Side Story The Devil's Carnival

[Yun Lee]

(Originally hosted by @Glostechk and can be found here.)

Prologue
The Carnival's Gate

A group of lucky participants suddenly awoke to the distant sounds of joyful screams as each of them walked over to the strange colorful tent that glowed with beautiful colors. Children’s laughter rang against each of their ears as they approached. They would hear a distant faint voice that wasn't recognizable, “Come, let me show you a new paradise.” There would be no one close by them that seemed to talk; however, a young male who stood five inches above five feet was in front of them. A sinister smile greeted them.

“Hello ladies and gentlemen! I see you all are lost. Alas, you are not! You’ll be staying in this carnival of mine… What? You want to leave? Why so soon?! The night is young, and you will all be stuck with me for awhile unless something unfortunate happens to you! Welcome to the Devil’s Carnival!”

The male would make each participant stand side by side in a line in front of him. Lifting an appendage in the air, he would then bring it downward towards his side, taking a bow.

“They call me Monsieur Loyal. I am the ringmaster of this carnival – so, you must obey me. Now, I must explain how things work out in here… See, there’s a reason why this carnival is called the Devil’s Carnival…”

The male that calls himself Monsieur Loyal stood up, smiling at them. It seemed he was having an awfully fun time talking to these strangers.

“We simply have 666 rules~! If you do indeed break any of them, there will be consequences… bloody consequences…”

“Alright then, place your attention towards me again! If you did not bother reading the rules I will simply tell you one of them: no cutting in line! Please form a line right now as you all will get one free ticket. This ticket will include your free admission into the carnival.”

Every participant formed a straight line, and someone impatient decides to cut in front of you. Before you could open your mouth to say something to the stranger, Monsieur Loyal spoke, pulling the stranger by the collar of their shirt out of the line.

“How dare you break rule 62 – I just told you a few moments ago about it! You don’t deserve to even enter the carnival… Why, you deserve something more gruesome! C’mon! Let’s go. I know exactly what to do with you!”

Monsieur Loyal yelled out into the entrance of the carnival, dragging the stranger along with him, “Cordis!” A man who appeared to be taller than Monseiur Loyal approached them as his arms crossed against his chest. He didn’t seem happy when he was handed the stranger,

“You called?”

“Please take care of this scoundrel!”

“Fine, but I request for a raise on my salary. You know I don’t deal with these kinds of issues unless it involves experimenting one of them.”

“That’s exactly why I am allowing you to handle this! You may do what you want with them.”

“You will give me that raise, right? I need more scalpels in my work area, especially the rusty ones.”

“Yes, of course… Leave now before I change my mind!”

Cordis leaves with the stranger, smirking once as he noticed you staring at him.

“Alright, calm down folks! It’s not like that won’t be the last time you’ll see that person again. We find many useful individuals for our carnival.”

Suddenly, a ticket booth appears beside the line in front. A hand crept out of the caged window, handing each and every one of the participants a ticket. Monsieur Loyal took the first ticket, showing the people in the back what they were receiving.

“This is very important! If you have not heard me until now I would recommend you to acknowledge at least these tickets. This is the one free ticket that I was talking about earlier. You’ll receive tickets by participating in actives, games, and running errands! What do you use them for? Well, you all may be able to receive a reward! Is there a catch towards these tickets, you ask? Let me put it this way… There is a catch. If any of us see that you don’t have a ticket with you then that alone breaks another rule… You may be punished severely!

So, if everything is crystal clear, I will allow you all to meet and get to know each other. Once you all gather around the entrance where the ticket booth is, I shall retrieve you mutts and continue showing you everything.

Good luck! You all will need it…”

---

ATTENTION!

Participants! You all have a whole day to post prologues! Please keep them as brief as possible because I will be posting in a bit. I shall remind you all again that this tale will be fast paced, so try to keep up as much as possible. Once you all say that your character is ready please use: headed towards the entrance, waiting on Monsieur Loyal. This will tell me that I can continue. You may talk to others, also. If you’re done with your prologue and you don’t want to talk to anyone, you may go to the entrance and talk to Monsieur Loyal.

Cast
@T.O.M. as Sam (Trick R' Treat) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Crow as Tenkuuji Takeru (Kamen Rider Ghost) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Khan of the Mardu as Luso Clemens (Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2: Grimoire of the Rift) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Ver as Hisoka (HunterXHunter) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@C.T. as Bazett Fraga McRemitz (Type-Moon) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Minerva as Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca (Final Fantasy XII) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Archmage Jeremiah as Jhin (League of Legends) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@DapperDogman as Ayumu Aikawa (Is This a Zombie?) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Iggy (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Ryu Keiko as Seras Victoria (Hellsing) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@York as Cat (Stray Cat Crossing) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@OrlandoBloomers as Deadpool - aka SkullpoopL - (Marvel) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Krieg as Frisk (Undertale) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Ringmaster as Tobias (League of Legends) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Schnee Corp Lawyer as Conner Kent(Young Justice) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Atomic Knight as Dipper Pines (Gravity Falls) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Jeremi as Shirari Kuroko (A Certain Magical Index) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Kaykay as Kyousuke Hyoubu (Zettai Karen Children) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Gummi Bunnies as Aika (Animal Crossing) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Archwar as BOB (Original Character) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@IntrusivePenDesperateSword as Rumble McSkirmish (Gravity Falls) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Gwazi Magnum as Morgan Freeman(True Facts About Morgan Freeman) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@ResistingTheEnlightened as Michaelangelo "Spike" Scarlatti(Flashpoint) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@GlassTrinity as Lorde (South Park) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@Bomb as Daisuke (Chaos Rings III) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]
@MrSandman as Michael Ehrmantraut(Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad) [ Status: Alive/Tickets: 0 ]

CHAPTER ONE​

 

[Yun Lee]

Halloween was a holiday that was meant to glorify the other sides of people's lives. The one they'd like to imagine they have/would like to have. Putting on a costume lets them pretend to be something they're not. But tonight wasn't a very good Halloween and the one who oversaw it, the one who enforced it's rules wasn't happy with this turnabout, not one bit. As his button eyes continued to scan around the neighborhood, there were groups of teens with their iPhones out preferring to talk on them and walk with their friends rather than get dressed up.

Why?

There were very few people actually handing out candy. Instead, preferring to pretend that they weren't home. Samhain or Sam for short wasn't much for manners himself. But it was just the principal of the matter. Halloween ran on a very simple formula. Trick r treaters came to your door and you handed them candy. But not even bothering to open the door is just the worst thing you could do.

Why?

Why, why, why did these people not follow the rules!?

Glancing over at the group of teens he'd been keeping an eye on, Sam pushed himself up to his feet. Throwing the bag he always dragged around with him over his shoulder, he waddled off towards the teens. Stopping right in their path, Sam stared up at them.

One of the girls smiled at Sam's costume. It was usually kids these days that got into the spirit of Halloween and Sam just looked so adorable in his little pajamas and burlap sack. As the girl looked towards her boyfriend who seemed to be the leader of this group, Sam heard some muttering here and there. Something about how cute he was. Oh well, he heard plenty of that stuff over the years.

But these teens were still rule-breakers and had to be punished.

"Hehe..."

"Well, aren't you a little cutie? Isn't it a bit late to be walking around by yourself, though?"

"C'mon babe, why are we hanging around with this kid?" The boyfriend asked as the girlfriend rolled her eyes and turned her attention away from Sam, if just for a brief moment. "Look Tony, it's not like we're done walking around for the day, okay? Just give me a second and I'll-Huh?"

Tapping the girlfriend on the shoulder, Sam pulled out a chocolate bar and began unwrapping it. This girl likely thought he was going to give her a gift! Something befitting of the true nature of Halloween. But he wasn't here for fun.

Revealing the razor blade hidden in the tip of his chocolate bar, Sam swung it outwards, ripping it right across the poor girl's neck. As blood sprayed out across Sam's mask, he'd leap onto the boyfriend's chest and began stabbing over and over with his chocolate bar. This was it! Venting all of his frustrations about how terrible this Halloween had been! Nobody cared, nobody wanted to even try!
​

"HISSSSSS!!! GRRRRRR!!!" ​

The other two teens who were watching their friend's brutal and grisly deaths at the hands of a homicidal sack baby promptly hit the trail. Leaving Sam with two corpses and a lot of pent up anger. Climbing off the boyfriend's corpse, Sam stuffed them both into his bag and quickly made his way off. He had to get some time to think over what to do next. How to deal with this pandemic of people not caring about the holiday!

Making his way out of the city limits, Sam ended up in a pumpkin field. This is where he'd go and die after Halloween had ended. His head would rot away and seeds would plant themselves in the soil to resurrect Sam when next Halloween rolled around. But was it truly worth the effort if nobody wanted to put in their own? Sam wasn't quite sure but maybe this isn't where he'd find his answers.

No, it was clear that he had to go somewhere else. Sam's influence spread to wherever Halloween or anything similar to it in nature roamed. He could go wherever he felt he needed to be in order to enforce the customs. This included worlds beyond his own. Maybe the pagan spirit simply needed a little friend to help show people the error of their ways. To get him back into the mood to really show people what Halloween was all about.

Closing his eyes, Samhain focused and tried to find a world worth exploring. One that would show him a person who could represent Halloween' spirit in a manner he saw fit.

Time seemed to stop, the surroundings changed around Sam and everything went silent.

Once he finally opened his eyes, Sam would see he was no longer in a world that matched his own. But he wasn't afraid of new places. If this is where he ended up, maybe it's where he was destined to find the person who'd represent Halloween's true spirit! He just had to find them.

"Hehehe.."

"Heeehhh..."

A drawn out sigh was could be heard in the distance. The sigh of a man who was definitely nothing but bored. That was the best description one could give to Hisoka's mood right now as he stood by himself in an undetermined area nearby Sam.

Ever since he had quit the Phantom Troupe, things really had ceased to be fun. Truly, the incident in Yorknew City was almost like the end of an era. Of course, it couldn't be helped. Perhaps this was his own fault. Maybe he himself was indirectly the one who had brought about the division of the Spiders by aiding that cute Kurapika in tracking down Chrollo Lucilfer, but Hisoka couldn't help himself! After all, spice was the spice of life! Hisoka was the kind of person who did anything and everything he could to make the moment as interesting as possible, else he be afflicted by the horrible disease known as boredom. Looking back, if he had known how things would turn out, what would become of Chrollo and so on, the magician wondered if he still would have done what he did for a quick thrill.

Ah, well. What's done was done. He couldn't go back and change what had been done now, so he may as well try to find the next fun little thrill to take advantage of now.

... And speak of the devil and he shall appear.
​

Oh, hello... I spy with my little eye...​

As the jester would venture around the area where he had been standing in idle thought for God knows how long, he would come across a certain individual in the distance. Though others might describe the person as strangely dressed, no such thought really came to Hisoka's mind. After all, in all honesty, who would he be to talk if he thought that?

Under normal circumstances, Hisoka would have paid no mind at all to a simple child, but... even from afar, he could sense that this was definitely no ordinary child. That was precisely what excited Hisoka. The uncertainty about the child... The strange, mysterious power that he could sense within him. This power was truly unlike anything Hisoka had witnessed before. It couldn't even be classified as any sort of Nen, so what... was this kid? In just an instant, Sam had reminded the clown of a certain Gon Freecss in some sense, except... Heh, Hisoka dared to say that Sam was more interesting than that child. Though he predicted that Gon had far, far more potential, the strange child before him right now was more interesting because he was so mysterious. And Hisoka loved mysteries!

Approaching Sam from behind, Hisoka silently stared at the child, waiting for him to turn around and notice him like some sort of stalker, even going far enough to release a small amount of his Ren, or rather, bloodlust aura, in order to give the child quite the surprise from afar.

Glancing around, Sam frowned behind his sack mask. He had figured if he sat down and focused hard enough, someone would have shown up to help him represent Halloween's true spirit! To get people back into the spirit of it! But as the spirit was about to throw a temper tantrum he froze as he could have heard a slight giggle similar to his own off in the distance.

"..Heheh.."

That was certainly peculiar! Had someone found him? It wasn't too often that people came seeking Sam out, mainly due to the fact that very few saw his true nature. That he was more than just a little boy in a strange Halloween costume. But the physical manifestation of Halloween itself. But perhaps whoever had found him had seen through Sam's hollow facade and took note of his true power.

That in of itself was worthy of a giggle or two. Most people saw Sam as nothing more than an adorable little trick r treater or barring that, just a creepy child. Very few could see him for the threat he actually was, yet this stranger seemed to be able to do so.

As the Ren came into contact with Sam, the 'boy' couldn't help but break out into a fit of giggles. This being not only giggled like Sam did but he wasn't too shabby in terms of power either! Was this a test however? To see just how powerful Sam truly was?

"Heh.."

Reaching into the sack he'd been dragging around with him, Sam pulled out his razor bar and looked around for something to carve in. If there had been a rule breaker around, their flesh would have sufficed. But sadly Sam didn't believe that this world celebrated such holidays. Real shame that was. But he'd have to make do and play with this new friend along the way!

Hopping from one foot to the other, Sam glanced around and caught wind of a nearby tree that had been looming over him. With it's branches having grown so twisted and gnarled that they resembled a claw reaching out to grab an unsuspecting victim. Something that delighted Sam to his very core. Aware that a vocal response simply wasn't in the cards, Sam decided to respond in a different manner.

Digging into the bark of the tree, Sam tilted his head to the side upon finishing his impromptu message.
​

"HI I'M SAM "​

Snickering at what he had done, Sam quickly hid behind that same tree as he waited to just what this stranger would do next!

Oiya.

If there was one thing Hisoka and Sam would agree on if they were able to read each other's thoughts, it'd be...

How peculiar indeed.

The jester thought the same of the boy, who seemed... almost shockingly enough, unperturbed by the display of Ren. In fact, he almost seemed amused, judging from the fit of giggles the boy was breaking into! Well, well, well!

Lips curling into a tight smirk so firm that he had to cover his own mouth to stifle a laugh, Hisoka took a moment to observe the child and his response. This was delightful. Deliciously new and surprising, even! It was interesting!

Now, how would he go about this...?

Removing his hand from his face, the professional Hunter would finally begin to speak.

"Why, aren't you just adorable? Sam, hmm? Easy to remember," Hisoka chuckled, putting his hands on his hips as he'd think up his next few words, leaning forward,"You are already quite eager to be friends with me? Very well, children are adorable after all. I am Hisoka the Magician. Why don't you come out from that tree? I promise I won't bite~" He spoke playfully, as though teasing with the masked boy.

"Heh..Heh.."

Even after seeing there was more to Sam than an adorable exterior, this man seemed insistent on referring to Sam in such a manner! Well, it wasn't as if the pagan spirit was going to disagree with him. Most people who saw Sam came to the same conclusion if they weren't creeped out by his costume in general. But at the mention of being friends, Sam poked his head out from behind the tree and nodded it up and down vigorously.

If this man turned out to be the kind of person Sam was looking for then Sam wanted to be in his good graces! Who knew what kind of fun the two of them could get up to!

Eventually stepping out from behind the tree, Sam giggled as he glanced up at Hisoka, now staring the hunter face to face.

"Hi...Hehehehe!"

Maintaining his formation of being bent forward, hands on his hips, the clown could only chuckle. He really couldn't get enough of how... interesting this child was! He felt giddy, tingly... he felt good. Better than he ever did. This couldn't have happened to him at a better time. If Chrollo Lucilfer wasn't going to satisfy him... then what, pray tell, did this child have to offer then?

He had to find out for sure.

But perhaps that would come soon. After all, Hisoka was a shy boy, but even he knew that it was in poor taste to attack one's own friends. Yes... Friends.

And friends knew each other well, so that was what he'd have to talk about next.

"Tell me, Sam... Where might you come from? You certainly aren't like many other people I've seen before... Are you even from around here, I wonder? And where are your parents for that matter, hmm?" He asked. The question was general enough that it could be interpreted many ways, as was deliberately plotted by Hisoka himself.

"...Hmmmm."

That was a curious question now wasn't it? How would he go about answering that? Sam chose not to talk simply because getting pulled along in conversations simply wasn't a fun thing to do! Not when you had more important matters to attend to like overseeing Halloween and punishing rulebreakers.

Besides, not many people wanted to talk to the creepy looking child in the pajamas and the burlap sack mask, anyhow.

Tapping his chin in thought, Sam thrust his pointer finger up in the sky suddenly! He didn't wish to vocally explain himself to his new friend then there were other ways of doing it. Keeping his finger held upwards, the tree branches began to rattle and shake almost as if a fierce wind was manipulating them. When in actuality Sam was using one of his many powers to forcefully bring the branches down to ground level.

Thrusting the branches towards another nearby tree, the branches acted like a separate gnarled hand that Sam controlled as it began to carve chunks into the other tree.

["I'm not from this world, no. I came looking for someone like you! I'm happy I found you. As for not being like other people, well...I don't think you've known people as old as me. I've existed for a long time! A thousand years I think.]

Stopping the branches from 'writing' any further, Sam reached up to undo the rope that held the burlap sack to his head. He normally kept the mask on to help the illusion that he was nothing more than an innocent trick r treater but Hisoka could tell there was something more to him so why keep it a secret? Pulling the mask off, Sam dropped it to the side as he smiled up at the clown.

Without so much as even a gesture to indicate his control, the branches began to move again. This time carving out a new spot on the tree to write out Sam's thoughts/answer to Hisoka's question.

["I don't have parents either. Unless you count the witches who came up with Samhain all those years ago. But they're all long gone. I'm all that remains and I watch over a holiday I think you'd enjoy, my new friend! ]

"Mmmhhmhmmhm."

Making a strange sound that could only be described as a combination of unsettling giggling and inquisitive grunting, Hisoka's smile would only grow wider as his expectations would be fulfilled, seeing the child who called himself Sam seemingly display the power that he held, using idle tree branches to "write" words. How novel! As noted before, Hisoka couldn't get heads or tails on what sort of Nen that Sam practiced, as whatever aura Hisoka was able to feel from the boy was... different. Far darker and more sinister than even himself. It was... exciting. Really exciting.

And of course, there was what the boy himself had actually said. Something quite fascinating, really. Not from this world, eh? Yes, perhaps that would explain much. Hisoka nodded as he read it. While some might say that he accepted that thought far too quickly... Well, after all that Hisoka had seen so far, it would be strange, even for his standards, to be skeptical. After all, who was to say even Nen wasn't capable of that power either? And then there was the claim that this Sam was over a thousand years old?! Yes, yes, how quaint! Novel and quaint indeed!

​

It almost feels like this is the first day of the rest of my life. And I thought I couldn't get any more excited than I did during Heavens Arena...!​

Hardly reacting when Sam would reveal his face, Hisoka would raise an eyebrow, wondering what the child - implying child was even an appropriate thing to call him in spite of his claims - was referring to. A holiday celebrated in Sam's world, but not Hisoka's, hmm?

"I see... I see. And pray tell, what sort of holiday is it? And might it not be possible to... incorporate that day here? I may be fond of you, dear Sam, but I'm also quite fond of this world that I live in as well. I'm more sentimental than I look, believe me."

=====

After spending some time going through the history of Halloween with Hisoka, Sam realized he would soon have to depart. For Halloween was surely coming to a close back in his own world and he couldn't be mucking around while that happened! Tying his mask back on, Sam gave a wave to his new friend and made his way off. Hisoka seemed like the perfect being to understand and get into the spirit of Halloween! He'd also punish any rulebreakers..

But Sam wouldn't be returning home this night, in fact as soon as he left Hisoka's world, everything would have gone black for the little pagan spirit. As he awoke, he was greeted with the rantings and ravings of some kind of carnival! Oooh, that sounded like an absolute delight! He could run around and be as mischievous as he wanted!

But what about the others who would be accompanying Sam on this little trip? The diminutive spirit standing at around four feet glanced around with his lolipop in hand.

"Heheheeheheh..."​

 

[Yun Lee]

-Aika Prologue-
"Birthday Party"

"Oh, I believe your mother has a great surprise for you, Aika dear."

Aika blinked at the sound of her father's voice, looking up from her platter... her slice of rich chocolate cake half-eaten. Her parents were seated on the opposite sides of the dining table, while she, the birthday girl, sat at the center seat. Her father gave a nod to signal her mother to unravel the surprise, and out comes a beautifully wrapped present, a golden wrap with a bright red ribbon.

"Really mom! You got me a present!"

The little girl couldn't help but exclaim, almost standing up on her own seat, and then extended her arms towards the present.

"Can I open it now? Please!!"

Her mother couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's antics, placing the present onto Aika's awaiting hands.

"Go ahead, my birthday girl. Open that present up."

Almost with gleaming eyes, Aika went to work on opening the present up, untying the ribbon and pulling the wrap away. By doing so, she stopped to see what was inside: a doll that wore a cute red attire, almost similar to her own clothing.

"My ... My own doll. My own Dolly! All of my friends have their own Dollys, and now I have one too! I love my new Dolly, mommy, I really really do!"

Aika was overjoyed to the point where she had tears of joy, hugging her new doll in her arms. Her parents were also happy that they topped off her birthday with a wonderful gift.

"It's not some doll from the store either, Aika. I made Dolly myself, just for you, my sweet little girl. You're special to me, and so, you have a special doll for yourself."

"Really? You're the best, mommy! I love you both, mommy and daddy!"

"Your father and I love you too."

Aika's mother snuck a little kiss on the forehead for her daughter, but then paused to see that her father was getting up from the table, grabbing a bottle from the fridge.

"Well, hope you had a great birthday, Aika. I need to get going to work... graveyard shifts are rough for your dad. Your mother will get you tucked into bed..."

With that said, her father stepped out of the house, but Aika didn't exactly understand why her mother looked rather... displeased as her father left for work as he put it. She could've sworn that her mother mumbled something under her breathe about "some working alcoholic."

"Come this way, Aika. It's bedtime for you."

So Aika followed her mother up the stairs, stepping into her room with her Dolly, and letting her mother tuck her and her Dolly into bed. Once her mother left the room, Aika sprung up in her bed, taking out a flashlight and reading her notebook along with her Dolly.

"If mommy and daddy would let me, Dolly, we both can go along with them to a nearby carnival. I always wanted to go to one, because all sorts of things could occur there. Things that make you go "oooooo" and "aaaaaa." It sounds really fun... and that's why mommy said she would save up money for carnival tickets for us, Dolly. In the mean time, we can do tons and tons together, because mommy said you're special! Like... um, we can doodle, we can do tea parties with my other toys, we can explore the park and neighborhood, we can do lots of things."

Turning through her notebook, Aika stopped at the drawing of a circus carnival... not because she had the thoughts of going to one again... but she coincidentally fell asleep on that page, her Dolly in her hands as the flashlight rested beside them.

---

"H-Huh?"

Awaking from her sudden slumber, thinking that she would awake in her comfy bed, but yet Aika was not at her familiar home. Almost like a dream, she found herself in some place unfamiliar... without her mother and father around. It felt all surreal... that she was here in a place without her parents to guide her... it scared her almost.

"Where... where... where am I? ... and how did I... ?"

Wiping her eyes a bit to wake herself up, Aika sat on the ground, holding her Dolly very close to her chest. Even if she always wanted to go to a place that were to be from her dreams, it was just.. too sudden for her.

"M... M-Mommy? Are you there? Mommy?"​

 

[Yun Lee]

Prologue ~Gifts~

"Huh? Where am I?" Daisuke found himself in front of this "Devil's Carnival" after being teleported here by a malfunction in Theia's teleporter.

After listening to his explanation, Daisuke wondered... did everyone else here get here by the same method?

Anyways after receiving his ticket and listening to the explanation, he wondered... would it be something he wanted for a long time? He looked around at the people besides him, and then went over to Loyal to ask him a question.

"Excuse me... err... Loyal was it? What exactly are the rewards of this Devil's Carnival?"​

 

[Yun Lee]

- - -|| IGGY PROLOGUE || - - -
『All Dogs Go to Heaven』

You know, it really is hard work to have friends. Friends that count on you, that depend on you, and seek help from you whenever they run into trouble. Some folks just aren't cut out for that kind of responsibility, I mean, what are you gonna do when you need to help a friend out and your too busy trying to get some naptime in before lunch? What are you gonna do when your friends need you to help them kill some asshat with goofy blond hair and a star tattoo on his back? What are you gonna do when your friends are gone but you have to kill some homicidal bird-brain with spooky ice powers?

See, you don't realize it yet, but having true friends is like a job that you don't get payed for. That is what Iggy thought, as he enjoyed his least favorite past time besides hanging out with Polnareff.

Getting punched in the fucking mouth.

"YOU MADE ME ATTACK LORD DIO!"

Iggy could not even retaliate with The Fool, as the crazed vampire was already digging a cold fist into his canine jaw. A sickening crack sounded from the dog as he felt the joints on his neck and jaw crack and strain, blood pooling within his mouth and the feeling of immense pressure and heat quickly becoming immense pain and weakness. The small dog soared through the air like a torpedo, spinning about wildly and sending a stream of blood spilling on the ground. Iggy quickly impacted against the concrete wall, feeling his entire back muscles rip and tear apart as his spine cracks under the pressure. Sliding to the ground, completely weak from a single punch, his mind could not comprehend the incoming onslaught from Vanilla Ice.

Polnareff was just a few feet away, weakened by his wounded leg. He was already preparing an attack with Silver Chariot, but Vanilla Ice payed little mind to him; his eyes were trained on the dog. The vampire lept forward with grace, slowly treading towards Iggy with the eyes of a fanatical cultist.

"Of all things, even if it was a fake Lord Dio made of sand..."

"HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME STRIKE HIM?!"

Iggy shifted his eyes upward, getting a full view of Vanilla Ice, who raised his right leg backwards..

"I'LL KICK YOU TO DEATH, YOU BASTARD!"

*WHAM*

Iggy let out a pained whine as he felt his ribs shatter from one kick, his gut rupturing backwards from the sheer force of the vampires enhanced kick. A punch and a kick was enough to leave Iggy completely incapacitated, blood spewing from his broken mouth. The internal bleeding alone spelled the death for the dog.

Vanilla Ice was not done yet, however.

*WHAM*

Iggy's sight began to grow blurry as he felt another kick to his chest, screaming in immense pain

"LEARN YOUR LESSON! HOWS THAT!?"

*WHAM*

"HOWS THIS!?"

*WHAM*

The pain just wont stop, all he can do is stare helplessly at his attacker.

But, as Iggy stared...

He smirked at Vanilla Ice.

<"Try again.">

*WHAM*

"LEARN YOUR LESSON!"

*WHAM*

The kicking continued for what felt like forever, chunks of Iggy's willpower and life floating away as Vanilla Ice mercilessly slaughtered the canine crusader. There wasn't enough sand to try and surprise Vanilla Ice with The Fool, Iggy's soul was already beginning to see its way out as his life was teared from his body. The dog would begin to fade in and out of consciousness, even as Vanilla Ice ceased his kicking all of a sudden.

Noises began to fill the black void.

The voice of Polnareff, the voice of Vanilla Ice, the sounds of combat.

When Iggy regained some form of consciousness, even for a brief moment, he stared at the scene before him. Polnareff sat in the center of the destroyed mansion room, a purple haze beginning to quickly approach him from behind. Staring up at the dog, the broken man smiled. He raised his fingers, giving one final salute to his ally; his fellow crusader.

"So long, Iggy."

Iggy watched as the haze began to surround Polnareff....

<"No, you aren't doing that, you bastard.">was the final thought of Iggy, the empty hollow of The Fool suddenly being released from the body of its user.

Everything would fall to black, as the dogs eyes glazed over, his eyelids closing shut and his soul finally departing.

Forever.​

 

[Yun Lee]

Luso

They're going to experiment on the guy? Luso rubbed the back of his head nervously, suddenly feeling as if coming to the carnival had been a bad idea. Even losing the ticket they gave you could get you in trouble, or cutting in line? Then again, perhaps they were only trying to scare them into behaving while exploring... Maybe my aunt had the right idea about this place.

The high school student sighed as he looked around the line. He hadn't spotted any of the school uniforms that seemed like identical clones of his own, meaning none of his friends had arrived yet. Meaning that they're probably not coming either, damn... For a few moments, he withered in dismay as he waited in the line and received his ticket. Why did he always have to be the brave one on his own?

...Huh?

His ears picked up the sounds of tiny whimpers from nearby, and his eyes noticed the girl who had suddenly appeared in a bundle on the ground. What's a kid doing by herself? This wasn't turning out to be some ordinary kids' show. For some reason, the air felt heavier than normal at the carnival. Something was wrong here, and that man being pulled away "to be experimented on" was the warning he needed to know it.

Stepping out of the line with his ticket in hand, Luso approached Aika, his brow furrowed in concern, "Hey, you alright? Did you get separated from your parents?" The thought caused his lips to briefly twitch into a frown before he recovered and offered a hand to her, "Come on, lets find them so that you're not left alone."​

 

[Yun Lee]

"U-Um..."

Aika would see Luso approach him, and felt quite... uncomfortable by this. Almost like she felt shy to talk, she held up her own Dolly and began to move it around as if it were talking, also giving the Dolly a distinct voice rather than her own.

~"Aika's mommy and daddy are not around, and Aika just fell asleep before finding herself here... she wants to think that this is all a weird dream."~

After that, Aika held her Dolly down, not exactly trusting Luso just yet...

"That's what Dolly says... also... er, I don't think mommy would be happy with me... talking to strangers..."​

 

[Yun Lee]

[Prologue: Con Man on the Run]

They say you can't cheat an honest man. This is broadly true. Honest men tend to take it out of proportion when they find out how you robbed them, calling the local watch which in places like Piltover was a particularly hazardous occupation. It was far, far more easier to cheat a dishonest man. For one thing, there was a lot more of them. Which was why, he always carried on his person one diamond ring, worth a hundred gold and ten glass worth only ten copper each, as well as a two headed coin, a deck specifically made for made games, loaded dice and regular(to switch out as he pleased) and a set of lockpicks. For the River Gypsy once known as Tobias, now Twisted Fate? Such a thing had become to him what the hammer is for the carpenter or the guitar for the rock star- They were his tools of the trade and business was booming.

Picture if you will, a pawn shop. An obviously down-on-his-luck and rejected man stumbles through the door and offers a diamond ring worth a hundred. He asks if he might get seventy five gold for it, as though his life depended on it. In his eyes shine that finest of raw emotions, as he entrusts his well-being to the mercy of the owner to not kick him to the curb. The shop owner sighs and shakes his head, saying he could only pay for fifty. Its less then what the man wants, but its better then nothing. He agrees and the money and ring are exchanged- The owner getting the one hundred ring for fifty, and the man walking away having switched the hundred dollar ring for the ten copper glass substitute.

Rinse and repeat.

Of course, this comes with a very important lesson as well.

Never get caught in Noxus.

These people ain't got no sense of humor.

Twisted Fate dove for the floor as the machete blurred past his head as the roar of the crowd filled his ears, giving him a headache as he reached for his fallen hat. Cramming it back on his head, he glared out at Smiles McGee playing up to the crowd.

Draven. Or Draaaaaaaaaveeeeeen if you believed his words. Thank some things for small favors at least, if it was the other guy? Fate knew he'd be in pieces at this point- But such small fry executions weren't worthy of the Hand of Noxus. No, when it came to brutal kill games? They brought out this a- Crap. He took off running as he saw Draven grab his weapons, spinning them in hand as he laughed and approached in his direction.

"ITS DRAVENS TIME TO SHINE!"

"Does Draven always talk of himself in the third person?"

Twisted Fate replied deadpan. Was it worth his life to listen to this twaddle?

To Draven, this was his great game. His home territory- Here, he was master, house and god and nothing happened without his say-so. The only buy-in was bad luck, the only folding was the Kindred.

But Fate had other plans- Wolf and Lamb could wait just a little bit longer as he used his fingernails(with a degree of sorrow for the stitching) to undo a part in his sleeve, where he kept a spare card or two, ever since Bilgewater.

And in full view of the audience, Draven and everyone else? The last they'd see was Twisted Fate's mocking grin as he called upon his magic and simply- Vanished.

That was another staple where Fate was concerned.

If you only played the cards dealt to you by life?

You were doing it wrong.

--------------------------------------

Where he appeared, he had no idea- Only that he wanted to be far away. A hitch-hiking spree with some people going the opposite direction and Fate, found himself dropped off before this....Circus. With a curiously morbid theme.

.....Oh well. He flicked a glance over at the lot and marveled inwardly at two things. One of which was the various types of people -Was almost like home.

The second was the beauty of some of the women and slipping his ticket in his hidden breast pocket(on the inside of his jacket), he flicked a card around and around his hand before noticing something else.

Kids. Too many of em. He frowned inwardly and without preamble, headed over to Dipper as he crossed his arms and drawled.

"Little young to be here, aintcha?"​

 

[Yun Lee]

Ayamu Aikawa, the Fantastic Magiclad Zombie!

"I'M NOT LETTING YOU MAKE HER KILL YOU!" fists blurred between the two zombies, the King Of the Night, and Ayumu, trading blows that would shatter concrete, and kill a normal human instantly "SHE'S HAD TO KILL TOO MANY OF HER FRIENDS ALREADY!" he raised a fist and struck out with an impressive 800% power, sending the zombie hurtling out through a window, causing them to end up battling in the street below

"You don't understand, immortality is a curse, not a blessing!" the evil zombie replied, his own fists burning with speed, steam rising from his hands as black mist began to flow from him "I tire of your interference, leave me!"
As the blackness around him intensified, he felt his sense of self fading away, as if his own spirit was being worn away

He opened his eyes, sitting up and gasping, as if he'd been having a bad dream, before realising he'd woken up in some kind of carnival, with a loudmouthed ringmaster. Great, just what he needed
"I won't even question this...I've had stranger happen already"

Taking in the view, the young zombie gave a small sigh "Why am I always waking up in these strange places?" he rubs his head lightly and joins the line as he is asked to, looking around at the others warily. He hadn't the faintest idea of what had happened back in his own world before he got here. Had he died and gone to hell?
That didn't seem likely, him dying was nigh impossible, after all. "I'm not sure why I'm here, but I know one thing. This place gives me the major creeps" he murmurs under his breath

He took the ticket and looked it over briefly, flipping it side to side in his hand slowly, that is when he noticed Mystletainn at his side, stabbed into the ground

"Wh-What are you doing here?" he murmurs as he places a hand on the handle of the chainsaw, it revved gently in his hand and he chuckled "Really? You felt like tagging along?"
"I suppose I need all the help I can get" his eyes narrowed slightly and he sighed "This means I'm gonna have to put that damn frilly dress back on, doesn't it?" the chainsaw revved once more, louder this time and the young zombie let out a long sigh "Fine, if it comes to it, I'll wear the dress"

Deep down, Ayumu had died a little. Once more he'd have to wear the pink frilly dress​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Oooh..."

The almost infant-like cooing alerted Iggy's senses to the newcomer that was approaching him. All four feet of the pagan spirit wrapped up in pajamas and a burlap sack. With a blood soaked lolipop in hand with half of it bitten off to help making stabbing rulebreakers all the easier and because he was kind of hungry. But this doggy caught Sam's interest. Animals were never the fondest of God's creatures in how they treated the physical manifestation of Halloween.Werewolves obeyed him without question, knowing where Sam resided on the foodchain.

But dogs always had to make such nuisances of themselves. They could tell there was more to Sam than just a creepy little boy. Almost as if they could sense it. This usually didn't end well for the dog in most cases. But this dog hadn't broken any rules or attempted to harm him, so Sam would cut it a break.

"Heheheh.." Sam giggled as he reached out a hand to affectionately pet Iggy's forehead.

Such a cute doggy...​

 

[Yun Lee]

Prologue - A cold shower

It had been a long day at the Judgement office as Kuroko Shirai opened up the door to her dorm room. "Sissy I'm hoooome~!" No exacerbated sigh followed by a hello.

"Sissy?" Closing the door Kuroko would take a look around. No Mikoto in sight. Not that this was an uncommon occurrence, but there had been no rumors circulating about shady dealings nor anything else of interest.

As Kuroko laid down her bag her ears would perk up. Was that the shower she was hearing. Oh boy she was practically salivating right now. Quietly the door would slide open as Kuroko sneaked in.

The shower running and with steam coming up from behind the curtain Kuroko would with a leap rip them apart to see her ever beloved sissy in all her glory. "Surprise si-! Whaaaaa?!"

To her surprise there was no one behind the shower curtain! If that was the case how long had the shower been running? Before Kuroko would figure out any more of this she'd feel a surprise tiredness coming over her. "Ugh what is thiiii-" She stumble trying to get out of the bathroom before falling to the floor with a thud fast asleep her last thoughts going to Sissy.

How long she slept she couldn't say but as she awoke Kuroko would find herself some place new and unfamiliar. Others were here too no doubt in a similar predicament as Kuroko herself. Before long however someone who seemed to have a clue spoke up.

...

A carnival?! And she didn't even have sissy here to try and earn her affection, what a cold and dark place Earth some times was.

"Who is that weirdo carny calling a mutt."While she had listened to what the man had said that particular bit stood out like a sore thumb. Insult for insults sake.

For the time being Kuroko wouldn't approach anyone, nor start citing Judgement procedures. If nothing else it was quite clear she no longer was in Academy City.​

 

[Yun Lee]

And just like that.

Hisoka would find himself in quite the particular place. A place full of bizarre-looking jesters with a murderous edge to them, as though setting them off in the slightest would result in an instant death. In short, a place where Hisoka fit right in. And that was what annoyed the man so much, a man that normally kept his cool with a perpetual creepy smirk on his face.

He would be considered normal compared to that so-called Monsieur Loyal, wouldn't he? How disgusting. If he were any other person, perhaps his mind would be focused more on the notion that he seemed to have been suddenly captured and placed into this strange place, but Hisoka didn't mind that so much. If something like this was going to happen, then hopefully it would prove to be exciting. Hopefully, it would all be worth his time, or else he'd have to... take out his anger on someone.

But enough of that.

A number of other interesting-looking people, more confused than he was, piqued his interest. There were some who seemed strong... others who seemed weak... Hmm, yes. Perhaps this would be worth his time after all.

Still, if there was one thing... It interested Hisoka to note that, just like with that boy from earlier... He could sense strength within some of these people, but not Nen. Rather, entirely different kinds of energies. As though...

As though they're from different worlds entirely, just like that child...

It took quite a bunch of willpower for Hisoka to stop himself from shuddering right there out of pleasure. To lick his lips, to imagine the taste, the tingling sensation that he felt when people like that were near... It was something else.

Truly, this was going to be something to remember soon...

With that, Hisoka failed to hold himself back from curling his lips into a small grin when his eyes would be laid upon Sam. Aha, so it seemed that he was here as well, hmm?

Approaching Sam, and by extension, Iggy, from behind, Hisoka would grin lightly, heading towards the entrance, waiting on Monsieur Loyal in the process, patting Sam on the head as the boy in turn would try to pat the dog in front of him.

"I suppose that fate has decreed that we can't stay separated for long, wouldn't you say?~"​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Well..." He bit down on his bottom lip, mulling over the situation. The girl was kind of strange, though she was still a little kid, so he could understand the need for an imaginary friend. Besides, the doll was kind of interesting.

"Then my name's Luso. How about you tell me yours so that we're not strangers anymore?" An odd yet warm smile etched itself upon his lips, "I mean, you can't just be alone, right? Plus I'm can't stand someone being left out to dry... So how about it, names and friends instead of strangers?"​

 

[Yun Lee]

Kuroko too would have been heading towards the entrance. As she did she would've caught a glimpse of Hisoka. Despite looking like a creepy clown he didn't seem to be part of the carnival proper.

Ugh! This was so frustrating! None of these people seemed trustworthy enough to start sharing information with. Then a sudden thought in her head.

Was this the same thing that had happened to Sissy that one time?​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Grrrr..."

The child-like tone in Sam's inflection had been replaced by something more befitting of Sam's true nature. That being a growl that sounded it belonged more to a beast from the depths of darkness than a child with Sam's get-up. As Hisoka spoke up and made it clear to Sam that he was the one who put his hand on the spirit's head, Sam relaxed and the cooing from earlier returned as he kept his own hand forward to pet Iggy if he was allowed.

Looking up at Hisoka however, the contours of the burlap sack pushed outwards. Showing that behind it Sam was flashing the clown a smile of his own. Sam had only just finished explaining how to bring Halloween/enforce it in Hisoka's world before departing for his own. Now, here they were again! Nice how things happened to work out like that!

Noticing the girl taking a dismissive glance of Hisoka, Sam couldn't help but spare a glance at her himself. She didn't seem like the type who would appreciate Halloween as much as someone like Hisoka. But that was okay. Sam wasn't one to turn down the opportunity for new 'friends' if he could help it. So as Kuroko glanced over, Sam gave her a small wave and a giggle to boot.

"Hehe!~"​

 

[Yun Lee]

What was wrong with some of these people.

Realizing that she better return...its? Affection Kuroko would give Sam an awkward wave. Just smile and wave Kuroko...just smile and wave...​

 

[Yun Lee]

....

....

<"A-am I dead now?">

<"Everything is black. Huh, I figured it would be less...">

<"...shitty.">

<"Wait, is someone patting my forehead?">

<"Is it Avdol? Polnareff? Is it Go--">

<"Wait, Polnareff would never pat my head, damn it. Where the hell..">

Iggy's eyes suddenly flew open, realizing that he had them closed. What he saw in front of him was...a concrete ground. And...laughter? The laughter of children, and some kind of carnival? Is this what heaven looked like? If Iggy knew that heaven was filled with clowns and annoying children, he probably would have tried harder to...y'know, not die.

To think that this is what that blond guy wanted to achieve, perhaps DIO has the hots for clowns? Go figure, since he keeps that Vanilla Ice bastard around. Iggy turned his head around, expecting to see as much carnival as he saw when he woke up. Instead, Iggy got a face full of head-patting from what looked like a kid inside a sack. Iggy would, instinctively, shake his head and immediately hop up, the agile dog creating some distance between himself and Sam. Glaring at the boy, he got a better look. See, normal dogs would bark and make a big fuss, sensing something dark within Sam.

In reality, Iggy doesn't give a rats ass who the hell this Sam is. He has better things to be doing, first of all, figuring out where he is.

<"Good grief, what a creep.."> Iggy thought to himself. Of course, in reality, Iggy simply made a growling noise at Sam before turning around and forgetting his existence. The dog scampered off, looking around for clues; and, if he was lucky, some food. Dying really works up the appetite, after all.​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Is that... a dog?" Daisuke said before shrugging his head and looking away for a while. Maybe the owner lost it.​

 

[Yun Lee]

~Jhin, the Virtuoso~

"We are sending you to Shurima. Your target is Sivir, we're sure you know the name well. Send her gang a gruesome message."

That's all the note read. Though it wasn't what was written that gave me the strongest message, but the note itself. Like producers with their actors, they didn't bother to show their faces, instead pulling my strings from behind closed doors and armed guards. Such is the way my line of work goes...I much more enjoyed my time doing freelance work, but the terms of my contract were awfully limited. You know how producers can be. The pawns they sent to deliver my next assignment then loaded me onto a carriage, and offered me a new set of dusty rags to wear. "They'll protect you from the heat," they said. Begrudgingly, I accepted. No doubt they would've forced it on me had I declined.

...

One week. One week of travel. I had been transferred to new handlers nearly every other day, each group bringing with them a new method of transportation. The carriage was the first, then a boat-ride downstream. I couldn't recall the third. Just what was the necessity of knocking me unconscious the entirety of the third ride? It was foreshadowing...foreshadowing, perhaps, I should've caught onto. It seemed they had forced my new rags on me as well. Ruffians. I reached for Whisper, and was relieved to feel she was still there. Although, she had company...it was a second note, with yet worse handwriting than the last.

"We have a contact in the desert waiting for you. Don't keep her waiting."

It was at this point I really should've have begun to question my situation, but following orders written on scraps had become so humdrum for me. As if naturally, I obeyed. I truly was their puppet. And so, I began my trek across the sands of Shurima.

In my thoughtless advance, my mind was free to wander with me. As I passed by rolling dunes and the sweeping valleys in between, so too did my eye roll along the dunes, and be swept into the valleys below. Much like a body sapped of all life, this vast landscape had met such a fate as well, merely on a much larger scale. The bones littered; both human and animal alike; tell of this fate. In my admiration of this serene landscape, my eye had caught another figure not very far in the distance. It was still...and was facing me. As I neared, the form started to take a more concrete shape through the heat and the glare. It was a woman, no doubt, judging by the general body-shape and glittering adornments poking out of its dress. Even as I came closer and closer towards her, she did not move; everything but her calves and feet concealed by rags similar to those I was given. Stranger yet, she was stood in the middle of a circle of stones. Thinking they were benign, I brushed past one on my way past, rolling it over in the sand.

The stone groaned, anything but benign. Almost instantly, from beneath it and the other stones surrounding my supposed "contact", jumped out men and women, all of them armed. Before I could draw on them, I was surrounded and restrained.

The one posing as my contact came into arm's reach, and threw back her hood.

"Surprise,"

And then, I was here, in this wretched carnival surrounded by children both literal and figurative.

How? Perhaps it was why my producers wanted me to make an art piece out of the desert amazon. This wouldn't have been the first time that girl's unearthed an ancient power. But just what kind of ancient power could send me to a place so wretched as this? When; no, if; I returned, I'd make sure to carve her carcass until she spilled her guts. Hmhmhmhm~...

...

For now, I simply headed towards the entrance waiting on Monsieur Loyal, as I observed those who inhabited this place. Or had they been placed here, just like me? Nevertheless...I'd have to play nice with them.​

 

[Yun Lee]

My name is Tenkuuji Takeru. On my 18th birthday, I was slain by Ganma, and now, I must become Kamen Rider Ghost and collect all 15 Heroic Eyecons.

Right now, I'm not able to get back on schedule... because...

"What is this place?"

Our undead Kamen Rider looks around to see the setting. Before he could consider the possibility of the Ganma being behind this, he notes that it was a carnival, a concept that the Ganma probably despised due to their pseudoutopian nature.

Just then, a Monsieur Loyal popped in to give exposition

"What's the meaning of this? This isn't humane!"

Ah, Kamen Riders. Should've invited another. Decade wouldn't be such a party pooper, but he'd crash it ten seconds flat.

Let's stick to our little Ghost.

As Takeru looks, Loyal gave a demonstration of what occurs when you break one of the... 666 rules. What a number.

Takeru could only stare in shock.

"Yurusen!" Takeru exclaims, causing a little figure to pop into existence.

"Oi kid," a voice speaks up, "you- MY GOD, WHAT IS THAT?"

"I was about to ask you just that," Takeru speaks, "you don't know this place?"

"Why would I?" Yurusen says. "I'm out of here."

"Yurusen! Yurusen!" before Takeru could say anything, the familiar-like entity vanished with a puff of smoke.

With that, Takeru could simply just speak to someone. He turns to what appears to be a young-

-children too? This was a carnival, but...

"So, any idea where we are?" Takeru asks Kuroko. He believed that she needed some adult supervision.​