⇨ 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

[pipers_son]

[Good news: Joker doesn’t care about boots on the table, and just flops down into a seat himself to prop one of his own shoes up there as well.]

Ha. Ain’t none of us. Still, suppose it all works out. So, what do ya think of- [Excuse him, he has to cough, and it’s definitely not a laugh.] -the workers’ orientation?

[atouts]

[ Well. It looks like he'll be getting along with Mr. Joker just fine, then. At his question, however, he'll look on the currently ongoing singing disaster (Take Me Home Country Roads and the jury's still out on whether or not he likes the song yet) with grave regard. ]

It's been-- [ What's a good word for it? ] Informative. [ And he'll break away from how serious he sounds after saying as much and manage a somewhat crooked smirk instead. ] Only not in any way I could have anticipated.

[ This massive culture clash still offers more than enough information on his new coworkers. Unexpected, but he'll take it. ]

[pipers_son]

Well, that’s the carnival for ya. Unexpected but, generally speakin’, not in the bad way.

[Generally speaking, of course. There’s always the exceptions: almost executions, vampire attacks, on and on. But it’s… manageable. And Joker says this as someone who is, as far as he knows, a fairly ordinary guy.]

[Or, well, was. Before the wings and such.]

[Picking up a bit of meat between his fingers, he glances back to Childermass with a grin.]

Don’t know if ya heard over our fancy little plastic boxes, but I’ll give the ones under me like yerself until ten in the mornin’, just in case there’s anyone hungover. Consider it a welcome gift of sympathy, ha.

[atouts]

[ Childermass can only shrug to that. Unexpected is usually bad in his books, but so far... In any case, he moves on. ]

Oh? I was not aware you could hear anything over those. [ Because they're boxes. Boxes make noises? Apparently so. He'll have to figure that one out. ] And while that is very generous of you, hangovers will not be an issue with me. Though I do wish the others luck.

[ Since, yyyeah, it's pretty clear a lot of other people here aren't quite so restrained. He'll just have to show up early enough to be first and quietly enjoy the ensuing misery that trails in after. ]

[pipers_son]

Yeah. Thought it was magic at first, but... Apparently just very fancy technology. [He pronounces each syllable of that last word very distinctly- it's not something he usually has to say, even now.] Although, if we're honest, probably still a bit of magic. Ha.

[But that's everything in this place, he's pretty sure.]

If ya ever need help figurin' it out, the engineers should be helpful. Peridot, she's the head of 'em, she'll especially love tellin' people new things.

[Which is because Peridot is a bit of a smug little thing, but oh well. She's got a good heart, probably.]

[atouts]

Failing that, I'm sure they cannot be too difficult to figure out.

[ Just imagine how fast he'll learn how to turn one off when the skeleton starts singing at four in the morning! ]

Shall I assume that all important announcements will come over them?

[pipers_son]

That’s right. Hold on…

[Reaching for his belt, Joker pulls his out to show Childermass.]

See those numbers? Dial a certain one, and it’ll let ya communicate with certain folks. Us in the performance line of things, we’re 507.50844. Don’t worry if it takes a while ta remember it. But really, most important for us is probably gonna be… 119.15105. That’s for medical.

[Placing it on the table upright and between them, he gives a dry grin.]

Sometime things just happen, don’t they? Fortunately not often, small blessin'.

[atouts]

[ So numbers to memorize. He can manage that. Once Joker sets it down, he makes a point to snuff out his pipe and set it aside, then swinging his feet down off the table so he's sitting a bit more properly. It makes it easier to pick up the radio Joker's set on the table. Though he won't try actually using it, he will fiddle with the controls some, just to see how they work. ]

...how peculiar. [ That people can use something like this to talk to one another! He'll set it back to the original channel it had been on after, of course, and look up. ] And perhaps not often, but they are inevitable. Is there anything in particular to keep an eye out for?

[ Injury is a given in every profession he's been in prior to here, but it all varies from place to place. ]

[pipers_son]

[The interest isn’t surprising- Joker was fascinated in much the same way when he first arrived. Then again, everything was fascinating, from the magic to the existence of video games. His years here have been a trip. At the question, he starts to count off on his fingers.]

Lessee… Beasts outta control, whatever nonsense the daredevils get up ta, acrobats fallin’ and breakin’ somethin’... And dependin’ on it, sometimes magical mishaps. I’ll do my best ta keep things from gettin’ outta hand, ‘course, and Zecora can fix just about anythin’, so things shouldn't be too bad.