apocalypsehowcomm | Event - Circus, Circus

Event - Circus, Circus

Circus, Circus

➥ By the Pricking of My Thumb

(cw: wax, potential compulsion and fighting)

The train pulls into the railyard at noon under a bright blue sky. The engine is a bright red with orange and yellow flames painted along the sides. The first carriage after that is pitch black with similar flames and a logo for the Fenix Down Extravaganza. It's a stylized red phoenix head in a circle of orange and yellow, the name of the circus painted across the top and bottom, mirroring the curve of the circle. A line of carriages stretch out after that, painted all different colors, but each maintaining the motif of flames down the sides and each bearing the company logo.

Excitement comes to the railyard. The circus is in town for a one-week stint before they continue their journey north. People in colorful costumes--clowns, 'fire fairies' covered in drips of candle wax, and those in animal masks--paper the town with advertisements. You might even find yourself conscripted to help with putting up the fliers and posters if you look idle. A stack of posters is placed in your hands. A $100 bill set atop seems to be your incentives to do something more than just toss them in the bin. There's a frantic energy both about the performers and the people in town. You might even find yourself strangely caught up in it. You want to help spread the word, to ensure the posters reach every part of town. Everyone else who's been conscripted, as well? You can do it better, faster. You need to be faster. You need to claim the space for your own before it's lost to someone else.

There hasn't been a circus come to Gloucester in decades, and it's the Fenix Down Extravaganza! They're renowned for their pyrotechnics and laser lights shows. Surely the enthusiasm for all that is just… catching.

The tents and booths are set up in vacant fields to the west of town, and there's one curious addition, as well. There's a railroad car that's been seemingly pulled away from the railyard somehow. No one sees it being moved, but it's out in the vacant field, and some might recognize it as the old, dilapidated thing that had been hidden in the railyard, the charred husk filled with old posters. It looms, in the field, almost seeming to smoke where it sits. It's quickly cleaned and restored over the course of the day the circus is setting up, though, and it seems to have been turned into the ticket booth for the front of the circus, complete with a new bright red paint job.

➥ Something Wicked This Way Comes

(cw: large-scale vehicular collision, industrial disaster, fire, harm to animals)

It's not a single person who can claim credit for the find, but many people all together. Hours have been poured into researching the mysterious midnight train crash that had rocked people from their beds almost a week ago. Finally, something is found. Stitched together from local newspaper clippings from around Cape Ann, a story emerges, identifying a derailment in the city of Gloucester back in 1921. More than a dozen workers had died in the railyard and there were fires beyond that in the town. The train itself had had only a few people aboard, performers for the Smoke and Mirrors Acting Troupe, along with animals used in their performances. The stories seem to be tucked away a few pages from the front of the newspapers, which are dominated by stories about skyrocketing unemployment following the Great War and the return home for the troops.

All of the stories seem to end with the same sentiment: It could have been so much worse. If the train had derailed further north in one of the more populated cities, where it had been scheduled to arrive the next morning after the crash? It could have been hundreds, maybe even thousands dead.

The information, whomever has found it, is enough. ADI calls a staff meeting. Ghostly circus train derailments just before another circus rolls into town? That's not a coincidence. Everyone who's willing is purchased a ticket for entrance to the Fenix Down Extravaganza, and every person is assigned a partner to join them. Don't lose track. There will be no kidnappings this time. ADI is determined to keep their people as safe as they can be while investigating. Maybe have a chat with your new companion(s).

Those who misbehaved during the last event's Sticky Wicket prompt and were caught with either an opened box or found to have injuries related to the artifacts inside the boxes will be assigned an additional person to their group. A mentor to keep them on the right track this time. And also to narc on them if they mess up again. Better behave, partner.

➥ Send In the Clowns

(cw: reference to cannibalism, fire, pain, mild body horror)

There's a light and excited atmosphere about the circus once a body makes it through the long queue out front. The sweet and sticky scent of fried and sugary foods permeates the air along with barbecues and the ever-present smell of ash. Fire would seem to be the main attraction for the Fenix Down Extravaganza. Fire dancers, fire jugglers, people swallowing fiery swords, and walking over beds of hot coals. There are sideshow attractions and games to see before heading into the big top. Notably, there are no animals or signs of animals at the circus save for a small contingent of goats that are set up as a petting zoo, and a sideshow with a reptile exhibit along with a 'snakeman.' Otherwise known as a performer decorated with shiny sticker scales who provides interesting 'snake facts' to anyone who happens by.

The Food
The food is typical carnival garbage. A little overpriced, but still decent and provided in excess of what people should reasonably eat in one sitting, especially for things like the cotton candy and funnel cake. There is some decent grilled food available, and those who go snooping will find that the food prep within each of the little booths is acceptable for what it all seems to be. There is one booth characters might notice that has 'long-pig' on the menu. Or does it? Check again, and it's not there. It seems to be selling hotdogs, though. Just ordinary hotdogs. Care to bite into one?

The Games
Your standard rigged carnival games: the ring toss, the ladder climb, the baseball and milk jugs. Spend more money for bigger prizes! But you're risking losing it all, as well. There are a few unique games, as well, though. One is called 'The Floor Is Lava,' and participants must make their way around a strange obstacle course that's up on balance beams. If you slip and go down, it's just grass of course. But for a moment, for a split second, you can feel the heat and agony as the lava engulfs your body. You're fine, though, of course! It's just a game, after all. Even if you might feel a bit… singed after that. Another game someone might find tucked away in an obscure corner is 'Liar, Liar,' which involves throwing beanbags at targets. Each target lights a match that helps to burn a string leading toward a cartoonish figure in polka dot boxers. The goal is to get the fire to touch the boxers before a timer runs out. When the fire hits the boxers, there's an uncomfortably realistic shriek. But it's probably fine.

The Sideshows and Exhibits
Fire is the overriding theme at the side shows with fire dancers and jugglers being the most prominent amongst the tents. Attendants for the tents all wear full (and varied) animal heads obscuring their faces; though, if someone is rude enough to rip off their masks, they'll just find disgruntled employees who would like that back now. The more notable sideshow acts include:

The Twisted Twisters - A pair of contortionists who maneuver bowls filled with flames while they shift around. They're very affable, joking with each other as they work.
Flammie the Magnificent - A magician who's open about his use of smoke and mirrors, as well as making objects appear in a burst of flame. He's a purposefully goofy magician aimed at younger kids.
Asbestos Mike - A man who juggles burning coals. His hands are… unfortunate to look at. But he doesn't seem to mind and claims to have no working nerve endings. He's extremely calm about… everything.

➥ Lost & Found

(cw: child endangerment/distressed parent with missing child, disorientation, hallucination)

And then, of course, there are the 'experiences.' They're not rides per se. Those are hard to pack up on a train, but they're exhibits to pass through with a particular theme toward interaction or ogling. There's a small wax museum with decently-crafted models of a few famous individuals. And then there's the Fun House. It's a mirror maze inside that seems to stretch on far larger than the small space it's set up in should allow. For those who make it to the center of the maze, they'll find a dark room with a single mirror in it. This, unlike the rest of the mirrors in the Fun House, isn't one that distorts your form. It's simply a standard mirror. There's also a corridor of mirror beyond it that leads to a quick escape from the Fun House for those lucky winners who make it there.

Said 'winners' will find that everything seems to be perfectly normal when they step out onto the bustling circus grounds. But is that- Ah, that's someone they wanted to talk to. Or maybe it's someone who looks suspicious. Just someone they want to follow. There is a figure and it's someone they want to follow. If they do so, they'll quickly lose said figure in the crowd, only to spot them a ways on a few moments later. Pursuing this figure will result in the winner being run around the circus grounds, never quite able to catch up. If they stop their pursuit, they will find themselves somewhere that they have not seen before. There may be a sense of disorientation as they try to get their bearings.

For those who don't enter the Fun House or come out as winners, they might notice someone--a parent--frantically looking about some other time. The parent comes up to them, asks if they've seen their child, before hurrying off to try to find an employee for help. Their little one was just there. They just came out of the Fun House and now… now they can't find their child! Employees will be only too happy to help, but non-employees might be quicker on the draw to locate the missing child. They're always found in a random place, seemingly unharmed but confused and frightened as they search for their parent, claiming they saw said parent going just over there, or over here. Still, you've reunited a family! No harm, no foul, right? Kids go wandering all the time. Parents really ought to keep a closer watch.

➥ The Ringmaster

(cw: fire, pain, immolation, screaming)

"Please be advised the following show contains flashing lights, sudden loud noises, and fire. Anyone who may have difficulty with these, please make your way to the exit. Our employees will provide refunds for anyone who may have challenges due to these effects." A full two minutes pass to allow those who need to leave time to do so. And then…

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and everyone in between, put your hands together for the one, the only, Fenix Down!" The words sound over the PA system in the tent just before roaring calliope music picks up and the man himself practically dances to the center of the ring in the main tent. Fenix is a remarkably short Caucasian man with dark hair, brown eyes, and a suit that looks like it's on fire, all orange, red, and yellow licks of color across the fabric. His bright yellow tophat features the company's phoenix logo on it, and he nearly loses the thing as he dashes around the ring, grinning like a madman and eliciting cheers from the audience as he raises his arms for them to shout.

"Are you ready, my friends, for the brightest, the grandest, the most extravagant show you have ever seen?" Thunderous cheers from the audience. "I am Fenix Down, and this is my extravaganza!"

The show plays out with two main acts with smaller ones in between. The main acts are introduced by Fenix in turn:

"Penny, the dancing flame!" is firedancer with an elaborate show involving a flaming whip and multiple other performers in horse heads acting as her 'animal companions' for the show.
"And Roderick, the man with laser hands!" is a young man in large, dark glasses who conducts a laser lights and pyrotechnics production from a DJ-style turntable as rock music plays and performers dance and tumble around the ring.

On the final night, there is a change to the performance, though. "And now, my friends, my dear friends, we have a special treat, a new main act to premier: Pyre, the burning man!" Those who are witness to this will see a young man enter the ring. He's sweating and a bit on the heavy side. He also looks… frightened. Frightened and exhilarated. He waves to the crowd as a circle of pipes is raised from a stage in the center of the ring. Pyre sets himself in the middle and lifts his hand. Liquid sprays from the pipes and for those who are close enough, they will likely recognize the scent of gasoline.

"I will be reborn and rise as the phoenix!" Pyre declares before striking a match. His whole body catches immediately in flames and there are horrified gasps and screams from the crowd. Those who might try to interfere are asked to hold on, hold on, just wait by employees. There's nothing to do for young Pyre, anyway. The flames burn rapidly until he collapses on the stage. Fenix makes the first subtle movement he has ever made for anyone who has watched his other performances. A small snap of his fingers, half-covered by one hand. The fire snuffs itself out immediately.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I know that seems frightening, but just watch," Fenix calls. "Like a phoenix, we rise!" As he says this, Pyre picks himself up. His clothes hang in a charred mess about his form, but his flesh… it seems to have knit itself back together. He is whole, and proceeds to give the audience a double-thumbs up. Relieved guests erupt in applause for this… very strange and rather harrowing final act.

After each performance for the night, the main acts and Fenix are available to take photos, sign autographs, and generally schmooze with the public for a little while. They each have a small tent so that you can have a moment of privacy with your favorite act, if you'd like. If anyone is looking for answers, particularly, these are the top of the hierarchy and might prove the most fruitful to speak to. They're also the only people in the circus that seem to have supernatural energy about them, for those who might have such senses to notice that.

➥ Mod Notes

GENERAL - Players are welcome to play NPCs for themselves when they are needed in a thread. If you need more information on general behavior for these types of NPCs, please feel free to ask! In general, the information provided in the prompt should be sufficient and you're welcome to make up any details beyond that for your specific scene. For this event, the only NPCs that should not be controlled by players for threading are: Fenix Down and the Main Acts in The Ringmaster prompt. These NPCs will be played by mods and available for interaction.
BY THE PRICKING OF MY THUMB (25-26 August) - Characters may accept fliers to put up a maximum of three times (that's $300). Not everyone will feel the compulsion to put up the fliers, but if you need incentive for your character to take action, they can do so. The fliers are ordinary adverts with dates, hours, location, and pricing for the circus. Characters can wander around some of the set-up for the circus, but they'll be shooed away if they linger too long with a request to leave for their safety. Circus personnel doing the set-up are not interested in talking. They'll ignore characters or threaten to call the police for harassment if characters persist in bothering them while they're trying to set things up. Those who attempt to mind-control the workers or otherwise compel them for information will quickly discover that these are genuinely just ordinary people who are doing all the set-up. And they would really like to do their job because they do not have enough time.
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (25-27 August) - Players are free to OOCly select their ADI-assigned partner. Those who misbehaved during the Sticky Wicket prompt (and there was evidence of that misbehavior) will find themselves saddled with a mentor, either as their partner or in addition to their partner. This mentor (if they're a PC) should be someone who DID behave in that prompt or who has not made themselves a problem for ADI up to this point. Partners are not required to stick together or with their mentors for the duration of the event. This is just an opportunity to get some new CR (or strengthen existing CR)! And maybe butt heads while you slip away from each other while investigating. Mentors will be expected to be somewhat responsible for their charges, though, if you would like to play with that dynamic.
SEND IN THE CLOWNS (26 August - 2 September) - Regular employees and sideshow acts have no particular information to provide about anything sinister going on at the circus. As far as they know, the work is grueling sometimes given the quick set-up/break-down and schedule, but they're paid very well and even have benefits! They're pretty protective of their employer, as a result, and aren't going to willingly trash-talk him or the circus beyond some standard grumbling about the extra work going into this as Gloucester wasn't originally on their tour schedule.
LOST & FOUND (26 August - 2 September) - Employees will be generally helpful in these situations, using walkie-talkies to try to find missing children. They won't be fast, though. Parents will be uniformly distressed, then grateful to anyone who might assist in locating their children. Children will be wholly unharmed, wherever they are found, but frightened, confused and disoriented. Characters who end up as 'winners' in the Fun House will need several minutes to get their bearings back after following their hallucinations. If they try to return to the Fun House, they won't seem to be able to find the center of the maze anymore, and the mirror maze will appear to be wholly ordinary and the correct size for the space it's in.
THE RINGMASTER (26 August - 2 September) - Characters who would leap in to assist Pyre will be waylaid by staff just long enough for him to stir and complete his act to show that he is, indeed, alive and seemingly fine. Those who still try to interrupt will be escorted out by security. Characters will have the chance to speak to Fenix, Penny, Roderick, and Pyre during this prompt. The first four will be available for the full week the circus is in town. Pyre will be available the final night. Characters may interrogate one NPC each. Each NPC will have different information they may be able to provide.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ funny, how it’s that easy. eight steps away from the picnic table and shiro already feels better. more relaxed, more sure of himself -- it’s silly perhaps, only in that so much of this circus is questionable and holds all the potential to go wrong at any given moment. but right here, right now, he lets himself be unconcerned, instead finding comfort in keith’s chatter.

shiro peeks at him with a corner gaze and smiles to his laugh, looking forward again with a shake of his head. ]

Not high striker. [ a beat and a crunch, his foot coming down on a half-eaten bag of popcorn. wrinkles his nose but keeps right on walking. ] Already beat it. [ naturally. there’s a ring toss game to the left, but shiro’s stride doesn’t break; the prizes aren’t that great anyway. ]

I don’t want to wind up with another banana to pawn off on some kid.

[ … after trying to harass a larping wizard into taking the banana first. shiro was, unfortunately, unsuccessful. he laughs now though, twisting around to walk backwards for a moment, facing keith as he stretches his hands out wide. what is that? three feet? four? ]

It was this big, Keith. It was terrible. [ such a negative prize; imagine that, punished for succeeding. ]

Uh-huh. Impressive banana.

[ that's quite the predicament shiro's got keith in. on the one hand, part of him wants to eyeroll that shiro's already tried his hand at the high striker game and won, but then the mental image of shiro wandering around trying to shove a four foot banana onto some random child is too funny not to laugh at. in the end, keith mostly looks amused despite himself. ]

So you don't plan on making more little kid's days by giving away more bananas?

[ bit of teasing thrown out, keith immediately undermines the commentary by pausing to look at the prizes hanging from the next carnie stand. see, ring toss is a game he'd also played with a certain larping wizard who ended up with the most horrifying bear plushie keith has ever seen, so that place is forever ruined. but the next stand? there are a bunch of prizes, but there's one in particular that holds keith's attention for a little too long.

as for the game itself, it's a shooter game. how could anything possibly go wrong? keith turns his full attention back to shiro after missing an obvious beat. ]

How about this one?

Edited 2021-09-18 07:52 (UTC)

[ oh, so he finds that amusing, huh? he’s still grinning despite suspecting that he is very much the butt of a joke here and keeps on walking backwards, hands loose at his sides and voice dry. ]

It may have made the kid’s day, but I don’t think her parents appreciated having to lug that around for her.

[ the words come slower toward the end, his own attention waning as he watches keith’s skirt to the side to eye up this next set of prizes. he turns his head and looks for himself, though, his gaze is more focused on the inflatable swords and bats. ah, fitting; seems very much like a keith game with those kind of prizes.

he looks back to keith and comes to a full stop, one shoulder lifting on a lopsided shrug. ]

Sure. Looks straightforward enough. [ and easy. which is probably misleading. still, when the carnie comes over, holding the toy rifle and requesting three tickets to play, shiro hands them over without hesitation. ]

I’ll win you something nice. [ he tosses a grinning look toward keith. ] I’m thinking a sword? [ the red one, specifically. ]

[ shiro wants to win him a prize? oh. keith flusters, giving himself a mental shake to say that he doesn't need a prize, but the tickets are already exchanged. somehow the situation only gets more embarrassing when shiro points out the red inflatable sword.

and okay, yeah. maybe it would be fun to have a sword fight with shiro -- or no. not maybe, definitely, but keith still looks away sheepishly. ]

Well I um.... [ it's as far as he gets before the carnie interrupts with an unnecessary explanation of the largely self explanatory rules. center of the target's the money shot etc etc. if shiro's still paying attention to keith, his last word is mumbled. ] Hippo.

[ keith concludes, still sheepish, so shiro can line up his shot. weird thing is though, when shiro tries doing so, the carnie smiles an overly wide smile, tone saccharine as he wishes shiro good luck. keith gives the carnie a nasty look of his own, suddenly tense about this whole thing. but nothing seems to be going wrong? no screams of pain, no fire, nothing obviously amiss.

at least from his perspective. when shiro raises the scope to his eye however, he'll find that the targets seems blurry somehow. a blink and then each target he points the rifle at now bears the exact likeness of one bespectacled ex-fiance. ]

[ sad to say, shiro doesn’t catch that mumbled hippo. the carnie is explaining and shiro is retaining, check-marking off each bit he’s already concluded himself: not a real gun, plastic pellets, two available shots, hit dead center to win a prize, gotcha. as the carnie steps aside, shiro looks once more to keith and smiles. he passes well for calm and confident as he returns his attention forward and lifts the rifle up. the stock butts with his shoulder and he cranes his neck down, lining up with the barrel and setting himself up comfortably to stare into the scope.

he squeezes his left eye closed, even though age-old instruction tells him not to. it’s easier, feels more comfortable, although it cuts off his awareness of everything outside of the scoped image. it’s more for show than anything; they’re ten, fifteen feet, maybe, from the targets and there’s no need for a scope… especially one as out of focus as this one.

annoyed with it, shiro opens his other eye and lifts his head, thinking for one brief moment that he’ll eyeball it.

no. you have to shoot with the scope.

shiro frowns, just barely keeping his perplexed why at bay. fine, whatever, part of the game. he was thinking this was too easy; maybe the hampered vision is part of the difficulty? sounds like a safety hazard honestly. nonetheless, shiro plays nice and resumes his earlier stance, this time, he stares longer and the blurriness stays… until he blinks and the white an’ red of his target of choice abruptly changes.

adam.

again, he abandons the scope and lifts his head, blinking hard at the rows of now normal-looking targets. he could’ve sworn… -- he glances over at keith, looking for some sort of indication that he’s not going crazy ( again ) but before he can even think to ask, there’s an exasperated:

scope!

shiro winces, looking chastised as he turns his head forward. ]

Right. Sorry. [ and for the third time, he gets back into shooting stance. another blink and the target changes. it looks just like him. it’s just a fucking head but it looks just like him. if he didn’t know any better, he’d think adam was standing behind the target stand, resting his chin on the top rack. he bites his lip to keep himself from mumbling adam’s name, feeling just as out of sync as he’d been ten minutes ago.

is that what this is? is he hallucinating again? what is he thinking -- of course he’s hallucinating again. that both comforts him and distresses him, and honestly, he doesn’t know what to do with any of this… but he’s stalling far too long and he needs to just push through this, like he did before. so he does. his finger trembles as he hooks it on the trigger but he thinks, all he has to do is pull and then the hallucination will be jogged free.

he does not anticipate seeing the pellet lodging itself into adam’s head. it’s like time slows; he sees the hole break through adam’s forehead with staggering awareness. and then, just like that, time speeds way up, red seeping out of the hole fast, too fast until it’s running down his face in a thickened ooze. a startled, strangled sort of sound catches in his throat and he whips his head up, only to find that there is no adam. it’s a normal target, one with a pellet stuck dead center in the innermost circle. bull’s eye. how did he…

congratulations! pick a prize, any prize!

off-kilter and entirely lost on what he just experienced, shiro’s voice comes out faint. ] What… [ he blinks hard again, part wanting to will the image back into existence out of some sick need to understand. expression wrinkled, he mechanically hands over the rifle to the carnie’s expectant hands and without glancing at keith, starts again in that disorientated voice of his. ]

What did you want?

[ initially, keith keeps his eyes on the carnie. nothing has gone wrong, but that pleased smile gets the alarm bells ringing in keith's head. not that this is a particularly difficult feat to accomplish of late, but still.something is wrong and judging from the carnie's bizarre insistence on the fucking scope, the two have to be linked, right?

yeah, okay, so keith's probably jumped a step or two in logic, but hearing the dazed quality to shiro's voice after he finally takes his shot, keith isn't remotely apologetic as he snatches the rifle back out of the carnie's hands. the carnie barely manages a hey!! as keith scowls: ]

I'm taking a look at this. [ a beat as he raises it up to look through the scope. if the barrel is aimed at the carnie's head... would you believe that's purely coincidence? ] You can fetch me that red hippo in the meantime.

[ but for all the drama, it really just looks like an ordinary (albeit very smudged and in dire need of a thorough cleaning) scope. confused, keith purses his lips. the carnie seems similarly unimpressed with this, but holds out his hand for the rifle back. keith gives shiro a look, as if waiting for some kind of order. ]

You're okay, right?

[ translation: does keith have to beat up a clown in the name of friendship? ]

Edited 2021-09-22 05:23 (UTC)

[ good ol’ predictable keith. on principle, shiro loathes the fact that keith can read him and make a snap decision on the situation in two seconds flat. however, deep down, below the stubborn voice saying he doesn’t need extra doting or care, he has to admit it’s… nice, having someone in his corner, so ready to throw down at the slightest indication of wrongdoing. touched and having no idea what to do with the feeling, shiro does what he can: nothing. he doesn’t berate keith as he yanked back the rifle and he doesn’t admonish the poor gun safety. he simply watches this unfold and pulls himself back together in the meantime, mentally telling himself once, twice, three times that none of it was real. an illusion. a trick. a bit of fear feeding to get his heart thumping.

and stomach rolling.

he swallows audibly and then breathes in deep, regaining some sense of stability by the time keith looks to shiro. it takes some effort but not nearly as much as it would have moments prior: he offers up a slight smile to ease both their nerves. ]

I’m okay.

[ he just watched the life blink out of his ex-fiancé's eyes. fake, sure, but it looked real enough and still, his galra fingers twitch, caught up on the idea of pulling that trigger. shiro is stubborn though and altogether determined to be okay, so the steadiness keeps in his voice and he sounds calm. ]

The game came with a spook. [ shiro’s not even looking directly at the carnie, but he can sense the delight the statement brings. shiro hadn’t wanted to start anything. he still doesn’t. he doesn’t want to start shaking down these clowns but the obvious pleasure the game attendant is garnering from shiro gunning down the image of a once loved one, has shiro reconsidering a simple walk away.

keith said he wanted the red hippo? seeing as the carnie has yet to grab it, shiro glances up at the plushies hanging above their heads and takes a few steps to the side. ] We’ll be taking this. [ going to his toes and stretching for the reach, he yanks the hippo free of its clip. steps back over to keith. ]

Keith, hold that up, would you? [ he nods to the rifle and when keith hefts it up, shiro encloses galra fingers around the scope. a flash of purple and tightening fingers, result in a mangled, part melted wreck of a scope. the purple fades out and then he tugs the rifle out of keith’s hands, handing over the hippo in exchange. slams the rifle down on the counter with more force than strictly necessary and then: ]

Let’s go.

[ nothing said to the carnie. no other move to discourage the continuation of that game. shiro simply turns away and tugs at his right sleeve, frowning as he starts walking. come on, keith. ]

[ whatever energy keith had for a clown shakedown fizzles with shiro taking charge of the situation. between them, shiro's usually the more measured one so if he's pissed enough to be doing property damage over a "spook" then whatever happened was probably pretty bad.

not that keith needed the additional cue to discern that much, but with shiro taking justice into his own hands, keith is far more willing to leave the carnie to salvage the scrap metal the scope has become and follow after his best friend, holding the red hippo tight in his arms.

he doesn't say anything, waiting until they're a couple of yards away from the carnie to reach up and put his hand on shiro's shoulder. ]

Hey. [ voice soft but insistent, he squeezes the joint once and lets go. ] What happened back there? [ a beat. ] Is everything really okay?

[ what he really ought to be saying here is thanks for winning the hippo for me, but somehow that seems to be missing the point completely. ]

[ and surprising to no one: shiro doesn’t want to talk about it. it’s a short-sighted kind of stubbornness on his part, he knows, because they’re working on something bigger here and if they’re collecting intel, shiro needs to be open about any experience, especially the unpleasant, possibly traumatizing ones. so even with keith letting go and doing nothing to actually stop him, shiro slows his steps until he’s standing in the midst of the pathway. thankfully it’s large enough for people to continually pass by without either of them being a nuisance.

he delays an extra beat and then exhales on a sigh, turning just enough to look at keith. ] I saw Adam again. [ clearly, he’s frustrated, but it doesn’t wholly take over his voice. if anything, he sounds tired. apologetic. this is the second time in less than a half an hour that he’s had some sort of crisis over his ex. it is, of course, not his fault, but to shiro, it feels like he has some share in it. ]

This time he was a target. [ another pause, one in which he moves to cross his arms over his chest, self-soothing by hugging them tight to himself. this next part has him offering a tight grin and a strained laugh, his dark humor coming through. ] Pulling the trigger didn’t make the hallucination go away. It made it worse.

[ and that’s as far as his compromising will go. he's talked about the bare-bones of the spook so that they are on the same page of what this circus is dabbling in but any detail of how shiro feels in the wake of all that? he’s done enough opening up about adam to last him the rest of the year. so he tacks on a hasty, yet firm: ]

But it’s fine. None of it was real. [ he doesn’t need another pep-talk. shiro likes giving them, but he certainly doesn’t like receiving them and another one will likely only sour his mood further. right now, he’s desperately trying to unsour it by forcing a smile, sheer determination to appear stronger than he feels, making him nod to the prize in keith’s grip. ] And we got you your hippo -- I’m glad you like him.

[ keith's expression falters as he glances down at the hippo. somehow the plush feels heavier than it did moments ago. nothing is worth shiro having to experience more horror, least of all for a carnival prize. keith struggles an extra beat, not quite looking shiro in the eye. of course, the conversation is clearly over before it's begun, and keith doesn't know what he ought to say. pointing out that the hippo wasn't worth it seems .... callous and ungrateful, even if true. ]

.... I do, yeah.

[ his voice as gotten quiet, grip tightening subtly around the stuffed animal. the response reeks of inadequacy, after what shiro's said about hallucinating shooting a bullet into adam's head though. keith bites his lip then breathes out. ]

Well if you aren't completely done with this place, I still owe you a prize. [ a beat, straightening up. ] But we can leave, if you'd prefer.

[ if circumstances were different, there would be something heartwarming about keith standing here in the midst of a crowd, unabashedly clutching a ridiculously red hippo plush. unfortunately, keith’s expression doesn’t match the picture-perfect fantasy of a boy delighted and charmed over a stuffed toy. keith looks -- sad. guilty, maybe? shiro tightens his arms a pinch more and stifles the urge to sigh; this isn’t what he wanted.

he’s thankful though, that keith doesn’t pursue anything about the second adam hallucination, even if what keith inevitably offers is stilted and awkward. shiro wants to leave. he doesn’t think he can handle seeing adam a third time. and worse yet, he doesn’t want keith experiencing anything even the tiniest fraction of what he just went through.

and yet, he doesn’t take keith up on the out.

this isn’t just about you, he tells himself, and he thinks, maybe, keith needs the opportunity to win him something. sounds stupid, right? because it is. and at the same time, it’s so very keith. keith, who cares and tries and stops at nothing to keep shiro safe. shiro almost laughs at the thought; maybe keith needs to issue one last fuck you to this circus by winning shiro something nice, just to smooth over all these bad experiences.

so choosing to believe this, shiro sticks it out. ]

You can win me something. [ the forced smile gentles into something far more genuine, even as hesitance continues to linger in his gaze. ] But if there’s even a hint of something off about the game, we quit and leave, okay?

[ ... is it ridiculous to feel a little better about this? probably. keith looks up and manages a half smile. ]

Sure.

[ it's a lie, of course. he has no intention of backing down from a spook, no matter how bad it is at this point, but if it puts shiro at ease keith is willing to let him think that. again, maybe this is ridiculous on keiht's part because it's over a goddamn toy, but fuck the fear feeders and this circus. ]

We'll keep looking for something you like then.

[ then with a sly grin, keith points towards the prizes hanging over an obstacle course type of set up. ]

I feel like I've seen you make that face before.

[ shiro follows the point, spots the corn, blinks hard and fuck it, the absurdity of the alleged likeness startles a laugh out of him. it doesn’t erase the last half hour of his horrid time here at the circus, true, but it helps rip him from his own wallowing. he’s grateful for that. grateful for keith; not that it shows, because in the next moment he turns back to keith and claps his hand, gently, on his head, roughly ruffling his bangs down into his face.

his voice is fond though. ]

Looks nothing like me, punk. [ and then he ditches harassing keith’s hair. he turns away and looks around the immediate area, checking the rows of stands on either side of the thoroughfare. ]

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and seeing that in the corner of your room. [ creepy, to say the least. he exaggerates a shudder, grinning. ] That’ll be a hard pass from me. Thanks.

[ neon colored ponies. inflatable guitars and plastic icecream cones. purple monkeys. ladybug bean bags. tigers, penguins, cows -- there’s so many brightly colored animal plushies tied to wired walls and hanging from suspended bars. and games, so many games. ]

So how about… [ ball and bucket toss has terrible prizes. basketball is a bust. gone fishing has similarly dismal prizes. not that it matters. he doesn’t care what keith wins him. it’s not like he actually wants a plushie to take back to the apartment, that's just silly -- ]

Oh. Heh. [ and there, two stands down and to the right, there’s a plush hanging above what looks to be balloons and throwing knives. well shit, maybe he does want a plushie. ]

Sure it does. You've both got the intense eyebrow going on.

[ keith laughs as he ducks out from underneath shiro's mullet ruffling hand and gives his head a shake to make his bangs fall back into place. there's a joke he could make also about them both being corny, but that joke is too corny to make. he straightens up, grinning and follows shiro's line of sight to the little rocket prize.

looking from the toy back to shiro, keith thrusts the red hippo into shiro's hands and starts heading over towards the game with an unspoken say no more type of swagger. the fact that this thing involves knives does a lot to boost his confidence as well, even if the nature of this fucking circus makes it likely that not all is as it seems.

completely unperturbed, he plonks down three tickets onto the counter and listens as the carnie explains the game. throw the knife, no leaning over the counter, pop a balloon, profit. keith is only kinda-sorta listening, his focus more drawn to the throwing knife he's been handed over. he tests the blade with his finger, frowning when the thing turns out to be about as sharp as a butter knife. ]

Guess my work's all cut out for me.

[ muttered to himself, then looking conspiratorially over at shiro: ]

Should just use my knife.

[ but with that said, keith sighs, tossing the knife from one hand to another to test the weight and fall of it, and sizes up the distance between the counter and the balloons. is he taking this far too fucking seriously? probably. even the carnie seems to be on the verge of saying sir.... ]

[ only keith would be this disappointed over a carnival game handing out blunt knives. it’s called safety, keith. foolishly, it has shiro hopeful that this particular game won’t come with any hidden surprises. if this carnie cares enough to keep the equipment safe for the participants, surely he won’t try to frighten keith in the process -- right?

unable to issue his own reassurance, shiro lets the thought go and hugs the hippo tighter into his side, one armed looped around it there on his left. next, his voice comes out in an amused huff. ]

That would make it too easy.

[ shiro can only assume keith takes exceptional care of that knife. it goes without saying that keith’s placed immense value on it. so keith wouldn’t even have to get a direct hit; the barest graze of that knife and it would have any of those balloons popping. smiling in his continued amusement for keith’s nitpicking, shiro watches him go through his scrutinizing and then he sidelongs his gaze to peek at the carnie. ah, okay, someone isn’t sharing in the amusement. ]

Let’s be honest -- [ and he glances back to keith. time to get this knife snob moving? ] -- it’s easy for you either way. So, let’s make it more of a challenge, shall we? [ rhetorical. he’s not asking for keith’s actual input. now let’s see: how to make it harder? keith close his eyes and throw? dangerous. keith take a spin and then throw? still dangerous.

simple challenge it is. he nods to the board of attached balloons. ] Hit the purple one, two in from the top right.

[ okay, now that gets keith to laugh. shiro's right that this probably isn't going to be a challenge, so much as it is going to require keith to throw this blunt ass knife with as much force as he can put into it, but still. ]

A lot goes into throwing knives, you know.

[ gosh. it may not be as sophisticated as flying a spacecraft, but there's still some technical skill involved in figuring out how each individual knife's going to spin in the air and at what angle it ought to be thrown!! keith is definitely not pouting, by the way. but the message is received and he huffs after another moment of squinting at the purple balloon. ]

But alright, here goes.

[ ... posturing aside, keith whips the knife as hard as he can so that if nothing else the force of the throw will pop the balloon. sure enough, the knife hits the right target which bursts with a very satisfying pop. where keith ought to be preening all victoriously though, he finds that his throat's gone extremely tight. he gasps, hands coming up to his throat and tries for another inhale -- this one even more labored than the last. ]

Oh no. [ the carnie doesn't sound remotely surprised by this. ] Must be an asthma attack.

[ keith hears the commentary and tries to get the words fuck you, i don't have asthma out, but the back of his throat burns like the tissue's been singed from soorched air. keith coughs, wheezes, as both hands slam down on the counter. he heaves, struggling for another breath and then....

just as soon as it started, the feeling subsides leaving keith to blink away tears. the carnie hasn't shut up yet, now addressing shiro. ]

best take your friend to medical.

[ keith, however, picks this moment to interject with a coughed out: ]

He's getting his fucking prize first.

[ the amusement for keith’s intense consideration and defense for the art of throwing knives stays with shiro for a good while, even when keith turns his attention to the balloon board. he lands the first shot; of course, shiro thinks and he smiles proudly, staring at the ripped purple rubber. there’s no accompanying whoop of victory on keith’s part though. the next couple of moments come on fast and regretfully, shiro flounders in them.

keith is gasping, the carnie isn’t helping, and shiro isn’t either. he stands there like a fool. ]

Keith? What’s happening? [ shiro doesn’t have the frame of mind to keep the panic out of his voice or his expression. but fuck, what a stupid thing to ask. keith can’t even talk. shiro abruptly drops the hippo on the counter and steps closer, hands raised as though to touch keith in some form of help, but how? shiro is saved from his uselessness soon enough. those last, few seconds seemingly last forever and yet, they pass in a blur. keith’s hunched over, with his hands on the counter but he’s breathing and shiro, well, shiro finds that he can breathe a little easier too.

medical? now that keith isn’t suffocating right in front of him, shiro remembers the carnie, although he doesn’t look to him. it was a spook, huh? what happened, happened once keith won, just as the worst of shiro’s last hallucination came when he pulled the trigger to win. the concerning part here though, is that while shiro merely imagined something, keith felt something.

they shouldn’t have come here. they should’ve left for headquarters. all this for a stupid -- ]

What prize would you --

[ frustrated at his own deteriorating mood and the utter unconcern in the carnie’s voice, shiro snaps: ]

Shut up, would you? [ he issues a glare at the clown as well, holds the stare for an extra beat and then looks back to keith. finally, he does something with his hands, lying one lightly on keith’s back as he leans in closer to his hunched over form. far gentler now: ]

Keith. You okay? [ he can hear the carnie moving away but shiro doesn’t care. ] I don’t understand what just happened, but if there’s anything I can do…

[ the carnie is back and suddenly, there’s a furred yellow thing shoved close to shiro’s face. ]

Here you go. [ shiro straightens up some, just to get away from the hatted duckie. thrown off, shiro starts off slow. ]

That’s not… -- what? [ guess they’re taking too long and the carnie is choosing for them. nice. ]

[ fortunately or not so fortunately for everyone involved, keith is starting to get his breathing back on track. he doesn't have any answers to offer shiro as for what the hell just happened, but he's got a pretty clear idea of who does and he isn't exactly shy about reaching across the counter to grab the carnie by the collar. ]

What the hell did you do?

[ made entirely complacent by the usual expected script of freaked out parents taking their kids to get their "asthma" checked out, the carnie is visibly shocked by the sudden threat of assault and makes a truly pitiful whimpering noise. ]

I didn't-- I didn't do nothing! Please don't hurt me!

[ somehow more disgusted by the extreme cowardice, keith gives the clown a shake. ]

Thought it'd be cool to give people a nice scare, did you?

[ whimpering turns to actual tearful blubbering. that more than anything, gets keith to stop and let go, now confused and disgusted. ]

Get me that rocket plush over there.

[ the carnie does so immediately, placing the prize on the counter with an almost theatrical bow and whimper. keith snatches it and hippo up, then turns to shiro with a nod. ]

Let's go,

[ what is shiro doing while keith is assaulting the now blubbering carnie? watching mostly. he does run some slight interference though. biting words, along with some manhandling have a way of drawing curious stares and shiro puts minimal effort into shooing away the gawking. nothing to see here, just settling a dispute, it’s fine -- he waves off the looks. yeah, looks, because no one is concerned enough to wander over and rescue the carnie from this angry shortstack.

shiro wouldn’t say he approves of keith’s methods, but he doesn’t disapprove of them either. afterall, he can’t argue against their effectiveness. truth be told, it has him reconsidering. perhaps shaking his own terrorizing carnie and reducing him to whimpers would have been more satisfying than vandalizing his equipment. ah well, missed opportunity. he scoffs quietly at his own vengeful thoughts and then brushes them aside as he watches the last bit play out, keith now turning to him with arms full of plushies.

he tries for a smile, in some hope of calming the worst of keith’s agitation, and then mimicks the nod. nothing said, not yet. he merely turns away from the booth and starts walking.

doesn’t take more than six steps before they’re in the flow of traffic again, walking along the path of people continually criss-crossing this way and that to get to games, food, shops. shiro sighs heavily when they’re about two booths away from the throwing knives. ]

I don’t know about you, but I’m just about done with this circus. [ for today, at least. quite obviously, there’s plenty to investigate here for adi; perhaps tomorrow or the next day, he’ll come back better prepared. for now though, he glances at keith as they walk and after a beat of hesitation, he reaches over to tug, light and playful-like, at the little flame at the bottom of the rocketman. ]

Sorry this little guy turned out to be such a problem.

[ keith walks away from the booth visibly tense, clutching both plushies tight to his chest. he's aware enough that his behavior was probably a little out of line, but isn't in any frame of mind to be discussing diplomacy strats. he clearly suspects that's what shiro's going to get on his case for when the silence is eventually broken, only seeming to relax when shiro doesn't even bring up the carnie. he relinquishes the rocket plush, letting shiro tug it out of his arms with that bit of prompting and manages a small smile. ]

It wasn't a problem. Just... [ a sigh. ] Felt like I couldn't breathe. [ worse than that, really. it'd felt like his airway was burning. no explanation for it other than magic from the desolation really, but it doesn't exactly feel good knowing that the fear clowns are pulling stunts like these on everyone and just getting away with it.

mostly anyway. looks like one's down a scope and another is missing his dignity.

keith never stops walking, but he briefly bumps his shoulder to shiro's back. ]

But yeah, I think I'm done for today. Thanks for the hippo.

[ if nothing else, the red guy is still pretty cute. and with that, the two leave the circus grounds and start heading back to adi with some data to report back and two new friends for their rooms. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event - Circus, Circus

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god why is this so long

this is who you are

i apologize for my shortcomings. or longcomings.

i know you're not sorry

i suppose you would know what's going on in my head, dear brainlink friend.

im yelling

i'm still laughing over you always yelling.

tsk laughing at my suffering

you say it like you don't do the same when i'm in distress

don't call me out like this

jus' keepin' it real

i disapprove

it's important for our nonexistent stalkers to know.

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