lostcarnival | ⇨ GAME START INTRO LOG!

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"No, it's...! It's okay. I appreciate it. Thank you. Everything healed."

She hesitates. "I... didn't get your name."

"Zecora is my name." The zebra inclined her head in something of a bow.
"These days, of small medical fame."

"You're the head doctor, ... right?"

She pauses. "So... how do you manage with..."

She indicates Zecora's hooves.

"Brews and spells are how I treat.
They do the trick, quickly and neat."

As she knew perfectly well, or ought to, by now. Ah, humans -- so quick to assume those who didn't have their gifts struggled without them!

"... Right! Of course!"

She still doesn't understand, but... again, after the injuries she had, she isn't complaining.

"Mm... something happened, though..."

Carefully, she pulls the torn hoodie down off her head, revealing-- the cat ears that have grown there, replacing her old ones. They twitch and swivel at the slightest sound, Chiaki wincing when they do-- she still isn't used to the senses.

"Ah yes. That happens here
Since fae magic is so near."

Zecora lifted a foreleg, to demonstrate that her hoof, rather than being of any sensible biological material, was pure obsidian.

Chiaki isn't an expert at what horse or zebra hooves should look like, but looking closely -- it is glinting strangely. And there's the zebra's tail, too -- which she'd assumed was just ornamentation or jewelry, but on closer look--

The tail is gold and silver.

"It just happens? While you're here... and it'll keep happening?"

"The more exposed to magic you are
The more these changes will go far.
I fear the traits you find unappealing
Have come upon you because of my healing."

Changes were inevitable, Zecora knew that much. Nopony came here and was unaffected -- a fact she hadn't known when she first signed on. Still, she disliked being responsible simply as a matter of pride.

She reaches up and touches her ears again, feeling the soft fur under her fingers.

"I guess I don't... really mind them." She winces again as someone screeches a high note on stage. "Things are a little louder... but I had a hoodie like this back home!" Her ears wiggle a little.

A question occurred to Zecora, one that had a certain level of professional relevance as well as personal curiosity behind it. "Are they extra or do they replace
The ones that graced the sides of your face?"

"Hm!" She hadn't even noticed, but the muscles that used to work her regular ears...

She felt on the side of her head. Yes-- her normal ears were gone, or rather they themselves had been the ones changed. "It's just the cat ears, now!"

Zecora nodded. That was as she'd expected, and something she would need to account for in future treatments.

"That is best, for even my rhymes
Would hurt your head if heard four times."

"Everything already sort of hurts my head..." And they were at a loud party, no less. "But maybe I'll adjust?...

"Hey... what changes have you gotten, here?"

"Stone hooves and metal tail, you know.
And perhaps you noticed my stripes glow?"

Those were the ones she could immediately list. The fae markings required magic to demonstrate, and as for her other problems... she'd prefer not to get into it.

"Mm...!" She hadn't immediately, but it had become apparent after a little bit of time that she wasn't lit by the stage lights.

"And... did they appear all at once? Or..."

An understandable mistake, given that her stripes had a kind of blacklight effect going.

"Not at all, but as time passed
These changes came, none too fast."

"You've been here for a little while..." She nods.

"Well, maybe if I'm only here for a year, it won't be so bad... but I need to get back to my friends. Even if I look a little strange."

"The Ringmaster can return
You to where you yearn.
Another year might buy
A favor, if you try--
To go back where you came
At a time that is the same."

That was Zecora's master plan, if she could enact it, and she saw no reason to keep it secret.

Chiaki could only stare, at the implications of what this meant. She could go back in time! She could save everyone from Junko. All she had to do was finish a year.

"Then... I have to do this. For them." She straightens, and resolves. Okay. A year in a magical carnival. Then home.

It would be like an adventure.

Well. Two years, really, barring a very special favor from the Ringmaster. But that was possible. Who knew? She wasn't going to be the one to squash that resolve!

"So then! Did they give to you
A task or job that you should do?"

"Mmhmm... I'm in the Gamer's Circle. I didn't see very many people there, though... just some shadow things."

Hmm, she had rarely been by there. Games weren't her style. Nevertheless...

"A position I know little about
But if I can help, just shout."

She nods. "Thanks... I'll come visit you sometimes, too."

Her ears twitch again, and she bows a little. "Thank you again for helping me."

Smiling, Zecora nodded her head. "Helping those like you
Is what I do.
But you're welcome, of course--
I won't protest with force."

⇨ GAME START INTRO LOG!

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