welcome to mayfield: day 4

[mayfield_mods]

[This carnival seems to be getting less and less maintained by the day. Your nerves aren't the only thing fallen apart: what were previously holes in the sky have expanded to cracks. What parts of the sky that haven't fallen into that strange, warping nothingness are full of brown smog-like clouds.

The carnival itself has become filthy, with trash and grease spots littered everywhere. The walls of the tents, wooden stands, and houses seem to be slightly melted, for lack of a better term. The holes of corrupted nothingness aren't confined to the sky anymore: pockets of nothing litter the carnival, shifting tears in the fabric of reality that hurt your eyes to look at.

A faint buzzing noise fills the air, making it difficult to concentrate. If you listen long enough, it starts to sound like voices. For your own sake, it's probably best not to listen to what they have to say.

You're also not alone here anymore, for those of you operating under the assumption that you ever really were. If you've been missing the friendly drones of Mayfield, fear no more, because scattered throughout the carnival are a few drone families seeing the sights, riding the rides and playing the games. Curiously, unlike the drones back home, these ones don't seem to notice you at all, acting as if you're not even there.

Also curiously: their features are warped nearly beyond recognition. Some are missing limbs or facial features; others appear to have had those features scrambled by Picasso's paintbrush, with mouths on their scalps or teeth on their fingers. Still other drones appear to be fused together at the wrist, or waist, or face. None of them seem to be any more aware of their deformity than they are of you.

...and yet, somehow, you can't shake the feeling that when you're not looking at them, they're looking at you.

New here? That's alright; your missing friends have had plenty of time to get acquainted, and they'll be happy to show you around. Just watch your step, because some of these old rides need some maintenance...]

OOC: If your character damages or affects the carnival or town in a noticeable and normally permanent way, please comment here.

Comments

TUNNEL OF LOVE

[mayfield_mods]

[The water of the Tunnel of Love has been tinted red, presumably by the same blood coating the ground near the food stand. Human voices can sometimes be heard from the tunnel- but so can growls, hisses, and the occasional shriek.

Those who linger at the edge of the tunnel will see definite signs of movement in the darkness- and not all of it is human...

Warning: Entering the Tunnel Of Love is likely to result in violent death.]

[shadow_possession]

[Dainn had, somehow, managed to drag himself inside this place. away from the sun, away from the blood he wasn't sure that he could drink without hurting himself. if the shadow had to be honested for once in his life, he was a little scared. the pain and injuries from jumping out of that house were too real for him. too solid when he could have just phased out if he was still himself.

so Dainn is here, listening to the noises and shrieks. it soothed him a little to hear those noises and the darkness was a comfort. but that was really it, wasn't it Mayfield? no true comfort. not his true home.]

[mayfield_mods]

[abruptly, the shrieks cease, and there is only one voice coming from the tunnel: a low moan, as if someone's in pain.]

[shadow_possession]

[the Immortal laughs and looks towards where he thinks he hears the sound.]

What game do you have for me now Mayfield?

[mayfield_mods]

[there is no answer, only continued groans. on continued listening, the voice is definitely a young man's.]

[shadow_possession]

[Dainn struggles to stand as well as he can, listening. he wondered if it was the same man he heard over the phone.]

It seems I'm not the only one in pain today. What is hurting you, I wonder...

[mayfield_mods]

[no answer, save for:]

...help...

Re: TUNNEL OF LOVE

[voiceofauthority]

[Hello tunnel my old friend. Jenny's come to see you once again. In fact, she's standing in front of it, just at the edge of the entrance and staring inside. She knows how stupid it would be to go in there again, but trying her best to listen shouldn't hurt.]

[technophiling]

[Estonia's just examining, too, distressed by the noises, worried by what he knows so far and what he doesn't know. This is disgustingly like Mayfield, really, and so he shouldn't be surprised. Maybe this isn't surprise anymore. Maybe this is just revulsion.

A shriek makes him cringe and look away, which is when he catches sight of someone else lingering there, and he'll give her a nod in greeting.]

I'm not sure listening is going to make us any more sane.

[voiceofauthority]

I'm already crazy. Just wanna know if there's anything they're going to tell us.

[technophiling]

Just... be careful not to go in, I guess.

[voiceofauthority]

I'm not planning on it.

Re: TUNNEL OF LOVE

[bloodsugar]

[his brother is dead.

...his brother is dead.

Abel had come here on day two, peering into the tunnel curiously... remembering what this had been in the carnival in Mayfield. a Freak Show, with signs of that woman written all over it. he hadn't entered, then; he had Cain at his back to protect, and the risk of any potential dangers had been too great to chance going in.

...he doesn't exactly have to worry about that, anymore. the town had taken his little brother away from him. again. with the increasingly terrible shape of the Carnival, it seemed that Charles' premonition might have been right--

the 'end game' here might truly be death for everyone. and if that's the case...

...

there's no reluctance or hesitation as he enters the tunnel, walking along the side parallel to dirtied, blood-stained water. he's looking for her, the one who had tampered with his brother before. the red-haired woman who'd taunted him on the phones, the one who'd dug into his brother's mind and altered it... the one who paraded her 'superiority' as if she would be untouchable forever. the likelihood of her being here is slim...

but he had seen the pictures in the Freak Show -- this place was 'hers' in some way. there are voices somewhere in here -- and not all of them are the predictably unnerving monsters. if there's any chance she's here... any chance at all...

he'll take it.

the darker it becomes, the more visible a faint red glow is from his eyes. ...you killed his brother...

he'll make whoever-- whatever-- he finds here pay grievously for that. he'd rip the entire carnival apart if he had to... you took him away. --they're all going to be taken away. he can't sit still if it kills him.]

[ukelelenogood]

[Haruko had been contemplating going into the tunnel herself when she saw Abel start to move into it. That raised a few eyebrows for her. As far as she could tell the guy was child-like and kind of a wimp and the idea that he would willingly go into the tunnel with how strange it was getting was a new one on her. Hell. She had to admit she was impressed a little bit considering her previous encounters with the priest.

She waits a moment. Truth be told she had been curious about exploring the tunnel as well but at the same time here instincts were honed well enough to realize a pretty clear death trap when she saw one. And even she, as crazy and whimsical as she could be, had a hard time willing herself to move into a clear death trap.

But at the same time...for some reason she doesn't want to let the guy go and get himself killed.

So she'll follow behind a couple minutes later. And with her speed it doesn't take her too long to catch up to Abel.]

Y'know I didn't consider you to be someone for living dangerously.

[bloodsugar]

[he knew there was someone behind him. there had been footsteps -- coming from the direction of the tunnel entrance, ones he could discern among the skitter of things in the dark. but who -- or what -- had come in after him hadn't been his concern. (they're all going to die, aren't they? every single one of those people he'd wanted so badly to protect and keep safe are all... going to die, here.)

...but that voice has his footsteps slowing to a halt.

he comes to a stand-still, back to the girl behind him for a long moment... before he tilts his head far enough to look at her over his shoulder. Haruko. he has to admit -- out of all those he might have thought he'd find, it wasn't her.

his expression isn't the one of man-child priest, the foolish idiot she liked to tease (and truthfully, he might have liked the game more than appearances would express). these are cold, hard eyes of someone else.]

Get out of here, Haruko.

[regardless the reason she came -- it can't end well for her. he doesn't want to see her end like the others...]

[ukelelenogood]

[This is a change she hadn't been expecting. It takes her momentarily off guard and it shows on her face. Within a few seconds she's hidden her surprise and reverted back to her default, small smile.

You sound like you could play hardball if it came to it Abel. But she's wondering if you can walk the walk along with it.]

What, and miss going on a romantic stroll down the tunnel of loooooove?

Uh uh. Not on your life.

[bloodsugar]

[he doesn't have the patience to calmly implore her to leave for her own good. if she wants to pursue this further, then... he's already given her warning, and she has to know by now the dangers, right?

he gives her a moment more of that considerable stare... before he's turning to resume his trek deeper into the tunnel.]

Suit yourself.

[captainofthe10th]

[ An armored being seems to be dragging himself behind Haruko, his deep voice booming out. ]

Ah, infidelity already my dear wife? I see how it is. I lose a leg and suddenly I'm useless. [ This is about as amused as Garviel ever sounds, gallows humor his only sort. He continues to crawl towards the tunnel, a huge cannon-like gun held in his right fist. ]

Re: TUNNEL OF LOVE

[suicidoll]

(This place, littered with that woman's face at first, now tainted with blood and darkness...Kreutzer wouldn't be surprised if this was all of the blood spilled in this dimension. It all had to go...all of it. Not a single place should be left standing.)

The edge of the world, is it? Waiting for someone to pull in and have them plummet for eternity? Hmph; as if the descent to madness wasn't obvious enough, you'd want everyone to literally take the plunge?! How's this for your plunge?! Bathe in the flame of the hell you've built!

(And now Kreutzer and her dolls are proceeding their attack on this place as well. She's far too pissed to worry about the consequences, so even if there's something moving in the tunnels, she's shoot at that too. She's trying to stick with the interior, but her danmaku bullets are practically covering this ride.)

[godcomplexed]

[The Doctor is back in the water. But this time he's not exploring or causing any trouble at all. Most peculiar. He's just wading in the water, occasionally splashing his hands into the water.

If one gets closer, it's easier to see why. He's covered in blood from head to toe. He doesn't appear to be injured so perhaps the blood is not his own...]

OKAY I AM HERE adsfjdl ;A;

[soveryhuman]

[ Ohhhh oh, no, Rory doesn't like this at all. Doctor's blood or not, he has exactly no intentions of letting the wading and splashing continue. ]

Doctor!

[godcomplexed]

Rory...?

[The Doctor pauses, his hands in the water as blood slowly mixes with the water as it recedes from his skin.]

[soveryhuman]

Yeah, it's me. [ Come on man, get with it. ] What are you doing in there?

[ Just gonna sort of bend down at the edge of the water. ] Come on, I'll help you out.

[godcomplexed]

Probably not the best idea.

[A weak attempt at a grin. It's more like a grimace]

Sort of messy right now.

Re: TUNNEL OF LOVE

[butterflyinfojk]

[ Despite just about every one of his inner warning bells going off, JK enters the Tunnel of Love. He knows he shouldn't, but by now he doesn't want to just sit around anymore. He wants to know what's in there. It's been at the back of his mind ever since he saw it and it finally got the better of him.

He's making his way through the tunnel very slowly, getting more and more unsure about just what the hell he's doing in there, and the various sounds in there scares him. ]