Rabbit Hole Carnival: Showtime

“Um… Oh, excuse me, madam!” Renee waved an official looking woman down. “You wouldn’t happen to know where the line for the Bubbledrum’s show is?”

“I”m sorry, sweetheart, but I don’t think they're having a show this year.” The woman replied.

“Why not?” Renee asked, a little heartbroken.

A little girl started to cry. As both looked over there he was, Mister Valenti, owner and ringmaster of the Bubbledrum Caravan. Leaning down beside the girl looking just as sad. Renee walked over to them and the small girl’s mother.

“I’m terribly sorry, little girl.” Mister Valenti said. “But that dance was supposed to be our main event, and we simply do not have time to plan something else.”

“What kind of dance?” Renee asked.

 Mister Valenti looked up. “I’m sorry?” He replied.

“What kind of dance?” Renee repeated.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” A random boy replied. “Another girl upset about something that we’ll be around again in a—” He quickly shut his mouth as Mister Valenti glared at him.

“Interpretive.” Valenti replied, looking back to Renee. “A dance to convey the emotions that were witnessed throughout our show, but our dancer fell gravely just before we arrived. We hoped she would recover in time, but no luck.”

“I could maybe do it.” Renee replied, looking nervous as she asked. “I did it as an extracurricular in highschool, and I still use it. I’ll be it in a… unorthodox way.”

“Oh, come on. What could the barmaid know about dancing these days.” one voice shouted.

“Quit blocking the road with nonsense, and let the traffic move on!” shouted another. “Why do you people always insist on—!” The strongman of the show’s clap echoed through the entire crowd and the voices went quiet. He walked over to the scene.

“Mister Valenti? What they mean?” the strongman replied

Renee held up her hand in front of Valenti. “Bartender, first off, jerk!” She motioned the strongman to get down to eye level and he complied. “Doesn’t take much to read a gentle giant like you. You’d love our Citrus Earth. Just a few small things done to it to make it robust and study, but a sweet drink filled to the brim with fruit.”

And me?” A woman with a whip asked as she was walking up. “Something spicy, right?” She rolled her eyes at first, but stopped as Renee was actually thinking.

“They way you walk, and hold that whip.” Renee thought out loud. “And if you like things spicy, you’d have your lion, or tiger, or whatever it is with you. That was too much sass to want something super solid, so I’d go Fruit Roulette. On its face it’s a simple fruit cider, but it’s got this special little rule about never being that same fruit twice in a row.”

“Me next! Me. next.” A girl ran up pushing past the man walking up as well  “The tightrope walker.” She replied. “And this is getting way too good not to see how this plays out.”

Renee giggled. “You can’t be suppressing that level of excitable on the tightrope, so you must have quite a bit of confidence. Almost like you're using it as something to ground yourself with. Hmm… I don’t get a likes spicy vibe off of you either, so I’d have to go with Daddy’s favorite. Planted Beanstock, a lot of vegetables together to give a solid, but smooth slide down.”

The man who was walking up simply pushed the tightrope walker, who was in aww, out the way, and got down to eye level as well.

“Oh, now you are definitely the likes it spicy one around here.” Renee replied, nearly full on laughing. “Been keeping an eye on this since I started, huh? Well we only serve two spicy drinks, and only one would fit including a level of cation in. Fruit Pyro, a spicy fruit cider, fruit of your choice.”

Mister Valenti tapped Renee on shoulder, and waited for her to turn around. Getting down to eye level as well. Tilting his head as Renee's eyes went wide.

“It’s just an honor to know the ringmaster of a show I’ve always loved would end up picking the first drink I made.” Renee replied. “Shocking Apple, apple cider with just a small bit of punch to it. Sweet, but it hits you a bit too.”

“Lady and Gentlemen!” Mister Valenti replied, as he stood up. “There has been one last slight change in plans! It! Is! Showtime!” He announced to a very loud cheer.
----
“Daddy!?” Renee said, as she opened the door.

“How was the show?” Nick replied. “Or I suppose I should ask how was your performance?”

“Magnificent” Valenti replied, as he walked in with his trope. “You should be very proud to have raised such a—”

“I Wish I could have raised her,” Nick replied. “but I’m afraid I’ve only made sure such a marvelous creation stopped having so many broken parts.”

“I shall pry no further.” Valenti replied. “But there is one last show I wish to do, so we shall have a Citrus Earth, Fruit Roulette, Planted Beanstock, Fruit Pyro, and a Shocking Apple.”

“Welcome to the Rabbit Hole Carnival.” Renee said, as she followed Nick behind the bar. “We’ll get right on the drinks that’ll be your festivals.”