Dream Dive Nightmare

She heard a voice behind her, Kate turned. "Why do you ask?" She didn't know if she should trust these people. Her arms where now crossed loosely, but she was ready to run if she needed to.
 
Ruviet stepped back from the girl to get a good look at her. She had that same expression... It was no pride, but something else that feigned her composure. Nexus had welcomed her so she couldn't have been much of a threat. "This is my home, however, if Nexus trusts you then I suppose I will have to as well." Ruviet glanced over her white hair and sneered. I will keep an eye on this one. I don't trust her. "Do you have some business with the master?" She folded her arms as her tail flicked aggitatedly behind her.
 
Amenia laughed at the confusion of the familiar. She danced around slightly in her sudden eruption of humor. Then, suddenly came to a stop, and gave the familiar a slight smile. "Me? Well, I'm Amenia. As for you, pommie, you are now a familiar, and in a contract to work for me. What is your name, pommie?" She muttered, retreating back into her cynical nature. She was unsure of her new companion, and worried that it would do something wrong or mess stuff up. She offered a hand to help it up.
 
Sable lay on her stomach, her head on her hands. She glared at the small envelope. It sat inches from the end of her nose, un-moving. She shut her eyes tightly, then peered at it again. It hadn't shifted. Not even a bit. With a growl, she snatched the envelope and rolled to her back. She lay clutching it to her chest and staring at the rusted beams that supported the bridge above her. What the bridge was for, she didn't know. The dirt beneath it was dry as dust. Stupid letter. What's so important that it needs going all the way to the Sea, of all places? The thought of the salty air and the damp sand made Sable's ears droop. She didn't have much of a choice though. She had been given the envelope hours ago, and if she wanted to continue to eat, she had to continue to get jobs. Which meant going to the Sea.

Doing her best not to think about all of the water, Sable placed the envelope inside a pouch that hung around her neck. It stayed there as she morphed into a lithe fox, with the same glossy black fur that her ears and tail had while she was in her taller form. Her paws barely disturbed the dirt as she darted off.

~~~~~~

Several hours later, a scrawny figure picked its way across a shore. Sable's fluffy black fur lay flat against her body, and her ears and tail were as low as they could physically be. The pouch was fine, of course. And that envelope. She had spent far too much on the spelled bag, but it did come in handy, protecting its contents from near anything she could find, and some that she couldn't. However, it did nothing to keep her dry, or clean, or at all presentable. The address she had been given was nearby, and messengers were expected to look decent. Well, maybe not decent, but they certainly shouldn't look as if their bodies had just been found on an old hat. Sable shook from nose to tail. It wasn't much, but it'd have to do. She resumed her pace towards the home of one Nylus Minter, who had needed this message badly enough to soak a fox.
 
*Hiru was sitting in a nearby inn in Steam city, looking outside through the window with a book in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He always had the thought of whether the city would ever evolve into something more or if we all would be replaced with robots as, he never did like the machines that walked through the city. He did create robots himself but Hiru kept them to himself as he believed that if he couldn't see this town evolve, than at least the robots in the town could evolve through means that didn't replace everyone. He could easily be spotted by many but very few decided to talk to him. He would sometimes hear that it was either fear that prevented them in doing so or, something about being a higher up from everyone else. He never really understood what they meant as he still lives through past traditions. The sword and bow being his timeline and it didn't make him happy to see this to be different now, with technology changing at a fast rate.*

*He was seen as a dark man but also wanted by the authority. Lucky for him however, steam city didn't seam to care much for who was wanted. They merely kept a closer eye on them, in case they started to be a problem. Hiru was reading a book which helped him learn more techniques to use his sword so than if it came to the situation when he would fight a robot, then he would know what to do and how to protect himself. He also missed the days of being a teacher but never showed this to be obvious to others. If anyone did see his face, it would show of a irritable person. His black jacket looking too big for him but that was for a reason and his jeans blending in together never helped when it came to talking to others. He mainly spend his days just reading books and tuning his robots to be better than the rest.*

*Sometimes he would give off an Aura that gave the impression that he was pissed off as he had to listen to Nosfentor chatter on in his head continuously, listening to him and through listening, he was not aware of the surrounding area. Usually this would make it easier to do multiple thing around him, like stealing or simply just walking past him but because of Nosfentor, he was always aware and would snap Hiru back to reality if someone did something around him. Sometimes Hiru was think upon why Nosfentor had not just got another host and why he kept trying to put Hiru on edge.*

The world has evolved in manners that are not familiar or nice to us. nowadays it's better to stay and research than to come out and see this monstrosity of a city. *Hiru said to himself but it was actually creating a conversation between Nosfentor and himself. This actually started a conversation which surprised Hiru.* Maybe you should leave this place then, if you feel like that. Why hang in an area that you don't belong? *Nosfentor said to Hiru in his head, trying to convince him to leave. Hiru smirked at this as the questioned had been mentioned multiple times.* I believe that there is a purpose in this city for me to be here. /sighs/ I just need to wait and figure out what. *Hiru said to replying to Nosfentor. To other's it would sound like he's talking to himself but he knew that he wasn't. Nosfentor only said a few words and then went silent again* Fair enough puppet. Waiting is your method of finding out. *Nosfentor stated and went quiet again. Hiru then went back to reading*
 
Cenota couldn't say he found the girl overly interesting, not seeing that glimmer of potential Nexus seemed to see. He looked over her again, checking to see if he had missed some apparent deformity but once again nothing jumped out at him. His snakes sang a small choir of annoyance as he eyed the girl. It was only then, with mild embarrassment, that he realized his companions had been talking to him. Suddenly thankful he couldn't blush like one of the flesh skins he cleared his voice with a series of small coughs, an action that would have attracted attention if all attention wasn't already fixed on him.
"This little girl is a Newcomer Ruviet, you do understand that concept don't you? The poor little thing has gotten lost and unfortunately for her she can't go back to her cozy home. Don't pity her though, it was undoubtedly because of her own idiotic choices. She looks like a person who makes a lot of those." he replied indifferently, waving his hand dismissively towards her.
"As for your question Nexus I will be fully capable of monitoring the happenings while I am away. I have left orders that should keep everything in running smoothly, of course the marketing section runs more or less by itself anyway. All I needed to do was rework the schedules for some of the shows." He replied professionally before chuckling quietly as he imagined what sort of Carnival he would return to if he left Sanguine in charge.

(Gosh, sorry for not replying, for some reason my email sent these to my spam box.)
 
Kate took a few small steps towards the shadow of the tent. 'Maybe, I can fool them..' She started to think to herself as they seemed to turn their attention. Hher hair changed to a slight grey color as it swept in front of her eyes. She took another small step, now almost completely covered by the shadow.
 
The moment Sanguine heard Ruviet, and the tread was unmistakably hers, following him he broke into a jog. He doubted his ability to maintain himself, even if she was as close to an acquaintance as he could manage. He could already feel the push of his teeth against his gums. He ran a little faster, even as he heard her turn around. The grunts of annoyance made by the carnival-goers as he pushed past them were cut short when they caught sight of the behemoth of a man.

Even with the distance he was putting between himself and the small group, he still heard Nexus's question. The thought of being "in charge" made him guffaw loudly, earning him several confused looks. She would be the one to ask. Sanguine was aware of the creature's addiction to chaos. She must love me, then, he thought with mirth. He sometimes followed her around. Sanguine was fond of the sea creature. Well, as fond as he could be of anything. He didn't want what had happened to that woman tonight to happen to her. He ran on.

The sudden realization that he could no longer hear the incessant din of the carnival brought him to a halt. Sanguine turned and stared into the darkness, quickly finding the blotches of light that made up his home. Silence calmed Sanguine enough to slow his heart rate to a manageable level. He could not feel the painful press of teeth into gums anymore. Sanguine knew where he was. He had run so far that the land had become uneven, and fearsome crags would be seen in the distance.

He had picked this spot special. His body had taken him here while his mind followed slowly after. Sanguine knew that a dozen feet below where he stood, lay the secret to his control. He would kill anyone who found out about it, carnival or no carnival.
 
Ruviet lowered her eyes as Cenota spoke. "Yes master," she replied flatly. "Then will you be allowing her to stay here?" She lifted her gaze to glare at the girl in question but saw she had vanished. Ruviet looked around but saw no trace of where she could have gone. Impressive, she mentally mused, she has hidden herself. I can feel her presence, but she is most certainly out of reach. She began to walk slowly around the small space, her eyes scanning for any small detail that would give her away. A Newcomer is she? Why would someone like her come to the carnival? "Did she truly leave?" Honestly, Ruviet had lost interest in the venture rather quickly. She had no power that would allow her to find such prey and the girl had most likely gone away. "I do hope she stays far away from me. There's something off about her."
 
Kate listened to them, trying to keep calm. If she turned completely, she'd not be able to keep herself from getting hurt. She didn't know if they where stronger than her other form or not, but she didn't want to find out. She blended into the shadow almost seamlessly, almost. She didn't dare move though. The only movements she made was to sit down, then Kate was perfectly still.
 
"Don't you worry Ruviet, she is nothing I can't handle. You are over estimating her worth and under estimating your own. Undoubtedly she posesses some strange ability as do most newcomers but chance is she doesn't know how to use it. Power, even great power, is weak if the wielder doesn't understand it." He hissed slightly, watching the space where the girl had stood moments before intently. It was an interesting ability for such an uninteresting person to have but like all abilities it shared it's faults. The girl moved ever so slightly, chances are that to someone with a single pair of eyes the action would have been missed. Luckily for Cenota he had several dozen pairs of eyes at his disposal.
"The girl hasn't left, she just made herself rather comfortable on the ground. Too scared to run but to cowardly to address us. Pitiful. I haven't decided what I am going to do with her, I don't want to overwork our dear Meat-Tender. Then again what other use could this girl have? Invisibility, while useful, isn't the best ability for show business." He pondered aloud, making sure to keep his snakes focused on her. For the extra effect he made them flare up menacingly, just to see what she would do.
 
~The Sea~

Not much needed to be brought on land other than his trusty hook, but if things were to get sticky, he would need his gun and sword. Nothing quite like having several advantages. Leaving his cabin and ready to pillage, Sydius smirked against the furious wind as the Flying Mirage softly rocked against the shore. The swashbucklers got to work in prepping the boarding docks. It was almost midday now, which was the perfect time to scope out the area, stalk victims, catch up on gossip about Newcomers. After leaving the majesty of a ship behind, Sydius decided first things first: he was going to hit his favorite pub and start drinking down some pints.
Most of the bayside villagers either recognized the notorious pirates and avoided them for their lives or had been sparred the stories and lived in danger as targets. There were some in between too, of course.
Sydius cooed with a sigh as he entered the old, rickety pub and breathed in the cedar and booze scented air with that wicked smirk of his.

~Steam City~

The lack of skill and self awareness showed crystal clear with the kid, as he didn't even size the girl up. Only the look of confusion filled his face, not of readiness or suspicion. He didn't know a single thing about and still took her offered hand without hesitation. Some Familiars had a powerful imprint, one that could blind them from anything possibly harmful about their partner however that was not the case in particular with this Newcomer. He was just naïve. Standing up he furrowed his brows at the nickname.
"Pommie? Is that…?" He paused, steadying himself. Just what kind of game was this?! He didn't remember signing up to be anyone's pet! Maybe this was the game's way of initiating members, players? It was far different than he had expected. But of course, how easy could it be to completely reach someone's subconscious? He guessed all "virtual realities" had to be a gimmick of some kind. Right? Finally, he said something that held no doubt or uncertainty. "The name's Lain McHowl. It's nice to meet you, Amenia." If this game started him out as such, he'd ace it and move on. Still, the magnetic pull left him uneasy, it was like nothing he'd experienced before.

~Carnival of the Dammed~

The she-creature, arms still extended forward and eyes on her Ringmaster, let those silky smooth arms drop when she realized the Newcomer was nowhere to be seen. They couldn't have scared her that badly, could they? Being born and raised in Nightmare, and living her childhood as a slave on the high seas, Nexus couldn't fathom fear for the Freaks. They were far more civil than any of the Pirates, and some of the Inventors of Steam City. Despite the horrors, the smell of blood and death, this was a haven, and once you knew how to look and talk to the people of the Carnivale—and who not follow into their private tent—you would find it quite fun beyond the bewilderment.
Once she heard Cenota claim the Newcomer was still there, Nexus tilted her head curiously. Her hair was almost completely dry now, and if they were still to venture to Steam City, it would be imperative she grab her bottled water. She would be useless to her Ringmaster if she dehydrated and shriveled up. Considering how fast her hair did dry out, she was tempted to take a dip back into her murky lair, but that would require taking her skirt and chain mail top off.

((Hahaha, no worries Axinite. :3))
 
She watched the snakes carefully, they didn't seem an immediate threat, but they weren't something to trust. Her eyes slightly flashed a green color, but she took a small, quiet but deep breath and they disappeared back in the shadow. 'Relax, they can't do anything while your in the shadow..' she thought to herself, her mind clearing slowly and her body relaxing slightly. Opening her eyes, she ran then back over the group. None of them seemed to dangerous..
 
Lisani stared at the hem of her dress trying to distract herself from her growing annoyance at the old man sitting in his rocking chair and humming like he didn't have a care in the world. She had searched for him for three weeks trying to find out what the runes on her skin meant. She had followed rumor after rumor and now as she stood in front of him she knew she had been wasting her time.
His name was Char and he had a grey beard and an easy smile which at first made her like him. Then he had asked to see all the runes, they wrapped around her neck and then crawled down both her arms which meant most of them were visible, but he claimed the sleeves of her dress were in the way. There was no chance on hell that she was going to show him anymore of her skin and she had told him so and he had replied that he wouldn't help her then and started humming.
Inconsiderate ass, she thought to herself and stomped to the door, walking through it she started grumbling to herself about how much she wanted to pound that man into the ground.
The wind from the sea hit her and she stiffened, noticing how windy it had gotten while she argued with the old lout. This particular breeze hadn't been wet enough to change her but the next one might be.
She started running to the next building, her blond hair swaying behind her as she ran, she hadn't fed her thirst for three days which meant her next drink would be a kill. She spotted a tavern at the end of her path and pumped her arms, gaining speed as the next gust of wind hit her in the face, it smelled so salty and she wished she could enjoy it just as she felt the thirst overwhelm her.
"Shit," She whispered as her fangs grew and her speed kicked in, she had hoped to scope out a scumbag then kill him, while she had a clear target. That way she wouldn't accidentally kill someone who didn't deserve it, but it was too late as she slammed through the door.
 
Amenia smiled, "Well, pom- I mean Lain, welcome to the land of Nightmares. You now are mine, so please, go outside and get me my morning paper, I will explain this all to you. Now hurry!" She said, realizing how clueless he was to what was going on. Not caring weather he saw her or not, she changed clothes. She replaced her nightgown with a sky blue dress, that went down to her ankles and puffed out at the shoulders. She put on her brown combat boots, and also a brown work apron. She pulled her hair into a bun, and put on a pair of goggles. She wasn't going to take any crap from that ignorant Familiar of her's.
 
She stepped back as the girl came forward from hiding. It suddenly occurred to her that this girl was a Newcomer. The master had mentioned it before, but it was just now settling in Ruviet's somewhat clouded mind. She looked the girl over again with a new found curiosity. So this was someone from outside the carnival, even beyond the city. Maybe that was why she felt so weird around her. I wonder what it's like out there... As far as she knew there was Steam City and little else beyond that. The idea that someone came from far beyond that sent her into a mental still. What kind of world sent people into Nightmare? Her eyes began to cloud over again as she fell deeper into thought and her muscles relaxed. She stared forward at nothing in particular as her tail swayed lazily behind her calves. "My...My name is R-Ruviet. How may I...call you?"
 
Kate paused. "Kate...Nice to meet you Ruviet." She gave a shy smile. She hadn't expected anyone to actually ask her name. Her eyes drifted to a spot on the ground and stayed there. 'Maybe....Maybe I can actually fit in here...' She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, realizing she'd left her hair down.
 
Cenota didn't say anything but he never took his eyes off the girl. She was strange but not in the way he liked his ladies. She was a little too friendly, a little too optimistic, that outlook would only blemish the good name of his Carnival. She was undoubtedly a goody two shoes as well, would probably panic once she found out about the more seedier operations the Carnival undertook in. The thought of something as silly as a Newcomer ruining the good name of his Carnival made his lips turn upwards in a snarl.
"Ruviet, any particular reason you are stuttering like a frightened child? I must say it is rather, unflattering. I never would have expected it of you, especially considering what you just did." Cenota said coldly, his voice tinged with annoyance.
"You seem far to soft to fit in here merry little Kate. All you have done so far is hide like a coward and expect our blessing due to your circumstance. I have no room for people who expect generosity handed to them on a silver platter at my Carnival. Unless you can prove you have an ounce of potential in our business I will have to have you escorted back to the guest plaza. You are currently back stage, which is forbidden to all but the workers." Cenota said as his snakes hissed threateningly, hopefully making it clear to the girl she was standing on thing ice.
 
The fog slightly lifted from Ruviet's eyes as she looked on the master. "I was thinking about something," she replied, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. I have to stay focused while in the master's presence. He seems quite agitated. Drifting off while in front of company- how humiliating. She looked at Kate, the Newcomer, realizing she was the source of his annoyance and straightened her back. "Master, allow me to remove the source of your displeasure. It is truly gratifying to carry out any task spoken from your lips." She had hoped to do many useful things for any of her "family" that day but two tasks from the master himself and going to the city with him was far more than she could ask for or felt she deserved. She only hoped her willingness was not adding to his current temperament...
 
Hearing the snakes hiss, she jerked, transforming for a mere second before taking off around the tent, shaking her head and trying to change back. She hoped they didn't see her...she hated this.
 
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