route_1065 | 8th Act - Happy Anniversary, Eve's Garden Circus!

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8th Act - Happy Anniversary, Eve's Garden Circus!

Who: Come one and all!
Where: Goldenrod
When: The weekend through the 15th to the 18th
Summary: The Eve's Garden Circus is celebrating its first anniversary!
Rating: PG
Log:

You know what's better than a regular birthday? The birthday of a circus.

Throughout the streets of Goldenrod, folks will find all sorts of colorful characters and Pokemon about. Fliers and the like have been regular eve since the Circus started up a year ago, but the advertising is in full force today just to make it EXTRA apparent that today is the day. Another hint is all the air traffic in the skies- various Flying-type Pokemon that make up the Circus' transportation service. Who knows? Maybe you're one of those using it today!

And of course, who can miss the colorful spectacle that is the circus itself? Past the entrance gate (which will let you onto the circus grounds for a miniscule fee) are dozens and dozens of stalls and little tents. Looming over them is the main tent itself, a monstrosity of bright welcoming colors. There are all sorts of things amongst their ranks, but it's generally fairly easy to find what you're looking for as Pidgey of a feather flock together and all that... From games of all sorts like the usual carnival games to more of a retro arcade, to a set of shops with local crafts and maybe something from the foreign trainers.... Of course, there's also all sorts of food stalls and even shacks for more filling stuff.

There's even a Litleo hunt going on today! Catch one, win a prize!

With all that alone, you could probably keep busy for most of the day! But surely you aren't forgetting the Big Act?

Yep, the big acts in the Big Top. Times are posted both at the front gate, on fliers you can pick up here and there, and by the entrance to the large tent. For each day, there will be three shows! Better hope you can snag a ticket before they get sold out... Although maybe you'll get lucky for the next show. Or the next day....

Either way, it promises to be a fun weekend!

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Yep, it's everyone's favorite activity! Throwing balls, winning against the "Test Your Strength" game, trying to nab little Duckletts in that one game... You can find all of these and more in the game stall!

But huh... Does it seem a little bit easier to win things, this weekend? Oh well. Don't think on it too hard.

As usual, the circus' food stalls are in full swing as people fill the areas inbetween. The smell of popcorn, fried foods, and a symphony of other delicious (and probably unhealthy) scents can be picked up even from those just passing by outside the circus grounds.

There are a few items in particular to take note of, as one makes their way through the decadent area. Being the Circus' anniversary, it seems one in particular has taken to serving dishes in pokeball themed bowls that are allowed to be taken home by the customer. There are edible Pokeballs, melon bread in the shape of Squirtles, coffee art.... Tons more besides.

Feel free to eat up and enjoy yourself!

The little shop stalls that are always around seem to be especially bustling today. Hey, it's the anniversary! So expect there to be plenty of little celebratory items with the Circus' logo emblazoned onto them. Shirts, mugs... All sorts of things. You can find other pokemon themed items, too, of course- the local artisans have their own crafts to sell!

Of course, it does seem like there's an emphasis on certain Pokemon right now... One stall seems to have an overabundance of Mime Jr plushies. Another has giant Furret plushies on display. One little clothing stall has Luxray hoodies for sale, and another has lovely statues of Rapidash. One stall seems absolutely obsessed with Zoroark, having plushies, Pokegear cases, and even clothing. No wonder the Goodra stall next to it is trying to compensate with Goodra plushies the size of people.

So.

For those who don't know, Joker does indeed have 20 Litleo. Yeah.

Throughout the weekend, people will be encouraged to find any one of these little things that have been released throughout the circus grounds. Catch one, get the ribbon off of its neck, return it to the appropriate stall, and you'll net yourself a prize! Every Litleo will get you a prize, although they're all different. There's only three, however, which hold very special Grand Prizes.

Good luck!

[ooc: In order to have your character qualify to win a prize, all you have to do is respond to this level with the appropriate journal by the 23rd!

You can do this either by putting "ooc" in the subject title and just saying that your character is looking, or you can do this ICly!

ICly, you can either make it a normal top level for your character, or we can have it be one-on-one with your character and a NPC'd Litleo! Whenever you want a Litleo to make an appearance, just put in your subject title "RELEASE THE HORDE", and I'll jump in.

Prizes will be RNG'd and released on the 23rd!]

Beyond this little chain gate is the staff area, where all the performers and backstage workers can take a break inbetween shows if they don't want to explore the rest of the circus grounds.

There's all sorts of energizing snacks and refreshing water on a table for those who need them, and chairs for sitting.

It's really only Staff Only... but if you happen to know staff, well, you can be forgiven if you pop in to say hi.

Well. We all know why you're really here. Everyone goes to the Circus, after all, to see amazing and sometimes death defying acts.

Have your ticket ready? Then head on up and be ushered into the dark big top where you're escorted to your seat.

Feel free to make yourself comfortable, and maybe strike up a conversation with your neighbor! There's still some time to chat as people filter in to fill up the stands.

Once everyone is in their rightful place, the mysterious darkness that always covers the ring before showtime finally lifts in the form of a spotlight centered right on the individual in the center.

With his normally vivid bright hair now a stark black, Joker looks like quite the different man than he usually is. However, his outfit more than makes up for the lack of color, and he's easily recognizable by his wide grin and booming voice that rings throughout the big top.

"Ladies, Gentleman, trainers from all over Johto and other places besides! Welcome to the Eve's Garden Circus, a show so fantastically amazing that it's practically paradise!

"Here, we'll show you sights to stun and wow your very soul! A strong man who could get into a match with an Onix and lift it up out of the way! A pair of unbelievable flying siblings who don't know gravity's pull! A snake man's dance that will enchant you down to your very core. All that, and much more besides!"

And normally, for those that are familiar with the Circus' routine, that would normally be the point where the ringleader starts up the introductions to his fine performers. However, instead, the ring remains dark and quiet as he seems to take a moment to look out into the crowd. Those with good eyes or who are close enough might notice that his wide beaming grin has momentarily softened. Those who know him might notice that it's a more genuine look than what can normally be found on his face.

"Yet before that, folks.... A word, if I may.

"I'll be quite honest with you all in that I'm a bit used to having nothing of my own."

Slowly, flanking on either side of him, a Zoroark and a Mime Jr. slip out from the shadows to stand just slightly behind him.

"My beginnings aren't anything to write home about. Lower than even humble, I'd say, and things back from where I'm from had been in a bit of a downswing. When I first arrived in Johto, I hadn't half a clue what I'd do with my life."

There's electricity in the air as a Luxray slides out like liquid darkness to sit besides the Mime Jr., and a Furret scurries into place besides the Zoroark.

"Soon enough, talkin' to people around here made me realize that who was to say that I couldn't keep doing what I had always been doing? I didn't think anything of it, at first, but bit by bit, things became bigger than I could have dreamed. The Gym Leaders were a kind lot who didn't hesitate to support me, and I came to find all sorts of people to help make this circus a proper one."

Finishing up the lineup is the ember glow of a Rapidash on one end as she looks quietly up at the crowd, and a Goodra jiggles into place with a little beam. It's quite a varied group that stands in line with their ringleader, and they all seem solemn but happy as he continues to speak.

"Some of those people, of course, are not here. Members of my family are among them. To Beast, and Doll, Dagger, Wendy, Jumbo, Peter, I dedicate this show, along with all the other performers and friends that can't attend.

"Not just them! A circus is nothing without its performers and those who help keep it running. Ilya, Jimmy, Crocker, Tobias, Ralph, Snake, Riku, Envy and Lust- give them the applause you deserve, please, because Lord knows the all deserve it!

"And most of all..." Joker gives a low bow, his arm folded across his middle, and the rest of his Pokemon bow with him from the Rapidash's delicate stretch of her front legs to the way the Furret practically curls in on himself in his own attempt.

"To you, dear audience, we particularly thank you for attending and giving your support. To you, we dedicate this show."

Straightening up, Joker takes a step back. In turn, the Zoroark and Mime Jr. take a step forward. A shimmer of light sweeps over the pair, leaving in their place a pair of people. On one hand is a tall young man who could be Joker's twin, dressed in dark colors where the burst of color is made all the more noticeable. On the other hand, there is a tiny petit young woman who is as bright and tiny as her companion is dark and tall, her delicate dress a vivid pink and her dark blue hair done in a thick braid. They glance to each other, smiling (him softly, her so bright it might rival the spotlight), and then look up into the stands. The man's voice rises up.

"And with that, everyone..."

The young woman bursts forward with an excited twirl. "LET THE SHOW BEGIN!"

Yet as she spins, light seems to gush forward with her movement, filling the big top in a whirlwind of color- light shimmering like rainbows that sweeps across the audience and lights up the ring in a near glow. A Charizard and a Dragonite roar out in delight along with it, swooping over the crowd, and beneath it Joker can be heard laughing as he springs into action again with his cane twirling and his Pokemon scattering.

Let the show begin!

Edited 2015-05-15 21:30 (UTC)

For those performers and friends who are paying attention, there's something very slightly off on Joker's performance that day... and it's because that's not Joker, but a Zoroark illusion.

The real Joker has been busy at work all day for something else entirely, and the results are seen when night falls and everyone who was invited to the dinner is escorted by one of his many Pokemon to the staff area. There's an enormously long tent that's been set up, the sound of the drizzling rain almost comforting in a strange way. There's enough room for Joker's fire types to laze about, warming up the place, and there are a few benches and other more pleasant sitting places that aren't at the table.

Although it should be noted... It is an unbelievably long table. And there is one hell of a feast on it. Everyone's favorite food has been accounted for, along with more than a few others no one asked for but are mouth watering to look at anyway.

Joker was a butler for a baron once, you know, a job which often included more than just 'butlering'. This is top class effort.

Dig in! Relax! And inevitably, you'll find yourself visited by one of Joker's Pokemon to hand you a gift....

And where's the host of this little gathering?

He is knocked right the goddamn hell out over in a corner. Ruby the Rapidash is laying down, acting as his pillow as he leans against her. The ringleader is in rather plain clothes, his one sleeve sloppily rolled up and threatening to fall down, and his hair is a pulled back in a messy ponytail that's near undone.

All of his main Pokemon are curled by as well, and Invidia the Zoroark may very well shoosh you if you come too near and are too loud.

Ringleader is sleeping.

Looking for Joker? No worries, he's in the staff area resting.

Judging by the fact that at any given time, he's being forcibly being sat on by one of his Pokemon or five? He's being forced to rest.

Tobias is going to faint. He's going to faint and he's going to fall off and -

He sits down on a chair and tries not to think too hard about it. He's practiced tons of times. He'll be fine. Right? Right.

He still looks a little bit like he's going to throw up though. What was he thinking, joining the circus? He's not a spotlight person.

Snake walks up to the boy with several of his snake pokèmon and gently reaches out to touch his shoulder. He didn't know himself how it felt to get nervous before a show, but he had seen it many times. Usually he didn't go out of his way to comfort others, but people kept encouraging him to be more sociable. This isn't creepy with an ekans on your shoulders, is it?

Clearly not creepy at all. He jerks a bit, before letting himself start breathing again. Oh. It's... that guy. He hasn't really talked to him before, but...

"Um... thanks."

Snake seems to be busy elsewhere, but Quincey the Onix and her always present best friend Zola have found their way to Joker. Quincey notices what the pokèmon are doing and decides that she'll help; by placing her head on Joker's lap as well.

Snake comes into the tent standing atop an Onix that shines under the lights. An ekans rests on his shoulders and a dragonair is wrapped around one arm. As the Onix slowly circles the centre of the ring, lowering her head as she does, Snake raises his arms. The ekans curls up his arm while a burst of cold hits the air. Snow sparkles in the lights, drifting down around the ring and maybe even onto the people in the first two rows.

The ekans uses Snake's hand as a perch as he dangles down to kiss Snake as Snake raises a leg and bends his knee, all while his onix is still moving. He spins as he brings his arms in and the two pokèmon on his arms cross over to the other side. He takes a few steps back and teters for a moment on the tip of the onix's nose before gracefully putting a foot forward and jumping and spinning along the onix's segments that spin as she moves.

While this happens, a pair of seviper come out and begin to follow the onix's tail as she winds a circle around the centre of the arena. They strike at Snake's feet, but his ekans and dragonair have wrapped themselves about his shoulders and torso, allowing him to safely cartwheel backwards up onix's back. The sevipers follow him on either side and continue to attack his feet, but he just dances away, up and down the onix's back.

He runs back up the onix to her head, which is now just above the ground and lowering as she comes to a stop. He puts one arm down and one up, letting the dragonair and ekans cross his body again so that the ekans slithers to the ground while the dragonair bounces into the air. The dragonair lands on the opposite side of the onix's head as the ekans while Snake leaps between the two seviper. They try to attack him again but he artfully dodges and runs his finger from belly to chin of one seviper and then the other.

The seviper become focused on his hands, following him through twists and turns in his dance. The dragonair and ekans then join in. Finally he strokes the onix's nose and she rises, just barely leaping over them as they do a ducking spin. She circles them rising her nose higher and higher until she can no longer. The dragonair bursts with light and sparkles as it does a dance that Snake follows in perfect unison, ending with the six posing in a swirling tangle of snakes.

Don't mind Snake, he's one of those 'more scared of you than you are of him' kind of guys.

"Which is your act, asks Gaskell?" He asks with his head tilted.

"If Joker has you doing an act then you'll be fine, says Ruskin."

When Jimmy trots out into the ring he's incredibly hard to miss, considering the obscenely sparkly vest he's wearing. He's all smiles and waves to the crowd as he runs out alone without a Pokemon in sight, curiously. As soon as he comes to a stop and finds one of the spotlights to stand in he pauses, looking around at the crowd. His expression is one of mock panic, as if he's gotten out there and doesn't have something he needed. He looks up at the bleachers in front of him and gives an exaggerated shrug, looking forlorn just as two Pokemon run onto the ring behind him and scurry up onto his shoulders. They're a Bunnelby and a Helioptile respectively, each with a juggler's pin in their mouth.

Jimmy calls out to the crowd, "Have you guys seen my juggling pins? I thought I brought 'em with me!", particularly directing his question to any young ones in the stands. He'll wait until people have started to notice his Pokemon snickering on his shoulders and try to look over, but each time he does they skitter to his other shoulder to keep out of his line of sight.

This goes on until a Typhlosion and a Delphox appear on Jimmy's either side, one picking up the Bunnelby and the other the Helioptile, showing Jimmy where his pins disappeared to. Once the crowd's laughter at his antics dies down and he has the pins in hand, his act begins.

The fire-types step back to give their trainer a wide berth as he starts to toss the pins high in the air, one at a time, gaining a juggling rhythm as he passes them from hand to hand. After a minute he starts tossing them higher, high enough to give the Pokemon on his shoulders room to scurry down and grab more pins, which they toss into Jimmy's free hands at regular intervals. Eventually, two become three, to four, to five pins. Once this happens the Bunnelby and Helioptile mime clapping to encourage the audience to applaud, just before the Typhlosion and Delphox step over to stand in front of Jimmy.

As the pins reach the height of their arc they take turns using Flamethrower on them, lighting up the tent while simultaneously setting the ends of the pins ablaze. It isn't very long at all before all of the pins are on fire as Jimmy tosses them high into the air, the light from the fire causing his vest to sparkle brightly. The last Pokemon to make their way onto the ring is a Wartortle, and after Jimmy's juggled the pins for a time, he uses ice beam on each one as it hits its arc, allowing Jimmy to catch them without risk of burning his hands.

Once all five pins are in his arms again he holds two in each hand with one held up by the Pokemon on his shoulders as he and the rest of his team bow to the crowd.

Edited 2015-05-16 03:18 (UTC)

[As avowed during an earlier conversation with Joker, here's Meridiana, turned out and determined to get her hands on one of those Litleo. Which...may be a little easier vowed than done, given that she's not at all athletic and long skirts aren't exactly conducive to a lot of running, but she's pretty determined to have at it even so, and is wandering the grounds in the hopes of spotting a particularly docile (or slow) one for a chance at a prize.]

After a certain point of mingling and ambling about, Veronica made her way to the big top alongside everyone else. She would find a seat somewhere in the higher section of the seats and sit back, munching on a bag of popcorn she managed to snag before getting rounded up.

Kawa curled up on the seat beside her, while Wicked G and 2shade saw fit to investigate the tent. Veronica would keep an eye on them.

"I can't believe how big this place is..."

Snake is mysteriously missing to all but Joker before his act, but afterwards he can be caught drinking some water and laying comfortably off to the side in a pile of pokèmon.

[Jimmy's act had gone off without a hitch- though he didn't notice until afterwards that one of his sleeves had been singed, but at least nothing important caught on fire. He can be found sitting backwards in a fold-up chair with his Helioptile, Sparky, and his Bunnelby, Digger, draped over either shoulder. They're both nibbling on Oran berries while his Delphox and Typhlosion, Saffi and Fahren, sit on their haunches nearby eating pokepuffs.]

Jimmy had been busy getting dressed for his act when he spotted Tobias pass him by, just as he was working on getting his suspenders on. Eventually he walks over with his Helioptile perched on one shoulder, leaning over slightly with a bottle of water in hand that he offers to the boy.

"Hey Tobias. You alright?"

Neku isn't a local artisan exactly: but once Jimmy invited him and gave him permission to show his work there, he went all out. After all: he's been in Kanto for weeks, and other then the stuff he's emailed for Soul Honey, he hasn't been able to self promote.

So anyone looking at the stalls may first see something very striking- A Persian in front of a small stall. Not just any Persian though. It seems her normally dark ears, her paws and the curl of her tail are all a strikingly metallic gold that glimmers in the sunlight. And those that know the breed might realize the marking are all where a Meowth's brown tips would be. Her recent exposure on the Gear as 'That cat that explodes people into money' might be a theme here. But she isn't the only one.

Near by is a large tank full of equally shiny Magikarp all swimming around happily. They are a little small, likely because they are all recently hatched. But the allure of so many shinies in once place might be struck down once it's clear it's not their natural coloring. The stall is selling Paintdog Pokemon Coloring and Dye, promoted by a trio of excited Smeargle. If one looks at the sign it is apparently 100% non-toxic and based on natural oils and Smeargle paint. Now you can have all the looks of a Shiny pokemon without all the work breeding!

Though with all these pokemon doing the promoting, one might wonder where the trainer is. Well, actually he's near by on a stool and an easel... and hanging on the stall are various caricatures: the type you see at any local fair. The examples are of famous trainers: mostly Gym Leaders. One might see an especially biting painting of a big headed Whitney crying and yelling from atop a very rotund (even for it's kind) Miltank. Neku is hard at work doing flash art for anyone that wants to pay a few pokedollars- even using his own Smeargle paints to do it. Though even if you're not a shopper, you might be able to get him to take a break...?

[Kaneki has been spending most of his time slowly exploring the grounds. There's so much to look at after all that he's sure it's going to take a while for him to actually see everything. But while he walks around he's got his Smeargle nearby, who has his eyes peeled for Litleo walking around.]

Don't go too far, okay? Just keep your eyes out for them.

[The Smeargle nods with his ears flopping a little, but...honestly, if he actually does spot one of the lions? He's going to immediately try to chase it down.]

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Page 1 of 29

8th Act - Happy Anniversary, Eve's Garden Circus!

Game Stalls!

Food Stalls!

Shop Stalls

Litleo Hunt!

Staff Area

Big Show

Audience

Welcome to the Show

Anniversary Dinner

Joker - ota

Joker - ota

Before the show

no subject

no subject

no subject

The Snake Charmer

no subject

The Jack-Of-All-Trades

RELEASE THE HORDE

no subject

Snake ota

Jimmy OTA - after the show

no subject

Caricatures and Art Supplies

RELEASE THE HORDE