(Slumber party--) The Women [Female Ocs/Public]

((Running over the transi/cherry topic /sob don't want to but I gotta--))

At night, after the carnival was quiet, the caravans had a buzz of their own. They were small and crowded with beds and trunks and belongings and memories, but all of that belonged to people that had become some kind of family. So in a way, all of it belonged to each and every one of them. The women's car was the more crowded of the two, not to say it was the worse to be in. But some nights there were squabbles.

"I can't do this."

"Yes you can." Güzäl told the little blonde girl, tossing back her math workbook as she tried to replace the melted wax parts inside her accordion bellows. "Stupid heat--"

"But you didn't go to school!" Emiliana shot back in protest. She didn't care about a better future, really. She liked living like this. Apparently her family had other plans for her.

The Bulgarian rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and look where that got me."

"But--"

"Do it."

"Hey Sonya--"

"Don't ask for help."

With one final groan, the little Moldovan went back to her work. Her sister was more on edge than usual. She suspected it was all that Cosim had told her about the new girl from Mystique (things which were probably all lies) and she was wondering if the car would smell like sulfur and brimstone when she got there. "Mili?"

"What, idiot? I'm working here."

"When that woman comes here, you steal everything she's got."

----------------

This was almost certainly not going to go well for Franziska. But oh, how archaic it was. The former leader of the cruel carnival Mystique, groveling at the feet of those she once thought less than.

At least she had most of her belongings, her own shoes... And well, that was it. She sorely missed the empty car that Itakshir finally had to pull her out of. In fact, she missed him too. She could really use his confidence right then.

Now or never. She couldnt sleep outside, could she? Although she was really seriously thinking about it. With a small, shaking hand, she knocked on the door quietly. Maybe no one was in there.

((Fffuuu short, but what else could I say :I XD))[strike]

((FSNALDKFJSKL--/excite B) Everybody better join in. :I I MEAN EVERYBODY.))

In all actuality, Sonya was just itching to help out on the math homework--it probably wouldn't be as interesting as physics, due to Mili's grade-level, but still. She missed her calculations. However, she was told not to help, so there was no choice but to sit there quietly knowing a book full of beautiful equations was lying just within reach.

Willing herself to go against temptation, she did her usual 'zombie-walk' (as Itakshir had so humorously dubbed it, before Cosim gave him a look that quickly shut him up--not that Sofia had been able to see this herself) back to her bed, with her arms outstretched in front of her, feeling everything and everyone that came in her path so that she didn't run into anything. Unfortunately for others in the crowded car, this meant that many had their faces groped whenever she decided to move about. It had become a normal occurrence, though, in the time she'd been with the Ragtags.

At first, it had been quite difficult for her to settle in--for one thing, the friendly, homey atmosphere was a radical change from what she was used to in Mistique. A nice change, of course, but the extremes had been alarming and hard to adjust to at first. But eventually, the other women had become closer to her than any family she'd had before. ...Although she did tend to get babied a lot, being both disabled and small in stature, as well as personality.

She had just sat down and begun to debate whether or not to ask someone to braid her hair for the night, when a knock sounded from nearby. It would have likely been lost to her sighted companions against the backdrop of chattering women, but her more finely-tuned ears picked up on it. Getting up, she felt along the wall to the door--only a short ways from her bed--and opened it.

"Who is it?" She asked cheerfully; a question that was normally stated before one opened doors, but in her case...yeah.

The two sisters watched the their blind friend (more often than not blind baby doll--) grope her way to the door. They did not, in fact, hear the knock, and wondered exactly why she was there. She hadn't had any nightmares yet, so she shouldn't be trying to get to Cosim. The watched warily as she stood in front of the door, the whole car went silent. It was her.

It was just like life to do this to her. The first person she was greeted by would be the person she formerly treated like an animal. Nevertheless, she put on a considerate face-- er, voice. "Ah... It's me, Franziska. You're... Sofochka... Right?" She hadn't heard her actual name, she just assumed the name was odd. "I'm supposed to... Sleep here, now..."

Güzäl made her way to the door, edging Sofia away a bit. Jesus, she had a large suitcase. Immediately she grimaced. "Leave your shit outside. We don't have room for it."

"..." Franze wasnt sure what to say. She expected that harsh of a welcome but... She had hoped she was wrong. Apparently she was right on the mark. "I... I'll share all of it..." it wasn't likely her dresses would fit anyone else, but her jewelry... She hoped they wouldn't take all of it.

Not wanting to be the one to turn such a pathetic thing away, Güzäl sighed and looked to her friend. "What do you think, Sonya?"

Just as how Franze didn't know Sonya's real name, Sonya didn't know Franze's real name. She'd only ever seen (figuratively speaking) the woman when Piter (a man she truly and deeply hated) dragged her around the freak's cages--and in those instances, she'd known her as what he called her: 'Frachenka'. The voice seemed vaguely familiar, but she was surrounded by so many voices that she could only commit the ones she heard regularly to memory. She didn't know who this woman really was; Cosim had kept the secret from her very well.

Which was why she was so surprised when Güzäl greeted the newcomer rather unforgivingly.

She didn't know what they were referring to by her 'shit', but she could only assume it was her bag. Why did she have to share with everyone, was it really that big? ...And what did Sonya think about it? What? Were they asking her because she was the only other person who'd escaped Mistique?

Reaching over wordlessly, she found the Austrian woman's hand, then her arm, tracing it's width carefully. It was so thin, almost impossibly so. She felt like she was starving--very probable, if she'd come from the freaks cages (though she didn't know that for sure, yet). And they were considering turning her out? Why would they do that? Her milky eyes, large in confusion, automatically welled up with tears. Almost out of the blue, she embraced the fragile woman, in front of the rest of the now-silent car. Weren't they comrades, in a way, having both lived in that awful place? Of course she wouldn't condone turning her out.

(FFFUUU-- done waiting for someone else to jump in XD COME ON, GUYS--))

Franze was definitely not used to all this touching. She almost pulled her hand away, but she remembered she just needed to seem compliant at the moment. Which, seemed to work out well in her favor, although she was still incredibly confused when she was embraced by the crying woman out of nowhere.

...At least it meant she was in. Didn't it?

Guzal sighed and pried the blind woman off. "Come on, she needs rest, and you do too." Turning back to the Viennese woman, she glanced to the large trunk. "What are you waiting for, carry it in."

The woman was already humbled by these people. The Franziska that had ruled her own carnival only a month before would have been appalled at this one. "I...I can't carry it..."

She only got a groan for a response, as well as an unwavering glare. "Can someone help her?"

"You have two hands, don't you?"

The Romanian stepped in with the petite woman's luggage in hand, despite the remark towards the Bulgaria. It wasn't usual for her to do something nice for somebody she didn't exactly like (especially not for this she-devil) but..whatever kept her from bitching.

As best she could, Nicoleta set the heavy suitcase down gently without making too loud of a noise, so not to startle the young Ukrainian they had recently taken under their wing. A sigh of relief escaped the tired woman as she was relieved of the weight.

"How on earth did you carry that thing all the way here? You're so tiny." The woman was a little thing, somebody could probably snap her in two.

And judging by how the oldest girl was acting, her getting snapped in half seemed like an amusing possibility.

(So crappy sob sorry. Mama bear has to sleep here to make sure no boys sneak in obv. )

"Yeah, sure, but if I touch that it'll probably burn me." Güzäl snickered. "But you brought it in, you get first pick."

They moved out of the way, and Franze could finally step into the car and see it for the first time. And it very nearly broke her heart. Where would she sleep? Where would she change? Where were the bathrooms? Soon she realized the other women were eying her just as curiously. Remembering her decorum, she turned to the Romanian and made a small curtsy. "Thank you..." She smiled, small and unsure. "Itakshir helped me... But he told me I should stay here with all of you... So I'm pleased to make your acquaintances..."

She was met with 'Honey, manners don't go very far here' stares.

"Where...where do I sleep?"

((Dammit, Nico, Itak was waiting outside--/SHOT))

She was still sniffling when she was pulled away, and had to rub her eyes to stop them from spilling over. At least they were letting her in, though no one was embracing her quite as warmly as they'd done for Sonya--she felt incredibly confused. Was it because of her disability that people had been kinder towards her? But even then, she got the feeling that everyone seemed to know something that she didn't.

She was curious, too, what was inside the bag or trunk or whatever it was. If it took someone with considerable strength just to lift it, then small wonder it wasn't welcome in the cramped car. What could be inside? She couldn't even guess--the idea that it was clothes and jewelry didn't occur to her, as she was unaware of the new woman's former social status. It was exciting, in a way.

In addition, she was eager to see what this Franziska 'looked' like. It still had gotten no less awkward asking people if she could feel their faces, but for her, it was a necessary part in getting to know someone. She would have to wait, though, until the Austrian woman was settled in. In the meantime, she clung to Güzäl quietly, observing the scene through the sounds.

((Nico stays up all night. Waiting. Watching--))

Nicoleta brushed off the thank you and retreated back to one of the beds, leaning over its edge to open up her trunk of belongings.

"The floor." Privacy did not exist in this place, Franze would learn, as the Romanian began to strip down with no troubles. The older woman wondered if the Viennese would accept this reality.

"Or you could squeeze in with one of us." The nightgown slipped over her head. "Wherever you choose.." Nicoleta assumed Sonya would be the only one generous enough to share a bed with the newcomer. Bless her. She was too sweet for her own good.

The Romanian sat back down on the bed with brush in hand and began tending to her mess of dark waves.

"That won't be a problem, will it?"

((OH HAI AM I LATE? /GUNNED DOWN))

"Shouldn't be no problem," the thick Southern accent added to Nicoleta's last sentence, "not 'less you make one of yo'self." A short, stocky black woman put down her playing cards and eyed over the new girl. "Jus' follow the Golden Rule, hon, and you'll do fine. Name's Bess, hon. Welcome home!" She eased down the isle and hugged the Austrian lady as if they were old friends. Bess gave Franze a once over again and sucked her teeth. "Girl, you sick or something? I've seen fence rails with more meat than you!" She began to herd the new arrival towards the card table, sweeping the deck into the adjacent stool. "You will learn to like it here, hon- cramped quarters and all! But I hope some home cookin' will cheer you up a tad," Bess sat down a plate that held quite a large flour biscuit with a slice of salted ham stuck between it. "It ain't much, but what kind of red-blooded South Carolinian would I be without showing some ol' fashioned hospitality?"

Another laugh echoed across the cabin. "Don't mind Bess, miss, it's been a while since we've had a new arrival. A box full of women can only stand each other for so long!" Alexis leaned over the edge of her hammock to peer at the Austrian girl. "Makedonski. Alexis Makedonski, a pleasure." She leaned out to give Franze the customary kiss greeting, but flopped onto Nicoleta's bed. She apologized to her neighbor and laughed along with the rest of the women. "We're a rough bunch, but what do you expect by the Ragtags, right ladies?" She waved up the majority shouts before stretching out on the Romanian's cot. "Judging by your, uh, luggage there, I take it you aren't used to communal living? Not that it matters. You will adjust, no doubt about that." Alexis flashed a toothy grin at Franze. "Make yourself at home, and by all means try to make some friends."

She was being pulled this way and that by different people, not sure how to feel or what to say. Sleep next to someone or on the floor? And she really was thinking correctly when she'd figured there'd be no privacy at all. She went paler then she already was.

.... Floor would be better, if not enormously humbling. She dragged her trunk across the floor with some difficulty, but didn't get a chance to open it before she was veritably assaulted with food and a hug. What kind of food was that, even? She had simple food where she was from, but never anything like... That. But she did know what bread was, so she tried a little bit... Very dense. If she ate like these people did, she would surely be obese by a month. But they seemed to think she needed it, and she'd be lying if she didn't take offense. "I'm not sick...!" She squeaked out. As far as she knew. "Things have just happened..." She was fully convinced that that dream of losing her child hadnt been a dream at all, but a resurfaced memory.

Make friends? Tall order. Nevertheless, she sat down next to her trunk on the floor and murmured, "Danke..."

The Austrian was being moved around everywhere, and Sonya quickly lost track of her location. If she was talking, it was lost over the other voices--she couldn't even tell what direction it was coming from. Well that was no good; she'd have to move closer to the center of everyone's attention. Leaving Güzäl's side, she stumbled around like a small ghost, identifying people along the way.

There was Nicoleta (she had elegant features), then there was the nice American lady, Bess, with the distinctive accent (her hair was so recognizable it wasn't even needed to feel her face)--she smiled upon 'seeing' each of them--and then there was Alexis (she didn't even have to feel her features, since the older woman was still talking), who seemed to be the one speaking to the newcomer at the present moment. So this was where to be, it seemed.

Satisfied with the location, she touched the Macedonian's shoulder briefly to make certain that she didn't accidentally sit on her, and situated herself on the bed. She hadn't caught them saying where Franze would sleep yet--did they even have enough beds? Sonya was willing to share; she continued to stubbornly think that her mattress was too big, anyways. Cosim told her it was just that she was short, but she still didn't quite believe it.

(Sorry guys my replies will be super slow. ;; In trouble for grades.)

The Romanian watched with amusement as the American took immediate actions to feed their new arrival, a big grin grew on her face as Franze reacted to its taste. This would be more fun than she thought.

Nicoleta gave a startled yelp as the Macedonian fell onto her bed from above but fell into a fit of laughter despite herself.

"There's an empty trunk over there for..most..of your belongings but," She paused as fingers traced over her features, something she soon learned to get used to when Sonya arrived. "You'll have to store the rest of your things with others."

Speaking of everyone else, not everyone had been introduced properly. How rude of them. Nicoleta folded her legs under her to allow more room for her two new bed-mates.

"By the way, I'm Nicoleta Ionescu, those are my daughters Emiliana and Güzäl..." She pointed out each female quickly. "Obviously Alexis and Bess and I'll assume you know Sonya already..?"

Probably not. Rich woman like her probably didn't like to be near the 'freaks' of Mistique.

"Come over here," The woman commanded, beckoning Franze with a calloused hand. "Let her look at you."

((Aw, don't sweat this stuff then ): I hope everything goes well on that front c:))

Empty trunk, got it. At least she was treated like a human being, less could be said for how Auguste treated her. But then she saw Sonya, and felt... Was that guilt? about the plight of the freaks she so blatantly overlooked.

Then she was introduced to the lesbian-in-training that had greeted her at the door and what she could only describe as Lesbian, jr. Perhaps it was jealousy of her children... But no, they did really look to have promising futures in counter-sexuality.

The Romanian woman was really grinding against her gears though, and Franze hadn't lost her quick wit. "Sonya? Oh ja, we met this morning." She and her ogre. How could she forget that threat made on her life? At the mention of Sonya getting to 'see' her, she had to admit, she was a little afraid, or nervous, or what have you, but... That Romanian. She had to stay strong. "Of course, why didn't she ask before?"

((/cannotwaitanymore, fffffff))

Why didn't she ask before?

Embarrassed, she looked downward to hide her blush, fingers nervously playing with the hem of her dress. Perhaps she could have spoken for herself, if she wasn't too shy about it--but she felt like any blind person (not that she'd ever met any others) would have felt a little uncomfortable out-and-out asking to touch people's faces. She didn't know how to explain this, though, so she didn't say anything.

Instead, she went and found the other woman's face, moving slowly so that she didn't accidentally poke one of her eyes or something. There were things she saw with her fingers that other people couldn't see through their eyes. Makeup, for example, was not something that beautified the features, to her. It felt like a mask, that covered up what skin really felt like. But even then, she could see every blemish and wrinkle, every imperfection that people (especially females) normally tried to hide.

But Sonya herself had nearly half of her face covered in patches of scar tissue. It was imperfect in it's unnaturalness; it didn't have hair or zits or creases, or show blush or sallowness or tan. Her burns were small red and pink islands of toughness, on her otherwise soft features. It was the perfect mask in it's imperfection.

So when she felt the mascara that tipped the Austrian's lashes, the coloring on her lips, the powder sprinkled across her cheeks--it was not with the superiority of someone who, in her blindness, had the all-seeing-touch. But as someone who also wore a mask. When she was done, she briefly traced her fingers through the wavy, almost curly hair that framed Franze's face, as well--the springiness was delightful to the touch, and the former freak's lips turned upwards.

Satisfied, she withdrew and rested her hands in her lap, murmuring, "okay," quietly to show that the short torture session was over. It would take a while before she would be able to instantly recognize the newcomer by touch, but for now, she had the first impression.

((This is my true writing style: copious amounts of BS for one word of dialogue. :I Be impressed, people. Be very impressed. /shoots self in the foot))

This was it, wasn't it? Her judgement day. God's cruel joke. Hadn't she been through enough?

She watched the woman's (she had to teach herself quickly not to say 'freak') face carefully as her own face was combed over. They were relatively the same size-- but the blind woman looked healthier than she did by far. What irony. Stress chipped away at Franze like an icepick. And she did wear a mask besides the makeup-- a mask of stoicness to hide the fragility beneath.

She could see Sonya sans burns and blindness was once beautiful. She felt a pang of sympathy-- perhaps without mystique she would have a sliver of her original confidence.

Would she tell her who she really was? Not yet. She was smiling, and they both had a chance to be happy for a while.

"My hair is a rat's nest, isn't it?" She joked nervously (she still wasn't sure how to react around people who were disabled in any way) "But I hope the image isn't too bad."

(I..I have no idea who goes next otl sorry)

Nicoleta always wondered what went through Sonya's head when she felt people's faces. Did she judge them? Probably not. She was never the type to judge somebody by appearance.

But then again, Nicoleta didn't know the small Ukrainian all that well, unlike her "son".

With tired eyes closed, the Romanian leaned back careful to not take too much space from her neighbors and listened to the two converse. Slowly she began to drift off, their soft voices becoming more and more distant until sleep took over.

(I also have no idea how to reply to this hurr. NICOLETA IS OUT.)

Rats nest hair? Sonya's eyes went wide in confusion, and she took this as a cue to feel it again. ...It felt okay to her. Shaking her head, she replied innocently, "No, it's good."

Pausing to think for a moment, she added, "But...if you're afraid it'll get messy, someone can braid it--before you go to bed." She assumed that this was what Franze meant, that she didn't want tangles in her hair. There was, after all, a shortage of hair brushes in the place (as there was on everything else), so it was a legitimate concern.

"Nicoleta helps me with mine a lot," she said happily. But she noticed said Romanian leaning back, and when she reached over and held her hand just above her face--she could feel the steady, slow breathing of sleep. So contrary to what she'd just said, that took the older woman off of her list of people available to ask. Sonyas face took on a perplexed expression, as though this were a serious problem. She could ask Güzäl, but by the sounds coming from that direction, she was busy tinkering with her instrument. She would just have to wait until later, then, to ask.

In the meantime, she stood up and tried to arrange the Romanian woman so that she could sleep more comfortably. She got her in the right position, but...when she draped the blanket on her, it was spread horizontally rather than vertically, so Nicoleta's feet were consequently uncovered. But the way Sonya stood back, it was clear she hadn't a clue and was totally satisfied with her work.

It was still odd to talk to Sonya. Was she still supposed to look her in the eyes? Moreover, how could she? And how could this woman possibly be happy considering the cards life had dealt her? There was no bitterness to her care for anyone-- as evidenced when she tried her best to tuck the romanian in. "Turn it the other way..." She suggested quietly.

Then she went to her trunk to respond to the rest, quickly remembering that she couldn't see what was pulled out. Oh well. Others could. "I have curlers, I don't think I need braids. But it's nice of you to help me get used to everything."

She looked around-- there was no room for her screen. Deliberating nervously for a moment, she decided if she turned her back on everyone she could pretend that they couldn't see her, too. So she stripped everything but corset, and threw her nightgown on faster than she had ever done. She could already feel her heart beating in her ears from the fright of it. She turned back around and... Well, nothing seemed much different. As her pulse slowed, she sat on the plot she'd claimed on the floor and rolled her wilting ringlets into the curlers.

((Oh HAI. Don't mind me.))

A couple of knocks came from the door and then the shaman walked in. "Hey, all of yo-" She had stopped midsentence. She looked at the Austrian woman, confused by her presence. Why was a new person was here? She hadn't been alerted of that. Granted, she hadn't been keeping in touch with the carnival as her headaches had been getting worse. But... She should have been told about this.

"Uhh... Are you new? What's your name?" She pointed rather rudely at her, but she then drewback her arm. She then looked at Sonya, even more confused. Maybe she knew...

But they had never talked before and she rarely saw her anyways. Her eyes darted between to the other girls as she sat on the floor. She didn't know much about them either. So out of touch with everyone and she looked away, huffing a little and looking clearly uncomfortable. "W-what's your name?"