lostcarnival | A Surprisingly Polite Awakening [Open]

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joker

A Surprisingly Polite Awakening [Open]

Who: Snake and You, one prompt closed to Joker
When: Early day 59
Where: Starting in Joker's trailer, then going all over
What: Snake wakes up in an unfamiliar place, has a brief freakout because this is real, and then goes off on his own.
Warnings: None yet!

Joker's Trailer (closed)

It's not exactly sunrise when Snake wakes up from his dreams. They weren't pleasant, and he awakens in a cold sweat, shivering and still tired despite his best efforts. His throat hurts a little - he must've been crying or calling out in his nightmares. Blearily he sits up, and fumbles for a lantern before realizing where he is. The low light filtering in under the door isn't enough to see by, but that's just it - there's a door, not a tent flap or cage bars or open sky. It's the new place, the new circus - or carnival, as it were. He looks around in the darkness, but even with his pupils dilated to nearly round, he can't see in here. However, maybe one of his snakes can?

They're all asleep, curled into coils and pressed against him for warmth, though. He doesn't want to wake them, not when they're so comfortable, so he's very careful getting up and sliding off the bed. He's never been on such a soft, comfortable mattress, and he's almost tempted to stay, but he doesn't. Joker took the couch, he remembers that, and the couch was... over there. Best avoid it.

Of course, then the lights snap on and Snake winces. He's been caught, and it's so bright... Is Joker upset that he made that deal? Has he been waiting for him? Snake's stomach drops with dread.

The Cookhouse

Food is not hard to find - Snake just follows his nose. Now that his snakes have woken up, he's got them all over him - they don't need to be fed, but they still want to get a look around. He gets a few odd looks, but those seem less frightened or horrified and more curious and unfamiliar than most he's ever had. He's new here, and people don't know him yet. That's to be expected, but it's still surprising. Back home...

... Well, never mind that. This is home now, at least for the next year. He arrives soon enough at the cookhouse, and is just blown away. The circus never had anything like this! It's beautiful, but intimidating. He's not sure what to do. Here, he doesn't eat first, he knows that much, and it looks like there's still a large selection... He moves to the end of the line to follow along. He's going to have to find a place to sit, too. Looks like most of the tables are taken. He'll have to sit with someone, and that's... By the time he gets his meal, he's steeled himself to the inevitability, and sits down with a stranger.

"'Good morning,' says Emily..."

Around the Carnival

This is so... different. Rides. Restaurants. Events. Even the people. It's different, but some things are the same, too. The big top, the way everyone's in a hurry, and the fact that he's got a job to do are all familiar.

Snake can be found wandering almost anywhere, a little bit dazed. He may bump into you, or may say something as simple as, "'What are you doing?' says Webster..."

As always, he speaks in two voices. Webster's is low and cautious, while Snake's own is a bit higher and quiet.

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"Ah- sorry, Snake." From the doorway, Joker pauses. He's still in his clothing from the other day, although it's no longer as neat and done up as it was then. What happens when you fall asleep in it, and wear it longer than a few days. Some of his hair is undone too, and he hasn't bothered to fix it up again. The only thing that's different is the fact that his makeup was been cleaned completely off, revealing some of the bags under his eyes. Not that it's a problem with Snake- this has been gathering for a little while now.

Although, he has to admit... Snake being in the carnival twists his stomach a little bit. He doesn't want any of his family- which Snake counts as part of, although more on the level of Doll than, say, Jumbo, at least in Joker's view- to be in this mess.

Still. What's done is done, and Joker wouldn't ever force himself onto someone else's choice. He's not his- he's not Kelvin. All he can do is just... make sure that Snake stays as safe as possible.

Holding the door open with his foot, Joker reaches back onto what's apparently a counter, bringing back a small plastic tray with a cup of water and a loaf of bread on it- hopefully Snake won't mind the faint taste of what's.... probably cherries. Food in the carnival can come in all sorts. He makes his way through the room, trying to find a flat surface to put the tray on. Maybe that makes Snake feel a little better, the fact that Joker's room is a lot more... himself than the rest of the trailer. Various clothes, both the usual showman type and other things not usually found in their England, are folded over a chair or on top of the drawers built into the wall. Bits of jewelry, of course, are all over in little bowls and such.

After a moment, Joker finds a place and puts down the tray before taking the glass and offering it to Snake. "Here. Wasn't sure if ya would be too hungry, ha, but the cookhouse is always open for folks." What Joker doesn't say is that he's not sure if Snake would be too hungry after the cries he heard in the night from where he'd been on the couch, but the water would do him good after that.

Snake hasn't changed either, but his shirt is undone near his neck. Atop his ear, little Donne yawns then curls back to sleep. No one is available to talk for him right now, so he simply nods at Joker's apology. It's ok, as long as he's not mad or something. A lot of last night's terrors were about people being mad at him.

With that done, if not said, he's a lot more comfortable. His shoulders visibly relax, and he lets out a breath he barely realized he was holding. Joker may be upset, maybe even with him, but he's not holding this against him, it'd seem.

The room is a comfort. It's a bit of a mess, but that's typical of Joker's space. What's not comfortable or typical is seeing Joker like this. So... worn thin. The closer he comes, the higher Snake's brows rise. Those are definitely bags under his eyes, and his face is a little pale, and he's not cleaned himself up... maybe it's just that it's early. Or maybe Snake kept him awake all night. Guilt swirls in his stomach at the thought. That's enough to spoil his appetite, but he does take the glass of water and drink some. It's clean and fresh and good, but it's not enough to settle his stomach just yet.

There, that’s a little better. Joker knows it won’t solve everything, but at least it will help clear Snake up a little. Best he can ask for right now. Settling on top of the set of drawers, he let one foot swing a little. Where to begin? He’s gone over it in his head more than a few times since Snake first showed up, but…. It still feels a little hard to start.

Still. He essentially lead the circus back home for a reason, and so Joker forges on. “Whenever yer ready, we can go through the carnival, if ya like. Help ya figure out where things are, and all that.” Casually, he waves his hand. “But there’s no rush, either. We’re in a nice little period right now, Ringmaster in a good mood and everythin’.”

It's a little better indeed, but only a little. Snake's still not sure what to make of his situation, or of Joker's. He doesn't like seeing his friends, his family, hurting, and Joker's clearly doing something that's running him ragged. Not to mention that he must be worried about this whole mess that Snake's gotten himself into...

He simply nods at Joker's suggestion, reaching up with his free hand to stroke Donne gently awake. Maybe he should get Emily too... But then again she's comfortable sleeping, and will only get more tired in the cool morning air. Donne's sheltered and warm behind his ear.

It’s a little hard, having a pretty one sided conversation, but the good news is that Joker, even run ragged, has enough talk in him for at least a couple of people. “Right, then! The carnival tends ta be the same no matter where we end up, so it’s good ta be familiar with it all.” Hopping to his feet again, he goes a bit through his various bits of jewelry. “And I might be able ta point out some folks for ya, too- ya don’t really have to chat with anyone besides the other performers, unless yer friends care ta.” Right, he’s going to have to get used to that a little, too, won’t he?

Finally picking out something, he grins over to Snake. “I’ll be passin’ the time in the rest of the trailer, so just come out when ya think yer good. There’s a bathroom and loo built inta this thing, too, so ya can freshen up a bit, all of ya~.”

It's a good thing that Joker's always been willing to talk. It's easier on Snake that way, easier on all of them that their silver-tongued leader does the speaking. Of course, now it'd seem that someone else is the leader, that someone else has out-conned Joker. Snake wants to believe that the deals he made were real, that they can come true, but... When have people outside his family ever been kind? Then again, what this new ringmaster has begun isn't kind at all.

It's with these heavy thoughts weighing down his mind that Snake nods and goes to the bathroom. He's never seen a shower like that, and thus ignores it (stinky Snake) but he's at least able to figure out the rest of the room. By the time he's done, he's positive this isn't a dream. It's too strange yet mundane, and he doubts even his mind would be so cruel. Slipping out of the bathroom, he looks around, appreciating again the touches of Joker behind the screen.

By the time Snake comes out, Joker is seated at the table in the main part of the trailer. It’s a little messier now- a few things from the cookhouse scattered about the counters, and the table is covered in papers. There is also the bracelet that he took from his room, only now it’s… glowing a little bit, in a soft purple. Also there are tiny arcane symbols fading from the air around it. (And by arcane symbols, I mean math.) As the glow fade completely, Joker glances up. “Oh, there ya are! Just in time.”

Math, arcane symbols... They have about the same level of meaning for Snake. He's never been good at arithmetic. Donne is awake at this point, and perks up, letting out a little hiss.

"'In time for what?' says Donne..." Snake's curious too, and steps closer, looking at the papers and bracelet, and then around at the mess, which is admittedly not a big one, but still... the trailer actually looks lived-in now. It helps it be homey.

“This!” He tosses the bracelet to Snake. “Let’s just say I’ve been learnin’ a few new tricks recently. If yer ever in trouble, just think of me real hard, and this should get ya back here ta the trailer in no time. But, ah…” He scratches his cheek with a wry smile. “It only works while yer on carnival grounds… Haven’t learned anythin’ else just yet.”

Snake almost fumbles the bracelet, but manages to catch it after a brief moment of juggling practice. Now that he looks at it... It's strange. Sometimes it reflects numbers in the light. It's probably very magical, and valuable...

"'Are you sure?' says Emily." It doesn't seem like the kind of thing to waste on him, really. He's sure he can find his way back on his own. Is there some danger he doesn't know about?

Hey, they’re in the circus- no better time for juggling practice right? Pushing himself up to his feet, wooden arm seeming to creak quietly, he smiles to Snake. “Of course I’m sure,” he says. “I mean, went ta all that effort, I’d have ta be sure, right?”

And Snake is a performer, at that, though he doubts his snakes would like to be juggled. Regardless, he fastens the bracelet around his wrist, a little awkwardly, and nods at Joker. He did go through a lot of effort, that much is true. Maybe it's ok after all.

“There ya go~.” And it makes him feel a lot better, too. It’s not a full-proof plan, but it’s better than nothing. That’s the best he can ask for, at least until he’s learned more. Lightly patting Snake on the arm, Joker inclines his head towards the door. “So, interested in a tour about the place?”

If he had known what a load it would be off Joker's mind, Snake wouldn't have hesitated. However, now that he can see the tension in Joker's shoulders ease, he realizes that he should never have questioned Joker's intentions. He's only doing what he thinks is best, as always. With this on his mind, Snake nods. If Joker thinks a tour is a good idea, then he'll follow his lead.

“Alright, then off we go~.” Moving over to the door, he holds it open for Snake before hopping out himself. “Really, I guess in a way, ya got in with this whole thing at the right time… I don’t think we’ll be doin’ much performin’ in our next stop, if I’m readin’ the Ringmaster right. Don’t have ta worry about practice so soon.” At least, with everyone as they are, he’s willing to be a little lenient, especially with someone from home here. He starts to take the steps two by two downwards from his trailer.

“But it’s not too different from home- try ta get it started early in the mornin’, carry on until the afternoon. Easy ta get inta the habit.”

Snake moves a little more slowly than Joker, but has a head start, so he's at the bottom of the stairs by the time Joker makes his way down the steps, just waiting for his companion. His only response to the statements is a nod, and a brief comment. "'It's a little different from home, though,' says Donne."

Not that Joker doesn't know that. Snake's seldom seen him without his prosthetic, besides all the other changes. Some things are very different here.

“New faces and new stops,” he says agreeably, like that’s what’s really different about this place. “But in the end, carnivals are the same everywhere. Seen one, seen ‘em all!” Joker tries to laugh a bit as he guides Snake through the trees, towards the rest of the trailers that aren’t too far off even if the forest makes it hard to tell.

Still. No use hiding it now. “And everythin’ else…. It’s not as bad as ya might think. Just- strange.”

"'It's more than strange...' says Wordsworth." It's actually a little bit frightening. But he's not going to tell Joker that, not when he himself has been called names and treated as a freak. He knows how much it hurts, to scare others.

Besides, he's not scared of Joker. He's afraid of becoming further removed from human more than anything. He's afraid of being treated like a freak again. Maybe here it's more acceptable, being different, but it's still something he's not looking forward to.

More than strange…. Yeah. He can’t argue with that. “Ya adjust,” he says gently, because it’s the only thing he can offer. It’s been true for him, so all he can do is hope that it’s true for Snake, too. Something like… overexposure, isn’t that what it’s called? Well, it doesn’t matter what it’s called, so long as what happens works.

“But there’s good food, and most folks ain’t too bad here, so there’s that, at least.” There it is, a break in the threes, and he starts to gesture. “See that big round thing? Can’t remember if ya ever got ta see it when we were travelin’, but that’s the ferris wheel. Easy to find yer way around the place if ya have that as a reference.”

A brief nod, he caught a glimpse of it earlier but wasn't sure what it was. An enormous wheel, a ferris wheel. He can remember that. "'Do you ride it?' says Donne." There do appear to be seats...

Snake's snakes have more questions as they wander. What kind of food is there, what do people do around here, what's the travel like. But Snake himself grows shyer, more hesitant, as they walk around. He's a little overwhelmed.

"Ya do! Everyone gets ta see the very top of it, and from there, ya can see the whole carnival!" Joker gushes, wings fluttering in his excitement. "And in this carnival, there's even-" But then he stops himself, eyes shining and his grin bright.

Actually... "Why don't we go ride it ourselves? So ya can see for yerself."

Ride it?! That seems... High...

Snake gulps nervously, but Joker would never put him in danger, would he? ~~A pang in his chest says Joker would never trust him with danger, but he squelches it down.~~ He nods.

Joker can’t help but chuckle at the look on his face, gesturing to follow him along as he changes his route. “Hey, don’t worry! Doll, Peter, and Wendy go up high all the time, and nothin’ bad ever happens ta them, right?” Well, anything really bad, besides occasional bangs and scrapes. The usual things that happened when you worked in a circus. “And this is even safer~. We don’t have ta be on a highwire or nothin’.”

He nods, slowly, and allows Joker to lead him on. It's not his... first choice, but it is something that he's never experienced. Maybe the snakes will like it.

He kinda doubts it, though, they tend to like small spaces, havens. They're picky like that. Still, it's a way for him to convince himself to ride.

Probably the only person who's going to like it is going to be Joker, who has absolutely been convinced onto the highwire at some point in his career and thus has no survival instincts in this particular area. Still, as they walk, he points out the various places on the way until they finally reach their destination.

"Well, here it is!" And he lets Snake get a good look at it. It's bigger when you're at the foot of it, after all.

Snake gets an eyeful. Takes a step back to try to get a better view. The snake coiled around his chest gives him a squeeze, and he gasps, stroking her to calm her. Then he turns to Joker.

"'It's frightening, are we really going to ride it?' says Bronte."

Ha. Yeah. Joker gaped plenty, too, when he first saw it. Chuckling, he shakes his head. "If ya really don't want ta, then we don't. But if it helps anythin', I've seen hundreds of people get on this thing, and it holds perfectly steady."

But he won't push Snake or his snakes into anything he doesn't want to be in.

Snake pauses, then shrugs a little and nods. If it's been safe for hundreds, it'll be safe for them. Right? Right. And besides, new experiences are good for his snakes, his comrades-in-arms. They tend to enjoy them, too. Except Bronte, but she's in his shirt anyway, she won't see from the top unless she wants to.

“Alright then, up we go!” Holding open one of the doors for Snake, he waits for him to get inside before scurrying off to plead/bribe/charm someone into operating it. Soon enough, he’s ducking inside as well with a bit of awkward positioning for his wings. Settling down, he grins across to Snake even as the wheel jerks and then slowly starts to turn.

“Ya get used ta the heights…. Well, hopefully ya will.”

It'll be ok, it'll be ok... Snake maintains an internal mantra as he steps into the creaky cart. Thousands of people have done this, and they're all fine, he thinks as he slides over, making ample room for Joker, wings and all.

Making sure the door is shut tight, Joker reaches over to give a squeeze of Snake's arm. "If anythin' happens, I'm right here ta help," he promises. "Got a way ta get out of bad situations in the carnival."

Snake nods, and reaches up a littls, squeezing Joker's arm as well. It's scary, sure, but it's safe, right? If Joker says it's safe it usually is, so long as you know what you're doing. And apparently what they're doing is sitting. He looks out a window, not letting go just yet.

As the ferris wheel car goes further up, Joker stays relaxed. If there's one thing he's learned while running his own circus, it's that you can very easily control the people around you with how you're presenting your emotions. This can be for better or worse, but he's found it works out best when he's able to keep people calm when he acts the same.

"Try lookin' out the window now," he offers. They're not at the very top yet, so maybe a baby step will be good for Snake.

He looks out, at Joker's behest, trying not to look at the ground... and soon finds that takes less effort than he thought. There are stars in the sky, not high above, but twinkling around them. Emily too peers out, tongue flicking as if she's trying to smell them.

"'How is this possible?' says Emily."

Ah. Of course. Joker's grin widens a little. How could he have forgotten that Snake would find this sort of thing amazing? He's always like the view himself, but he's forgotten that the rest of the troupe would be strangers to it.

"Ringmaster has it all done up," he says. "Can't get a view like this even in London, huh?"

He shakes his head. This is like nothing he's ever seen before! He and his snake look all around, eyes glittering in the starlight.

"'It's beautiful...' says Donne."

"Good. Because it's a beautiful sight ya can come see any time ya like, so long as it's not when yer workin'."

Leaning back, content with what he's managed, Joker hums. "That's how it is for any stop we go ta, so long as there's no talk about dangerous stuff."

"'Dangerous stuff? What kinds of dangerous stuff?' asks Donne." Snake doesn't look comfortable with the idea either; he's used to being the most dangerous thing they encounter, alongside his snakes.

Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned it- but no, that's never done them any good when they were traveling back home. It won't do much good here. Sighing, Joker thinks on their most recent stops. "Well- for example, we ended up in this kinda.... dream world, ya could say. Ta make sure that nothing came through our dreams, the Ringmaster had us make these dreamcatcher things. If we weren't careful, 'tho, nightmares could become a real problem- so that sort of thing."

Quickly, however, he looks to Snake. "But if there's expected danger, the Ringmaster or Nightrider usually tells us, alright?"

Snake nods, slowly. This place just gets more and more fantastic with every explanation. It's truly bizarre, he never knows what to expect here.

Not even with Joker. He's changed so much...

Yeah, it's a lot, he knows. Still, trying to make it seem reassuring, he reaches over to pat Snake's shoulder.

"It'll all be fine," he promises. "I'll be here ta watch over ya, so if there's anythin' yer confused about, I'll be there."

He nods once more, and leans against his companion. It's hard to not be afraid, to trust people, but he'll do his best. That's all he can do, really.

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A Surprisingly Polite Awakening [Open]

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Math isn't Arcane, James...

lies

It's not even weird until they run out of letters.

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