The Milky Way Circus (Open - Free-form)

[SideShowFreak]

The Anderson Brothers Milky Way Circus has been travelling between the planets of our solar systems ever since Aether flight was discovered in 1922, or at least shortly there after. As human kind pressed out to populate Venus, the Moon and Mars, the forward thinking Anderson brothers decided that their terrestrial show would seek out new audiences, on other planets.

Prospectors and colonists, scrapping out hard existences on new worlds, jumped at the chance to see a bit of what they left behind. The Andersons quickly incorporated the savage, gray skinned Martians into their shows, and made trips back to Earth to show off these oddities, to audiences tired of Indians and cowboys and ready for new thrills.

It is 1955 and we are aboard the Milky Way Circus's circus train, a series of linked barges pulled through the aether between the worlds by the massive flying locamotives. These transports hold a wide variety of humanity and aliens, all who have their place. Some are performers, some a laborers and some are aliens.

=========================================

Henry Arnstein lay curled up in his bunk, aboard the circus train. It was the only way his tall, muscular fram could fit. He was holding a book above his face, thumbing through it. The colorful tattooes on his arms flashed as they moved. No one was surprised to find the quiet strong man reading, at least not any more. A pair of spectacles sat above his hawkish nose and his dark brown hair was neatly combed, with a part to one side.

Many prefered to spend their trips gambling (the clowns especially) or trying to seduce or to be seduced. Henry had always remembered his father's advice though. He tried to live a life that he would not regret, it it were held out for his mother to see. To be sure, he was no saint, but the glamours of smoking and strong drink had never appealed to him.

When the sideshow was set up though, and the crowds were pressing in, looking for some cheap thrills, was when Henry changed. He became Barbus the Mighty, who was raised in the Outback of Mars, by a tribe of savage green skinned heathens. As the story went, his missionary parents were eaten alive by the tribe, but they spare the infant son, so that they could grow him big enough to make a decent meal. The natives raised him as a slave, fighting him in their pits and forcing him move rocks back and for across his prison cell. When he was eighteen, and they were having the ceremony to ritually eat him alive, he broke his manacles and killed the entire demonic tribe!

It was a great story, to be sure, except for the details that were wrong. The primary lie, which immediately started to unravel the rest of the story, was that his parents were missionaries. They were, in fact, Jewish had, and were still very much alive. They owned a kosher butcher shop and a small string of laundries.
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OOC: This is a completely open, free form thread. Feel free to drop in if you wish. It not strictly a sex thread. Adventure and soap opera are both likely.

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Keyolden myet... Braz'gmal. Shwan. Tackt."

Pale blue eyes rolled slightly as the voice on the other side spoke in a gruffer version of her own dialect, blue fingers reaching up to brush the darker hue of blue from her face. "I speak the same as them here, Father. Please accept that. No, I am not forgetting-! Laz'mat! I would not USE such words if you were less- I do not WISH to be a hunter as you...."

Her fingers angrily pressed into the small metallic pad before her, the blue-skinned girl huffing as she swung her legs out from the tiny bunk she called a second home, or only- from the sounds of her father's annoyance just then.

Leah'tei, daughter of Kra'mel... Or, as she was known to visitors of the circus... "Leah, The Blue Lady of Wonder."

Simple feats for her kind seemed awe-inspiring to the folk they met in their travels.
Something that Leah was amazed with herself.

She was young, barely passing into her 18th year, easily swayed when she met the Anderson Brothers; a mere 2 years had passed since then, and her father continued to hate it. She should have become a hunter like himself, a proud and great tradition among the people from the place Earth folk deemed "Pluto."

Leah laughed at the name they were given. Pluto? A name they also shared with a dog from their animated films. How father would truly be angered by this-!

"...'Enry?" Leah still had trouble with some words, like the man's name. "Are you awake? I apologize if... my words with father were too much noise. We are still not on... the same book? On my decision."

She peered into his cubby, smiling slightly at the sight of him with his glasses.
"You are fun to see, 'Enry." The train shifted, another trek's bumps in the ride causing Leah to shift as well, her hands reaching out quickly to brace against the entry to his space. "Though our travel... I do not find very fun at all..."

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry lowered his dog-eared copy of Amy Levy's Reuben Sachs and peered up at Leah. "Don't worry Leah, I was reading. Besides, I don't understand a word of what you two were saying, so there's no need to feel embarrassed." His own parents were known to have arguments which would have put that one to shame, but he had never openly opposed his papa, until the day he decided to join the circus. That had not been a good day, and he felt lucky to still be considered their son.

Leah was certainly a beautiful creature, with her interesting blue skin, and glowing spots. He had often wondered if her spots were natural, or some sort of make-up, but had never had the nerve to ask. It seemed a rather intimate question to ask a girl he hardly knew, and who's father was always hovering around nearby.

Henry akwardly sat up on his bunk. It felt odd to be laying down, and staring up at Leah. The movement of the train didn't help his efforts, but he managed not to make to much of a fool of himself. "That is the difficult with our method of travel. There is precious little privacy."

Henry was wearing a worn pair of gray trousers and a white cotton undershirt. His tattoos extended down his arms, but ended at his wrist's. They were a part of his trade, since people would pay more to see a tattooed strong man, than a clean cut one. The symbols and pictures were a hodge-podge of images, including some Hebraic characters, some birds and even a hula girl he had picked up when the circus visited Hawaii.

"I don't suppose there is anywhere for you to go, to get away from each other either." That would change in the morning though, when they landed on the hot jungle planet of Venus. Henry had only been once, but had loved the ancient ruins and the colorful rituals and dances of the natives. The local girls had also been alluring, though he was not the sort to take a girl in every port, like some did. The clowns were especially know for their conquests.

 

[Mephistophelily]

"He gives many words, when he speaks. Many angry ones. Be happy you cannot understand, 'Enry. You have heard Nicolas?" Leah thumbed over her shoulder towards the quarters of the exhuberant crew of clowns, referencing the self-deemed head,of the troupe. Nicolas was a braggard, one with a foul temper and even fouler mouth. She had learned many new words from him- though learned quickly they were not ones she should use so freely.

"Father has... His own versions of some of Nicolas' favorites."

She gave a faint smile as he sat up, still awed at the difference in their statures. The man was nearly surpassing her even in his current position, his forehead as high as her own. Rising on her toes, she placed a gentle kiss above the brim of his glasses, smiling as she dropped back down.

"You are a good man, Barbus so mighty."

His own farce background deemed him a killer of Martians. Hers was a tale of mystical creatures with vows of silence, their humble lives spent crafting glorious events across the galaxies and possibly a hand in the creation.

Strangely, the fake life given to Henry was closer to her own... Leah'tei had taken the lives of a number of alien species on her father's command. The Hunters of Taj'kan (as they called their planet); warriors, bounty hunters. A life that she did not enjoy. She preferred to befriend the unfamiliar, understand them- not destroy. The dreams still bothered her...

And thus, her choice to join the Brothers. New places, protection... A chance to explore and learn.

"I have not made the stop of Venus before..." She paused, recalling a particular plant she had seen with one of the animal trainers. "The flyeater! It comes from there? They... Do not have.... Large ones?"

 

[SideShowFreak]

Barcus the Mighty eh? He closed his eyes as she leaned in to kiss him, to avoid looking down her cleavage. He knew cutoms were different on other planets, but the blue robes she wore would have caused a scandel in his home town. The new "rock and roll" music was bad enough, but outfits like her's were only seen in Cinemascope, at the local movie theater.

"Those plants were around before we went to Venus, but curiously enough, there are actually some plants there that resemble them. Some are large enough to eat a small person whole!" He placed a gray ribbon in his book and laid it on a shelf. "There is actually a place to hide on this train, if you really want not to be found. I don't want to get you into more trouble though."

A thin individual poked a head in beside Leah, moving her a bit in the process. The person had a moustache and short, greased hair, on the left side of it's face and was clean shaven on the right side, with shoulder lenght hair. He/She was dressed in a white silk gown with a modest bust. "Hey Henry... Oh hey Blue! Ah, I am interrupting, but I thought you might want to know Nicholas is planning to release space rats into your bunk tonight, again! Just a heads up."

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Oh..." Leah stepped back slightly at the thought of a giant version of the rather scary little plant she had already met, the image of such a vegetation sending a fear through her after his added description. "Such a plant would not be able to eat a man like you!"

She shook her head at the mention of hiding from her father. "To try such a thing simply would not work, but I do welcome your help, 'Enry. Father could find me as he wishes..." She reached up, pulling back her hood just enough to show her left ear to him, a silver ball in her lower lobe with a chain running to another smaller orb within the shell of her ear. "It is not for... Decor, as your arm drawings. Father tagged me, as the trainers say. He allows me to go as I wish, but this will not let me stray too far."

The sudden entry of a third party caused a mere glance from Leah, her frown growing with the warning of the head clown's anticipated antics for the evening. "If you like, 'Enry... I can give him warning on doing such things..."

She tried not to be like her father.
It didn't mean she WOULDN'T be like him if needed.

"Let's avoid him for now, 'Enry. Come eat with me. They will not cause trouble in the dining car..." She smiled again, placing her hand against her stomach. "There is always time for books... But not for foods when others are around."

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry was not at all pleased with this "tagging". He was not sure how it let her father find her, but he did not believe in the idea that children were property. This was 1955. The days of children not speaking, unless spoken to, went away with his grandparent's generation. Still, she was not, as he was so often reminded, human.

He gave her a grin though, to hide his thoughts. There was no reason to distress the girl, and he knew better than only disrespect her father. That was not the way he was raised. Still, he sometimes felt a very un-scholarly urge shake the man. "I'm not worried Blue. That runty clown is just jealous that I am Barcus the Mighty, and he is Bumbles the constable clown.

He had also learned long ago that his size and strength made him a target. Smaller fellows might think it was great to be big and strong, but there were always fellows looking to test themselves against a big man, or little men looking for some sort of revenge. There were times he wished he was a more normal size. It was neat to be able to bend a steel bar between his large hands, but it would have been neater to visit the libraries of alien worlds, without being stared at.

"O.K. Blue, let's go rustle up some grub. Vamos!" He did his best cowboy voice, as he pulled a blue Hawaiian shirt, with white flowers, on. He left it unbuttoned and loose. His father would never approve of not tucking in a shirt. Fortunately, his father would never know. It was his little act of rebellion against the voices of his parents and his grandparents, lecturing him from somewhere inside his head.

He waited for her to back out and then squeezed through the door to the hallway. They moved single file through the busy train. The doors to many sleeping compartments were open, and from within other performers waved at him, or ignored him as they held a hand of cards close to their face. A few bright cheeked lasses winked at him as he passed, and Barcus the Mighty struggled not to blush.

"So, I hear they are giving us an entire afternoon off, when we get to Venus! Did you want to see one of those plants?" There was never a full day off, and they were, in one way or another, almost always working. Still, with each new planet fall, the performers were given a bit of free time. The owners knew that as they toured the sights, the locals would be staring at them. It was good publicity if Barcus the Mighty was seen visiting an ancient ruin, or eating dining at a local bistro.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Leah nodded lightly to her larger friend at his agreement on something to eat, stepping back into the hall and allowing him room to exit his small room. It was still rather the sight to behold; the large man coming from such a tiny space. It made her realize as he stood to his full height just how small she really was... It seemed the only person she truly towered over herself was the Tiny Man, Rico.

The mention of the Head of the Clowns reminded her that she should check on poor little Rico later that evening. If he wasn't harassing the largest of the crew, he would most likely be after the smallest. He had only bothered her a few times, seemingly annoyed at her lack of response. She found very little to be angry about, simply brushing off his antics and attempts to frustrate her. He insisted he would find something to 'set her off', as he put it... but as of yet, nothing.

Following behind her larger friend through the train's small corridors, she smiled softly to the others who gave him greeting. Everyone seemed to have their smiles and hellos for Henry- why the Clown had such adamant reasons to harass him, she would never understand.

"Hey there, Blue." One of the trapeze artists gave her a nod, smiling up at Henry as he scooted out of the way into one of the doorways. "You two eager for the Venus stop? I need to stretch. Only so much room on the train- Well, I'm sure you understand completely, Big Guy." The man chuckled, giving another nod as he let the two pass.

"I suppose I am excited to see it," Leah confirmed in a light voice as they entered the dining car. "I do not know about the plants. They sound rather- frightening. Not quite the first thing I would like to see. Perhaps if you were to come with me... I would not be so afraid." She glanced at him, quirking an eyebrow from behind her hood. "But what I would like greatly is to try other foods. The cooking here is... nice. But the tastes are rather lacking."

This was uttered even softer than her normal tones, fearing that the four-armed chef would catch the comment made against his cuisine. "Do you have any plans, 'Enry?"

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry shook his head. "Nothing in particular Blue." If she minded being called Blue, she never mentioned it. It was like him being called Big Guy. He did not mind it, but being big was not how he saw his soul. He was a lad who love to learn and loved seeing the galaxy. The big thing was coincidental.

He held an arm out for her, knowing it to be an old fashioned gesture. "I'd be honored to show you the sights, Leah, long as we can find a way to do it without your father minding." Somehow he knew that her father saw them both as better than the rest of the troupe. He was sure that the man would be wild about Barcus showing his previous rose around a beautiful but hostile planet.

There was a great acceptance amongst the cast of oddities and freaks, both natural and manage. Still, there were always a few acts, circus royalty, who stood above everyone. There royal few tried not to mix with the other performers more than was necessary and avoided the laborers at all costs. How's father he saw as one of these.

As they talked, he guided her to seats at the tables which ran the length of the mess car. The performers always at first, and then the laborers. Around them he saw familiar faces and smiled at them, as they greeted them. The menu consisted of large baskets of baguettes, small plates of freshly churned butter and large platters of ham slices. It was simple, but filling fare. Henry sighed as he took bread and avoided the platters of meat.

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Do not worry on my father, 'Enry. He has his moments of anger, but he does know that I am... a big girl, as your people say." She smiled with that. Father was a rather fierce-looking thing, and more so when his temper flared. He had learned to control it as best he could, though the Brothers' decision to allow him travels with their group as part of crowd control seemed fitting.

If Father became angry, people learned to move.
The coloration shared between them seemed one of the few things they had in common. Leah chose to be softspoken and reserved. Father, however... Not so much. His grasp of human references and phrases was limited, and led to him being easily upset quite often.

Part of his reasons for hating her love of spending time with them.

But she was happy... and he was willing to accept that, as much as it burned him to do so. He tried to control the temper. Tried.

"I have heard some of the clowns talk about this upcoming planet," She noted as they took their food, her voice lowering slightly. "That they plan to visit women of various interests. They are entertainers as well? We should meet them, 'Enry! To have more travel with us- this would be a good thing, no? They must have great talents to attract so many eyes... I want to meet them, 'Enry. Will... you take me?"

She smiled, reaching to pat his hand briefly. "One thing I do want... is to take a meal with you that you fully enjoy... Will you take me on this as well?"

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry knew what women she was talking about, but he wasn't at all sure she fully realized the entertainments those women provided. He had been himself, of course, when the rest of the guys dragged him along. It had been an interesting experience, but he had not allowed himself to become hooked on such pleasures, as many of the other men in the circus did. It was not that he was a prude, but that he believed that there were more important things in life, like discovery and learning, which superseded mere carnal pleasures.

Still, it would not due to have her go to such places without a proper escort. Venus was a rough, frontier world and there were many that might take advantage of a beauty such as herself, especially if they perceived her as naive. She wasn't as naive as she seemed some times, he guessed, but she certainly would be a newcomer to Venus. He also suspected that if he did not agree to take her, she would simply go herself.

"It would be my pleasure Ms. Leah'tei, but only if you will allow me to show you some of the natural wonders of Venus afterwards. There is more to her beauty than such... entertainers." He hoped that she would find the experience diverting, but would quickly loose interest and then they take in the more intellectually stimulating sites of Venus, such as the ruins and jungle rivers.

Suddenly he felt a bit nervous. What if she was offended by some of the more risque aspects of the pleasure girls' shows? She was a beautiful and pleasant girl. He did not want her to be shocked and then blame him for bringing her. Still, the die was cast.

-------

The sun hung large in the sky above the surface of Venus, like a pregnant woman in the last days before she delivered. Henry wiped the moister from his forehead with his handkerchief and put it back in his pocket. He was wearing brown linen trousers, sandals and brown suspenders. His short-sleeved button up shirt was already sticking to him unpleasantly, making him wish he could just dispense with it. He knew that the Anderson Brothers loved when he showed off his tattoos, but there were times when he grew tired of being a freak. On his head was a brown fedora hat angled to keep the sun out of his eyes.

Around him was a cleared area of some three hundred square yards. A number of small booths ran in lines across the clearing covered with colorful awnings. Venusian merchants were selling fruits, cloth and various local trinkets. They were a tall, thin people with grayish skin and dark black hair and eyes. Many of the men wore nothing more than a sheath for their penises, made from local leaves. Some had on proper clothing though, which was probably due to the local missionary societies trying to reform their heathen ways.

The women who were no dressed in proper clothing wore skirts made from two and three foot long leaves. Their breasts hung free without shame. The younger women had perfectly breasts and the older women had breasts that had started to stretch downwards, but they did not seem to care in the least about the differences.

Henry knew that these were the tribal peoples of the jungle that surrounded the clearing. There were more civilized folk in the town, where they were headed. These tribal folk knew the route from the landing area though, and had set up their impromptu market to try to attract business. A cleared road, lined with gravel, stretched off in either direction, cutting through the jungle.

The trees of the jungle bore leaves in a variety of shades of purples, reds and greens. Strange creatures slithered, climbed, crawled and flew among the branches, twittering to each other and keeping an eye on the market for any food that might be dropped. Henry saw something that looked like a green monkey with four eyes run out of the trees and steal some fruit from a stale. The merchant threw a curved stick at it, but the little fellow escaped, cackling in victory.

Henry turned to where his companion stood. "So, this is Venus. We could walk, but it's horribly hot and humid. Have you ever ridden in a rickshaw Blue?"

 

[Mephistophelily]

Leah barely noticed his apprehension on the plan, nibbling the remainder of her meal. All she knew was that he had agreed to this, and that was what she had wanted- a new planet to explore, new people to meet, and a proper escort to accompany her!

Father would be less than pleased on this.

That simply made her smile more. His suggestions of a few other sights had her agreement, though simply getting to stretch in less confining spaces would be a relief all its own.

"Thank you, 'Enry." She couldn't lose her smile the rest of the night.


-------

Upon arrival, she was already anxious. Leah had taken into consideration his comments on the planet's environment and surroundings, trading her reserved robes that were worn in travels for an attempt at Earth clothing... A dress, borrowed from one of the riding ladies. Horses, beasts from other planets- how they had the courage to ride some of those animals was beyond her. Simply the stature of a number of them left her avoiding the holding cars.

"I do not... know about this." Leah eyed herself in the mirror, Kelsey holding the dress up for her over her shoulders.

"Honey, you want to be comfortable... And the black and white looks great on you. Oh, one last thing. Sunglasses. Here, some of my favorites. Oh, honey, you're an absolute space diva!"

Leah smiled. She felt foolish in all this. "Thank... you, Kelsey. I should go. 'Enry is waiting."

She was certain of it when she saw him. She was completely foolish. She forced a smile instead, the scarf borrowed from Kelsey draped about her hair, the glasses tucked over her ears. As they moved along into the clearings, she was already gazing at the surroundings, awed by it all.

Henry knew his way, Leah following after, glad to have such a guide and companion with her. She surely would have gotten lost the moment she left the train.

Not a hunter like Father. Not at all.


"So, this is Venus."

Henry's voice caught her attention, smiling to him as she took her gaze from the fleeing sticky-fingered creature that had scampered past. "...Have you ever ridden in a rickshaw, Blue?"

"Rick... shaw?"
She glanced around, spotting the curiously set up seat tilted against one of the stands. "A carrier...," She realized aloud, shaking her head. "Not a carrier such as that, no. It looks... fun."

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry thought that his companion looked quite fetching in her Earth attire. Truth be told, he found himself watching her expressions and movements, even when some many nubile nude beauties surrounded them. In her circus attire, she was like an exotic fairy goddess, but dressed like this, she almost seemed like the girl next door, out to sow her wild oats now that Daddy did not have her under his thumb.

"Oh it is Blue!" Henry grinned and lifted her by her slender waist into a small rick shaw. It was covered by a red silk awning and piloted by a muscular old man wearing only his penis sheath and a Chicago Cubs baseball cap. The old man cackled at them with his toothless mouth, and then set out at an impossibly fast pace.

As the rick shaw pounded along the dirt rode, Henry found himself grabbing onto the side to keep from being bucked out. He braced his other arm behind Blue's back, against the other side of the convenience. The jungles speed by them in a cavalcade of colors and critters. He was never sure where to look next, but did to his best to point out interesting features. In truth, this was only his third trip to this planet, so he was not expert.

"Over there, you can see a Cacada Monkey! They are really more like lizards with hair and were named for their vocalizations." The ugly purple animals' call did indeed sound like their name, as they echoed through the canopy above. A few swung along beside the rick shaw, matching it for speed. Henry was sure that they were chasing it in play.

 

[Mephistophelily]

A surprised little laugh left her lips as Henry plucked her from the ground, her fingers clutching to his thick forearms briefly before settling into her seat. Glancing between the little man holding the cart's extensions, then back to her companion, a quick passing thought floated through... Can he even pull this with-

The cackle and grin was all the warning given before the small man's feet dug into the dirt, propelling them on much faster than she thought possible. Her eyes widened, flailing out to grab Henry once more, thin blue fingers tight to tanned skin. She looked up at him, smiling slightly before looking back at the strange terrain.

Amazing. All of it. So new, fascinating, unfamiliar at all to her...

Henry tried to play tour guide, calling her eye to the creatures racing with them. She laughed, peering out at them. Odd little things, but still kept her in awe. One shrieked at her, its little legs attempting to keep up with the cart. She drew back, returning to the safety she had found in grasping Henry's arm.

"Curious little things," She noted with a light laugh, smiling up to him. "This is quite different than our last stop. I am glad you are willing to accompany me, 'Enry. Perhaps later you will allow me to take you for foods?"

"FOOOOOD!," The man drawing them crooned, cackling again, veering off suddenly from the course he was taking. She gasped in shock, clutching at Henry as the cart flew toward a tree, a low-hanging branch being snatched at by their puller's hand. An odd-looking fruit was tossed back to her, the man shrieking in glee at being helpful.

"Thank. You."
She stared at it, utterly confused on the curious thing. She glanced back up to Henry, giggling again.

She had never laughed like this before. Not with worry on Father hearing her... but with Henry, it was easier. It just seemed to... happen.

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry liked to hear Leah laugh. She always had a cheerful way about her, at least when she was talking with the other performers, but he had never really see her this happy. He supposed that her joy was in seeing a new world. It always amazed him that God could create so many new worlds and creatures, without duplicating himself twice.

"I think you mean, take me out for food, but most people say take me out to dinner, or go get a drink. I accept. It would be a pleasure to dine with you." The food on Venus, to him, tasted a bit like Indian food, but with lizard meat at the main protein. There were a wide variety of lizards on Venus and they all had a different taste to them. His favorite was a feather lizard which the off worlders had taken to calling chicken because of the feathers and because it did indeed taste like chicken.

Henry looked at the fruit dubiously. "I can't say as I've seen that particular fruit before, but it must be edible if the native are tossing them at us." He took the fruit from Leah and cut it with his pen knife. The outside had a thick purple skin, which felt a bit rubbery. Inside, the meat was white and juicy and smelled a bit like honey. He cut off a chunk and held it out to Leah. She took in and ate it. The look on her face was enough to make him want to try it too. The juice ran down his chin and he chewed on a big piece. It tasted like a cross between watermelon and honey and was one of the sweetest fruits he had ever had. "Wow, if my parents could market this stuff, they'd be set for life."

In the distance, down the dirt road, he could see the end of the jungle. Beyond it there were already a few flashes of bright colors. He knew that within ten minutes, they would have the large town of Hith in site. The town had sprung up to cater to the tourist trade and had every pleasure and supply that off worlders might need or desire. Truth be told, it was a bit of a tourist trap, but that was their destination, at least for now.

Henry continued to cut off pieces to share with his companion. Her enjoyment of the sweet fruit increased is own pleasure. There was something simple and nice about sharing this with her. He had taken trips around strange planets with his circus buddies before, but somehow with Leah, he found himself glancing over at her, to see her reaction to each new discovery.

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Oh. Yes. That." Leah smiled again, the closest to a blush that her skin would allow coming to her cheeks. "I am sorry. I still... have trouble with words." She looked down at the fruit he cut open, taking the offered piece he peeled out of it and taking a small bite. Her eyes widened at the taste, her smile growing even more. Certainly a change from the dishes the cook attempted back on the train! As he took one for himself, she nodded, tapping his free arm. "It is wonderful, 'Enry, is it not?"

"Wow, if my parents could market this stuff, they'd be set for life."

She laughed, nodding. "I concur. I would purchase it many times..."

The man's feet continued at the fast pace, Leah happily nibbling the snack he had provided and peeking at the passing jungle. More creatures attempted to peer at the passing vehicle, little furry creatures that reminded her of the 'squirrel' she had seen in one of the picture books Kelsey had given her... Except this was a green hued creature, and its tail was not a big tuft of fluff, more like that of a Plutonian lizard.

She hoped it did not have the same toxic defenses as the cart passed by...

The cart continued on, finally leaving the trees to arrive on a smoother path, no longer jostling the two riders as wildly. Instead, there were buildings, lightings... colors almost as vivid as the creatures they had passed.

"We are here!," She exclaimed happily, already trying to stand up.

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry grabbed Leah around the waist, just before the driver stopped. She would have probably flopped head first into the poor fellow's back, but Henry's strength and weight kept her from doing so. As it was, the sudden reversal brought her back and into his lap. One moment they had been flying along, and the next minute there was a very warm, very soft girl on top of him. He did not let go for a moment, realizing how good she felt. His arm was around her stomach and he took the opportunity to hold her tighter for a moment. "Be careful there Blue! I almost lost you!"

The market was a riot of colors and sounds. Some of the Venutians here were wearing Earth clothing, or imported Martian garb. He even spotted a few aliens amongst the crowd. A few Earthlings were walking around, dressed in almost nothing, in an emulation of the natives. It was quite shocking and inappropriate. Obviously the missionaries had faced an uphill battle. Children ran through the crowd, shouting at one another and trying to steal wallets or beg for fruit and coins. A troop of Venutian guards marched passed, pushing their way through the crowds with six foot staffs. Behind them, four burly green slaves were carrying a caravan with a red top. Slavery was still a fact of life on this primitive planet. It was a pity, but these folks were only half civilized.

Across the street was a structure, which was shaped like a small circus tent. Even across the street, Henry could smell cooking flesh and hear oddly Middle Eastern music, flowing from the establishment. This was where they wanted to go. This was Carra's, one of the safest and best brothels on Venus. To call it a brothel though, was to belittle it. It was also a restaurant, and inn and a dinner theater. The tent was only the tip of the brothel. It extended downward into the ground, for four floors. When he did frequent such places, he always went to Carra's. It was not the cheapest brothel, but it was the safest and the cleanest. This had been made clear to him by other performers, accompanied by their horror stories of the other brothels. Why Blue wanted to come here, he did not know, but even Carra's was not a safe place for her to go alone. Such a beauty as she would tempt even the more pure of madams, to find a way to trap her into service.

The soldiers and caravan was passed and the crowds were closing in again. The toothless old Venutian turned around and held out his hand in expectation. He really was an ugly fellow, but he had served them well, though in terms of speed and responsiveness to their needs. If nothing else, he had managed to get Blue into Henry's lap. Henry fished a few dollars out of his pocket, with his free hand, and laid them in the old man's palm.

 

[Mephistophelily]

The man stopped far more abruptly that Leah had expected, Henry's quick arm latching onto her and drawing her back to fall into his lap. Her eyes widened at the fall, looking at him over her shoulder in surprise. "He has stopped!," She exclaimed of the obvious.

"Be careful there Blue! I almost lost you!"

"Sorry, 'Enry!" Her still lacking use of English made her sound almost French, the blue skinned girl already marvelling at the new sites about them. SO different than the place they met their driver-!

"Ooh, look there!," She gasped, pointing off earnestly toward the brightly decorated shops. "Those globes- I wish to see!"

Henry's attention was more to the man who had given them their ride than his companion, her excited cries like that of an anxious child behind him. If her own father had seen what his child was doing...

"More fruits-! 'Enry, for your father..."

He was busy. She would get them! Jumping out of the cart, she excitedly darted across the pathway between others, trying to get to the stand she had seen. Plucking one up, she smelled it, remembering the wonderful aroma of the one they had found. Not quite the same. She set it down, taking up another. "No.. Not the same..."

"Excuse me, sapphire one..."

Leah blinked, setting the fruit aside and smiling to the woman who came beside her. "Oh, hello. I am Leah'tei... from the Anderson Brothers Circus... We are presenting on your planet soon!"

"And a wonderous thing that will be." The woman smiled in return, taking Leah's hand. "You have exotic skin, Blue one. Please, may I see without these...?" She reached up, taking the sunglasses from Leah's face, bright blue eyes blinking at the change. "Ohhh, yes..." Another smile. "You are a rare thing, aren't you?"

Leah laughed, nervously looking around for Henry. "I... am simply like my father..."

"Father?" The woman's voice suddenly stiffened. "Is your father here?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then we have nothing to worry on, dear one!" The woman laughed, patting Leah's hand. "Come, come! You like these fruits? Many more. Many, many more with me! Take all you wish. Please!"

"But my friend- he will... Ah... 'ENRY!!"

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry's father had always said that there was not such thing as a free lunch. It was true too. If you ordered a pastrami on rye, he charged you, even if you were his own son. Sure, it was a bit more subtle than charging his son for his meals. If Henry failed to do his chores, or to do his homework, then his father simply did not feed him. He always said "You can survive going hungry for a day son, but you cannot survive if you do not work hard and do what is expected of you. This world will eat you alive." As the native woman simply offered his companion free fruit, and marveled at her beauty, Henry's internal alarms started clanging.

He jumped out of the cart, upsetting it in the process and moved toward Leah. As he did, the native woman made a small gesture with her hands, and two burly males stood up from inside her stall and moved toward him. The woman grabbed Leah's arms and commanded her. "Stand still dear one! That great big brute is obviously dangerous and trying to control you! You don't want a man like that, who can't let you explore and have new experiences. You let my boys take care of him!" The woman started to try to drag Leah behind her booth. She did not look all that strong, but the natives had a strength which could be surprising, as witnessed by the old man who could run with his rickshaw, even with a big passenger like Henry.

The boys moving toward Henry were wearing dungarees and black leather jackets. Their muscles rippled beneath their green skin and their black eyes glittered. "Get lost punk. Mama don't want no stinkin' off worlder messin' with her stall!" The other boy nodded. "Yaya! Of worlder violence it is! We're gonna have to call the guard for messin' with our stock!" He turned around and shoved half of the stall over, sending the fruit smashing to the ground. "Look at that off worlder! Think you can get away with messin' with a poor old woman's livelihood?"

Henry looked around for a moment, and then yanked away a wooden dowel rod holding up the wooden front of a stall. It was thicker than his thumb and felt solid enough. "You boys are making a mistake." He spoke calmly, as he swung the wooden dowel in a circle with his right hand. "We've done nothing to hurt you or yours, but if you harm my companion, I will have to hurt you. I really, really hate to have to do that!" He sighed as the boys continued to advance, pulling butterfly knives from their back pockets. Great, another off world invention which could make their lives a bit better... The hidden blade.

 

[Mephistophelily]

"'Enry!" Leah's voice gained another octave as the woman tried to push her behind the shops, pushing back angrily. "Forgive me," She whispered hastily as she swung her arm out, forcing the woman off her and back against the stalls. "I do not wish to harm-!"

She tried to make it back out to Henry and the two men, yelping as someone's hand caught the back of her headscarf, yanking her back. "Please, let go! You do not understand- Please, do not-," She begged, her own hands grasping at the fabric.

"Why do you run?," A man's voice hissed into her ear. "We offer you such fine things, and you wish to go back to the man who swings and offers pain?"

"He does not offer these things to ME!" She cringed as the scarf was ripped free, the deep blue hair spilling down her back. She backed away, shaking now. Others were watching, seeing all this. The brothers shall hate me for what I have done... This is not proper... She looked to Henry, a sorrowful look on her face.

*I am so sorry for this, 'Enry. I should have listened to what you have said... This is not a place for me...* Leah the Blue Lady of Wonder... Her Parlor Tricks of Cards and Magic... A telepath.

She could have fought back more.
She could have attacked them in ways they would not understand.
But she didn't know how to turn it off once she did it. Her father could kill with a simple glare and utterance... she was afraid to try. She didn't like to cause harm, cause trouble, cause pain.

But these men-

"He will hurt you, I can tell. We will not hurt you as much. I promise you this." The man chuckled as he grabbed her wrist, tugging her toward one of the tented structures nearby. "It all depends on how much you fight! We tried the kind way, and look at the trouble you caused! Mama's way is no more! Now, it is Louis' way!"

She closed her eyes, drawing a breath. "I have asked you to stop... And you have not... Forgive me." She reached out, touching the base of his neck, her eyes still closed as she whispered, thankful for the cover of the tents to keep this from Henry.

The call of death, as father deemed it. The point of contact, the call of mental strength, focused to the one point at the base of another's mental connection.

The man's grip on her faltered, gave up as her fell. "I had asked," She hissed again, yanking back her scarf and rushing back out to find Henry.

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry rushed forward as he saw a man dragging his companion off behind the tents. The old bitch was pulling something out from behind her half destroyed booth and her boys were closing on him. He tried to run around them and find Leah, but they cut him off. He swung his make-shift weapon, trying to catch one's knife hand, but the man dodged with surprising skill. These boys obviously worked on their fighting skills like he worked on building up his muscles. Mama came up from behind her booth and leveled a shotgun at him! Things were going from bad to worse.

He hunched over as she shot at him, and felt a few pellets fly right past his arm. Without another though, he turned and ran to the rickshaw. Henry grabbed the vehicle and lifted it from the ground. Holding it in front of him, he used it as a shield to crash through the boys and into the bitch. The vehicle came apart in his hands, but it had done its job. The old woman was pinned to the ground and looked unconscious, or possibly dead. He heard screams behind him as the boys charged.

Henry turned and ran straight at them. They had both dropped their knives, so he was not as worried. He sidestepped the first one, who crashed into the debris. The second one tried to tackle him, but he grabbed the man in midair and smashed him into the ground. After that, the fight was over and Henry felt sick, as if he might vomit. There was not time though Leah was missing!

Henry ran around the edge of the tent where he saw Leah dragged and started calling her name. He hated violence, and hated hurting the bitch and her boys, but if anyone had done anything to harm her, he was pretty sure that he would kill them and live with the damage to his conscience. Rounding another tent, he almost ran into her.

"Leah! Thank God!" He grabbed her pulled her off the ground, into his embrace, before awkwardly setting her down. "I anything had happened to you, I never would have forgiven myself." He was also sure her father would have not been forgiving either.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Leah gasped as she heard the gunshots, a sound she knew from the clowns and their games with bottles on free stops. This was not one of the clowns. This brought on screams- and a fear inside Leah.

"Enry..." She choked, trying to run toward the sound. Find him, be sure he's safe...
She focused on him, on the way he thought, on the mind that stood out in this unfamiliar place.
*That way.*

Another loud sound, another noise that scared her. This was her fault. She should never have tried to surprise him, tried to go off without him... She nearly screamed as someone ran into her, realizing it was the man she was mentally hunting. Her arms wrapped around his barrel chest, her head buried against him as he held to her. "I am so sorry, 'Enry... I am at fault, I am so sorry...," She spat out, hanging her head as he let her go. "I only wished to see you happy, to surprise you... Not to cause such trouble... I had thought- had thought I could..." She trailed off, hugging him again. " I will not do such a thing again!"

She looked up at him, her sunglasses having been lost somewhere along the way. She would owe Kelsey, she realized. Owe her for the torn dress, the lost glasses, the ripped scarf.

So many mistakes made, so quickly.

"I should not have asked this of you..." She whispered, shaking her head. "I am... sorry." She stepped back slightly, glancing around. Her thoughts drifted to the Brothers, suddenly fearing they would be furious about what had happened.
"Thank you... for... coming for me..."

 

[SideShowFreak]

Henry hardly thought it was her fault that her looks had attracted the attention of the locals. The old woman was probably working for a slaver, or a brothel, and saw in her an exotic meal ticket. "It was not your fault Blue. This was beyond the pale of civilized behavior." Much as he disliked the Christian missionaries, and the attempts of some Christians to convert him from the faith of his fathers, he hoped that their efforts on Venus would civilize these folks.

He took his companions hand in his. "Come on Blue. It definitely was not your fault. We are here to enjoy ourselves, but we need to get off the street before the authorities investigate. "Now we were headed to Carra's and that is just were we are going." Carra, the owner and madam, had excellent security and was probably the safest place for them, unless they were going to return immediately to the train pickup point. They often spent weeks traveling in those floating metal cars, and he was not about to go back now.

The train itself was still orbiting Venus, but the dirigible shuttles flew folk back and forth. It had been discovered that it was easier to keep larger vessels in orbit and send smaller vessels to ferry folk to them. He had always thought it was a bit like the old days of sail ships, which people romanticized so much. Space travel could be romantic, with the scenic views, but it was also a cold, heartless bitch which did not forgive mistakes. Venus was not his mother planet, but right now, she felt a damned site better than floating around in a steel box.

He lead Blue out from behind the tents and toward Carra's. They had avoided the area of the fight. Already, some of the big boys were sitting up and shaking their heads. Henry did not want to encounter them again, so he picked up his pace, all but dragging Blue toward the front door of the brothel. He suddenly remembered the old rickshaw driver and his ruined vehicle. Later he would have to repay the old man. It had not been his fight and yet he had lost his means of livelihood.

 

[Mephistophelily]

She nodded slowly, taking his hands and forcing a smile. She had wanted to have fun with him, and was set on getting it. A poor decision made this early shouldn't ruin the rest of their day... and she would hate to have him return to the train this quickly without having a meal that didn't taste like some of the circus creatures' foods were mixed in.

"Carra's is... safe?," She asked softly, following after him with a hand firmly gripping his. She wished even more now that she had been able to salvage the scarf and glasses as eyes peered at them, finally just shaking her head and keeping his pace. Don't think of it as them staring after what you have done, think of it as making them curious on the show.

The sight of new tents made her balk slightly, a momentary recall of what the one man had said- only to tighten her grip on Henry's hand and following him inside. This was not at all like where she had been pulled into. That was full of tiny little cots and random piles of cloth and hay. This was... like something out of the human fairy tales she read about.

A king's harem. A royal castle...

"I do like it here much more, 'Enry," shw whispered, smiling up at him as she held both her hands to his arm. It smelled wonderful inside as well, a mix of comforting fragrances and light aromas of cooking foods. "We can meet their entertainers here? They will... perform for us? I will happily do the same, if they would like. Perhaps I can learn some of their skills."

Oh, that would make up for things with the brothers, wouldn't it? To come back aboard with something new for the show!