lostcarnival | ⇨ GAME START INTRO LOG!

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⇨ 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

[ Mitsuki moves until he's sitting on the edge of the stage, resting his elbows on his knees (which will be sore tomorrow, he really didn't think that through). This is the kind of thing he lives for, getting to see people really enjoying themselves, and the chance to do it on his first night here has made him feel much more at home.]

My pleasure! I didn't mean to keep you from your food, though. Think of it as a way to work up an appetite!

[ He definitely notices that there's something happening when the hoodie moves, but it's much the same as with the strange gait the other girl had earlier; he sees it but he's not going to stare. She seems sweet and he doesn't want to embarrass her. ]

Oh...!

[ She'd forgotten about the food table. She's actually walked away from it since his performance started, a little closer to the stage now. ]

You probably worked up even more of an appetite, though...

[ She digs into her pocket where she stashed a couple of pastries earlier, and hands them to him. ] I'll go get more.

[ Oooh, there's food on offer! Well, directly on offer, Mitsuki's definitely been eating tonight because how could you not? He's hesitant when she offers the pastries over, though. ]

I can't just take all your snacks, even if there are more! We'll share, ok?

[ Hopefully she's not offended when he only takes one of the offered treats. It just seems rude, cleaning her out like that, even if the table is right there. ]

Okay.

[ She takes the other one back and munches on it. Her ears perk up a little bit, tenting the hoodie.

Sharing feels good again. ]

Are you... gonna sing again? [ Is that why he's still on the stage? ]

[ OK, this time he does look a little longer, if only because they're moving. He's not just going to stare, though. ]

I don't mean to be rude, but could I see what's under your hood? And not yet, I was just being a little lazy.

[ Mitsuki pushes himself off the edge of the stage--surprise, he's only a couple inches taller than she is! ]

Are you going to sing?

Um... [ No. She wasn't planning on it. ... well, probably.

But she does cautiously look around, making sure that the crowd's attention is on someone else. Then she cautiously lifts the top of the hoodie.

Two furry lynx ears poke out, twitching slightly. ]

[ He won't press. Not everybody is a born performer; if they were, who would provide the audiences for them to perform to?

Mitsuki's suitably surprised when the ears appear. He thought she maybe had a headband on but those are definitely moving all on their own. ]

Whoa... they're real! Those are really cool! Are they from here?

[ Because the fact that a lot of the people working here have things like that (or more) going on has not escaped him even though he hasn't been here long, but it's also possible she just has always had them. ]

Mm. They showed up when I got healed... do you have some?

[ Obviously he doesn't have cat ears, but maybe there's something that isn't obvious. ]

Healed? Are you OK?

[ Sure, she just said she got healed, but that doesn't mean she's completely fine, even if she does seem it! Mitsuki shakes his head at her question. ]

No, or I guess not yet? I know it'll happen eventually... Did you know what they were going to be or was it a surprise?

[ Because if he can pick, he's definitely picking something cool. Her ears are pretty cool but they wouldn't look the same on him. ]

I'm okay. [ She says it quietly, looking away. ]

Mm--- it just sort of happened, I guess. I had a hoodie with cat ears before, but they weren't really like this... [ The ears twitch again, picking up something across the room. ]

Maybe you'll get something to help you perform.

[ That definitely doesn't seem like someone who is completely OK, but he also doesn't even know this girl's name yet. If there's no immediate danger to her then he's not about to push. Besides, she's much more forthcoming about her new ears. ]

No, they wouldn't be, huh? Those are more than just fabric. [ Mitsuki sees them twitch--does that mean...]

Can you hear out of them? If that's true then maybe I could get something to help me. I wonder what would be most helpful.

[ Other than an extra six inches of height and blue eyes. Those are a given. ]

They're differently shaped, too. [ She touches one -- there's a bit of a tuft at the end. They're not perfectly geometrical like her hoodie was. ]

But, um... yeah, I can. [ Lowering her hoodie a bit to let her ears move a bit more, it's obvious that her old ears have vanished. ] It's easier to pick up things across the room. Everything sort of melds together, though.

Mm... I don't know much about performing. It could be anything. [ She looks back at the stage, and the lights, remembering his performance, and thinking. ] Something to increase your stats... maybe a Charisma modifier?...

[ It's not until the hood comes the whole way down that Mitsuki realizes exactly what he's seeing--her ears have actually moved and turned into the cat ones, they haven't just popped up in addition to her own. That's stranger somehow than having a second pair but she seems pretty unbothered by it. ]

Huh, so your hearing is better but also not as good? That seems kind of inconvenient.

[ He waits to see what she has as an idea for him. If he can't ask for anything specific then it's hard to know if any suggestion is any good, but it also means brainstorming like this can't hurt. Her answer makes him laugh, but not unkindly. It's a better idea than anything he'd had . ]

Like a video game character? I'd want to increase my strength first, I think! Charisma would be helpful too, though.

But... you didn't try to lift anything!

[ She looks back at the stage. Did she miss the beginning of his performance? ] You were like someone in Rock Band, you knew how to work the crowd... you would have gotten a lot of points.

[ ... Did he just admit that he wasn't very strong to someone who didn't already think that? Whoops. ]

Well, I could! It helps to be strong as an idol, too!

[ The compliments make him a bit shyer, though, one hand going to the back of his neck as he smiles. ]

Thanks! It was just some karaoke but I still wanted to try my hardest. I'm glad it reached you, but I can definitely do better.

Ohh... [ If he says so! She'll take his word for it, she hasn't seen him lift. ]

Mm... we can always do better, but... what's important is that you did, I think, and that you had fun doing it.

[ She was appreciative, at least. ] You're gonna be in the show here, right? If you just keep practicing, you'll probably get even better!

[ He's half tempted to offer to lift something now but he can't guarantee it would go well, and it'd look pretty odd, him suddenly hefting a chair around in the middle of the karaoke hall. Mitsuki will figure out a way to show her sometime, though! ]

You only think? If I didn't reach you this time then I have to go back up! Any requests?

[ He's half-playing around but if she asks him to, he'll definitely go up again. It's not like he's not already thinking about it. ]

Yeah! Are you a performer too?

[ She laughs. ] No, it definitely worked... but you should sing if you want to.

[ She shakes her head at the second question. ] No, I don't really perform... well, maybe if I was playing a game. [ She means competitively -- which she admittedly hasn't tried, in front of a crowd. ] I'm supposed to be working in the Gamer's Circle.

[ Ahhh, a laugh! Mitsuki's so pleased and still enjoying the lingering giddiness of performing, so he laughs too. ] Maybe later. I want to make sure everyone who wants a turn gets one.

[ Her answer isn't really a surprise (though she wouldn't be the first shy performer he's met, either) but the reply about the games is. ]

Like a dancing game? That's kind of like performing, if people are watching! That sounds like it'd be a fun place to work, too. You'll get to meet so many people.

Oh, maybe there are dancing games! I've played some of them, they're really fun... I guess I wouldn't mind if people were watching then, I'd be too focused on it.

But... if there's anywhere I have to work at a circus, the games seem right for me. I really like them. [ She hesitates, but: ] I was called the, um... Super High School Level Gamer back home.

Yeah, I like those too! I don't get to play a lot of arcade games but those ones are pretty fun.

[ Mitsuki listens, expecting some kind of nickname for sure but not that. It's... long, for a nickname. ]

Super High School Level Gamer, huh? You must've been really good, then. I don't know a lot of girls who are that good at video games, that's cool! You're literally getting to do what you love!

[ He doesn't know that many girls but that's a detail he'll just leave out for now. ]

Well... hopefully I'll be good at it. It seems like there's a lot of different kinds of games in the Gamer's Circle.

[ They're kind of fascinating. ]

If you come over, we could play sometime! After I figure out how they work, at least...

Yeah, there were lots of midway games when I was walking around earlier. Things with water guns and darts, stuff like that!

[ He kind of likes the idea of a midway with video games too, though. Much more modern! ]

Oh, of course! Hopefully they're not too complicated, but maybe there'll be someone there who can show you.

If there isn't, figuring it out will be kind of like a game, too.

So... are you in the show?

That's a good way to think of it.

Mmm... I'm not sure yet. I have an idea I want to talk to Joker about, but if that doesn't work out then I'll probably be in a sideshow.

⇨ GAME START INTRO LOG!

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