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

[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.