The Red Star Circus

"why are you gathering so many? Just because you want to? I can probably make up the lost objects easily, by the way. Like I said I already put the story together for one." She was sad that he hadn't mentioned that Ivan was missing, but she probably couldn't expect him to at this point. Also sometimes people just didn't like to talk about those things. She wondered if he was like that back when he was himself. She let him answer her first question before asking.

"Have you always not liked talking about your emotions, or is this a new thing?" she asked it with a very kind and caring smile on her face, hoping he wouldn't be offended. She sipped her milkshake as she waited for a response.

The words electrocuted Michael's spine, down and around his body in a way he would not have expected. It wasn't shocking or angering, they just seemed to be energized words. Did this girl have some power? Was she trying to use it on him?! Michael rubbed his Staff in thought for some time before answering.

"My Staff, this Object of mine, numbs me to the emotions that humans and their kin feel. I do not require company, nor long for a soulmate. I likewise do not become angry or sad, although on occassion I am hit with pangs of them." COnsidering his words, he shook his head at Elata.

"No, Miss Elata, it is not hard for me to speak of my emotions." This was true, it was not hard for Michael. But he spoke of his emotions as if they belonged to someone else, and at that, as if they were disdainful and not worth his time. He was revolted, it seemed, by even having them.

But yet...he thought of Ivan, and his mind linged for a brief second. "I do miss my...little brother. I was not allowed to say goodbye to him."

Then, as soon as the twinge of sadness and regret and lonliness had waved over his body, it dissappeared, and he looked back up to answer Elata's first question. "When most Seekers acquire Objects, they are solitary and alone. They do foolish things with the Objects, and many go insane. This is because they have no reference point on the Objects. No 'second opinion'." He looked proud of his own idea, the Seeker group had been his conceptualized ideal.

"That is why we are gathered in LA, where we recruit more Seekers, and...when we have obtained enough, all of us wil ldecide, together, what should be doen with them."

Elata stared at the staff. She wanted to take it and throw it into the ocean. He told her about his group as she was thinking about this. "Ah! what a wonderful idea! I'm sad i didn't have it!" she really meant the words but she was more focused on the staff. She peered at it disdainfully, then looked up at Michael sadly. "You know all that talk about seekers doing foolish things with objects....dont' you see what's happening to you?" her eyes pleaded with him. If she had to pick a seeker she had met in the past few days that would lose it to the objects, it would be Michael. She put her hand on the staff. "This thing is seperating you from humanity, it's making you alone, despite the group you've formed. You're being a giant hypocrite."

The Staff hit the ground with a great clang, Michael's feet hit the ground with an enormous thump, as he stood up and definatly stared Elata down. "No!" He shouted, more shrill and desperate than he wanted to sound. Why that was, he briefly pondered before it was done.

"My Staff...makes me strong. I can focus, and think with this. It is my Great Power, and with it I could conquer worlds! But you see, if I had gone mad as you say..." He smoothed his fingers up and down the Staff and looked sternly at the red-headed woman before him.

He continued, "Then surely, I would have used it to detroy or conquer, or pillage or take what I please. I could have abused it's power so easily, but I use it as a leader! A Great Leader, who is strong, able, willing to do anything to lead his pack to victory!" He sounded triumphant, his eyesockets gleaming with the message of the Staff.

"With it, like the wolf, I am powerful enough to lead my group to victory, through any trial we may face. Do you not see, Miss Elata?"

She watched the desperate man before her. It seemed to have gotten to him quite badly. She looked up at him from the ground worried. "The staff might be making you FEEL powerful but to be honest I think it's only a matter of time. Eventually you'll not feel any emotions at all. You said you'd do whatever it takes to lead your group to victory. What does that mean? Ivan is already sacrificed for whatever it takes, what if you deem your whole group insignificant and they're killed for whatever it takes? " she didn't think logic would go very far on this man, especially with the staff. "Besides, look at how you hold onto it! You're acting like a king when you're not michael! You just lead a group of seekers. If you aren't insane, then give me the staff, just for a week. If you can go a week without it I'll beleive that you're sane. Otherwise your group is in danger as is...well probably a lot more." She stood up and held her hand out for the staff, staring him down with all the dominance a small red headed woman could have over a towering seeker like michael.

Rage. Infuriation. Red-hot anger built in the back of his skull, his throat, his eyes. To Michael, there was something bittersweet about the emotions he now felt, like a long lost friend embracing him.

He loomed over Elata, enraged, glaring, every bit of dark energy in him seething. The Staff pulsated, commanded him, he was going to strike Elata down where she tood no- What? That did not make sense...the Staff COMMANDED him? NO ONE commanded him, Michael was free from restraints. The weak emotions of a human were beneath him, and even if the Staff was his greatest possession...

...Would he really allow a mere Object to control him? This was blasphemous, none compared to his Greatness! Not even the...the blasted Staff! Barriers within Michael's mind shook,and he thrust the Staff down, down right towards Elata. "You, Miss Elata...!"

And came to rest gently in her hands, as he passed the Staff over to her. Unaware of what would happen now, he clenched his fists, his body vibrating with anticipation as he waited for a reaction. "You may have my Object, without it's ill effects on you...for one week."

She smiled,but was also nervous. She prayed there would be no ill effects, considering what had happened to him. She had a plan though. Hopefully if he sobered enough from the power it lent him, she could convince him to let her get rid of it. She'd make sure to touch it as little as possible though. She wrapped it up in a blanket and stashed it with her swords. It had been a long day. "Well i guess we better get to the train station. I am excited to see your group!" She walked off with him. There was another matter to attend to, though she didn't like thinking about it. "Are we gonna have a funeral for Ivan anyway? Even if we can't find him, i feel like we should..." she was at peace with ivan's death now, in the way that she could let him go. She still wanted to avenge him of course, but she could certainly handle a funeral. She clasped her own hands in front of her as they walked to the train station. When would she stop feeling like crying?

An odd thing happened as Michael walked along, and it prevented him from speaking at first for a long time. Without the staff, his flesh rapidly began to rematerialize. Soft, brown hair sprouted from his head, his height dramatically decreased, and the aura of dark power around him dissippated.

His vocal chords stretching, he tried to croak out to Elata, paralyzed by his own de-transformation.

What was going on?! Wind whipped against his face, and oh God, he could feel the bitter chill of the air. Ivan Alice Seekers feelings Elata wind temperature everything nothing Staff Staff Staff!

His head whirled in a circle until his eyes came to rest on the STaff, bundled up with Elata. How long had it's grip hardened him? How long had he been entranced by it? A soft, short beard of dark hair grew on his chin, complimenting his dark eyes. He glared at Elata nonetheless, and spoke in a voice both human, and regal at the same time.

"We..." He stopped and paused, to cough. "We can have a funeral for him." Another cough.

"Oh, God, Ivan is dead..." He stopped moving, folding his arms across his chest and hugging himself. "Alice is dead! Holy...holy shit, they're both dead!"

Elata stopped as well and turned around. Yes! She felt a celebratory surge of joy before remembering that he was probably quite traumatized at the moment. She took his hand and patted it. "Yes, they are dead, but that kind of thing happens with the objects and seeking. Don't worry though, we'll make up for Ivan's death." she stared at him with sympathy. "Are you gonna be alright though? Do you need a minute?" She stood with him to see what would happen. She would try to help him through it if he had a breakdown, but they did need to get to the train. Las Angeles awaited! She decided to comfort and walk at the same time. "Well, we need to get going so, we can discuss things as we go. Feel free to say anything that comes to mind." she smiled kindly and led him towards the train station.

Michael was clearly a changed...skeleton. His human body returned to him, he was a lot like Ivan, but with a stalkier frame and a harder edge. Ivan's naivity was nowhere to be found.

He sported a rough beard that bushled out around his chin and upper lip, and long, dark brown hair like Ivan's, but with a more tangled appearance to it. Overall, he looked like he could have been ruggedly handsome, his hard stare remaining left over from his time with the Staff. He looked up, edgy brown eyes flashing for Elata, enticing, powerful and majestic.

Yet, now that he was human, there was true pain there as his memories of the Staff flooded over him. The Claws, Alices death, Ivan's punishment, his death, the Tattoo, Elata and a funeral. 'How sad.' These emotions, he had expected stronger ones. He had wanted to feel more grief, more sorrow over...over...

Tears rolled down his cheeks silently, and Michael himself seemed shocked that they were there at all. He thought of his kid brother, the person who he oved most because he was all he had. No parents, no friends, Seeking was all Michael knew, and Ivan had been the last semblance of areal world outside of that.

The big, strong man began whimpering, but kept his features resolute and impassive, staring at Elata now with sadness deep in him. "Ivan....he's..."

Elata looked worried and shocked now at the same time. He can't cry! It was such a change! She immediately hugged him upon seeing his pain. "Oh sweety I'm so sorry! Try to be strong though." she squeezed him and tried not to cry herself. He was much more agreeable without the staff but things were going to get much more complicated. She might have noticed his handsomeness if they weren't both in such horrible emotional states. They were also in a hurry, and they hadn't gotten very far. Oh well, they could take the next train if they missed this one. "Here, come sit." She led him off to the side and eased him down onto a park bench. She continued hugging him and rubbed his back and tried to comfort him as best as she could. "I know it seems very bad, and I know you're probably upset for not feeling bad sooner, but it'll all be okay, I promise. I'll be here for you." Usually she would tell someone that it was just their time. For some reason she just couldn't say that about Ivan's death. It really wasn't how she felt. She wondered why she felt that way. She had lost people she was closer too and still maintained that thought. She turned her attention back to Michael. He needed her so she should focus on him.

The larger man seemed to be in his late 20s, and turning towards Elata, he kept a strong face and commanding prescence. "We should not have stopped as we have now. My group will wish for news of Ivan, and I do not wish to put them off."

His formal speech patterns had manifested themselves as a habit now, and he felt cold, talking that way. He also realized that his tearswere almost entirely superficial; he felt minimal pain in his mind for Ivan's death, but quite a deal of it in his heart.

He stood up, again his features highlighted themselves in the glare ofthe sun; for he was a tall man. And his tale was tall also.

"Come. We must make the train. I will tell you of Ivan on the ride to Los Angelas...I will" His voice seemed to falter and he thought of Ivan and Alice again. Looking around, he came to look at Elata's supplies, and noticed Ivan's bloody trench coat.

He put his hand forward, indicating that she give it to him immediately.

Elata got up with him and immediately handed the coat over when he motioned for it. This was an odd person now, a combination of two Michaels. She kind of liked it though, emotional but a good leader, all she had wanted him was to feel a little pain for Ivan and as long as he had that then things should work out. She smiled brightly and had a bounce in her step as they continued walking again. This would be an odd new journey. She was a little struck by his appearance in the sunlight. She did wonder breifly if the staff merely took some sort of majesticness he already had and just blew it out of proportion. She realized he hadn't finished his sentence. "You will...?"

There was a royal brisk way in which Michael walked, and he hurried ELata along, motioning for her. "Come, come! We must hurry, Miss Elatta, now." That was the arrogance, bubbling just under the surface again.

Michael had apparently always been arrogant.

But now, it seemed more deserved, as he walked with the air of a man who aimed to defeat his foes despite everything he'd lost. He hugged Ivan's coat closely against his chest for a moment, before unfolding it, wrapping it around, and donning it for himself.

Now, the handsome, powerful leader looked even bigger, as though he could throw a punch to topple buildings. This was Michael, no Holder of the Staff. And oddly enough?

He rather liked the feeling of cold wind on his face.

"Oh, well if we have to hurry," Elata grabbed him and took off at a run. People often wondered how she could run so much. Well she did run everyday, no matter what. It helped that she was quite short and slim, so it didn't particularly take much to move her body quickly. Michael could probably out pace her easily though, being so much taller than she. Elata also relished in the cool breeze, she loved the feeling of it whipping past her face and accross the skin on her legs and arms. Her mane of red heir blew behind her, bouncing and glinting in the sunlight as she worked her way up faster. Now she was excited! Any obstacle she came accross she usually jumped, vaulted, or flipped over as opposed to just going around it, all the luggage she carried didn't even affect her pace. She was sure Michael would be able to keep up, but people often commented that she had too much energy, even the most physically fit would become tired trying to follow her too long. Unless Michael had a problem with it, she would probably run all the way to the train station.