Master Sterling's Circus Utopia!

[Viper]

“What can I say? I’m talented! Sterling doesn't just keep me around for my looks and personality, you know?” Although though were totally part of the reason, but most of it was just because they were legitimate friends and comrades. No matter what Judas did, Sterling would likely keep the child like contortionist on board and in charge.

“Well if you find me rummaging through your bags in a few months just know that I am going to pink myself out for february! You will get to see- well feel- a pink doll when that comes around, what do you think about that?”

Raising his hands in surrendering, “Hey, no pressure Lotus, it was just an offer. But I’ll fix up your old stuff, in fact I probably would have had to do that anyway knowing Sterling's quality control. I swear, that boy has never been able to just settle with what he has already got. He’s always reaching for the stars but I guess that is what got Utopia so much fame so it’s not all bad.” An image of Sterling popped into Judas’s head, the manipulator was much younger with longer hair, falling out of a ponytail, scrubbing all of the vehicles mid winter for hours without end because they had gotten dirty after driving through mud. No matter how much Juas pushed his boss would not come inside, claiming that the mess made both him and the circus look unprofessional and since they were so new, they needed to make good impressions. It was a hard thing to watch, especially as the day turned to night Sterling was still scrubbing away.

Shaking off the negative memory, Judas easily slipped back into a smile. “Alright, Lotus, sleep well! I’m sure that me or Sterling will see you in the morning during breakfast! Just scream if something bites you, kay? Me and Sterling will come running!” With that the doll boy skipped off, literally, he pranced off the ground in a dance like manner all the way back to his tent where he found Sterling sitting on one of the seats with a cup of steaming tea in hand and a thick blanket over his shoulders, mostly though he just looked concerned… and curious.

“Tell me everything you two talked about.” Sterling ordered without hesitation. The response came just as quickly, Judas divulging everything as accurately as possible.
~~~
The tent of the Cobra was smaller than Sterling and Judas's tent, as should be expected when comparing a master's tent versus those in the performers. Yet Cobras room was larger than most of the others in the camp, a gift from Sterling to show his fondness for the snake charmer and the few other ‘first string’ performers with Circus Utopia. Drake, the one who previously had the tent to himself, knew that he had his boss's favor, as did everyone else. It was always clear who was in Sterling's favor, and who was not, because in addition to a larger tent their requests were met far more often. This meant a lot because Sterling spent very little on luxury items unrelated to the show itself unless you were one of his favorites.

In Drake’s case, his favoritism was used to get himself a heater. Due to this his tent was very hot. So much so infact that even mid winter you could likely walk about in a t-shirt comfortably. This temperature was chosen for more than one reason. First, Drake was assigned a costume that consisted of a tattered dark cloth...and that was it. Besides his crotch, all of his skin and scales were visible. Yes, this snake charmer possessed scales scattered across his body in small patches, they were semi transparent with a touch of a silver shine to it and they had been there since his birth. However the main reason his tent was so warm was because of his act, his snakes, which were supposed to be housed with the rest of the animals in the circus but Drake demanded that he was allowed to keep them with him. Sterling complied with this desire as well and so there the snakes who lived in the comfort of the warm setting with their owner who cared for them with a passion far more than he cared for his human crew mates.

A few hours easier Judas had thrown himself into Drake’s tent and informed the albino boy that he would now get a roommate. Drake had to keep his snakes locked up, but as long as he did this then they could still stay in the tent. If the new boy got bit or even startled by one of them then the serpents would get put outside with the rest of the beasts. Drake had no choice to comply and to helped Judas clean and set up one half of the tent so that it would be fit for living. Thankfully, Drake was fairly organised. He was not obsessed with it or anything, not like Sterling was, but he kept his personal items in good condition and at least stacked or sorted. Now though, all of them had been shoved to one side of the room turning half of the room into a disorganised mess of mostly books and papers.

Drake had been waiting up for his new roommate, although he tended not to sleep much anyway so it was not a problem. He was lounging on his bed, flicking through a book that was placed on his lap but not really reading any of it. He was distracted, too consumed with the idea that he was going to have to keep his snakes locked up all the time just to make things safer for his new roommate, which was the other issue keeping Drake on edge. He hated being around others, hated the pressure of social interaction, but Judas had given him good motivation earlier that day that would make the nervousness worth it. “It looks like you and your pets could use some more food… take care of Sterling's new boy, show him around and take care of him, and I’ll hook you up. Got it?” The opportunity to increase the rations was too appealing to refuse, although Drake had to work himself up a fair bit to even consider willingly talking to another.

Even before the stranger came in, Drake knew he was there. It was of no fault of the stranger, however Judas was a loud mouth who could easily wake people up from a deep sleep solely because he did not ever think to lower his voice. Drake hated Judas, hated the way he invaded everyone's privacy in a way that gave Drake a headache anytime he was forced to spend time with the human doll. Sterling had the snake charmers respect though, so even though he did not like everything his boss did, the vocalist had taken Drake in without hesitation and seemed to want him to be happy, which Drake appreciated more than he would ever say out loud. Not to mention the fact that Sterling also respected the fact that Drake did not like long conversations so the boss was more than happy to just watch from a distance.

When the tent flapped open though, Drake lightly closed his book and placed it on the floor next to his bed, uncurling his lanky as he got into a sitting position. “Hey, I’m Drake.” He responded, his voice soft and hesitant. Meeting strangers were always the worst thing about this job. “So,um, your bed is right over there and I cleared out some of the drawers for you… I don’t know if you're tired though but if you want you can just go to bed now. Lights up are around six am and breakfast is served at seven even on the days we do not perform, so you will probably be tired tomorrow even if you do go to bed now because it is fairly late.”

Although Akane could not see it, Drake only looked at him a few times during his entire introduction. This was common to the snake charmer though, he hated making eye contact with people, he hated feeling their eyes staring intently upon his own or, must more often, on his scales. At least by looking in another direction he could pretend that the other person was not staring. So when he spoke to someone he always looked elsewhere or simply put his head down, in this case Drake intently looked down at his blankets trying to smooth out the same wrinkle that would never go away. Normally he would attend to his snakes which would not only keep him from making eye contact, but they calmed him.

“Anyway, uh, I’ll be helping you get used to this place so ask any questions that you may have.”

 

[Vik]

It would’ve been so much easier had he had a sign. Just big, bold letters printed on a board strung around his neck, “Blind! Blind! Blind!” It’s exhausting to go over again for strangers, but he understands he must. There’s no distinctive tell for the moment. Most could quickly pick up the disability when they saw the white cane in his grip, prodding the ground in front of him. It’s only a shame he had it zipped away and buried under hastily folded clothes.

“It’s nice to meet you, Drake.” He greets, feeling around with a hand that’s quick to tug away at the wrong texture.

Thankfully, he’s not met with the one his mind is oh so careful of. Anything scaly. Akane didn’t really know how to feel about the slithery creatures. They weren’t something he hated, or feared beyond reason. It’s just the way he was raised. Mostly on around fields, and in the summer that was a hotspot for the reptiles. You didn’t go near them, not when a kid had gotten bit about five summers ago and ballooned like a blimp.

“Thank you.” Akane starts, patting the rail of a bed. He only prays it’s his own. “for taking the time to do that.”

His fingers trace over a mattress that is thankfully not occupied.

That’s enough for him to shrug off the bag that’s both weighing down his shoulder and drop the one in his arms. The loss is not missed as he rolls his shoulders and notices something strange. It was warm in here, suddenly a flimsy costume feels too much for the temperature. It’s a striking contrast to the nightly chill outside, that was for sure. Being at the bed is enough for him. So long as he can station at a spot and finally sit.

His foot was aching, poorly wrapped, and hot to the touch. The bandage is unraveled as he faces the floor. He sets the wrap aside and searches his bag for a new one. Something more durable for longer wear. It seemed he couldn’t be getting much sleep tonight, but any amount seemed almost divine for his drained body. He’s been balancing on the edge all night, anxiety could steal your energy and more. He still felt the stress in this room. It was all new.

“Do you have any expectations?” This however wasn’t new to Akane. He’s been through plenty of roommates. All different. “Anything you want me to be careful of?”

Anything, is really pressed with emphasis. To think something could be slithering on the floor gave him chills, he didn’t hate snakes, he hated being so unaware. His feet pick up off the floor in reminder and he scoots back just a bit. Busying himself with going through his belongings and sorting what’s what. He pulls out clothes first, taking the time to fold them carefully as he begins to make tiny neat stacks.

Scarves are balled up and pushed aside.

Turning, he begins to disrobe with ease, he’s lived in shared spaces for far too long. He folds the costume before setting it down in a pile of the same kind. Another realization, he’d have to find a place to wash his clothes. Frustration piles quickly, only growing on the established anger with the whole situation at hand. He knew he would have to make the best of it, but it didn’t make him any happier. Akane can only hope he’ll be in a much better mood with sleep. Dawn really couldn’t come soon enough.

“Breakfast sounds nice.” Akane smiles. It was something to look forward to. Something small, but innocent. He doesn’t bother finding something else to change into. Leaving on what covered him beneath the kimono, breathable and lightweight clothes fit for the heat of the tent. "I'm sure it's lively too, if even a portion of the people here are anywhere near as chatty as Judas." Akane doesn't push too much for a conversation with Drake. He doesn’t seem as talkative as Judas, nowhere near it actually, he thinks with a silent chuckle. Now that he thought about it, Judas did tell him the man was a quiet one.

Something he could respect fully.

He reaches over, feeling the side of the bed, before remembering that the dresser would no longer be situated on the right. His hand only grips the air, not a knob. A pesky frown surfaces.

“Oh for Pete sakes,” Akane huffs. He sits back again with the clothes still in hand and tries to ease his frustrations with a deep breath. This would take some getting used to. More than the people, or anything Utopia had to offer, he had to relearn his settings and adjust.

“I’ll be up all night doing this.” It’s really no exaggeration. “I can’t see a thing—I’m blind as a bat. I hate to be a bother, but would you be kind enough to tell me what’s around me?”

 

[Viper]

If Drake had bothered to look up, he would have noticed Akane’s trouble moving. Yet since the most he did was glance up every few breaths all he got was the image of him moving slowly across the room. It was almost funny, the blind man who wanted to see and the man who could see but chose not to... they were an interesting pair of roommates just on principle, that was for sure.

When Akane thanked him, Drake just shrugged, “I didn’t really have a choice in the matter but you are welcome, I guess.” A life of studying and solitude did not really teach Drake proper social manners, all he should have said was you're welcome but he did not feel right taking credit for something he did not want or choose to do, so he divulged more than was necessary.

“Expectations?” Drake pondered over this for a moment. He had never had a roommate before, Sterling did not have enough favorites that they had to share rooms normally plus no one willingly offered to room with the recluse and his slithery pets. He was not used to this, and honestly was not excited to either. “Well, I bet Judas told you already and it’s pretty obvious, but I’m the snake charmer. I keep them in here so that they can keep warm since they are cold blooded. There is a box of them over in that corner and on my desk, just don’t open them….. Judas ordered me to keep them locked up since you are here now, so I think that as long as they stay shut there should be no issue. Oh and when you are not here I will be letting them out of their cages so tell me before you enter, I’ll put them away.” This was one of the few things that Drake seemed willing to talk about so for a rare occasion, his sentence lasted more than a single digit word count.

Although Drake walked around almost nude daily, he still was not used to seeing other people in such a way. Hell, he didn't even enjoy seeing his own skin showing so much although this was for more reasons besides just general modesty. So when he started to notice Akane disrobing, he stood up and walked to the corner of the room where one of his snake containers were kept. Has he approached they hissed lightly, and there was even a slight rattle coming from one of the unseen serpents. Drake could tell that this was not a sign of aggression, but a test. They knew there was another, less familiar, presence in the tent which was putting them on edge. “Yeah I’m nervous too… don’t worry, we will get used to it soon enough, I’m sure.” Drake whispered these comforting words to his snakes, trailing his finger over the top of the lid without a smile.

Glancing over his shoulder to see if his roommate had put some clothes on, Drake was sad to see that he had not. ‘I am such a hypocrite, there is no way I could ask him to put something on while I’m forced to wear this damn cloth.’ Deciding to keep his discomfort quite, Drake just turned back to his snakes which was not unlike a living ‘comfort blanket’ to him. If Akane had not been here Drake would have them freely moving about the tent and at least one of them making direct contact with him at all times. Tonight would be the first time in over a year that Drake would be sleeping alone.

“Yeah, very lively.” Drake responded, nodding to himself and a bit of bitterness slipping out in his tone. “If Judas were not enough, Theo will be there too and those two never seem to stop talking….” It was obviously not a compliment. Drake was not a morning person, his near insomnia playing a hand in that, so his normal distaste for loud people was heightened so early in the morning. But there was no way out of it. If you did not go to breakfast during the time it was served then you did not get breakfast, it was as simple as that, and Drake was lacking far too many nutrients already to risk that. So each day he put up with Judas, Theo, and occasionally Sterling when he got in certain moods.

The annoyed exclamation of Akane caused Drake to turn towards him, wondering if he did something wrong. “Your blind?” Drake questioned, before continuing softly, “Well that explains it.” Now it made sense why the boy did not comment on his scaly skin all this time, Drake had been thinking that the other boy simply didn't care or was used to such deformities, but this was more logical than either of the options. “So are you completely blind or only partially? Were you born without it or- actually nevermind, forget I asked.” He was curious, having read about blindness in the past but never having met anyone with it, however Drake did not want to push or draw to much attention to Akane’s problem. Drake knew all too well how it felt to get interrogated over your physical traits so he would not do the same to his new roommate. This is why he backed off so suddenly and completely.

“But, uh, yeah, I can help you.” Standing up Drake got kinda close, within about two feet, but he did not hold out a hand to help Akane physically. He dared not touch anyone, even a blind man, since other than Sterling no one really liked to feel scales on a human person. “So your dresser at the end of your bed and has a…” Drake hesitantly went on the explain what and where the furniture and items were in the tent for their use, not touching the other boy once. Most tents just had a bed, a dresser, and an end table, but the ‘favorites’ had those things and more. Often a full sized mirror so they could change in their rooms rather than the backstage dressing room, comfier beds, a radio, and other such commodities. Drake specifically had a bookcase and a heater in his tent, as mentioned earlier.

“Does that help at all? I can describe them again, if you think it will help.”

 

[Vik]

Akane frowns, clearly unsettled by what’s been said.

“Keep them locked up?” He shakes his head.

Yes, Akane was unfamiliar with the animal. He’s never had an encounter with the scaled creature, but he wasn’t ignorant to the fact this felt wrong. It was obvious they weren’t usually confined to a box. Change was hard, hell, Akane knew that very well. Adjustments and accommodations were being made on both sides; this was just as new for the newest performer as it was for the other. There had to be things the snake charmer had given up for the sake of his presence, and he was learning what seemed the biggest.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that. I’m not asking you to do that.” Akane gestures aimlessly, in correlation to the snake’s whereabouts. His voice slurs with slight sleep. “S'long as one doesn’t slither into bed alongside me, I think we should be fine.”

A pause of consideration.

“Will they do that?”

A hand cuts through the air and dismisses the question entirely.

“No, no matter.”

The premise is sort of exciting? If Drake would let them out, he almost jitters in anticipation. He’s clueless to the reptile, what they were capable of entirely, they’re features, what they looked like. He’d never even heard one, that rattle across the room had to be a first. Akane was starved for knowledge, but he didn’t go shooting off questions in a ploy to annoy the other to death. He knew they were long, skinny bodies, but what was the texture?

Broken from his thoughts, he peers upwards, tuning back in.

“Huh?” He processes the question and sits up a little straighter. “Oh! I was born blind; they think it was a genetic issue. I’ll never know for sure. It was just something that went unchecked. I never had the perception of light, it’s always been dark.”

Akane really didn’t mind talking about it. He never obtained sight, and therefor couldn’t miss it. There was no ails for the loss, but he sure wished his sight had held out a little longer; some colors under the belt would’ve been nice. He picks at a piece of lint distractedly, but listening to Drake continue on all at once.The man comes a little closer, he picks that up by the volume of his voice and it does startle him just a bit. He was quiet, both verbally and on his feet. A smile lifts at the description of a dresser. He had his own?
It feels like such a silly thing to get excited about, but he can’t help climb over the sheets and reach the end. He reaches out and touches the knobs, the squared off sides, and dares to let himself fawn over the height. All drawers are empty and he’s madly in love; he immediately sets on shoving clothes into their places. It’s been a…an experience sharing one with countless women. He’s grabbed items that weren’t his own and had days he’d rather erase from his memory entirely.

The tent seemed a lot bigger than the ones Akane were familiar with. He’s very pleased with that. More room meant for less tripping. You tightened down the space and things got left out, left in the way, and made for a nasty fall.

“More than you can imagine, thank you.” He waves a hand in polite refusal. “That’s alright. I think I’ve got a handle on it now.”

Unpacking was more difficult than packing. He realizes this when he sinks to the floor and begins to sort through his belongings that have been shoved in a haste. He nearly laughs at the quality folding job done by Ana, his fingers sinking into the delicate robes that are placed in a drawer separate from all others. He placed things where they belonged, grouping each article of clothing with their siblings. Sock, tucked together. Tops, all shoved to the left while bottoms went to the right. Organization just made him saner.

Sighing, he leans back and rolls his neck in exhaustion; heavy in his bones and persistent. Too much’s happened in the span of a night. He’s rundown from performing and being plucked from his home, something cold and sharp ghosts the male’s fingers. His eyes pin straight ahead, mouth tensing in a line for the briefest second as he curls a grip around the item inside.

It’s kept in the bag. That not being enough, some shirts are thrown over it. He stuffs the incriminating tool inside the very bottom drawer. It’s hidden behind a clump of his belongings and the wheels turn on its tracks as he slides it shut.

Akane climbs back under the sheets. He presses his face into an unfamiliar pillow and swallows another sigh. The tension in his body Is replaced by gratifying relief. Shifting a little, he turns, the blanket drawn up to his neck. His eyes have already fallen closed. Tomorrow was a new day, but Akane could only look forward to it for one reason. A start to an end, he refused to stay, and do whatever it took to revoke his contract and leave.
There's no more tears, thankfully. He doesn't even so much as sniffle. Instead, he's with hope. Enough to numb the uncertainty and any feelings of helplessness. He slips into a drowsy state that will lull him into sleep. No matter how short.

“Goodnight, Cobra.”

 

[Viper]

“Thank you…” Drake smiled, honestly feeling happy that his roommate would at least tolerate his snakes. The reptiles did not have a good reputation to most people, although they could tolerate them from afar, they hated to even be near the cold blooded creatures. “I'll keep some of them in their cage just to make sure that they do not get in your way, just in case, but they will appreciate not getting put away all the time.”

“They should not try and sleep with you. They don’t like strangers very much so most likely they will stick close to me whenever you are in the tent…. At least at the start. “ Drake chuckled, reaching into the cage and allowing one of the smaller ones to twist around his wrist and up his arm. The creature was not moving as much as he normally did, but his tongue was flicking into the air constantly trying to figure out what the deal was with Akane. Running a hand down the body of the snake in an attempt to calm it, Drake continued to speak to Akane, “They tend to sleep with me though, don’t worry.”

Drake only made a light hum in response to Akane’s blindness. He mentally made a declaration that he would ask Sterling to pick up some books on the topic next time he went into town. The snake charmer was a bookworm and he liked learning, so when confronted with something he was so unfamiliar with he always sought to learn more as long as it did not involve him having to interact with others or go out in public. So if Sterling said no, then that would be that, Drake would not pursue the matter even a little further.

Drake left Akane to unpack his things after helping him around the tent a bit. He could have offered to help but he was not comfortable enough yet to touch other people's things, or risk being touched by accident. Now knowing that his roommate was blind gave Drake a small sense of peace, he did not have to worry about be stared at and he could look at the other one without feeling awkward. Drake never looked long but he did take his eyes off of his book more than he would have otherwise. His snake, Volta, was twisting around his neck at this time, repeatedly putting itself in between the book and Drake as if asking for attention. Every time this happened Drake couldn't help but chuckle, giving his pet what it wanted before getting distracted by the book in front of his face once again.

“Hmm? Oh, g-goodnight Akane” Drake stumbled, not expecting Akane to speak to him again before the morning. There was one more good thing about his roommate being blind, Drake could keep his desk light on and read all night without concern for the other person. So that was exactly what Drake did, he stationed himself in a familiar position on his bed with his snake in his lap as he turned page after page until the morning light bled through the tent's walls.
~~~~
When the morning came, Sterling was the first to open his eyes when the familiar sound of his alarm coming through the cool morning air broke through his rest. It was the sound of a flute getting blown out of tune, loud and screeching. Sterling couldn't trust Judas to wake up on time, so he got up first only to force his friend out of bed. “Judas hurry up.” Sterling commanded roughly, kicking his friend's bed with his foot until the human doll rolled out of bed blinking his bright green eyes at his boss.

“Wha? Oh, yeah, yeah, I’m getting up.” Judas said, clearly not actually getting up as his eyes started to drift back closed. In order to avoid his friend falling asleep again, Sterling gave the doll one more light kick to the ribs in order to spur the boy into action. This time it worked.

Sterling, for all his time in the circus business and focus on controlling his own emotions, was not a morning person in the slightest. Oh he could get up and function just fine, but his attitude and temperament were far from pleasant right at the start of the day. If there was one thing you did not want to do at Utopia, it was make Sterling angry before he had been awake for at least an hour. Judas always got to deal with his boss first and had long ago taken the responsibility of making sure everyone got up on time. Sterling was not fit for that job, having a bad habit of throwing things at people who did not get up when he first called them. Instead, the ringmaster went to make sure that the food would be ready by the time breakfast was called… it kept him more or less on his own until he got the chance to wake up fully and remember that being civil was part of his persona. Everyone was happier, and healthier, this way.

So after changing, putting in his scarlet contacts, and making sure he looked just right, Judas skipped out of the master tent to go wake up the camp. He voice was loud and chipper as always, not suffering from the same morning temper as his boss did. It wasn't uncommon for people to wake up before Judas made it to their tent, his voice traveling far enough that the more sensitive sleepers could hear it. Judas never left a person's tent until at least one of them was standing up, he needed to be sure that they were not going to fall back asleep because if they did and Sterling noticed, they would have to deal with the boss which no one wanted so early in the morning.

When Judas got to the snake masters tent, the sun was only barely poking above the horizon. Judas practically threw open the tent door and, in a sing song voice, attempted to wake up his troupe, “Good morning, Lotus and Cobra! It’s time to get up, breakfast will be ready in a half hour and everyone expects you both to be there!”

Luckily, or rather unfortunately, Drake had not gotten a wink of sleep that night so he did not need to jump awake at the sudden bursts of activity so early in the morning. He was already up. “Yeah… okay. I’ll make sure Akane gets there on time.” Drake, although also expected to be there, knew that Akane was who was most important today. Socially skilled he was not, but it didn't take a master socialite to notice that the new guy was always the star for the first week or two, especially when Sterling showed such favor to them.

“You better~” Judas continued, glee written in his tone of voice, “Remember our deal, you take care of Akane and we take care of you.”

“I know” Drake said plainly.

Judas, unsurprisingly, was not put off even in the slightest. “Glad to hear it. Anyway I've got half a camp to wake up still so I'll see you boys at breakfast, and bring your appetites, cause Sterling is making something special to celebrate our new show mate's arrival.”

Then just as quickly as he had appeared, Judas left to go shock some other poor soul into action. Which left Drake and Akane once again alone. Drake sighed and uncurled himself from bed, returning his snake companions to their cage before he went over to make sure that Akane was getting up, “We better start getting ready to go... are you up?"

 

[Vik]

The first thing that wakes Akane up is an aching throat. He curls into himself, clutching the blanket dearly, and very aware of the voice beside him. Though, Judas’s cheery morning attitude is what really shakes him awake. He doesn’t make sense of what he’s saying, still swimming in a bleary state of exhaustion. Up until Drake’s voice breaks through and forces him to swallow and make room for words. The dull ache is from how hot he is, swaddled in sheets that he knows pushes away.

“Mhm,” he only mumbles.

Akane’s not too chipper. He’s not a morning person in the slightest, the birds weren’t chirping pleasantly outside, he didn’t enjoy the crisp morning air, or the grogginess that started his day. No, but he wasn’t mean spirited. He knew better than to snap at those around him. He was just—distant, trying to make sense of things as he sat up and dislodge any knots in his horrid bedhead. With each one he wondered where he could find some clippers.

“Morning.” Akane tries with the pleasantries, hopelessly monotonous. He knows he looks rough, from an even rougher night. Both hands splay across the lining of his bed. Feeling their way so he can stand and make move for the dresser. “Sleep well?”

The longer he walks around and actually wakes up, the more his mood starts to take a turn for the better. “Judas the communal alarm, huh?” This is followed by a snort of amusement. A dangerous job that could be, had to hand it to him; some people didn’t take too kindly to the first thing they saw through the haze of sleep.

To be honest, Akane had no clue what the day had in store for him. He wasn’t sure of everyone’s schedule around here. Where he was supposed to go. What he was supposed to do. It all blindsided him. This is clear by the way he has a hard time picking what to wear. His fingers feeling the fabrics; silks, cotton, and spandex. A frown pulls, but he manages to overcome it by making a firm decision. He’d grab something fit for performance.

One of the many faults of being blind was being stylish impaired. He tended to just wear what felt nice on his fingers. If you sifted through his drawers you’d find more silk than anything; it reminded him of his act. Innocent, but no knowledge in what clashed and what didn't. Colors specifically. Now that he’s far away from his comfort zone and the people he could speak freely with, he struggled.

In the end; he snatches up a loose fitted button up, thankfully navy and back stirrup tights. It’s a guessing game. From his marvelous view, they could be any shade. A silent prayer goes out as he burrows his head into the shirt and worms his way into the pants. Buttons are inevitably missed.

Tying his shoes was a whole other matter. Akane was far from helpless, but shoestrings were his greatest enemy. He just isn’t having it today, and opts for flats. Because you can’t go wrong with something without dreaded laces. The ache in his ache has died down to something tolerable. It’s nearly nonexistent, until he applies pressure to his heel and feels the burning flinch. A mental reminder not to do that again.

Two fingers press against the skin and check for swelling. He’s glad to feel there’s none. The skins no longer throbbing either. He presses a little deeper and catches a hiss between his teeth. He’d hurt a muscle alright and works his thumb in just to relieve some of the tension. Akane would have to be careful on it.

Worries ground themselves fast. New people, new everything, his foot almost taps obsessively against the floor.

“Ready when you are,” Akane says. Worrying on his lip in turned secrecy, he’s stressed. More than he’d like.
Pissed off too. At who isn’t a mystery, the brush in his hand is returned to its drawers and he tries not to pace. He’s already asked Judas, got an answer well rounded and helped. But it didn’t sooth the worry. He almost asks Drake, but decides against it. This would just have to be something he’d have to experience for himself. Though he doesn’t stop mulling; just what was everyone like?

Trying to distract himself, he focuses on his roommate. A ghost of a smile rises with the question. True to his word, nothing Akane’s paranoid infused mind had concocted happened last night. It made him feel silly for even getting that worked up.

“Will any of your friends be accompanying you?”

 

[Viper]

“Uh, yeah… you?” Drake lied to Akanes question on if he slept well. If his roommate could see, he would have seen the albino snake charmer with almost no color on his entire body outside of his cloth skirt and the deep black bags under his eyes from many nights of little to no sleep. Drake never slept, going days without a wink and then crashing for half a day. It was a bad habit he had since youth, pulling so many all nighters until the point that his body got used to it and made it nearly impossible for him to rest normally. Oh he was tired, but his body wouldn't listen. With enough effort Drake could have re taught his body but like so many other things, Drake did not make the effort.

Speaking about Judas brought a snarl to Drake’s normally blank face. Never had he hated someone more than he did that loud mouth. “He always has been, at least since I got here. Some people apparently do not respond to alarms very well so in order to make sure that everyone stays on schedule, Judas runs around screaming. Roommates are responsible for roommates, so if one does not show up to breakfast then the blame is on both of them. Sterling takes a head count every morning so take it seriously… you don’t need to worry about me though, I’ll be up before you.” Drake was fond of rules, he was good at following them too, so much in fact that he probably could have wrote a rule book on the extensive list, detailing every law within Utopia no matter how small. Memorisation at it’s finest.

Drake did not have to get ready, he wore just about the same thing every day and since he never did any physical labor, his clothing and hair never got that dirty. He was clean though, just not very tidy. He ran his fingers through his hair and that was that. Which left the snake charmer to do just that, charm his snakes through soft whispered words and a few bits of food carefully given to each and every one of the serpents in their cage. It took some time so just as soon as Drake was finished, as was Akane.

“My friends? I don’t have any fr-” Drake paused, realising that by friends Akane meant the snakes, not actual people. Something about that revelation brought a smile to Drake’s face, “Oh, yes, always. Only two today though, I don’t want to lose track of any of them while we are still setting up. These guys have a habit of sneaking away when I am not paying attention during the day so I would rather not risk them getting squashed under someone's feet of something.” Just as he claimed, Drake at that moment had two snakes twisting upon his body. One was around his neck, tight but not choking him, while the other one was alternating between his left and right arms using his hands as a bridge between them. One of them was poisonous, but no one else needed to know that besides Drake and Sterling.


Drake could see that Akane was a bit overdressed for a set up day, not to mention his shirt was buttoned terribly, but out of fear of being rude Drake kept that to himself. It probably would have been kinder to say something but instead the snake charmer kept silent and pretended that he did not see anything.

“Just follow me… Uh, actually, how are we going to do this?” Darke looked back and forth between himself and Akane. The boy was blind and Drake would be damned if he was going to take his hand and lead him personally. No touching, that was main rule that Drake tried his best to adhere to. “Do you have a walking stick or something?” He knew that most blind people had one, something to check out their surroundings so that they would not run into anyone. “Just grab that and keep close… if that is okay with you at least?”

~~~

Once Akane did as asked, assuming he did at least, Drake lead Akane out of the tent and down the pathways towards the dining center. The morning was far more noisy than it was at night, although still better than it would be in mid afternoon. Half of the camp was still asleep like walking zombies while the others were awake and normal, not impacted by the early nature of the damp, cool morning. There were plenty of yawns heard in the air on the way to their destination, some light chatter, and the closer they got the louder everything got until there was not only light chatter but utensils against plates and one familiar voice speaking above them all.

He was bundled in a heavy coat that weighed his down considerably and his temper was as hot as his body this morning. This bundled appearance was normal, every even slightly cold morning Sterling went about the camp in a winter coat and tea, keeping the chill at bay with all his might.

“It’s not that hard! Just throw your goddamn trash into the bin, not onto the ground or left on the table! Every fucking time we eat I have to remind some idiot about this simple matter and I’m getting pretty damn tired of cleaning up more of a mess than your existence already is! I swear to christ that the next time I find a tray on the ground I am going to throw both it and you into the trash compactor and watch you both crunch down into a teeny tiny cube of filth that can be set aflame with nothing more than a match! “ Sterling's normally calm voice was loud, demanding, and oh so angry. He screamed and ranted at the poor sod who thought littering was okay, the fool at that moment had his head thrown down onto the table right on top of the dirty plate which Sterling had taken off the ground. He was getting his skull crushed, forced downwards with nearly all of Sterling's body weight. He dared not fight back and no one jumped in to help either only muttered comments such as ‘not again’, ‘that idiot should have known better’, and ‘it’s way too early for this’. People looked after number one, and that was it, but that was the way the world worked when under the rule of a tyrant.

He normally was in a bad mood but today, the first day of his new ‘pets’ arrival, any flaw was inexcusable. Due to this Sterling was just about to fall into another furious rant over why he hated littering in his camp when he glanced up and caught sight of two of his three favorite people. Drake and Akane, the talented freaks that Utopia was founded to house and honor. Like a balloon with a hole in it, the anger and fury fizzled out of Sterling's body as he finally got to see the joyful reason he was so worked up in the first place. Mornings may have been rough normally but for today, or at least that moment, the pleasure of Akane’s arrival far outweighed the morning grumpiness.

Sterling let go of the idiot man's hair, letting him finally take his head off of the syrupy and sticky plate, “We will talk later, Jeremy, understand?” Sterling whispered threateningly as he strided his way towards his Favorites. “Akane, Drake, good morning.” Sterling said grandly, throwing his hands out to the side in a welcoming motion. “I hope your first night together was a good one. So sorry that I could not help you unpack last night, Akane, I had other responsibilities to attend to.”

As he approached through the master's face fell a bit into honest concern, “Oh, Drake, you look horrible! Did you not take the medicine I gave you?” Reaching up, Sterling placed his hands on both sides of Drake’s face, rubbing his thumbs under the snake charmers eyes right where the bags were clearly showing. In response to this Drake flinched away, although he did not free himself, while his snakes on the other hand became worked up over someone being so close to their owner. Sterling, in his blind obsessive concern for one of his favorites, took no notice of either of these things, “This won't do… Come to my tent tonight before ten, Drake, and I will mix up your medicine in some of my tea. Don’t make me force you to take it, okay?”

Drake did not respond, he kept his gaze low as he tried to ignore the way that even after Sterling touched the area under his eyes, the master did not remove both of his hands, instead moving one of them down to absentmindedly caress the scales upon Drake’s cheek. Sterling loved to touch the scales, truly finding them a mark of beauty that deserved to be promoted and admired.

Sterling stayed like that a moment, his thumb running over the slightly rough scales, before turning his attention to Akane. “Well don’t you look festive today, Akane, celebrating your first day here are we? It’s not as nice on you as the kimono from yesterday and I’m not sure navy is your color, but I suppose it still suits you well enough. Your buttons are all wrong though, here let me fix them for you.” Without waiting to make sure that it was okay with him, Sterling leaned down and reached his hand towards Akane’s shirt to try and fix them. Disrespect or insult was not intended, Sterling honestly was trying to help while also keeping the 'professional' image that he strived for in all things.

 

[Viper]

I don't want to lose this so I'm posting just to make sure that it is not deleted in a site cleanup.