InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I'm a little teapot..."

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
2012-08-07 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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