Can't Stop The Big Top

[inyx]

The mouse sailed into the air as Nate jumped, landing with a soft plop on the grass not far away. Its brain immediately took control, looking for a place to hide, but at last she scurried back to Nate. <<I was unaware that mice were such fearsome creatures,>> Inyx said, a little shamefully.

<<If time is critical, I have other garments as provided by SPECTRE back at the apartment. You will probably have to carry me however, as my limbs as very small. I doubt they would provide an adequate amount of speed.>>

[Nate]

"Not fearsome... just startling when you're not expecting it," Nate shook his head. "I dunno, I guess some people are actually afraid of them... I used to catch them and bring them into the house just to freak out my mom. Ridiculously hilarious!"

He glanced around. "Alright, people are just gonna wonder about the clothes there, that's all. Let's go. I'm picking you up now, kay?" He reached for her, thinking it kind of strange that this time, it wasn't just a mouse he was picking up.

[inyx]

<<I see.>> She did not know why it should be "ridiculously hilarious" to bring a mouse into a human house, but she didn't ask. He picked her up and she felt the tiny creature's heart race, but she remained still.

She crawled around in his hands so that her head was poking out. Her ears--comically large for her body--were picking up all the vibrations of his feet hitting the ground. Her nose sniffed and twitched at his skin, endlessly interested in the myriad smells.

[Nate]

"You okay?" Nate asked, worried he was possibly holding her too tight. "Just let me know if I'm jostling you too much or anything. I'm trying to look like I'm not carrying a mouse around. Easier said than done." In fact, maybe he should stop talking to her... that probably looked even weirder than him simply walking around with clasped hands.

He glanced around as he walked, not sure where they should go. Find Leroy and Johnny? Head home? He had no clue where to go from here. He decided to risk talking to his hands once more. "...any ideas what we should do now?"

[inyx]

<<I am doing well given the circumstances,>> Inyx replied. <<Though the mouse is quite frightened to be caught. Your hands smell like sugar.>> She began to lick his palms--at least that occupied the mouses mind, though its sense of taste wasn't as divine as her human morph's was.

<<Perhaps we should return to base? If we split up to avoid suspicions, perhaps it would be best not to be seen together after so short a time. However, if you would like to rejoin the group, I can try sending out a targeted thought-message to them. I do not know if they'll be able to respond, though, if they are human.>>

[Johnny]

Now Johnny was perched on the top of the main tent. It was far taller and larger than the other tents so Johnny had the best vantage point. As much as it pained him to admit it, he was starting to like the golden eagle. He answered Leroy. <<Okay. Or I'll just look for a crowd of screaming people. Either or.>>

Then he realized that he hadn't told Leroy what form he was in. But that was okay. He'd figure it out later. After all, now that the person definitely couldn't be following them, they had plenty of time to enjoy themselves. but for Johnny, that meant flying down somewhere and demorphing instead of having to lug his shorts and wallet around as an eagle all day.

[Leroy]

<<Ha ha, very funny,>> Leroy said in response to Johnny's remark. Unfortunately he wasn't too far from the truth. He kept getting strange looks from the people he passed. Like they thought he might attack them at any moment.

Luckily for Leroy, he had the dog's blissful happiness to distract him from everyone's wariness. Not to mention the plethora of sounds and smells that greeted him. Even the smelly smells were interesting to his dog nose. It would be so easy to get sidetracked...

Someone dropped half a hotdog! Leroy was gobbling it up before he knew what was happening. As he regained a little of his common sense, Leroy said, <<Maybe we should have decided on a place to meet up after all.>> By now Leroy was ready to get out of there. He didn't want to spend the rest of the afternoon eating strangers' unfinished snacks.

[Johnny]

Okay, a doberman somewhere near the magic show tent. At least, Johnny thought that Leroy would be near the magic tent. How far could a weevil really go? Although a dog could go much farther. Johnny thought that everyone needed to regroup now. Surely they had lost whoever was following them?

Then, <<Ewww! Gross, Leroy! That hotdog was on the ground! But I found you now. Unless there is some other stray doberman just walking around this circus?>> Johnny said. His laser-sharp vision now had Leroy picked out of the crowd. It wasn't hard since everyone gave him a wide berth. Now they all needed to get together.

<<Hey people,>> Johnny called in thought-speak to Nate and Inyx, as well as Leroy, <<Let's meet up at the entrance to the main tent, okay?>>

[Nate]

"Sugar is the best thing for hands to smell like--Hey stop it that tickles!" Nate tried not to drop Inyx as she started licking his hands. He shut his mouth when he wandered past a woman who was looking at him strangely. He just grinned back at her as they passed. Yes, I talk to my hands, what's the big deal?

He paused for a moment when he heard Johnny's thought speak pop into his head all of the sudden. The main tent entrance. Alright! "Hey Inyx, did you hear that?"

[Leroy]

Meet by the main tent. Sounds like a plan. Now, where is it? Leroy was mentally trying to place the location of the main tent. It shouldn't be too hard, right?

Too bad Leroy couldn't use his ears or nose to find the main tent. If he could, he would have been there in no time. Instead he had to rely on his eyes. They weren't nearly as bad as bug eyes, but they weren't as good as human eyes either. All the colors were off and his vision wasn't quite as crisp either. Not to mention the low vantage point.

All in all, it took Leroy about ten minutes to navigate the crowd and get to the main tent. He was at the main tent, so now all he had to do was find the entrance and wait. He began the long walk around its perimeter, looking for his teammates.

[Johnny]

Johnny decided not to join everyone down at the main entrance. He would do that later. He preferred to remain at his vantage point to locate Nate and Inyx and possibly the group's stalker. Besides, if people didn't like a doberman walking around, they sure wouldn't want a giant bird that looks like it wants to do facial reconstruction on you only a few feet above their heads.

He knew where Leroy was and had watched him long enough to make sure he was still walking towards the main tent when he began scouring the crowds for Nate and Inyx. How long had it been since they had split up? Johnny wasn't sure but he was sure that Inyx was almost out of time. And since he was hearing any screams of horror from one particular area, either from Leroy losing control or Inyx showing her self, he assumed that all had gone as planned.

He still didn't see anyone else.

[inyx]

Inyx stopped licking. Or at least stopped licking so fervently. She still tried to sneak in a few licks here and there. For a moment she paused when she heard Jonny's voice. They must be within range. <<Yes I heard. Please do not drop me. There were many human feet walking through that area.>>

Then she broadcasted to them, <<Leroy is human and I am a mouse. He is holding me. What are the two of you? We are on our way.>>

[Leroy]

<<Huh?>> was all Leroy could think of to say in reply. Leroy wasn't a human. He was a dog. Why would she be telling them what he was anyway? But then the wheels in his head started turning and he figured it out.

<<Haha, I think you meant Nate, Inyx. He is the one you are with.>> Leroy couldn't really blame her. They hadn't known each other for very long, and who knows, maybe all humans looked the same to her. Leroy definitely had trouble telling andalites apart in the few pictures he had seen of them. <<I'm a dog, by the way. The dog that is walking up to you as we speak.>> Leroy had managed to spot them in the crowd, even with his poor vision, and started heading in their direction. He knew that as soon as he managed to get their scent, there would be no more losing 'sight' of them.

[Nate]

"Well thanks, I feel loved now," Nate commented casually at the name mix-up, trying to mask his hurt feelings with some sarcasm. Okay, maybe Inyx just had a brain fart, he told himself. But still...

He glanced around at Leroy's voice to finally spot him in doberman morph wandering up to them. "Heeeey pup!" He couldn't help but pet him on the head... which was difficult while also juggling a mouse in his hands, but somehow he managed to do both and still look semi normal in the crowd.

[Johnny]

Johnny laughed at Leroy and Nate's reactions to Inyx's mixup of their names. Then he located the other two as he watched Leroy walk right up to them. And get petted by Nate who was holding Inyx.

But Inyx had asked what form he was in so he decided to show himself. He opened his massive wings and jumped off of the main tent. Once in the air, he glided over the thermals until he was directly over his friends' heads. <<Okay guys. I'm with you now. Just look up.>> He was going to enjoy their expressions. At least they would get jealous.