♕ 001 // Action for Route 29

[lackingbeauty]

What the 'ell is goin' on 'ere? Use this damn thing fer wha-

[The video feed flicks on to show a woman's face far too close up, brow furrowed, looking quite disturbed.]

ndklanadfnkla

[Switching from text to video, she apparently doesn't know what the hell to do with the Pokegear either.]

Dagger? Wendy? Peter? Jumbo-

[The video is shaky, and only shows... a rather ponderous bosom.]

Doll? Snake?

- Joker?

[She waits, as if for a response. But the only sound is wind rustling through the trees and grass.

Another minute, before the video feed moves too fast for the feed to really pick up- grass, grass real close, black.]

... I'm goin' mad.

Comments

[venturesomely]

Dagger? Wendy, Peter, and Jumbo? Are those your friends? [ headtilt ]

[lackingbeauty]

No, I wouldn' believe that, Joker. 'ow old d'ye take me for?

[If Doll or Dagger were about she might have played along. A fairy tale land, like the children's stories. Something sweet and kind, where no one ever really seemed to die but of old age or wickedness, and things like magic and kisses solved all the problems?

No. Even for Joker she couldn't believe in that. Though it serves as a decent enough distraction to her present problems, griping about it.]

An' I wouldn' neither, seein' as I'd need-

[Beast stopped. Snow White was awoken by a kiss. True love's kiss.]

... T'sleep more'n I'd like.

[She hadn't wanted the unintentional reminder about the last thing she'd kissed. But even that, much as it pained her, served to keep her thoughts off the panic of a new world.]

[pipers_son]

[That protest just makes him laugh more.]

Ya would say that!

[That's Beast, of course. That's enough to tell him she's alright, although the pause is a bit odd. He figures it can't be anything too serious, however, right? Maybe that's what he'd like to believe.]

But that means ya can't be the sleepin' beauty either, if yer so worried about that. Cinderella, then? [There's a brief pause as he looks down at his feet to Angel and he murmurs "You know who ta get" before the little thing runs off so he can turn all his attention back to Beast.] I promise I'll pick ya up before midnight strikes.

[lackingbeauty]

Which am I, an animal tamer 'r a princess?

[Crossed her arms beneath her breasts and closed her eyes. Mainly because if she closed her eyes, she could pretend this was a conversation like any other. In the mess tent or Peter's tent after the show playing cards, riding the wagons carrying their show from one town to the next-

Any one of those moments would be good enough for her.

But she can't pretend long, because he says "by midnight", and her eyes open, cast to the sky above her past the light shade of the trees. Midnight.]

- don't exactly 'ave a flare on me, ye know.

[She can't fathom any method of arrival beyond foot, wheel, or steed. Of the four hoofed variety.]

[pipers_son]

It's a fairytale! We can do both, can't we?

[Just keep it light-hearted. Familiar. It's so easy to fall back into even after all this time.]

[The question earns a playful wink.]

I have my ways, don't worry! [By which he means he has a tiny clown that can read emotions, two strange cats, and a dragon. Cor, it actually all seems stranger when he looks back on it...] Just be patient, alright? I'll get ta ya like I have wings.

[Ha.]

Oh... [His eyebrows rise a bit as he remembers. Before he bolts for the skies, he should tell Jimmy...] I'll be comin' with someone, too. His name is Jimmy, lad's been helpin' me about. I know he's a strange face, but be kind ta him, alright? He'd probably still try ta make friends even if ya weren't, actually...

[lackingbeauty]

[No, we can't.

Is what she wants to say. They can't have it both ways, no matter how good he was at pretending and how Dagger and Doll seemed to believe in it. Maybe it was age, maybe personality- that she couldn't buy in to it no matter how much she wanted to.

She wants to snort at his joke, toss her hair and seem as if she didn't find it funny at all when she actually did. Instead her thoughts narrow to the last words.]

No.

[She's surprised herself, how fast and how cold seeming she sounds when she says it- the surprise shows on her face a second after.

No.

No to what part? For the lad to come along? To be nice to him? Or for Joker to trust him at all- when she was the one who'd woken the next morning to find Black and Smile both gone?

Coincidence? She thought not.]

[lackingbeauty]

[Beast had always been one quick to distrust, to take offense, to make a judgement-

And that creepy tone is not helping.]

Beast.

[Was all she said, as if that should speak for itself as an answer both to what her name was and why she was concerned with the whereabouts of the others whose names matched hers.]

[video]

[lackingbeauty]

[Jimmy.

Innocuous name. But that didn't mean anything. Not when she's fresh from a betrayal that came in a cute, young little smiling package. He won't know it, but the venom in her voice isn't really aimed at Jimmy at all- once she understands the situation better she'll likely improve, but at the moment...]

An' what 're ye followin' Joker 'round for, then?

[Joker was too willing to give everyone a chance- and look what had happened to them (because of her).]

[video]

[lackingbeauty]

It can' be jus' impossible! If it's impossible, it's impossible!

[lackingbeauty]

I know 'e is-

[She might apologize for her behavior later, but right now... to say she wasn't taking her arrival well would be an understatement.]

What I don' know is why everyone an' their auntie seems t'know 'im!

[video]

[lackingbeauty]

We've been kidnapped to god knows where, but it in't that bad?

[Her tone makes it obvious that she can't imagine anything good could possibly come of this situation. Just because she was unharmed so far didn't mean she'd stay that way. Just because Joker seemed to be here didn't make everything okay.

- That, and nothing she'd yet seen made a lick of sense.]

[video] HOURS LATER......

[lackingbeauty]

[Another video- another face, another voice. Though this one has the advantage of talking to her after she's spoken to Joker somewhat.

Her mind was whirling with impossibilities and nonsense, but. She tried to focus. To reply, her fingers rubbing a pressured circle in to her temple.]

"Any questions" sounds like yer about to commit to a lot.

[Seeing as.

She had a lot of questions. Who wouldn't?]

[lackingbeauty]

My family.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[At least they had that in common, they both didn't like suddenly being here.]

He talks to a lot of people, I guess? I only met him a few weeks ago.

[crackpotcrocker]

[Denzel jumps a bit.]

WAIT! Are you also part of our circus family?!

[After all with that kind of name and her asking for Joker, Snake and Doll. Why not?]

[video]

[soundmind]

Kind of, they expect you to live here and do a lot of tasks related to these Pokemon, and generally people that first arrive have a lot of questions on their mind. I've been in this place for a year now, so I've seen most of what it can throw at you.

If you need a moment, take your time, miss.

[Maka she already had a few hours.]

[pipers_son]

[If it surprises Beast, then it certainly catches Joker off-guard. But after a moment, understanding lights up in his eyes and his expression softens.]

...He ain't like Smile.

[venturesomely]

[ Ah... Her family--

To him, it's the same thing as having a friend at home, or here. ] Don't worry! I'm sure that they're here!

[video]

[awesmazings]

I work with him at the Circus!

[Jimmy says that as if it's a matter of fact, which- really- it kindof is by now. The Circus has been going for a bit, and he's very much found himself a part of it.]

[video]

[codeforhope]

...U-um...

[Chihiro pales a little as Beast snaps at him, and that prompts his Linoone to hop up onto the bed, his long body coiling around Chihiro's as he gives a low growl at the screen.

He pauses to put a hand on Isamu's head before looking back at Beast, swallowing hard.]

I...I'm sorry...I wish I could tell you...you could go back home, b-but...nobody knows how we got here...

[lackingbeauty]

I don' know about your circus family, but I sure as 'ell am part a mine.

[What the hell was going on here???]

[video]

[lackingbeauty]

That's impossible. 'ow 'bout the real story?

[She says it firmly- she's sure it's impossible. Joker and a circus here?

She just say him the other night. How could he have set up something so fast?]

[lackingbeauty]

I said "no".

[For a second, Beast is too caught up in stubbornly sticking to her words to notice that as far as she knew... Joker didn't know Smile had betrayed them.

But once she does, her expression begins to look... confused. Wait- had Father known? All along? Is that how he knew-]

[pipers_son]

[He heaves out a sigh. Things are getting more and more complicated, just like before.]

I'll tell ya more when I get there, alright?

[lackingbeauty]

Well I don' know 'ow ye did, considerin' I saw 'im last night. Yer mistaken.

[Because last she knew people can't be in two places at once!!!]