The Hall of Wonders was just that. It was full of oddities; objects and humans alike. Yamcha had shown little interest in the items on display to the public, but Bulma on the other hand was fascinated. A number of taxidermy animals lined the room including: a crow with two sets of wings, a jackalope, an odd creature whose plaque claimed it was a mermaid, and a strange blue cat which was seated in an upright position and stared off into the distance.
The skeletal remains of the largest fish Bulma had ever seen were suspended overhead. It was easily bigger than a car and its teeth were viciously sharp. The bones had been angled in a way so that the observer below could get a good look at the jagged spikes through the gaping jaw bones.
There was also an extensive collection of skulls on display in a cabinet against the far wall. Many were of odd shapes, almost alien in appearance, but a number of them were human, displaying medical deformities; such as extra rows of teeth nestled in the jaw, or abnormal growth on the cranium. One even had extra bone growth which resembled a pair of horns jutting up from the top.
Bulma walked around the displays eyeing everything and reading every plaque to gain information on the oddities as she went. She was so engrossed; she hadn't noticed that Yamcha had slipped through the curtain which separated the inanimate objects on display in this room from the living beings in the next.
She paused when she came to stand in front of a spherical pod. It was battered and the dome shaped window at the front sported a large crack running up its centre. The plaque declared it to be a 'Space fairing vehicle', which had fallen from the sky and crash landed here on Earth.
Leaning forward, Bulma cupped her hands against the glass and peered in to the pod, gasping when she saw a single seat within. It was a confining space with very little room to move around. As she observed the interior, Bulma felt something soft brush the back of her hand. She gave a yelp and jumped back only to see a blue cat lounging on top of the supposed spacecraft. The cat was clearly the same one who had been sitting amongst the taxidermy animals, but Bulma looked over her shoulder just to confirm it. Where the cat had been sitting previously was very much vacant.
"You scared me", she said turning back to the cat and placing her hands on her hips. The cat's tail swayed from side-to-side as it watched her lazily.
"I bet you've frightened the crap out of so many people by doing that". She approached the animal, wondering why it had chosen to hang out in the Hall of Wonders. But then again, it was an oddity in its own right. It was very rare to find an animal with blue fur, much like her own uncommon blue hair, which was a trait that very few people naturally possessed.
Reaching a hand out, she extended a finger and scratched the feline below its chin, earning a pleased purr as the animal closed its eyes and lent into her touch.
"Bulma, come look", she heard Yamcha call from the adjoining room, his tone reflecting the most enthusiasm she had heard from him all night.
Moving her hand to give the cat a quick scratch behind the ear, she bid it goodbye and turned to leave the room. When she reached the dividing curtain, she could have sworn she heard a soft voice whisper, "Bye, pretty lady". She paused and turned back to look at the cat, who had settled its head down on its front paws and looked as if it was already dozing off. Bulma shook her head and went to join Yamcha.
Bulma found Yamcha with his face pressed up against the display glass of an exhibit, gawking at the living inhabitant within. When she moved to stand beside him, what she saw almost took her breath away. There wasn't just one inhabitant in the room, there were two. One was a blunette, the shade of her hair much darker than Bulma's; the other a blond. Both women wore a red ribbon tied in their hair. The reason these two women had been put on display was because they were joined together at the hip. They were conjoined twins.
The blond twin appeared to be surly; a stark contrast to the bluenette who smiled pleasantly in their direction and even gave them a wave. Bulma returned the smile and waved back, unsure how she felt about them being on display like this. They wore matching dresses, the blond looking slightly uncomfortable in the garment, while the blunette patted down the flared skirt to make sure it looked pristine. The material met in the middle where the women were joined, sewn together expertly to accommodate their conjoined bodies, and to provide them with proper coverage.
Yamcha moved to the next display and almost jumped out of his expensive, pressed suit when an almighty roar was emitted by whoever was housed within. Bulma watched the blonde twin laugh out loud and bawdily, while the bluenette covered her mouth to hide her more demure titter.
Bulma moved along to see what had startled Yamcha; she wasn't surprised he had jumped when she saw who was in the next exhibit. The man inside was massive, even bigger than the strong man they had seen perform earlier. It wasn't only the man's size alone that made him seem so scary; it was the fact he was tattooed from head to toe with colourful images. He wore only a pair of briefs to showcase the majority of the inking; the only other article he wore was a helmet with horns protruding from the sides, akin to a Viking's helmet. The mass of bushy wild facial hair he sported and black kohl he wore around his eyes only made him seem even more intimidating. He growled at them as they moved along only quieting down when they had fully passed him by.
Next to be seen were a small group of green men. They lounged around on comfy looking chairs, uninterested in the patrons who had paid to see them.
"They must dye their skin", Yamcha said absently as he eyed the males within. He had heard that when dying large amounts of fabric in vats, many of the workers would end up with stained skin from whichever coloured dye they had been using that day. It was the only logical reason as to how the beings could be such a vibrant shade. And the small antennas atop their heads and the pointy ears were clearly prosthetics.
The inhabitant of the next room surprised Bulma. It was Master Roshi himself, the Ringmaster and owner of the circus. From the waist up the old man was bare; he still clutched his cane in his hands, using it for support. Bulma could now see why he walked hunched over slightly. Spanning the entirety of his back was a growth of abnormal skin, giving the appearance of a turtle shell on his back. Yamcha openly grimaced at the old man, but judging by his relaxed, unfazed features he was use to that reaction.
Bulma's observation of Master Roshi was cut short when a group of young men entered The Hall of Wonders, loud and clearly intoxicated if the drinks clutched in their hands were anything to go by. Yamcha instantly looked up to see who had entered and his face lit up. Bulma groaned at the sight of the approaching males.
It was a group of Yamcha's high society chums who Bulma had come to call The Bawdy Boys. They were drunk more often than not; they lacked basic decorum, which did not make sense considering they constantly boasted about being highly educated. And they always seemed to lead Yamcha astray.
"Yamcha!" one of them bellowed rushing forward to greet his friend, his drink sloshing and leaving a trail of droplets in his wake.
"Baron", Yamcha greeted an octave or two quieter. The other two came over to join in, Bulma standing off to the side on her own. As if as an afterthought, Yamcha turned to her, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her to his side.
"Oh, little Bulma, I didn't see you there", Baron, the groups ring leader said giving her a dumb smile before sipping at his drink.
Bulma squared her shoulders and raised her chin into the air. She couldn't stand these idiots and they grated on her to no end, but she would do the decent thing as she had been raised to have manners.
"Baron, Tobias, Vincent. So good to see you all", she lied.
The men all gave sufficient replies before resuming their talks with Yamcha. Bulma looked on bored until something caught her ear.
"You should join us for a drink. I'm sure little Bulma wouldn't mind", Vincent was saying, his stubby fingers reaching into his inside pocket to retrieve his cigarette case. Bulma grit her teeth. She absolutely hated when he called her that.
Before Yamcha could respond, Bulma stepped forward. "As a matter of fact, I would mind. Yamcha and I are on a date", she said looping an arm in Yamcha's but never taking her eyes off of Vincent.
The Bawdy Boys exchanged some looks. Looks that Bulma took to be poorly concealed amusement at her firm words. "My my, Yamcha, not even married and she's already making demands", Tobias piped up with a snort of laughter.
Frowning, Bulma looked up at Yamcha. It wasn't that she needed him to defend her, she could do that all by herself, but these were his friends and they had insulted her, surely he would reprimand them. But the reply he gave only made her blood boil even more.
"Tch, a drink sounds good", he said removing his arm from hers. "Bulma, I will only be a short while, I'm sure you can find something to entertain yourself with whilst I'm gone". He made a point of handing her some money in full display of his friends, who nodded and murmured their approval at his action. Bulma watched as they all left, drunkenly patting Yamcha on the back as he laughed with them. Before he was out of view, he shot her one last look, quickly mouthing, 'sorry', before he was gone.
Bulma stood in shock for a moment, her usually sharp brain trying to decipher what had actually just happened.
"Oh, that was awkward", came a voice from the first exhibit. It was the blonde.
"Shhh, Launch. That was really mean", said the blunette, nudging her sister slightly with her elbow.
Suddenly aware of all the eyes on her, Bulma snapped out of her shock and looked down at the excessive wad of cash in her hand. She frowned and moved to a box which had been placed in the very centre of the room, it was labelled 'donations'. Shoving the cash into the little slot at the top, she turned towards the curtain and stormed towards the exit, aware that the inhabitants were all watching her.
She didn't respond when Master Roshi called, "Thank you for the donation".
Nor did she stop when the twin named Launch shouted, "Give him hell!" followed by her unrefined laugh.
As she passed through the first room of The Hall of Wonders, she shot a look in the direction of the space pod, needing to see it one last time before she left. She would have loved to get a proper look at it, to tinker with the large object and see if it was really what they claimed it to be, but it wasn't possible. During her hasty exit she also noticed that the sleeping cat had left its perch.
Stepping back out into the lively atmosphere of the carnival, Bulma felt the cool air come into contact with her cheeks. She was sure she was flushed, as she often got when she was downright fuming. Taking a deep breath she decided she needed a cigarette. It was a habit Yamcha highly disapproved of, so she refrained from smoking when in his company.
Turning away from the hustle and bustle, Bulma headed away from the attractions and round to the back of a tent. "Just you and me, monkey", she said to the stuffed animal still clinging to her wrist, as she set off further away into the occupied clearing.
Bulma found herself wandering between the heavily decorated caravans the circus folk used as homes. The bow top wagons were spaced fairly apart, she assumed to give each occupant a degree of privacy. She marvelled at the detailed exteriors; many were ornate and gaudy, garish in colour and design. She thought they were wonderful.
Running her fingertip along the side of one, Bulma traced a swirling pattern which ran its length. As she came to the end and was about to round the corner she felt something make impact with her middle, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to fall back onto her backside.
"I'm really sorry", someone said to her as a small hand was thrust in her direction. Bulma looked up to see a small boy standing in front of her, a concerned look on his face. Taking the proffered hand Bulma was amazed when the boy effortlessly lifted her back onto her feet. She noticed his uncovered bicep flex as he lifted her, an unusual amount of muscle mass for someone so young; but she put it down to the fact that he was part of the circus and probably participated in physical training activities each day.
When she was fully righted, Bulma dusted off the back of her dress. She looked down at the boy with a smile. "It's ok", she said, there was no harm done. As she watched the boy, his brow still furrowed in concern, she noticed something strange about him. Other than the impressive muscles the boy sported, he also had an abnormal appendage. To be more specific, he had a tail.
Bulma's eyes went wide as she watched the furry limb whip about behind the boy. She fought the urge to take a step back. It wasn't that she was afraid of the boy; she was just in shock after seeing a fully functional tail on a human being.
"Gohan!" she heard a woman bark, her voice bordering on destress. She looked up to see a dark haired woman rushing forward to place a hand on the boy's shoulder. She worriedly grabbed the tip of the tail and shoved it down out of view, all the while hissing, "Wrap it now", at him in a hushed tone.
Bulma opened her mouth to apologize for something she wasn't entirely sure she had done, when the other woman shot her a nervous look before pushing the boy, named Gohan, forward to pass Bulma without another word. The dark haired woman's attention was solely focused on Gohan now as she berated him for being so careless. Bulma saw that his tail was now tucked away from view within the confines of his clothing.
Unsure of what exactly just transpired, Bulma continued walking. She passed by the caravan settlement to reach the edge of the clearing. She decided this was as good a place as any to have a quick, sneaky cigarette without Yamcha or his asinine friends stumbling upon her.
Opening her clutch, she pulled out her cigarette case, the mother of pearl enamel shining in the moonlight. Popping it open she took out a cigarette and placed it between her lips, before returning the case and rummaging through the purse for her lighter. She must have left it at home because it definitely wasn't within. Leaning her head back until she was looking up at the sky, she removed the cigarette from her mouth and exhaled loudly in frustration.
"Need a light?"
Bulma jumped and looked to her left to see a lit match extended in her direction. Quickly lighting her cigarette on the flame she gave it a drag before turning her head to the side and blowing the smoke away from her. The owner of the match lifted it to her own cigarette and lit it, before shaking her hand to extinguish the flame.
"Thanks", Bulma said looking up at Launch, who gave her an easy smile in return.
"Hi, I'm Lunch", interjected another voice as Launch's blue haired sister leant forward to peer around the blond to get a better look at Bulma. She batted her hand in the air to waft away the smoke which was coming from Launch's cigarette. "And this is Launch", she added in way of politeness.
"Hi, I'm Bulma. It's nice to meet you".
Bulma was taken aback by Launch's next words. "Let's cut the crap. What did he have to say for himself?" she asked looking pointedly at Bulma, as her sister looked on with a frown. Bulma was getting the feeling that although the twins were joined in body, they were two completely different beings in mind. Polar opposites if you will.
Realising that Launch was referring to Yamcha, she suddenly took on a dark mood. Puffing furiously on her cigarette, she fell back to lean against a tree trunk, crossing an arm over her chest. "I haven't seen him yet", she ground out, not wanting to think about the Ocha heir at the moment.
They finished their cigarettes in silence as Lunch stood beside them staring up at the stars overhead.
"Wanna come to the river with us?" Launch asked out of the blue, causing Bulma to raise an eyebrow. What was at the river that warranted going there at night?
Before she could answer Lunch piped up. "Just for the record, I'm an unwilling hostage in all of this", she said gesturing to her middle where the two women were joined.
Launch gave a snort, grabbed Bulma's hand and dragged her further into the forest. Bulma should have been worried, should have refused. But her genius status was currently in stasis, and her curiosity was at full attention.
Hearing the trickle of water in the near distance, she realised they were fast approaching the river Launch had mentioned, but before they could reach it, the twins ducked behind a bush which was on higher ground and gave the perfect view of the shallow stream below, dragging Bulma with them.
Settled in in what Bulma was assuming was a hiding place, she watched as Lunch produced a small book from her dress pocket, flipped it open and began to read, while Launch retrieved a pair of opera glasses from her own pocket and shot her a downright devilish grin. "I promise you, this will not disappoint".
They waited in silence for a while, the only audible noises being that of nature, and the faint sound of Lunch turning a page of her book. The near silence was soon disrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Launch gave a girlish squeal and looked at Bulma with wide eyes. "He's here".
Launch leant forward to peer over the top of the bush, tugging her sister with her slightly, who simply settled down again and continued to read. Bulma could tell this was a regular occurrence for the twins.
Kneeling up, Bulma joined Launch in her peeking game and her eyes widened at what she saw. Down below was a man undressing. His broad back was turned to them as he disrobed. When he was fully undressed he turned, unaware he was being watched. Bulma blushed at the sight of his manhood on full display, and shot a look at Launch who had pressed her opera glasses to her eyes and was practically drawling. She turned back as the man stepped into the stream, wading to the middle until the water reached his upper thighs. The clear water flowed leisurely downstream as the man bathed himself. So distracted by his body was Bulma, that she did not notice the man's facial abnormality very clearly on display.
She watched as he cupped both hands in the water and brought them up to wash his face. He splashed the clear liquid over his features, his eyes firmly shut as he did so. Once he had cleansed the skin, he lowered his large hands and opened his eyes, blinking away the droplets of water.
Turning to Launch again, Bulma opened her mouth and then shut it. She wasn't sure if she had just seen what she thought she had. Turning back to the man below, she gave his face another once over before speaking. "He has three eyes".
Launch held out her binoculars to Bulma and she absently took them. The magnified view of the man only confirmed what she thought she saw. The third eye was definitely there and it was very real. She passed the binoculars back when she was done with them.
Launch nodded. "Yep, that's Tien, he's our resident triclops".
"And Launch is obsessed with him", Lunch added with a smirk, not taking her eyes off of her book.
"Oh, look. Raditz is down there getting naked", Launch said turning to Bulma with a wink. Tien was still the only one bathing below, so whoever this Raditz was he was nowhere to be seen. As the words left her sister's mouth, Lunch sprang to life, snatching the binoculars and shoving her sister aside, as much she could, to get a better look. When she in fact saw no Raditz, her cheeks turned the brightest shade of red Bulma had ever seen a person go and she turned to Launch with a disapproving look.
"That wasn't very nice, Launch", she said shoving the binoculars back at her sister.
"If you didn't notice, Lunch really likes Raditz". Lunch chose that moment to whack her sister on the arm with the book she held.
Launch broke out into laughter forgetting that they were supposed to be incognito. Her bawdy laugh rang out in the otherwise silent night and Tien instantly stopped his ministrations and turned his gaze in their direction.
"Who's up there?" he called.
Lunch's eyes went wide and she tucked her book away. Launch couldn't stop sniggering. And Bulma wasn't sure what to do.
"Show yourself or I'm coming up there!" Tien added. The sound of him wading through the water towards them could be heard.
"We should leave", Lunch whispered as she started to crawl along the ground back towards the clearing, forcing her sister to do the same. Bulma followed suit and stayed low to the ground as they went. They heard the rustling of foliage behind them, no doubt coming from the bush they had previously been behind. Launch and Bulma broke into giggles and Lunch tried to refrain herself from doing the same.
When they neared the edge of the forest, they climbed to their feet and ran for the clearing, breaking out into full laughter as they broke through the line of trees. They kept moving just to be sure they weren't seen by Tien, and ended up hiding behind a caravan, peeking around its corner to see if he had followed them.
"You're a terrible influence Launch", Lunch said shaking her head and dusting off the front of her dress.
Launch snorted and turned her head towards her sister. "You wouldn't do anything fun if it wasn't for me", she said earning an eye roll from Lunch.
There were sound of footsteps were quickly approaching and all three women went on high alert. They were sure they had been found out, but when
"Master Roshi is looking for the two of you", came a voice from behind them, causing all three women to jump. They turned to see Gohan standing there and instantly relaxed. He was now dressed in pyjamas and his tail was nowhere to be seen.
He kept his eyes on the twins as he continued. "He asked me to ask you to go back to the Hall of Wonders if I saw you". Bulma gave Gohan a smile when he glanced in her direction, but he quickly looked away from her and lowered his eyes to the ground.
Launch frowned. "Looks like it's back to work for us, sis", she said walking back towards the tents. "Nice to meet you, Bulma", she added as she passed.
Lunch shot her a dazzling smile. "It was lovely to meet you. I do apologize for my sister's antics".
Bulma returned the sentiment, and laughed at Lunch's parting words. She watched as they disappeared, before turning back to Gohan who seemed conflicted on whether to say something or just leave. To her surprise he chose the former. "Maybe you should go enjoy the attractions, miss. Normal people shouldn't really be back here", he said before turning away from her and retreating.
Bulma assumed by 'normal people' the boy just meant customers. She could understand the performers not wanting the circus goers traipsing through their private space. She decided it would be best if she went to find Yamcha, and see what state The Bawdy Boys had gotten him into.
As she made her way back towards the attractions, she realised she no longer had her clutch with her. The monkey was still firmly on her wrist, but she must have dropped her bag in the forest when she had fled. Nibbling on her lip, Bulma contemplated just leaving it where it had fallen, for fear of bumping into Tien. But it contained a number of things of value, not to mention the keys to her front door. Taking a deep breath she mustered up some courage and headed back to the river, moving as silently as she could through the brush.
When she reached the spot they had been hiding in, Bulma bent down and rooted beneath the large shrub in search of her bag. She managed to find it with relative ease; it had slipped beneath, no doubt when she had knelt up to get a closer look at Tien.
Satisfied she had found what she had come looking for, Bulma stood up. Movement caught her eye below; there was someone else in the river now. Tien had obviously finished washing and left, but in his place was another man, his back turned to Bulma.
For the second time this evening, Bulma found herself seeing a man in all his glory. She was also seeing a fully functional tail for the second time today too. Protruding from the man's lower back just above his buttocks was a furry tail just like Gohan's. Bulma wasn't sure how long she had stood there staring, but her feet felt like they had melted to the ground; as when the man turned round and his eyes looked with her own she did not make a move to escape.
Bulma gave a little gasp as she stared directly into the eyes of the Illusionist. He remained still watching her with narrowed eyes and a deep frown marring his brow. He stood before her unashamed that he was on full display to her. She noticed that his tail had been lowered though, and was now hidden from view behind his well-defined body.
Bulma let her eyes rake over his form, marvelling at his defined muscles. He wasn't as tall as Tien, and although both men were heavily muscled, the man before her now was slightly bulkier is build. And where Tien had had flawless smooth skin, the Illusionist's body was riddled with scars, which gave him a rugged look.
She trailed her eyes further down his body, blushing when she came to the apex of his thighs. Bringing a hand up to cover the lower half of her face in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, she decided she had been staring for far too long, and it had gone well past being inappropriate.
Lowering her eyes she spun around and hurriedly left. She needed to find Yamcha and she needed to leave.
