Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Two Roads Diverged Scenario
Episode #11: Flying Circus (6/6/98)
Eliza heads off after the two channels, but loses them by the time she has gone around the first pavillion.
Eliza: SNAKE!!!!
Eliza: Oh damn!
Eliza isn't sure if to try and find them or go back to the camp site and wait.
Teewhol winces as he is nearly deafened by a young lady's scream.
Teewhol turns to stare at her, then sees her standing there looking upset and scared.
Teewhol: Excuse me... are you all right?
Teewhol is a generic male Gen passerby.
Eliza: Who me?
Teewhol: [with cotton-candy in one hand and fried cheese curds in the other]
Eliza: Yes, I just, lost, some friends.
Teewhol: If you say so. [doubtfully]
Teewhol turns back to the pretzel booth he is in line for.
Eliza stands on tiptoe to peer through the crowd.
Eliza: Didn't see which way they ran did you?
Teewhol takes a moment to realize she is speaking to him again.
Teewhol turns.
Teewhol: Who?
Eliza realises that in a mixed crowd like this she should really try to have more control over herself.
Teewhol wonders why this lady is surprised people ran off when she is yelling "snake".
Eliza: Well a female ch, err Sime chasing a male Sime.
Eliza: Going pretty fast.
Teewhol: Ermm... nope. Didn't notice. Sorry.
Eliza: Oh, well, thanks.
Teewhol raises his cheese curds tray and picks one off the top with his lips.
Teewhol: Tees cud? [offering her the tray]
Eliza: No thanks, I have to find them.
Eliza heads off in one direction, changes her mind and turns around and heads off in the other direction.
Eliza finds herself walking past the lion cage and checks to make sure Snake hasn't stuffed Bumanuel in there.
Eliza looks around for someone to ask.
Eliza: Leo, have you seen... oh drats.
Eliza keeps walking asking people as she goes.
Eliza: How can two augmenting Simes just disappear?
Eliza thinks about heading back to camp and waiting, but can't stand the thought of inactivity.
Wise Snake comes walking calmly back through the crowd, ignoring the people.
Eliza sees a familiar hairdo.
Eliza: SNAKE!
Eliza runs up to her.
Eliza: Are you okay? Is Bumanuel okay? Where is he? Is everything okay?
Wise Snake: I'm fine.
Eliza fusses around her.
Wise Snake is sweaty, marked in various places by dirt, grass stains and tufts of black hair, and has odd scratches on her face and arms.
Wise Snake: And Bum Bum will live, although I must say he fights like a sissy.
Eliza: ~ relief ~
Eliza: Lets get you back to Nick, then I'll go see to him.
Eliza: Where is he?
Eliza wonders just how much Bumanuel will blame her for his present predicament.
Wise Snake: He'd better be somewhere within this fairgrounds.
Wise Snake wipes off her chin and continues toward their camp.
Eliza: I'll stay with you until you are with Nick if you like.
Wise Snake doesn't object to Eliza's presence.
Eliza: I guess he will be staying with us now, huh.
Aqua sponges off the blood from the rube's chin.
Aqua: Who did this to you?
Aqua gently runs her fingers over the bruises on his chest.
Bum Bum: I don't deserve this abuse. [whiny]
Bum Bum: All I tried to do was live my own life in peace... is that so wrong?
Aqua: No one deserves this sort of treatment! I wish you would let me contact the police.
Bum Bum, who sounds whiny under the best of circumstances, sounds reeeeeallly reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaalyy whiny now.
Bum Bum: I can't risk it.
Bum Bum clearly wishes he could... he'd love to witness a clobbering-and-arrest scene, for ONCE in his life, that he isn't the star victim in.
Aqua is taken aback by this.
Aqua: Have you done something wrong?
Aqua sponges his arms and tentacles.
Bum Bum: No no... but it's a private matter. What if they arrested my friends?
Aqua: The people who did this to you aren't your friends!
Bum Bum: It wasn't all of them... just one.
Bum Bum's tentacles tie themselves in frustrated knots.
Aqua: Then he deserves to be punished.
Aqua: ~sympathy~
Bum Bum: She... it's a she. And I agree with you there.
Aqua smoothes and soothes the writhing tentacles.
Bum Bum thinks Aqua sure knows what she's doing with her hands.
Bum Bum: ~~grateful~~
Aqua: She? A woman did this damage to you?
Aqua: Oh dear.
Bum Bum: [defensively] Well, she's hardly a NORMAL woman.
Bum Bum: She's a freak... a mutant... [realizes he's better off staying away from that line of description]... well, very ill tempered.
Aqua: What are you going to do then? If you like, you can hide up here until we move on, come with us to another town, lose them altogether.
Aqua gets a mental image of a female Gianto.
Bum Bum looks hopeful for a moment, then a cowardly look passes over his face.
Bum Bum: She'd find me anyway. She can zlin through sold rock.
Bum Bum: [exaggerating but it seems called-for at the time]
Aqua: Oh! is this the Farris Channel we are hearing about?
Bum Bum winces.
Bum Bum: Don't say that name... please.
Aqua: It's all over the carnie.
Aqua: What name? Farris?
Aqua: Why?
Bum Bum: Oo [winces]
Bum Bum: She said she'd transfer-burn her initials on my laterals if she ever caught me... again.
Bum Bum leaves out some bits between "me" and "again".
Eliza leaves Snake safely in the hands of Nick and head off once again to see if she can find Bumanuel.
Aqua: Well you can't go back to them then can you!
Aqua: I had heard that Farris's all thought they were above the law but I never thought they would stoop to this!
Eliza wanders fairly aimlessly trying to work out where Bumanuel would go if he were hurt. She has the feeling that looking for her (as his Companion) would be the last thing he would want to do at the moment.
Bum Bum: Well, it's a long story. But she's gone completely off the bend and isn't sane at all.
Eliza asks a few people if they have seen a beat up Sime, but everyone just looks at her oddly and tells her to shove off.
Bum Bum: And with a nager like that... well, it's publicly unsafe, is what it's come down to.
Bum Bum is starting to feel a bit braver as the moments tick by and Snake doesn't reappear.
Aqua thinks more and more that this is a matter for the police.
Bum Bum: But... I have friends who are still with her, and I don't want them to get in trouble too. Do you know what I mean?
Bum Bum: I want to be loyal to them.
Bum Bum wants to protect his selyn-source.
Eliza walks right outside the tent where Aqua is tending Bumanuel's wounds without knowing it.
Bum Bum zlins his selyn-source walking past just then, and freezes like a rabbit.
Aqua thinks that's very noble.
Fiaero is sitting in the shade eating his lunch, off in a quiet corner.
Aqua: Well, you are safe here for now, until you decide what to do. If you like we can get Kong or Gianto to go with you. Maybe they can deal with your friend for you.
Eliza gets to the end of the row. This area is very uncrowded due to the fact it's the temporary living quarters for the performers and workers.
Fiaero is a tall, light-framed, emaciated Sime with a curiously built-up chest and arms.
Fiaero is wearing an odd hat or headdress.
Bum Bum winces.
Eliza sighs and sees someone she can ask.
Bum Bum: Actually, this is the same person who already "dealt with" Gianto. You've probably heard....
Aqua: I heard that was an accident... you mean it wasn't?
Bum Bum: I tell you, she's like a rabid dog. Completely uncontrollable.
Bum Bum's eyes widen.
Bum Bum: Accident? Is THAT what she's telling people?
Eliza: [to Fiaero] Excuse me, but have you seen a male Sime around, probably hurt?
Fiaero looks up.
Aqua: Well that's what Gianto said.
Fiaero has a long, beaky face.
Aqua: We had our doubts.
Bum Bum snorts.
Bum Bum: Well, whoever believes a Farris ever does anything by accident is kidding themselves.
Aqua puts her sponge away.
Bum Bum: That was a finely calculated, precisely chosen strike designed to break the head of the hammer off and hit Gianto on the rebound.
Aqua: That's about all I can do for you. We should find you a channel to help heal those... errr....
Bum Bum: Just because she had entran and wanted a little healing work. Now is that sane behavior???
Aqua: Really? She is hurting people so that she can cure them?
Fiaero: I did zlin a guy with a bleeding mouth who seemed kind of upset.
Aqua is going to go get the authorities as soon as she can get away.
Eliza: ~ excited ~
Eliza: That would be him! Can you tell me where he went?
Fiaero: He was heading that way. [points a tentacle in the direction that the entire rest of the fair is in]
Eliza knows it isn't safe to stare, at least not when they aren't on stage, and is having problems knowing where to look.
Eliza: Oh... don't suppose you could narrow that down any? I've been looking over there.
Fiaero: Say, that's a nice shirt. Is it hand made?
Bum Bum: Damn straight!
Eliza looks at her shirt.
Bum Bum is starting to feel righteous.
Bum Bum: It's not the first time, either.
Eliza: I don't know, it's one of Linn's, a friend.
Aqua: She should be locked up!
Bum Bum: Yeah.
Aqua: Shenned to attrition!
Bum Bum's shoulders slump.
Aqua: ~ outraged ~
Bum Bum: If only there was some way to do that without harming innocent people, though.
Aqua: If you went to the police I'm sure they would welcome your statement.
Aqua: There is no need for people who are innocent of any crime to be involved in this!
Bum Bum: Do you really think they'd listen, instead of jumping to conclusions?
Bum Bum: [plaintively]
Fiaero: Oh.
Aqua: Well, we don't usually have a great relationship with the police - but this sounds cut and dried!
Fiaero stands up... he is amazingly tall, and his feathered headdress makes him look even taller.
Fiaero: I think he was with a lady.
Fiaero: Yeah, a Gen lady. I'd seen her before, I think she works the fair somewhere.
Fiaero isn't super familiar with the fair scene having just come from another part of the Territory.
Fiaero: Want this extra apple?
Fiaero has finished his lunch.
Bum Bum: Well... would you and maybe some others, go with me?
Bum Bum: [hopefully]
Eliza looks up at him.
Bum Bum isn't sure he has the chutzpah to go into a police station and try to blasé his way through making a report on Snake, but given an adequate amount of moral support....
Eliza takes the apple.
Eliza: Thank you.
Eliza is always sort of hungry these days.
Aqua: To the police? Of course I would!
Fiaero: I'm new here myself. I came up from southern Nivet just a few days ago.
Fiaero: The guy I work for wanted to try some of these fairs up here this summer, just to see how it goes.
Fiaero: You work here?
Eliza: We are just passing through - from Bender Cove.
Fiaero: Oh. I think I've heard of it... by the lake?
Fiaero obviously knows nothing about BC except what he just said.
Eliza: Not really, just picking up some healing work.
Fiaero: Healing work? Really? Are you a nurse?
Eliza: Yes, though I wasn't there for long either. I'm from Red Hills, in Gen Territory originally.
Eliza thinks carefully.
Eliza: I guess I'm sort of an apprentice Donor Therapist [it's a phrase she heard Mytag use once].
Aqua: Are you up to going to the police now? Or do you want to rest first?
Fiaero's eyes widen appreciatively.
Fiaero: That sounds like some pretty serious career stuff.
Eliza: Lately, though, we are sort of just travelling around.
Fiaero: I've just been kicking around, myself. Met Wing Willy a couple of years ago and did a little odd jobs for him, then he hired me on.
Eliza: Snake and Bumanuel are channels and the rest of us are sort of support crew.
Eliza: What do you do here?
Fiaero: We have an acrobatic act. Teff and Zing do tumbling, and Hela does juggling, and I handle the wings.
Eliza: Wing?
Fiaero: WW designed all the equipment, he's really a genius with wire and piping.
Fiaero: Oh!
Fiaero: For flying, sort of.
Fiaero: It's a trick act.
Eliza: You fly?
Fiaero chuckles self-deprecatingly.
Eliza's nager wobbles between unbelieving and confusion.
Fiaero: Well, you could call it that. We call it "flapping for dear life" behind the scenes.
Fiaero: Or "flapping for your dinner"
Bum Bum finally nods.
Eliza: I don't understand what you mean. Maybe I can catch your next show?
Bum Bum: Ok... I'll do it.
Fiaero: Sure!
Fiaero digs in the pocket of his cut-off shorts, and finds a couple of free passes.
Fiaero: Here you go.
Eliza: Oh thank you!
Fiaero: Where's your setup? Maybe I'll come by next time I bang myself up.
Fiaero looks like it happens a lot.
Eliza takes them thankfully.
Eliza: We are set up behind a big blue and yellow tent.
Aqua gets up and throws out the water.
Aqua: I haven't seen Gianto around since this morning's show... I'll come with you, and I think that Mmoe would probably come too.
Bum Bum: Great!
Bum Bum: I'm really thankful for all your help.
Bum Bum is giddy with thoughts of revenge.
Aqua: You just rest there, I'll get Mmoe and bring him back here.
Fiaero: I'll keep an eye out for it.
Bum Bum: Thank you.
Eliza nibbles the apple core until it's as thin as possible.
Eliza: I don't suppose you could show me where you saw the beat up Sime, could you?
Eliza: I have to find him and take him back, for treatment.
Eliza nods having just thought of that reason.
Fiaero: Okay.
Fiaero: Just let me get my stuff.
Eliza smiles up at him.
Fiaero smiles back.
Fiaero disappears into his hut for a few moments.
Fiaero reappears shortly thereafter, bearing a bundle that resembles a collision-with-fatalities between a pteradactyl and an umbrella.
Fiaero: Let's go.
Mmoe: Yeah! You're right Aqua! Should have done it that way from the start!
Mmoe doesn't tell her about "Mr X"
Mmoe: Get her locked up right smart, doing things like that to Gianto.
Mmoe: He is out cold now! She drugged him up so he couldn't give evidence against her you know!
Aqua: So you will come with us?
Aqua is pleased, most people have problems saying no to Mmoe.
Aqua: We can get Bumanuel from my tent and go straight to the station.
Aqua leads the way, slowing her long graceful strides so that Mmoe can keep up.
Aqua calls out as she enters, "It's just Mmoe and me, Bumanuel."
Bum Bum: Great!
Aqua: Are you right to go? Not too giddy or anything?
Bum Bum gets up carefully.
Bum Bum: I think so.
Bum Bum: Yes.
Bum Bum normally wouldn't play "tough channel" but this is a special occasion.
Bum Bum: [his pattern is more to accept whatever babying or cosseting is available, especially from the ladies]
Aqua takes Bumanuel's arm in a highly suggestive way.
Mmoe trots along side, mouthing off about Farris Channels and the situation in general.
Mmoe: ...should have gone in the first place and this never would have happened. Who knows how many more people she has injured?
Bum Bum is glad to have found some people who are not only suitably malleable, but inclined to anti-Snakeism in the first place.
Bum Bum: Oh... dozens I'm sure.
Bum Bum: She actually hurt this kid, I mean he's a Gen but he's only 13 years old, the other day, just to heal him.
Mmoe mumbles something around his cigar.
Bum Bum: Poor little guy. I'm sure he had no idea what hit him.
Bum Bum is referring to Griff's injury when Snake grabbed his leg in the kitchen of M'sara's house.
Bum Bum fails to mention that Snake was trying to heal him, not trip him, at the time - hey, the results are what counts right?
Aqua leads them along the road and up the steps of the police station [which fortunately wasn't far, considering Mmoe's short legs]
Boy N Blue is sitting at the front counter, stuffing a donut in his face.
Aqua leads them up to the counter and is silent, waiting for the men to speak.
Boy N Blue has mastered the fine art of simultaneous donut-scarfing and report-fudging, and is practicing same now.
Boy N Blue: [while ignoring the silent people standing there]
Mmoe would speak - he always has a lot to say - but he can't see over the top of the counter.
Mmoe pulls at Bumanuel's trousers.
Mmoe: Well? Help me up or get me a chair or something.
Bum Bum picks up Mmoe and puts him on the counter.
Mmoe: We have a complaint!
Boy N Blue deliberately finishes filling out the report, peels it off the counter, sets it aside into an overflowing "in" basket, then looks blandly up at Mmoe.
Bum Bum is impressed by how the guy manages to keep his surprise off his face, at least.
Bum Bum: [his nager is an abysmal failure, but then he IS only a Gen]
Mmoe: There is a Farris Channel who is deliberately injuring people [points to Bum Bum] so that she can get work healing.
Boy N Blue stares at Mmoe, deadpan, then looks at Bum Bum.
Bum Bum works to appear appropriately saintly and beaten.
Bum Bum of course has no working knowledge of the former condition, but the latter fortunately happens to be true.
Mmoe: This woman should be locked up.
Aqua nods.
Mmoe: Well? Ain't you going to do anything?
Mmoe: Who is your superior officer!? I demand to talk to the person in charge!
Boy N Blue looks at them all, wearing an expression of endless patience (and somehow suggesting it is for people like them that endless patience is required)
Boy N Blue finally reaches for a piece of paper and slides it across the counter.
Boy N Blue: Who's the one filing the complaint?
Boy N Blue: Fill this out.
Mmoe goes red in the face.
Mmoe: Fill out forms?
Mmoe: While this mad-woman is out there possibly murdering or even KILLING people????
Boy N Blue: Look, do you want to file a report or not?
Bum Bum picks up the form and looks at it.
Bum Bum struggles to keep the alarm off his face as he reads the first few lines: Legal name, address, place of birth, relationship to the accused, etc.
Mmoe: I want to talk to your superior!
Mmoe dances with a mixture of rage and/or impatient frustration.
Mmoe: [it isn't pretty]
Mmoe drops ash all over the desktop.
Aqua picks up a pen and hands it to Bumanuel.
Aqua: Here you are, dear.
Bum Bum: Do I really have to fill this out? [to Aqua]
Bum Bum: [whispered]
Aqua: Officer, as you can see, our friend here is hurt. Perhaps you have a channel on the staff with healing experience?
Boy N Blue has pretty much seen it all (only usually larger) and regards Mmoe dispassionately.
Aqua whispers back:
Aqua: It's just the way they do things. Until it's on paper they don't believe it's true.
Mmoe waddles over and thrusts his face in the officer's. [at least he does remove the cigar first]
Mmoe: Are you going to stand there like a big lump, you big lump?
Bum Bum grimaces and takes the form aside to a small counter to struggle with the lines.
Bum Bum writes: Name: Bumanuel Fumbucker. Address: 1 Main street, Fum Buck Hamlet.
Aqua watches over his shoulder.
Bum Bum writes: Occupation: Consultant. Relationship to the accused: Kidnapee.
Aqua leans up close to him.
Aqua: Kidnapping too?
Boy N Blue looks at Mmoe with an expression struggling to appear surprised but having difficulty through the boredom.
Bum Bum: Yeah... the reason she beat me up is I was trying to leave the fairgrounds.
Bum Bum: Escape, you know.
Aqua hugs him close, but not so hard that it would hurt his damaged spots.
Aqua: You poor thing!
Bum Bum feels a pleasant thrill.
Aqua: How terrible it must have been for you!
Bum Bum: But thanks to you, the fear and hiding will be over soon.
Bum Bum ponders the line "Description of the incident or cause for complaint:", then starts writing.
Aqua: Have you finished with the forms?
Bum Bum: Almost.
Mmoe has shoved the cigar back in his mouth and mangles the end.
Bum Bum scribbles as much as he can into the small space provided.
Bum Bum: Here.
Bum Bum hands the form to Aqua.
Mmoe lives in a state of more or less constant frustration. If he wasn't feeling angry about something he wouldn't know he was alive.
Aqua takes it over and hands it to the officer, making sure he gets a good view of her ample chest development.
Boy N Blue's eyes bulge as he eyes her bulges.
Boy N Blue narrowly misses the paper, then takes it on the second try.
Aqua smiles sweetly at him.
Boy N Blue: Ow! [gets a paper cut]
Boy N Blue: Let's see here. [flustered]
Boy N Blue reads it over, nodding.
Mmoe: Well? Now you going to do something?
Mmoe: She has to be locked up before she hurts more innocent people.
Boy N Blue: Okay... which one of you is Bum Bum Fumbucker?
Bum Bum 's face turns red and steam shoots out his ears.
Bum Bum: It's BUMANUEL!!
Mmoe and Aqua both look at Bumanuel.
Boy N Blue looks at Bum Bum.
Bum Bum: Sorry.
Bum Bum droops.
Boy N Blue looks at him a moment longer, then looks back at the paper with a "yeah... whatever!" expression.
Boy N Blue: All right, you'll be talking to Officer Occifer.
Mmoe: About time!
Aqua: Officer Occifer?
Occifer stands up from a desk in back and walks up to the counter, summoned by Boy N Blue.
Occifer is carrying more forms.
Occifer: If you'd come with me, please...?
Occifer is a big, rangy renSime with hard mean black cold beady bitter eyes and kind of a cute mouth.
Mmoe hops down off the desk and follows the Officer - swaggering as he usually does.
Bum Bum follows with some trepidation, hiding it from his nager.
Boy N Blue reaches for a huge glazed-with-sprinkles and shoves it into his mouth, reaching for another report with his free hand.
Occifer shows them to his desk.
Occifer: Have a seat.. here... here. [pulls up an extra chair so they all can sit]
Aqua stays close to Bumanuel.
Aqua sits.
Mmoe clambers up onto the chair.
Bum Bum sits.
Occifer: It'll just take me a moment to read over this. [tells them]
Occifer begins to read the form.
Aqua decides to turn on the charm.
Aqua: Officer, I do SO hope you can help us.
Occifer soon can be seen struggling to hide disbelief and incredulity from his expression.
Mmoe chews his mangled cigar in impatience.
Occifer looks up at Aqua, glad for a chance to avoid saying anything about the report just yet.
Occifer: Yes, miz, we will do everything possible to assist you.
Bum Bum zlins the renSime's disbelief and scowls.
Aqua gives him her sexiest smile.
Occifer: Now.
Occifer: [looks back down at the form]
Occifer adjusts his trousers.
Occifer: It says here that you were coerced, blackmailed and railroaded into abusive slavery by a snake-ferret?
Occifer hoping there is some mistake.
Mmoe: That's Snake Farris!!!!!
Bum Bum mutters something under his breath about not having as much time as he'd wanted for filling out the forms.
Occifer: Ah.
Occifer makes the correction: That snake Farris.
Occifer doesn't realize that "Snake" is a name rather than an insult in this context.
Mmoe mutters something about the police force being taught to read.
Aqua shushes Mmoe.
Occifer: And your current injuries are the result of an attack by this Farris?
Occifer has never in a million years ever heard of a Farris who would attack somebody, but you have to work with these people.
Bum Bum: Yeah.
Mmoe shushes, although it isn't easy for him.
Bum Bum is starting to feel a bit defensive.
Bum Bum: [especially as the officer zlins him]
Occifer: What is the channel's full name?
Mmoe slaps his head.
Bum Bum: Snake. Snake Farris.
Bum Bum: And she isn't a normal channel, she's a rogue.
Aqua gets a sudden thought.
Bum Bum: Used to work for the Tecton Sime Center in Bender Cove, but went savage on them.
Aqua: Is she junct, Bumanuel?
Bum Bum: Heck yeah... do you think any other kind of channel would do those things?
Occifer: A junct rogue Farris channel??
Occifer thinks this sounds awfully far-fetched.
Occifer zlins them all carefully.
Aqua: ~horror/sympathy~
Mmoe: ~anger/frustration~
Bum Bum: ~~totally truthful, nonjunct renSime~~
Occifer: Huh.
Occifer thinks he's in over his head.
Occifer: Perhaps we'd better bring this person in for questioning. Do you know her current whereabouts?
Aqua: Maybe, if she is junct, it's a Tecton problem?
Bum Bum kicks Aqua hard, "accidentally"
Bum Bum: Oh... I'm terribly sorry.
Aqua: Ouch!!!!
Bum Bum: I'm so sorry.
Bum Bum bends over to check her ankle.
Aqua rubs her leg and looks at Bum Bum in a betrayed fashion.
Occifer: DO you know her current whereabouts?
Mmoe: She is at the Carnival!
Occifer thinks that explains a lot.
Mmoe can only keep quiet for so long.
Occifer: Does she have any accomplices or associates who will be there with her, and can you give me their names?
Occifer is thinking at this point that these gullible people have been handed some line by a con artist.
Mmoe looks at Bumanuel.
Bum Bum: Er... two. Nick Reckage and Linn somebody.
Bum Bum: They're mostly harmless [adds]
Mmoe: And that kid!
Mmoe: And that girl.
Mmoe: You know - the duck boy!
Occifer: Duck boy. [blankly]
Occifer: [writes it down]
Mmoe: Was just a game he was playing!
Occifer: [writes down Kid; girl]
Mmoe looks at Bum Bum.
Mmoe: Well - tell him their names!
Bum Bum winces.
Bum Bum: Oh yeah... how could I forget?
Bum Bum: [aside from intentionally]
Bum Bum: There's two young Gens who were also kidnapped along with me.
Bum Bum: Actually Linn counts too, come to think of it....
Occifer is starting to look irritated.
Occifer: Writes: [possibly other kidnapping victims?]
Occifer puts in a call to get some officers to accompany the carnies (though he doesn't use that word) back to the Carnival in search of the suspect, alias "Snake Farris".
Aqua: Do you think you have enough to lock them up Officer Occifer?
Occifer: Well, first we have to bring them down to the station and ask them a few questions.
Occifer: But we have your statement, and if it is deemed necessary to detain them while an investigation is performed, we will do so.
Occifer looks at Bum Bum. "You should accompany them to identify the suspects."
Bum Bum's expression says "Doh!"
Policeman 1: If you would accompany us, Sir?
Bum Bum waves his tentacles nervously.
Bum Bum: I won't have to get too close, will I?
Policeman 2: We will protect you, sir.
Eliza is watching Fiaero.
Eliza: What's all that stuff? [points to the equipment]
Fiaero is in the middle of putting his costume on.
Fiaero: Well, those [pointing to a pole frame with wires dangling from it] are the trapezes.
Fiaero: They're used for the aerial tumbling.
Eliza: Ooohhh!
Eliza: That's what you meant when you said flying!
Fiaero: That one there is a trampoline for jumping high, and those are "diving boards", not used for diving in this case of course. [chuckles]
Fiaero: Well, not quite.
Eliza: Do you do wire walking too?
Fiaero: WW tried to go one step further.
Fiaero: Of course! [points up at a wire up above]
Eliza looks up.
Eliza: I think you have to be so brave and clever to do that sort of thing!
Fiaero squirms into his costume carefully, avoiding injury to his arms while working them into the wings.
Eliza: ~ admiration ~
Eliza: Can I help you with that?
Fiaero's costume consists of a skin-tight green jumpsuit and large, ribbed nylon wings.
Fiaero: [the wings, alas, are many bright colors, as is the head dress]
Fiaero: Oh... thank you.
Fiaero lets her help him.
Eliza holds the wings up off the ground.
Eliza: Don't these get in the way?
Fiaero: Well, it does take a certain amount of practice.
Fiaero's hands grip the hand holds while his tentacles pull all the tensioners taut, lifting and spreading the wings.
Fiaero flaps experimentally.
Fiaero: Ah... perfect. Thank you.
Eliza has practically forgotten all about Bumanuel in her wonder at the flyer [oh she is going to make a GREAT Companion!]
Eliza: Oh wow!
Fiaero smiles to her.
Eliza: How long before you go on?
Fiaero: It's very soon now... see, the others are warming up!
Eliza: Will I be in the way here?
Teff N Zing are turning somersaults over each other's backs on a mat behind the stage.
Hela is juggling 2 wine bottles, 2 porstan bottles, 2 beer bottles, 13 crystal stem glasses, 1 frosty mug and a bowling ball.
Audience comes in and take their seats.
Fiaero: No, you're not in the way here.. but you could probably see better from the front row!
Eliza: Oh, can I sit in the front row!?
Eliza slides out from back "stage" and slips self consciously into the front row.
Eliza wishes she had some popcorn.
Announcer heads out to the middle of the ring.
Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen of all larities!
Announcer: Here today before your very eyes you will see the marvel of the age!
Announcer: Acts never seen before! Acts never safely preformed before! Feats of death defying agility and bravery!
Announcer: All without a net!
Hela: [a bowling ball rises up over the backdrop and disappears downward again]
Audience ouuuuus and ares.
Announcer: Come and be astounded by Willy Wing's Flying Fairies with the Fabulous Flying Fiaero and the Tenacious Teff and Zing and the Honestly astounding Hela!!!!
Musicians sound a drum roll.
Musicians crash the cymbals.
Announcer flings out his arm and backs off as they enter.
Teff catapults on stage and turns several cartwheels and a backflip.
Zing somersaults over Teff onto the ring and makes stirrups with his hands to fling Teff over his head.
Musicians strike up an obnoxious, circusy tune.
Audience claps loudly.
Teff bows flamboyantly, and turns several somersaults at the end of it, faking a near-fall into the audience.
Eliza sits with her mouth open.
Musicians make dramatic drum noises and cymbal crashes to go with the tumblers' act.
Teff gestures to the trampoline.
Musicians: [cymbals crash]
Zing runs and jumps with a tumble onto the trampoline.
Zing proceeds to bounce.
Teff waits for Zing to take position, then runs nimbly up a ladder onto the trapeze frame.
Zing bounces higher and higher.
Teff jumps onto a trapeze and swings down over Zing's head.
Zing lifts his arms up.
Teff catches Zing and sweeps him up.
Musicians: [crash]
Teff lands them safely on the opposite side.
Teff leaps off the platform and bounces off the trampoline, all the way to the other platform.
Teff grins at Zing across the chasm.
Musicians: [merry music with lots of trombones and snare drum and tuba]
Zing grins back.
Eliza is sure they must be augmenting.
Zing does seven back flips in a row.
Audience claps.
Teff leaps off onto a trapeze, swings down, and catches Zing's arms at the end of the last backflip.
Teff releases the trapeze so Zing's motion sets him spinning too.
Teff: [in midair]
Zing lands gracefully and flings his arms wide to the audience.
Teff hits the trampoline, does a double somersault over Zing, and lands in front of him, flinging his arms wide to block the view of Zing.
Musicians do a big "tadaaaa"
Zing puts his hands on Teff's shoulders and leap frogs over him to stand in front of him, blocking the audience's view of Teff.
Musicians does a big "tadaaaa" in a slightly higher key.
Eliza claps enthusiastically.
Teff gestures to stage right.
Teff: [since he is behind Zing, it looks like Zing has 2 extra arms]
Hela throws an orange, a banana, a pineapple, a grapefruit, and a small package of blueberries at Zing and Teff.
Hela: [rapid-fire]
Zing catches them with his "4" arms and flings them back.
Zing now looks like he has 16 handling tentacles as well.
Hela tosses them back, this time each one at a different arc and velocity.
Zing jumps aside and forms a triangle with Teff and Hela.
Hela seems to have introduced some other items out of nowhere: A very ripe tomato, a cantaloupe, an egg, and a head of celery.
Eliza suddenly feels very hungry.
Hela grins, and produces a very large salad bowl, a salad tongs, and a large wicked knife, which he juggles over his head, never missing a beat with Teff and Zing and the veggies.
Musicians drum roll, crash!
Audience around Eliza, or at least the Simes (and one poor channel who had been enjoying her day off) also feel very hungry.
Teff plays with Zing, sometimes keeping the vegetables spinning over his own head, sometimes passing the same ones back to Zing that were just passed to him.
Teff grins.
Zing suddenly gets a very ripe tomato in the face.
Musicians emit a loud "honk" noise when the tomato hits.
Teff expresses a profound innocence of a nature designed to be visible and zlinnable from the back row.
Zing wipes it off with a tentacle. But even while he stops nothing drops to the ground.
Audience laughs.
Hela mock-shakes a finger at Teff, while juggling the bowl, knife, etc. in one hand without looking.
Zing holds out his hands pleadingly to the audience.
Hela feigns a mistake, and the knife slices through the banana on its way down.
Hela leaps back with an astonished expression.
Hela: [the banana goes around the triangle in two pieces now]
Eliza is worried about that knife.
Zing finds his hands once again full of fruit.
Musicians are back to the lilting, infuriatingly cheerful carousel music.
Hajene Sil moves back a few rows.
Hela has meanwhile been assuring the audience with exaggerated gestures, that the knife cutting the banana in half was just an accident.
Zing juggles with one hand while pointing threateningly at Teff.
Teff looks at Zing, then mimes a "who me?" expression at the audience.
Teff almost drops his items during the shrug, then manages to catch them all with exaggerated haste.
Zing indicates to Hela that he wants the knife.
Zing makes throwing gestures at Teff with his free hand.
Hela shakes his head ostentatiously, and starts juggling the knife behind his back.
Eliza covers her mouth with her hand.
Hela tosses the huge empty salad bowl at Zing instead.
Hela looks at the tongs, mimes a "why would I need THESE now?" expression and sends those in Teff's direction.
Zing puts the bowl on his head.
Hela brings the knife back around and, holding it in two tentacles and the orange in the others of the same hand, begins slicing up the orange and sending the pieces frisbee-ing toward Zing at all different heights and velocities.. all while continuing the triangle with his other hand.
Hela looks like at the audience with a, "How about THAT" look.
Zing whips off the bowl and catches the oranges with it.
Musicians: [boom crash]
Teff nods and winks broadly at the audience.
Zing proceeds to throw the bits of orange at the audience.
Eliza tries to catch some but misses.
Hela starts juggling the knife and the pineapple... and each time the pineapple comes down again, it is in more pieces.
Teff sees that Hela will soon have too many pieces to juggle, and looks between him and the audience in some consternation.
Teff looks over at Zing questioningly.
Audience catches bits of orange out of the air, except for the bits that hit the occasional slow Gen in the face.
Zing shrugs and holds out the bowl.
Zing begs for some pineapple.
Hela launches a gatling-gun stream of pineapple chunks in Zing's general direction, forcing him to dodge to catch them all.
Zing catches them all then throws the bowl, now full of pineapple, at Teff.
Teff "barely" manages to catch the bowl, swaying dramatically double backward before righting himself again.
Hela's expression becomes mock alarm as the pieces of cut up fruits he is throwing at Zing no longer seem to have a home.
Hela frowns at the egg as it comes by, then sends it onward unscathed.
Hela gets the celery and, looking at it oddly then looking at the audience, throws it over his shoulder off stage.
Zing snatches them with his tentacles and starts to juggle juicy fruit chunks.
Musicians: [crash]
Zing proceeds to juggle pieces of fruit into his mouth.
Zing throws the occasional chunk towards Teff's mouth.
Teff catches them in the bowl.
Eliza wishes they would throw an occasional lump towards hers.
Audience claps.
Teff looks indignantly into the bowl, as if noticing there isn't as much as there should be.
Hela finds himself juggling an egg, a coconut, and the knife.
Zing chews and swallows as quick as he can, looking a bit ill.
Hela frowns and looks over and sees Teff has the cantaloupe.
Hela beckons at Teff to send over the cantaloupe.
Teff tosses the cantaloupe to Zing, pointing at Hela.
Zing throws the cantaloupe at Hela.
Hela throws the knife to Zing and catches the cantaloupe.
Hela looks at the egg, the coconut and the cantaloupe, then looks around as if trying to figure out what happened to the knife.
Zing grins evilly and starts to pretend stalk Teff with the knife.
Eliza gasps.
Hela looks worried and quickly throws the cantaloupe back to Zing.
Zing catches the cantaloupe and looks at it and at the knife.
Hela is still juggling the egg and the coconut in one hand.
Zing weighs them in his hands, then juggles them before passing them both back to Hela.
Teff transfers the bowl to his head and bounces up and down on the trampoline, making mock-boxing/fighting motions at Zing.
Teff: [fruit can be seen rising up, then falling back into the bowl with each leap]
Hela manages to catch the knife point-first on the coconut.
Eliza starts to drool as she watches the fruit.
Hajene Sil gets up and moves to the back row.
Hela disappears off stage.
Musicians start to make fake boxing-ring music.
Zing cartwheels and flip flops after him, leaving Teff with the trampoline.
Teff watches him go, then shrugs broadly, still bouncing.
Fiaero, who had crept up onto one of the platforms without being noticed, swoops down suddenly and steals the bowl off Teff's head.
Hajene Sil leaves the tent.
Audience gasps too.
Teff , who is bouncing in time to the music, feels his head, looking puzzled, then looks up.
Hajene Sil buys some popcorn and orange juice and returns.
Hajene Sil walks over and hands them to Eliza, then returns to her seat.
Fiaero holding the bowl between his knees, flaps mightily and manages to make it back to the opposite platform.
Eliza takes them and looks stunned.
Eliza: Ah, thank you! whoever you are.
Teff bounces lower and lower, an expression of dumbfoundment on his face as he looks up at Fiaero.
Eliza proceeds to stuff popcorn into her face.
Audience laughs.
Fiaero thumbs his nose at Teff and pops a piece of fruit into his mouth.
Fiaero grins.
Eliza watches Fiaero in amazement.
Teff looks at the audience as if for some help.
Teff: [expression: what do I do now?"]
Audience yells and screams and indicates that he should get the fruit back.
Teff listens [hand to ear, bent over] then brightens, and nods hugely.
Teff bounces off the trampoline and marches over to the ladder.
Musicians play a caricatured march rhythm.
Fiaero looks down at Teff climbing the ladder, then looks at the audience, hooking a thumb in Teff's direction like "Who is he tryin' to kid?"
Fiaero waits until Teff is almost within reach, then picks up the bowl and jumps off the platform, flapping madly til he reaches the opposite one.
Teff looks outraged.
Eliza looks amazed.
Audience claps and yells.
Teff stands on the platform, pointing after Fiaero with one hand and clutching the other out to the audience in mute appeal for understanding of his difficulties.
Fiaero settles happily on the other platform.
Teff looks at the high wire.
Teff looks at the audience, then back at the high wire, then questioningly at the audience.
Eliza jumps up and down.
Teff points at the high wire, to make sure he really understands what the audience wants.
Audience yells and nods.
Fiaero beams.
Zing walks casually out from the side and strikes up a conversation.
Zing pretends not to notice what's happening behind him.
Teff puts a foot on the high wire, testing it ostentatiously.
Teff quickly runs out about 3 or 4 steps onto the wire, then freezes again.
Eliza forgets to chew.
Fiaero blinks at Teff's antics in amazement.
Fiaero looks at his own wings, then at Teff, and shakes his head.
Teff sees Zing and "nearly" loses his balance.
Zing turns around and does a double take when he sees Teff up on the wire.
Zing pretends to panic and run around in circles.
Teff points at Zing, while flailing wildly with his other arm and bending backward at the knees.
Musicians crescendo dramatically.
Zing looks up at Teff imploringly.
Teff manages to recover, clutching his heart.
Teff looks around at his predicament, then shrugs apologetically at Zing and points at Fiaero who is still waiting on the other platform.
Teff mimes a bowl motion and the bowl disappearing upward.
Zing mouths "OH" in understanding.
Fiaero pops a piece of fruit into his mouth.
Teff nods hugely.
Zing heads towards the end of wire where Fiaero is.
Teff watches as Zing starts to climb the ladder.
Zing starts to climb the rope ladder, managing to look amazingly inept.
Fiaero sits there complacently, then starts to look confused as the platform bobs and sways.
Fiaero clutches the fruit bowl and leans way, way over the edge of the platform, comically looking for the source of the swaying.
Fiaero jumps [so does all the fruit] as he sees Zing.
Fiaero scrambles back into the middle of the tiny platform.
Zing slips and falls down a few rungs.
Eliza covers her eyes.
Eliza: [unfortunately with the hand that was holding the orange juice.]
Teff starts "sneaking" toward Fiaero again.
Zing hangs by one hand and fans himself in a "phew that was close" gesture.
Zing starts climbing again.
Teff makes mock "stop stop stop" motions at Zing.
Eliza mops up the orange juice as much as she can, apologizing to the people around her.
Hajene Sil covers her eyes and goes hypo.
Zing looks questioningly at Teff.
Fiaero who looked like he was about to make a break for it, settles down as they stop.
Zing hangs by the tentacles.
Teff makes a bunch of convoluted gestures as if he is explaining something, then points at the audience.
Zing nods knowingly.
Zing looks at the audience and shades his eyes with a hand as if looking for someone.
Teff points, waving his arm excitedly.
Teff appears to be pointing at somebody in the front row.
Hela appears from side stage, looking up at Zing and Teff and pointing questioningly at the audience.
Eliza looks around her, then points to herself and mouths "Me???"
Hela moves over until he is pointing right at Eliza.
Hela holds out his hand to Eliza.
Eliza: ~ nervous ~
Eliza takes his hand (orange juice all over hers) and stands up.
Zing nods.
Hela leads Eliza to the middle of the stage front, then turns her around with her back to the audience.
Musicians have shifted to a funky circus tune during this part.
Hela says to Eliza in a perfectly normal voice [that can't be heard by the audience]
Hela: You're doing great. Now, just stand here and catch the bowl when he drops it.
Eliza: Okay.
Hela turns around and winks broadly at the audience, then sneaks exaggeratedly away.
Eliza thinks they have better trust in her catching it then she does.
Fiaero is sticking his tongue out at Teff.
Teff exchanges gestures with Fiaero.
Eliza looks up at Fiaero with her heart in her mouth.
Hajene Sil wishes she had left before.
Audience claps madly.
Zing climbs up another rung slowly.
Teff takes a huge, crafty step while Fiaero is bending over to look for Zing.
Zing climbs up another rung.
Fiaero jumps when he sees how close Zing is.
Fiaero: [so does all the fruit in the bowl]
Zing makes an exaggerated grab at Fiaero's leg.
Hela gets back stage and then wipes off his hand, grimacing at the sticky sweetness.
Fiaero leaps back, nearly falling off the platform.
Musicians: [drumroll--crash]
Zing makes a wild snatch, nearly falling off the ladder.
Fiaero manages to swing back on, but way over on the end away from Zing.
Teff takes another huge, mock-stealthy step.
Zing holds onto the ladder and makes "oh my god I'm going to die" faces at the audience.
Audience gasps.
Musicians make dramatic swooping music.
Teff waves at Zing, trying to rally him for a final charge.
Zing pulls himself together and gets a grip.
Teff balances precariously for the wave, on one leg.
Eliza feels awfully self conscious.
Musicians build dramatically.
Teff runs the rest of the way to Fiaero's platform.
Zing climbs up the ladder onto the platform.
Fiaero jumps off, straight down.
Musicians: [wild, crashing crescendo]
Zing makes a dramatic snatch - and misses and falls face down onto the platform.
Eliza gets ready.
Fiaero hits the trampoline feet first, then bounces out toward the audience in a huge bounce.
Fiaero: [the fruit bowl somehow flies out and lands in Eliza's arms]
Eliza is amazed to find that she has caught it and that all the fruit is still in it.
Fiaero flaps like crazy and makes the bounce last long enough to make a third platform, previously not of much interest, to the rear of the audience.
Musicians: [crash! blare thump-thump]
Eliza holds the bowl up in triumph.
Fiaero smiles and waves as the audience cheers and applauds.
Fiaero climbs down the ladder and disappears from sight.
Audience roars and cheers and claps.
Zing slides down the ladder and walks over to Eliza.
Zing takes the bowl, bows and thanks her.
Eliza looks regretfully after the bowl of fruit and goes back to her seat.
Announcer: There you have it folks!
Announcer: Tell your friends! Come again!
Announcer: Next show tomorrow at noon.
Announcer: Good evening and enjoy the fireworks!
Announcer bows out.
Eliza suddenly remembers Bumanuel.
Eliza: ~ GUILT ~
Hajene Sil, who has just chanced going duo again, wishes she hadn't.
Eliza looks around for Fiaero.
Fiaero has evidently gone backstage.
Eliza feels a bit odd about just walking back stage.
Hajene Sil walks over to Eliza.
Hajene Sil: Are you all right?
Eliza jumps out of her skin.
Musicians strike up a merry closing-show march, making conversation, well, loud.
Hajene Sil was prepared for that one.
Hajene Sil takes Eliza by the arm and leads her outside.
Musicians: [blat blat blat blat oompa oompa oompa oompa trill]
Hajene Sil: You know, you should have more control of yourself if you are going to walk around high field.
Musicians are mercifully less audible outside.
Go on to Episode #12: (under construction)