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 Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:11 pm
You somehow obtained the letter from Professor Thorn addressed to you personally. Here is what it said:Quote: Dear Lucille Bennet,
Hello! I must ask that you do not clown around whilst reading this letter. I need full cooperation. I am in need of some assistance. I find that you have the qualifications needed to provide me with a couple items that I seek.
I know this letter may be brief, but I'm in need of two items. A ram's horn and wool. These two items can be obtained at the same time if done properly. Now, if you can bring me these items, you will receive a reward for all the effort you have provided. Thank you for any and all cooperation. I hope to be seeing you soon.
-Professor Thaddias Thorn
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:38 pm
"Luuuucy~"
A husky, familiar voice sung out among the tiny and sparse excuse for a crowd as Clemens the fire breather peeked around the little arrangement of people.
It was twilight, and the day's entertainment was coming to a close.
Lucille, the woman the tall, sun darkened man was seeking still remained with her back pressed to the stone surface of the town square, the bottoms of her boots resting on the edge of the fountain that marked the main object the surrounding area was built to be centralized around.
"Lucy goosey, tied in a knot again?" Clemens called out as he approached, an upturned top hat in his hands.
Lucille had actually just untangled herself from a cringe worthy position and was relaxing, the bohemian diva deciding there wasn't a large enough gathering of people to continue her addition to the attraction.
"Oh, what does it look like?" She asked, painted lips forming a pout as she angled her head up to see her friend's expression, his smirk causing her to arch an eyebrow and ponder if she should be curious or worried.
Clemens moved the top hat in his hands, making papers rustle and coins clink against each other, "You know, you can't keep leaving this thing around," He started off like a lecture, but she had already sprung to her feet to snatch it away. "Oh please, it's not like you're dependent on your tips for food," He said with a roll of the eyes, but let her take the hat anyhow.
"Shut up," Lucy said in a lighter tone then one would expect, "I just forget it when I move from act to act..." She mumbled as she rummaged around through the donations and trinkets people had tossed in over the course of the day when she performed. The fire eater was right, she didn't need the money, but she saw it as more of a grade; The amount of applause meant little to nothing compared to the pretties tossed to her.
"So anyway, how's-" She was going to have a go at casual conversation when something heavy bearing the texture of wax made her pause in her rummaging and speaking.
Her companion raised an eyebrow, a touch of jealous curiosity overcoming him. Honestly, if she received anything better then he had for her performance he would be steamed, to say the least. Clemens was Lucille's mentor; She shouldn't be getting better payment then him simply because she can look cute. That was always one of his suspicions when she succeeded at something.
"What is it?" He tried to repress telling tones of this in his voice, especially if it was only paranoia.
"Oh... nothing," Lucy stated and pulled out a note of legal tender, "Someone just tossed in an oddly large bill. Probably by mistake. So anyway, how's your argument with that shopkeeper going?"
The sight of an interesting object such as an official letter with a wax seal was something she didn't want to share, by any means, although she was itching rip the sucker open and read it. Clemens was like her brother... an obnoxious older brother who threw hissy fits, though.
Her fingers kept a tight, protective grip on the hat that contained it while she smiled and nodded and occasionally gave a short reply to the man's ramblings and rantings, with her mind solely on the letter and her imagination running wild about what it could possibly say.
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:17 am
Escaping to what was to be deemed as home for the night, Lucy flopped down on the hotel bed and fished her letter from the hat. Shaking the envelope, flipping it over, making it crinkle just a bit, she treated it like a Christmas present while she mentally tried to guess what it was.
"Money? Compliments? Secret Admirer? Just something from my adoring public?"
As her guesses grew continually vain, and even some not mentioned being a tad obscurely unrealistic, she finally tore past the wax seal and extracted the letter from the envelope, instantly seeing it wasn't any sort of fan mail nor letter from anyone she knew, taking some minor consolation in the fact it still revolved around her. Just unfortunately completing a task.
As she read it over, the still painted red lips were frowning childishly at several things said in the short note, including a request for her to actually do something on someone else's time. Lucy was, at heart, a spoiled brat. No one told her what to do and when to do it! No one! Except maybe Clemens.
All the same, it made the inflated diva blurt out to absolutely no one but herself in the empty room, "Who does he think he is?!"
Flopping her head in one hand and fiddling with the paper with the other, she simply sat there, thinking on what significance those items could possibly have, and where she would get them. Personally, she was clueless, but there were plenty of weird people she moved around with, one of them was bound to know or even have the items themselves.
Still, before she let it be for the night, she gave a scoff and a snort, mockingly rereading in mimicry of how she thought this guy must sound with her own added touch of a whine, "Do not clown around whilst reading this letter. I need full cooperation."
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:47 am
»Journal Entry
I'm wondering just how glad I am that I hid this freaky letter from fire boy... I mean, he'd totally hog it if he knew I had it and he probably doesn't know any more about it then I do.
Still... is it this man's common practice to recruit other people to do his shopping?! And that's a weird a** list...
Ram's horn? Wool? ...Uh, why?
A reward for my effort? That part's almost as interesting as all the super duper secrecy and nifty wax seal old fashioned thingamabob.
I don't think I wanna. He called me a clown! Do I look like a common clown?! I'm not a clown!
Well I guess technically he just said 'Don't clown around,' but still.
Well... maybe I will. He has to know who I am and know that I'm interested in something other then cash. So this reward is probably... well maybe it's something shiny or... something.
Gah, it's making me think too much. You know what? I'll do it for the hell of it. Yeah. I can do this, psh, no problem. Just... where the hell do I get a ram's horn? I'll ask somebody. It shouldn't be that hard, nope.
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:42 pm
»Journal Entry
Who the ******** hell is Professor Thorn and why am I playing as his errand girl again?! Ugh! I need to just... scream at someone.
Okay, tracking down a ram's horn was a tiny bit harder then I thought. Well not really but I'm not spending forty bucks on this creepy guy.
I ended up spending sixty something (Shut. Up.)
I found some guy with some neat little mini market who sold me the horn and a little puff of wool for cheap but I uh... dropped the ram's horn. And with the way it shattered so apparently it wasn't real, but before I could go confront that fat load he was long gone. So, crap.
I ended up buckling and finding someone who'd sell me a real one, and it was a pain in the a**. So many little flea markets and seedy little shops. My feet hurt. Yeah I probably could've gone without wearing heels but they're pretty and I didn't think I'd be traversing the tri-city area looking for small time shops selling animal bones.
Explaining why was a pain in the a** too. Clemens is getting all nosy and he's irritating me like you wouldn't ******** believe and I'm not in the mood for it. I wasn't aware I can't do some weird shopping without someone breathing down my neck.
He even followed me around when I bought the first set of stuff so I had to buy a whole load of other random crap just to seem like I was on a crazy spending spree because I was mad at my mom or something.
I still don't know what I'm going to do with sixty pieces of bubble gum and old soda from maybe two decades ago (ew).
I like the rubber duckies though. And the shiny things.
I still don't think he bought it, he's been slinking around and interrogating me every chance he gets; He even gave up his chance to make any kind of money today to do it. He's not used to me keeping secrets from him for this long, but oh ******** well. He can just learn to deal with it.
He's such a mommy's boy. I wonder if that woman ever told him 'No' in his entire life.
Nonetheless, the frustrations and annoyances can't change the fact that today was an utter and complete VICTORY. Not quite in need of an exclamation point but indeed worthy of large, capital letters.
Because IIIII did the stupid list.
I have both things and now it's time to stroll on over to Thorny's place and get this awesome payment he promised. It better be worth the trouble because I swear I'm not afraid to hit an old guy.
I still don't see why I had to do it and secretly or whatever, but I've gone through too much crap to not follow directions now; I'm not giving him any excuse why he can't give me my reward, I want my pretties! Or whatever it is he plans on paying me with, but you know, shiny and expensive isn't that bad of an idea. It's not that far fetched either. Right? Right?! Bah... whatever. I think I'm done ranting.
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:38 pm
You awake the next morning, awaiting your reward that was spoken of the night before with Professor Thorn in the lobby. You wonder what it could be. Once you think you've had about enough of waiting, you hear a knock on the door. You jump up to see what could be awaiting on the other side.
You open up the door, and find a basket. What? As you look inside the basket you find a gorgeous baby boy wrapped in cloths. What could this be? Well, this is your reward! You find a note attached to the top of the basket handle. It reads:
Dear Lucille,
I'm very glad to have been able to meet you last night. Thank you for coming. I'm glad all went well and I hope you begin to fall in love with your reward. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via Layla anytime! Thank you for participating, you may keep the room key and this could be your second home if you wish. I just hope it suits all your needs! I made it specially for you. Have fun, I hope you've had a nice experience and a good night sleep. Have fun with your new baby! Give him a name and everything too. He needs to have a good home. Thank you once again.
-Professor Thaddias Thorn
Well, what a surprise! A boy!? That's the reward!? If you do have any questions, just go down to the lobby/lab and ask away! Have fun with your new baby boy!
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:38 am
»Meeting Ithai
Lucille woke up to a knock on the door and the usually not so early riser nearly flew out of bed, throwing off the blankets and running to the door, not bothering with her pile of accessories on the nightstand or boots and stockings stuffed under the bed.
She jerked the door open; True, she had a greedy streak, but now her enthusiasm was because of the sheer curiosity that had been eating away at her since she'd received the letter, expecting all answers to be revealed now with this...
Basket?
The woman pushed back bed tussled hair from her eyes and gingerly reached down to remove the cloth, not noticing the note at first thanks to childhood habits of tearing into presents with no regard to the card.
She snapped her hand back when the cloths moved, watching it wide eyed for a moment before getting brave and moving the cloth again, this time far enough to reveal the face of a waking baby.
Not quite making the connection that this was her reward, the first things uttered from her lips were, "Ew, a baby."
Stepping outside the room, over the basket, she looked up and down the hallway, wondering if that obnoxious secretary was present, giving an echoing, "Helloooo...? Someone's... baby..." She quieted down when she realized she was alone and finally, quirked an eyebrow at the note left for her.
Ignoring soft whimpers made as the basket's contents opened it's wide eyes to look up at his new guardian, Lucy pulled the note from the handle and read it over, three times, her eyes widened.
A baby?!
Was this a sick joke?!
Punishment for being stupidly confrontational the night before?!
If it was, who keeps a random baby on hand for these kinds of things.
She stifled a scream of anger and frustration by clasping both hands over her mouth and meeting the baby's gaze, both parties with widened eyes because they had no clue whatsoever what was going on.
She stepped forward and poked at the cloths again, making the poor boy twitch in irritation, just making sure he was an actual baby. "Ohkaaay..." She said in a sigh.
For reasons she couldn't name, or didn't want to, she picked up the basket and walked back in her room, shutting the door behind her.
It wasn't until she'd picked him up that she'd noticed the curly horns, or the fluffy tail which twitched and shook, finally being free from the bundles and blankets, making her mumble, "Odd, odd little boy..." She mumbled as he gave a bit of a squeaky sound, looking up at his new caretaker.
Noticing he was staring at her, Lucy, whose attention had been stolen away by the note, turned her eyes back down to his and gave a weak, crooked smirk, "Hey there, who do you belong to?" Wondering if maybe this was a mistake and he was meant for someone else in the building. It was pretty big and Thorn had mentioned residing there permanently, there had to be other people, right? Hopefully maybe other people missing a little sheep boy?
However, the note with her name on somewhat killed that assumption, and when the boy slammed his hand to her face and grabbed her nose with an inquisitive look on his face, Lucy's expression shifted to unamused and she looked cross eyed at the little appendage gripping her face and frowned, nasally saying, "Right, right, I get it..."
The tone of her voice made him let out a series of high pitched baby giggles, which, in all honesty, irritated Lucy about as much as anyone laughing as they mocked her.
»So, Mr. Journal
I am going to kill somebody.
A baby isn't a reward!
That's like saying, "Hey! Here's a crappy car! Happy birthday! Enjoy the insane insurance payments and maintenance until you unload the damn thing!"
Don't you think like that, of course I'm not going to kill the baby; I've got my sights set more on that infuriating old man. Why doesn't he have one of those homicidal home nurses or something?
Make this kid stop squeaking, please, anyone, for the love of all things holy. My ears... I can just imagine the crying. No, I don't have to imagine the crying, I'm going to go down there and and blow out that creepy old man's eardrums until I get a better explanation and someone claims this kid. (and maybe pay me for this babysitting time)
All I know is this is a bum reward. And that Professor- ooooo I knew I didn't like him. "Ask any questions. Oh ho I can't answer that right now. All will be revealed. Bwa ha ha ha."
I hate him. I hope he mixes up his meds and goes into cardiac arrest.
Poor kid, I'm getting kind of sick of calling it a... well it, thing, baby, whatever...
You know, I think a good name would be
Naming implies attachment.
Probably full of mistakes/typos. More to be added later
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Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:58 pm
»Homecoming?
Lucy wasn't quite sure what to make of much anything and she never did well in those situation.
Her staring match in her room on the floor with the baby lasted for all of a half hour more before she came to the conclusion that she most definitely couldn't stay in the godawful place with that creepy a** old man lurking about. For christ's sake, the man gave away real living babies! As if they were legal tender or something!
Without it really sinking in this was her defining moment, ultimately claiming the little ram as her own, Lucy scooped the boy up and propped him on her hip before slinking out of the residence and heading back to where she last saw Clemens and the troupe. All the way out of town. Yay.
Thankfully, the baby slept with his limp head flopped on her shoulder for nearly the entirety of the way and amazingly enough, Lucy didn't think about a single thing she probably should've.
No "How do I explain this to Clemens? Or Maya?" Or even anything to the effect of the gravity of taking responsibility for a child. No, no her most pressing and nagging thought was "Could I have picked worse boots to make this trip in?"
She didn't snap out of her thoughts until she heard a familiar voice ask, "What in the hell do you have there?"
Lucy jumped to attention, causing the baby to lift his head and start a whining symphony of cries and whimpers.
"Jesus, Clem, you woke it up," Lucy muttered and shifted the baby to the other arm since the current one supporting his weight was about to fall asleep and let him drop to the ground.
"It?"
"It, him, whatever," Lucy said, bouncing the baby up and down a bit to try and amuse him into ceasing that infuriating noise.
Clemens raised an eyebrow, watching his student fumble and fiddle with the infant with mild and tacit amusement. He wasn't going to ask whose it was; Lucy wasn't one to babysit and any loon who asked her probably had a few too many in the first place, so that fact she was actually making an effort was a befuddling concept, but any angle of it was equally bizarre and so he wouldn't question it. He simply didn't want to know.
"Does 'he' have a name besides 'it', Miss Lucy?" Clemens asked with a smirk as the cries died down, Lucy holding the ram hybrid with one arm wrapped around under him and the other hand propping him upright by wedging underneath one of his arms.
In her gratitude, she'd made one last 'shh' sound and rested her forehead against his, sighing in relief that he had decided to quit inducing migraines in everyone around him. "Huh?" And just like that, the familial gesture was over as he head snapped up, "Name? Oh... no."
Clemens's shoulders heaved up, and then down in a sigh. Of course. "Then I suppose that should be the first order of business after you feed him, then," He said, attempting to be patient. It was bad enough she'd swindled him in to being her mentor for all things performance related, he could not serve as a guide for parental skills too.
But something about her silence and innocently blank expression worried him, furrowing his brow as he looked at the woman and child. "What is it?"
"...Um," Lucy said in a small voice, biting a painted lip and glancing at the baby held in front of her and back to the muscular, sun tanned man before her, "...What do you feed them?"
Clemens instantly cursed under his breath and slapped a hand over his face, "For the love of god, you're a woman, aren't you supposed to have maternal instincts or... something?!"
"You're more of a woman then me," Lucy retorted, sticking her tongue out and up at him. She opened her mouth to continue; Of course her insults didn't stop there to the man who dare insinuate this maternal thing was desirable or natural to her otherwise obliviousness, however, she only yelped.
And then stumbled, clinging to the baby with a dizzied expression while he giggled and clapped. He'd headbutted her, hard, and from the looks of things, he was very proud of himself.
~*~
In the dimmed sunlight of a canvas tent, Lucy sat cross-legged only a few feet across from the infant as he fumbled with aiming a bottle into his mouth, missing a good portion of the time and squirting the contents all over his face, looking back innocently while Lucy gave looks of utter disgust.
She totally would've helped him and all, but she didn't want to touch him.
"You're so cleaning him off when he's done," She said, still watching the boy, but addressing Clemens, who was flipping through pages in a book and leaning against a makeshift table.
"I say we name him after me," He responded, in an overly perky voice.
"We aren't naming him anything, he's mine," Lucy stated sharply. Well... he was. "And I and definitely not naming him after you."
"Hmm," Clemens didn't bother with a disappointed expression and just scratched his chin, "What was your father's name?"
"Ronald. Ick," She said, making a face. "Isn't that book supposed to have... not stupid names?"
"Clemens isn't stupid. We could call him junior!"
"...You are a sick sick man. Gimme that," And she jumped to her feet to try and grab the book before it was lifted over her head, the messy baby watching with innocent eyes as these two grown adults struggled like children before going back to figuring out how to maneuver the goddamn bottle into the hole in his face.
"Ah ha!" Lucy shouted in victory after a quick smack to Clemens's nose jarred her target loose from his grip. Spinning around so it could be so easily taken back, she flipped through the pages, pursing her lips and closing her eyes, deciding if she could hit on a random one that wasn't related to any men already present in her life, she'd take it.
Lifting her index finger from the words they'd landed on, she read the selection and tilted her head, lips pursing, "Oh... hm..."
"What?" Clemens pressed, trying to look over her head to see what she'd picked, "What is it?"
"Ithai. It means strong or something. It's biblical..." And simultaneously, both of the freak show stars looked over at the baby boy, as he fell backwards in his ongoing struggle to actually aim for his mouth.
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