⇨ GAME START INTRO LOG!

[ringleaders]

Who: EVERYONE!
When: NOW!
Where: Around the carnival grounds, and in the Cookhouse.
What: Carnival worker orientation, Ringmaster style.
Warnings: Alcohol consumption, maybe drugs. Other things?

BRAVE NEW WORLD↴ ► THE NEW: It doesn't matter when you entered the tent to discuss your new contract with the Ringmaster, you exit it beneath a blanket of stars. Pointedly alien stars at that - currently the carnival grounds are being treated to a show of shooting stars, and what appear to be unnaturally large and living green moons hanging just a bit too close. The carnival was bustling when you entered, but now it's in the latter stages of being shut down for the night. If you manage to find a clock, it states that it's around 8PM. Workers from during the day will be passing through the grounds, attending to various pieces of business. None of them will seem very surprised or concerned by the goings on, though some may be sympathetic enough to pause and answer your questions. If you put some effort into finding out how it became nighttime, you may discover that it's been anywhere from a few hours to 7 days since you originally signed your contract. Someone may explain to you that it was probably some kind of time bubble, meant to keep you out of the way until the Ringmaster had time to deal with you. Every few minutes another new person will pop out of the tent, looking just as confused and under the impression that they had only just finished discussing things with the Ringmaster. Weird. She passed you a note before you left. Opening it up, you'll see you've been assigned a trailer number, and been given the instructions to drop off any excess belongings and do what you can to get settled in. You have until exactly 9:36PM to do so, because that's when you'll be expected to attend what is listed only as "WORKER'S ORIENTATION". This is, perhaps, more abrupt than you were expecting - but what can you do? You're here for the long haul. ► THE OLD: If you've ever seen a mass recruitment before, then this is no surprise. People enter the tent when they're recruited, and then sometimes how up again days later when the Ringmaster is ready for them. She isn't a big fan of wasting her time on individual orientations when she's expecting a crowd. Maybe you're too jaded to all of this to care much, but you'll see the newbies wandering around, probably confused and maybe a bit lost. Maybe you're the kind whose is sympathetic enough to pause your role in clean up and give them some directions, and maybe a word of confidence. Maybe you'll just jeer at them, because you're some kind of asshole. Either way, you expect you'll have the chance to see them later tonight. Whether by world of mouth, radio, or written note, supervisors will be passing out the following message: all workers are to report to the Cookhouse at 9:36PM sharp for "orientation." If you are at all familiar with how things go around here, you probably have a good idea of what this implies. Mandatory Karaoke Night. MANDATORY KARAOKE NIGHT!!!↴ At 9:36PM, the main dining hall of the Cookhouse will be found heavily decorator with various coloured lights and at least one disco ball made of what is ostensibly high karat gems. There are a bunch of cushions and additional seating set up along with the usual tables, and at the head of the call there is a state set up - a karaoke stage. For veteran workers, this is no surprise. Karaoke nights are fairly frequent as activities go, even if they are not usually mandatory. Some of you probably have signature songs already prepared. The karaoke machine is set up with mostly karaoke tracks that would be popular in the 90's and 00's on the average modern earth, with a few that are more recent. It also has some other random stuff from other worlds that people rarely sing because they are confusing and in languages no one understands. Here is a big karaoke list for your inspiration! The more stereotypically karaoke the better. Beyond that, there is plenty of food and snacks that were prepared by the cooks earlier, as well as a bar set up for alcohol and other vices. The selection is, as most things in the carnival, eclectic. Music will be played in between if nobody is singing, and otherwise veterans are encouraged to bring along their own fun and show the newbies a good time. The Ringmaster does ask that vets attempt to be courteous to their new coworkers. It's just being a good host.

Comments

[atouts]

And here Childermass had thought the talking bear was bizarre. Whoever this is, whatever this is, surely ranks up there alongside Jou. Possibly stranger, even, as he has at least come to peace with the idea of talking bears. Basically, the Psionic is treated to quite a long stare, long enough that, eventually, he'll decide that, yes, this person is apparently sticking around.

Only then will he stop puffing away on the pipe.

"Of course. I've made myself comfortable in far worse places. If anything, I would call this one of the easier ones for it."

[dorkypantsuit]

The stare is so long it's impossible not to notice, but The Psionic simply smiles wider at the response he's invoke, showing off all his very pointy teeth.

"Oh really? And what worse situations have you found yourself in?"

He doesn't care that he hasn't been invited, he sits down in a nearby chair backwards, so as not to crush the wings sprouting from his back.

[atouts]

He can't quite tell if the wider smile is meant to intimidate or not, but he'll opt for, perhaps, not. Surely he wouldn't sit down and continue asking questions if he'd taken offense at the stare.

"Ships with not enough room, horse stables, cold places in the middle of nowhere. A crowded hall is, at least, a warm hall." Meaning the cookhouse. "Now, from the look of you, should I take it that you work here, sir?"

Or have worked here, in any case. It's not as though Childermass might deny working here now, as well.

[dorkypantsuit]

He laughs, it is warm in here, noisy too. Still, it's not the worst place Psi has ever been either. He's camped, slept, hidden, and stayed in far worse places. Of course he's smiling again at the stranger's question. His wings buzz to life behind him, if only for a second, his freckles glowing an amused shade of purple.

"What gave me away?"

[atouts]

Childermass takes a moment to take in everything about Psi that makes it very obvious, going as far as to go back to smoking his pipe for another puff or two as he does. Of all the options right there and all too apparent, he's going to have to go with--

"The outfit, of course," he'll say dryly, after taking the pipe back out from between his teeth. "Very suited to a circus."

[dorkypantsuit]

He strikes a pose or two as Childermass looks him over, but then the other man says that and he lets out a loud surprised laugh his freckles glowing briefly brighter as he does so. His clothes are one of the only normal things about him, well, normal to someone from his timeline.

"Of course, my clothes, there such an obvious sign."

He sticks his hand out, clearly expecting Childermass to shake it. "I'm The Psiioniic."

[atouts]

The clothes are indeed the most mundane thing to point out, if only for the sake of his own amusement, though still strange enough that they could have very well been part of a circus costume. There's no way to really tell for sure here, with the older hires, from what Childermass can tell. In any case, that this fellow is willing to laugh over it is taken as a good sign.

And since he's taking that as a good sign, he has to problem with bringing his feet down off the table, to sit a little more properly, and reach out to shake Psi's hand.

"John Childermass," he returns the introduction with his own, followed by a short pause before he curiously adds, "I've been puzzling over this all night. Is it particularly rude to ask about someone's wings?"

Along with basically someone's everything else.

[dorkypantsuit]

It sounds like a human name, still, here you never can be sure. John's question illustrates the point. Psi's own wings twitch subconsciously at the mention as he shrugs.

"It sort of depends? Most people don't mind too much. They know you guys aren't used to the sights of this place yet. Some of the people here are total grumps though. Good rule of thumb is if someone's scowling don't bother."

[atouts]

"Which means you, for one, certainly won't mind," Childermass points out. With how much this guy smiles, chances are he's even the best of the lot to ask. "Are they natural?"

[dorkypantsuit]

He doesn't mind in fact. So far John Childermass is one of the more interesting new hires he's talked to all evening.

"Nah." he comments, with a shrug. "I mean it's not impossible for a troll to pupate wings, but it is pretty unusual."

He turns around his wings spreading out into an x shape as he shows them off for the moment. They translucent with thing membranes, they really do resemble a bee's in appearance.

"They're pretty cool though, right?"

Even though he can't wear shirts with backs anymore, he still likes them. Of course with his wings spread like that the fae mark on his back is visible as well. It's an intricate geometric design in colored in a shade of magenta that looks suprisingly bright on his dark grey skin.

[atouts]

Which, if Childermass was aware of, he would no doubt work on making himself less interesting right away. The only attention he cares for is what's paid while he's giving either advice or orders, although he doubts he'll be doing much of the latter here, and hopes he won't have to do all that much of the former.

He isn't, however, and would be shocked that he'd be considered so compared to, well, just look at Psi. One can't really compare an Englishman in a shabby black coat to a glowing troll with bee wings, can they?

"Cool?" His brow furrows for a second, the term puzzling. It doesn't quite mean the same thing to him as it does to the Psiioniic, but he'll let it slide. "They're fascinating, I'll give you that. So if they are not natural, is that to mean you got them from here?"

[dorkypantsuit]

He turns back to the face the human, still smiling somehow. It'd be easier to mention when he isn't to be honest.

"Yeah, they were a gift for my amazing leadership abilities." It's said like a joke, but he does genuinely believe he is a good leader, so it isn't a joke really. "Stick around here long enough and everyone get's something. I didn't glow in the dark before coming here either, and I only had two of these."

He moves his hands up to wipe his bangs aside, revealing the second set of eyes resting above his first. "They were always this color though."

[atouts]

"I was worried that was the case," Childermass says, now without an ounce of cheer. Oh, he won't regret the contract itself, but now he's trying to recall what else may or may not have been in that fine print. Had there been anything about wings? Extra eyes?

"Might I ask how long you have been here?"

[dorkypantsuit]

"Two years plus some." He says, taking a sip of his drink between talking.

"Why? Worried about what you'll turn into?"

[atouts]

"Some," he'll admit it, at least. "I am rather attached to myself as I am currently. Were you not?"

[dorkypantsuit]

The question gives him pause. He had been a bit freaked out by some of the changes at first, but he never worried about them. He'd had to adjust to the idea that his body wasn't his to control long before he arrived here. That's definitely not something he wants to talk about here though. He takes a drink thinking over his words carefully.

"I guess what I was leaving behind was more worrisome than anything I could have gained here." It's vague, but not a lie either.

[atouts]

"I see..." He says it thoughtfully, wondering about what might have been left behind, but knowing better than to pry. It is not his business. "And thank you, for answering my questions. It has been something I've been wondering since I first stepped through the gates."

[dorkypantsuit]

"Don't worry about it." he shrugs, offering another small smile, more apologetic than anything else.

"That's what most people worry about when they start here, well, if they aren't worried about the ringmaster's motives or something like that. We should probably put it into a welcome pamphlet or something."

[atouts]

"Something along the lines of 'surprise, enjoy your extra arms with your new job' might do the trick," Childermass says, deadpan as usual. As to motives, he'll just shrug, apparently unworried about that particular point. "And even if her motives were anything beyond running a carnival, I do not think I would care."

While he can imagine why others might question it, he doubts he would ever honestly give them the time of day for it. If they are stuck here, then there is a reason for it and it's liable to be on them.