Are you guys thinking this is like the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast?

'Cause it's not.

"You want to what?" Karkat furrowed one eyebrow and raised one an inch too high, making for a very intense and ridiculous eyebrow quirk.

"I said I want to work here," John kept his head high and looked Karkat in the eyes. Karkat searched his eyes for a few seconds before shaking his head and sighing in annoyance.

"We have enough asses here. In fact, we have too many. We don't need another."

"Please," John pleaded, "I'll do whatever I can! Make food, assist people, clean, anything!"

Karkat ran a hand through his hair. "We scarcely make enough as it is. We can't afford an employee."

"I-I'll do it for free!" John mentally kicked himself for stuttering, it sounded weak. Karkat eyed him suspiciously.

"Why?"

John was slightly taken aback by the question. "Because I want the job." Why else?

"But why? Working for free isn't beneficial. Is there something you want from us? Something you want to steal from us?" He moved closer with every sentence, forcing John backwards. John began to panic a tad.

"Just let him have the job, Karkitty! No need to be such a meanie about it!" The cat-like girl - (Nepepa?) - pounced Karkat from behind, startling John greatly.

"Good god, Nepeta-" (Oh!) "-stop doing that! You're gonna kill me someday!" Karkat forced her off of him.

"I doubt it, Mr. Angrypants! That's not pawsible." She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head, frowning at him.

"Oh, yes, it is pawsible. I could've died from a heart attack, and you guys would be out of a ringleader." He crossed his arms.

Nepeta's eyes flickered to John. Karkat snorted.

"Oh, hell no."

"Just ignore him, new furrend! He's just mean on the outside. He'll give you the job!" Her catlike grin lit up her already very bright features, then she scampered away to the man who looked like he could break an artery with one tap of his pinkie finger.

Karkat looked after her with distain, before turning his gaze back to him. He pointed a finger at him - his fist curled so hard, the whites of his knuckles were visible - before saying, "You win this round, pipsqueak. You get the job. But I'll be keeping an eye on you." Then with a swish of his long coat, he turned on his heel and power walked away.

John couldn't help but giggle a bit at Karkat's calling him a pipsqueak, seeing as the man barely reached his collar bone. He continued to smirk at that as he made his way back to the main tent.

He had to tell Dave.

"What're you going to do to get me out, then? You're just a guest, y'know." Dave raised an eyebrow at John.

"Then... I'll become more than just a guest!" John exclaimed happily.

"What, you're gonna transform into a butterfly?" Dave chuckled.

"No, those are caterpillars, Dave."

"You mean you're not a caterpillar?"

John stared at him for a bit. "Shut up. Anyway, no, I'll apply for a job here!" John was grinning.

Dave snorted. "Oh sure, like the ringleader bitch will hire you."

"He will!" John frowned.

"I bet not." Dave smirked.

"I bet yes!"

"So it's a bet, then?"

"You're on!"

"Okay. If I win, you gotta smuggle in some apple juice for me. Haven't had that shit in ages."

John quirked an eyebrow. What a strange request. "Okay... Then if I win, you take me for a flight!"

"With what plane?"

"Dave." John darted his eyes towards Dave's wings.

"Aw, fuck, dude, that ain't fair." Dave whined (in a cool way). "You're probably heavy."

"I'm not heavy!" John huffed.

"Sure you're not. Just like George Washington didn't find America."

"He didn't. That was Christopher Columbus."

"Whatever."

"Yeah. Anyway, I'm going to go get myself a job." John stood up.

"Okay. Report back to me and tell me whether you got it or not."

"Roger that!" And with a salute, John was gone.

John smirked at his thoughts.

Dave owed him a fun ride.

~oOo~

"I can't believe you."

"Hey, at least they let me take you out for a bit to babysit!"

"And instead of escaping, we're doing this."

They stood atop a large hill directly outside the circus grounds which Dave claimed was an unnecessary location (seeing as he can take off from flat land), but John stated it would simply make it more excitable. Dave rolled his eyes and agreed, if not somewhat reluctantly.

At the present moment, John was situating himself for flight, which involved putting on his coat and stretching his muscles, which had less to do with situating himself and more to do with venting his excitement. Dave hung and shook his head, chuckling in disbelief.

"Like I'd try anything with him watching us!" John quickly stole a glance over his shoulder at Karkat, who was staring at them intently, before looking back just as quickly, so he didn't notice. Which, of course, he did, but John ignored that little detail. "And even if we did try flying away, someone'd shoot us down."

"Y'know, we could always take one of Gamzee's clubs, and..." Dave swung his arms in a batting motion and popped his lips, creating a strange 'puh' sound. John laughed slightly and shook his head.

"I couldn't do that. And you I wouldn't let you, either," he added in before Dave could get a word in.

"'Kay, whatever you say, Mr. Goody-two-shoes," Dave hopped on his feet for a while, the act appearing as a stupid looking dance. "Are you ready, yet? I'm dying to fly. Like I'm some starved British orphan licking the streets and eating snow, looking for something to satisfy his insane hunger and stealing from old women and what not."

He's ranting again. John huffed at him, grinning.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"'Kay, let's do this thing." Dave nodded at John, who nodded back, before gently lifting himself off of the ground. John moved to grab his hands, but the blonde simply ignored him, circling around him and grabbing his upper arms from behind. John yelped from the sudden departure, but started hooting out of sheer enjoyment not too long after.

The flight was rather short, but thrilling nonetheless. It lasted for about five minutes before Dave complained about John's weight and they touched back down.

No sooner than they landed had Karkat come and force them back to the grounds. The taller boys pouted, but snuck grins towards each other the whole way while mocking Karkat when he wasn't looking.