CLOSED
who : everyone! when : sunday the 29th. around where : the Gotham Fairgrounds what : Children in Needs Society's big annual event: this year, a Family Circus Festival! rating : tbd!
It was a beautiful night at Gotham Fairgrounds. The red and yellow circus tents stretched high into the starry sky, covering a majority of the lawn. Around the tent, small volunteer-run stands offering popcorn and funnel cakes, games in which to win teddy bears, and the occasional booth at which they might guess your weight. The moon shone brightly on the scene, hopefully giving the whole picture a look of hopefulness. Evening events -- any sort of event -- in Gotham City never went the way they were supposed to, and everywhere across the city, event planners held their breaths, hoping tonight would go off without a hitch.
So far, the evening proceeded as planned. All of the circus performed had arrived, with photo id to prevent any would-be villains. The animals were being carefully guarded by men with taser-guns, both for hecklers and any uppity animals. Armed guards patrolled the place, and the Gotham City police had been well-warned. Even the Batsignal was manned, ready at a moment's notice. So far, so good.
Leading up to the main tent was a line of cars full of Gotham's finest - the elite, the richest, the city commissioner, the mayor, and all the local celebrities. Black-tie, like the best events. Even the people with photocopied invitations looked their best. The waiters and waitresses that waited inside the tent were dressed as clowns with high-class and bright red noses. Outside the tent, on the red carpet leading in, a few reporters, local rag papers and gossip columnists loitered, flashing photos and getting down names. A few quotes from a few choice faces would bump the article up from the Life & Style back pages. Paparazzi were out, but the "real" reporters had pushed them as far back as they could - a nuisance to all. If the paps got in the faces of the social elite, there were fewer pics and interviews to go around. Entertainment Tonight was there, and, inexplicably, so was Joan Rivers.
Guests were already arriving as Summer Gleeson set up the story, speaking into the camera, "Fancy folks are showing up tonight for Gotham's Family Circus Festival. Benefiting the Children in Need Society, this party is going to lots of laughs, and all for a good cause..." Behind her at the entrance, Sally Studemier clutched the clipboard she'd been given by the president of the charity. On the pages in front of her was the list of all the officially invited guests, and the presumptive names of their plus ones. While she drummed her fingers nervously, the large dark man beside her, Bruno, stood stock still. He'd done security for so many events, they hardly elicited a response out of him anymore. Sally, however, was new to this whole thing, and she required identification from every single guest as they entered the tent. No siree, she wasn't going to let any big nasties in, at least, without being on the list, and having ID.
Lights were ablaze inside the tent as miscellaneous entertainment circled the ring. A man breathing fire, a woman who read palms, a few clowns imparting balloon creations all moved among the members of society. Someone in one of the corners was juggling bowling pins remarkably well.
Tonight was a night for laughter, fun, funnel cakes, and daring feats.