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Tweak says, "Cuddy is a man."

G. M. Dark (illustratedman) wrote in wariscoming,
@ 2012-08-05 01:06:00

Entry tags:

mr. dark

Who: Dick and Dark!
What: Meeting, and discussing the carnival. A perfect opportunity for Dick to spy.
Where: Cooger and Dark's Shadow Show
When: After hours, the carnival has closed for the evening.
Warnings | Status: TBD | in progress

Dark hummed a tune, it was that incessant little rhythm that was no real rhythm at all, but something that Dark devised entirely of his own imagination. It was lifeless, really. But still he hummed it, hummed it until everyone else around him could repeat it by memory if they so desired. None did, of course, because Dark did not invite them to. And they all listened to him, for he was their master and they.. his subjects. Not slaves, but people he protected and watched over while they sank into their soulless miseries. His people, he did so cherish them. Even the new acquisitions to the carnival! Though, it was true that several of them had not come quietly at all.

Mr. Barton stuck his nose in places he did not belong, and so had been punished. And the girl, what had her name been? Allana? Well. She had not accepted being a child at all, and her ability to escape had been quite remarkable. She herself had been subdued in a cage, Dark half suspected she'd be gone by morning. In which case, they'd go about town in search of her the next day. It was no trouble. Well, it was trouble. But not something Dark couldn't handle. Or so he thought.

But, taking his mind off of his freaks and their shows, Dark focused his attention on the task at hand. Mr. Grayson had took the warning of the autumn people quite well, but now he was asking too many questions. A partnership had been something Dark desired, the addition of Haly's Circus to Cooger and Dark's Shadow Show would complete the image of the carnival Dark had long desired. And yet.. there was something about Dick Grayson that Dark didn't quite trust. He couldn't pin it down, and that was where the problem stood. He couldn't read Dick Grayson, and thus did not know how to react. Though, the man had come for answers and Dark was obliged to give them. Why ever not? The carnival was here. And already it was doing its work.

"Mr. Grayson!" Dark said cheerfully as he approached the entrance to the carnival, and the man waiting with Mr. Cresswell. "Welcome, welcome! I'm sorry we couldn't meet during operating hours. You do understand what goes into running these shows." Amicable, charismatic. Dark put on the facade, maintained it until the last. If they knew him to be the devil, he'd still smile and welcome them inside.

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onatightrope
2012-08-05 08:49 am UTC (link)

Dick very nearly came as Nightwing, but at the last minute decided he didn't need to. This was only a meeting, besides he had his suit under his clothes if he needed to change that quickly. He approached the carnival with caution, ear piece activated but invisible to the naked eye unless they knew what they were looking for though locks of black hair. He assumed Dark wouldn't be expecting one, so he didn't worry about it too much. He switched on its frequency with what merely appeared to be a scratch behind his ear and waited. Every so often he found himself eying Mr. Cresswell, unsure if he liked that man's presence so close. His arms folded as he looked around. Eyes searching the grounds carefully. Clint had been talking with Dark an awful lot lately, that worried him.

Allan was missing, eight apparently. That worried him more. Some of his team was up at Bobby's and he wasn't sure if he should be happy or concerned. Either way there was much weighing on his mind as Dark approached him with that cheerful act. Dick knew it was all an act now. The last thing Dark had said to him clenched it, but still he played along. If he didn't have to fight he could get a better look at the carnival. If he did, he wanted to draw it out as long as possible.

"Course. Glad you could make time." He would not allow himself to get drawn into the mans act again. He nearly made that mistake the first time they met. Now he had his people to look for among others. He knew there were three so far, Ariel, Allana, and possibly Clint if his gut was right. Around his neck he wore a simple necklace, though it had a medallion attached to it. It looked innocent enough but that was part of his plan. It wasn't supposed to draw attention. Nothing his team did was.

So far it seemed Dark was none the wiser and he was glad. "Seems like you're bringing in a crowd." He managed to keep his tone even. Despite how furious he was that things seemed to be going in an awful direction, he kept a calm enough outlook.

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illustratedman
2012-08-05 09:19 am UTC (link)

"Everyone loves a carnival," Dark said simply, looking back over the grounds of what was the Shadow Show. He smiled faintly, appreciatively and in admiration of the carnival he'd designed so long ago. But, looking at Mr. Grayson again, Dark scanned him carefully and then gestured back the way he had come, deeper into the carnival. It was night time, and everyone had settled in. Yes, there were patrols--Mr. Cresswell followed Dark, of course--but most of the people had returned to the train and their fitful sleep. Lights bloomed here and there, and from the train the faint sound of mirthless laughter could be heard.

"I've been doing this a long time, Mr. Grayson," Dark said slowly, "but even so designing a partnership is no easy matter," indeed. Mr. Cooger had been a once in a lifetime opportunity. The man had suited Dark's needs on a moral, ideological and intellectual level that very few others had ever reached. He couldn't pass him up! He did so miss his presence these days, but with news prospects.. well Cooger was easier to put out of mind.

"I understand that you're curious about the carnival." Dark looked at him, tipping his head so that he was looking down the length of his nose at Dick. "What do you want to know?"

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onatightrope
2012-08-06 08:31 pm UTC (link)

When Dark looked him over he offered a small smile but it was empty. His attention was more focused on the hallow laughter coming from the train. That had to be where the others were. His eyes narrowed as he focused and tried to see any sort of guards just beyond Dark, but then he was being spoken too again. He looked back to Dark and nodded. "My parents always used to say my first word was Rube." Keep it business Grayson. He kicked himself mentally and put his hands in his pockets.

"I want to know what it would take to get you to shut down and leave this town." He could have stalled a little longer, but he really didn't want to be there more then he had. It was places like this that gave the circus and carnivals a bad reputation. Dick didn't want anything to do with it. He used to hear stories from other carnies about evil traveling carnivals, but he never thought he'd actually be standing in the center of one with the Devil himself.

Dick waited to hear his response, but was a little distracted by Mr.Cresswell. To anyone else he might have been intimidating, but to Dick it was just another obstacle. Dick was seasoned in the field. A guy like that in theory shouldn't be terribly hard to put down.

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illustratedman
2012-08-07 03:02 am UTC (link)

Well, that was unexpected. Dark looked at Dick, barely containing his amusement and the subtle surprise at his statement. Dick wanted the carnival to disappear? He quirked a brow, hefted his cane to tuck it under his arm, while he considered his next move. How to respond to that? What would it take for the carnival to leave Lawrence upon request? Dark tipped his head, furrowing his brows in quiet contemplation.

"I see," he said, looking at Dick. "Mr. Grayson, I thought we had come to discuss the terms of a partnership...?" he let that hang for the moment, "but if you wish I would pack up and leave.. then I fail to see how that works. Is Haly's Circus intending to travel abroad with Cooger and Dark?" It was either that or Dick had deemed the circus unfit for Cooger and Dark's show. Disappointment wasn't an emotion that Dark understood, when it came to feeling it himself. It never registered but the fabric of the world changed a bit and his perception seemed off but it was fleeting. He denied those feelings as easily as the mind denied memories.

Dark removed his gloves, one by one and tucked them into his inner coat pocket.

"What are you willing to give, Mr. Grayson?"

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onatightrope
2012-08-07 03:14 am UTC (link)

"Change of plans." Was all he said in response. His arms folded uncomfortably as he stared him down. He didn't want to involve his circus anymore if he didn't have to. It was his parents circus, the way Dark did business would not only disgrace them but himself. That was something he wasn't sure he could live with. He'd already suffered so much since their murder. "Partnerships are not formed over night Mr. Dark." He said softly. Concerned eyes on the train. He was known for making rash decisions, maybe this was one of them. But he had to help those who had been abducted. Clint told him he was on Dark's grounds, Dick was almost 99% sure it wasn't of his own free will.

"Give? I'm sure you don't mean money." The vibe he was getting was making him suspicious. At this point he didn't have much choice but to negotiate with him. Bruce had always taught him not to negotiate with psychos, but it was a more delicate situation then that. The carnival was built on fear, how did one defeat fear, they confronted it. This was the best way he knew how.

"What would you want?" He asked hesitantly. He knew people had to be getting anxious by now, but a rescue operation of large scale proportion would only end badly at this rate. Who knew what would happen.

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illustratedman
2012-08-07 03:37 am UTC (link)

A change of plans? That was his best explanation? Dark smiled, even ventured a soft laugh at Dick. Why! He was so very amusing.

"I see," he repeated, casually unclipping his cufflinks and stuffing them into his coat pocket as well, first one wrist and then the other. "No, Mr. Grayson, they're not formed overnight but we have deliberated, spoken and ignored each other for several weeks now. However, I am glad to see that you have reached a decision at last." He smiled faintly and began rolling up the sleeves on each of his arms, pausing at the elbow as they headed in the direction of the light.

"Do you want to see a trick?" Dark smiled a little bit brighter, then turned on a somber expression as he gazed at Dick. Extending a hand out into the midst of the light, Dark exposed the colorful agonizing stories of his freaks. Their faces were painted on his skin in illustrations of their capture, and when he flexed his hand and clenched his fist the images moved.

"You see, Mr. Grayson," among the faces were Mr. Cresswell, Clint and a load of other anonymous individuals. They were Dark's freaks, his people! And they were trapped.

"Are you willing to become one of us?"

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onatightrope
2012-08-07 04:17 am UTC (link)

If Dark thought Dick was hard to read, he had it the other way around really. Dick thought he was difficult. He couldn't figure out what his expressions meant. Who was the true Dark? He knew he was vicious, like a leech more than a Devil. Fed off others as he'd put it. He didn't know how to respond to the partnership comment since he'd already said plans changed. So he just didn't.

If he was to answer honestly he would have to say no. While Dick enjoyed great tricks like those of Houdini or Copperfield, Dark's type of magic wasn't something he was interested in. Magic was a dangerous road. He'd seen it all too often. Raven was a prime example. Dark wasn't helping the case of positive magic in his eyes.

Oh he saw. He wondered what Dark had offered them. "I become one of you and you pack up and leave. You release them and you've got yourself a deal." Dick could already feel this was going to go sour very fast. What choice did he have? Whatever Dark had done was done, if he could at the very least save some of his team members it wouldn't be in vain. "Think about it."

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