TDM 01

[ride_technicians]

↞NAVIGATION

WE DON'T

A quiet beep and a series of mechanical clicks draw you to consciousness once more, regardless of how you found yourself on the other side of dark weightlessness. You open your eyes to find yourself standing within the gates of a seemingly rundown amusement park, the forward motion of your feet suggesting you had just stepped through the turnstile directly behind you. A look backward also reveals a row of faceless, inky shadow figures, all seemingly waiting for you to move out of the way and allow them to enter after you.

Another beep, and should you choose to investigate, you will notice a small screened device embedded within the flesh of your left wrist (or elsewhere should that be impossible) The screen itself is dark with static aside from a bright red heart monitor that moves about in the top right corner. It's locked on that glitching, garbled visage, and doesn't respond to any taps or shakes of the wrist.

Floodlights click on from high above, providing a new source of lighting outside of the fiery sunset sky and revealing that this park may not have been as rundown and abandoned as it had first seemed. Off key music blares from somewhere unseen, loud enough to cause discomfort but not severe enough to rattle the teeth from your skull. Previously motionless figures suddenly begin to move, articulating and bending in uncanny ways as they wave and beckon you in towards the park. Their porcelain masks plaster on a cheerful demeanor despite the cracked and dirty state of the masks they wear. Stretched out across the promenade is a clearly handmade sign, the once-white cloth dirtied with years of dirt and grime. Even so, the words GRAND REOPENING! are a clear and stark contrast, painted in some dark liquid that oozes and drips onto the cobblestone below. Streamers and string lights drape haphazardly across the buildings and over the walkway, accompanied by several dozen sad balloons that seem to have lost the majority of their helium long ago.

In the distance looms the dark foreboding shape of a massive Ferris Wheel, standing motionless like a silent sentinel keeping watch over its dominion.

One of the masked dancing figures ripples its way towards you, shoving a pamphlet towards you with a hand that doesn't seem to possess any proper joints for the fingers to move the way they do. This close it's easier to spot that the dark void behind the eye holes seems to go on far too deep, and it isn't an illogical leap from there to come to the conclusion that perhaps there is nothing within this costume to pilot its movements. It moves and sways to the whims of unseen strings, playing the part of a puppet to another's command.

The offered pamphlet appears to be a map of the park's grounds, and whether or not you decide to take it the being soon thereafter slowly retreats back to its starting position. As it reaches its spot, the limbs of its body go slack and it slumps forward slightly, seemingly lifeless. A rippling wave of inactivity seems to roll through the other gathered figures, and one by one they all enter a state of identical deactivation. The music abruptly cuts off. The lighting from above flickers away with a loud electric hum, leaving only the light of the setting sun to guide you. Somewhere behind you, a shadowy figure slowly morphs to take on the form of the next park guest, and the whole routine will repeat itself in an endless loop the moment they gain consciousness the same way you yourself did.

Welcome to AMUZE ★ MENT AVENUE! The park is now yours to explore to your heart's content.

MAKE

The Ferris Wheel at the center of the park continues to play the part of a stone monolith, serving as a landmark to help you orient yourself as you wander the grounds. More of those masked beings seem to be everywhere you look, in various states of animation; some are sweeping the cobblestone walkways, while others seem to be in charge of concessions stands and game stalls that you pass along the way.

And on the subject of game stalls and food stands... You seem to have wandered into the area containing a surplus of both. A big aluminum sign hangs high above your head, spelling out the words PRIZE ALLEY! A central courtyard stands before you, containing a stone fountain depicting what appears to be a seal as it sprays muddy water out of the tip of its snout. The music has returned to this area, though it seems less bent on being overpowering and more content with being the soundtrack to your adventures.

Game stalls litter the area, all begging for you to give them a shot. The one closest to you in particular seems to draw the eye in a way you can't quite understand, and closer examination reveals that the goal of this one seems to be to break a stack of plates with the bucket of baseballs on the stall counter. Another masked figure stands at attention at this stall, waving at you as you approach and motioning to the row of bagged goldfish that sits along the countertop. They all seem to be in excellent condition, and should you find that you cannot resist the urge to try to win yourself a new pet, you may discover that the plates shatter to pieces regardless of the skill behind your aim.

Congratulations!

Winning your new scaled companion doesn't seem to be without its drawbacks, however, as the masked figure promptly reaches behind the counter and hefts a huge ten gallon tank up and onto the surface in front of you, thunking it down with enough force to slosh around the water inside it.

You didn't think you were going to keep that fish in a tiny little bowl, did you? Of course not. You were entirely aware of how inhumane such living conditions are, after all. Please enjoy lugging this aquarium about with you for the remainder of your stay; it's even fully cycled and equipped with an automatic filtration system, courtesy of The Entity.

DREAMZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

The sun hasn't seemed to move at all in the time you've spent here, giving you no indication of just how long you've loitered. Ancient looking animals lope about the carousel before you, and beyond that stands the tall shape of a large multicolored tent.

A sign above the open entrance flaps reads CIRQUE ILLUME, the painted-on C a glaring contrast to the rest of the letters, which are carved in wood and bolted on. The flaps of the tent itself are open, though it doesn't appear like anyone is inside. Rows of bleachers line the inside of the tent, facing and surrounding a central raised platform that seems to be the main stage area. Above your head, trapeze bars hang lifelessly, suspended by ropes and scaffoldings that don't quite seem capable of supporting any weight.

The main stage is vacant of any furnishings, and the overhead spotlights are dark and shuttered. You get the distinct feeling that you shouldn't be snooping about in here, though whether that deters you from doing just that is entirely up to your discretion.

ooc

Feel free to have your character wander about the various park attractions as you see fit! Everywhere listed on the locations page is currently available, with the only exception being the Hi-RiZe, which is undergoing maintenance for the duration of this TDM.

Comments

i.

[observing]

( the unit in their arm is quite the predicament, but it's interesting if he has anything to say about it. with a smile, he taps it with his index finger as he glances at the female who seems to be concerned with it embedded into her skin.

there's flowers blooming around merlin's feet, dying and rebirthing over and over again that gives him an idea instantly. kneeling down, he picks up about three, and then an extra one to make four so that he can braid the stems together. one by one until there's pink petals woven around that he thinks would be large enough to cover the accessory they've been gifted with. )

Here. ( he motions closer over to her, wiggling his fingers to make the bracelet float around her wrist. ) How about you try this! It might be the best remedy yet.

[beathollow]

( the movement out of the corner of her eye does catch her attention, and to be honest... it really does convince her further that this can't be real. a man who makes flowers bloom from his step? ... whatever they're a part of now, it feels like he's in the wrong genre. whatever this is, it's not for magical men like him.

and yet, he wraps a flower bracelet around her wrist, covering the machine. and she can't help but stare with something unfamiliar in her heart before she looks up at him, stunned. )

Ah... thank you. But... how did you do that?

[observing]

Just a parlor trick I learned in my hay days!

( holding up his hands, he's able to conjur up a small explosion of pink flowers out his hands. perhaps he's part of the festivities, or he's just a passerby like anyone else here. )

Flowers are beautiful, aren't they?

( with a bit of mana and time, he can make miraculous things become reality through dreams, illusions or so on. though, he shouldn't try and remedy all her worries, that would be wrong of him given the fact that he's meant to watch others. this little addition couldn't hurt, as flowers inspire hope and joy, and knowing that life can continue on with someone around is great to know. the flowers around her wrist are healthy, vibrant, and seem as if they'll last forever.

it's when his mana runs out that he'll worry, but he has an abundance for now despite how it seems to be leaking out of him with every step. )

[beathollow]

( the man conjures flowers and calls it a parlor trick... to think that something so impossible in her world is a mere party trick to him. she'd be mad at how dismissive of that sort of wonder he was if she didn't have more pressing matters. like why the heck it makes her so happy.

she stares at them for a little while, unaware that she looks... absolutely fascinated. they look like little pink stars. it pops against her black cardigan.

his question brings back memories of staring at the cherry tree in an abandoned school, and kaede's song after she'd found the carnations in the park. quietly, she nods. )

They are. ... I don't think I've seen this sort of flower before. What is it?

[observing]

People have once said they're a breed you could find along the lands of Avalon! I wonder if that's true.

( he speaks with whimsy, a speck of playfulness as he watches the bracelet now remain seated around her wrist. he finds that it'll be nice there for now until she decides to replace it with something else, and he's sure the flower will continue to thrive or wilt, but he doubts the latter. )

Or it comes from the name, Nicotiana Avalon Bright Pink, it really seems like a flower out of a fairy tale, doesn't it?

( yes, he offers a flower that could be any breed, if he so wanted, it could flip through many types, but always fall back to this specific one. if caster wanted then he could, but he doesn't push his luck seeing as though she's so speechless by the gift already. he doesn't want to seem so out of the ordinary, but making a bracelet out of flowers that bloom by his feet already meet that standard. no worries, he could simply say it comes with the location.

unfortunately for him, he is no native. )

Which begs the question, what else grows within this soil! That must be something we can figure out together.

[beathollow]

Avalon...? Like, the stories about King Arthur? I'm not entirely familiar, but... ( she looks at the flowers again and smiles a little. ) They do have that sort of air to them. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. They really do.

( she hopes the flowers don't die.

and then she realizes she wants something to stay, which... is unusual enough that it needs mentioning to begin with.

interesting, what a bit of kindness can do in a moment of fear. but maybe she'll think on that later. or maybe she'll keep the flowers for as long as she can, and press them into her notebook when they're time is up.

with a small smile, she nods. exploring sounds much better than staying here in a growing panic (dissociative edition). )

Alright.

[observing]

You've heard of it? I'm quite charmed by the tale myself.

( or he should be, but there's never been any love that's left from merlin before. none for his child, and none for the end that she was subjected to. it was a battle that was meant to come to a fold at the cost of her life. it's a fate that he couldn't escape, and one that he has to remember forever and always now; the flowers, his presence and so much more is only a reminder of the past. )

Now we should think of this one as another! Searching for a Happy End seems best.

( he would lead, and while he's able to show an exceptional skill of leadership, he decides looks to mafuyu with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. that could be because like her, feelings hardly echo through his body and mind, and yet he only goes where the wind takes him. )

Your favorite flower; I know they're giving away fish, but perhaps seeds could be in stock.

[beathollow]

I... I like apple blossoms.

( before her sense of taste left her, she loved apples. she thought the flowers were cute. she thinks she dreamed of having an apple tree, before she realized the chance of her having a house and the space for it was borderline impossible in the city.

after a moment, she flushes and looks away, because it sounds silly, finding apple seeds in a place like this, or even being able to use them. )

I don't know the legends very well. It's not... something I got to read, but adaptations show up now and then.

( but flights of fancy don't do anything for your academics. )