WHO:Domino and Lucky WHEN: Friday 7/3 WHERE: Zion, Kristoph’s Wagon WHAT: The brothers Maddox… get into some trouble WARNINGS: low STATUS: Complete
______________
It was hard to miss the carnival that had seemingly sprung up overnight outside of town. Everyone was talking about it as if it were something special. Costumes from decades ago and performances that you had to see to believe. So, of course the brothers had to go see it.
From the moment they showed, Dominic was fascinated by everything about it. The shows were spectacular- and some even felt a little… extra. They saw all the shows, tried all the snacks, Lucky even won a small stuffed bear at one of the games. They laughed and had fun, real fun, for the first time in a long while. Sure, their life wasn’t horrible. But this was different, it was carefree, childish. Dom was taken in by the majesty of all of it- or… the mystique.
Then, as they were walking out of a tent near the backlot of the carnival- having just watched an impressive show with a lion and a tiger so close they could almost feel the big cats warm breath- Dom heard a gentle sobbing. “Do you hear that?” He asked, moving to peer around the side of the tent.
--
Lucky hadn’t deliberately let himself have fun or explore anything this interesting in a long while. He was wide-eyed as he followed alongside Dominic.
Living and laughing with these shows, food, and games, he was happy and carefree for a while. Never thinking of the less pleasant memories and situation he carried with him. The small stuffed bear was a delight. For some reason, the carnival felt like another world to him. He definitely felt like a child again.
Lucky did hear it. He lifted his chin and turned his head a little to both listen a little more and sniff the air much like the two big cats had done during the show they had just watched. The last five years had forced him to learn his heightened senses and hone them when they proved too much. “Yes,” he whispered as he kept close to his brother.
--
He moved around the tent and followed the sound, it buzzed in his ear. It wasn’t actually crying, it came off almost as a radio transmission. Wiggling his finger in his ear in a futile attempt to clear up the buzz, he approached a wagon that said ‘Management’ there was no light on, but there was a bluish-white glow that could be seen through one of the windows. “I think it’s coming from here.” Dom said, reaching for the door handle.
--
Lucky wrinkled his nose, uneasy about the buzzing sound. Yet the crying nature of what Dom and he were hearing bothered him. He followed his brother, noting the wagon’s sign and the glow from one of the windows. “Be careful.” Lucky replied, quickly looking over his shoulder before turning back to see Dom reach for the door handle.
—
“Yea, yea, of course.” Dominic shrugged off the concern as he opened the door and climbed up the stairs to the trailer. As he started into the door, he felt hands on his back as Lucky quickly pushed him inside- just in time to miss a carnie passing by the wagon. Dom barely caught a glimpse of him and started to chuckle. With a hand covering his mouth to muffle the laugh, he turned and looked around the wagon. There were clearly two parts to it, a curtain blocking the back section. But they didn’t need to go back there to see what had caught their attention.
Sitting on a chair in the corner was a small jar with something that looked like two twisted wire antenna poking out the top. Inside was a flickering blue-white light that floated sadly at the bottom of the glass. Well, Domino thought it looked sad. And it had sounded like it was crying. “Oh, you poor thing.” He said, approaching the chair slowly, hands already reaching out for the jar.
--
Lucky always looked out for any danger that may be around especially in unfamiliar areas. And this was one instance. His push was deliberate and quickly followed and pulled the door closed behind him. He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head at Domino’s laugh before looking out a window of the wagon for any other carnies that may walk by. Turning back, Lucky looked to see what had caught his brother’s attention first.
He took a step around Domino as he gazed at the blue-white light in the glass jar. “Dom…” Lucky whispered as he followed close behind. Something felt wrong about this. Maybe it was because this wasn’t their home and the light in the jar had sounded like a crying child.
--
“What?” He whispered back, glancing over his shoulder as he crouched down next to the chair. “Can’t you see she’s hurt?” Domino wasn’t quite sure what it was, or that it was actually a she. But he could feel the energy radiating off it, like when he cast the spell to turn on their lights when they got home. That tingle of static, but this little lights felt weak. “She’s so dim, and look at her flicker Luck- who’d keep such a precious thing locked up like this?”
Of course, the boys had no way of knowing that Kristoph was trying to protect Edi, keep her from dissipating completely while he tried to find a way to save her.
As Dom’s hand reached out toward the glass, the little bolts of electricity danced across the face of the jar as if responding to his presence.
--
Maybe Lucky didn’t want to see another young soul hurt, pained and limited. And he couldn’t help the little sweet light. She reminded him of a story he read when he was younger. But it was just a story. He felt at times that he was in a daze when it came to magic. He had lost his connection to it five years ago.
Stepping over, he knelt down just behind Dom. “I don’t..know.” Lucky wanted to help her. But how could he?
“What can we do?” he whispered and then tilted his head. Listening, Lucky didn’t hear anyone pass by. Then his attention went back to the little light in the jar.
--
“Well, for starters, it seems like these things are keeping her in.” Domino said, running his hand on the wires on the lid. Before Lucky could stop him, the elemental sorcerer took the jar in hand and unscrewed the lid. Then… things got weird.
The lid clattered to the floor followed by the crash of the jar breaking. Dom didn’t even have time to react as the blue-white light shot up the jar and into his chest. For Lucky, it was seconds, but for him… an entire conversation occurred.
Domino was standing there, in his childhood bedroom. His bed had been made in haste while Lucas’ was neatly done. Outside the window he could hear the familiar sounds of the ranch, but it was dark and an empty void. Before him stood a beautiful woman about forty, with dark hair and in fancy Victorian clothes. “Uh, hi?” He said, completely confused.
She just smiled at him. “I’m sorry, this is probably quite scary for you.” The woman spoke in a soft British accent, but it wasn’t perfect- perhaps she’d been born somewhere else and moved to England at a young age? “But I don’t mean to harm you. I could just feel… you’re not like me, are you?” Domino gave her a strange look which prompted her to add, “And elemental…”
The shock was not hard to hide in his raw mental state. “No,” He laughed. “No, I’ve messed with spells of the like, but nah… I’m human.”
Realization passed over the woman’s face. “That explains why I was able to… well, for lack of a better word, go into you.”
Had he not been in such an alien moment, Domino may have made a joke at that. “Okay, so… what… why?” Then, the woman explained everything- well almost everything. She introduced herself as Edi, explained that she’d been kidnapped by a group of people looking to use her for their own gain and she was weakened. She then had to explain that she’d grown so much as an elemental that she’d lost her corporeal form and had become living electricity (which Domino thought was very cool). She explained that Zion was a carnival out of time and was working to get back home to the 1920s and what her role in the carnival had been- before she’d become too weak to do it. Then, she addressed the elephant in the room.
“I’m not strong enough to be on my own yet, the jar was keeping me from dissipating, keeping me contained.” Domino felt like a real ass for opening it then. “No, don’t feel bad. Help me.” He was quite flattered that she wanted his help, but wasn’t sure how. He didn’t know really anything about elementals. “You don’t need to know anything.” She informed him. “And no, you don’t have to actually speak for me to hear you in here. We’re in your mind.”
And a deal was made. Closed with a small kiss.
“Whoa.” Domino blinked and looked at Lucky. “Okay, so that’s going to be strange.”
—
Lucky frowned, knowing his big brother would do what he wanted or felt like doing. He flinched at the sudden sounds, more so with the glass jar shattering. Then he didn’t have time to react before the light went into Dom’s chest. A second too late, he grabbed his brother’s shoulders.
“Are you all…” Lucky began to ask as his brother’s looked at him. Strange. “Shh…” he whispered and turned his head.. Someone was coming. A man with deliberate steps. This was probably his wagon. “Someone’s coming.”
—
Dominic didn’t fully realize what Lucky was talking about before the door to the wagon opened. A tall man with worn features entered upon the scene. The two boys stood there, glass broken on the floor. One looked alarmed, the other oddly calm but mildly confused. Dom could feel the heat rise in the room as the man looked at the broken jar and started to lunch at the two.
The older dark haired man’s arm reached out and touched the angry elder man on the shoulder- he seemed a bit surprised at this. Then, there were four of them standing there. The same dark haired woman stood where Kristoph could see, even Lucky could, this time she wore an outfit more conducive with the era they found themselves in. Thankfully elementals aren’t quite the same as sorcerers and were’s were still affected by the elements themselves.
“Edi.” The older man said, his expression softening.
--
Lucky tensed up as the man entered. He was ready to himself between Dom and the elder man as he too felt the heat rise in the room. They needed to get out of here, but there was no time.
“Dom?” Lucky breathed, his voice soft but quick.
He froze as his brother reached out and touched the older man on the shoulder. Then he blinked to see a dark haired woman standing with them. What the hell was going on? Where did she come from?
--
“Kristoph.” The woman said, her voice seeming distant, almost as if in their heads. Her eyes turned to the other dark haired man. “And you must be Lucas. I’m sorry, I know this must come as a bit of a shock to you, but I can explain.” And explain she did. Edi explained briefly how she ended up in the jar- Kristoph nodded knowingly. She explained that once the jar was open she’d be unable to keep herself together and sensed Dominic’s connection to magic and sort of ‘jumped into him’. She explained the deal they’d made. How he’d ‘home’ her, so to speak, while she regained strength enough to be on her own again. “He’s a sweet boy who didn’t know any better.” She said of Dom. “But his heart was in the right place.”
Domino just seemed to smile at the compliment, even though he’d erred, he’d still managed to help Edi. She’d be able to be more mobile now instead of locked in a jar- he’d done that.
Kristoph frowned and looked at the two boys. Dom’s hand’s lowered and Edi vanished, the static in the room also dissipated. “So, it appears you boys have gotten yourselves into quite a situation here.”
“Oh! Edi mentioned that you are always looking for performers.” Domino chimed in. “Music, dance, acting, and the like. Well, I’m your man.”
--
Relaxing for a moment to breathe, Lucky nodded towards Edi. He felt like he was fumbling still without having his connection to magic. The werewolf wanted to keep his knowledge of magic (light and death), but it did little when he could not feel it anymore.
He continued to assume the strong, protective stance towards his brother despite Edi’s appearance and explanation. And as she disappeared, it seemed they could be back at a precarious point in this situation.
“Are there any other openings?” Lucky asked as he placed a hand on Domino’s shoulder.
--
Kristoph couldn’t help but chuckle at Dominic’s enthusiasm and confidence. “I’ll tell you what. Take a seat, let’s have a chat and see if we can’t figure this out.” He said, gesturing to a couple chairs on the other side of his small desk.
The boys sat down and after a chat, which did involve getting to know more about who and what each of them were (for the safety of the carnival), he gave each of the boys leads on who to talk to about finding a job. Of course, he ensured that each of their gifts (or curses) would be kept secret by himself, and when finding out about Lucas’ ailment he assured that the boy was not alone and actually that the lead he gave might be able to help him out a bit- or at least relate to his circumstance. Domino was given the name to a few of the talkers to reach out to, see if any of them could use a bally act (he just shook his head and told Dom he had to work up to a stage show when he asked). He told the boys they could stay on site if they wanted, acknowledged that he’d prefer it and that they could room in one of the group tents, or set up their own if they purchased it. He wouldn’t force them though, knowing they had a home in the city.
As far as the topic of their (hopefully) temporary stay in the 50s and Dominic’s situation. Kristoph just brushed it aside for the time. He insisted they’d keep working on it and would figure out what to do when the time came, but for the immediate future… they weren’t going anywhere.
That night the boys went home with such a story to tell, and no one to share it with. Disbelief surrounded them as they swore they’d visit the next day and find these people they were told to speak with. Domino was all a twitter with excitement, eager to see what awaited this new adventure.