for an answer (for who could resist her incredible charms?) she went to the water-morph and switched gears once more, this time letting hormones turn her into a motherly person.

"It's okay. We'll get you all cleaned up, and you'll feel good as new, and we can leave soon after that. I'm Annie. Your name is Kiara, isn't it? Me and Logan, and whoever that green one is, we'll help you out. Everything will be fine."
 
Annie read him some kind of riot act, about shirtless guys and their infinite numbers, supposedly. "Well, I'm not the kind of guy who can just strut around shirtless, alright?" She threw her sweater at him. "Thank you. You're very kind." And then she muttered that her name is Aiine, not Annabelle. Logan made sure he responded in a way she woud not hear him. "Well, then, you shouodn't have told me your full name, darling."

For some reason, Annie was being sweet now. She asked him very nicely to get a plastic hat from outside and fill it with water. Where was there water here? He didn't know, but what he did know was that this new side of Annie made him a little weak at the knees.

And then she went on and behaved motherly towards Kiara, something Logan would have never guessed. Between his knocking knees and dumbfound look, Logan thought maybe he was becoming a little more conspicuous. He composed himself, and asked, "Where is there fresh water around here? I haven't seen any, but perhaps I'm blind and ugly now." He half eagerly, half apprehensively awaited Annie's response to his last statement, not only because he needed to know where the water was, but also because he wanted to see Annie's reaction to calling himself ugly in her new state of mind.
 
Celest slowly nodded when he asked if she was alright. "Yes, I... I think so." As they approached the hole, she blinked a couple of times, then looked back at Connor. "But... Wouldn't going through the door be easier...?" She looked over at the door. And, as if on cue, the door creaked a few times, wavering forward and back, then fell flat on the dirt floor in front of them. The Fighting Carnie blinked a few more times before slowly turning back to Connor.

Celest shrugged indifferently and started walking forward, stepping on the door and out of the shack. The Lucario girl had many different thoughts running through her mind, but she grabbed a hold of one and looked back at him. "... When do you think we'll ever be set free from here?" she asked, her voice filled with sorrow. But her hurt was not for being at the carnival. She was dreading leaving. She didn't at all want to return to her family for the fear of what they would do to her once she came home. And what if she never saw Connor again after they left? Sure, he promised her that she would live with him instead of her abusive father, but still... She knew just what type of monster her father was. He would go to great measures to get what he wanted. And if moving to another city or calling up a hitman was the case, so be it. He wasn't afraid of anybody. The terrifying thought made Celest shiver.
 
"Logan, you do realize the it's raining like hell out there?" She picked up a little pebble. "Go and get the water, you twat." She ordered, turning the rock over in her hands. She heard him call himself ugly and blind. She really wasn't in the arguing mood, and besides, he was pretty ugly. Maybe as a human he was alright, but right now, at this moment, he was ugly, for sure.

She stared a little grudgingly at the pebble. She willed it to move, hoping her psychic powers would do something. As it happened, they did nothing. After trying for longer than she ever remembered having patience for anything this stupid, she tossed the rock across the tent carelessly.
 
Kiara looked up at the one named Annie. Why was she being so motherly to Kiara? She flat out exploded at Tess only moments ago.

"I...just want to leave this place...I don't want to be here anymore..." Kiara whispered. She couldn't stand being in this place. It was too much. She just wanted to go home...
 
Connor blinked at the door that had fallen down. "Well... I didn't think it would do that, so going through my way seemed like it was easier. No opening of doors or anything. Alright, let's go, then." He immediately checked the stall nearest to the shack.

At first, he couldn't believe his luck. A first-aid kit was in the stall! When he opened it, though, he found it was empty except for a few useless shreds of cloth and scissors. He took the scissors, in case no other box had any, and threw the rest aside with a sigh. "Nothing here. Come on, we'll keep looking." He locked his fingers with hers, not wanting to go to far away in case the blood loss got to her. "Then we can bring the goodies to Logan and Annie."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom