Oh, the dashboard melted, but we still have the radio [OPEN]

[flashover]

Who: Rin, the new arrival! And whoever he comes across! Plus a closed prompt for Sora.
What: A new hire settles into the carnival.
When: Post Atlantis, before arriving in PARTYWORL.
Where: The trailers, the cookhouse, wherever!


A] Trailer #15 -- Closed to Sora

[Rin looks like someone who has already been at the carnival for some time -- the swishing black tail and pointed ears definitely mark him as something other than human. But the fact that he looks a bit lost doesn't match with that story. He has a sword in a red cloth bag slung over his shoulder, and another large bag seemingly filled to the brim with stuffed animal prizes from the carnival. He approaches trailer fifteen, a small twin-tailed cat padding behind him. The cat meows curiously and Rin nods, looking at the slip of paper in his hand]

Yeah, Kuro... it looks like this is where we're going to live while I work off this debt... [he sounds pretty dejected about it -- if Yukio knew about this, he'd get an earful for being so stupid] But hey! Look, there's even a little cat door for you! Let's, um... meet our new room-mate, I guess?

[Kuro looks apprehensive, folding his ears]

Don't be that way. I'm sure he's nice. The Ringmaster wouldn't put us with someone who doesn't like cats, I'm sure of it.

[Rin collects himself and knocks on the trailer door before entering] Ah... Hello? Anyone here? My name's Rin, I'm gonna be... staying here a while, I guess? Oh, it's pretty cute and cozy in here...

B] Out in the carnival -- OTA

[Having met his new roomie and settled into his trailer, Rin is now off to find the place he's supposed to work -- the cookhouse! He gets to pay his debt off by cooking! That's, like... not even a real job, in his mind. That's just fun.

But Rin doesn't know the lay of the land, yet, and he's... well. He's lost. He stops whomever he sees nearby, lightly tugging on shirt sleeves if needed]

Hey! Uh, I'm new around here. Can you tell me where the cookhouse is? I'm supposed to get to work there, but I'm kind of overwhelmed.

C] Games -- OTA

[directions get! Now on the way to the cookhouse, Rin has to stop and look at one game in particular; Test Your Strength. It looks... remarkably intact.

It was not that way when he left it.

Indeed, breaking this game was a big part of his debt]

Wow... someone already fixed it? I busted it pretty badly... Woops.

D] Cookhouse -- OTA

[Finally! He's reached his destination. Rin can smell delicious food inside, and he enters the building with a bright grin on his face, full of confidence.

Now, whether that confidence is real, or just bluster, remains to be seen] Never fear! Okumura Rin is here! I guess the Ringmaster decided this place needed some real good home cookin', and so she hired me! Wahaha!

[someone tell him he's just a line cook, please]

E] Jokers Wild
[Got another idea? Hit me up! We can work something out!]

Comments

[flashover]

[Kuro arches his back and raises his hackles, his twin tails bottlebrushed and thrashing.

I can talk!! You just don't understand meeeee!

Nothing actually comes out of his mouth except hissing and spitting, though.

But hey, Kuro is a century old demon! He's not gonna just sit here and let some deer guy boss him around!

There's a poof, and the small cat is replaced by... the same cat in a significantly larger format. Kuro yowls and bellows at Ginko, showing his long fangs. He looks ready to pounce when--]

KURO.

[HARK. ANOTHER VOICE. Kuro, still large, brings his belly low to the ground and folds his ears back, scolded]

I told you to Stay. In. The trailerpark!!

[dontpokethat]

[UM.

Okay, he... was, admittedly, super not expecting that. So much for trying to wrap his vest around it to catch it, huh.

But now he's got a more immediate problem than catching the cat, which is to say, he really does not want to get attacked by a giant demon cat today??

Ginko has just taken a hesitant step back when he hears the voice and nearly jumps. He turns to face the speaker, his tail lashing back and forth.]

What--

...Is this-- do you know this cat?

[flashover]

[The speaker is a teenager, probably 15 or so, with messy bluish black hair, a hooded jacket with fur, and jeans tucked into snowboots. A long black tail swishes behind him, mimicking the angry swishing of the cat's tails earlier. He has his hands on his hips and a deep frown. But, more importantly than all that, he seems to be.... mildly on fire. Yes, there are spits and spurts of blue flames clinging to his hair, his clothes, his tail... all of them dancing angrily and spitting embers]

Yeah, I know him! He's my familiar! And he's in big trouble! [he says, glaring past Ginko at the cat.... who is now small again. Rin strides past Ginko and grabs Kuro by the scruff of his neck. The cat meowls pathetically.

"Riiiiin!! The weird deer man was chasing me!! He was gonna hurt me!!"]

I really doubt he was going to hurt you, Kuro. And besides, I TOLD you to stay in the trailerpark!

["I was hungryyyy!!! BESIDES I'm 121 years old YOU DON'T CONTROL MEEEEE"]

Not an excuse!!

[.... from here Rin just looks like a crazy person talking to a cat. Like hearing one side of a phone conversation, really. He turns to Ginko, still holding the now grumpy cat by his scruff] I'm really sorry, man. He didn't hurt you, did he?

[dontpokethat]

Your... familiar. Right.

[Aaand... oh it's small again. Ginko looks between the boy and the cat with something like bafflement on his face.]

No, I'm fine. Thanks for, uh. Intervening. ...So you can talk to him?

[He doesn't sound particularly incredulous; mostly, he's just curious. Because, well, it certainly sounds like he's having an actual conversation here.]

[flashover]

Good. I'm glad. [Rin takes Kuro and puts him on his head. The cat demon, looking pouty, just stays there] Uh... well... Sort of? I can hear what he thinks, and he understands when people talk. I'm sorry he gave you so much trouble. What was he doing?

["I got a cooorn dog!!"]

... I bet you stole a corn dog since you don't have any money. Tch, whatever... the Ringmaster will probably just put it on my tab. Anyway... [he looks at Ginko] I'm Rin. Okumura Rin. This little jerk is named Kuro... he's a cait sidhe and he was my dad's familiar before me. We uh... just got recruited a day or two ago.

[dontpokethat]

Ah. That makes sense.

[Yes, Ginko, that's a good response to someone telling you that he can hear his cat's thoughts. "That makes sense."

But, well. After the kind of stuff he's used to, it does.]

Yeah, he... definitely did steal it. And... yeah, she probably will. [He gives a small nod.] Nice to meet you. I'm Ginko; I'm one of the animal keepers here. ...I'll admit, I wasn't sure at first if the Ringmaster picked up a new addition to the menagerie without telling me or what.

[flashover]

[WELL it does make sense! SURE. We'll go with that. But it's hardly the weirdest thing Ginko would have experienced with his work. Not even the second weirdest.

Or fifth.

Rin groans. Just what he needed. MORE debt.]

Dammit Kuro. You better have enjoyed that corn dog... If you steal anything else, I'll make sure you get locked in the trailer! [SIGH.] Oh yeah? I guess he does kind of look like some weird circus animal, now that you mention it. And uh... the Ringmaster... not to say anything bad about her, but she DOES seem the type to do things and not... tell anyone. Heh.

[dontpokethat]

Oh, she absolutely is. [No denying THAT.] Actually, a while back a cow appeared in the barn out of nowhere one day, and it was gone a few days later. She never told me where it came from, or why we had it to begin with. So, it wouldn't be the first time.

[flashover]

Uh... magically appearing and disappearing cows.... Huh.

[dontpokethat]

Yep. By comparison, I'd actually be less surprised if she brought something like him in without telling me. [He nods at Kuro, his tail flicking as if to emphasize his point.]