All Roads Lead

[tezcatl_ipoca]

Late evening/night, Day 36
Location: Carnivale Diabolique

I tried to leave you
I really tried
I closed the book on us at least a hundred times
I wake up every morning by your side...Fucking Excolo

Comments

Re: [faith]

[docconstantine]

"Reckoned you might've sodded off an' left us, Doc, now you've got your office an' all. Met the redhead who's took you there - she ain't half somethin'," Faith chides me with a nod and a wink, and I can't help but grin. "Ah, you see, I've been travelling with the show just to track her down, and now that I've located....wait...when did you meet her?" That's confusing. When we went to the Carnival last week, we only hit the rides and the games, we were no where near the girls caravan. I want to question her further, but the topic goes back to the Tower.

"What's you know about it, Doc? You sounds like a man who knows a few things." She questions me after she puts it to Tez. I don;t know what Tez is doing, or did, but it certainly affected him. "I haven't been to the Tower, but I know whats there. Darkness, and pain and promises that are fulfilled for a price, and the loss of hope. Trust me, if I could convince the other friend I've made here in town, me, Wanda and her would have been long gone weeks ago. Still working on it." I add finishing my cigarette and crushing it below my boot. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you can leave.....leave. Don't look back."

Re: [faith]

[tezcatl_ipoca]

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you can leave.....leave. Don't look back."

Here's the Doc, all spit and polish these days. And he knows what's in that Tower, even if he doesn't know it by name.

"Funny you should said that," I say, a little sourly. "Turns out all roads lead to Excolo these days - even the ones out." The words leave a bad taste in my mouth, a bad-luck taste, and I spit to one side to get rid of it.

Re: [faith]

[docconstantine]

"Funny you should said that...Turns out all roads lead to Excolo these days - even the ones out." I can only stare at him stupidly for a minute, trying to wrap my head around this new concept.
"You're fucking with me, right?" His look says he's clearly not. "So that's why I haven't been able to find you." I say, lighting another cigarette. "But you hit the road, and it led you back here? That's impossible." Tomorrow, tomorrow I'm getting my damn scooter back from Wanda and testing this theory.
"You obviously have a concept of what's wrong with this fucking town then." I add quietly, dragging the nicotine into my lungs.

Re: [faith]

[tezcatl_ipoca]

"You're fucking with me, right?"

"Wish I was. Wherever I pulled up last night, sure as hell wasn't here." He looks as troubled by this concept as I am, and more surprised. Like to see him try it - is it everyone, or just me? I can't help but wonder if it's - well, personal, as you might say.

"You obviously have a concept of what's wrong with this fucking town then."

"What, or who." I say it quietly, and can't help looking north none the less. "You know, time was I'd hit the road as soon as a hook-up turned sour. Turns out it's not so easy to run away from these things these days."

I feel fucking stupid saying it, ashamed admitting it, that I - what? Got fucked by the devil, in more ways than one? They don't know who I am, or what. Any proper human who told me he'd done that, I'd tell himself to shoot himself in the head and be done with it. There's such a thing as too stupid live.

Re: [faith]

[docconstantine]

"What, or who." He answers my question about the wrongness in town, and his eyes travel past us, north, towards.....no, he couldn't-
"You know, time was I'd hit the road as soon as a hook-up turned sour. Turns out it's not so easy to run away from these things these days."

Oh for the love of everything Holy!....Tez and.......I don't know if I should laugh or cry. I take a deep breath, and decide to plunge in headlong. "You looked different to my eyes since we came here." I say quietly, letting the fire slowly build in my eyes, then putting them out. I lean over and whisper, just so only he can hear me. "You are so much more than a side show magician, aren't you? The question is, should I be afraid of you, worship you, or just buy you a drink?" I hope my joke won't get my throat ripped out.

[Faith]

[hopeorfaith]

Sis 'n I have been listening to this little exchange with wide eyes. Roads that come back the way they left, dark things in a water tower, and the doc thinking he should worship Tez?

There's only one question, I reckon, that'll cover all this.

"What," I says clearly, "the bleeding fuck is goin' on?"

[tereixa_zann]

...you know, we don't have a piano on the lot. I stood outside her home for minutes like hours, listening to the sun and the drifting notes, and when I finally began to move I raced through town, laughing a little, running and giddy and feeling like I could fly in the hazy dazy crazy light from all around, sun scattered through clouds.

The mood stays, all day and all night, and okay I've got work to do, that's fine, but even then I catch myself humming calliope music. I'm out to stretch my legs, try to burn off a little energy, when I hear Faith's voice cutting clear across the living lot. Anyone could tell it was Faith. Hope doesn't speak like that.

"What the bleeding fuck is goin' on?"

"Don't know, I just got here," I say cheerfully. "Hey, hon. Hey--Tez! You're up and sober! Doc?" Damn, it's like old home week, from two weeks ago.

[docconstantine]

"Don't know, I just got here," I say cheerfully. "Hey, hon. Hey--Tez! You're up and sober! Doc?" Zann says cheerfully, bouncing up to us.
'Fuck, fuck, FUCK!' Goes through my mind on repeat. I'm not sure if Faith actually heard me or just 'picked up' on my question to Tez, with her and her sister, I'm never sure, but now I'm not sure if I'll get that answer or not. Depends on how talkative Tez is feeling.
"Hello Zann." I say softly with a sigh, looking back at Tez. I sure hope he doesn't mind being the center of attention all of a sudden.

[tereixa_zann]

"Hey, doc. Whatcha doing up here?" I say, dropping down and sitting with one elbow on the trunk Hope and Faith're sitting on. "You know, this town, you meet the strangest people..." I'm grinning like a fool, pinwheels sparking off behind my eyes for the world to see and I don't care. Faith and Tez have their cigarettes; I take out mine and hold two up to him, one an offer and one a request. "Light?"

[docconstantine]

"Hey, doc. Whatcha doing up here?" Zann ask, dropping down like a rag doll next to the twins, eyes shining up at me. "Just came to find Tez here and pick his brain about a few things. I try my best to shoot him a look that says 'I really need to talk to you', before turning back to the girls. "And to visit some of my favorite ladies of course." I add with a dazzling smile. "Oh, and to invite you to a party." I remember, rather sullenly. "Wanda's throwing a 'Welcome the Doctor to Town' party. Sunday night. Please feel free to come and save me from the locals." I add dryly, rolling my eyes.
"You know, this town, you meet the strangest people..."
That actually makes me laugh. "Thats an understatement." I quip, taking the cigarettes she's holding up and lighting them in the usual fashion. I've had to remember to keep matches with me in town, but here doesn't matter. "I hand Zann back hers and take another long drag. "So, what local oddity did you run into today?"

[tereixa_zann]

"And to visit some of my favorite ladies of course. Oh, and to invite you to a party." I perk up; party's always a fun thing, but if he's inviting us, that means... "Wanda's throwing a 'Welcome the Doctor to Town' party. Sunday night."

"Oh, you poor bastard!" It's worth a laugh, though, and I'm in a fine mood, I really really am. Gonna be fun to see if the townies do the same maybe welcome maybe not dance around him at carnies do when we pick up someone new. We'll see.

"Please feel free to come and save me from the locals."

"Hell, I'll just be there for the show," I say, grinning.

"So, what local oddity did you run into today?"

I shake my head, sucking the smoke deep. "Yesterday. Not today. There's a lady in town, she sees patterns, she really does, and she makes the most beautiful things out of them when she talks..." I cover my mouth with one hand and I think I'm blushing, I'm sure I'm blushing, and I don't care.

"Oh! And there's a god of night, too, except he sounds kind of like a werewolf. Gaueko. I didn't meet him, she just told me about him--"

[hopeorfaith]

Hope sees Zann and smiles all sweet like, greets her, an' is clearly relieved to see a friendly face. Think whatever is goin' on with Tez and the Doc is makin' her nervous. But it don't make me nervous. Nervy, maybe, like there's a can of cream soda in my belly, all shook up. It's exciting, I reckon.

Zann makes the conversation run on a new track, the way she does, but we never minds it cos she's pretty an' she talks like the turn of the carousel or the roll of a wagon wheel. Electric an' cogs, an' a thousand little lights.

"A party, Doc?" I say, dragging on my cig. "Sounds swell. Ain't you the fancy town gentleman now." Hope gives me a warning look, but I ignores her. "Reckon if we shows up anyone'll throw rocks? We got chased down Main Street, so we did." I purse my lips. "Real tough boys, I reckon, makin' us limp down the road." I fold my arms, cigarette bobbing between my teeth. I glance at Tez. He knows about limpin', though I reckon he ain't ever had as much jip from it as us. No, I don't reckon he has - whatever he is.