Joker's Stall of Mysterious Wonders

[Joker]

It takes careful planning, plotting and general sneak around-ering to successfully set up a stand with none knowing until they turn around and see it standing in a place that was empty but a few moments ago.

Joker lacked that skill, much as he hated to admit it (which he never would), and so he merely dragged his cart of goods to the middle of the square with as much noise as possible to earn as much interest as possible. He liked interest, it meant people were paying attention to him.

Standing back he grinned broadly. It was a gaudy affair, much like himself. It was basically a cabin on wheels, the wooden sides decorated with engraved paneling that depicted fantastical scenes of adventure and heroes. The door way was covered with cloths of green and blue, waving in the breeze and creating the illusion of vertical running water. A silver beaded curtain hung before that, to add sparkle and flash of course.

The front porch was where he would do his main business, mainly because it had a chair for him to sit on and a rail he could lean on to look down on his prospective clients. He liked to think he would look quite grand peering down at them with his hair blowing in the breeze.

Nodding to himself, he jumped on to the rail, one hand clinging to the banister and waving his other above his head, his sleeve flapping in his enthusiasm.

"COME ONE AND ALL TO JOKER'S STALL OF MYSTERIOUS AND WONDROUS THINGS OTHER THAN HIMSELF~!"

[Annette Baruma]

Annette Baruma

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The Demens inn was not noisy like usual. The bar was quiet and everyone that was there was silent. Through the back and down a set of dark stairs, a door was slightly ajar, shining a bright light across the wall. Inside, a bed was neatly made and a candle stood dead on a table. Sat on a wooden stool, was Annette, brushing her hair. She left it down and stood up, placing her brush neatly on the table and letting her red dress fall about her. She smiled to herself as she peered out the window. Still bright. She opened the window, but it jarred as she did so. It always did this though. She stood back and closed her eyes and pictured a cat in her mind. Black with a white star under it's neck and no collar with dim red coloured eyes. She opened them again to be peering up at the window in exactly the same form she had thought of. The little black cat, with a purr so delightful. She jumped up onto the bed and out through the gap in the window, into the street and followed the smells that encouraged her. She sat upon some boxes stacked in the street and peered around her. She noticed a new person. With blue hair, and an odd stall. His voice startled her slightly, but she could feel he would be good company. A crowd gathered quickly and she to decided to gather. She jumped off the boxes and ran, mewing at the while. She jumped atop the stall, and purred delightfuly round his feet. A child in the crowd pointed with delight at the black cat. Anne sat down and stared up at the new stranger.

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Current Form:Here
Word count: 291

[Joker]

Joker watched with interest as a varied crowd gathered. He hadn't expected to see so many races of what most would deem monstrous origin. Not that he minded - there were always so many more things that could be conjured in a nightmare far worse.
Grinning at the crowd, he spread his arms in a grand gesture that released the hidden sparkle balls from his sleeves. The balls soared to his sides and burst in a shower of sparks that lit the area with silver and blue sparks drawing delighted laughter from the children.
To fit his usual persona he began pulling random objects from the billowing folds of his sleeves, beginning with the typical jester's juggling ball and moving onwards til he held a wide variety of objects - jars of ointment, bundles of herbs, an mp3 player and a live fish.
"Joker be a provider of all that is weird and far fetched~!" He began, juggling the objects with ease. As he walked along the railing an array of calling cards suddenly joined the objects, forming a silver arc as they flew from one hand to the other other between objects.
"These cards be MAGIC cards~! If you write what you wants on them, Joker will do his best to attain that which you seek! Be it a new life or wife, fish or dish~! A pet chair or wooden bear! Joker will provide~!" With that last statement he neatly caught all the cards in one hand and stacked his juggling tools in the other in a wobbly tower of sorts.
A quick flick had the cards flying into the crowd, snatched up by hands, tentacles, claws, paws or beaks. Another flick had a final sparkle ball showering the crowd in closure.
Jumping down from the rail and shoving the objects into his left sleeve, he finally looked down at the cat that had come along earlier and was mewing up at him, red eyes curious.
"Arara~! Joker's first customer be a kitty? What would kitty like from Joker? Joker would give you catnip but drugging kitties up is something Joker would never do, lest he be arrested on charges of holding illegal substances by the Kitty Welfare Brigade~! But perhaps pretty kitty would like a new outfit? The other kitties would laugh to see you dressed so scantily!" So saying, Joker picked the cat up and propped it on the railing where it sat, tail swishing.
Reaching into his sleeve, he pulled out a hat adorned with a bright gold feather and holes spaced just for a cat's ears. Plonking it on her head, he then reached into his other sleeve and pulled out a collar that could double as a bracelet if worn by a human. The collar had a tinkling bell surrounded by trinket like charms or stars and moons.
"Pretty kitty for pretty collar? Perhaps in exchange kitty shall keep Joker company?" he mused aloud, loosely clasping it about her neck. She looked quite dashing, with silver collar and jaunty hat, he thought.
Smiling, he scratched her under the chin, "What does kitty want to talk about with Joker? Joker has many stories to tell and much time to tell them~"

[Annette Baruma]

Annette Baruma

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Anne mewed at the 'Joker' as he called himself. She was already adorned with him. She felt a shiver as he fitted the hat and then fastened the collar which jangled when she shook. She looked up into the cute face of the Joker and she tried a 'cat smile', when she smiled and her two fangs dropped out between her lips. She sat up, like a dog does when they are trying to grab at something above their head. She purred up at Joker and jangled the collar. She lifted her head further and showed him the star under her neck. She felt funny all of a sudden. She mused it quietly. Then, she jumped onto the roof of the stall and stared at the Joker, and then the crowd. She turned her back to them and back-flipped on the Jokers sofy head. She landed funnily, her tail dropped down and tickled his nose. She laughed in her head and closed her eyes.

[Joker]

Joker laughed as the cat landed on his head, briefly going cross-eyed as the tail waved back and forth across his nose.

"Ara, Kitty is lucky Joker doesn't decide to return the favor. Kitty would get squashed and make Joker sad, not to mention scare customers into thinking Joker kills his customers after serving them!" Picking the cat off his head, he swung her down to sit on the railing again, though this time he retained possession of her front paws.

"Does kitty know how to dance? Kitty's legs are vastly shorter than Joker's so we has to do it here on the railing!" So saying he proceeded to twirl her about, walking her up and down the railing and causing the children who had lingered to clap in time to an unheard beat as they laughed at the adorned cat dancing with the blue haired merchant.

Joker wasn't content with just the claps as music, and so he quickly pulled out a remote that switched on a stereo within his stall. Bright music that sang of dance and joy filled the air as lights at the edges of his porch flickered to life. The children cheered, creating pairs or groups that twirled about as parent's watched with humor. A few of the adults joined in, dancing jigs known to their races.

Turning back to the cat, Joker smiled and tapped her nose, "Joker has created a dance for you~! Alas, Joker knows not your name! What should Joker name you? Queen? Too common! Twinkle Eyes? Charm? Perhaps you can write and tell Joker what to call you? Joker has known many cats to be scholars and they be quite literate! All those lives with which to gather knowledge~!"

[Annette Baruma]

Annette Baruma

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Anne felt herself lighten up inside as she twirled and danced in time to the music which seemed to liven up the market. She jumped across the stall and back and watched the children dance. Then, as Joker thought of names, Anne crinkled her nose. She jumped onto the floor and withdrew a claw from her paw, and using the dirt, she wrote Anne in italic letters. She jumped back up and sat proudly. She mewed happily and eyed the stall holder. She put up her paw, as if meaning to shake it in greeting. She winked at him, with her velvet red eyes which sparkled with the sun. She was to happy for words.

[Joker]

"Anne? Kitty's name be Anne!" Joker pronounced as he snatched up her paw and bending to kiss it. "Joker be pleased to meet such a splendidly mannered and talented cat! Truly! Last literate cat Joker met was more interested in reading comics than conversing and listening to Joker!"

He shook his head in dismay at the memory, twirling the end of his pony tail about his finger as he eyed Anne. Her eyes fairly sparkled with her inner happiness, and the sight also lifted Joker's heart. Really, he did enjoy annoying people but making them happy like this was much more rewarding.

Leaning against the rail beside her, he watched the children who still danced and then tickled her nose with the end of his pony tail.

"So what does Anne do in this town? Is she the Queen of all Cats? Keeper of Tails? Official Pouncer of the Four Paw Club? Anne must like living in a town like this, it be a good town with good people - not all towns Joker has seen are like this one." The last was said with a slight frown but his smile was back in place when he looked down into Anne's red eyes.

[Annette Baruma]

Annette Baruma

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Anne lifted her head as he leant down as kissed her paw. She gently put it down and purred. All the children laughed and giggled, and one managed to pet the cat as they passed. Anne shook her head and mewed again. She watched Joker as she spoke to her. She looked round and found the inn. She purred louder and watched the inn intently. She motioned towards it with her tail and yawned. She looked up again at the inquisitive man and sat up to rub her head against his arm. She purred again and as she rubbed against him, her hat managed to slip off and it dropped to the floor. Anne jumped down and pawed at it. She lifted it up in her mouth and jumped back up onto the railing.

[Joker]

Joker watched with humor as the cat purred and indicated the building across the way with her tail. A place of importance to her?

"Ara, be Anne the owner of Demens Inn? Whaaaaa, Anne must be rich!"

He paused as a strong nudge sent her hat tumbling to the floor and her following to pick it up. When she was again within reaching distance Joker shook his head, tsking in mock annoyance.

"Bad Anne! Undressing yourself in public while with a man! The tales that will be told! The scandals that will arise! Here, let Joker dress you once more lest your maidenly modesty be tarnished forever!"

The words came out harsh but were belied by the humor in his eyes and the gentleness of his hands as he once more set the hat on the cat's head.

[Annette Baruma]

Annette Baruma

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The cat shone brightly as Joker's first compliment left her winded and his second left her with a laugh echoing round her mind. She smiled and shook herself as the hat was plopped back onto her head. She looked deep into his humourous dancing eyes and she felt as though she were to blush. She looked around, trying to find the time. She looked up at the sky and saw it deepening in it's colour and she heeved herself up. She sat up and placed her paw on Joker's shoulder. She pushed herself up and touched her cold nose to his cheek and jumped down onto the floor, running off in the direction of the inn. She stopped before turning a corner and turned her head to watch the Joker.

[Joker]

Joker smiled, truly he was liking this Anne. She seemed an affectionate sort in a nice way, certainly not the harsh affection he was used to and not the other... overly fondlesome affection he received from someone else.

When she put her paw on his shoulder and touched her nose to his cheek, he felt as though he'd been kissed in the most innocent way possible. It was a sweet feeling, and he suddenly found himself determined to make Anne the happiest being in this Dream World - though whether she would be happier than himself was always up to chance. Joker knew he had a vast supply of happy.

Joker tilted his head, watching as she ran off towards the Inn and turned back to look at him. Did she want him to follow her?

He in turn looked up to see the darkening sky. The children and their parents had all long since returned home and he himself turned towards his cabin. Then noise, as the door to the Inn opened, spilling warm light into the street and general noise and chatter of people winding down from a day of work.

"Anne, Joker will come visit you in a moment! Joker has some things to see to in his cabin first... that is... does Anne wish to see Joker again?" A rare concession, his asking for her approval. Normally, he would go with his own whims but Anne seemed the sort Joker did not want to scare off.

"Flick your tail up if you want Joker to see you and swish side-ways if you don't~!"

[Annette Baruma]

Annette Baruma

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Anne rolled her eyes and twitched her tail in agreement with the fool. She miowed in a happy term and she turned back to the inn. She ran towards it, the charms of her new collar jingled and jangled as she ducked someones feet and then a falling crate. She was super skilled when she was a cat. She squeezed under the window onto her bed and she closed her eyes again. She felt herself grow taller and when she opened her eyes and peered into her mirror, she was herself, except she was earing a small hat on her head and a braclet, exactly the same as the collar she had warn not 2 minutes ago. She looked round out the window and leant up to close it, before running up to the inn into start serving some costumers.

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Notes: I dunno whether to continue posting here or to swap the thread into the inn. Whats does Joker think?