amuze | TDM 01

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!modposts,
!tdm

TDM 01

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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Is it alright to take a character from a post-death canonpoint?

Yes, absolutely! There are no restrictions on what point in canon a character can come from; if they died before arriving, they will remember dying and then “wake up” inside the park the same way as everyone else.

Edited (Dreamwidth ate like 90% of my response, sorry about that!) 2022-08-01 16:22 (UTC)

i. come one, come all

( the first thing that registers- other than the sinking feeling in her stomach that she can't identify- is that she isn't alone. aside from the shadowy guests and the sickening attendants, there are others here. mafuyu watches for a moment, unsure of... a lot of things, but eventually she lets herself move further into the park.

trying to leave simply doesn't work. of course not. it all feels like one of mizuki's scary stories, honestly. and her wrist... stepping aside, mafuyu tried to pry it off. but nothing works. )

... This can't be real.

ii. a pocketful of scales

( ... so. she has a fish now. witnesses may have noticed that of the contestants in the game, she was precise and perhaps stronger than she appears. but this is a full tank of water, and a goldfish.

staring at the load, mafuyu frowns a little. )

What am I supposed to do with this...? -Um, I'm sorry. ( she's not actually sure who she's talking to- ) Could you help me with something?

iii. where secrets creep

( the circus tent certainly does stand out. and after trying to find any way out and failing terribly, mafuyu has had enough. she wants to wake up and go home now. so, there she is, poking her head in. ... huh. )

How strange. It's completely empty.

iv. fun and fear

( well. there's nothing else to do but explore, it seems. so mafuyu wanders the park once the, uh. goldfish is taken care of. )

I wonder if any of these rides are even safe?

( the gondola ride's jets seem... really, really strong. kinda concerning, actually! )

v. wildcard

( there's a lot of options! shoot your shot, or message me on plurk at amity_rose! tags may be slow or clumsy at first as i am currently on mobile. )

Edited 2022-08-01 15:36 (UTC)

★ The Fool

[For all intents and purposes, this place could be considered slightly horrifying, if one is terrified of shadow figures or mask-figures or whatever other figures might appear later. Noah... doesn't really think much about it, honestly.

The funny thing is, he just came from an amusement park back in the Demon Realm. He knows that he's no longer in Magmelia, naturally, by the change in the skies and how different the atmosphere feels. It's less choked, he thinks, and there are far less dream demons around than before. He's a little sad to see the funky freaks go, but—

—but the masked people are legit, actually! Noah makes a beeline for the one that just handed him a map and then backflipped off, excitedly following it to where it soon falls dormant and stops moving.

Well. That's frustrating!]

Hey, c'mon. Show me how to do that!

[Nothing unusual here, folks, just a grown adult asking a probable puppet to show him how to do a sick backflip.]

★ The Sun

[Noah is hanging out by the goldfish-winning game. He won a goldfish something like an hour ago and went to put it somewhere safe, and now he's going to help you do the same! What a nice guy, this Noah.

He was initially shocked to have a full tank slapped down in front of him, but the part of him that always wanted a pet since he was a kid is actually thrilled with the setup. He's not sure how he's going to get it home (ha)... but that's fine! He'll figure it out. Anyway, he hangs out and casually makes a motion of "I'm not in line, go ahead" at you until such time that you win, at which point—]

Do you need help lugging that around?

[He'll be your pack mule. Your extremely-decorated, ostentatious-looking pack mule.]

★ Wheel of Fortune

[Noah gets the distinct feeling he should not be in the cirque tent, and yet he's doing it anyway. He will, in fact, be in the cirque tent. You cannot stop him.

He won't heed any warnings like "hey, we probably should go", should you choose to offer them. Instead, he can be found right at the centre of the staging area sitting on his coat with a stack of tarot cards set out before him. Idly, he riffle-shuffles them before cutting the deck, and then does it again. Again, and again, more out of habit than anything. They're pretty, nice tarot cards, navy blue and shiny with a gold leaf trim and patterns on the back.]

Wanna get your fortune read? Or I can tell you your horoscope today, if you tell me your sun sign! [...] Actually, do you know your sun, moon, and rising signs? If not, I could probably tell you.

[You might as well take him up on one of these things, right? Weird fortune-teller in a circus tent is totally par for the course here now.]

★ Wildcard

[Surprise me! Or go to wolfchan for plotting/friendship reasons]

( well. this feels like an absolutely awful idea, and mafuyu really isn't impressed but why the fuck not, she supposes. walking down the aisles, she looks around slowly before smiling a little. )

I suppose. I've never seen this sort of fortune telling before.

Welcome Back, Avacado Boy (CW: Spoilers for DRV3, Mention of head trauma)
... Huh?

[ The back of his head is still throbbing, like somethong hard had slammed into it, but he doesn't feel any sign of injury when he reaches back to feel around. There's not even a trace of blood on his hand when he pulls it away...

Doesn't explain the residual pain, not does it explain how he ended up in a creepy theme park with a beeping thing embedded in his wrist. There's no way he could have made it here from the Ultimate Academy's library, which means... ]

Am I...?

[ He's cut off by sudden flickering lights heralding the arrival of another... Shadowy... Guest?

Guess he's better off ignoring his own problems right now. He goes to check on the next person as soon as they materialize. ]

Hey... Are you alright?

It's a large, large world
[ So, he just found out why he can't just leave out the front gates, so now he's going on the dark rides to see if there are any secret exits hidden inside. A bit of a stretch, but he may as well check...

He didn't think the lights would go out halfway through the ride. ]

What the?! [ He glances about in the darkness. ] Did the ride just break down?

Carousel of Euphoria
[ Why did he sit on the one stationary bench on this ride? Why did he board this ride in the first place? Why does anything matter? Everything is fine and calm and nothing could possibly be wrong with anything...

Anyone approaching Rantaro for the next hour will find him looking even more chill than usual. Those dialated eyes and wide grin can not be good for him. He even sounds kind of out of it when he gets you with a lazy wave. ]

Hey... This place isn't so bad, isn't it...?

Cirque Illume
[ Yes, he gets the feeling he shouldn't be here, but he's also getting desperate for awnsers.

He's climbing onto the stage, determined to go backstage while no one else is watching, when he turns around to find another guest had followed him in. ]

What are you doing here? [ Oh geez. He went alone so that no one else could get caught up in any of this. ]

Wildcard
[ Got some other ideas? Hit me up at

Nyanka for plotting!]

Edited 2022-08-01 16:41 (UTC)

( the sudden darkness would make mafuyu jolt if she were anyone else, but she's barely fazed. carefully, she reaches into her pocket to turn on her phone flashlight, turning it around slowly.

the animatronics are quiet and still, eyes on the passengers. )

... I think so.

( the dolls are certainly... well, they're some kind of show, that's for sure! not sure he's too fond of them when they fall slack as a puppet with its strings cut though. in fact, it kind of gives him the creeps—the heebie-jeebies, one could say. it only gets worse on the repetition of the event as more and more guests arrive, only to be abandoned once given their pamphlet.

oh, oh! but that one there seems interesting, doesn't he? it's only a shame that the dolls are in no position to properly engage with him! ah, well, it is in poor form to leave a precious guest unattended during such a grand occasion such as this; if there's anyone who would understand such a thing, it would be himself. not to worry though—mr. mike morton is here to save the day! so as the newest arrival decides that he is not, in fact, creeped out by the greeting dolls (which he maybe should be, but okay, sure,) mike makes his way over with a broad smile on his face. )

Welcome, welcome, to AMUZE★MENT AVENUE! ( he has to sneak a quick glance to his own pamphlet there to get the name right, but the act falls into place easily. feels natural. )

I'm afraid our dear dolls don't take questions, but if you have any requests at all, the amazing Mike Morton will happily make your dreams a reality!

hello! i wanted to double check the use of powers on the tdm, are they allowed if they're not game breaking or should we water them down or is there no powers at all! c:

what kind of goldfish

comets? orandas? pearlscales? if you say bubble eyes I'm coming for your life. blackmoors? those are acceptable.

[Now, this is curious. Kokichi had noticed this girl heading for the circus tent, and being his naturally curious self (to be charitable about the character trait of 'nosy'), he'd taken interest in what she was doing....

But this is even more of a mystery.]

Well, on first look. Maybe it's just this part of it. Maybe we just haven't seen people yet. Assumptions are dangerous, you know.

[ Ka-thump.

Kokichi could only barely remember the sound of metal crashing in his mind, the short, sharp shock of pain, of fear, of...nothingness. And by the time he opened his eyes, he was somewhere else entirely. He stared at his wrist - beep, beep, beep - and then he frowned, disgruntled. What the hell?

...And then he heard that voice. That's what really got his attention.]

Rantaro...???

[He looked over, dumbfounded. Rantaro, who died? Rantaro, who he'd never truly known? That Rantaro?

He almost felt like rubbing his eyes, but there he was.]

Is this the afterlife?

( mafuyu pauses- she hadn't expected someone else to be here, but given the circus's prominence and how everyone is scrambling for answers that haven't come, it's not surprising.

even if she's got a bad feeling about this, it's a location to check. )

That's true. ... It looks like its on the verge of falling apart.

( ... she's going in. )

Most things do here. I consider it 'rustic charm'. Very home-y, if you're a clown like me.

[He's not saying that without an underscore of yeah, I don't trust it, but he's amused at the commonality.]

Were you going to check the inside? It's better if you don't go alone - could be dangerous. I'll check with you~

... I would consider this sort of tent to be clown negligence.

( i- mafuyu?? okay. but she doesn't say no and in fact offers an appreciative smile!

the oppressive feeling of "get the heck out" doesn't seem to go away. this does nothing to deter mafuyu. )

I'm not sure where to begin.

i: come one, come all! (Danganronpa V3 spoilers!)
[Kokichi's awakening had been...less than pleasant. He'd been caught between a scream and a cry as his eyes snapped open, but the sight before him almost felt mocking.

An amusement park. Probably something that Monokuma would've included as part of his execution, were he so unfortunate to have reversed the roles with Kaito. He'd loved amusement parks dearly, after all.

And now he was in the middle of a rundown one. His eyes glazed over, and he looked less than confident with his situation - even moreso when the lights flicker on, the music starts, and those...things start moving. He only barely takes the pamphlet, something inside him still screaming for information-gathering, that was how he survived, but was there even any point now?

When the little 'show' ended, and he was left to stare at the next incoming person, his expression was faraway...until he abruptly snapped into a wide grin.

The show must go on.]

Heeeeeeeeey~! Welcome to the park~!!!

[He says, spinning over to see this next person. He doesn't look out of place, and that's the point. If he acts like he belongs, he will.

That's one of the natural gambits of a liar, after all.]

ii: every man's a king and every king's a clown
[It's so much harder to read expressions of what, for all intents and purposes, seem to be shadow people. Normally, Kokichi's favorite tactic at these sort of attractions was a game of wits: find the trick to every game, see how rigged they've made it, and win when they least expect it. Repeat. Eventually they'll all get so annoyed that they'll call you a cheater on principle, and that's how you know you've truly won.

That's the game of being underhanded, and he was a natural. But this proprietor was unreadable. Much to his surprise when he tosses a ball with a medium amount of force, the plates are destroyed. He smirks...before the ten-gallon tank is slammed down in front of him.

Oh.]

Aha. Ahahaha. Yeah, okay, ya got me. Hard pass. I'll take my glory in victory as my prize, thanks.

[He's going to try to stroll away and leave that there.]

iii: it's the day the devil in us gets released
[Of course the circus tent held secrets. Why wouldn't it? And unlike some, the feeling of well, I'm not supposed to be here wasn't exactly a warning for Kokichi. More like a promise - a promise of information and intrigue. He hummed, skipping further in.]

I've got a golden ticket~ hmmhmmhmmhmm~

[He's taking this like he's entitled to that information. Typical.]

iv: scurvy knaves are extra scurvy on the sixth of januervy
[Wandering around had taken him to a few different places - some of them seemed closed, and this one, in particular...it was a boathouse. Kokichi's eyebrows arched when he read the sign.

NO SWIMMING! THERE IS ONLY DEATH

His mouth opened for a moment - closed - and then he smiled again, glancing at the person he heard approaching behind him.]

Sooooo. I think they want us to take a dip.

[This is obviously reverse psychology.]

VI: it's the day we do the things that we deplore on the other three hundred and sixty-four
[....

Kokichi ended up blankly staring at one of the rides. He didn't even have any deep thoughts on it, just that...]

Is Jim Fucking Davis one of the proprietors here????

[REST ASSURED, HE'S DELIGHTED THERE'S A GARFIELD ATTRACTION.

BUT WHY.]

vii: once again it's topsy-turvy day (wild card!)
[Anything else? Hmu at

osomatsuniisan for any other ideas. I don't have an invite, but I'd really like to be a part of this bc it vibes so well with my boy here...]

Well. There sure ain't no clowns yet apart from me, so you may be right.

[Nonetheless, hey, she seems chill with it, so he's walking in alongside her. There's that distinct feeling of you shouldn't be here but from experience, that spurs him on further. If he's looking for answers, that's exactly where to go.]

We~eeeeeelll. Lessie. Maybe a general scan of what we can see, then plunge further into what we can't.

[He looks up, and then hums.]

The scaffolding above it and the trapeze bars. Do you know what's wrong with them?

[He's figured out right away that they seem to be made of flimsy material, but he wants to see how observant his companion is.]

[Kokichi had wandered inside out of curiosity, and...oh. Mysterious man shuffling a deck, looking at tarot cards. And then he offers to read his fortune, or find his horoscope signs...]

Hm. I've never taken too much interest in horoscope signs, but this is just nebulous enough that I'm curious!

Birthday is June 21st. I thiiiiiiink I might be on a cusp.

( well. let's take a look. )

... They look frail. I don't think they could hold anyone. Poor quality, or age...?

Correct. It's shoddy materials, actually. Whoever put this together clearly had no regard for workplace safety procedures.

But I'm not sure if the things I've seen so far can even feel pain, and this is leading me to believe that either it doesn't matter, or that death essentially means nothing to them.

Or...they can't die.

It still speaks volumes to the disregard for human lives, but for nonhumans I suppose it doesn't matter.

[He's distrustful of those puppet-like things, whatever they are, most of all.]

i. a mysterious gift ❀ Park Entrance

[Shibuya doesn't have amusement parks like this, but for all she knows, this might as well be in Shinjuku. It doesn't really look like it's had its shit wrecked quite as hard as Shinjuku did, but why else would a place look so run down and gross like this? Especially during a "grand reopening". Maybe three years ago or so, with how crusty and musty this place looks, but definitely not anything recent.]

Ew.

[That's more aimed at the drippy... paint. Or at least what she hopes is paint. She's not about to find out.

There are other people standing around, though! And Coco, all of 4'11 and pink as she is, surely stands out! After all, she is the cutest little Reaper-slash-fairy princess. How can anyone resist?]

Oh, if only someone could tell a poor, innocent fairy princess where she has found herself...!

[It's about that time that one of the masked figures ambles up to her, holding out a map. To this, Coco wrinkles her nose and takes a step back.]

--not you.

ii. once upon a dream ❀ Prize Alley

[Carnival games are always rigged. That's what everyone says about them, right? But, the prospect of throwing a ball really really hard and maybe breaking some plates is too much for one little fairy princess to resist. It's good stress relief! After all, she didn't ask to be here, and it sure doesn't seem like there's any way out. Besides, she doesn't want the prize anyway, and the chances of her winning are slim to none. What's she going to do with a goldfish?

Except this game seems to be rigged in the opposite direction. She saw that! Her throw barely even grazed the plates, and they all shattered like she'd hit them square on!

And now, she finds herself holding a bagged goldfish, and staring down a giant tank full of water.]

UGH, seriously? Do you really expect me to lug this whole thing all around the frickin' place?! I can't even, like, carry this!

iii. cave of secrets ❀ E-Z Arcade

[Arcades are at least familiar! Even if this one isn't quite the same flashy and noisy spectacle that she's used to, it's flashy and noisy in its own way. And apparently, all the games are free! Can't beat that! Besides, marching back out into the fog had just led her right back here, so she needs something to clear her head.

Catch her playing something that looks a lot like Bubble Bobble. She seems to be doing pretty good, all told! But she's really focused. You aren't going to interrupt her, are you?]

iv. fairytale memories ❀ Wildcard

[Got something else you want to do? Feel free to use this prompt!]

I don't think now is the time to be picky, oujou-sama.

[Kokichi remarks, stepping forward. He's amused, at least - what a temperament. Still...]

Not that I know much more than you do. But the map helps so you're not entirely lost.

I'm totez allowed to be picky, excuse you!

[Who the heck does this guy think he is, anyway? Has he seen these things?

Ahem. Anyway--]

A map will help me find my way around, but a map isn't going to tell me where I am! A fair maiden such as myself shouldn't be left without such important information, you know!

Oh, you are. You're allowed to do a double backflip finishing with a pirouette if you want to, but it won't help you any.

[He snorts.]

Well, in a way. As for a name, fair maiden...

[He points at the gates. AMUZE ★ MENT AVENUE And beneath it, We don't make dreams. We make dreams better.]

It's pretty ominous, right? But you seem to be able to handle yourself. Even with the whole cutesy fair maiden stuff...

[Even if she lays it on thick. At least he's used to this kind of behavior ~~because he's acted that way, too~~.]

Unless you'd want company here. In which case, I'm not doing anything.

[And she hasn't bored him yet.]

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Page 1 of 17

TDM 01

QUESTIONS

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Mafuyu Asahina | Project SEKAI

Noah Ebalon (Celestia Route) | Elsword | OTA

★ Wheel of Fortune

Rantaro Amami | Danganronpa V3

It's a large, large world

★ The Fool

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iii

welcome back!

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Kokichi Oma | Danganronpa

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★ Wheel of Fortune

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Coco Atarashi | NEO: The World Ends With You

i

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