Lost Time [Catriana, plus an open spot]

OoC: So yeah, I've decided to use Lisa for this, and to have that second spot open, so first come, first served people. Let's hope it doesn't die, shall we? *Smashes a bottle of wine on the thread*

BiC:

Electricity. Only that single, lonely word could describe the feeling in the crisp, spring air that night. It touched everything in sight, embraced it, and caressed it with a certain warmth that staved the dying winter chill. Bright lights, loud music, people crowding in very space they could find… there was no doubt about it: the Spring Carnival was here.

For the five days of its length, the massive city of Ciroton ground to a halt. Department stores, businesses, schools; they all shut down in celebration of winter’s end. Nestled between three mountain ranges, hugged tight by the sea, stood the massive city in the throws of urban development. The dwellings of man, or the everlasting sea now surrounded the mountains, sparking like jewels in the manufactured light. People the world over flocked to the city to enjoy the festivities, but the carnival itself wasn’t the main attraction.

In the very center of this hive of organized chaos stood a prolific shape, one that defined a city, a country, and a people. Reaching out as though to a lover long lost came a beam of light from the top of the figure, sweeping the land around it. Somehow, the sight brought strength to the weak, hope to the hopeless and endurance to those who could hold out no longer.

Yet, the subtle mysteries of the night were lost to the young woman who pushed her way through the myriad of bodies that walked down the street to the massive figure, slowly coming to light as the city’s pride: The Clock Tower. She looked around with calculation instead of a festive glow, riddled by the science and nature of such gatherings.

Funny how people think they’re independent, yet still swarm together like ants to a pick nick, thought the woman with the strange hair. She paid the normal looks of shock and awe at her appearance no mind. Today was a day of new beginnings… or at least it would be, once the bells tolled twelve. So, with that notion swimming back to the front of her mind, she decided to sit back, and enjoy the carnival.

*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*

“Why tonight? Why did it have to be tonight!” Exclaimed a voice among the grinding and turning of gears and cogs. Within the dusty and cobweb-laden innards of the tower stood a man draped in clothes as blue as sapphires. A glow of the same colour radiated off him and his mistress as they conversed in this most sacred of places.

“Alas,” came the voice of the aged, yet still striking woman. “I have delayed it as much as I can, but this is the kind of thing that, once started, can not stop.” She wore flowing robes of blue, much like the man kneeled before her, yet with elegance one cannot compare. “Not even I, Time, can slake the force that wishes only ruin.”

“How much longer do we have, my goddess?” Spoke the man once more.

“Until the toll of midnight, my loyal servant.”

The force of nature stood up, a look of determination etched on his face as he surveyed the tower around them. A plan quickly formed in his mind’s eye, yet he would require assistance from some mortals in the square far below. “If the event never happened…” he started. “Then I would be spared, correct?”

“Yes,” Time replied simply.

“I think I have a plan, my liege. Let me explain. You see…”

*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*

Meanwhile, in Clock Tower Plaza, Lisa Morrison starred down her foe with great ferocity. This was it; her only chance she could redeem herself from her past embarrassment, and be rid of them once and for all. The people around her laughed, or looked on with pity, but she would silence them once the foe finally fell. She pulled back her arm, and thrust it forward suddenly, hoping to catch them of guard. A smack sounded through the crow, but alas, the bottles remained standing.

“Stupid rigged carnival games,” she muttered under her breath, her wallet now a little lighter.

Still, even the disappointment of not winning that stuffed animal could not dampen her spirits tonight, somehow. Shrugging the loss off, she made headway for the food court, having skipped dinner earlier that night.

OoC: Chibi says she want to join in with Joker!
ic:

A dark figure flitted through the crowd; nimbly avoiding knots of fluxing people. With genuine pleasure Cat listened to the roar of the crowd. Each conversation blended into the next until they were indistinguishable, giving rise to a creature more powerful then the individual. She kept a tight grip on her moneybag. She wasn’t having enough fun to forget the street urchins that preyed on the mighty roaring beast.

Her hair was coal black and flowed over her pale slender shoulders in glossy waves of midnight. Pale skin glowed faintly in the sun creating a striking contrast to her ebony hair. Dark clothes mingled and blended with her hair; the only bit of color was the blood red flowers she wore in her hair.

Clinging tightly to her shoulder was a miniature gryphon, his round, brilliant golden eyes surveying the crowd with suspicion and open hostility. His wicked curved beak clacked out warnings if anyone presumed to get within striking distance.

She hesitated at a few stalls, but always ducked out when the carnival men tried to persuade her to play. Crowds were fun, but she didn’t like the individuals in the crowd.
Careful, as always, to avoid attracting attention Catriana made her way to the food court. Aslo was beginning to complain of starvation, and a hungry gryphon two inches from your face is never a good thing.

"Cha~ra~ra~ra~raaa~!" Chanting under his breath, Joker ambled through the packed streets while snacking on an 'appropriated' candy apple that was quickly staining his lips and tongue red from the toffee.

All about him life thrummed with an almost visible pulse, the people laughing and cheering as they played the stands and watched quick skits and performances. He didn't even receive many odd stares, his blue hair common with the clowns and other performers who were wandering about in brightly colored costumes.

"Ara, so many people~! So much fun to be had~!" The possibilities of mischief were just endless at events such as these and Joker was having trouble deciding on a plan of action. The choice was taken away from him as, thinking he was unwatched, he tried to take yet another candy apple.

"Oi! Ye gonna pay money for that there?!" the stall's owner yelled at his departing back, causing people to stop and stare.

Joker slowly turned, his purple eyes wide with innocence, "Pay? What is this pay you speak of?"

The man narrowed his eyes as two big hulking men stepped to either side of him.

"Eh?! Since when did candy apple stalls have body guards?!" Joker gaped then quickly made a run for it as the two gave chase.

Soon he was a quick blur in the crowd, his long blue pony tail a streak behind him. He figured the best way to loose the goons was to make for the busiest place, namely that of the food court. As darted between people, he could hear them cursing as they dodged out of his way.

"Ara~ too many people this waaaaay~!" Frowning at the hold up, Joker spied a light fixture and grinned. It was the sort that the light extended out over the crowd via a horizontal pole.

"Joker Tarzan Style~!" Laughing, he leaped up, grabbing the pole and swinging his way atop it. Balancing, he pounced onto the brick wall of a building beside him, running and then jumping off it to the next light fixture. Using this new method of transportation, Joker quickly made his way to the food court as people stared at him leaping over their heads.

His final landing found him on a little roof that he quickly jumped down from into the crowd below, startling a scream out of a few people at his sudden appearance.

"Cha~ra~ra~! Joker appears~!" He announced with a wide grin, his arms spread wide.

OoC: Hehehehehehehe... that's all XD

OoC: Welcome aboard, Chibi-kitty. =3

BiC:

The crowd laughed and cheered at the jester as he descended into their midst, obviously under the impression he was one of the many carnival’s performers. Lisa largely ignored him as she carried her tray of food, upon which she placed a hotdog, fries, and a Banana Split. Although many people stalked for tables, the woman with the eccentric hair found a spot without much trouble.

She sat at the table, watching the enigmatic performer weave his way around the tables, introducing himself as ‘Joker’ before pulling a prank on them. She found it funny, even giggling a couple of times at his pranks, yet she kept herself off his radar by eating her food. The atmosphere of a good carnival always brought out the spontaneous nature in people, a nice way to refresh those stuck in a boring rut.

In fact, the Spring Carnival brought all sorts to the city. It was like, for a few brief hours, people forgot all the bad and terror in the world; all the racism, sexism, and discrimination, to come together for a bit of good, clean fun. Some people, tamers by the looks of it, brought all sorts of strange creatures to the event. She even saw a young woman with a Gryphon on her shoulders!

Watching the people as she slowly ate, Lisa began to feel a little more at ease. Now, had she come here with her mother, father, or any of her siblings, she may well been badgered by everyone for one thing or another. A couple of people looked at her and murmured among themselves, but that was about the limit of it. Although she had to admit she was a little lonely eating at a table all by herself.

No one even bothered to approach her, despite every other table being full to the bursting point. She sighed a little, staring down sadly into her half-eaten fries. It could’ve been worse, but she still felt a little left out with families beside her, laughing at each other’s corny jokes.

*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*

“… So, what do you think?” Asked the Force of Nature.

“Your plan has some flaws and leaves much to chance,” Time commented. “Indeed, relying on mortal help is troublesome, but there is not much choice. You have my permission to proceed.” With that, the glowing form of the goddess disappeared before her loyal servant who soon too vanished, leaving the clockworks in darkness once more.

*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*

Appearing behind some vendors in a dark corner of the carnival, the Nature of Time pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, obscuring his face in shadow. If there were any one place to gather the mortal he needed, the carnival would be it. Stepping out from behind the stands, he meandered into the crowd, blending in with the bright colours and sounds while he quickly searched. Time was not on his side this time.

OoC: hey I discovered Cat’s theme song (Lyrics). Perhaps not quite literally, but it does capture her frame of mind… A part I forgot to but in her personality. She knows Axel is dead, but they couldn’t find the body, so part of her hopes one day he will come back. A wizard always knows where his familiar is, and that, though she would never admit it, is why she takes Aslo with her everywhere.

BiC:

Intent on keeping Aslo from attacking the food, Catriana failed to notice the sudden crowd surge. Half-flying bodies knocked the plate from her hands. Instead of rescuing what she could of the food, before it hit the ground, Cat was instead forced to capture her angry gryphon; for with a shriek of outrage the tiny creature launched itself into the air, his target the young blue-haired man, who had caused the domestic disturbance and cost him his lunch. With blurring speed Cat darted forward pinning Aslo’s wings to his side.
“Aslo NO! Leave the carnival clown alone!” She yelled over the crowd in her most commanding voice. Holding the gryphon in an experienced way—he could neither scratch her with his razor sharp claws, nor quite reach her with his cruel curved beak—she whispered consolingly,
“Don’t worry, I’ll steal us something else.” Aslo rolled his eyes wildly and gave a angry squeal,

“I keeeell stupid blue-‘air!” Cat suppressed a groan. Getting frustrated only made him angrier, and people were starting to send her half amused half worried glances.
“Fish?” she suggested.
“Kill” he repeated, but didn’t sound as sure about it this time. Turning she started to head back to the food stalls.
“Lots of fish.” She added.
“Pink fish.” He agreed. As nimble as ever she maneuvered through the crowd describing the delicious fish she would get him until he calmed down completely. It had been a mistake to bring Aslo, but she could never bring herself to leave him behind.

With practiced skill she pilfered some fried fish for Aslo, and something called a hamburger for herself. She had always liked foreign food. The strange clown was moving through the tables performing tricks, and she noticed, with some amusement, commandeering food at the same time. She seemed to be the only one who noticed, but they did say, ‘it takes a thief to catch a thief.’

Joker grinned as he leaped from table to table, producing juggling balls from a hidden portal and throwing them about haphazardly. Haphazardly in a way that meant he didn't follow traditional juggling methods but used all available body parts too, catching them with his feet and elbows.

Sighing, and knowing he did really want to eat the food he had pilfered and stored away, he threw all the balls up in the air and, standing beneath them, caught them one by one in his open mouth. Of course all the crowd could see was him 'swallowing' them but he had put a portal just on the inside of his mouth to let the balls safely return to the Dream Realm.

Giving a final flourish and bow, he lightly stepped down from his current table and looked about for a place to eat. His purple eyes were quickly drawn to a girl with hair more odder than his own, stirring a mixture of delight and annoyance. Joker was the only one who could stand out at a time, after all!

Quickly making his way to her table, he noted how others looked at her and whispered, raising his brows in surprise at how she looked almost... sad.

"Nyarao~! Joker be sitting here!" Grinning, he plunked himself down directly opposite her and reached under the table to mask his opening another portal. Bringing them back out showed he held a tray piled with food. There was an assortment of hamburgers, fries, candy apples, cotton candy and a few bottles of drink.

Digging into a hamburger, he looked up at her, "Ara, Joker be Joker! What name are you known by? Joker wants to cut your hair off, cause it be more attention getting than Joker's! Can Joker? Please?"

His smile was completely innocent and his eyes danced with an odd light of anticipation, whether it was for her coming reaction or his actual want to carry out his wishes. Then a movement to his left caught his attention.

"THAT GRYPHON HAS A GIRL PET!!!"

Cat froze, for a moment too surprised to think. Her instinct was to leave, but it was the only open table. With a disdainful tilt to her head drifted over to the table, the farthest from Joker she could. Gently setting down her tray she perched on the edge of the bench regally. Giving Joker a considering glance said without emotion,

“If you are trying to annoy or amuse, mister clown, you shall have to try harder. I do neither very easily.” She turned back to her plate apparently ignoring both inhabitants, but in reality she was carefully watching both out of the corner of her eye.

If Aslo noticed Joker was the same blue haired man from earlier he didn’t show it. He was contentedly gorging himself on fish; his sharp beak occasionally ripping through the plate as well as his lunch.

Flicking a strand of glossy black hair out of her face she bit delicately into the hamburger. It was unusual, but she liked it. Then her tongue hit something disgusting. Placing the hamburger in front of her she began her dissection.

She surveyed at the strange man, contemplating his proposal… for a nanosecond. “The day I cut my hair is the day the worlds ends. However, I will let you know my name. It’s Lisa.”

Yet, halfway thorough her speech he shouted at the top oh his lungs, causing her to jump instinctively. Yet, she kept going, not intent on repeating herself later. The inventor glared at Joker through her glasses, but the moment quickly passed. She figured he had to have an Attention Deficit Disorder, or else he would’ve at least waited.

The woman she saw earlier, the one with the Gryphon on her shoulder, came over to the table, albeit reluctantly. Lisa had a clue why, but she kept her golden irises on her food, secretly enjoying the company they brought. “If you are trying to annoy or amuse, mister clown,” came the voice of the woman as she sat beside her. “You shall have to try harder. I do neither easily.”

How stuffy. The poor girl probably had no idea what the definition of fun was. Looking over her shoulders, she surveyed her alike to the jester. The strange-haired woman turned back to the remnants of her fries and ate them slowly.

*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*/\/\/\*

Gone were the days where mages and other magically adapt people were commonplace in Ciroton. As such, the Nature of Time was having a very tedious job of getting enough people to come along… until he sensed them. Yes, there was no doubt they had unusual power… one of them a Dream Weaver; a being he’d only heard about. The other had very mild healing powers, but she could be helpful as well, not that he expected much combat in this mission.

He sleuthed around the carnival like a predator… he hated that analogy, but it was the most fitting for his task. The Dream Weaver exuded magical power, and he quickly found him by the food court, engaging in conversation with two women. The one with the Gryphon, he pinned as the girl with the mild healing magic… but the third one had no magic at all. Ah well, she probably wouldn’t be bothered anyway. Slowly, he approached the table, conjuring some food as an excuse.

“Excuse me kind sir and ladies. May I be seated?”

Lisa looked at the man in blue robes carefully. He was suspicious, especially with a hood obscuring his face. Alas, she threw out her better judgement and rolled her eyes, gesturing to the vacant spot. With no complaints, the man quickly seated himself. She returned to her fries, genuinely disinterested in this newest face.

Joker tilted his head, first at Lisa then at the gryphon girl and finally at the hooded man.

"Lisa, Gryphonisa, Hoodisa?" Pointing at each in turn with a stick of cotton candy, he frowned in consternation. So many interesting people were before him and he didn't know who to pick on first! Well, technically he'd already had a jab at Lisa of the more colorful hair, so he decided he'd respond first to the black haired girl's slight ridicule before turning his attention to the man who looked like an evil man's henchman. After all, Gryphonisa had gotten to the table first so it was only fair. Plus, the man looked plain silly with the whole intimidating mystery look and a tray of benign fair food.

Flicking his eyes to her, he grinned, "Mr Clown? You were close but Joker be Joker, not Clown! Clown be someone else Joker knows, but he's not really funny and is a bit crazy. Joker isn't crazy though!"

Turning to the odd man who'd joined Joker waved wildly in greeting, the cotton candy flying off its stick straight onto the gryphon who shrieked, thinking it was under attack.

Scrambling off the bench with wide eyes and a wider, slightly incredulous grin, Joker gasped in fake horror, "Gryphonisa's gryphon is on a rampage! Run for your lives~!" Waving his arms in a parody of panic he sprang to Lisa's side of the table, crouching between her and the man.

Having her hair suddenly so close to his scrutiny brought her earlier statement to mind.

"Ara, cutting your hair causes the Armageddon? Didn't whoever decided that realize girl's be known for randomly getting hair cuts when they go through silly things like break ups and sudden weight loss?"

OoC: XD Ciro, Cat was lying. She is very easily annoyed and the only thing she lives for is to keep herself busy and entertained. She was just telling Joker she is not impressed with him like everyone else.
BiC:

Aslo’s shriek of rage quickly turned to interest. Was it edible? When it proved so, he took his ‘revenge’ out on the delicious pink fluffy thing with several contented squeaks. He kept a sharp eye on ‘blue-hair’ just in case he decided to throw away any other tasty treats.

Cat returned Joker’s smile before realizing what she was doing; it was infectious. Kicking herself mentally, she tried to hide her face by continuing her hamburger dissection. She couldn’t believe she had let him break her mask so easily. Carefully lifting off the offending substance—it was a large slimy pickle—she began to rebuild her hamburger. The ‘not a clown’ had now turned his attention to the strange female with the colorful hair.

“Aslo your going to make yourself sick.” She said, reaching to remove the foreign substance. Cat jerked her hand back barely avoiding losing a piece of her finger. Aslo apparently had not taken out enough revenge on the candy.

Turning to Joker she said,
“Would you please not feed my…” with a role of her eyes, “Owner. He is going to make himself sick… what is it exactly?” she asked looking dubiously at the quickly disappearing pink cloud. She had seen several at the fair, but they didn’t look edible and so she had ignored them.

If it was poisonous then it was what Aslo deserved. She was a thief and needed all her fingers intact.

If there was one thing she cherished in life, it was random and different people. By the way things were playing out, these people were definitely random and weird. Still, she had to air on the side of caution for now. After all, they could be bad people throwing up a disguise… but since when would a bad guy have any interest in her? All Sarcasm aside.

"Ara, cutting your hair causes the Armageddon?” Joker replied to her previous statement. “Didn't whoever decided that realize girl's be known for randomly getting hair cuts when they go through silly things like break ups and sudden weight loss?"

“I think you mean weight gain, Joker.” Lisa corrected him. Before she could answer, she turned to the other girl and responded. “Cotton Candy? Not poisonous at all… although, I don’t think it would be good for him to eat too much. It’s pure liquid sugar that’s spun into a cotton-like state… By the way, what’s you name there?”

Was he really going to ask these three to go on the mission he had planned? Looking at his watch, he saw that time was running desperately short. In a single hour, the tragedy would befall the city… and the world. If he had to act, he’d have to act soon. He just needed a little better idea of who he was dealing with.

Joker jabbed Lisa in the side, "Joker already introduced her~! Joker said her name was Gryphonisa and the man was Hoodisa~! Does Lisasa have bad memory? Does her hair make her brain forget things? Joker is quite fixated on Lisasa's hair..." so saying he grabbed a hank of it and pulled sharply, earning a pain filled yelp.

"Arara... so it not be a wig... or maybe it is and she super glued it reeeeeeeally good..." pondering that, he quickly squiggled himself sideways to avoid the swipe aimed at his head by Lisa.

Suddenly finding himself a lot closer to that which he'd named Hoodisa, Joker found his curiosity sidetracked. The man was obviously strange to wear such secretive clothing. Secretive clothing meant that it was usually concealing something strange and rare.

Joker liked finding things that were meant to be secret. Better yet if they were strange and rare. So Joker decided he would do the best thing to find what this man was hiding.

Smiling happily he wrapped his arms about the man in a hug and proceeded to riffle beneath his clothes.

"Cha~ra~ra~! Tis like a lucky dip! What shall Joker find?!"