9th Wave

[tentacruelest]

[Spam, taking place before he's abruptly rescued by his warden]

[Down on the pier in the seedier part of town lies the carnival part of the fair, locally known as the freakshow. Here lie bearded women and conjoined twins and all sights horrifying to the general public of the late 19th century.

And in one tent, shoddily constructed and guarded by a red-faced barker charging a nickel a head, sits what's being billed as the Crustaceous Man.

And inside sits an ill-tempered cursed Captain, waiting out this irritating turn of events in sour silence]

Comments

[myironeyes]

[There's a slightly undignified squeak, followed by some sputtering, followed by silence from outside the tent. Then Marsh glides in, glances around with small, birdlike tilts of his neck. Then he sits down beside Jones without a word.]

[tentacruelest]

[Observing Marsh from the stool upon which he sits, Jones raises an eyebrow at the man as he sits beside him]

And what do yeh think you're doing?

[myironeyes]

I considered a flying escape, but that seemed likely to draw even more attention.

[Definitely not checking on you.]

[tentacruelest]

[With a snort, Jones reaches out his massive claw and deigns to push Marsh over from his sitting position]

Get out, boy. You're not wanted here.

[myironeyes]

[Mildly, letting the claw bump him, blank spike-heads turning toward Jones in a way that might be described as askance.]

I'm not wanted out there, either.

[tentacruelest]

You are not wanted here more strongly than out there. D'yeh think our differences unite us? Away with you; find your own hovel. I prefer silence.

[myironeyes]

Not really.

...I was silent.

[Until Jones asked him questions.]

[tentacruelest]

[Technicalities will not stop Jones from complaining, Marsh]

This is my tent. You have no purpose here. I do not want yeh here.

[myironeyes]

I'm baffled that you have any attachment to it.

[tentacruelest]

The only attachment I claim is to solitude.

[Slowly, he steps off his stool to reach down and grab Marsh by the upper arm, hauling him to his feet]

[myironeyes]

[He stands, smoothly, then carefully and deliberately pries the claw open with his other hand. It's slightly awkward - not a lot of leverage - but he has more than enough strength to do it.]

This qualifies? With the gawpers swishing in and out?

[tentacruelest]

[More than enough, clearly; Jones' claw is only as strong as a man's hand now, thanks to his warden sapping the strength from it some time ago. It's a hurt that still runs deep; once he could cleave a person's arm clean off with it, and had. Now, it was nothing better than dead weight]

It qualifies. At least I am not forced into ridiculous, idle conversation.

[myironeyes]

[It's a little difficult to give Meaningful Looks without eyes. Marsh settles for a long, blank stare, then a silent nod. He releases Davy's claw and sits down again. He promised Nathan he'd meet him on the Midway later, but he wants to hide away for a little longer.]

[tentacruelest]

[Bringing his claw back to his body, Jones gives a deep scowl and sets himself back down on his stool]


And you? I can't imagine you like to be stared at.

[myironeyes]

[He lifts one shoulder in a slow shrug. He doesn't care, at least not here, where he is merely a curiosity. At home, everyone knows too much about what the spikes mean - or what they meant.]

[tentacruelest]

...Feh. Go sit up on someone's mantle if yeh enjoy being looked at so much.

[myironeyes]

[He keeps his silence. He isn't actually trying to sleep sitting up, but it would be an easy mistake to make.]

[tentacruelest]

[With a grunt of annoyance and after his words go unanswered, Jones reaches over to push Mash off the chair, in order to check whether he's dead]

[myironeyes]

[Marsh bristles and huffs defensively like a very put-upon bird.]

...do you want me to talk or not?

[tentacruelest]

[Marsh's demeanor amuses Jones, but he dares not to smile just yet. Instead, he snorts and sets his claw back on his lap]

I want yeh to either speak your peace and leave, or leave without speaking.

[myironeyes]

[A small scowl, a pause, and then a nod.]

I will. In a little while.

[tentacruelest]

Good. Wake me when yeh decide to leave.

On second hand, don't.

[myironeyes]

[A twitch of a half-smile, which he mostly hides while bowing his head, silently acquiescing.]

[notdreaming]

Oh, dear.

[ She had actually been confused about what the exhibit actually was. Because surely they wouldn't allow for humans to become deformed show off deformed humans like some sort of abstract art.

But hey, that sure is the sexist octopus man. ]

I can't say this is what I was expecting. [ She will not smile she will not smile smiling would be rude and make her a bad person she will not smile ]

[tentacruelest]

[Jones turns a cold eye to Kara, moody and claw itching to hurt something]

No admittance to Barge folk. Get out; I'll see yeh in four days' time.

[notdreaming]

Or you'll what? Call security? On little old me? [ She gives her best, most innocent look. It goes shockingly well with her blue dress. ]

[tentacruelest]

Don't think I won't, girl. You must feel cheated; an entire lifetime lies ahead of you to look at me, and here yeh pay for the privilege.

[notdreaming]

It's not really you that's entertaining so much as you hiding in a tent, selling your body to passers-by.

[tentacruelest]

Simply because I didn't wish to be forced into a lab or be run down by a mob does not mean I am acting as a common tramp!

[notdreaming]

I thought the barge made accommodations for non-humanoids in ports.

[tentacruelest]

They did not make it for me.

[notdreaming]

Probably because you keep causing trouble.

[ She ain't sayin', she jus' sayin'. ]

[tentacruelest]

[With heavy sarcasm, lifting his deadened claw; the arm is still sapped of strength thanks to his warden]

Aye; that must be it. By what manner of Godly grace did yeh come by such perception?

[notdreaming]

[ She shrugs, ever so lofty. ]

It must have happened when you decided that my gender makes me insignificant.

[tentacruelest]

There are a fair few more things that make yeh insignificant besides your gender, girl. I've known stronger women in my day and wouldn't count you among them.

[notdreaming]

I would be hurt if I couldn't literally kill you with a look.

[tentacruelest]

Then kill me, brat, or stop wasting my time. I'm not impressed.

[notdreaming]

[ She crosses her arms. Okay, so she is a little hurt, but only her stupid pride. ]

If you hate it so much, why don't you go back to the barge?

[tentacruelest]

I walk out of that tent and they'll skewer me before I get a hundred yards out. It is no longer an option.

[notdreaming]

Do you still have your phone?

[tentacruelest]

[He holds his up with a dismissive shrug]

For all the good it does me. Besides: I prefer to be alone.

[notdreaming]

[ She just shakes her head. He's in a prison of his own making. ]

You've retained a surprising amount of pride for a tourist destination.

[tentacruelest]

I have nothing but my pride left to me; no ship, no crew, nothing else I may rely upon. My pride will not be stolen so easily.

[notdreaming]

You have about thirty-something tentacles coming out of your face. Isn't that worth something?

[ She likes being mean to mean people. ]

[tentacruelest]

[Abruptly, Jones stands, picks up the stool he'd been sitting on, and hurls it hard and fast at Kara's face]

[notdreaming]

[ She closes her eyes and lets the thing shatter over her. It doesn't leave so much as a scratch. She's been soaking up some rays. ]

Feel better?

[tentacruelest]

[Honestly and coldly]

No.

[He turns his back to her, scowling at nothing at all]

[notdreaming]

Then that was a pointless waste of a perfectly good stool.

[ She turns to leave, picking splinters out of her hair. She's poked the bear enough for today. ]

[tentacruelest]

Easily replaced.

Off with you, girl. You'll see me on the Barge, and not before.