By the pricking of my thumbs...

[dark_circus]

Who: Everyone
What: A carnival arrives
When: October 26th-29th
Where: The grounds between the city and the castle
Rating: pg-13 for some dark themes and mild horror

It's the early hours of the morning when everything is still dark that it happens. Heralded by the sound of calliope music and the crunch of dirt as the wagon train crests the hill nearing the castle. Other than this, there is very little sound to be heard as they halt off of the side of the path. A chill wind cuts through the air as a man disembarks the lead wagon, gazes up at the towering walls of the castle, and then directs a silent symphony with the wave of his hand. Wagons scatter and unfold, issuing forth a stream of dark figures and fluttering tents, like great bats in the night. The whole thing takes only minutes, and then is still.

By day, it seems mostly normal. The dark tents are brightly colored in the daylight, if not faded, and the air resounds with music and smells of popcorn and cotton candy. There's plenty to do and see to a casual attendee. The midway bristles with simple fair games ring tosses to balloon popping to a strongman game. There are small attractions everywhere like jugglers and fire-eaters. Those tired of games might brave the mirror maze, though it's an unsettling place even in the day. There is a small zoo to browse. Some of the animals are ordinary - pigs, goats, ponies, and ducks, though there are odd additions such as small blue horses, long-tailed antelopes, and a spotted lion (in a cage).There is a merry-go-round, but a sign out front reads out of order. The large tent at the end of the fairway is shut during these hours, though not necessarily to more adventurous prying eyes.

But the real attraction starts long after the sun has set. Flyers will circulate to patrons advertising the sideshow. Maybe you'll be handed one by a worker, or see it blowing over the leaf-strewn ground, or maybe the owner himself will place it into your hands. Mr. Dark, a tall man in an impeccable black suit, the sleeves rolled back to reveal arms covered in colorful tattoos, prowls the grounds greeting and amazing those he meets.

It's in the dark that the wrongness lurking just out of the corner of one's eye comes out to play. Mr. Dark, stripped to the waist to show off his grotesque menagerie of creatures on his skin, gladly draws in visitors to the freakshow within the dimly lit interior of the tent. See the blind seer, her eyes sewn closed. See the conjoined twins, the bearded lady, the human skeleton. An insect-like humanoid lifts weights over here. A blank-faced bat-winged creature lurks near top of the tent. An elven-featured face, collared with an iron necklace, floats disembodied on another side, invisible hands juggling objects.

And outside, the stationary merry-go-rounds moves, a siren song playing from inside, a ghostly green glow wisping from it's edges like smoke. Why don't you come take a ride? See a show? Step into the shadows...

((NOTE: Log will be divided by days. Please specify day or night in your post header. NPC interaction is most likely during the night, but Mr. Dark is available at all hours. If you'd like interaction with him or any other npc, do no hesitate to pm any mod account or post in the ooc comm.)).

Comments

Night

[schrodingersghost]

[ It doesn't take Danny long to decide that coming to the freakshow had been a terrible idea. He was getting way too much deja vu of his time in Circus Gothika.

It seemed like everywhere he looked in the tent there was something that reminded him of that time. His gaze flicks nervously around the tent as he backed up. Which way was the exit again?
]

[fearbringer]

[Exit? It's certainly not over here, where Pitch is standing. And he's not acting like he came to see the sights, either-- he's just hanging out, paying more attention to the residents walking through than he is to the people in exhibit.

When he sees Danny, he gives a theatrical wave.]

Not really enjoying yourself?

[schrodingersghost]

[Danny jumps a little when he sees Pitch. Not really helping with his nerves here, you know.]

No. No I'm not. And I'm leaving.

[Probably to spend the rest of the night trying not to think about that jerk Freakshow.]

[fearbringer]

If you can find the exit. In a place like this, that might be purposefully difficult.

[schrodingersghost]

[Danny crosses his arms.]

Then I'll take a shortcut.

[fearbringer]

What if it's blocked?

[schrodingersghost]

Its a tent.

[fearbringer]

It's a pretty big tent.

[schrodingersghost]

And I'm a ghost. Walls aren't much of a problem.

[Except when the castle was playing games. ]

[fearbringer]

If the Castle doesn't remove that particular ability, that is. Do you worry about that?

[schrodingersghost]

But we're not in the castle right now.

[fearbringer]

Semantics. We're in a place controlled by the Castle.

[schrodingersghost]

Then I don't have any problem with blowing parts of this place up.

[dark_circus]

[A tattooed arm suddenly blocks Danny's path, disguised as an inviting gesture by the man it's attached to. A lean torso covered in a colorful menagerie from beasts to men, as if the freakshow is really all on his body instead of inside this tent. His smile is an amiable one, however, as he looks down at the boy]

Don't go so soon, boy. You'll miss the acts.

[schrodingersghost]

[Danny grins nervously and tries to figure out the best way to duck around this guy. And seriously? Tattoos? He spares a moment to hope that they weren't like Lydia's tattoos. Fighting them was a pain.]

Oddly enough I'm perfectly okay with that. I don't suppose you could point me to the exit?

[dark_circus]

[Maybe the same. Maybe different. Mr. Dark smiles, though there's something not right about it, maybe.]

Now, now. Where's that boyish curiosity?

[schrodingersghost]

It got killed by the cat. [Danny scowls distrustfully at the creepy guy. ]

[dark_circus]

No cats here, I'm afraid. [He stoops and looks Danny in the eye] What's your name?

[schrodingersghost]

I'm Danny Fenton. Who are you?

[dark_circus]

Mr. Dark. Owner of Dark's Pandemonium Traveling Sideshow. [He offers his hand]

[schrodingersghost]

[Danny eyes the guy skeptically, but ends up taking his hand. Okay, so the guy was super creepy. But just because this whole situation reminded him way too much of the mess with Freakshow and Circus Gothika was no reason to assume that this circus was evil too. Right? ]

Well, that name isn't creepy at all.

[dark_circus]

[Wrong. Dark shakes his hand, the grip maybe a little too firm, and he doesn't let go yet.]

All showbiz is smoke and shadows, Danny boy. People like a little excitement in their lives.

[schrodingersghost]

Some people could do with a little less.

[Danny tries to pull his hand back. ]

[dark_circus]

Too little and you're half-dead already.

[There's a pointed way he said that, maybe, but he does release Danny's head. When he does, there's a small card tucked into Danny's palm]

But if you're not going to stick around, do have a ride on the carousel. We just fixed it. That's for a free round...for the inconvenience.

[schrodingersghost]

[Danny tenses at the comment. Did this guy know? How? ]

...Right, I'll keep that in mind.