EVENT & TDM 028

[sticksandbonesmods]

WAKE UP

The chill of autumn sets into your bones as you wake from slumber. You don’t remember your window being left open — in fact, you’re pretty sure you double-checked last night that it was closed — but as you get up to slam it shut, you notice something different about the room you’re in.

…that is a whole baby animal curled up asleep on your bed. A baby squirrel, perhaps, or a deer or a fox. No matter what animal has crawled into your room, the mosses and mushrooms it grows on its back smacks of something distinctly fae. Cyclamen bloom across its head like a crown, and it looks at you with a sleepy expression before laying its head down and going back to sleep.

You gaze out the window. In the distance, a path of cyclamen bloom out in the woods, and something further beyond the treeline twinkles brightly despite it being broad daylight. Colourful, but distant. Where would it lead, if you were to follow the path…?

Actually, you should probably grab breakfast and kick that animal out of your room first.

WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS

cw: blood and gore, food-related horror
Following the path, no matter the time of day, leads you to an offshoot deep in the woods that you’re sure no one has explored before. The trip feels a lot shorter than it definitely was, yet you’re sure you must have walked for many hours to get here. The clearing is humungous; a circus tent stands high on a hill overhead, the path to it traced by the very same cyclamen that led you here in the first place. Around this peak rest stalls of carnival games and carnival foods, a bit eccentric in their make but no less fun according to the carnies who shout at you to come over and enjoy their booths. They wear masks, all of them do, but knock their masks off and they look a lot like people you know — though they don’t seem to recognize you, and seem more intent on getting you to enjoy your time here.

The Test Your Strength game is clearly rigged; the hammer that the man hands you is made entirely of a squeaky, air-filled rubber, and hitting it as hard as you can on the plate leads the machine to spew out a pathetic-sounding “L OOOOOO S E RRRRR” every hit. Those who are particularly frustrated may find that if they pop the hammer by slamming it down hard enough, the machine spits out an angry-sounding “WIIIIIIIIN EEEEERRRRR”. A few stalls down and to the left from that is a darts game, where the darts fly well and are weighted properly, but the balloons pinned to the wall are filled with a viscous mix of blood and offal. If they sit for too long, the plasma coagulating in the balloons will fall down in chunks when they’re popped. Ring Toss involves tossing rings around what look to be severed arms, but sometimes they move on their own to snag the ring out of the air in their fists. Naturally, this counts as a miss in the eyes of the carny, who laughs at you under their mask as they hand you another ring. Try and try again.

When you go to get food and lounge about, you’ll find that the food is no less disgusting — funnel cakes made of a ground mystery meat and covered in a suspicious red sauce are dolled out to anyone who so much as looks at the picture on the menu. The lemonade has eyes floating in it and tastes like sour tears. Corndogs are served on a stick that wiggles between your fingers as you try to hold it, the little legs tickling your hand in an attempt to escape; giant pretzels taste inverted, like a salt brick flavoured with breadcrumbs. Ice cream feels like white noise in your mouth.

You can’t quite get to the tent quite yet. The real circus isn’t for another month, as the carnies will tell you, but they’d love it if you stick around and play games with them for a while. They made this food special for you, don’t you want to eat it? Don’t you want to head to the face-painting booth to get an extremely realistic skull painted over your features? Don’t you? Don’t you? Don’t you?

IN THE CENTER OF THE RING

cw: animal abuse, death, unsafe depictions of live performances

Finally, finally it’s time for the big show! Clowns and acrobats swoop through Aldric’s Grove, hooting and hollering and urging you to come see, come see! If you refuse they will whine sadly but move on- the fun will come to you. Don’t worry. The fun will find you.

Those willing to give the circus a chance are ushered in with grand band music playing and lights shining all around. Lanterns swing, popcorn and cotton candy of varying quality are shoved into audience members’ hands and everyone is ushered into the stands. Despite the village being so small, it feels like there’s at least dozens within the tent, whispering in anticipation.

The ringleader steps out with a warm welcome, practically dancing around the ring while acts go on. Clowns dance and juggle and tumble - oops, did a bowling pin whizz past your head? And tamed animals actively try to charge for the audience - for you. No one seems to care beyond a laugh and a wave, though there’s an uncomfortably harsh tug at the beasts’ leashes every time. Stiltwalkers walk through the stands, uncaring if they step on someone, and perhaps, the worst of all is when the trapeze artists come out. Up, up, up they go and fling themselves through the air. It’s dazzling, at first - until the man drops his partner, letting her fall to the ground with a sickening crunch and disjointed limbs splayed, all while she smiles, face falling to look at the audience.

It’s such a quiet moment, yet deafeningly loud. One may be forgiven for not hearing the cages behind the scenes all slam open at the same time.

THE DEPTHS OF FEAR

The cages slam open, and something rips through the cloth of the tent. All the performers laugh and laugh and laugh, even as things with claws rip into them, even as the door to the outside seems to vanish behind stone, and as the only way to go is down a trapdoor that’s appeared beneath your feet. Though you could try and fight, you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed with large beasts and feral circus animals, so there isn’t much of a choice. The chute is cramped and harsh, leaving you scraped and bruised before it comes to a stop.

Stairs lead down further, reuniting you with your fellow captive audience members within the ruins of what looks to be multiple towns and villages stacked atop each other, each layer a different age, style or material than the last. It’s dark, cold yet muggy and you… you are not alone.

Deep within the shadows waits a monster, hoping to hunt you down; something built around your worst fears. Will it try and lure you away from the herd? Will it fight you head on? Or will it use you?

Either way, it wants your blood in its maws, and it will not stop, only running away to recover once injured enough. The only way out is to get back to the surface and back to town…

Where those who declined the invitation will find themselves at risk of being menaced by their own fears as well. You didn’t think we’d forget you, did you?

It’s going to be a long night.

A STRANGE DELIVERY

Eventually, be it the light of day chasing frights away or your own determination to kill that which cannot be killed- or maybe you discover another way- it’s over, and you find yourselves exhausted from the night before. The circus tents and their stalls still stand, though now they’re empty save for the scent of blood and rot and a flyer for the Cyclamen Circus tosses about in the breeze. The way to the Grove is quiet but safe, and you’ll probably want to clean up and go to bed, right…?

As you stumble back into the clearings, something happens, though. A sound of something thrumming, branches breaking and breaking and a deep guttural sound echoes from the forest, several bright lights shining through the trees.

To some, it’s something entirely new. To others, it’s achingly, frighteningly familiar. A large metal truck bursts through the treeline, coming to a stop a respectful distance from the Goddesses’ statues.

The passenger side’s door opens and a woman steps out, mouth opening and closing again as she struggles to find words. The driver steps out as well, just as stunned.

“I can’t believe it. All this time, there’s been people…?” The woman asks, while the man just slowly looks around.

“... It looks like it… but. It’s so hard to believe with everything else we’ve seen since breaching the fog…”

“We can’t just leave them here, we- we gotta do something!”

“What about-”

“Ohhhh, who cares! This is way bigger than any stupid ruin or whatever!” The woman snaps, before stepping forward with purpose and far too much energy for her body to handle. “Excuse me! I know this is really strange, but we’re here to help! My name is Iris and this is Henry, and we’re going to get you to safety!”

”We were supposed to be researching the fae ruins within…”

”Shut up, Henry.”

It’s an impressive declaration. But she insists that you start packing up what you can once you’ve gotten some rest, because the truck’s certainly big enough, and ignores Henry’s own misgivings. Roseroot awaits.

Spark Notes

summary

WAKE UP: Good morning! There's a creature in your room and also it's cold. If you look out your window, you'll see a path of cyclamen leading off into the woods, and some lights in the distance. Hmmm.
WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS: The workers at the circus, the carnies and dancers and performers, all look like people you knew at one point in your life. They don't know you, but they're happy to treat you like family as they serve you food and have you play their (rigged) games. What's wrong with the food? Why are you making a face?
IN THE CENTER OF THE RING: The real circus begins, and it's as delightful as it is gore-filled. ...depending on your definintion of delightful, anyway. The performers seem clumsy, often throwing things at you - or did they purposely aim in your direction? - and the stiltwalkers nearly step on you as they pass. Animals who get too close may bite, and one of the performers falls from the ceiling and dies with a smile.
THE DEPTHS OF FEAR: Your way out is through a trapdoor. The animal cages burst open, and not only are animals released, but beasts composed of your worst fears chase you down in an attempt to kill you. Those of you who spent your time back at the Grove don't fare much better; the fear monsters are after you, too.
A STRANGE DELIVERY: And at the month's end, a truck bursts through the forest, two people stumbling out of it in shock that you're here. Roseroot awaits you, but you all should get some rest and pack before making the journey.

out of character

Hello everyone! Welcome to our September TDM. This is a reminder that TDMs are considered game canon. We will have a second TDM in October, and then none in Nov-Dec to round out the year. As always if there are any questions, please head to the relevant Questions toplevel below.

updates

None yet! Important updates about how characters interact with the log and change the course of events will be placed here.

submissions

❖ Questions
❖ September Plotting
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations

code

Comments

QUESTIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

★ Yes, you can make up whatever circus food and games you want!
★ There are prizes for winning games, if you want there to be. Like with any carnival, they're cheaply-made stuffed animals and plastic junk no one wants. They can be any shade of cute or horrifying; dealer's choice.
★ If you want normal food, you'll have to head back to the Grove; everything at the Cyclamen Circus ranges from kinda gross to full on horror show.
★ Roseroot is currently inaccessible despite the end prompt; that will be touched on during next month's TDM/Event.

Any other questions can be asked below!

Re: QUESTIONS

[astralprojection]

if you use something other than the squeaky hammer to hit the machine will you face any consequences of any kind?

[leggierissimo]

does anything happen if a character DOES get an extremely realistic skull painted on their face or are they just Painted

FEAR MONSTER GENERATOR

[sticksandbonesmods]

Please give us a rundown of what your character fears, and our head mod Amity will make up a monster for you to use! We specifically ask that you give us fears and not traumas. Traumas are for the next event ;)

EXAMPLE FEAR

[sticksandbonesmods]

My character fears:
-the typical more "scary" kinds of bugs like roaches, spiders, centipedes, etc.
-dying
-being invisible/disappearing
-not being in control of her body
-public speaking (during an acting challenge she became anxious when she learned it would be televised to people)

INVESTIGATIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

Please use the following form for investigations:

Character(s):
Location:
Action: What are they looking for? What are they doing?

<b>Character(s):</b> <b>Location:</b> <b>Action:</b>

Re: INVESTIGATIONS

[divinechains]

Character(s): Ras
Location: Middle of the circus
Action: He's going to try and see if I can tell... where this place came from? How it popped up, if it's magic, where said flow of magic is coming from, etc...

Astrid | OC | TDM character :)

[astralprojection]

(click!)

Circus Games;

a:

[The look on their face is a combination of dubious and scathing as they're handed a toy hammer with which to complete a test of strength, not accustomed to the concept of carnivals and rigged games. Yet despite that, Astrid does give it one hard whack nonetheless, scowling when it rings out with a loud call of LOSER as the little mechanism barely budges. The carnie snickers and sneers as Astrid peers at the game with a scrutinizing eye, and Astrid very much does not appreciate that, oh no. That causes him to whip around and slam his heel against the plate hard in response, staring at the carnie directly in the eyes as the game croaks out a very reluctant WINNER.

Cue an argument between the two on which of them cheated more egregiously. Maybe you can come break it up before the very much sus carnival possibly chooses to engage in any consequences...]

b:

[...consequences. They do in fact exist! If you stand and watch Astrid argue with the guy for a while, eventually other carnies will start to surround them, pick Astrid up despite all his squirming and protests, and they throw him into one of the larger sized animal cages.

You can't rescue him right away though, if you're even inclined to, because for approximately five minutes the carnies are going to be surrounding the cage, walking in circles, shaming and jeering Astrid for daring to game the system.

Embarrassing. You're welcome to come help once they're gone though, because he's too busy sitting there pouting and avoiding eye contact to notice the bars are actually quite squeeze-able.]

Circus Treats;

[Astrid is staring at the menu board for the various treats and snacks, once again looking dubious as hell, arms crossed over their chest and ears flattened back just a tad, as if every part of them wanted to just lean away from this monstrosity of a meal option.]

Is this what you guys eat around here?

[Said to whoever is nearby to hear it, or maybe even to the vendors themselves if you're just walking up to approach for a snack of your own. They don't really have a basis for comparison to know otherwise, but damn this all seems gross as hell--]

Depths of Fear;

a:

[Astrid has... never been to a circus. The circus doesn't really exist where they're from, and he's not really sure what's particularly entertaining about all of this, especially when they were constantly two seconds away from a traumatic head injury from flying objects, or a gauge wound from a swipe of an animal's claws. Very much uninterested in the cotton candy infested with spiders they'd been handed upon entry, they drop it to the ground by their feet, before turning to look around them for the next nearest puzzled person.]

Is this... normal, here?

b:

[They narrowly escape a big ol' chomp being taken out of their tail before getting down the trap door, dropping down the chute and collapsing into a heap at the bottom. They groan, press a hand against their now aching head, ears flat in their combination of irritation and fright that's been thinly veiled as the former.]

Well, shit.

[At least they weren't the only one here...]

c:

[Astrid was not much of a fighter, as far as powers went. They could handle a sword, but they didn't have one, like... with them right now. Not that it'd do them much good anyways when their opponent was a giant crawling beast made of fire. So all they could do was run, try not to trip over their feet, and hope that their heart wouldn't give out from how hard it was pounding first before they even had a chance to manage to escape.

If you turn the corner into the path Astrid's running and thus into the beast's view, he'll very sharply yell out:]

Run.

((ooc: hiii this is aster this is my oc i hand him to u like a little baby bird in ur hand. permissions/info, wip app if ur curious. astrid is they/them or he/him feel free to use whichever whenever or do whatever your character would be most likely to use. i kind of swap with the vibes in prose))

Circus B. I am so sorry

[eidxiety]

[Ain hears people yelling "Shame! Shame! Shame!" in the distance and wonders what this could possibly be about, approaching carefully so that they don't grab him and do the same... but they seem not to care that he's watching.

...

Ain joins the circle of rotating carnies and points at Astrid's cage.]

Shame! Shame! Shame!

Ras | Epic Seven | Current Player, New Char

[divinechains]

I. Another nap

[ When Ras sleeps, generally he's weirdly aware of his surroundings. Not necessarily while he sleeps, but certainly the just before he "shuts off", for lack of a better descriptor. When you sleep for years at a time, though, it's not uncommon for people to move you around like precious cargo. There's no Sacred Bed For Sleepyheads, or anything like that.

But, he doesn't remember falling asleep this time. So when he opens his eyes to take things in, it's jarring in more than just his surroundings. The fact there's no one here beyond a small creature, it's... hm. It certainly, y'know, is. Not to mention he doesn't feel his connection to his world - his goddess here. This isn't home. He's not supposed to be here.

...

Ras ends up trailing over to the fox who looks nothing like his own fox companion, and scooping it up anyway. He manages to stir it awake for a moment, but a few well placed scritches will get it to fall back asleep as he floats outside the room, just inches above the ground. He's still rather short, even with that little bit of leverage, but he's going to try and investigate his surroundings. This building seems to be lived in, and not just by creatures. There's a kitchen that looks freshly used, and the place is lacking the sort of cobwebs and dust that somewhere abandoned would harbor.

Even if there's no one yet at the front desk, he'll knock on it anyway, and look around. It might very well be that people are still just sleeping. The sun isn't even fully out yet, after all. ] Excuse me? Um, pardon for the intrusion. It wasn't my intention to trespass here...

II. Investigating...?

[ The path itself does not draw Ras' attention. It's likely he hadn't put together that it was a path to begin with, and simply just part of the scenery of this world. He seems a little bewildered by everything. He doesn't normally get the chance to do this - take in his surroundings. He's not confined within castle walls or in the fiery throws of war. Things aren't normal or good maybe, and he should be concerned that he doesn't know where he is, but...

Look at this little mushroom frog. Look at that massive moose lady who speaks and ate a flower out of Ras' hand. Look at the eyeballs on these lemons. Look at the river and the shiny things in the water. Look at the clouds and the feel the wind and...

Ras seems so happy to just absorb all of the beauty here, excuse him. ]

III. Carnivile

[ When he does finally "follow the path", it's less like he's doing just that and more he's following someone who happens to be heading there as well. He opts to walk instead of float to seem a little more "normal". People likely don't know him here if he's not home anymore, and he would like to fit in a little more if that's the case. Of course, Ras didn't really use his legs all that often, so he's not exactly... graceful in his walking. Pretty much the moment he spends more time focusing on the surrounding carnival and not on his footsteps, he slips on the Mystery Red Liquid(tm) that's pooled by one of the stalls and falls directly on his ass with little squeak of surprise. He's fine, of course. A little embarrassed, that's all.

If you happen to be over by said stalls, he'll quickly pick himself up and not even bother brushing himself off to get your attention. ]

Pardon, I don't think you should... [ ...He clears his throat. ] Is the food here supposed to be so... completely vile?

IV. Fright Night

[ The more exploring of the carnival Ras does, the more he's realized this is alarmingly all not too far from his normal Tuesday on Orbis. The creepy carnies that look like friends, the vile food, the show that elicit more shock and concern than it does entertainment and joy... This is all just something a certain Acolyte of the Archdemon would whip up for fun. Especially the endless nightmare-esque fear monsters. Those were her favorite.

Thus, perhaps to others, it's surprising when he casually summons a blade to cut down the mangled depiction of seemingly normal people. His friends, if one were to ask. People he'd once let down.

And as for yours, if he can easily recognize it as a distorted fear monster, it's going to find itself wrapped in chains that seem to just appear in a flash. They wrap around the monster and go taut to hold it down. Ras does not immediately take his sword to it, first just wanting to ensure your safety. Hence why he seems to be looking over you for damage. ] Are you alright? Are you good to run?

V. Wildcard
DM me for plotting stuff if you want! Or hmu on Discord. :>

I & will probably lead to II

[love_swan]

[ Everything considered, Aira doesn't need to go to the inn that often unless he feels like visiting someone who lives there. It's not something he really thinks to do, but every now and then it feels like the thing to do, and after his first and hopefully last foray into the circus... Well, he feels safer staying somewhere with a lot of people for a bit.

He's just been lounging about in the front area when he heard the knock at the front desk. The person standing there is unfamiliar, and a weight sinks in his stomach realizing what must have happened. ]

Hello..? Um. Don't worry about trespassing too much, this kind of thing happens a lot here.

[ Well, "a lot" was relative, but suffice to say no one would consider what happened to be trespassing. ]

Are you alright?

Vildred Dayern | Epic7 | TDM

[bladeascent]

i. wake up (grab a brush and—

[Waking up in an unfamiliar location? Scary. Not good. Very bad, actually, considering he was literally embroiled in an active fight with an Acolyte about 3 and a half seconds ago. Waking up in an unfamiliar location bleeding from the wound said Acolyte inflicted on him... even worse.

Where the fuck is Kayron.

Why the fuck is Vildred in bed with a tiny baby... he thinks lion? Some kind of plant-lion.

At this rate, he's pretty sure he died in combat and has gone to... hhhhhheaven Maybe, but he can't really say he was ever the most pious person in life. RIP in rest. He just has to hope Ras managed to defeat the Archdemon, and that the Heirs who weren't holding off the hoards of enemies managed to make it out alive.

His head hurts.

He gets out of bed and glances off to the side at his sheathed sword leaning against the wall, pausing to wonder if Diche would want him to have that in Heaven — theoretically the afterlife should be peaceful, but does he just. Get things he left behind? Does that mean all his paperwork is coming with him too? Goddess whyyyy.

Either way, he feels that going outside without said blade is probably the worst idea ever, so he grabs the sheath in one hand, scoops the baby lion in the other — where is your mother, seriously — and heads out into the hallway, still bleeding by the way, as he physically walks into you.]

Sorry, excuse me.

[He would've seen you coming if he didn't have blood dripping into his eyes, he swears, but the priority right now is "why the fuck is there a lion cub" and "where am I" and less "I could've lost an eye".]

ii. carnival

[Apparently he's not dead (???) (a canon update to 5 seconds in the future and he will be, though) which is. Good. On the tin, this is a good thing. Also on the tin is a carefully printed label that says "also you're not on Orbis. who the fuck is Kayron and why do you have beef with him", which is actually really bad for reasons that he's simply not going into after asking you what's going on. Time to kick our emotions under the rug and fester about them! This is mentally healthy and will not have consequences later.

In the back of his mind, he's pretty sure this is the effects of another Acolyte, so it's probably better to keep his mouth shut anyway. Tenebria liked to mess with people. It makes sense that he'd see no one here that he knows if she's behind this and has him trapped in a dream.

Unfortunately, with nothing else to do and no way of actually escaping, the circus... does sound good on the tin. Now that he's no longer bleeding and can see properly, he can at the very least explore, less to have fun and more to observe the situation as a whole. Masked workers, food stalls, games, a prize booth that has particularly creepy plushies hanging up — yep, that one smacks of Tenebria's handywork alright. It's as he's passing through the crowd of masked workers to head toward the tent, completely ignoring the fact that the actual performances aren't happening yet, that he spots a familiar-looking... well not face, her face is covered, but she certainly has Kise's hairstyle.]

Kise—!

["Kise" simply hands him a corndog, twirls, and dances on down the path. Uh, hello— you'd think if he were really trapped in a nightmare dream that she'd start calling him names or something, but no, she's already gone by the time he looks back. And a corndog? Really?

...

Why is something crawling on his hands—

With a very slightly unbecoming shudder, Vildred drops the corndog and shakes his hand out, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as it skitters into the bushes.

Tell him you didn't see that.]

iii. fear monsters!

[And then all hell breaks loose.

Vildred was not going to show up for the performance — hell no, spending what feels like several weeks to a month here has been bad enough — so have fun, whoever went, bring him back some popcorn slathered in blood or whatever. Not his monkeys. Literally not his circus. Unfortunately, the twisted monsters make their way back to this peaceful town. Standard day for him, really, but no less obnoxious — and they're sturdy fuckers too, all twisted and different and nothing like he's seen before. What he wouldn't give to have an actual team at his back right now; the people here don't fight with much coordination, he notices, as stray magic bolts and projectiles whizz past his head. Good Goddess you people are going to burn down the entire Grove—

This thought does not stop him from moving in front of the monster attacking you in the nick of time, the long blade he wields blocking fang and claw from piercing your flesh. He says nothing, but turns and looks back at you with a nod and a smile.

Please do not take his head off on your follow-up attack while he tanks the boss, thanks.]

iv. wildcard

[hi it's me wolfie. this is my new son i found him in the trash dying on the floor. you know the drill]

II

[lovelyredthread]

[ He did, in fact, see that. And it's still not the most disturbing thing he's ever seen. It doesn't even seem to phase the child as he heads closer to the stranger. ]

Not very creative of it trying the same tactic twice, huh.

[ He's remarkably unbothered by all of this gore overall. Eyes and teeth sticking out of everything in the garden really just numbed him to this kind of thing. If the man were to look closely he could see the poor boy's wings are burnt up and unusable, feathers almost completely gone in places. ]

Are you new around here?

Aira Shiratori ♡ Ensemble Stars ♡ Current player+muse

[love_swan]

Welcome to the Circus ♡1》

Click here

[ Aira has seen all manner of horrible thing in his time living in the Nest already. Excessive amounts of blood, body horror, death, decay. It wasn't a picnic by any means, so when he follows the little squirrel that wandered into his room-- well... He's not so much surprised as he is resigned. The echoes of Tatsumi and Hiiro he find in the circus are painful, but expected after that horrible nightmare they were locked in.

He should be more horrified than he is, but rather than screaming at every little terrible thing he sees, he just... looks miserable more than scared. The blond wanders the circus grounds aimlessly, feeling sick with every new sight. He doesn't even want to know what the food looks like after seeing the blood in the balloon game. Perhaps you'd like to enlighten him? Or maybe you'd like to escort him out of here, it's no place for someone of his temperament. ]

The Depths of Fear ♡2》

Click here

[ He doesn't go to the circus. He's not one to tempt fate like that, and he'd seen enough when he visited the first time to know that the main event would be no better. He's seen mostly around the town the day the circus is due for their big show, and he's keeping himself busy as best he can to distract himself from what was probably going on out there...

Only, it doesn't seem to be just out there anymore. He's not sure what he's looking at at first when it stops in its path- he just notices the blood red eyes and stops for a moment since it's staring right at him. Only then can he make out that its a spider, and he really, really doesn't like how intently it seems to be looking at him.

An attempt to back away is met with the little thing shrieking like a banshee and skittering towards him ]

Aieeek--! [ He is sprinting away from this thing oh god. ]

Wildcard ♡3》
Feel free to go ahead and tag him if you have another idea. If you'd rather drop something in his inbox, it's here

[sparkplugs]

[From the opposite direction barrels another little thing that also sounds kind of like a banshee. Cy runs right into him, not looking where she's going at all. At this point she appears to have lost whatever was pursuing her, but that spider? That spider's sure there still.

She jumps, all eyes and fur as she tries to spin around.]

Yow! Other way!

Firefly / Sam | Honkai: Star Rail | current char

[dreamunchained]

Circus;

[Firefly was busy with looking around at the rather disturbing sights and sounds of the carnival when she bumps into one of the workers, knocking them both to the ground and sending the carnie's mask tumbling off their face. This was causing Firefly to have a bit of a panic due to them looking exactly like Stelle, who had been here when she arrived and mysteriously gone missing. Grabbing the carnie by the shoulders, her tone only grows more and more concerned and borderline desperate as the carnie is more preoccupied with telling her to go enjoy herself and have fun than acknowledging anything she was saying, asking where she'd gone, what she was doing, what was happening, etc.]

Stelle!

Circus Ring;

a:

[Firefly had literally only come back to the circus to try to find Stelle again, and found herself lured into the main circus attraction. Her eyes are laser focused on the performer with the familiar flash of grey hair she'd come to associate with Stelle, and it'll be hard to break her out of her intense gaze and anxious worrying to acknowledge you sitting next to her during the performance. If you try hard enough, though, she'll blink and look over at you, almost dazed.]

Huh? Did you say something?

b: (cw: bug monsters! one will be chosen at random for this prompt unless you have a pref, risk of being attacked)

[Firefly is very busy trying to avoid two very insistent monsters trying to hunt her down, ducking around corners and down streets to try and find a safe place to hide. The spider had nabbed her device for transforming into her mech suit in its webbing early on in the struggle before she'd ran, so she was stuck with a sword and a dream right now as far as getting out of it alive went. A little winded, she hides down behind a rather large piece of rubble to catch her breath, only to realize it was already someone else's hiding spot. Her eyes widen for a moment and she initially moves to speak, before realizing it was better to not to, and puts a finger to her lips with a nod of acknowledgement.

But then there's a soft guttural noise from behind you, and Firefly's eyes really widen, and with a firm but quiet voice she whispers for you to run as she summons her sword to her hand.]

c: (cw: bugs still)

[With the centipede's fog and the spider's web of control, Firefly had no idea where she was, what was happening, or what was going on around her. All she knew was she was being made to wildly swing her sword, and occasionally, she could feel it connect with things, which she really, desperately hoped weren't people--]

I'm sorry! I'm sorry--!

[That's really all she could do, plead and ask for forgiveness, over and over, not knowing what was up or down or sideways...]

Circus

[divinechains]

[ Firefly is going to get a very gentle touch against her back. A small pat. Just to get her attention. Ras is not a very loud person, after all. His voice is likely to get drowned out in whatever twisted "merriment" this carnival had going. ]

I don't believe these are friends we know, miss. [ He's dealt with stuff like this before. There's a certain illusionist back home that adored to torment him with images of friends that have died. He can only assume the same is here, though he can't quite pin what they are. Not illusions, but maybe something more sinister. ]

Min-Gi Park | Current Character!

[outofsynth]

FAIRYTALES & FICTION

[Last month had been a cruel one. It almost feels worse to have been allowed that brief pocket of happiness before being dragged back to the awkwardness of reality. Not even the Watchtower feels like much of an escape. He stares into his drink rather than consume it or attempt to socialize, falling deeper and deeper into his thoughts.

He only shrinks further into himself if someone else who'd been part of the dream approaches the bar whether they'd spoken or not. He will still speak if spoken to, though he he looks apprehensive if anyone from the dream does come near. People who hadn't been in the dream may get a tense smile and some form of greeting, but despite deliberately positioning himself in a prime spot he's not going out of his way to start conversation. It may have been his intention when he sat, but he seems to have shrank away from being social now the opportunity is there.]

(DO NOT) STAND IN THE SHADOWS
(CW: Infection, cigarettes, poor hygeine, probable internalised homophobia)

[Min isn't exactly in the mood for the circus. He wouldn’t be even if it seemed nicer than this one does. He avoids the rigged games and the gross food, and honestly? He's not sold when he does show up for the final show, but he does at least try to get into it. Something he quickly comes to regret when it becomes clear that this show is not one he's likely to get out of unscathed.

The trapdoor is clearly a bad idea, but with the attacks from the circus performers only becoming more and more violent there isn't really any option. It doesn't take Min-Gi long to run into trouble from there. It never does here, does it? The maze of the ruins have him on edge already, reminding him of a previous escape he and Ryan had had to make. When he catches sight of himself, it's the outfit he recognizes before he realizes that's his face. And worse, his body. At first he thinks this is somehow related to the dreams from last month. That maybe this is the cooler version of Min-Gi that Ryan wishes he could be. Except as he gets closer it becomes clear this isn't a version of him anyone would ever want. It's not as though he never smokes, but the smell of stale cigarettes is almost overpowering as this Min gets nearer. His hair is greasy and the piercings in his ears are red and oozing. The bright green ink on his left arm is on the wrong side, but even without the glow of his number he knows exactly what it is. While it had simply read 202 for most of their time on the train, it now stretches all the way up to form a sleeve. 2020202020202 repeats all the way up, extending further than he can see. Endless mistakes. Ones he instinctively knows he can't fix.

The necklaces are a little different, though he still recognizes what they are. The insignia from the jumpsuits they’d been forced to wear, and the door that had first led them onto the train. The rest of it though? The open shirt with asymmetrical sleeves? The multiple belts? The not-a-skirt over dark pants? It's not even original. He's dressed exactly like Billy Idol. He can practically hear his parents disapproval if they ever saw him wearing anything like that. They worry enough about him pursuing music already.

The other Min smirks, nostrils flaring as he huffs an inaudible laugh. Almost like he knows exactly what he's thinking. In the time it's taken Min-Gi to fully process he's almost upon him. Right up in his face. From this close up there's no denying how badly this other version of him needs to shower. Not that he seems to care in the slightest. He flicks aside his cigarette, watching him with an predatory gaze.

"Why don't we make this easy?" he suggests, eerily calm. "You'll only disappoint yourself if you try..."]

(It's too late; he's literally been) stand(ing) in the shadows

[chickenchoicejudy]

[Ryan feels like he's been walking and climbing around for a million years, but finally, finally he can hear Min-Gi. And...hear him again? What?]

Min-Gi! Min, I--

[He rounds the corner, but skids to a halt when he sees two Mins standing there instead of one. It's not exactly hard to tell who's the real one, but he wasn't emotionally prepared for this on top of literally everything else he's been thinking about today.]

What the fuck?!

[Ryan didn't open his mouth, but the look on his face matches the sentiment blurted out.]

Zoey | KPop Demon Hunters | TDM!

[lyricistdontmiss]

i. 「the beauty in the broken glass」 - Netbooks

[ Gradually over the span of about ten minutes, on the pages of the netbooks, a drawing of a turtle appears. It's clearly a turtle from here, though, or one from a very creative imagination, because moss and mushrooms grow from the top of the turtle's shell like it was made of dirt. It's a very cartoonish drawing, however, and cute at that! Not a great drawing, but definitely cute.

After it's finished, words begin to scribble into existence beneath it. ]

(Sorry for being nosy and sorry for drawing in your notebook! I don't know who it belongs to, but now you have a little friend to brighten your day! Yay!!)

-Z-


ii. 「so come out to play」 - Carnival

[ The carnival, being bright and colorful and loud, has attracted Zoey like a moth to a street light. To anyone else, it might be sensory overload, but to her it's an absolute delight! Even if the food looks kind of suspicious, and even if the people working the booths are all wearing creepy masks. It's probably fine. All part of the eerie theme, right? Besides, she hasn't seen a single flash of demon patterns anywhere, and this clearly isn't Korea. Who is she to judge?

But a dart game is her jam. There isn't much of a difference in throwing her knives and throwing some darts, right? And besides, there's a cheap turtle plush with big, cute eyes just begging to be brought home. She pushes up the sleeves of her oversized yellow hoodie, then points at the person manning the stall. ]

Excuse me! One round, please! That's all it'll take!

[ The darts that she's handed at least feel sturdy in her hands. She rolls them around for a moment, letting them slot between her fingers as easily as her knives would. Yes, this will do nicely.

All of the darts are flung free from her fingers at the same time, and each one hits its mark with expert precision. A series of popping balloons rings through the air--

Followed by the disgusting, slimy sound of viscera flopping to the ground. ]

Oh, gross, what? What is that?!

i

[fluffiestsoul]

I know someone who looks exactly like this. Well, maybe not exactly like this but...

[He draws a 'V' over the eyes, making it look a little more angry.]

Francois is his name.

Kyojuro Rengoku | Demon Slayer | Current Player, New Character |

[tempurahair]

i And Do You Like the Way it Feels? — The Forest

[Rengoku wakes within the woods with a start. Though his breathing remains painfully regular, his body pulses with pain and alarm. Not over his injuries — the pain in his torso and the ache above his eye are both to be expected. No, it's the fact that he draws breath at all. In his final moments, he'd glimpsed his mother, known that death had in fact called him home.

His mind can only go to the demon that had taunted him, so desperate for him to become a demon. He would have thought that dragging his body to Kibutsuji would have been impossible, given the rising of the sun. Nevertheless, panic wells up for a brief second —

only to be dashed by the kiss of sunlight on his brow.

Unable to delay it any further, Rengoku allows his hand to drift down to the ripped clothes against his chest. Though blood still soaked the fabric through, his skin was whole.

The same, though, couldn't be said for his eye. Even as he swept away the blood, his vision did not return. After alighting on the gnarled space where his eye had been, he was able to draw enough conclusions.

Very well then. He would still be able to manage. He still had... well, not much of a sword in his hand, so much as a hilt, but it was still something. He could fight his way through whatever came next.

And come it would. Already, he could hear movement within the trees. There would be no further time to collect himself. Pulling himself up to his full height, Rengoku turns to the noise. Drawing in a breath that was as steady as ever, he plunges forward toward the noise.

Unfortunately, whoever steps through is going to have a broken sword at their throat and a very wild eyed, bloodied man staring them down. To his credit, at least, the second he realizes his mistake, his expression turns into a broad smile. He lowers his blade and offers a hand.]

Good to meet a friendly face! Where are we?

ii. Like Fire From the Heavens — Cyclamen Circus

[Trouble, somehow, always seemed to find him. That was the problem with being a Demon Slayer, he supposed. He'd since pilfered a golden weapon from the great church back in the village he'd found. It wasn't perfect, more meant for sparring than actual use, but it would have to do.

Don't mind as this massive man shoves between you and an approaching monster. He practically grins, one visible eye crinkling beneath the force of it. The other is covered by a freshly purchased eye patch.]

Go. Quickly!

[If left to his own devices, he'll try to hold the monsters off for as long as possible.]

iii. Tearing Me Asunder Beside You — Wildcard

[You know what to do. Hit me up and we can plot something out.]

inhales. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (wildcard)

[averageineverything]

[when rengoku inevitably raids the inn's kitchen and proceeds to... well, be himself and make a huge ruckus gorging himself, it's bound to draw attention to him.

since waking up in a guest room, senjuro has felt like he's in a strange dream. it hasn't been long, but everything is unfamiliar. everything except the noise downstairs, that is. his feet pull him down the stairs of the inn without him even needing to think about it. he stands there, frozen and staring wordlessly at the man who looks like a larger version of himself.

as for senjuro himself, kyojuro will notice he's gained an inch or so in height since they last saw one another, and there's a peculiar little cloth creature in a red bandana peeking out from behind his leg.]

Ryan Akagi | Infinity Train | Current Player

[chickenchoicejudy]

A. AND WHEN I TALK JUST TASTE REGRET (Carnival) cw: mild emeto, nothing graphic

[When the circus appeared, Ryan was excited at first! He literally hasn't done anything like that since he was a little kid, and having something fun happen for once would be a nice change of pace.

Except unfortunately, it's not a change of pace at all. The games are creepy and the food is just grody. He's quietly abandoned things vendors put in his hands (holy fuck funnel cake does NOT smells like meat) and found a corner to gag in until the feeling passed.

The ice cream looks suspiciously normal though. Super normal almost boring vanilla ice cream. It doesn't smell weird, doesn't seem like it's made of something else...so cautiously, he takes a bite--

--and the only way he can describe it at first is just a very loud and vague FEELS REAL BAD. It's like accidentally biting a spoon, but it's his whole mouth and he can't fucking take it anymore!! He throw the cone hard, into the ground!!]

What the FUCK!

[Why is this happening?! He doesn't want a valuable life lesson, he just wanted ice cream! :(]

B. YOU'RE EVERYTHING I WANT AND I'M ALL THAT YOU DREAD (Monster maze) cw: intrusive thoughts, depression, loss of physical control, etc, will warn more if it gets worse.

[Given how bad the carnival portion of the Circus was, he's kicking himself for talking Min into going to the actual show. It made sense at the time though - they were forced to go to the last show they went to, so maybe the fact that they can go of their own free will is a good sign? And the carnival was weird and off-putting, but they weren't in any danger there so...maybe it'd be fun?

Stupid. Obviously it was a trap. He can still hear bones cracking as the circus exploded into noise and blood. He ran on impulse with Min-Gi and with everyone else, and the plan was to run until he couldn't anymore, but something grabbed his ankle and pulled, shattering a board and sending him falling to another part of the maze-like ruins, screaming for Min-Gi.

It takes a beat for him to register that he's okay actually - a little bruised and sore, but otherwise okay. It's dark and oddly quiet where he is though, and calm. The animals of the circus aren't here, but everyone else bolted further ahead. He can't hear Min-Gi, so...that probably includes him too.

For a moment he stays sitting where he is, because maybe Min did hear him. If Min's looking....]

Pfft. There's no way he's looking. What, was he supposed to let monsters get him just to chase after me?

[...no, he wasn't. After all, if he turned around to look for Ryan, he would probably get attacked--]

--and then he'd die and it'd be all my fault, just because I was a careless idiot who fell in a hole.

[Did he say that? He doesn't think he opened his mouth, but the thought is so loud that it feels like it echoes around him. No, fuck, he doesn't want Min to die because of him, because...because--!]

Because then I'd really be all alone, huh?

[That's so shitty. What a shitty thought. What kind of fucking monster does he have to be for that to be the first thing he thinks of when confronted with the thought of Min-Gi dying? He's garbage for thinking like that; he knows it.

His body feels so heavy, but he's tugged up anyway. Probably for the best. He kind of wants to bury himself in the rubble and sleep there now, but he'd just be a sitting duck.]

Look, it's fine. It's fine!

[A flat, shadowed hand moves up the front of Ryan's chest, up his neck, cupping his chin as if it's his own. It turns Ryan's head, shaking it twice and making his hair swish around him.]

It's fine, because nobody's worried about me anyway!

[...Yeah. True.

So he starts walking forward until he finds anything or anyone in this dark hole he's been pulled into.]

C. WILDCARD (Hit me!)

B breaks into ur house to plant a boy

[divinechains]

[ While Ras was not at the show himself, he was still within the circus grounds when Hell quite literally broke loose. And it's hard not to be drawn to the sound of screaming, sword in hand. And fear monsters - why's it always fear monsters?? These evil-aligned assholes need to get a new gimmick. He does have to take care of the immediate problem - his own monster - before he heads off to help others who'd fallen into the hole. Which is why he does take a few moments to get to Ryan.

And even if he is quiet, there's at least some forewarning to his presence. Especially so late at night, Ras practically radiates with a blue light to match the stone in his chest. Then again, maybe a man floating down from the surface is hard to miss in general??? Who knows.

Whatever the case, he'll glide himself to stop in front of Ryan's path and hold out a hand. ]

Are you hurt?

Wednesday Addams || Wednesday || TDM Character

[woeiswednesday]

I.

[The chill of autumn settling upon her is a welcome comfort. It is almost tempting to enjoy the deathly peace for just a few moments longer. Almost. Perhaps she would, if it weren't for the distinct nagging feeling that something is off. Her eyes snap open rather sharply as she sits bolt upright, letting her arms drop to her sides as she scans the room with her eyes.]

...how strange...

[With the same outwardly calm attitude, she swings her legs over the edge of the bed and stands; straightening her black pinstripe uniform. She strides across the room without even giving a second glance to the raccoon sleepily lazing on the bed she just woke up from. The only acknowledgement that she gives it is after she has opened the door and pauses in the doorway to give it a cursory warning.]

If you're still here when I return I will assume that you intend to stay. I will not be responsible for anything bad that might happen if you choose to associate with me.

[And just like that she closes the door and begins looking around. Under normal circumstances she would be happy to be able to do things on her own, but even she understands that there are situations where other people are necessary. Which may be misfortune for anyone who might happen to get caught in her path and are subjected to her blunt and sharp demands.]

I want answers. What is this place?

II.

[A circus is no place for a girl who is allergic to colors, but so far, this appears to be the most obvious place of interest for someone intending to do a true and thorough investigation. But Wednesday quickly realizes that there's more to this than a simple case of kidnapping. As she walks around the circus grounds she notices many familiar faces all in new roles. If she didn't know better, she would think that she was having a rather unoriginal nightmare that was uncharacteristic of her.

But to properly test her theory, she has no choice but to interact with them.

There are several cliche carnival games to choose from, but she chooses the darts; testing the feel of them in her hand to measure their weight for a few short seconds before skillfully letting them fly, resulting in several of them popping in a gruesome and gory display, splattering the stand and possibly even innocent passerby.

Wednesday's eyebrows lift minutely. Rather than bothered, she seems impressed.]

...perhaps I judged this place too quickly. This could be fun.

III. Wildcard

[Hit her with your best shot.]

i. im sorry you're getting the worst character on my roster

[jesterlies]

[What was he doing when she approached him? Floating like an asshole on a staff, juggling a couple of apples to a captive audience before popping off his own head and juggling it with the rest before catching it all and going TA-DA!]

[The audience was a couple of interesting looking creatures. Strange fruit animals, a two headed, six-eyed deer. You know, normal.]

[While his gaze is unfocused, there's a large blueberry looking orb on his staff that blinks, its eye honing in on her instead.]

Hm? Oh, someone new! How delightful! Welcome to your new prison, kid!

Agent Texas | Red vs. Blue | Current Character

[a_shadow]

i. wake up —

Tex isn't used to this whole "eating and sleeping" business yet. She'd stayed up until she essentially crashed out, barely managing to crawl into the bed provided for her at the house she'd found herself in when she arrived here. She's spent some time over the past day or so cleaning it up, but it's a strange place and she's not sure she wants to stay in it.

Eventually she awakens, long after the sun has come up, it would appear, only to see a baby puma curled up alongside her. The puma has moss and toadstools dotting its back and a circle of flowers growing out of the crown of its head. She doesn't start; it may be surprising, but she's not afraid. This thing can't hurt her. She sits up, then stands, shaking off sleep, and rubs her face. The puma looks at her, stretches a little, and yawns.

"All right, you," she mutters, and goes around to the other side of the bed to gather the puma up in her arms. "You don't belong in here."

It's not a far walk from the house to the Grove, she finds, and she calls out to the first person she sees. "Is there an animal rescue or something around here?"

ii. circus food—

Tex wanders down the midway after finding the circus, taking everything in. She's tried not to admit it to herself, but she hasn't eaten since arriving and the more she sees the signs for funnel cakes and hot dogs and gyros, the more her stomach growls.

"Shit," she grumbles. Do things cost money here at the circus? Is she supposed to have money here? These are things she hasn't gotten around to investigating yet.

Eventually she gives in and gets in line at one of the food trucks, this one advertising barbecue ribs, spiral potatoes, and frozen lemonade. She's not happy about it, though, and it shows by her crossed arms and the jut of one hip as she frowns. The line moves up by one person and the person who'd received their food starts to walk away.

Tex quirks an eyebrow. "That actually doesn't smell all that great," she comments to the person as they walk by.

iii. fun & games —

A test of strength? That's right up Tex's alley. She accepts the rubber hammer and strikes the plate, casuing it to sound out the fact that she's a loser.

"Oh, fuck you," she shoots back, and squares up to hit the plate again. This seems kind of useless but they must expect someone to be able to hit hard enough not to be declared a loser, right?

iv. fears —

Tex isn't afraid when the beast get free, either. She immediately unsheathes her kukri knife, the only weapon that the Forest had seen fit to provide her with when she was delivered here, but she knows she can defeat this monster, or any monster, that confronts her.

This doesn't actually prove to be true, however. Because the monster that confronts her is nothing more than a shadow, and it stays out of reach, taunting her with whispers and hisses of words that show a complete knowledge of her past.

"You can't save anyone," it sighs at her menacingly. "You couldn't save Church; you couldn't save the planet. Everything you touch gets poisoned."

She bares her teeth in an angry grimace, striking at the shadow with her knife. But this does nothing.

v. wildcard —

(( Hit me! ))

iii!

[bladeascent]

Vildred can honestly say he does not want to be here, but uh. Here he is anyway! This place has him on edge, so he's patrolling and keeping his eyes on everything.

"There might be a place on the plate that triggers a win," he suggests, since the hammer is useless, "a button, or something. Do you see anything?"

[menophesto]

I. (Vacation starts to play)

[ It's the tail end of summer, but even so, that's good enough to still have a summer break. Lord knows that poor Lily needs one after what she'd been put through. Mephisto might not be part of the cookie house, but that's his not-mom and he might be a teeny tiny bit worried about her. Not that he'd say that much, y'know, out loud. But he would say that obviously he needs a break from the idiots here, too. So he's going to the beach!

You can catch him packing a week or two's worth of supplies, either raiding the Inn's kitchen, or just buying stuff from Heimr to stuff into a camping bag. He knows there's at least some stuff still at the cabanas, but... he's an over-preparer. ]

II. Heavy Metal Bears

[ Beyond the vacation, either Mephisto returns early, or just has to come back to make sure his idiot roommate (sorry, Till) isn't getting into trouble, is just restocking on things, or a little of all of those, he's back. And he's already very put off about the idea of a horror circus. Internally, as always. Externally, he's as aloof as ever.

Until the show. The actual show itself is... Mephisto wants to laugh. Were he to be shown this months ago, he might've. He might've called it a masterpiece. He might've heckled that they could've done more. He might've done anything one might expect of an unhinged goblin. The now Mephisto can't find it entertaining if he isn't in charge, though. Maybe, if he were the ringleader, he'd be laughing. Maybe, if he held the strings, he'd find the chaos amusing.

And then the ground is gone, and...

Mephisto might be a bird, but he cannot fly. His prosthetic legs do not work well, either, so there's just a clumsy clattering into the ground with his crutch... somewhere. He doesn't know where it went. But he does know that he doesn't have time to look for it when he spots just a couple of high school girls. Well, except, they're all... very angry. Very hungry. And very capable of violence.

Surely it's fine, right? Maybe Mephisto can get away! Maybe you can take on a group children! What's the worst that can happen? ]

III. Wildcard
oop

II

[lovelyredthread]

[ He hears the clatter before he processes anything else after the fall. His wings may be scorched, with bent feathers and clipped primaries, but they were enough to at least right himself and cushion his fall, something that Mephisto didn't really have the benefit of at the moment.

There's a lot of thoughts that go through his head in that moment, and the first of them is, tellingly, to leave Mephisto to his demons.

He doesn't though. He's not really sure why. He doesn't really know if he stands to gain anything from this, but his feet scrabble on the dirty, broken cobbles of the street they landed on, and he crouches in front of the downed teen, summoning an arrow to nock his bow with. He doesn't aim directly at the girls, measured to the distance between them-- but when he lets it loose, the arrow becomes many and it rains down on the opposing group while Pavlova grabs one of Mephisto's arms and hoists him up. New crutch attained, now they need to book it. ]

Pavlova Cookie // CRK // Current Player+muse

[lovelyredthread]

Welcome to the Circus ♡1》

Click here

[ He doesn't go to the circus right away, as disillusioned as he is with any 'good' thing that happens here. It's going to be a trap, that's the whole point of them being here.

He does not voice this. People will go anyway because that's what they do. And he's glad that Lily has the sense to go to the beach instead of go to this circus, even if he feels her absence with an ache he can't really understand. When exactly had that happened?

It's for the best that she's leaving, so why does it hurt. Why does it feel like she's not coming back?

It's ultimately because he could use something to take his mind off of the things going on in his head that he goes to the circus at all. He can push the turmoil in his head and heart off to the darker parts and forget about them as he strolls along the path. The stalls don't interest him, he can see the way they're rigged, and the stench of decay is thick here. It's not a place he particularly enjoys, but oddly, it feels almost like home. A playful veneer over top of something horrific.

She's here too. He can see a humanoid version of her flitting around in a mask as though that disguised her pale yellow skin or her glittering, syrup coated wings that could no longer fly. She's not real, but it's her voice, so he finds himself following along after her as she winds through the crowd. He loses her eventually, and that hole in his heart aches. He shouldn't care. He shouldn't. But he does.

He stands there alone for a moment until he could feel eyes on him. Until someone drew closer and he couldn't ignore them anymore. ]

Oh hey! Did you need something?

[ As though he were just fine. Because he is, he has to be. ]

The Depths of Fear ♡2》

Click here

[ He was convinced to come to this one way or another, whether by his father, who he didn't want to let walk into a blatant trap all alone, or one of the people he begrudgingly has a soft spot for, he was brought along for the ride, and he is utterly unsurprised as he dodges a dagger thrown mere centimeters from his face. Others in the audience weren't so lucky as to avoid the careless carnies, and now the animals were acting up as well, creating chaos. It's all so irritating when it was so avoidable. His gaze goes quietly to the woman lying dead and broken on the floor of the ring, musing on just how many times he's seen such a sight in the garden after one of the inhabitants turned crazed.

There's no part of him that reveres the Witches, but looking upon the sight as he runs past the ring, he can't help but send a prayer to the two celestial goddesses, hoping they might look over those lost. He's so tired of death.

He's not expecting what's on the other side of the chute, the stack of old villages that he doesn't really have the focus to place... He doesn't get very far before he feels something attach to his arm. Looking down, he can see a red string had wrapped around it, tighter and tighter until his arm seemed to numb and he could no longer feel it. Pavlova lets out a startled cry as similar strings seized his neck and his other arm, his controlled arm twitching, trying to resist the movement to grab the bow resting on his back.

Movement nearby implied someone must have heard his cries and whimpers, but he could no longer control himself, could no longer feel his body. ]

Don't come any closer-- r-run!

[ It's all the warning he can give. ]

Wildcard ♡3》
For anything not covered here! his inbox is here as well if you prefer.

1

[sparkplugs]

[It turns out to be a scruffy tabby that's been watching him when Pavlova turns to see. She doesn't turn away when he catches her, large lamp-like eyes remaining fixed upon him.

Does he expect an answer? Whether he does or not, he gets one.]

Do you?

Mizuki | Arknights | Current Character

[mooninthewater]

I. Duck Hunt

[ Video games are more Mizuki's style. He's just a real wizard when you put a remote controller in his hands, and he can hyper-analyze any sort of coded masterpiece put on the screen. Now, this doesn't mean physical games aren't fun! He loves a good board game, and carnival games are fun, too. He's just... not as much of a wizard with them. Most of them are rigged to make contestants fail anyway, of course, but it doesn't mean Mizuki doesn't feel some disappointment in himself when he does lose.

He avoids most of the games for this reason, opting to try and see if there's a food eating contest or something around here that he can partake in. There likely is, of course, and Mizuki will get to that later, but for now he's fascinated by this little duck stall. You know the one. Except, instead of little rubber ducks, they're like actual real ducks. Biblically accurate to boot. "EVERYONE'S A WINNER!" sign is posted up above. Which might be true, but the challenge comes in not picking out a duck, but trying to look under them. These ducks are truly just hardwired for you to, like, not look at their bellies??? Or maybe they just don't like being grabbed. Por que no los dos.

Anyway, if you happen upon the duck pond, Mizuki's here now, with one of the ducks out of the pond and on the ground in front of Mizuki, where he's been trying for several minutes to flip it over. He's now resorted to making spinny motions with his hands to get it to roll over, making very breathy cooing sounds with his mouth. ]

II. Missing no.

[ Mizuki is absolutely attending the show. It isn't as though he thinks it'll be good. He just worries for the people who've shown up, and want to be there in case something happens. He's played some of the worst of Suri's games, after all. He can surely stand a few more.

So maybe it's not surprising when his footing gives out. And maybe it's less surprising when the familiar sound of the monster that'd come right out of Mizuki's fears is back. It isn't quite... tangible. Not really. Rather, Mizuki's monster is this amorphous shape that twists and squishes much like one might expect from a sentient slime. But it's made from... static snow? Static snow and SMPTE color bars and corrupted file artifacts. Perhaps that might be more funny than scary to most, but the most noticeable thing about it isn't the appearance.

It's the sound.

If you happen to be near it, it may even drown the sound out from your own monster. From your own voice. From your own thoughts. It's an all-consuming sound of static. It isn't loud, not really, but it's like a black hole for sound. It just all seems to be sucked away and there's just this maddening static that replaces it. This might be what insanity feels like. You're not sure. You're not sure you can think about it. You're not sure you can think at all.

Mizuki cannot eat this like he can some of the other monsters. It does not have anything he can latch onto. But it sure can. But much like the ducks at the duck pond, Mizuki is not easy to hold onto, and can escape pretty easily. He could get to the surface no problem, but what if this thing hurts someone here? Wouldn't that be his fault...? ]

Wildcard!
Y'all know where to find me <3

surprise wildcard! lmk if this isnt ok :)

[digitalgirl]

[From afar as he goes through the ruins, Mizuki might hear a sound he's heard before, steadily approaching closer. Waka waka waka.

Here comes a special boy!

And preceding the sound runs a girl, huffing and puffing as a few lengths behind her and rounding the corner, Pac-Man is destroying the surrounding area and leaving rubble in his wake. She's running straight for Mizuki's location, albeit unknowingly, and from how red her face is getting and the sweat beading at her brow, she isn't really equipped to handle this situation. Please help :(]

mafuyu asahina | project sekai | current character

[beathollow]

i. not my circus, not my monkeys

( it only takes an hour for mafuyu to realize this sham of a circus isn't for her, for a number of reasons. the cruel reminders of her friends being the top of it all, but... there's an air of malice and sadistic glee in everything she witnesses, and she doesn't stay long. instead mafuyu can be found tending to the moon shrine or picking apples from the divine tree. when she spots you, however, she glances up and stops what she's doing politely. )

... Oh, did you need something?

ii. don't blink

( somehow she still gets dragged to the show, despite her quiet protests. mafuyu is not a strong-willed person, and the clowns are willing to ignore it this time. its dreadful, though- the lion comes close to biting her at one point, and she only narrowly avoids being stepped on by stilts. the worst of it is the crunch of the woman falling though- before she can even process the sounds of bones and flesh alike, the floor opens up beneath her.

it's a rough landing, one that she wasn't prepared for, leaving her battered and bruised already. but the labyrinth of ruins in the dark is... vast, gaping like a maw waiting to swallow her whole.

she wishes that were the worst of it.

no, she finds her hunter in the dark quickly- a human-sized marionette with a shattered face, waiting in a spotlight, and more hidden in the shadows. this is where mafuyu makes her mistake: she looks away for another path. there has to be one, right? and then she hears the sound of cloth ruffling, turns around, and every single one of the accursed dolls have moved closer, less than five feet away, all reaching for her.

it doesn't take a genius to figure it out.

she tries to walk backwards, but that only does so much, especially when she finds herself cornered into a wall- )

... No...

iii. wildcard

( fingerguns, im down to clown )

i. but you are friends with the clowns

[divinechains]

[ Ras has been lingering around the churches and shrines when he hasn't been exploring. Even if they belong to other deities, they're still the most familiar to him. They're also just where he spent most of his time back home. With all that said, he doesn't really... know how they "work". He can't explain what that means, either, or where this curiosity stems from.

All that to say, he is absolutely watching Mafuyu tend to the moon shrine. ]

Excuse me for staring. May I ask what it is exactly you are doing...?

Hayato Ichimonji | Kamen Rider 1971/Spirits | New Char Old Player

[secondtyphoon]

Arrival

[He has a hazy sense of deja vous about waking up like this, though he can't quite put his finger on why that is. The room he woke up in, is strange. He's beginning to see where ever he is, is NOT what he remembers last happening to him. He pauses at the small bird on the bed, some kind of hawk.]

[He leaves the window open for it to leave through, but he absolutely will not risk touching something that delicate. Instead he ...ignores the path for now, and walks around the Grove with a notebook and pen in his hand. He grins big and friendly.]

Hey there! You got a minute? I'd like to ask some questions if you don't mind!


[Welcome to the Circus.]

[Hayato is finally checking out the carnival because nothing screams Sinister Plot of Evil Organization than whatever the hell was going on here. He plays along for the most part, checking out each attraction, acting like an oblivious tourist, but he's eyes are sharp when the Carnies aren't looking, and he's keeping tabs on anything that starts to look dangerous.]

[He does get bullied into the Test Your Strength game and with a sigh he tries. Gets the LOOOOSSEERRR result when the hammer just squeaks uselessly. For a moment, Hayato looks like someone just pissed in his bowl of cornflakes.]

Tch!

[And that is when he walks over to the actual apparatus, slams his fist down on the target, and sends the weight rocketing up, blasting the bell clean off the top. He hands the hammer back to the Carnie]

Might wanna get that fixed.


[The Depths of Fear.]

[Yeah, Hayato is not even REMOTELY surprised by this turn of events. He was absolutely waiting for the other shoe to drop. While the cages slam open and the animal start racing for the crowd, and their exit's cut off, the trap door gets discovered and Hayato goes right to what he's best at.]

[He is holding off a number of the animals on sheer strength alone.]

Don't just stand there, get to safety!

[He will be overwhelmed eventually, but he won't back down until he's sure everyone's gotten down the trap door.]

Arrival // chucks a little guy at you.

[love_swan]

[ He really should have seen this influx of new people coming, as sad as it is that more are trapped here. He's already done this song and dance once, so he's not really surprised at being hailed down. ]

Oh, sure... I'm guessing you're new around here?

Faust / Arknights / Current player; new muse

[moonwhispers]

Wake up 1》
[ One moment he's looking up at a volley of arrows, staring down his inevitable death, and the next he is laying on the ground in an unfamiliar forest, still aching, still bleeding, and inexplicably but undeniably alive. His wounds seep blood into the grass and mossy ground cushioning him. It's warm, uncomfortably so, but he has little choice but to pick himself up. Through the haze of pain, he can tell clearly that this isn't Lungmen, and not anywhere in Ursus that he could place. He doesn't notice the animal he scares off in his scramble for cover, and was in no condition to analyze it not being anything he was familiar with.

No, he had two thoughts on his mind: How did he get here, and where was Eno?

The thought of his friend caused a pang in his heart, but he ignored it. He had to leave him behind for his own safety. This was the only way he was getting out of there alive. Still, he had pushed himself to the limit already, and now that the immediate danger was gone, his body didn't want to move further. His legs trembled, then buckled, leaving him kneeling, half hidden by a bush. It would have to do for now.

Unfortunately for any unwitting passerby, he honestly looks half dead. ]

Welcome to the Circus 2》
[ With some patching up and some reassurances that no, the people here were not hostile (which he still didn't totally believe), he had reluctantly accepted their kindness. He was wary, reasonably, but he kept his mouth shut and decided to do some recon. This is what ultimately led him to the circus, rather than any potential enjoyment. He didn't trust it, and it seemed he was right not to, as the "funnel cake" he was just handed looked positively repulsive, even for him who was used to eating some less than savory things. He didn't want to think of what this resembled.

Still, it didn't feel right to waste it, so he sort of... awkwardly toted it around as he tried to find something to do with it.

.... he ended up feeding it to one of the animals when the carnies' backs were turned. They probably needed it more than him anyway. Are you going to snitch on him? ]

Depths of Fear 3》
[ Now, Faust did not trust this circus. He didn't really care to see what happened during it, and he doesn't think the fact it was a trap could be any clearer if it was strung in lights and blinking.

But there were people from the town going. Innocent people who likely could not defend themselves the way he could. It's in the interest of establishing himself as reliable and for gathering intel that he goes to the performance... and the display disgusts him, the wanton destruction and death, and the way the performers seem to relish in the deaths of their fellows... it all twisted his stomach. Before long they were all falling, falling into the catacombs below, and Faust was immediately on high alert. He had two objectives. Find something to use as a weapon, and to defend whomever he could find. They were getting out of here. Once he finds someone, he'll call out to them, ]

Hey, this way.

Wildcard 4》
[ in case one of those don't call to you! ]

1

[menophesto]

[ Mephisto has been... okay. Not great. Not good. He still has nightmares. He's still wracked with grief. He's still having an identity crisis and having all his faults hit him like a train. He's still having trouble opening up to people. He's still hostile and miserable and depressed and cries at night before bed.

But he's okay. Lily, Till and Flamebringer have all had their hand in unknowingly leading Mephisto to where the starting line of the path of healing is. He hasn't found it yet, but he is getting there. He hates it more than anything, really. He wants to forget. He wants the pain to go away. He doesn't want to heal, he just wants it gone. But he supposes if there isn't another option, then this is... okay.

It's progress, maybe.

And it's funny! He's been so bitter about the efforts to revive Terho. The revival of Sehul. The necromancy with no consequence, like that's easy. That hurt. And maybe he's secretly prayed for Faust. Maybe he's secretly gone behind people's backs to figure out how to do the same for him, somehow? Maybe he's done some things he shouldn't have! But he still didn't expect to see him here, anyway.

Ah...

That's right. He's here. Mephisto's first thoughts should be "the Forest is playing tricks on me" or "this is a hallucination" or "I've finally cracked", but he doesn't. Instead, his walking cane just slips from his grip as he forgets he's using it for support and two arms reach out to the Pythia on the ground to very weakly call out: ] Sasha...

[ He's hurt. And that needs to be addressed first and foremost. So, Mephisto will stagger towards him. What was he even doing out here? He thinks he was doing something important. Getting something for Lily? Well, whatever, it doesn't matter. Nothing else does now. He somehow has enough will to not start crying on the spot at least! He falls to his knees and a glowing white mist forms in his hands. ]

I-I got you, Sasha.

[ Finally. ]

Genya Shinazugawa | Demon Slayer | Current Player, New Muse

[namuthing]

i. My Life Is Torn — Netbook

[Hello, Grove. If anyone is chattering in the netbooks, they will find themselves quickly interrupted by a mantra, scrawled down the page. And the next page. And the page after that. It goes on for about five minutes, the same words written out meticulously and deliberately.]

Namo Amida Butsu. Namo Amida Butsu. Namo Amida Butsu.

[Some of you might even come across the author, a hulking young man sat cross-legged in the middle of the grass, hunched over his notebook as he scrawls dutifully. His lips move along with the words he writes, oblivious to anyone that might be passing by.]

ii. My Bones, They Bleed — Carnival; cw: prompt relevant gore and food nastiness

[Despite this whole world being absolutely weird and terrifying, Genya manages to find something to do with his time. The Carnival, at least, has a few familiar sights. Sure, some of these things are a bit flashier and bright than he’s used to, but the premise of the games are the same.

And he kind of has an advantage, too.

As an absolutely massive carnie cries out for Genya to join in, he decides to indulge them.So, uh. Enjoy the sight of a kid just up and whipping out a sawed off shotgun and firing it. In many ways, he almost seems unsurprised by the gore that comes billowing out. Instead, he just sighs and turns the gun on the hulking man beside the display.

Something about how the carny’s hands come together in prayer in response, the tears streaking out beneath his mask, stops Genya short. He stares in horror for a handful of seconds, before swiftly turning away.

It’s fine! Don’t worry about it! He’s promptly distracted a few feet later by the test your strength machine. This time, he doesn’t pull out his gun right away. Instead, he gives it a shot, swinging with all his bulky might to try and ring the bell.

The resounding L OOOOOO S E RRRRR absolutely pisses him off, but maybe it’s just a fluke? He tries again, this time with a none-too-quiet scream. All of his effort goes into this single effort, single-minded rage just as it always is with him.

Only for another, even louder L OOOOOO S E RRRRR to croak out at him.]

That’s it, fucker —

[For the second time, Genya pulls out his gun and shoots another carnival game. He’s having fun here.]

iii. Your Flesh And Bone — Beneath the Carnival; CW: perceived sibling abuse, violence

[So… much… fun.

It’s definitely a joyous occasion as Genya’s own nightmare, a man with white hair, a scarred body, and eyes just as wild as Genya’s own, grabs the younger man by the collar. He’s hoisted into the air like he weighs nothing. Yet for all his vigor and fury earlier, Genya is dead quiet as he stares down at the man.]

“Pitiful. You’ll never amount to shit, you know that. Even after eating demons, you're still weak.”

[Genya doesn’t even protest as he’s hurled away, body hurtling through one building, two, four. Everything hurts, but he doesn’t care. He tries to get up, to look the approaching nightmare in the eyes - ]

Brother, please -

[Genya won’t have a chance to say anything as the monster goes on the attack again. He doesn’t even try to defend himself — looks like you might have to do that for him.]

iv. Welcome Me In — Wildcard

[You know what to do! DM me, Discord me, or send a carrier pigeon to plot something out. Or just throw something at me, I’m not your dad.]

iii.

[moonwhispers]

[ This kind of thing is why he bothered coming in the first place. Faust may only have the gist of what's going on in this place, he knows well enough that what's going on here is preying on fears and regrets. He doesn't stop to ask how, he merely dispatches the ones he finds causing issues. Much like this one is.

A bolt is drawn and fired from the shadows, the force so great that it knocks the monster off balance. Whether it's dead isn't something Faust checks right away, he just uses the opportunity it's stunned to tug the young man up and away. Clearly he doesn't intend to fight, so it's better to run. ]

Come on.

Mystery | KPop Demon Hunters | New!

[itisa]

[ I | Wake Me Up ]

[Forget, well, forgetting the window - what's really strange as Mystery wakes is the chill in the air. He can't remember how long it's been since he's felt that. There's always an odd heat to the demon realm, and when they'd popped up human-side the weather hadn't yet gotten the snap of chill yet. There's the impulse, now, to curl back up in bed, but demon or no, he's not so monstrous as to displace a sleepy little guy.

So the creature gets to lay claim over a new dominion, and Mystery has to sleepily go to breakfast. Cold. What a travesty.]

[ II | Wake Me Up Inside ]

[After seeing someone way too familiar under those masks, Mystery made it a point to avert his gaze any time one looked a little too close to wobbling askew. In a place like this, without a certain familiar presence in the back of his mind, seeing people who should, by all rights, have their own... will, personality, anything, reduced to a blank slate for the powers at be at the carnival was more than a little unsettling. One step away from one of Gwi-ma's faceless husks. No, thanks.

But what's one to do, when avoiding interacting so directly with the carnies themselves?

-squeaky- "LOOOOOOOSERRRRRRR"

Apparently, play carnival games.

...Apparently, get frustrated enough at losing a game, repeatedly, that one might even growl at it. Normal things, truly.]

[ III | Before You Go Go ]

[So the games are a bust. What about the food?

...Also a bust.

On the one hand, Mystery has collected an impressive, well, collection of snacks at his little picnic table from fae-hell, though on closer inspection, most items do have a nibble taken out of them, and the corndog is trying to skitter away. (It hasn't quite managed to escape it's plate, yet.) There's a bit of a conflicted twist to his mouth, too - he doesn't seem to want to just get rid of it, even though he probably should, but... it's food. Waste not, right? So, hapless bystander, enjoy the feeling of being Looked At, even if no eyes are visible at present.]

Hey. Want to try any of this?

[Not the ice cream, though. It seems he's decided that... texture...? is interesting enough to continue working on.]

[ IV | When It's All Over ]

[The last time Mystery had stood his ground and tried to fight had ended poorly, at best.

This time, he takes a page from Baby and Romance's books and does his best to get the hell out of dodge, only to get the distinct feeling that high-tailing it down the chute, the sounds of the performers' laughter and viscera chasing him down, might not have been the best decision. Maybe he should have tried to teleport out of the tent, instead, but when there was a clear escape right at his feet...

It's dark down here, though the area around Mystery is lit in an eerie pink glow as his patterns race over his skin, unable to remain hidden with his nerves running so high and his hands formed defensively into wicked claws. They're not alone in the dark. It's been centuries since he's been alone in the dark, and with how things have been going, he's certain there's something lying in wait to ensure any bid for freedom is hard-won.

What else is new?]

[ V | When September Ends ]

[Wildcard here for all your wildcarding needs! Want a prompt just for you? Want to do something on the event I didn't hit here? Feel free to either hit me with a starter or hit me up via dm/plurk/discord, if you'd like to scheme! <3]

ii

[love_swan]

[ Ah... well that's not an entirely uncommon sight. There are a lot of people who get frustrated at best, horrified at worst with the way these games are rigged. ]

Its alright... games like this are always kind of rigged against you. At least it didn't cost anything, right?

[ Probably the one silver lining to this horror show was that everything was free. It's not very ashamed of its intent to mock and horrify. ]

Are you new to the Grove? I don't remember seeing you.