Carnevale della Notte Rosa

[Kazumaru]

((IGnore, because I'm stupid.))

[Maraha]

At the first hint of violence Maraha had stood behind Sfot, hiding behind her like a small child hiding behind it's parent's leg. She never liked serious fights, she had never done any combat training before. She seriously considered hiding inside her hat untill everything got better, but anyone could just pull her back out, and if the collectors saw that...

She shuddered.

What if some creep got her in one of those auctions? What exactly would she be used for? Wait a second, what was that sound? Car doors opening and closing? Those must be the collectors... "Sfot, did you hear that?" She whispered, looking up at her friend with a perplexed expression.

[KC11]

KC slowly woke up to find the scene in chaos. She raised her head to see the Ringmaster on the ground. She could hear cars rolling in.

"KC..." said Demetris, slowly walking over to her. "They're gonna sell us, KC. They're gonna sell us. We might never see Arkinda again! What's gonna happen?" Demetris was in fear. Her sane and insane self were controlling her at the same time, so that she was reduced to the intelligence of a four year old.

KC looked at Demetris blankly. Then, she growled. She looked in the direction of the Ringmaster, her eyes ablaze.

"Tonight..." she whispered in a voice only those close to her could hear.

"...people die." she said, snarling.

[Maraha]

Maraha heard KC's growling and grew concerned, she should save her strength and turn back into a human! She knew that when KC growled and glared like that, trouble would erupt.

She ran to KC's side and crouched beside her before whispering rather loudly into her... ears? Earholes? "KC, don't be a fool! Save your strength, shapeshift back into a human to make yourself appear normal! The collectors wouldn't take a boring human being, but a dragon? Think, KC."

[KC11]

KC sighed. Maraha was right. KC glumly shifted back into her human form.

"But what about Demetris?" asked KC. "She can't exactly look normal, can she?"

"What if I foam at the mouth?" asked Demetris with glee. "They won't take someone with rabies, right?" Happily, Demetris spat foam until it looked like she had smushed her face in a bucket of whip cream.

[Somefreakoverthere]

Sfot followed Maraha to KC, silently panicing. "I-I can't shift back. Body seems to be flat-out rejecting the idea. It's the stress and confinment, y'know? Maraha, get in your hat. I'll wear it so nobody can try anything. I refuse to let them get near you!"

She had to stop herself there before she went down the path of random snarls. Maraha was more a sister than a friend, so the idea of letting her get hurt was somewhat terrifing.

"And Demetris?...Yeah, I think they might take people with rabies. Just cling to KC and tell them that splitting you up could kill you or something. They won't want dead 'freaks' on their hands."

[Skald of Storms]

He gave Angel a fierce grin suddenly baring his teeth. "Your a damn fine woman." He said simply still grinning. She had said exactly the right things, and now she said something even he had forgotten in the lack of violence as he often did. A good fight shouldn't be caged or over too quickly.

He gave another fierce grin before turning away, "Let the collector's try and take me, they'll not be able to take me alive...or dead, I think I have an unfair advantage." He muttered the last part almost sullenly, it was true that unlike most warriors he was immortal in a way. That normally removed most of the risk thrill of a battle, but some creatures were able of killing him eternally, and he waited for that day.

[Maraha]

"Maraha, get in your hat. I'll wear it so nobody can try anything. I refuse to let them get near you!"

Alright then, she thought, Sfot just might look good wearing a top-hat. "Try to stay calm, if we all work together I'm sure things will turn out fine in the end..." She said before taking off her hat and plopping it on the ground. She put one foot in, then the other, and managed to shimmy her way deep into the hat until she completely vanished inside the strange little world inside. A voice echoed out from the hat. "Alright, Sfot! This thing oughta look good on you! Heheh..."

[KC11]

Demetris suddenly clung to KC's leg and started yelling "IMMA GIANT SENTIENT GROWTH ON KC'S SPIRIT THAT CAN'T BE SEPARATED FROM HER BECAUSE..."

KC put a hand over Demetris's mouth and said "But what if I'm found to be not normal because I have Demetris attached to me? It's very complex..."

[Angel]

*Angel nods thoughtfully, hearing no hint of deception or despair in the woman's voice.*

Very well... Though I have no blade, or strength... I have my fangs and I will make it as painless as possible. It is the best way for both of us, please do not be alarmed.

*She speaks in a silken and sad way, sounding almost regretful. As she faces away from Ashael, she watches the group while her back heals, in a tense silence.

Kaz's efforts seem so fruitless, with the barrier in the way, between him and the Ringmaster, but perhaps it'll let him warm up to the coming enemy. She can hear their footsteps on the foot crushed earth outside the back of the tent. It sounds as if they're carrying something heavy and she doesn't let herself think what it is. She had enough of captivity... long ago... And until Zed helped he-*

Zed! Ashael, you have to contact him! He'll help us, and he'll go mad if he can't feel me! Please, find him!

*She whimpers suddenly, her self control crumbling at the thought of her fledgling trying to take this place alone, as he will undoubtedly try. She manages to keep her voice quiet, but the distress is obvious in her voice, the tension in her shoulders.*

Promise me, please....

[Zerrer]

"Where would I find him?" She asked in a comforting tone. She was a nobody, and so she would have trouble getting anybody to help her. This 'Zed' would probably have more influence then she did.

[Somefreakoverthere]

Sfot smirked at her alomst-but-not-actual sister's comment, before grabbing the hat and neatly placing it on her head.

"I honestly have no idea. Wait until they're trying to cage you, and then start fighting. I'll try clawing peoples eyes out if I can." Sfot smiled, and smirked as she lay down, curled up and pretended to be having a nervous breakdown or something.

[Angel]

*Angel nods and composes herself again, her firm self control slipping back into place. A faint tone of worry is still audible, but it is restrained. she pulls out a slim black phone from her hip pocket and holds it out.*

It's the first number... Tell him his Shellan needs him and he'll listen to you.

*She flexes the repaired muscle in her back with care, there is still a red scar, but it will fade eventually. It's sore, but bearable and she can fight. She folds the feathers up against her back and turns to Ashael.*

I owe you much for this, so I will make this as painless as possible, just relax...

*She slowly moves closer, raising her hand to Ashaels delicate neck and runs her thumb up and down her pulse. Her fangs peek out from her top lip, longer and ivory white. She allows the woman time to prepare before moving in closer and gently kissing over her pulse. She mumbles gently;*

This'll sting...

*She pulls her head back a little and opens her mouth. Her fangs glitter in the stage lights before plunging through the soft skin of her neck. The blood flows into her mouth silkily and she draws on the fountain with gentle movements of her tongue. She slips her arms around the woman to hold her up and holds her head gently.*

[Kazumaru]

Somewhere in Kazumaru's mind, a gear clicked, and he finally noticed what was going on, the conversations of the others suddenly dumping into his brain.

"Collectors?" he said, his voice squeaky again.

He stumbled towards the crowd, readjusting the top hat on his head.

"I never did get my beer..."

[Taxim]

The Ringmaster slumped onto the floor, his arm was hurting, maybe it was broken or something. He stopped his growling only after he heard several car-doors opening. He counted nine car doors, then he only laughed, they were here.

At the opposite end to the entrance, there was a large gate that was used for letting the animals into the main arena. The animals were outside so they have fresh air, but this made it very easy for people to get in. After the car doors were closed, two clowns quickly unlocked the gates and pushed them open before disappearing through the door again.

Seconds later, five car engines started, though one sounded much louder than the others. The sound got closer and closer untill one car drove through the gate, circled the stage and then stopped at the northern side of the stage about eight metres away. This happened three more times, each with three more identical cars. They each stopped at one side of the stage at just about the right distance away. It was clear this had happened before.

Nothing happened for a short while before a man with a baseball-cap stuck his head out the window and yelled "S'all clear!" After this, the louder engine was heard to get closer and closer until a large tractor-unit truck with a trailer drove through the gate. It drove away from the stage first before reversing so that the trailer on the back was directed towards the stage from what would be the southeast side.

After the engine was turned off, three men got out of each car while one got out of the truck. There was one more, though he was the driver of the truck so he did not exit. There seemed to be some similiarities between the men, some of them were wearing the same clothes, it appeared to be as if they were in a group.

The men that had stepped out of the car nearest the Ringmaster had started to laugh as he was clutching his arm. All of them were wearing roughly the same thing - baseball caps and rough work clothes such as jeans and simple shirts. The Ringmaster gets angry once more and shouts "You try it and see how much it hurts!"
"Hahaha! You must be jokin' right? Hey Michael, get the Spec-Guns would you?" This was apparently the leader of their group.
"Which ones? The Ghostbusters?" Michael shouted from the back of the car as he opened back.
"Yeah, there aren’t enough for the Sweeper." The leader picked the Ringmaster up, ignoring his constant moans of "Ow, ow, ow" and set him on his feet.
"There, that wern' hard was it?"
"Shut up Zeus." The man identified as Zeus only laughed once more.

The men from the other four groups seemed to be doing the same, they were all getting their gear ready. It seems that they had been fought before, and won. One group was strange in that they seemed to be dressed in a strange robe that is only a top-peice, though the back drafts off like a cape. They were all wearing black trousers and were seemingly gearing themselves up with large golden swords. Taxim could only guess that these were more of those "destroy the unclean" zealots.

One other group were dressed in army-khaki uniform. These may have been bounty hunters for a collector. They wore no sign of rank, so they may be ex-military. They obviously wanted to keep their targets alive, so they carried what seemed to be a cattle-prod. The men seemed to enjoy testing their weight and jabbing imaginary targets with them.

The last group wore black suits, though if you looked closely, you could see the shape of body armour underneath. They all had black leather gloves and reflective sunglasses on. More bounty hunters it seemed. They carried what seemed to be modified tranquilliser-guns, though these had a blade at the bottom of the grip so they can fight with them. The blade is about the same length as the gun, roughly nine inches in length and starts at the grip like a sword bayonet.

The Ringmaster finally got his feet working and pointed towards Scurvy. "Watch out for that one." There was a hint of anger in his voice.
"I take it she's the one that got you, right?" Zeus said, he grabbed the Ghostbusters gun from Michael and put it over his shoulder. This was a very expensive piece of kit, it was made to fire noise at a opponent which would render them useless since they are trying to stop the rather painful noise in their ears. It was shaped like a big metal tube with a trigger and buttons. Lights glowed from inside the barrel.
"You gonna' let em' out yet?" Zeus asked the Ringmaster.
"Not yet, let me get away first then I'll do it..." The Ringmaster took off rather quickly towards the door.

Taxim looked at the entire situation and smiled under his mask. This would give everybody something to do. He had not been watching the situation inside the cage very well, so he had no idea were Maraha went and what Angel was doing, though she seemed to be killing Ashael so that meant more for Taxim outside. "Minus dinner," He indicated with his thumb at Ashael rather bluntly, "and minus Maraha wherever she went. We have seven while they have thirteen. Some people will have to go without two." Taxim turned and began picking out targets. "I call the one with the funny tube-gun."

(As soon as the cage comes off, they are all NPC's. I'd all get ready before the Ringmaster takes the cage off.)