Heaven On Earth

[ARTISAN KIM]

The chimera had foolishly expected a sugar-coated fairy tale, a glorified version of the human lives he'd read about in magazines. The only exposure Artie had to humans before arriving at Circo were through throw-away paperback novels, celebrity gossip magazines, and the clinically cold scientists that had given them to him. It wasn't a surprise that he was made to believe that the human race was his superior, what with his limited version of the world.

At first, he'd scooted to the foot of Lilly's bed and curled up. His tail perked up at the mention of parents; the concept of a family unit made the synthetic being feel all warm and fuzzy inside. A smile started to stretch across his face until the word "but".

The fairy tale had just become darker.

Artie's hazel eyes swept over Lilly sadly, and his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the story. "You are not a plaything," he said slowly. Lilly's story was one he could relate to well: her mother was the batch of white-coats that had created him, the demand for perfectionism was similar to the demand for obedience, and both Lilly and himself were thrown around their little worlds at the whim of other people like dolls. "Not a plaything," he said, "People can't throw you around like that."

If anybody was a plaything, it would be himself.

"If you were like me, you would never have that problem," he said, "You would be the alpha because of your strength, and everybody would listen to you."

He slid off the bed and tiptoed over to Lilly, where he plunked down right on top of her feet. Then, Artie rested his head against her legs and looked up, blinking at her with confused eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lilly."

He meant it too, he really meant it.

Artie was quiet for a moment, still taking everything in. He tilted his head, as though he expected the girl to pet it or something, and decided that he needed to return her honesty.

"If it makes you feel better, I was a plaything of white-coats," he said, "I'm...I-I'm a chimera, so I'm not a real person. I'm fake. I was created."

He shifted uncomfortably, but continued sharing. After all, Lilly had shown him her scars.

"I was designed to be an aesthetic project. My purpose was to be a pet. They didn't think I was intelligent enough to know what was happening, but I was just playing along since I didn't really mind," he said, "They treated me much better when they knew how smart I was. I didn't mind, I just played along. But they started taking me to all these places with more white-coats. They had me do that thing with numbers - calculus - and would have me shift. Or make me roll over and then recite Shakespeare. It got annoying. I was a...a toy. If they didn't want me, they gave me drowsy pills and left me in my sleeping quarters with a basket of meat. I started understanding that there was an outaide world where I could be independent of a master...S-so, I ran away."

He brushed his cheek against Lilly's leg affectionately.

"The end."

Being free for little over two weeks, and having been at Circo for less, meant that it would take time for him to adjust his lifestyle. He was independent now. Even though it could be scary or lonely, he no longer had to answer to anyone.

Suddenly, he brightened.

Artie flung himself on his back, tilted his head back to expose his neck, and wriggled in place. If he were a wolf, it would've looked exactly like a pose of-- "Your power makes you stronger than me!" he said cheerfully, "I submit to you!" The chimera popped right back into a sitting position with a goofy smile on his face. "You don't have to worry about me 'breaking you down' or needing to slice your belly. And I won't ever, ever hit you!"

The young man's hazel eyes were twinkling, like he'd just solved all their problems. "I promise!"

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[LILLIAN WILSON]

Why was he so adorable? He told a story far sadder than hers, but the way he told it, and his reaction to hers, made her smile. He submitted to her. It sent a thrill through her, but left a copper taste on her tongue. It was like how her powers made her feel. She loved being the best at everything, showing off and getting praise, but then people turned on her and it brought her pain. Any kind of power always brought her pain. Besides, she wasn't stronger than him. She just had super control of her body. She could access the speed and strength most others could only wield in emergencies.

Him? She had seen his teeth kinda go shark-like. And he said he was a chimera. What did he mean by that? In greek mythology, a Chimera was a lion who had a goat's head coming from it's back and it's tail ended with a snake and it could breathe fire. That was definitely stronger than her. That didn't seem right though. The Chimera was said to be a sibling of Cerberus and Hydra. Surely the Ringmaster would not let something so dangerous into the Circo.

No, so he had to be something else. A shapeshifter, like she had first thought. And the people who made him used the word chimera to make his power seem more interesting. Yeah. Lillian smiled and reached out, gently cupping his cheek so he wouldn't look away from her. "Maybe you weren't born the /normal/ way, and very few people here were, but you are real Artie. You are self-aware, intelligent, and you're quickly becoming my favorite person here. You're just as real as I am." And it was true. The way someone was born didn't decide whether or not they were real. That was just stupid. Just as stupid as skin color deciding if one was human.

She would have stood up, but he was far too close at the moment. It was fine though. It wasn't like the bear needed surgery right away and she liked talking to him. He hadn't freaked out about the scars. Not even the Ringmaster knew about them. If he did, her knifes would be taken away, which was stupid. She didn't hurt herself anymore. It had just been a little girl's attempt to make herself normal. Like Angel's attempt to cut off his wings.

That had been what gave her the idea, but she would never tell. She almost missed her dvds and comics, but that was okay. She'd eventually get them back, but now she didn't need them. This place, it was kinda like being part of the X-Men. They weren't in a really cool mansion, and they weren't training to be superheroes, but still. It was a family of people just like her, and it was more than she could have ever asked for. She absolutely adored the Circo, though she hadn't been there long. Longer than Artie, but not near long enough to truly know the place.

Maybe they could learn together. "Do you want to know anything else?"

[ARTISAN KIM]

While his first instinct was to back away, the gesture drew his attention and locked his gaze into Lilly's eyes. His hazel eyes, darting from freckle to freckle, studied Lilly's face intently. Slowly, he pressed his palm against the back of Lilly's hand as to keep it in place. Would it hurt if he believed her? What did he want to believe? While it sounded nice to be a “real” person, a nagging feeling made that freedom insecure. He couldn't be real...he was created, designed, manufactured by his superiors.

He hated being controlled like a puppet, but he was afraid to stand on his own without someone pulling the strings.

“Do you really mean that?” he asked. His brow furrowed, his eyes clouded over with uncertainty, and his tail went still except for an occasional twitch at the end. What if because he trusted her, liked her, he'd become her new plaything? What if she became tired of him and started locking him away, ignoring him when he needed somebody. Artie was determined to move on from the past, but the way he'd been brought up made him a skeptical if he could rely on others – hence why he wouldn't let Lilly “operate” Teddy without his supervision. “About, um, about me being your favorite person?”

Still holding Lilly's hand to his cheek, he closed his eyes and sighed. “Yeah. I have another question,” he murmured “Will you like me better if I eat with a fork?”

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[LILLIAN WILSON]

He was so insecure about himself. It almost hurt, like he was squeezing her heart. She knew how that felt. Why was he feeling that? He didn't deserve that kind of pain. She was careful not to take her hand from him as she slid from the chair, slowly lowering herself to his level. She had a feeling it would help. If nothing else, at least he didn't have to tilt his head up to look at her. She smiled softly and leaned forward, giving his forehead a gentle kiss. "You're a real person, Artie. And you're my favorite person."

And then he asked her about forks. Part of her wanted to say yes, it really did. But just like the pigeon thing, she started to feel bad. She didn't want him to change because of her. He hardly knew her, and she hardly knew him. And yet she had told him her story... She closed her eyes for a moment. "Artie, I don't care if you use a fork or not." She looked at him again, smiling. "I just ask that you don't kill things in front of me." Reasonable enough.

[ARTISAN KIM]

Artie flinched like Lilly has smacked him across the face, hunching over and looking at the floor in an embarrassment once she answered his question. The words she had said appealed to his heart, but her scent carried the weight of worry...like she was unsure of her answer. “Why'd you hesitate?” he asked, voice broken, “Why won't you tell me the truth?”

He acted like a puppy that had gotten kicked one too many times, and forever worried who the next offender would be. “You do care,” he accused, “That's why I asked...I wanted to see if you'd be honest. I c-can smell that you're unsure.” Artie. It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than argue with Lilly. “You're like everyone else,” he said softly, “Only you're too nice to make me go away.”

The pigeons were still fluttering in his tummy, only now, it also felt like bees were stinging his eyes. Why the sudden meltdown? Maybe it was because he'd never had someone join him on the floor before. Or kissed him on the forehead before. Or promised to patch up Teddy before. Or...or acted like he was important before. It was too much for him to take in at once, so he rejected the legibility of Lilly's actions and words. “I look inside at myself,” he explained, “And I don't like what's in there.

He'd always been blunt, never seeming to care what others thought of his quirks and habits. In fact, Artie always seemed so confident in who he was. Anybody who didn't like his impulses and instincts could bug off...but deep down, he was insecure. The more he interacted with the people of the circus who weren't hybrids or shapeshifters, the more he realized how out of place his habits were in the outside world. It made him uncomfortable to conform, but sad to stay the same. In fact, the conflict was enough for him to want to return “home”.

In a flash, he was gone.

Or was he? A whimper and the sound of tearing fabric – and the teddy bear “mysteriously” missing from Lilly's desk – could be heard coming from under the bed. As far as Artie was concerned, he was going to wait under that bed until his masters managed to track him. “I want to go back,” he said, sounding panicked, “I made a mistake.”

Was it worth giving up his freedoms to have low expectations again? Would he really feel less self-conscious as the facility's pet project now that he knew what the outside world was like? Rather than keep up with his mental debate, he blocked everything out and shut his eyes. He wanted the pill that would keep him from thinking too hard. He wanted mindless activities that wouldn't cause him pain. He wanted an entire building branched filled with creatures who acted like him – like they had their own ecosystem or something.

"Home."

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[LILLIAN WILSON]

And he was gone. Did he have any idea what that did to her? She had made a real friend, one that she really liked, and just as quickly he was gone. Lillian sighed and slowly shifted now facing the bed. She wasn't going to follow him there. He wanted to be alone so she would give him that. It was what she would have wanted. But, still. He was still in her room, and she was still going to talk. "I hesitated because I was thinking it through, Artie. It's not right for me to ask you to change and I never would."

She smiled weakly, though she wrapped her arms around herself. "I like the things that make you different. I like the little animal things you do. It's cute and it's part of who you are. So, I only asked you not to kill things in front of me. And I /asked/ it. I won't get mad if you still do." She closed her eyes, leaning back against the desk. A few seconds after telling her story, he hurt her. She had told him the truth. She hadn't told on lie since joining the Circo, at least not yet. And when the time came, she was certain it wouldn't be to him.

"I don't like what I am either. I never have. But you like me. And though I can't see what you do, you make me feel all warm and happy. Like, maybe, there is something okay with me." It was like that with all people. It wasn't just for her power that she searched so desperately for praise and friends. "And I really like you. You're adorable and warm and kind and even if you're not /human/, I feel safe with you. And you're my friend. And if you'll let me, I'll try and make you happy too."

She opened her eyes, watching the bed. "Won't you come out Artie? Teddy has boo boos, and so do you. He needs patched up and you need a hug." She did too, but she wasn't going to say that. "Circo is your home now, and even if the others won't be nice to you, I will. We'll be a little family of two."

[ARTISAN KIM]

The kindness in Lilly's words baited him, slowly getting him to crawl out from under the bed. Every few seconds he'd retreat, but would venture again as Lilly succeeded in coaxing him out. Out of habit, he shook himself off and dust flew from his hair. According to the painful skull-against-metal-bed-frame sounds from earlier, he'd probably been rolling around and collecting dust bunnies.

Artie approached the gifted girl inch by inch, sometimes hesitating to study her face. Nobody had ever offered him praise at home except for the classic, monotone “good boy”. Could she really mean it? He took a shaky breath and stopped, now close enough that their noses could be touching. “Boo boos? I'm not a kindergartener.”

The seconds that followed were like Lilly had unleashed a puppy that'd been cooped up inside all day.

Doggy kisses. Tons of them. Any part of Lilly's face was fair game for a goofy, slobbering lick of unconditional love. Her ears were nibbled on playfully, Artie careful to never apply enough pressure to hurt anyone. And her hair? That was full-blown sniffing territory. Not to mention, under her chin and the sides of her neck were great spots to nuzzle her with the top of his head and the bridge of his nose.

Then, he stopped. He went from a crouch to plopping down on the floor, his legs splayed in front of him, and his expression dizzy. Wow, it'd been awhile since he got to do that to someone. “That doesn't bother you?” he asked, “I wanted to do that when I saw you.”

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[LILLIAN WILSON]

She was going to die. Everything in her wanted to push him away, but it wasn't from the grossness. It tickled. It tickled and he was being adorable and she was laughing again. She couldn't push him away though, or he'd get all mad and sad again. But it didn't last too long thankfully, and she fell onto her side with a laugh. "N-no. It's fine." She could hardly get the words out, gasping for breath. "I like that." She wiped at her face, though she knew the sensation would never fade. She'd spend the rest of her life feeling his tongue on her face.

She really liked having him close like that, especially when he nuzzled her. She liked his nuzzling her better than hugs. She slowly sat up, still having a case of the giggles. "It doesn't bother me. It's adorable." It made her wonder though, would he ever show human signs of affection? But the thought quickly fled her mind. He was animal, and human. He'd hugged her like he never wanted to let her go. He could show is affection in anyway he wanted, and she would take every second he gave her. She loved it, loved all of it.

"Now that you're all pooped out," She reached out, gently running a hand through his hair. "Should I fix Teddy now?" Besides, fixing the teddy bear would make him like her even more. Him liking her even more meant he wouldn't leave. He may even hug her again. Or she'd get puppy slobbered all over again. But that was okay too. She had meant what she said. So far, she hadn't found a single thing about him that she didn't like. Even the sad-Artie was cute.

[ARTISAN KIM]

The tension in his muscles melted away as he relaxed under Lilly's touch, easing up to the point he became limp. The feelings of worry and anxiety fled from him, and for a peaceful moment, his mind went blank. As he sank to the floor, Artie pressed his head against Lilly's hand so that she would continue playing with his hair. “Not yet, he yawned, “He's still got one good eye.”

Loosing the fight against drooping eyelids, Artie rested the back of his head on Lilly's lap as though her legs were pillows. He wriggled in place, trying to find a comfortable spot for his back, and then went still. Touch could relax Artie more than any sedative could; it was the connection between beings that he'd been deprived of for the majority of his life. Before his eyelids completely closed, he managed to meet Lilly's gaze with a contented smile. It was a small smile, like the kind one makes when experiencing a pleasant daydream, but the love within it was endless. “Stay like this,” he murmured, “I like it.”

Canines rarely slept on their backs unless completely comfortable within their environment. Artisan was no exception. The instinct was a member of his natural survival mechanism, purposed to protect the fleshly parts and major organs that were more easily reached on a dog's front. And here he was, dosing off with his head in Lilly's lap like it was a downy pillow. The reaction would've been the same for anybody who'd run their fingers through his hair, but the position would be different. Only for Lilly, who'd accepted him fully, did he decide to show his weak spot.

His eyes finally drifted shut, but his body took care of keeping guard of himself and Lilly. Without his noticing, his ears shifted into those of a wolf and perched themselves at the top of his head. They swiveled and twitched, channeling sound for Artie as he lowered his guard. The likeliness of a predator attacking the duo in a bedroom was slim, but Artie would need to focus to end a subconscious instinct. Like he had time for that nonsense! He was too busy thinking of nothing but he was the most comfortable chimera in the world.

Artie cracked a sleepy eye open and mumbled: “I'm pooped out.”

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[LILLIAN WILSON]

Lillian didn't know how long she sat like that. She could have spent an eternity like that and she wouldn't have cared. She just watched his face as he slipped into a sleep-like state, running her hand through his hair. It was silent but she didn't care about that either. For the first time, it really didn't bother her. She had someone with her. Someone she really cared about. Nothing could bother her as long as he was around, not even her own silly thoughts. But the floor couldn't be comfortable. He looked pretty comfortable, but really. Her bed was hardly sleeping material, much less the floor.

So, after awhile, she suggested they moved to her bed. She wasn't too uncomfortable with the idea. It wasn't like they had been kissing or anything. Unless his licking from earlier counted. But still. It wasn't like that, and Lilly was sure it would never be. He wasn't like most of the stupid males she knew, that she liked that about him. He was like a cuddly puppy, a little brother, and a sweet gentleman all rolled into one. And she adored it. The day had been a rollercoaster for her emotions, but the good definitely outweighed the bad.

It was a very good thing she didn't have a roommate. They snuggled together like two puppies, and Lilly fell asleep near instantly. She hadn't been jumping around chasing birds but she was no less exhausted. She slept for a couple of hours, a dreamless and warm sleep, until the sound of rushing footsteps woke her. The girls who had been at the swimming hole or other places had come back to the dorm, washing up and changing for dinner. Which meant that she needed to wake up and do the same. She didn't want to though, instead curling up to try and return to sleep. She had completely forgotten about the boy she had snuggled with, and unaware if he was even still there.

[ARTISAN KIM]

"THUNK!"

The whine of a puppy, the grunt of a wolf, and a dull thud mingled together as Artisan hit the floor. One minute, he'd been licking his lips and enjoying a lovely dream about chasing chickens with Carter and Lilly. Of course, Carter never caught the chicken in Artie's dreams. Oh no, the cat always swore his fealty to the dog-boy during those type of dreams. How wonderful it was to be able to boss that dumb, old cat around...even if it was all fantasy.

Hazel eyes cracked open as Artie stiffled a yawn. He stretched with his arms overhead and a peaceful smile, even if the side of his head was bleeding from where he'd collided with the floor.

"Did I get the chicken?" he mumbled. Artie rubbed his eyes and took a good look around, like he was trying to ascern the reality of Lilly's bedroom. "Mnnn...I'm hungry."

He rolled up to his feet and tapped Lilly on the foot - lightly at first. Then, he'd gotten impatient of that. So, he crawled back into bed with her and began licking her face.

"Lilly! I'm hungry! Wake up! Wake up!"

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[LILLIAN WILSON]

Something thudded. That was what started her path to wakefulness. She didn't own anything hard, at least nothing that came to mind. No doubt, in a few weeks, when she heard a sound like that she'd instantly jump awake. The camera would become a very important object to her, far more important than even what she brought from home. It was the messing with her feet that made her eyes flutter open. It was almost like a bug was playing with a jump rope on her foot or something.

Now that she was awake enough to process words, Artie scattered the last remains of sleep. /Lilly! I'm hungry!/ At first it didn't make sense. Her eyes focused on his face for a second, nothing clicking just yet. And then... And then he licked her face. All the new memories swarmed her at once and with a laugh she sat up. "Okay!" Her voice was almost rough from sleep. "I'm awake, I'm awake. Come on." Had they really slept until dinner? An angry growl from her tummy said yes. "I'm up." She kissed his cheek, not even thinking twice about it, and held out a hand for him.

[ARTISAN KIM]

Pigeons. Artie was aware that thousands of fluttering pigeons had compacted into his belly the moment Lilly gave him a kiss. Should he do that thing with his lips too? Was it a type of licking for humans?

"What's that called?" he asked, When you went like.. Artie puffed out his cheeks and squished his lips together, moving them like a fish. Even as they joined hands, Artie continued demonstrating so Lilly would get an idea of what he was talking about. "That thing! Is that how you lick people?"

Artie shuffled after Lilly, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his free hand. "That was a good nap," he yawned, "Hey! Are ya gonna take your camera? You can take pictures of the food! Or me! I like having my picture taken! Or I can take pictures of you! Huh? Huh?"

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[LILLIAN WILSON]

She successfully blushed a brand new shade of red. It had been a split second thing, something she hadn't even thought about. And now he was standing there... looking like a fish... asking her what a kiss was... Lillian covered her mouth to keep from laughing, actually having to look away from the poor boy. After a couple of deep breathes though, she finally looked back at him. "It's called a kiss." And hopefully she looked slightly more attractive when she did it. That was nice. She'd just be self-conscious of kissing for the rest of her life. He was such a dork.

Lilly smiled and kissed his cheek again. "It's how humans show affection, so I guess it's kinda like licking." Just less gross. Tongues did get involved sometimes though, but she really didn't want to think about that. Yeah, no, she just blocked that entire train of thought out. And then he brought up the camera. A distraction she was thankful for. "Oh yeah! I'll put Teddy's eye in the case too, so we don't lose it." Lilly let go of his hand, running to her desk. The button was safely tucked away, the strap slung across her body, and she was ready.

"Okay. We can go now."

[ARTISAN KIM]

As they strolled into the dining hall, Artie swept in and stole a kiss from Lilly. Although, Artie's version of a kiss was more like brushing his lips along the curve of Lilly's cheek. Behind him, his tail was flicking and shaking as though it wanted to escape from the young man's tailbone. “I like kissing,” he whispered, as though it were a secret.

Now that they were surrounded by food – Artie's natural element – he took the lead. He sprinted to the buffet line with Lilly in tow, gladly pushing people over to get in line. While he didn't intend to be rude, Artie was too excited to contain his vigor. At least he was better at waiting for his turn than he'd been the first few days; he no longer threw people to the ground in an attempt to plunge his hands into the food. Now, he could wait...sort of...impatiently. As for dinner table etiquette, that was a work in progress. He seemed to forget that you couldn't just stick your face into a neighbor's bowl of spaghetti or climb on the table to reach the salt.

“Hurry! Go faster!” he whined to the people in front of him, “I'm hungry!” Artie hopped from foot to foot, whining and occasionally nudging the people in front of him forward. Unfortunately for him, the line wouldn't budge because one impatient puppy wanted his meal. But because nothing was moving, he didn't know what to do with himself. He didn't know how to wait “Lilly, can you make them go faster?” he asked her, “Why are they taking so long?”

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