Get Ready For the Show

[pipers_son]

Who: All the performers, plus any visitors
What: Time to get back into the swing of things! Nothing says "I've recovered from trauma" like learning how to plaster a smile onto your face for the crowds.
When: D1 - D5
Where: The Main Tent
Warnings: None.... Probably

As the saying goes, "All play and no work makes Jack forget how to do his job". On the bright side...

Over the radio, Joker makes a cheerful announcement for all performers to start getting back into the practice schedule with new arrivals to show up on the first day back from the moon. On the first day, he'll be lenient. No one has to be on time, but he does want them to at least make an appearance and token attempt at practice. After that, well... Show up, or you'll have an aggravatingly cheerful stage manager paying a personal visit. He bothers because he cares.

To those who have become familiar with it, the tent is outfitted with all off the usual practice equipment, and new faces will be in for a treat. There are the usual acrobatics equipment: silk ropes, the high wire, trapeze swings. Daredevils will find all sorts of things to threaten their lives with, although they'll soon find that there are magical safety precautions in place which stop the Big Tent from, say, getting set on fire. And the magician stuff? Well.... Don't hurt yourself there.

Out of the love of his heart, Joker will make sure there are bottles of water nearby, so don't be afraid to work up a sweat.

Comments

[dontpokethat]

"Great. So, is the problem with your eyes, then?" There is, of course, always the possibility that Tyki is messing with him, but he's not going to say that so bluntly yet. Instead, he'll just... try and ignore how uncomfortable this whole conversation is.

"Please don't." He gives a soft snort, not quite a laugh, as Antlers rubs his face eagerly into Tyki's palms. "You haven't been here very long. And... well, that wasn't exactly complicated. It was just a matter of carrying him there."

And he... probably should have come back to help with the others, frankly.

[prazerbutterfly]

He stands up and abandons the dog deer for a moment as he leans ever so casually towards Ginko with a raised brow and a wide grin, "What? Want to examine me all over again already?" But he reads body language well and if Ginko is showing any sign of uncomfortable air he'll lean back and allow him space.

"You're in luck though. I think he's busy at the moment and your new friend here is quite adorable He or she have a name?"

[dontpokethat]

"Only if there seems to be something wrong." He can follow the thread of the conversation well enough not to miss the possible implications there, but he figures it's probably best just not to acknowledge them. Maybe if he ignores it it'll stop.

He gives a slight smile at the shift in topic, and looks down to Antlers, who's staring patiently at Tyki as if waiting for more attention. "Antlers. Not... the best name, I know, but Joker insisted I should name him myself, and it was all I could come up with."

[prazerbutterfly]

He snerks gently because he can tell the conversation is waning though he has a feeling that either Ginko was use to this or he wasn't taking him seriously. Either way he's leaning back up to stand straight again and will let his hands slide back down to his sides.

His attention is drawn from Ginko to Antlers all over again, "Well, hello Mister Antlers. Aren't you handsome?" Poor thing just wants attention and Tyki is happy to oblige. He's good with his hands as they search and rub against that head of his as if searching for just the right spot to scratch, "And you listen to everything Joker tells you? You're rather fond of him, hmm?"

[dontpokethat]

For all Tyki knows, it could be both.

Antlers' tail thumps against Ginko's leg as he leans into the attention all over again. Fortunately, he's well-behaved enough not to try to jump up or anything.

Ginko, meanwhile, doesn't even try to hide the smirk that tugs at his mouth. "He can be very persuasive." Some might even say pushy. "But, yes, he's a good friend - might give me a disadvantage in not going along with his ideas, huh."

[prazerbutterfly]

Antlers was a classic example of not judging a book by its cover. He was loveable and docile to the point he was basically just a dog. Tyki was giving him well deserved affection as his fingers hit that nice spot he seemed to love. Even if he did jump up Tyki would be quick to coral him back down onto all fours if he wanted to, that is. He is a very dominate person even if he does let people climb over him occasionally.

Later on he'd be calling Joker 'mother' just to mess with him. His grin is fixed now at the subject of Joker, "Very, very persuasive. I have a feeling even if we told him no he'd still find a way. You've known him for a while, haven't you~"

[dontpokethat]

"I'm sure he would. He's, uh... certainly something." As wry as his voice is, there's still a definite tone of affectionate amusement to it.

One of Ginko's ears flicks as he nods in confirmation. "Two years, more or less. He was already working here back when I first arrived."

[prazerbutterfly]

He's so convinced at this point that the both of them have at least something going on even if it was hidden tension. He's seen no evidence otherwise but if it was a secret he's not going to just say it out loud.

That surprises him honestly that people would choose to stay that long and he's half blinking at Ginko, "Two whole years in this carnival. Must be a good reason but he's been here even longer? I can't imagine that."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko gives a soft hum, and a lopsided shrug. "He's, uh... let's just say Joker's signed on for the long haul. If you want any more details than that, you'll have to ask him yourself."

Briefly, Ginko's thoughts jump back to that conversation on the moon. Six more years. He can only know bits and pieces of why Joker agreed to stay so long to begin with, and even those strike him as more than he has the right to pass on to other people.

[prazerbutterfly]

His head actually tilts as if he doesn't understand and for a moment he's akin to a child that just received information that seems... implausible. Of course, that brings more questions to mind than he wants to admit.

He already knows he cares about a few people here and when he leaves he'll leave them all behind. It's enough that his hands have stopped moving and he's almost cupping Antlers' head in his hands, "What about you? Are you here for the long haul or is there unfinished business at home?"

[dontpokethat]

"Probably the former." Probably. He supposes he'll likely want to return to Japan eventually, but... at the moment, it's not like he has any particular plans to.

"There are a couple people I'd like to see again, but, for the most part... I'd rather just stay here."

[prazerbutterfly]

"Probably? Perhaps you're not the workaholic I thought you were if that such final decision is probably."

He stands up, abandoning Antlers again, and dusts off his hands only to adjust the long white strips placed over the tops of them that wind around his palm. "You already know that I miss my family."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko snorts. "What's that supposed to mean? The fact that it's such a big decision is just another reason to give it careful consideration."

That gets a small nod. "Yeah. You're planning on getting back the moment your contract is up, right?"

[prazerbutterfly]

"I had thought maybe even a decision that final would at least be more... final."

He wants to smoke but he never does within this tent. It's always outside or near somewhere quiet. Still, his hand drops to the edge of his pants as his other lifts to swirl in the air gently, "Probably. I might say goodbye to a few first." There is stuff he has to do. A world he has to end. A family to love and care for. Maybe he would come back after all that. Maybe he wouldn't. A part of him hates he would even consider that. This place was somewhat exciting.

[dontpokethat]

"Mm. Maybe I'm just bad at making commitments." He gives a lopsided shrug, a wry smile still pulling at his mouth. "Maybe I'll just keep renewing a year at a time."

That gets a small nod. "I'm sure they'd appreciate it. Seems like you've fit into the carnival pretty smoothly while you've been here."

[prazerbutterfly]

"I'm not exactly good at that kind of thing either," unless it was actually something important to him. He always made a commitment to his family and his goal, even if he was partially into all of this just to have some fun and mess around.

Ginko will notice that smile of his fading into a small one. This is how it always goes. It's not different from home where he's made friends with humans and other people. Eventually he'll leave them all behind and nothing will matter. It'll all be destroyed so it wasn't going to be much different going home. "I adapt quickly," is the feinted response.

[dontpokethat]

...Whoops. Ginko sees Tyki's smile fade, and immediately regrets speaking up. It had been meant to be encouraging, but... he supposes he shouldn't be surprised when what's meant to be positive has less-than-stellar connotations for someone else.

He looks away, his expression stilling into something like a smile, but more quiet and subdued than before. "Guess so. ...It's a good skill to have."

[prazerbutterfly]

Never be nothing more or less than yourself, Ginko. Things will just go better that way. Speak up always and just be honest. It's how he appreciates things more. He never wanted anything more than that from those he wanted close to him.

He looks up to notice the body language changing again and he knows his own subtle clues have put the situation in an awkward position, "Thank you for saying that though. At first I was not sure how hard it would be to fit in, not that I am frightened by a challenge." Except getting kidnapped seems to put you in a nice comfortable corner after.

[dontpokethat]

Well, he can do some of that. Though his ability to manage the speaking up part can fluctuate pretty wildly depending on the situation.

That response is a bit of a relief, and Ginko glances over at Tyki again, if only for a moment. "Seems like most people can find a place here, one way or another. We've got all kinds from all places, after all."

Even someone used to being left an outcast by necessity could potentially be pulled into this place's community before he knew it.

[prazerbutterfly]

Tyki will have to rely on subtle body clues then to see if Ginko is hiding from him. Then again, Ginko was hard to read just because he didn't seem to express himself until he suddenly did.

It does please him though to hear that change in tone again at the fact his recovery worked and he'll chuckle, "So I've noticed. It seems that Earth is very common but a lot are vastly different. Then there are other worlds all together. Carnival feels like a mixed hand with a lot of wild cards."

[dontpokethat]

"Exactly. Knowing someone is from Earth doesn't tell you much of anything around here."

Different times, different worlds... he smiles, wry and subtle. "Probably says something about the kinds of people who sign on to work somewhere like this."

[prazerbutterfly]

"It seems at least that if you are human you come from some variation of Earth or that is the most common attribute. I take it you are from one as well?"

He's yet to hear of one similar to his. His seemed a little plain compared to other stories. His world only had humans, Noah, and Akuma made from humans. There were other creatures but they all had some variation and were more of a creation than born the way they were.

[dontpokethat]

"That's right. Japan, if that means anything to you - and it was 1873 when I left." Seems to him to be a good idea to cover all his bases with regards to that right away.

[prazerbutterfly]

"It does. I'm familiar with Edo mostly," he answers with some discretion. "It was 18xx when I left it." Roughly around the same time in the late 1800s. "But I have been all around the world throughout my life."

With the help of the Noah's Ark, Tyki could travel from Barcelona to Edo in a heartbeat. Edo was just an important place for a while.

[dontpokethat]

"Yeah? Never been there myself. Not really a fan of cities." He laughs softly and adds, "Never left Japan before joining the carnival, either. It's kind of a nice change to meet someone who's done more traveling than I have."