Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/679562.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Underage
  Category:
      F/M, Other, F/F, M/M
  Fandom:
      Homestuck
  Relationship:
      Rose_Lalonde/Doc_Scratch, Rose_Lalonde/Vriska_Serket, Dirk_Strider/
      Caliborn
  Character:
      Rose_Lalonde, Doc_Scratch, Vriska_Serket, Dirk_Strider, John_Egbert,
      Caliborn, Lord_English, Calliope, Nepeta_Lejion, Equius_Zahhak
  Additional Tags:
      circus_AU, AU, Teen_Pregnancy, Sort_of_Dark_Woods_Circus_but_at_the_same
      time_not?, Relationship_confusion_everywhere, Masturbation, Voyeurism,
      Alternate_Universe, Alternate_Universe_-_Circus
  Stats:
      Published: 2013-02-11 Chapters: 2/? Words: 8555
****** The Great Alternian Freak-Show Circus ******
by resplendentCaballer
Summary
     None of them were born this way. The posters say they are. They say
     that these are the children that god has forsaken. The thing is, some
     of them aren't even children. The ringleader himself is a freak like
     them, just another discarded toy of the big boss and his pretty
     assistant.
     Vriska doesn't go out in front of a crowd that often, and when she
     does it's to be paraded and laughed at. The real performers are
     freaks like the patchwork violinist Rose, or the cat girl Nepeta with
     her acrobatics and after-show specials in the back tent.
     Rose takes her privileges for granted as the so-called princess.
     She's the Ringleader's plaything and it's gotten her far... perhaps
     too far.
     Dirk Strider just takes care of the "freaks", a caretaker and
     basically doing charity work. Too bad the big boss has some big plans
     for this pretty boy.
Notes
     This fan-fiction will mostly be verbatim a roleplay that I do with
     robeatics.tumblr.com. Any awkwardness can be attributed to that.
***** Chapter 1 *****
Rose sat quietly in her cage, weak and nearly unseeing eyes staring blankly
upwards at the flat black of the top of the enclosure, trapping her like some
sort of animal. The slime boy in the cage next to her sounded like he was
trying to practice on his little piano to no avail. The birdboy on the opposite
side of him would screech whenever he heard a sound. She closed her eyes.
They'd be packing up and shoving off onto the next town soon. They couldn't
stay in one place too long, apparently. She tipped her head back, looking over
at the enclosure across the way that held the spider girl. A smile almost
thought to cross her lips when her view was obscured by flat white. Oh. Yes, it
was about time for him to show up, wasn't it? "Welcome, Ringleader Scratch..."
she said in her flat, droning tone as always.
She heard him give a soft chuckle. The albino man with the impossibly neon
green eyes belonged to this circus just as much as any of them. He was a
creation of /him/ just like the rest of them, but Ringleader Scratch had been
much more lucky, keeping a lot of his freedom unlike the rest of them who
resided in cages. Rose didn't even flinch when she felt his hands on her
strange, darkened skin. In fact, she'd almost come to enjoy his visits, and it
was because she was such a good girl that she had a real, good violin and not a
child's toy like the slimeboy. Reciprocation was encouraged and she often was a
center-ring performer because of it. Not all of them got to perform in the big
top. No, just good little freaks like Rose and the slimeboy with their musical
performances. She got to hear people applaud her instead of be laughed at. And
because of this, she only really had to be in the cage when they were moving
from town to town, otherwise, she spent a lot of time in Scratch's train car.
It was a railroad freakshow, after all.
Vriska's eyes darted upward at Scratch's arrival and she shuffled more toward
the furthest side of her cage away from him, hissing softly. Even staring at
his back infuriated her and she closed her eyes, trilling softly at herself
about something. Scratch had been agonizingly meticulous in his placing: Vriska
was never to be near any other troll. The ones that occasionally passed by
would be whipped brutally if they even looked at her, so they didn't out of
fear. She was isolated from her own people, surrounded by strangers and humans
that only stared and laughed on the rare occasion she was brought out in the
Big Top in chains to be whipped at like some wild animal needing to be tamed.
None of them saw the pain in her eyes. She wouldn't let them. She crossed her
arms, mindful of the sharp spines protruding from her left arm, and watched
them in silent disgust. She realized she hadn't been given anything to eat all
day and since they didn't feed her on the train except for stops she had to
fill up as much as she could to keep alive. She didn't want to deal with the
embarrassment of trying to speak to him in flimsy English so she just made a
clattering, shrieking noise of hunger instead.
Scratch was reluctant to turn away from Rose, having already pulled her into
his lap, and for a while tried to ignore Vriska. When he lifted her up off of
him and scowled, apologizing and saying he had to deal with a pest. Rose whined
a bit, but begrudgingly let him go. She pouted as Scratch left her enclosure,
glaring over at the spidergirl with all the venom she could muster. Who was
that side-show scum to interrupt them? She'd play her violin especially bad
this trip. The ringleader made his way over to the spider's cage and smiled
sweetly at the thing. "I suppose you're hungry, eh, Vriska?" he teased. "I bet
you want me to feed you, hm?" he laughed a bit, and frowned. "If I do, will you
shut up?" he finished, his voice suddenly angry.
She scowls and was tempted to spit a wad of venom right in his eye to teach him
a fucking lesson, but instead only grumbled in a thick accent, "Yes." Her eyes
averted from his but she still made a growling sound. "You know I'll be loud if
you don't!" She threatened boldly, legs tapping against the bars as she scooted
a little closer, suspicious.
He sighed, grabbed the nearest roustabout, and told him to get the spider some
fucking food. Of course, the guy was far too terrified of the ringleader to
point out that it wasn't his job and did it anyways. Scratch smiled and hummed
softly as he went back to his darling little Rose's enclosure. He'd always made
sure she was comfortable, even giving her cushions and pillows instead of straw
like the others. It was mostly for his comfort, but he didn't want her to catch
ill from bugs in the straw as others would sometimes. Ringleader Scratch was
pleasantly surprised to find Rose eagerly hopping up to him. Glancing sideways
at Vriska, he kissed the violinist sloppily, with a vigor and passion that he
was certain the spider didn't want to witness.
The roustabout came back with Vriska's food just as Scratch was helping Rose up
onto his lap again to renew where they left off. He was going to do this just
to piss off that freaky ass spiderbitch, and he was going to have fun with it.
She snatched the food from the roustabout's hands, a small paper plate of cheap
steak, before he can even reach over and push it toward her through the bars.
She receded back to her corner of the cage and swallowed it down, ignoring the
slimy texture with a barely-contained grimace. She watched Scratch and Rose
kiss and hissed loudly, trying her damnedest to annoy him. She could care less
about his loyal little whore, ignoring any repercussions that would surely be
swung down at her belligerence. The others of the freak show turned their backs
in silence. She liked to criticize him and yell. Human pailing was so much more
one-sided, so clumsy. She clattered her mandibles inside her mouth, making a
slightly muffled tittering sound.
Vriska clattered from her cage in irritation, picking up in her movements from
inside her prison. She smacked her fists against the bars once, roaring through
clenched teeth. She had to survive. Just one steak wouldn't cut it if they
moved to a new location further away. Further away meant fewer stops, which
meant fewer feeding times. She tilted her head down and huffed, a crippling
headache overcoming her in punishment for her feeble attempt at controlling one
of the roustabouts into giving her at least a little more. Something to keep
alive on. The last time they'd moved too far Scratch had found her huddled in a
corner of her cage, totally unmoving. She was a pile of skin and bent plastic
bone, a sickly pale gray all over. She'd managed to eat enough at least to hide
her ribs partially if she didn't move her arms at all.
This time there was someone on duty at this point. Especially after the
incident where the spider hybrid had almost died. That had been terrible and
while it wouldn't have been much of a loss, it wouldn't look good for them to
lose another freak. The big boss wouldn't be happy. An actual caretaker showed
up with another plate with three steaks this time. A sunglasses-wearing pretty
boy by the name of Dirk Strider. He wasn't afraid of Vriska. Dirk was new to
the show, only on as staff to take care of the freaks like a normal circus
would have a veterinarian or someshit to take care of the animals. He actually
unlocked the cage and went in after doing his best to calm down the hungry
spiderchick, and held out the partially cooked streak for her to have. "I saw
Spades grumbling about having to feed ya. I knew he wouldn't have fed you
enough so I grabbed you some grub," he explained.
Across the way, things were getting more heated between the Ringleader and the
best act, to the point where she Rose was pinned against the bars of her
enclosure and while Dirk couldn't see too well from his vantage point, but he
was pretty sure the Ringleader's trousers were open and his dick was out. Well.
Good for him. From what Dirk had seen in his month at this circus, he was under
the impression that Scratch and Rose just had a thing.
She didn't thank him more out of an instinct that if she did he would just be
condescending or think she shouldn't be feared. She took the steak he offered
but suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the other two out of his other hand,
sitting down in front of him to scowl at her plain meal and chew a bit more
slowly than last time. She got the feeling that he wouldn't take it from her
but it was never bad to be safe. Her legs curled around her torso in a little
cocoon of spindly limbs that twitched and pivoted in interest at the soft, very
soft sounds the Ringleader and Rose were making. They were pretty damn good at
keeping quiet but her naturally sharp sense of hearing always picked up on the
juicy details. She finished off her steaks in record time and glanced over at
Rose and Scratch, staring them down intently, as if she was focused on burning
a hole through his pale head with her eyes.
Rose was generally a quiet girl, and that extended to even to when she thought
she was about to come. When she came, it was a soft cry, easily drowning in the
cacophony of sounds of the more animalistic freaks in the show. Scratch,
though, would cuss quietly under his breath. It was very un-gentlemanly of him,
and she thought it was cute. He didn't pull out. Most of the hybrid females at
the circus were infertile due to the excessive changes to their bodies. A few
of the more unlucky ones still menstruated though, despite their infertility.
Rose was one of them. As they both quietly finished, Scratch picked her up and
gently set her down in her pile of pillows. He did lay with her for a second,
letting her cuddle with him and cover his face with gentle kisses. After about
five minutes of this peaceful quiet, he left in a way similar to the way a
parent would leave their child's bedroom after confirming their child was
asleep. And she was asleep, if not then she was about to be.
Rose looked very mature for her age, Scratch realized. However, he never forgot
that she was only fifteen years old. No, in fact, it was one of the reasons he
was attracted to her in the first place.
He quietly closed the cage door behind him and turned to look over at Vriska's
cage and his eyes narrowed as he spotted the new guy in the cage. "Strider.
What do you think you're doing?" he asked.
Dirk looked over at him, an eyebrow just barely visible above his sunglasses.
"Feeding the spider girl, what does it look like?" he snarked.
Scratch huffed. "I want that thing kept silent, do you hear me? If I hear one
sound from her I will see that not only she be whipped, but you'll be punished,
too, Mister Strider, be wary of that," he informed Dirk firmly before turning
and heading to his train car, knowing that the train would be going in a few
minutes.
She narrowed her eye at Scratch as he left and her head lifted to look up at
Dirk. There was such a consuming hate there it would make any normal man
crumble, blue eye like icy fire that swarmed her soul and left only swirling
ash. The only sound she made for a moment is the light clicking of her spider
legs against the floor of the cage in thought. Her eye didn't move from Dirk's
face even once. She huffed through the muzzle, effectively breaking the
silence, and glanced down to address the current bulge trying to writhe its way
out of the cheap cloth shorts she wore as her only article of clothing. Their
sounds, as usual, got to her in the most primal of ways and she looked away,
even more irritated.
Dirk saw something moving and looked down, seeing the thing between her legs
and laughed. "Yeah, I'm not helping you with that," he said, suddenly no longer
inside the enclosure. "I trust you'll be quiet? I'll bring you more food later
if you are," he added with a friendly smile, ignoring the hatred in Vriska's
eyes. Without waiting for a confirmation, he left, heading back to the train
car he shared with a bunch of roustabouts.
It turned out that Rose wasn't quite asleep yet. Instead, the monochrome,
macabre beauty looked out over at Vriska from her pile of pillows and her old
and dirty My Little Pony blanket. It was a big blanket though, and surrounded
her like a cocoon. Her eyes were innocently wide at first, and she managed to
make a face that clearly showed why the Ringleader had chosen Rose as his
little slut and not someone like Nepeta. Well, everyone got a shot at Nepeta.
The cat-girl was basically whored out for extra revenue when they were at
different cities. Perhaps that was why he had Rose, because she was for Scratch
only and she wasn't a one-trick pony like Nepeta.
After a few moments of gazing over at Vriska, Rose's eyes became more lidded
and her face solemn. It was a look that any creature in a cage at this circus
knew all too well.
Pity.
She hissed and bit her lip but didn't dare touch herself regardless of how
tempting it was. The curse of trolls was perhaps the fact that masturbation and
even simply sex in general was a very, very messy affair and if she came every
time Scratch decided to slither his way into Rose's cage she'd be slipping
around her cage until they hosed it down every couple weeks. She darted her
head up and glared sharply at Rose with a snarl, lifting her leg slightly to
cover herself from the side. She returned to the persistent issue in her pants
right now and groans. This was a little worse than the others before. Maybe
because Scratch hadn't made those disgusting noises so much. She closed her eye
and a finger pressed to her tip. She came before she knew it, a sick flood of
blue coating her hand and the floor as she pressed one hand to the nearest bar
and the other to herself. Her knees shifted from their position on the cold
metal and she breathed in slowly at last, shuffling away from the little pool
in anger at herself. She looked up at Rose.
Rose had since looked away, blushing furiously. She'd never had to touch
herself before, and while she'd seen a few of them playing with themselves,
she'd never found it very tempting. The spoiled false princess of the circus
always had her needs satisfied. In fact, her cage was only locked for her own
protection and she had a key to her cage taped to the inside of her violin
case, which lay on the floor beside her in her pile of plush pillows. She was
pretty sure a few of the cushions were memory foam, and that stuff was
expensive.
Anyways. She just sort of lifted a hand and silently waved to Vriska, the look
on her face oddly innocent and child-like, like she was a child waving to a
person they wanted to be friends with but didn't know what do say to them.
Vriska promptly flipped Rose the bird (a very blue bird, she realized with mild
embarrassment) and huddled back to her usual corner, ignoring the mess she'd
made. She watched Rose for a moment before clattering something at her in
Alternian to see how she'd react. Vriska knew humans didn't know Alternian, but
seeing them respond to it in different ways told a lot about a person. After a
moment she stopped and stared expectantly.
Rose just tilted her head at the sound of the foreign language and then sort of
scoffed in a strangely snobbish fashion and buried her face into her pile of
pillows as the train whistle sounded and moments later the train began moving.
Used to the droning sound of the moving train, Rose snuggled into her pillows
and blankets and clean environment and stayed relatively warm. They were
traveling to the north and it was going to get a bit chilly. Perhaps
uncomfortably chilly if you didn't have a blanket or someone to sleep beside.
Rose had both. Ringleader Scratch told her that as soon as things started
getting too cold, he'd move her into his train car for the remainder of the
trip. They couldn't have her getting frostbite on her fingers. That, and the
slimeboy, John, had been given some socks and mittens so his extremities would
be protected against the chill.
The spiderchick didn't get anything.
Vriska prepared for the chill in a close-knit huddle of protruding bones and
shuddering. She glared at Rose with that same hatred amplified tenfold,
suddenly going soft to avoid frightening her into not listening to what she had
to say. She approached the bars separating them along the train and tapped them
lightly. "Hey, can I have a blanket?" She said carefully, trying to smooth over
her crackling accent a little. Who knew? If this imbecile was as ignorantly
airheaded as Vriska thought maybe she'll be generous.
Hearing the spider girl's request, Rose lifted her head lazily. Frowning, Rose
looked around her enclosure. "I don't think..." she started, trailing off. The
pity came back into her eyes. This spider-girl, Vriska, was so skinny compared
to Rose and that was saying something. Rose was thin, yes, but only in a
slender, healthy manner. Compared to Rose, Vriska looked like she was withering
away. However, Rose wasn't stupid like Vriska thought she was. She recognized
that Vriska needed something of her, but Rose really only had one other blanket
that she wasn't using and it was her old quilt that she'd had since... before
she could remember. It was partially knitted, but otherwise it was an amazingly
warm blanket.
Rose was torn. If she gave Vriska the blanket that Scratch had given her, Rose
would feel bad about it and he'd probably notice, or give Vriska the last item
she had from before the circus. The third option was not to give Vriska a
blanket at all, but that would be... cruel.
Sentiment was for fools. Rose picked up the quilt and passed it across the way
to Vriska. "Here... but you owe me, okay?" she said lazily, tired yet still
happy from the hormones of sex.
She took the blanket like it was made of pure gold and their fingers grazed for
a moment. One of her claws on her left hand grazed Rose's finger and left a
little cut she didn't apologize for, simply nodding to Rose before scooting
away to wrap herself in the blanket without tearing it on her carapace spines.
She looked like an oddly shaped bundle of filthy hair and skin, spider legs
curled in against her back in odd thick bumps from inside the quilt. She tilted
her head down and huddled in a little closer to the quilt, toes tucked in
carefully as she seems to nod off. She wasn't sleeping. Night was when she was
most awake, but she had to preserve her energy as much as possible and not
waste all the meat she was given. Her single startlingly blue eye darted around
in distrust, as if the quilt was a bomb set to blow off and finally kill her.
She mutters to herself and pulls it a little tighter.
It would remain this miserable way for two more agonizing years.
***** Chapter 2 *****
Chapter Summary
     Two Years Later...
Chapter Notes
     I can hear the screams of "weaboo" already. Shhh. It actually
     pertains to the story.
Rose watched with practiced indifference as spectators filed in, some looking
like they were just here to gaze upon the outcasts of society and feel better
about themselves, and others looking legitimately curious, some almost looking
angry that this circus even existed.  However, that anger turned to fear as
they saw the animalistic ones, the ones that hadn't made it out of their
experiments all there.
Increased revenue had gotten her the best violin available and had gotten John
an actual piano, however small it was, it was still a grand piano and how happy
the little slimeball had been when he'd seen it.  They'd also been able to get
a sound system so not only did Ringleader Scratch no longer have to shout to be
heard, but now it was ensured that everyone could hear her music.  Rose had a
real dress, and it had a poofy skirt that went to her knees and it was a lovely
black and white like her patchwork porcelain and ebony skin.
She had written a new song, and practiced it over and over again and had John
practice until he could play the piano arrangement in his sleep.  Her
inspiration had come to her shortly after she'd told Scratch that she was in
fact literate, and he let her have a collection of Shakespeare and then the
original Grimm Fairy Tales.  A few nights of reading them and she'd had a few
points of reference from which to... write the lyrics.  This song had words,
and she was the only one other than the rousabout that handled the sound that
knew she'd be singing this.
As the lights dimmed and Ringleader Scratch's firm, gentlemanly voice rang out
over the sound system, Rose smirked.  The show was starting.
First, some of the more simple-minded yet still intelligent performers put on a
comedy act.  Scratch himself did a few magic tricks to woo the crowd, the
usual.  So far, nothing to differentiate them from any other circus.  It was
when they started bringing out the animalistic ones like Gamzee and Terezi that
things started to get good.  Equius and Nepeta came out and did their raunchy
dancing with Nepeta always trying to get him comically flustered, her tail
twitching behind her at all times.  They brought the mermaid girl Feferi out
and had her do tricks in a tank of water like some sort of dolphin.
And immediately afterwards, Ringleader Scratch stepped forwards once more as
the roustabout wheeled out John's piano.  "Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for
my favorite act of the night," he led in with a sincere tone as Rose swiftly
made her way to the darkened center ring and hopped up onto the piano and
quickly adjusted the microphone, "It is my greatest pleasure to present to you,
preforming on the violin accompanied by the piano..." John was already seated
at his piano, smiling like a dork.  He gave her a thumbs up which she returned
with a soft smile before making her face look sad once more for the crowd. 
"Our circus's very own little princess, Rose," he didn't give anyone's
surnames, ever.  It was a rule.  You chose one of your names and you kept it or
changed it altogether.
Taking her cue, Rose began to play.  In truth, the song wasn't finished yet. 
She had more music than she had lyrics, but that was fine.  She'd sing what she
had and then play the rest of the way through while humming or making sad
sounding 'na's.
 
( http://youtu.be/lBArLlO9gdI )
 
"Please don't make my love tragic as Juliet's," she began, her voice full of
the appropriate, sincere emotion as her eyes flickered to Scratch.  At the
pleasant surprise on his face, her confidence was renewed and she began playing
with vigor.  "Please, take me far away from this place... That is all I need
from you."
"A goodnight to mother and a goodnight to father
I wish you only the sweetest of dreams
But it's high time adults went to sleep.
 
I'll fill myself with alluring caramel
I'll curl up my cold and hesitant bare feet
How far away are we going tonight?"  After that verse, she began to get more
intense, moving with her music as the song got a little quicker.
 
"Please don't bite me; darling, do it gently," she spread out the last word to
force the rhyme.
"I've yet to learn to like the bitter things.
The only thing I know is the sweetness of mother's cakes.
 
If there's something unknown to me that you know
I would like you to show me; isn't that normal?"  She hummed the next two
lines, thinking that when Scratch surely asked her to sing it for him again in
private, she'd include them.  Other than those lines, however, the rest of the
lengthy song was still unwritten.
Rose hummed through the rest of the song, still managing to make it sound as
heavenly and oddly... sad as she did before.  As she finished, she stood and
bowed, smiling in that soft, melancholy manner that all of them were supposed
to in order to make themselves look more pathetic.  However, on her, it was
attractive.
She loved her life.  For her, there was no worries, no drama... she didn't care
for freedom; the privileges she was given were enough for her.
Unbeknownst to her, that evening, everything would be changed and she'd one day
be able to finish her song, but only with the help of an old friend, and the
perils of being on the run.
The music could easily be heard from Vriska's cage.  Easily, and clearly.
Vriska was tempted to yell out during Rose's performance to throw her off, make
her fuck up so she could laugh at someone for once.  She stared at the crowd
through the slit in the cover of her cage that Scratch would tear away in due
time for a finale of sorts: a little show for those leaving to watch and
"enjoy".  She'd nearly bitten one of the roadies that as he was giving her some
food and took her muzzle off to let her eat it.  She justified it by saying he
was staring at her ass a little too much and she'd rather not be another one of
those freaks that got passed around by the more promiscuous of roadies, but
Scratch, of course, demonized her and decided then that she'd need to start
pulling her weight around the circus again.  She shifted her hands
uncomfortably, shackles clanging softly, bracing herself for the pain soon to
come.  He rarely ever whipped her enough to make her pass out like it used to.
 The scar tissue on her back was tender, yes, but like seemingly all her scars
it would be cut open once more at the amusement of those even more twisted than
her.
There were a few more performances after Rose, including Dave the birdkid and
his acrobatics with Jade, who had hands for feet like a monkey.  Otherwise, the
last acts didn't hold a candle to the applause Rose had received.  She stood
behind the curtain where most of them would come out when it was their turn to
perform.  She'd need to be ready to go back out for the final bow, where she'd
play something a bit less upbeat while everyone bowed and sort of got in their
last bit of showing off.  However, there was a nagging ache in her gut, similar
to the cramps she'd get when she bled.  It wasn't something that would bother
her, but that wasn't supposed to be happening for two weeks now.  Well, it was
just something she'd have to muscle through.  Rose had a feeling that this was
a special night and that Scratch had something special planned for the finale.
She caught a whiff of something sweet from the cook's tent just outside the
tent's flap.  But no, she couldn't indulge now.  Eventually, however, it became
too much for her to resist and Rose ran out of the tent and trotted straight
over to the food booth.  "Whatever you've been cooking, give me some," she
begged in a amicable manner. 
Jane, the cook, gave Rose a surprised look.  "Eh?  Don't you hate funnel
cakes?" she asked, confused.
"Don't care, Jane, please?" she asked again.  The cook eventually agreed and
Rose had herself some funnel cake.  It tasted heavenly, but for some reason
refused to settle in her stomach well.  Damn it.  Rose had been having strange
urges like that since two weeks ago, eating something that seemed amazing only
for it to give her the worst stomach ache... except it didn't seem like the
funnel cake was going to stay down.  She could probably keep it down long
enough for finale.... nope.  Just as she heard Scratch announcing the special
finale, Rose had to run off to the nearest place someone wouldn't see her and
let herself get sick, not wanting to endure the stomach pains through the
performance.
She would be missing the finale, it seemed.
Scratch smirked and raised his hand to the spotlight as a few roustabouts
wheeled out a heavy-looking wooden frame with large bars for tying something
to.  He tapped the frame with his hand.  "I suggest with the utmost discretion
that young children not remain for this dramatic finale.  Truly it is a show of
danger, a darker side of the world where beasts lurk and the otherworldly
reins.  I am about to show you just such a creature, a monster of incredible
visage the likes of which many of you will never see again.  I'd like to ask
you hold flash photography, as it may aggravate our most unique and horrific
guest."  He put on a theatrically grave face as he approached Vriska's cage. 
Roustabouts wheel it out into the center ring and he patted a hand to the tarp
that concealed Vriska inside as she sat in a corner as far from the latch as
possible.  He gripped the tarp with both hands. "Do not be alarmed, fair
circusgoers! This beast is quite safely contained."  He breathed in sharply and
rips the tarp away with a might flourish.  The crowd gasped and shifted
noisily, making Vriska's head pound to the point of nearly collapsing.  Scratch
yelled to the crowd, hands raised, "Please! Keep quiet, for this next act I
shall release this elusive beast and train it to perform for tonight only!
 Watch closely and keep tight your lips, my glorious audience."  He traced his
fingers along the latch of her cage, grabbing the lock hanging from it.  With a
soft, final click the lock released and he tucked it into his pocket, stepping
back as the roustabouts back away quickly.  Vriska looked up at Scratch.  Her
eyes were wearer than before, but the threat of further pain in her tormenter's
eyes made her hunch up in the short cage and crawl out.  It had been a while
since she had stood at her full height, towering over all the humans easily as
the spider legs protruding from her back arched and bloomed behind her.  The
chains jingled.
Having finished emptying her stomach behind the cages that actually had a few
real animals in them, she found a keg of water by the refreshment booth and
washed out her mouth before returning to the tent.  She peeked inside the main
part of the bigtop and frowned at what she was seeing.  What was Vriska doing
out of her enclosure on a big night like this?  Even from so far away, she
could see the anger in the Ringleader's eyes and the cautious, nearly broken
look in Vriska's.  An overwhelming urge to mediate this flooded over her, but
instead, she just stood there, watching, eyes wide in an odd mix of horror at
the inhumanity of it and pity for Vriska.  That's all there ever was from her,
no fear, no hatred, just pity.
Rose decided she couldn't watch and just... left.  She went back to Scratch's
train car and lay down on the bed, curled up around her.  Her illness had been
going on far too long and far too sporadically for it to be anything but
hormonal.  Grabbing Scratch's pillow, she held it close against her and inhaled
the scent that lingered on it.  Her new dress would get wrinkled if she lay
like that any longer, but she didn't care.  She was tired, and she wanted to
cuddle with her darling.  He would likely immediately come looking for her
after the show, and she'd be waiting in his train car, half-conscious and a
little bit aroused.
Rolling around on the bed for a moment, she came to a complete stop as she
realized the most common thing that caused hormonal imbalances that also caused
indigestion in females.  Oh.  Shit.  Shit.  SHIT.  Wait, was it even a bad
thing?  Maybe it would only endear her further to him.  Yeah... too tired to
think straight, she fell asleep on the bed.
===============================================================================
 
The whip cracked towards her, not hitting her but coming near.  He deactivated
the microphone attached to the lapel of his jacket.  "I would suggest you play
along, Vriska, if you know what's good for you.  Maybe if you're a good little
animal, I'll let you have some real food and maybe a few pillows?" he offered,
trying to even out the negative reinforcement with positive.
She wasn't going to act like an animal for him.  Not ever.  He knew it, and he
knew how to make her act like an animal.  A roustabout handed him a whip and
she clenched her fists, shaking with rage.  "I'm not doing your tricks," She
hissed below a whisper, just enough for only the two of them to hear.
Her body almost rippled like a tidal wave before slamming into a mountain, legs
shifting and dashing off seemingly before her upper can catch up.  She sprinted
for a few feet in a mad dash that seemed to run in slow-motion for her.  This
wasn't fucking fast enough.  Not even close.
Sickness in her stomach waking her up, Rose got up and started wandering about
the circus grounds, violin case in hand.  Seeing that the main entrance to the
circus tent was unguarded, she approached and peered inside, in case the finale
was over yet.  She'd have to have words with Scratch about things like this in
the future and how they at very least shouldn't do this kind of thing in front
of a crowd.  Rose stepped in, planning on taking a seat in the stands with the
guests, only to have a large amount of Vriska ram right into her as her eyes
went wide.  Not really knowing the proper reaction to this sort of thing, she
just wrapped her arms around Vriska's midsection like she was hugging her to
prevent the her from getting away.
Scratch didn't know what to make of what he was seeing.  Rose, looking sick and
tired with her arms latched around Vriska's waist while both of them were on
the ground.  The crowd was in an uproar, incorrectly thinking that the adorable
violinist girl was in danger when in fact she probably wasn't.  But Scratch
wouldn't dare use the whip while Rose was so close to Vriska.
A loud roar escaped Vriska's throat as she slammed her hands against the
ground, razor-sharp claws dangerously close to the smaller girl's face.  A
cloud of dust kicked up in time with the scraping of her feet against the dirt
in a wild attempt to get up and run free.  "GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF!"
 She screamed, thrashing to try and get away.  In a flash of absolute, fury her
fist flied out and connects harshly with Rose's right cheek twice in rapid
succession.  She seemed to realize her grave mistake as it showed in her eyes,
terror overtaking the shimmer there at her inevitable punishment if she didn't
escape.
Things spun for a bit, but even before Rose got herself re-oriented, her hands
were already reaching out to pap Vriska's face.  "Shhh..." she hissed, her eyes
eventually readjusting and focusing.  If it had been anyone else, Rose would be
screaming.  The violinist let go of her aquiantance and helped her stand back
up.  "See, I'm off," she said with a smile.
Scratch immediately grabbed Vriska by the arm, prepared to give her the
scolding of her life, and was stunned when Rose awkwardly tried to push him
away from the spidergirl.  Looking down into her big eyes, Scratch was
surprised to find himself stinging from the disappointment in those nearly
childlike eyes.  There was something else, too, something he couldn't put his
finger on, but it didn't matter.
She gave Vriska a light pat on the shoulder as Scratch backed away.  Okay.  Now
he'd have to deal with backlash from the audience, too.  Damn it.  Rose gently
told Vriska to go lay low in Rose's cage until the violinist got things sorted
out.
Crossing his arms, Scratch pulled Rose aside and rubbed his temples.  "Fine. 
FINE," he huffed, not really angry as much as annoyed.  "But they're expecting
a finale, Rose.  I suggest you go out there and take her spot if you're so keen
on keeping her from punishment," he snapped.
A bewildering stab shot through his heart when she flinched.  Looking down at
her feet, Rose nodded and went out into the center ring.
Rose grabbed her violin, a large bruise beginning to bloom on her face as she
lifted the instrument into ready position.  She was waited for Scratch to
introduce her again, as was supposed to happen.  "Sorry about that," he
apologized to the crowd.  "We've been having some issues with that one a lot
recently and it really was risky of me to bring her out," he lied.  Rose
continued staring forward with a blank stare.  "So, instead, I would like to
present to you again for an encore performance, our very special-"
She interjected in a flat, soft manner that only he'd be able to hear.  "I
think I'm pregnant."
"PrincEHhh..." he stopped as his eyes went wide and he turned, looking at her
with large, shell-shocked eyes.  After a moment, he cleared his throat and
finished, "Our VERY special princess, Rose," he announced, pausing once to wipe
the sweat from his brow.  There was no way his pale skin could become any
whiter, but somehow, it did.
Rose took pride in this and spent about five to seven minutes showing off her
violin skills with more advanced and fast songs.  Once she finished, she gave a
curtsey to the audience and then left, knowing that the others knew what to do
for the last bow and didn't need her or Ringleader Scratch to do it.
She exited the tent via the staff/performers' entrance, and saw Ringleader
Scratch almost immediately.
===============================================================================
Her dream was crushed with the crushing of her nose against a torso of epic
proportions.  This man stood at her height, an incredible feat for a human
considering trolls were titans by comparison.  His jaw was massive, his face a
skull-like image of grim, hateful condescension.  She managed to fall flat on
her ass, frozen in his gaze.  
"Who let this out of its cage?" 
He growled, voice like distant thunder roiling across a dark sea of liquid
metal.  Roustabouts flooded in, a panic settling over them at the sight of this
man.  He was shirtless, save for a pair of suspenders and a massive, heavy
coat, his pants clean and long like Scratch's, but the patchwork of his coat
and his lack of shoes made her think for a moment that the roadies only drug
her back into her cage, holding her at knifepoint, because they were scared of
this madman and what he might do.  What if he was some dangerous homeless guy?
 No such luck.  She was staring at the man who had made her life a living hell.
 He tapped the top of his enormous scepter against her lock and grins.  One of
his gold teeth shimmers in the pale light and it only makes her shudder.
Dirk Strider had been cleaning out a few of the cages when this freak of a
human being had sauntered in because he fucking owned the place.  It was when
the guy started harrassing Vriska that Dirk decided he couldn't stomach this
guy.  However, he'd heard a lot about his work and the work of his adjacent,
Betty Crocker.  He approached the guy standing in front of Vriska's cage, some
nice steaks in hand.  "Yo, dude.  Gotta feed Vris."
His eyes narrowed at Dirk and he stared at the steaks in his hand.  "'Dude?'"
He seethed, eyes fiery.  "So I am DUDE, now, hm?"  He looked up at Vriska.
 "This one attempted escape.  Do not feed it."  Vriska flinched from inside her
cage and hissed softly to herself, hunching over.  The hunger pains would hurt,
yes, but she couldn't let this man see her curled up hours from now in intense
pain.  English raised his head up at her.  "Why were you running?"  She didn't
answer and a hand pressed hard to the bars.  "Why were you running?"  He
repeated, fury visibly building.  "ARE YOU UNGRATEFUL?  UNHAPPY?"  His voice
managed to both sound like a yell but also being somewhat quiet.  "You selfish
little thing.  Trying to exchange something for nothing.  We feed you, we
clothe you, we give you purpose in a world that shuns your hideousness.  You
repay us with obedience and gratefulness, little bitch."  He turned on Dirk. 
"Feed her cheaper, roustabout.  That steak is ridiculous.”
Dirk raises an eyebrow.  "Feed her?  Rarely.  She almost died a few winters
back due to malnutrition.  I know.  I had to fucking deal with it and make sure
she didn't start digesting her own stomach," he scowled, "While I'll go with
the purpose crap, she's also a beautiful creature and... ah, I've heard rumors
floating around that everyone's like this because of you, sir," he said in an
unbelievably respectful manner.  "If you want obedience and gratefulness, look
on the other half of the train car.  The best is on that side.  Surely you've
heard of the Great Alternian Circus’s little princess?" Dirk said, trying to
divert this asshole's attention and unknowing of the shitstorm he could be
creating in the process.
His hairless brow arched and he stared at Dirk in sudden interest.  "You.
 You're different."  His voice was gruff and almost probing now.  "Ignore the
princess bitch."  His eyes intensified.  "I want to know.  How long have you
worked here?"
"About two years, why?" Dirk replied, getting a bit freaked out by this guy's
sudden interest in him.
Vriska scooted away as English stepped closer, staring him down now.  "Two
years of feeding this thing?  Scooping up shit from the petting zoo?  They are
all like this because I willed it so.  What I will is what happens."  His eyes
narrowed, filled with hatred and a sudden flash of something else. 
"You're fucking sick, you know that?" Was all Dirk said before tossing a
freezer-bagged steak into the cage and letting it plop down near Vriska for
when she got hungry.  Screw what this guy said.  Dirk wasn't paid to do this
work.  He was proved a place to stay and food to eat for this job, and that was
it.  However, to him, it sort of felt like charity work.  And damn, doing
charity work for a living?  That was damn classy.
Vriska peeled open the freezer bag, sniffing at the meat inside. Gross. Slimy.
Food. She devoured it in record time, thankful they'd removed her muzzle a
month ago for good behavior.
English growled deeply and his arm shot out to grasp Dirk's shoulders with a
tightness that made the much smaller man stick to his side closely. "Yes. I  am
very sick. I could use a good friend to help me, like you. DIRK." His arm
tightened as he begins walking. "What makes someone unhappy?" He said, tapping
a thick finger against Dirk's shoulder. 
Dirk recoiled with an amount of disgust.  "... Living without freedom.  Being
treated like shit.  Being forced to do things they don't want to do. 
Lonliness.  That's about all I can think of but dude why the fuck are you
touching me?"
English leaned in even closer, turning Dirk around to face him. "NO.
Unhappiness.  Is seeing others happier than you are.  Take away other's
happiness and you are left with these things.  They make the normal people
happy because they're glad they are not a hideous mutant in a cage.  That is
their purpose."  His eyes lost their harshness for a fleeting moment and he
leaned closer.  "Are you happy to see these things?  You enjoy feeding them.
 Like animals.  Little PETS."  He suddenly leaned in just a little bit closer,
flinging between subjects wildly.  His booming voice was a hissing whisper.
 "Are you enjoying this close proximity? My arm around your shoulder is
so...oooooh, saucy, don't you think? Tell me I am your BRO." A stirring in his
pants made him bare his sharpened teeth.
Oh helllllll no.  "NOPE," Dirk blurted, "NOPE.  This is not happening.  We are
not doing this," he tried to duck out from under this guy's arm, but he was
having trouble.  This asshole was persistant and Dirk died a bit inside.
The taller man leaned in ever closer and seemed very much intent on kissing
Dirk with incredible tenderness.  Sensing Dirk's discomfort, Vriska figured if
she did him a favor, he might feed her a little more.  She was prepared to make
a racket to get English to come over, but she decided against it.  All the
people that just let her wither away, regardless of whether they fed her a
little more or not, could burn in hell for all she cared.  Dirk never even
considered helping her escape.  Only  doing his job as he was told.  She didn't
believe in charity, remaining still.  Perhaps to watch the fireworks with a
spark of revenge in her eye.  English pulls back just before kissing Dirk and
his eyes narrow.  "Let this fester."
"How could this happen to me?  I've made my mistakes, got nowhere to run," he
starts belting out as Dirk finally wormed his way out of Caliborn English's
grip and started walking away.
Turning around was Dirk's greatest mistake.  Caliborn was leaping on him within
a split second, tackling him with incredible speed.  "No," He hisses.  "You are
mine now.  What I will.  Always is granted.  DIRK."  His tone was like heated
rock at the cusp of an active volcano threatening to erupt.  He stands, a
single hand digging into Dirk's hair to drag him along to a massive tent at the
core of the dark circus.
"Okay, this was sort of funny in a horrible way before but now ARE YOU FUCKING
INSANE?"  Dirk turns and tries to flip the guy, but he's just the slightest bit
too heavy for Dirk to drop.  Shit.  Shit.  Shit shit shit shit shit FUCK!!  And
Dirk knew all too well that absolutely no one would miss him if this freak did
something to him or killed him.  Long story short, Dirk Strider was in the
deepest fucking shit imaginable.
===============================================================================
Scratch approached his Rose with a fast walk, standing before her, exasperated
but hiding it under a smooth glass exterior.  "Rose, are you alright? I am
nearly certain your...situation made you infertile."  He reached for her and
his fingers grazed her cheek, cupping it in his soft gloved hand.  His thumb
grazed along the hard scarred ridges between one skin tone and the next.
She sighed.  "I thought so too, but for some reason the smell of funnel cakes
was amazing and you know I hate funnel cakes.  So I at one and it came right
back up.  Things like that have been happening all week and I'm starting to
feel really unbalanced emotionally," she was starting to get a bit hysterical,
emphasising her point.  "And I'm tired all the time and while I'm sort of mad
at you I just want to..." she trailed off, wrapping her arms around him and
squeezing her eyes shut as she rested her head against his chest.  Yes, she was
that short compared to him.  The fact that she was made up of different parts
like a regular frankenstien stunted her growth.  She took a deep breath,
relaxing a bit.  "Apparently, I'm only somewhat infertile?   Like maybe this
tiny little window of fertility opened up and it's not like you're never not
inside me so..." she smiled a bit, "It's a surprise, but I think it's a
pleasant one, don't you think?"
Scratch breathed out shakily and ran his fingers through her hair as several
circus-goers filed past them.  "I'm afraid this particular surprise is achingly
bittersweet, my dear," He began, a line of worry appearing on his brow,
"English..."  He trailed off and shook his head.  "Never mind English for now.
Is there anything I can obtain to make you any more comfortable?"
She's silent for a second, about to say that everything was fine as long as she
could sleep in his train car instead of her cage, but then Rose remembered
something.  "... Some ice.  For my face," she mumbled.
Scratch tensed slightly, his posture speaking revenge to Vriska for her
outburst.  "Right away, my darling.  Anything else?"  He leaned down an pressed
his lips to her white hair, breathing in slowly.  All he could smell was Vriska
and it made him frown in distaste, forearms pressing Rose a little closer.
 "You can use extra blankets tonight." 
Rose's hands gripped at the back of his suit as she looks up at him and makes
the adorable, wide-eyed innocent face that she knew he found very hard to
resist.  "I... I would v-very much like to be with you, tonight," she
whispered, the words just barely forming past her lips.  It wasn't really a
matter of wanting to get out of her cage at all.  She had the key to her own
cage at all times.  It was about not wanting to leave his side, the strange,
new fear that she would get while away from him.  Rose was in a dangerous
environment, full of lots of people and things that could hurt her.  The need
to be around the only one that could protect her was strong and predominant
over any other instinct she could have.
Scratch leaned forward and kissed her sweetly, pulling away only to lead her to
his train car.  "Of course. I won't leave you without attention for one
moment," He promised, leading her inside slowly.
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