#leon_the_lion

[pizzeriacircus]

Chris. When you read this: take deep breaths, and think. If what seems to be the case IS the case, then that means... they're people. Please treat them as such. (And if you got off on the wrong foot, please try again.)

IF ANYONE CAN READ THIS I AM LOCKED IN THE SECURITY OFFICE AND I REGRET ALL OF MY ACTIONS PLEASE PUT "STUPID DUMBASS" ON MY TOMBSTONE AND GIVE ME A REALLY DEPRESSING CATHOLIC FUNERAL - CHRIS

PS: time sensitive question how deactivate murder robot

[pizzeriacircus]

Have you guys ever dealt with a Karen? and how did you deal with them?

Joey can be a bit of a handful! We once caught him trying to make a working model of Niagara Falls with the fountain drink machine. He's a sweet kid, though! And Karen clearly loves him so much. She's a good mom, and a nice person. Those two make us glad we get to do this job (even if Terry groused about cleaning up Lake Pepsi at the time).

Thanks for your question, electriclime363!

- Leon

[pizzeriacircus]

I heard the n̴̬͌asty rumő̵̠rs about̴͖̓ what ẖ̵̑appe̵͈͋ned, er̴͕͗, with F̵͉̈rieda ba̴̩͛ck in November. I hope everything tu̵̿ͅrned out al̵̥̐right̵̫͌.

Anonymous, please listen - I am so sorry about the way Valerie reacted to this question, it was perfectly innocent and I only wanted to give you an answer.

But Valerie's bond with Frieda is special. Those two have a relationship unlike any other here, and I say that as someone who considers himself Val's best friend. She's very protective of her.

I don't think you're trying to bully Frieda. It's an honest question.

Due to her fire damage, she sometimes struggles to control her body and speech. The vast majority of the time this is just a daily struggle for her, but there was a repair technician present that time. Fortunately no charges were pressed. Her repairs were not completed, unfortunately. It's been hard to get anyone to come here to do repair work anymore.

I hope that clears things up. I have no idea what the rumors may be saying, but it was just an accident, like Val says.

Thanks, Anonymous, and please forgive Valerie for snapping - there truly is nothing she wouldn't do for Frieda.

Kind regards,

Ringmaster Leon

[pizzeriacircus]

Hey, I'm part of the fandom of the... weirder side of your restaurant. I just want you to know that... we've learned a lot of lessons form the similar fandom of that other restaurant. The false accusations, the endless scrabble for answers, the whole mess always coming b-- ...we know better than that. Your restaurant's story isn't some puzzle to be solved, whether or not it ever will be. It's a story to be lived. We care about you, and we'll always support you.

Anonymous, there are a few more words I'd like to say to you about this, if you don't mind.

First, I'd like to thank you again for concerning yourselves for us and our feelings. We certainly do have them, and sometimes, it's true, they feel as though they may be getting disregarded. Not too often, really! We don't blame the world for not paying us much mind. Sometimes we even feel entombed here in this place. And how often does anyone really visit a grave?

Next I suppose I'd like to offer a gentle suggestion. It might seem strange of me to say, given that I agree with you, but: try not to be too hard on those folks who get fanatical about the lurid aspects of what happened to us - or what happened to them. To those others, in that other place (Truth be told, most of why we don't like to talk about them is out of respect. They aren't here to speak for themselves, and if what happened to them is anything like what happened here, then I wouldn't dare speak for them).

I won't say they're wrong to do that, but I certainly understand why it seems uncaring. And I'm aware there are some people who fully trivialize and reduce a terrible tragedy to a series of puzzles that are fun and exciting to figure out.

Truth is, Anonymous, we're all flawed people. We all have blind spots, and sometimes when you're so distant from a situation, it almost makes you blind to its reality. To its gravity. And, well... a lot of them are youngsters.

I can speak from experience: when you're a youngster, you kind of feel invincible. Like nothing terrible and tragic could ever happen to you. Like nothing terrible and tragic is really real. Everything is kind of a fun puzzle to figure out... until something terrible and tragic stops you right in your tracks.

Sometimes, forever.

But if it isn't forever, then you get to grow. And learn from it. It shatters your armor. It teaches you your vulnerability. It teaches you the vulnerability of others. And then you learn empathy.

What I'm saying is, a lot of them are youngsters. Whether they're young in years or just in spirit. They have a chance to learn. And you can help them grow! We all can.

I hope you'll forgive me for writing you a novel - I suppose I had some of this to get off my chest for a while. Valerie slugged me in the shoulder three times as I was writing this out. She says she's afraid I'm being overbearing towards you. But, I don't know if I agree with that (she also called me a Total Dad and I'd disagree with that too but I have never won that argument). You seem like you might be somebody who would take this in the spirit it's written - one of sharing a common curiosity. About how people behave. About ourselves.

Thank you so much for making it through all of that. You reached out from the heart, so I thought it best to speak from the heart myself.

I hope you'll continue to enjoy living this story with us - with me. I know the early parts of it have a lot of tragedy in them, but I remain ever hopeful that it will get happier. Miracles have happened before, after all! I consider my life one of them.

Take care out there, Anonymous.

-Ringmaster Leon

[pizzeriacircus]

Thanks for a great start, friends!

Hello folks! 

Ringmaster here - although I guess I am acting as more of a Webmaster right now? - I just wanted to pop in to let you know how much myself and the gang appreciate your interest in our little blog and the questions you’ve sent in so far! It’s really livened up our days, and I think I speak for all of us when I say our days could use livening.

When you work at a restaurant like ours, it’s easy to feel a bit neglected after-hours. Answering your questions and interacting with you gives us something to do when we’re not in what I’d call “Entertainment Mode”. And it makes us feel like we’ve got friends out there in the world!

Thanks again, we’ll see you next time!

- Leon

[pizzeriacircus]

found on Twitter. is this a comic or a cartoon?

Well, I suppose you could consider us cartoons, if that counts mascots! After all, there's cartoons of us put up all around the restaurant. Some of them go from floor to ceiling! And of course, there's the big illuminated sign on top of the front entrance.

I'm really glad you found our Twitter account, though! We're trying to reach the outside world more, and only recently learned what a big deal Twitter has become.

I think it would be really neat if we got a comic made of us someday! I gather that comics aren't quite as big now as they were in the 80s and 90s, but it would still be neat.

Thanks for the question, Anonymous!

- Leon