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Post by P. J. UMBERMAN on Oct 22, 2013 5:12:10 GMT -5
PJ's fluctuating eyesight fell over to Artie as he backed off. Was he trying to run away? Was he being a coward about the situation, leaving the bleeding boy to die a slow death? PJ refused to believe this, for deep inside his frenzied mind he knew Artie was too good for that. Still, the look on his pain-twisted face screamed Don't leave me! as he watched in futility and terror.
Of course, Artie wouldn't really leave him out of fear, would he? The boy came back and picked him up, the steel weighing him down immensely. In order to aid with not being totally useless, he concentrated through a skull-splitting migraine and removed his texture in a process reverse to him gaining it. With this last burst of energy PJ fell limp in his arms, unresponsive to his calls until he returned to the circus.
Once there, the two were greeted by gasps of horror and disgust. It didn't take a genius to see Artie holding and invisible weight with a guilty expression to know that he did something horribly, horribly wrong. But would they forgive him? If PJ would make it through, he would make sure he did. After passing the hospital the doctors spared no time in bursting out and taking the invisible boy in order to heal him properly. Following the invisible man's seizure was the capture of his supposed assaulter. Only after PJ woke up would anyone know the truth as to what had gone on.
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A little less than a week passed as the two had been receiving treatment from their respected facilities. PJ, by the grace of the oddities here that possessed gifts relating to healing, was going to be relatively okay. The gashes on his throat just barely grazed his jugular, though did hurt a lot of other veins and vessels. After a bit of surgery and supernatural healing those were being patched up, signified by tightly wound bandages. A couple of stitches on his torso and arms seemed to be suspended in air, though the healers tried the best of their ability to find something clear. Patches of band aids dotted everywhere, most large in size. Finally, where PJ had been bitten by Artie on his arm was now placed inside a cast. So much for being stealthy, not to mention it looked a little silly to see all of this floating on seemingly nothing.
PJ slowly opened his eyes as consciousness came back to him. They were finished operating, so in the boy's mind he was free to leave. Though he wasn't allowed to leave the hospital until he rested and made a full recovery, that didn't do much to stop him. He picked up the white Tshirt and jeans on the chair next to his bed that someone had left him. How nice. He slipped these clothes on painfully and slowly, took a few pills and headed on out of the hospital. Though he would usually go to his friends to ensure that he was okay he had a bit of business to take care of first.
He had to see Artie.
Discreetly he snuck out of the hospital and across the road to the jail. It wasn't a jail, /really/. Just a big old 'time out' place for oddities who lacked control. PJ made his way in, stopping at the reception counter to ask if he may visit. The nurse nodded and stood up to lead him down the split up hallway with many different cells. She stopped at room 106 and unlocked the door, sticking her head in and stating "Artisan Kim you have a visitor." before heading out and closing the door behind the two.
PJ now stood in front of the room, unsure of what to say. The arms with the cast lifted up as he scratched his head, a crooked smile sort of forming on his face. "You sure can dish out a beating." He mumbled, his tone playful with a surprising tinge of spite. |
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Post by ARTISAN KIM on Oct 22, 2013 14:59:28 GMT -5
“PJ! PJ! PJ! You're okay!”
Besides the straightjacket, Artie seemed to be back to his carefree self. Only PJ would know the truth about all the sadness he bottled inside of him, and of the raw anger that wouldn't dissipate. Even though he was kindhearted and cheerful by nature, the life he'd lived before Circo had twisted his heart into curious shapes. PJ had witnessed the most in-depth account of Artie's personality to date...and lived to tell the tale. Beneath his goofy exterior resided a lonely, frightened boy trying to find his place in the world. But after what he'd done to PJ, could he still even be called a boy?
“You're all fixed up!” cheered Artie, “Hey, look around! This whole room is made of pillows and cushions! Oh, I could live here if they let me use my arms!” He hopped on the padded floor, laughing as he bounced higher and higher. Leave it to Artie to take the rubber room and turn it into a playhouse. Once he finished that little demonstration, he pushed his bear – the Ringmaster decided to let him keep the toy – upright so it sat against the walls. Then, with his tail wagging behind him, he ran up to the invisible boy. “PJ, I'm so happy you're here!”
Self-inflicted scratches cut across Artie's face, one even splitting and reopening as he broke into a bigger smile. Those cuts had been done to himself when he was escorted to the circus “jail” without knowing PJ's condition. The straightjacket was more than a fashion statement; he'd been overwhelmed with grief by how badly he'd hurt PJ. The room and constraints were precautions, mere ways to ensure Artie's safety in the upcoming days.
He wanted to hug PJ in greeting like he usually did with fellow oddities, and maybe even lick the invisible boy's cheek for good measure. For a solid minute, he struggled against the jacket and tried tearing it with his teeth. It was no use; the nurses had strapped Artie in tight until they'd be sure he wouldn't hurt himself or other people. No matter how many smiles or pleads he threw at the nursing staff, they had no choice but to label him dangerous until they could get the whole mess sorted out. The staff had Artie's version of events and had been waiting on PJ to tell his side of the story perhaps in even more detail than Artie went into.
Finally, Artie gave up on trying to escape his constraints with a sigh. The jacket and confinement also forced Artie to calm down significantly, especially when he got overly excited. Even though he was still energized enough to bounce on his toes, Artie lost a little of the uber-excitable-puppy-at-the-front-door zeal. Not to mention, the floating stitches and bandages killed the mood as well. “I've been waiting for you forever, you know.”
Even though Artie knew it was impossible, he searched where PJ's face would be as though it would indicate the invisible boy's feelings. He'd sounded...spiteful. But Artie kept talking, kept smiling, and kept praying that it'd been his own imagination. “Are you angr...um, never mind!” he said, shaking his head, “You'll stay awhile, right?”
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Post by P. J. UMBERMAN on Oct 22, 2013 15:55:27 GMT -5
And as if nothing happened, the chimera had returned to his usually state of puppy-like excitement. PJ looked wide-eyed at Artie's condition of being locked up in a padded cell and straight jacket. God, they really thought he was a menace, didn't they? But really, with the condition in which PJ returned to the circus, the invisible boy couldn't blame them. When Artie bounced over in excitement PJ physically tensed. Unfortunately, this was an instinctual reaction recently conjured up by his mind to mark that Artie's sudden leaps or pounces could end up being dangerous, and PJ may end up not being as lucky as he was to be alive.
Still, PJ didn't know what to say or do in the matters of the boy. He would never, ever turn from him. That was a fact. But has anything changed? The majority of PJ's being was screaming that it didn't. He took PJ's offer that was gladly bestowed... Even though he reacted in a way exponentially more than he expected. The fact remained that Artie really was dangerous. PJ had truly seen his monstrous potential. Now he couldn't see past that familiar cheery expression without it snapping to a contortion of the berserk. PJ shook his head in attempts to dispel these thought, the bandages upon it rustling.
He had been silent in these thoughts for awhile, which was why Artie hadn't received a single word in response to any of his peppy greetings. He didn't know what to say, and his confusing thoughts had quickly dispelled his forced smile. He didn't /want/ to be scared of Artie. He wanted everything to go back to normal, and with the reveal of his thoughts, PJ would have expected that they'd be more close. But no, he couldn't feel the way he wanted to. And that bothered him. It bothered him a lot.
PJ looked at the scratches on his face, unsure as to whether or not they were there before. He couldn't remember, he'd been out for awhile. Still, he looked concerned. After a few seconds of contemplation PJ walked past Artie and further entered the room with his head bowed. "Artie, I..." What was he going to say? He seemed to be stuck on that vowel, his mind racing with possibilities. "I'm sorry for getting you into this mess. I'm the idiot that started everything. It's my fault. I got beaten up since I underestimated you. I shouldn't have been so stupid..." He trailed off, walking a bit further away from him. He wrapped himself in a self hug, as if to keep his emotional warmth in. "I just... I never thought you could get so scary I..." He instantly cut himself off there as he realized in horror what he said.
"I'm sorry." |
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Post by ARTISAN KIM on Oct 22, 2013 16:55:11 GMT -5
Artie flinched at PJ's words and held back the urge to cry, to dissolve into a mess of blubbering tears at the invisible boy's feet. “Am I scaring you right now?” he asked softly, “I've been a good boy all this time, haven't I?” The perky tail that wagged behind him moments ago tucked itself between his legs. He didn't even skip along after PJ, hot on his friend's heels. Instead, Artie plopped down on the padding. “If I really wanted to, I could shift my way out of this jacket. From there, it'd only take a few minutes to tear my way out of this room.” Artie looked around at his surroundings, attempting to divert his attention from the floating stitches in front of him. “If I haven't tried breaking free by now, I doubt I'm ever gonna.”
The scientists of Artie's past didn't use a cocktail of sedatives and function inhibitors to be the cruel, 'evil' government men portrayed in comic books and television shows. They'd left Artie suspended in a constant state of semi-consciousness for a reason...a reason PJ was now all too aware of. In fact, Artie wouldn't have held a grudge against Circo's nurses if they'd done the same thing.
By this point, Artie was feeling more annoyed than upset PJ had called him scary. Well, “I never thought you could get so stupid. You're stupid for telling me it'd be a great idea to attack you,” he snorted, “You said it wouldn't hurt you, so I was obviously going to believe you!"
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Post by P. J. UMBERMAN on Oct 22, 2013 17:27:30 GMT -5
The moments those words came out PJ instantly felt an emotional stab of guilt that overrode the subtle stinging of his wounds. He didn't mean it, and now he was paying the price. "N-no Artie you're not right now it's just that I-" He once more ended up being speechless, unable to think of a few words to describe how he was feeling. "You have it's just..." That time he whispered passively, unable to keep eye contact. He looked down as Artie described his potential, a shiver running down his spine as the chimera spoke. Artie wouldn't use his power to his advantage, would he? He wouldn't potentially hurt others... That wasn't like him, he was just upset, and reasonably so.
Then, Artie's words suddenly broke past his denying shield. As stupid as believing that stupid was a legitimate insult, PJ took it to heart. He was stupid... He was completely and utterly stupid. He always was, always has been. He let others take advantage of him, was a glutton for punishment, and didn't allow himself to tell others how he felt. He was just an pathetic doormat that craved the approval of another, going out of his way to beg and plead for it. He tried too hard to be please others so that nobody would hurt him. He was just so numb to reality that people could set him off. A word like stupid usually didn't do much to others, at most muster a small reaction of disgust. But for PJ, of course, hearing this word from someone other than himself did take a bit more of a toll on him than it should.
"You're right, I was just so stupid, I'm so stupid..." PJ whispered, backing himself against a wall. "I thought I could take it, that I knew what I was doing, but no... No..." He trembled, his eyes blinking back tears. "God da...ngit now I can't even take the truth. I'm acting like a kid and a fool..." This part was whispered below his breath as he realized that he was overreacting. "I thought I could help you... I tried really hard honestly I did..." He whimpered, raising his knees and burying his face in them. He clutched his head as his own ill-speakers clouded his mind with negativity. Stop it PJ stop it right now quit crying you pathetic piece of... Why did those words sound familiar? Must have been some sort of repressed memory from awhile ago. Oh well. "I'm sorry Artie, I'm so, so, so very sorry..." |
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Post by ARTISAN KIM on Oct 22, 2013 18:46:34 GMT -5
Even his meanest glower and coldest scowl were hollow; Artie wasn't capable of being angry for long. The chimera pouted and huffed, but he didn't want to hurt the invisible boy any further. “I don't really think you're stupid,” huffed Artie, “That's my generic insult for people,” While not the perfect apology, at least effort was put forth. “Why are you saying sorry? I'm the animal who tore you apart, PJ.”
Fortunately, the tears dissolved Artie's irritated, bitter attitude. Despite the flinching from earlier, Artie couldn't help the desire to comfort those who were suffering. The canine portion of his mind was set into auto-pilot, thus guiding the chimera's actions without Artie needing to think twice. “I won't ever call you stupid again, PJ. Never ever ever ever ever...” he said, shaking his head solemnly.
“I'm sorry that I hurt you, PJ.” Artie approached the invisible boy slowly, as if afraid he'd scare the oddity. When he'd made it to where tears seemingly apparated from thin air, Artie stopped and laid down at PJ's feet. The gesture was odd, maybe even a little uncomfortable for people who weren't used to Artie's odd mannerisms, but it indicated so many things for the chimera. He was comfortable enough with a friend to be so close, but he valued his friend higher than himself – hence why he lowered himself flat on the floor. Keeping his eyes on the ground meant he was ashamed of his actions and would wait until PJ either forgave or forgot the chimera. Even the way he'd picked up his tail so it'd twitch instead of resting flat meant that he was nervous of the outcome of their argument. All of that was said in one little gesture. The invisible boy would only need to take a quick look at Artie's body language to figure out what the chimera was trying to express.
Artie sighed. And he sat. And he waited. And he hoped that staying by PJ's side would be enough.
“You make my brother happy,” he said, babbling on, “Obviously, there's nobody more of a pumpkin-head than Carter! I think that a stupid person wouldn't know how to make people happy. You're really smart when it comes to talking with people too. Social stuff. I'm jealous of you, you know.”
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Post by P. J. UMBERMAN on Oct 22, 2013 19:49:37 GMT -5
Quiet sniffling eventually broke out into full on sobs as he realized how much emotion had suddenly been brought forth to him. Why was he crying? He didn't even know himself. He just knew that he was upset, and that it was his own darn fault. He hated feeling like this. He really did. PJ bit his lip to prevent him further looking like a fool. "No, no I told you to I deserved it I wanted it..." The last part wasn't true, but he didn't want to make Artie feel bad, right?
Well, Artie would anyway. He did tense up when he drew near, though this time out of his own fear of letting too much of these awful emotions through. He watched Artie through the invisible arms blockading his face, seeing him curl up like a dog at his feet. He wasn't an expert at animal language, but he knew from Carter what was positive and what was negative.
And this was surely positive.
PJ looked down to Artie, who did seen awfully apologetic. Gah, why was he being so nice? PJ didn't deserve nice, he was the one that got this poor kid in a mental hospital by offering him a dumb way to take out his anger! Nonetheless, he received it. Though the feeling of sudden bursts of instinctual apprehensiveness around him surely wouldn't go away for awhile if not ever, he knew that he could ultimately trust and like Artie. He cracked a small smile down at him, patting his head. "It's no problem, really Artie you're forgiven. I'm fine, so there's nothing to apologize for." The past was the past right? He could be forgiven, even though some things may still remain. Time can heal all wounds, but there would no doubt be permanent scars.
With the mention of Carter, PJ cracked a flustered smile. "Well, he makes me even happier." He mumbled primarily to himself, a hint of a blush on his voice. He snapped out of thoughts about him, gratitude now replacing his former sorrow. "Really? Artie, thank you so much I..." At his final comment, PJ tilted his head. "Jealous? Of me? How... Why..." He hadn't been told that before. He in response didn't know what to think. "Oh, um... Thank you. That's um..." He looked down to him. "Thanks... You're really nice too... You make the other oddities happy, and you're really smart and you're really happy and you have a good heart and you're..." PJ flooded him with compliments, a natural reaction whenever somebody gave him one. "Oh gosh." He chuckled a bit as a remark to how flustered he himself was being.
Taking a breath, PJ collected himself with a more serious topic. "I'll tell everyone that everything is a big misunderstanding. I'll tell them to let you go, since I gave you permission to have at me..." He assured with a small smile. "They didn't do anything real bad to you here, did they..?" PJ looked to his face, seeing it differently then when he was scared. "Your face... It looks like it hurts... I brought some extra bandages with me if any of mine got ruined... I'll give you one, since a few of the cuts are bleeding. I'm sorry..." |
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Post by ARTISAN KIM on Oct 22, 2013 21:09:05 GMT -5
“Chimera or not, who wouldn't be jealous?” he said softly, “You're really lucky to have been born such a good communicator. I've always had trouble being with humans.” Once more, Artie wriggled within the jacket in a desperate attempt to make himself comfortable. Luckily, PJ's actions were able to help him relax – if only for a few minutes. Even though he disliked admitting it, Artie loved when people patted his head or ruffled his hair. He smiled, he laughed, he wagged his tail...all very much like the happy puppy he denied being.
“Well, I didn't like getting sleepy shots when they were trying to force me in here,” he noted, “But the nurses give me lollipops, so it's okay. O-oh, these little scratches? They don't hurt much.” Artie ducked his head, obviously not wanting PJ to inspect the wounds. After they moved forward, the last thing Artie wanted was to admit he'd tried hurting himself after learning PJ was put in critical condition. Most of the scratches were done by accident, of Artie having forgotten about his claws. But there was a hefty bunch he'd done on purpose as punishment for what he'd unleashed upon the invisible boy.
“You're sorry again?” huffed Artie, “I told you that you don't have to...okay. If you do a big favor for me, you can erase all of your 'sorries' permanently. It's a really big favor, so all of your mistakes will be erased and we can start over. Do you think you can handle it?” The chimera eyed PJ in a contemplative way, as if reassessing whatever prestigious, rigorous task he had in mind.
Since he could neither crawl nor help himself off the ground without aid, Artie inch-wormed his way into the center of the room. He was being silly and he knew it, but it was to make his friend laugh. And maybe, make himself laugh a little as well! With a dramatic sigh, he rolled over and rubbed his back against the floor. “My tummy is really itchy but I can't even scratch it,” he whined, “And my nose is itchy too.” He wriggled on the floor, whining and complaining as if he was interrupting a “not-date” between PJ and Carter like normal. Carter was right in saying that sometimes, Artie was too much like a little brother for comfort. “Don't forget my ears! The bandages can wait, PJ! This is an emergency.”
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Post by P. J. UMBERMAN on Oct 22, 2013 21:48:48 GMT -5
A warm feeling flushed through PJ's system, causing him to blush even more. "Thanks Artie, that means a lot to me..." He whispered with a small smile, his mood calming down a bit. "Well, you're getting a lot better! I know Lilly would certainly agree with that." He nudged him with a small chuckle. It was true though, he had gotten great enough that a human girl fell in love with him. That counted for something, right? He was picking up things he didn't do so before, and was adapting to them. He was making a lot of progress, did he even realize that?
With the news of his treatment a hint of anxiety wormed its way back into PJ's mood. He was initially treated like an animal, but at least he got a reward, right? The nurses shouldn't have seen him as a bad person. He hoped they didn't. It was obvious though that Artie wasn't going to tell PJ why he had those scratches and what they were from. He kept the temptation to prod to himself and left it at that. It was something he obviously didn't want to discuss. "Well, I'm glad that they treated you well... And that you got lollipops." He pushed out the nervousness in order to cling on to his returning cheery mood.
With the mention of his habit in speaking PJ chuckled anxiously. "Oh, sorry... It's a bad habit of mine- Oops! Sorry I said it again! Oh um..." He laughed a bit before listening to Artie who had instantly bestowed curiosity on him. "Favor..?" Now he was admittedly scared. What would be ask? Anything bad? Would it get him in trouble? Whatever the case was PJ owed it to him. He had to obey, otherwise he wouldn't be a good person. "Alright... I am..." He braced himself for what he was going to do next, even going so far as to tightly close his eyes.
When he opened them back up a few seconds later Artie was on the ground, wiggling like a puppy. Bewildered, PJ barely caught what he was trying to accomplish. He did know that he had to scratch his nose and tummy. Oh wait! And his ears too. The world might end if he didn't! With this, PJ began to instantly giggle. "Wh-what?" He asked between his amused laughs. Well, he was serious. Might as well take him up on his request. PJ stood up and followed him, plopping down by his side and cracking his knuckles. This would be interesting. "Nose, tummy and ears... Got it!" Taking a small breath PJ began to gently scratch the area around Artie's nose with his good hand. His other hand was dedicated to his ears, and, since he was a puppy and liked ear scratches, spent extra time on this. His other hand moved from the nose to the tummy, the combination of this and the ears usually a dog's favorite place to get scratches. "Am I doing it right?" He laughed with all traces of a former anxiety gone. |
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Post by ARTISAN KIM on Oct 22, 2013 22:49:01 GMT -5
The foot twitching, leg kicking, and tail wagging were all signs of a good job – that is, if PJ couldn't already tell from the big grin on Artie's face. “More to the left, PJ!” he ordered, “I haven't been able to scratch it for days!” Even if the whole “scratch-fest” idea was to have PJ lighten up, Artie couldn't deny that he actually enjoyed it. The perks of being part canine, huh?
Instead of otherworldly snarling and growling, the only sound coming from Artie were his giggles and a happy, dog-like panting sound. That is, until PJ found Artie's weak spot; the lower sides of his stomach. “Don't make me laugh!” he giggled, “You'll make me pee! Aha, that tickles! PJ! I can't breathe! That tickles!” His shrieks of laughter were playful and he tried wriggling away from PJ, although he couldn't make much ground. “No! Nooooo! It tickles!”
Artie rolled a few feet before inch-worming away, his tail wagging furiously behind him. “Don't tell Carter I'm ticklish there!” he said, still laughing, “I'll never win any fights if he knew!” There had been a few times that the staff and fellow oddities were alarmed by “fights” between Carter and Artie. In actuality, it was how the brothers played; they wrestled, they nipped, the pawed, and certainly growled and yelled a whole lot. Unless they were truly angry with each other (and in that case, truly trying to kill each other), they played by tussling around with claws unsheathed. Ninety-nine percent of the time, Artie was the one to start those games. It wasn't a bad idea for either of them to play as the beasts inside of them pleased. Security came to see them both tuckered out and happy with their play...and usually to see Carter as the winner. Although, Artie swore that one of these days he'd be strong enough to overtake the dumb cat.
“You didn't even finish scratching,” whined Artie, “Now I'm itchy and tickly.” The chimera shook himself out and managed to squirm his way into an upright position, where he went to work finishing what PJ had started. Without much effort, he managed to have his little toes – in their little white socks no less- scratch his ears. Without use of his arms to steady himself, however, he simply fell over. And laughed...and laughed...and laughed until he felt tears in his eyes. When was the last time someone had played with him like this before? “PJ?” he said, “Thanks for playing with me.”
Artie stifled a giggle. “Now, this ear could use a little more work...”
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Post by P. J. UMBERMAN on Oct 23, 2013 6:15:42 GMT -5
PJ continued to scratch Artie, going until he himself was exhausted. He pushed past that however when he saw that he was ticklish, thus scratching for a few more seconds before finally giving up. The sudden brisk motion had hurt some of his healing wounds, though otherwise he was fine. He laughed still, watching Artie tumble around on the floor with amusement. The chimera was entertaining for sure. "Are you good now?" He asked with a small chuckle.
He liked making people laugh. He really, truly, and honestly did. He was a mime for a reason as his occupation, right? He would have been a clown, but those were scary. Whatever the case was, he liked making people happy. Now that Artie had returned to his normal state of pep, he felt much more satisfied with himself then when he first walked in. With the final comment about his ear still being itchy, PJ smiled. "Here you go." PJ scooted over to behind him. "Roll over." He commanded much like a person would a dog, but with a clearly gentle tone. He had assisted Artie over to give himself the back of his jacket. "Hold still..." He mumbled softly as he began to unbuckle the restraints to his arms. Only his arms though, just in case a nurse walked in.
"And... Ta-da! You still can't use your hands, but at least this is something." With Artie's comment, a brighter smile appeared on PJ's face, the bandages along it contorting. "Oh, no problem... I uh, had fun." He lifted up his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them. "Thanks for making me smile again." |
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Post by ARTISAN KIM on Oct 23, 2013 15:55:57 GMT -5
Artie shook his arms and shrugged his shoulders, working the stiffness out of them for having been in a locked position for so long. The only reasons he'd allowed himself to be strapped in the first place were because he'd been drugged into oblivion and because he knew that cooperation would help his situation. The thankful chimera shot a smile of gratitude PJ's way. “If you ever need to cheer up, I'm always ready to play a game!” said Artie, “Though sometimes I'll need to take breaks, since my heart isn't very strong.”
He propped himself up with his newly-freed arms so he was almost lying down, but could still look at PJ. “Now I'm hungry,” he yawned, “I wish the nurses would let me have bacon for dinner. And chicken. And salmon...” The more foods he mentioned, the dreamier his eyes seemed to get. He continued to list foods – mostly meat or meat-based – until his stomach growled, begging for pity. By the time he listed BBQ ribs, he was drooling. The chimera stopped to lick his lips, then continued his list. “Lamb sounds good right about now too!” he added, “And beef. And steak. And...oh, when's dinner time here? Are you hungry, PJ? You should stay for dinner! Though, it's just a plate of peas and squash. Nothing good like the buffet lines.”
With his tail twitching contently behind him, the chimera stretched out on the floor. “I'll even share if you stay, PJ!” Now, Artie wasn't one to share food lightly...if ever. Sometimes he'd offer Lilly a bite of pie or lick of ice cream at dinner, but even his sort-of-girlfriend rarely got offered!
Either Artie ended his selfish ways when it came to possessions and food, or he was lonely enough in his cell to offer. "What's your favorite kind of dinner?" he asked curiously, "Do you like deserts? Oh! There's cookies and ice cream and potato chips and...I want them all!"
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Post by P. J. UMBERMAN on Oct 23, 2013 16:22:57 GMT -5
PJ smiled broadly with his implied gratitude, Artie's own smile contagious. He crossed his pant-covered legs and grabbed his ankles. "Okay!" He nodded, hoping that he could. He was still a bit of a kid at heart, and still liked doing dumb things and laughing about them. Plus, Carter benefited from interacting with Artie as well. He needed another animal-person to relate to, since he was always surrounded by the usual gifteds and mutants.
After Artie's breakthrough, PJ noticed that he looked like he was getting sleepy. But, instead of him announcing that, his state of hunger was. Typical Artie. PJ only half-listened to his long list of potential meals, as he was caught up in his own thoughts. When was he going to get out of here? When was he no longer a 'menace'? Maybe PJ could convince them to break him free today. He'd have to talk with the facility admins, or maybe the ringmaster himself. Maybe if they walked together he could prove to them that he was safe. He hoped so.
PJ zoned back in in an almost 'lightbulb' moment just as Artie offered food to him. "That's okay, you don't have to share." PJ assured, not wanting to take food away from a guy that deserved it. "As for me, I just like anything American. Like pie. I really love pie. Cupcakes are nice too..." Wait, why was he getting sidetracked? "Oh! Artie, do you want to see if they'll let you out soon? I could try to get an appointment to talk with the ringmaster and take you along... I'm sure he'd be reasonable about the whole ordeal." He asked with a curious tone. PJ stood up sorely, groaning a bit as he stretched out one of his stitches the wrong way. "Ooh... Yea, if you wanna go we can... They trust me here. And maybe after we can go get some food... The stuff here sounds icky." He concluded with a grimace. |
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Post by ARTISAN KIM on Oct 23, 2013 17:03:34 GMT -5
"Be more careful, PJ!" he mumbled, his eyes drooping, "Your stitches might break and that'd be gross."
The long list of future dinners unfurling in his head acted like a bedtime story, the jacket wrapped tightly around him felt more like a blanket now that his arms could move, and the padded walls made the perfect pillows. He inched closer to his teddy-bear, although he still struggled against sleep. With a lack of sensory triggers in the room, there wasn't much to keep Artie entertained. PJ's visit was the most interesting event in the week's unchanging, unscented, silent adventures in the small padded room. “Can we go right now?” asked Artie, stifling a yawn, “If we wait any longer, I'll fall asleep!”
In one swift movement, Artie's snapped the teddy-bear into his jaws and hopped to his feet. From there, he managed to rest the toy between his arms – which were still somewhat restricted because of his bound hands. “Why would they make me stay here?” asked Artie, “Once you tell them what happened, they'll let me go! I'm the same as I was before...I just made a mistake, that's all.” The last statement caused a worried expression to cross Artie's face. To soothe the troubled thoughts, Artie nuzzled his teddy-bear. Whenever he was upset or nervous, he seemed to turn to the bear as a form of comfort.
“They know I wouldn't hurt anybody, right?” he asked. The chimera sounded unsure and his tail froze for a moment, as negative thoughts raced through his mind. “Like...they won't think of me differently, will they?”
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Post by P. J. UMBERMAN on Oct 23, 2013 18:39:31 GMT -5
PJ nodded at his warning as he rubbed the area that was causing him to be sore. After a gentle pat he felt better and gestured his head towards the door that marked the entrance. "Yeah, c'mon Artie, let's go!" Of course, Artie understandably had his doubts. After all, he probably hadn't experienced the virus-like spread of rumors that often happened when something drastic occurred in the circus. It was like a plague, some oddities clung onto scraps of secondhand information like it was sustenance. Then lies would spread, then crowds would hush... It could become a mess. PJ had also gained quite the odd reputation here, he almost was viewed as pristine. Whenever something happened to him, oddities would flock to the nearest gossiper to see what had happened. But, of course, he wasn't special in any sense. It happened to everyone. After all, the normal drama with new oddballs with weird powers and mutations got old. Basic human drama was often where it was at.
"They're a little... Apprehensive when it comes to any accident. Don't take it personally at all, they just get protective of everyone." They? Pretty much anyone who held some authority at the circus. "And sometimes Artie there are people here who mask the fact that they're being hurt continuously by themselves or others and make up stories so that nobody gets worried. I'll tell them the truth, beg to set you free, and hopefully they'll listen. They... They just don't want to think I'm scared that you'll hurt me again if I act as if it was a misunderstanding when it really is not." He tried to mumble that last part, as it was the painful truth about the circus. Artie didn't at all fall into these categories, but it was time that he had to know a bit how the rules worked here. He didn't want Artie to get into trouble again, and the circus wrongly accuse him. PJ didn't want to hurt anybody. "I'm sorry if I've scared you with saying that... I just want you to be prepared for what may happen." He tried to smile, but even he was nervous. "Don't worry about it though, I'll have your back on everything, okay? Don't be scared."
As PJ began to exit the room, he held the door open for Artie. With that last comment, he whispered to himself "That remains to be seen", hopefully not to be heard by the poor chimera. He gestured Artie to follow, for him to go through the hallway and out of the facility. |
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