⇨ 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

[missionfail]

Her tail flicks rhythmically behind her as Jasper is filled with both anger and confusion. She's never fully been able to understand Rose's actions now that she's in this smaller, more disgusting form.

"Happy." She spits out the word. "The sickeningly positive front you're always putting on isn't going to win me over. Not now." Not before either, but certainly not when she isn't crumbling under the weight of the corruption. The transformed gem takes a couple steps closer, her footsteps with her new feet not quite as impactful as they had been.

She wants to reach down, grab her by the front of her form and just shake her until she reverts to looking the way she's supposed to look. It's pathetic. In fact, she almost does, but then realizes that would mean Rose would get a closer look at her skin, might be able to feel the way her body is made up now.

"Did you follow me here? Were you going to offer more help?"

[starseedling]

Steven flinches, just a little, when Jasper comes close - but he doesn't pull away quite yet. He knows what the rules are already, from the Ringmaster, and he has a hard time believing that Jasper would break them. She's always been so serious about the laws of the empire, after all.

"No. I didn't come here intentionally, I mean..." He hesitates, folding his arms around himself. "I had no idea anyone from our world was here, except me and my dad."

Ah, geez. He doesn't really know how to act towards her, when everything he genuinely does and thinks of is something she seems to think he is putting on for some kind of show. He sighs.

"... I... I don't want to fight with you, Jasper. Not here, and not back home, either. I'm not going to try to hurt you, or manipulate you, or anything. I promise."

[missionfail]

The concept of parents is still strange to Jasper, so she doesn't understand what connection "Rose" could really have to a dad. The rebel leader has been on Earth for a long time. There are all sorts of sayings she would have picked up that Jasper wouldn't have any knowledge of so she chooses not to focus on that. It's hard enough having to listen to the rest of it.

"You won't fight me here because it's against the rules." She unknowingly sort of mirrors what Steven had been thinking already. "But your promises mean nothing."

Rose will say anything to try and make herself look sympathetic, won't she? She's good at it too. Jasper can almost believe her, but she doesn't dare. That's how she'd gotten her army to begin with and she won't fall for the same tricks.

"You're lucky to be employed here. It's the only thing saving you and your friends." She says this as if she's certain she could take them all out, despite all evidence to the contrary.

[starseedling]

Steven is quiet for a few moments, awkwardly messing with his hair. It's really hard to know what to say. He could call her out on her threat - he knows it isn't entirely true as much as she does - but posturing isn't necessary or helpful to what he wants to accomplish here. He doesn't need to try to make her feel small, when so much of what it seems like she's built herself on is centered around being big.

If she was right about anything in the conflict they had before, it's that convincing people to team up with you when they have nothing left is cheap. He doesn't really want to do that to her here, intentionally or not.

If he really can convince her that he's honest, she shouldn't have to be weak first. He clenches a fist at his side.

"...I think I'm lucky to work here, too, but... mostly just because I think it could be a lot of fun? Don't you think so? Or... do you just want to go home?"

[missionfail]

The very idea of being here to have fun makes Jasper snort, even though she's well aware that this line of thinking doesn't only pertain to 'Rose'. Plenty of others enjoy themselves while here. She just isn't one of them. For her, this is all business. Fun is for their patrons.

"It's so typical of you not to take this seriously." Maybe it was lucky. She can agree with that, even though she doesn't like the concept of luck. If she hadn't made a bargain with the Ringmaster, she would still be a corrupted mess. "I don't have to explain my plans. I'm here for now because I want to be."

Does she plan on going home eventually? Of course. She just has to tweak her situation a little but more before she's ready to.

[starseedling]

"That's okay," he says, trying not to sound too viscerally rejected, because he should be expecting this. "You don't have to talk to me about it, I just..."

He trails off and then sighs. He doesn't really know what to say to her. This is all kind of overwhelming. He runs a hand down the side of his face in gentle exasperation.

"I'll see you around, okay?" Maybe he can talk to some of the others and see how she's been, first. For now, he can at least try to break from the conversation politely.

[missionfail]

"Let's hope you don't. It'll be better for both of us."

Rose Quartz being a part of this carnival is just a disaster waiting to happen. She could put up with the presence of Amethyst and Peridot, but Rose is the one that sets everything in motion. She's the one who could potentially destroy everything she's worked for.

Surely the Ringmaster wouldn't let that happen...

Jasper points at the boy one more time. "Don't mess this up." Then she turns and prepares to stomp away, despite being the one who initiated the conversation in the first place.