003 // Video

[pipers_son]

Nah, it's tied on well enough, don't you worry.

[Excuse Joker. He was going to start things right off, but he's currently busy gently shooing away what looks to be a couple of vines. If you guess "grass type Pokemon", you're right... Although the shy thing won't be making an appearance on screen. Joker reaches up to pat at what the vines had been fiddling with- a very thick knitted scarf, some faint yellow color. It's obviously been handmade, and well worn.]

[He finally smiles to the camera.]

Well, that was a surprise! There was a lad worried about Santa's reindeer, wasn't there? I'll be glad ta let ya know that apparently when you try to catch one of them, ya get a gift instead! Clever man, our good Saint Nick is. Very practical too! With this weather, a scarf will be put ta good use.

[There's positively no mention that this was his before it appeared in a little wrapped box, or that the last time he was handling it, it was to give to someone else. Joker prefers to keep his personal life quiet.]

Hope you've all had a very Merry Christmas! But I've been meanin' ta ask something of ya for a while now.

I heard a little while ago that an ol' friend of mine was here but then he left. Just wonderin' if ya knew him! His name's Snake- pale hair, green eyes, a bit of scales on his skin... Had snake Pokemon with him, no doubt.

That's all! Let's hope Christmas night wraps up nicely, eh? And Suit- a word if ya have the time?

[He gives a little wave to the camera and once again lightly touches his scarf before he reaches over to turn the 'Gear off.]

Comments

voice;

[lamortenoir]

If it has anything to do with the rest of your troupe, I'm afraid I haven't the slightest notion as to where they may be or if they're even here.

[ You know, he's a little grateful. He'd always wished for a quiet holiday; one that didn't involve a drunk Knox or Sutcliffe prancing about trying to dangle mistletoe over his head... but maybe it was a bit too quiet for his liking. ]

voice;

[pipers_son]

Give me a little credit! I've already checked, thank ya kindly. I know they're not here. Asked around a bit.

I just... [Awkward pause.] Ya can make these things a more private affair, can't ya? Know how ta do that?

[Because you know who DOESN'T know how to make messages private on the 'Gear? This guy.]

voice;

[lamortenoir]

[ And you know who doesn't know the meaning of confidential? This guy! ]

...I'm certain there has to be a setting or two.

[ He hasn't really checked. ]

If you needed a more private word... I recall you were in Violet City last we spoke. I don't suppose you've moved on since then?

voice;

[pipers_son]

Who can really say?

[maybe. yes.]

Why, are you?

voice;

[lamortenoir]

Aristotle and I had just arrived yesterday. We would have come sooner if it weren't for those accursed deer...

[ So many of them man. So. Many. ]

video;

[ghostytrainer]

I knew him! At least, I assume it's the same guy. Had the tendency to sort of...talk through his snakes, yeah? I didn't know him super well or anything, unfortunately he left before I really had that chance.

[John smiles fondly.]

Nice guy though.

video;

[pipers_son]

That's him! [Joker gives a laugh.] They always seemed to have more to say than he did, huh? Still, he was the best snake charmer in all of England, if not the entire world, so 'supose it's only natural he's so close to 'em.

Glad ta see someone had a good opinion of him.

video;

[ghostytrainer]

Hehe, yeah, I guess you could say that. He seemed to have a very close bond with all his snakes. And it's pretty much impossible to have a poor opinion of someone like that!

Pokémon are really smart, after all. You can tell a lot about a person just by how the interact with them and how their Pokémon treat them in return.

[He beams even wider.]

So you're from the same world as Snake, then?

video;

[pipers_son]

You'll be one of the first ta say so then. Most people where I'm from don't have much of a fond opinion of them.

[Or... people who don't look human...]

That's right! I mentioned he was a snake charmer, didn't I? I was the Ringleader that scouted him! He was still a bit shy, but I had hopes he'd get a bit closer ta the family with a little more time.

[explosivecombat]

[...Well, that's certainly interesting, at least, and definitely something to keep in mind with regards to the Stantler that he'd caught the other day. Hm...

Ah, but there are more important things to worry about right now, aren't there.]

I believe I knew this friend of yours, actually; he was quite the interesting sort, if a bit odd. I trained with him for a while, shortly after he arrived.

[pipers_son]

Well, we are circus folk. It'd be even stranger if we weren't a bit odd~.

[Even if Snake was odd to begin with but sshh.]

Good ta see he was interactin' with others! Usually prefers his scaled friends ta people.

[explosivecombat]

Oh, he was definitely still doing a fair amount of that; he often spoke through them, if that makes any sense to you. I was never really sure if he could actually communicate with them or if he was just more comfortable speaking his mind if one of his "friends" said it.

That said, circus folk, are you - what sort of entertainment do you provide, if I might?

[pipers_son]

He could talk with 'em. I can promise ya that.

[Just 'faking' it wouldn't be able to explain quite a few things Snake could do. Joker never doubted his friend's abilities. If he could talk to snakes, he could talk to snakes, and it was that simple. Although Snake was also shy, so, both of those answers.]

Why, we were the greatest circus in England! I'd say "no doubt you've heard of us", but, well, circumstances are a bit odd, aren't they? Snake was, of course, our snake charmer, but we had high-flying acrobats, the most beautiful and dangerous beast tamer in the world, a knife thrower who never missed his mark, a man who could eat and breathe flames, and a tightrope walker more clever than a spider and more elegant than a butterfly!

I'm the Ringleader, Joker, at yer service! [He gives the best bow he could give. There would be a bit more flourish, but you do what you can with just one arm.]

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

So that's what they are. Do you keep the deer afterwards?

[Envy hadn't been interested in catching one before, but if he's getting something out of it? Hell yeah he's going to go snag one of those things.]

As for your friend, I might've seen him on the network once or twice, but I didn't ever talk to him.

[video]

[pipers_son]

If only. Seems they disappear. What a shame, huh?

[Joker had been interested in keeping one for himself. You know. For reasons.]

Well, that's fine enough. It looks like a few other people have been chattin' with him.

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

[If Envy ran a circus like Joker, he'd have been interested in one too. But his roster is already enough of a circus for him without Rudolph.]

I don't know, I'd rather have the gift than some flying deer. From what I keep seeing, they aren't very smart.

But I guess if I want the gift I'm going to have to go catch one myself.

[video]

[pipers_son]

No worse than some people I've had the bad luck ta meet.

And yup! They're a bit tricky ta find amongst all the plain ones, but ya'll catch up ta one soon enough.

[killer_sweets]

Now Santa is making people work for their gifts?

[He can guess that effort makes up for being naughty]

Anyway I did meet a guy named Snake, he was pretty interesting if a bit confusing.

[pipers_son]

Well, some might say that makes 'em all the more rewarding!

[Or something dumb like that.]

Ha, well that's no surprise. He was a bit of an odd duck even amongst the rest of us and we were plenty odd ourselves! Still, he was a good friend.

[killer_sweets]

Being fluent in snake isn't that odd, even if he apparently can't speak sea serpent.

[There are much odder things than that back home.]

I just had a hard time following his speech patterns. I wasn't sure if I was talking to him or his snake pokemon with the way he was talking.

[pipers_son]

I guess it must be different for you and your home, then! Back in England, not too many knew what ta make of him.

Always assumed the latter, personally. It seemed ta put him at ease anyway. He doesn't much care for the center ring when he's not performing, if ya understand me.

[Video]

[20faces]

...Hey! Does that mean you ignored me and tried to catch one anyway?

[Video] ...i just realized i have to reply to you akdfd sorry missed that!

[pipers_son]

Not exactly.

[Except yes, actually.]

I just wanted ta make sure the letter go back ta him as soon as possible! I was gonna release it and everythin'.

[Video] nw!

[20faces]

How was that supposed to help?

[Video]

[pipers_son]

I was gonna tie the letter ta its antlers, honest!