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

[ex_prayed123]

[ show off.......... Kuroe jumps, and there's little more than a puzzled sound at first as she tries to process everything about the man next to her. She's no stranger to fantastical sights, albeit her own magic isn't anything to be impressed by. Even so, this is more like something out of the storybook. ]

I don't really have any dreams, so I don't know if I belong here...

[ Though, perhaps she had just one. Her eyes move down, fixing on the pink petals on the floor while her hands grip the fabric of her school uniform. She bites her lip... Had? Has? She's not quite certain, and it quickly grows uncomfortable to think about.

She slowly lifts her eyes as she takes in his appearance, eventually meeting his gaze. ]

Who are you? You said you were a guide...

[ It really sounds like something out of a fantasy story, but that strikes her as a bit much. It's safer to assume that he's being a touch dramatic, but even that is impressive enough. ]

[observing]

( and what if he is...!

at the comment about her dreams, caster tilts his head to the side. mostly everyone has dreams though it's hard fo others to recall them, or they sleep in a murky darkness which is also edible— he wouldn't say it's his favorite, but that sort of "dream" manages to keep him going. he could ask himself what her dreams taste like, but wouldn't it be interesting if there was no taste because what she says is true?

he takes a step forward as the flowers follow him, blooming, dying and blooming against where he stands. that must be too much for the moment, and it's with a snap of his fingers that he causes the flowers to pause, they're caught in time just like everything else, and then they disappear in an instant. )

Why would you say something so cruel! You must have dreams if you're brought here, maybe it's one you don't recall.

( the servant looks around before his gaze falls on the thousand of horses piled in a circle, a place that encourages him to go further, but that worry that snakes around the area also causes him to want to keep his distance.

it's hard being a coward. )

Oh! I'm your trusted advisor! Shall we move through this dream together?

[ex_prayed123]

[ NOT WHAT IF HE IS when will somebody humble him!!

Oh... He means that kind of dream. She had wondered if that was what they were referring to, but this place seems too kind to replace the nightmare that had overtook her dreams prior. It was a dream of reaching toward the stars over and over, but falling each time. It was a dream of unending death and despair that ended with such a sharp pain that she thought it might have been real.

Maybe it was. ]

Oh...

[ She might agree if she weren't so distracted by the flashy display. Kuroe does offer the man a slightly closer look though, folding her hands in front of her as she leans forward just slightly with a frown. Her eyes widen seconds later as she starts to process exactly what he is. She's never seen anyone who radiates magic in quite the way this person does, though that's not quite surprising - she's only met so many others, and most of them are as weak-willed as she is.

She takes a small step back, a touch intimidated to be approached like a person like this, and to call himself an advisor to a person like her... Maybe it is a dream? ]

Um, I'm not very strong, or brave like others, but if you don't mind... [ She fidgets a little. She wants to change that about herself though, however out of reach that might seem, ] If it's okay... Um, I'll do my best, so....

[ She trails off, still a bit flustered by being in the presence who could probably kill her with just the snap of their fingers, but it seems that she's trying to ask him to accompany her. ]

[observing]

( last time he was humbled he got locked in a castle... NEVER AGAIN!

their destination is in sight, whatever they're able to unearth from this uneasy feeling that wafts from the makeshift carousel, but does it truly take bravery to figure this out? last time he checked, all she needed was for her legs to move, but they've come to an impasse— caster chuckles softly, turning his attention to her now as he spares a glance to her and then the entertainment ride. )

I haven't asked much of you, have I? I'm sure it'll take time, but there's no need to be brave! Who knows what lies ahead, and once that unknown shows itself to us then you can choose how you wish to me! Ahaha! You can be weak, or nimble... hungry even! Ah, a snack wouldn't hurt, maybe after?

( he's already thinking of the future, but what he's trying to convey is that at the moment she can be anything that she wishes so as long as she goes out and learns. one cannot choose how to feel if they've yet to experience what's out there, but they do say one needs bravery to do so. no, no, sometimes it takes fear to do so— the common man sometimes forget that fire is that one true weakness, though he doubts many people have read the epic tale of sigurd. he could recount those words well, if he so choose, but there's nothing relating to a fire here and so the servant bounces on one foot to the other with a carefree attitude to match his smile. )

Yet, your best will be enough for now. This is a place you need to explore, and so doing that would work in both our favors!

( caster is a thinker, and not a fighter, and so he wouldn't do anything drastic when there's others around him who could do it instead. he won't ask her to do that though, as that will be a bridge they'll cross when they get to it. )

Curiosity first, bravery second, what do you think?

[ex_prayed123]

[ stopppp he wasn't humbled enough if he's still like this!!!

If his power weren't intimidating, then the vibrant and confident personality would be. It's infectious and easy to get swept on, yet wasted on her. It does seem to ease some of the tension, however, as her shoulders drop and her hands sink back down to her sides. ]

... Okay.

[ Her eyes flick up and down once more as she tries to think of something more to say, as that doesn't seem like quite the match for the lively string of words offered to her, but nothing comes to mind. But to hear that there's no need for her to be strong or brave allows her to breathe a little easier; it's an escape from a world in which magical girls are beacons of hope and light for humans, a reflection of their ideals and magical beings meant to protect them.

Ah, it's far more like how she would have expected magic to be, and she finds herself finally budging from where she'd stood frozen, turning her gaze to the carousel. It's just an amusement park ride, one playing cheerful music and patiently awaiting the next rider, and she's sure she'll feel silly when it turns out that her anxiety was completely unfounded and it's as mundane as the stall games that they have about. ]

Then, should we try it? Maybe it would be better for just one of us to go, in case something happens...

[ Then the other can do what's needed, whatever that might be. In terms of which of the two of them is more likely to be able to do more damage control, the answer is obvious, so - ]

I don't mind going.

[observing]

That's a plan if I ever heard of one.

( keep the servant behind to save the human if something horrible happens does sound like the smart way of going about it, but merlin doesn't mind a bit of rescuing. imagine being swept off his feet by a child that's three times half the height of himself, sure, people will laugh at him, but something can come from it. now she believes bravery is meaningless and that going at her own pace will solve all problems, maybe, but that's not how the world works.

merlin didn't lie to her though as he hops onto one foot, and onto the other forward playfully before spinning on the tip of his boot as he drops his weight down on both feet. the flowers at the base of his steps follow the same path, breathing in and out of existence as he now stands before her.

that would be a funny way of thinking of things though, if she goes, and it's a trap then she would be the one to handle it alone. as lazy as merlin makes himself out to be, and as cruel and horrible as he can be, he has to keep up an appearance of the loving, big brother of a mage without being known for how inhuman his methods are.

that's the thing, he's as inhuman as they come. )

It's pretty dangerous! ...Hm, there's only one way to settle this, I'm afraid.

( one hand is gracefully extended, the tips of his nails sharpened onto claws as his palm is exposed flat. his other balls into a fist, hitting the center as he uses his makeshift staff to lean on. )

Rock, paper, scissors!