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Blake let out a tired sigh. This was going to be something else, wasn't it? This tea party has all sorts of people here, and it's clear that it was putting Billy in some sort of edge. That's enough to figure that he recognized a good amount of people present, along with how some of the attendees here were changing appearance one by one. Again, he didn't really see much else to do but to let this play out... except he did recognize a few faces here too.

He wasn't in touch with much in the first loop, but he did get a passing glance at the twins back there.

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❝ Tch... I think I recall you both. Maybe not, my memory hasn't been too... great lately. ❞ He pulled out a seat to sit down, resting his head against his hand.

@Lucky @Atomic Knight @York
 
Casting a focused glance behind himself, Giorno wasted no time in pressing on with the rest of the gang into the encroaching blackness of the winding dirt road, despite the scenery actively morphing around them. Billy said that this place could shift and turn at any moment -- the distinction of what is 'real' and what is 'false' did not exist here. The gang-star kept that at the front of his mind moving forward into the black.

As he did so, the frigid rain met him on the other side. Holding a hand over his eyes, Giorno glanced up at the thundering skies hanging over them and the distant lights of what he identified as a circus tent. Tch, this isn't good, he thought to himself. A circus is never good news. Especially when it was the only option for avoiding the rain.

Following Jianyu into the tent, Giorno shot a measured stare in the strange man that immediately approached him - his outfit was pretty bizarre, even for the Joestar's standards. Running a hand back over his golden curls and adjusting his gear, Giorno quietly moved to the front of his party, bowing slightly to the 'ringmaster' of this tent.

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"Perdonami, sir. We hadn't meant to track dirt into your tent here, we were just passing by the area and got caught up in the storm outside. It's a heavy one. Foolish of us to forget to pack umbrellas, heh. Am I right to assume you're the owner of this tent?" the don spoke affably, maintaining a civil smile in the face of the man's shouting.

His smile, of course, faded a bit as Jianyu started shouted. He shot her an irritated look before turning back to the 'ringmaster' and smiling. "Ehem, pardon her. As you can see, we're all a bit on edge. If it's too much trouble, we'll get out of your way... though, I'm surprised to find a circus all the way out here. You must be the owner of that too, I imagine?"

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Ver
 
Lucifer Morningstar

" I think I'm good, I'm not hungry or thirsty. I got alcohol though,"
he replied, walking over to the man who looked young now. " Fancy a drink?" He asked. He would eye the good suspiciously having this strange feeling that it was part of the reason that everyone was acting so weird.

@Atomic Knight @York @Gummi Bunnies
 
A few teenagers pointed at Gentaro and laughed at his limp, not seeming to realize he might be in pain. A girl came out of the crowd to get in front of him so he couldn't get past her. "Hey there!" she said in a sing-song voice. She held a stack of pamphlets in her hand and moved to hand one to Gentaro. "Have you considered joining the Vortex Club?" she asked.

The pamphlet was brightly colored in purple tones. There was a stylized vortex on the front, with details for a club meeting and a party later that night.

Meanwhile, Elliot was grunting as Nathan fell on to him a second time over. He struggled to hold the other young man up. "What's wrong with you?" he asked a bit sharply, though he was worried something had happened to Nathan on the transition to this place. "Are you okay?"

"Nathan," said a male voice from behind the pair. Elliot quickly helped position Nathan so that he was standing instead of resting on him and eyed the man. He seemed old enough to be a teacher here, wearing glasses and business-casual attire.

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"What have I told you about roughhousing?"

There was a definite edge to the man's words. Elliot gave Emily a confused look.

"Um, uh..." he stammered, unsure what to make of this weird scenario.

@Capri @Space_Candy @Jeremi @York



Billy could only give Lucifer an incredulous sidelong look in response to what he said. "Let's just check this out," he said.

As he and the others approached, they saw a young girl beckoning them, talking about sweets. It took Billy a moment, but he definitely recognized her. "You were one of those two that were lost," he said, not even realizing he spoke out loud.

The rabbit, apparently named Usami, was sitting at the table as well. She was beckoning the others alongside the girl dressed in red.

The girl they had been chasing sat plainly across from the girl in red. "Ruby," she said, apparently knowing the girl's name. "I'm Jennifer. You and I, we are--"

"It's so wonderful to see more friends join us for our tea party!" Usami interrupted. "I was so worried I'd be late!"

There were others seated at the table. The man at the head, for just a moment, appeared to be a young man in his twenties with short, black hair and a blue dress shirt with a myriad of symbols on it. However, his image shifted to an older, balding man.

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"I... can't say I've ever been to a tea party," the man said. He sounded almost as if he wasn't sure where he was.

There was a girl next to Ruby, one who had short blonde hair and a designer shirt, but she too shifted into a red-head with neon blue streaks.

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"Ruby, pass me some of the treats too!" said the girl excitedly.

The man across from her and next to Jennifer appeared to be short man with a big nose and a long, white beard. On his head was a tattered prospector's hat. He transformed suddenly into a much different man.

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"Now, Usami, this is a real nice spread you got here," drawled the man. He looked almost entranced, licking his lips.

Two others sat opposite each other, looking like red-head twins. They were quite familiar.

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"What a quaint little party," said the woman.

"Perhaps too quaint, yes?" the man replied.

"That clearly was already implied. In any case, so glad to see old friends, isn't it?"

"Perhaps not, considering the situation."

Billy's mind was reeling. He at least was familiar with some of the people here. He gripped at the table, feeling a sudden onset of anxiety wash over him.

@Lucky @Gummi Bunnies



As the group entered the tent to get out of the rain, they suddenly came upon a very eccentric looking man. If one looked past his outlandish attire, they would find he looked quite upset.

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"Ugh!" he sneered. "You are dragging mud into the tent. Not only that, but you are all completely soaking wet! Do you know how many rules you all are breaking already?!"

@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Ver @Crunch

"And you are?" Bridgette took a step to get between Nathan and the man. One look alone told Bridgette she didn't like this guy one bit. "If you're a friend of Nathan's you definitely should introduce yourself."

@Capri @Space_Candy @Atomic Knight @York




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How many rules will I break if I beat you to the ground? Biscuit thought to herself. Instead of doing that though she decided to up the charm. "Sorry, mister! We're just lost and tired travelers looking for some rest from the bad weather." She gave the man a courtesy bow. "We didn't mean to make a mess of things."

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Ver @Crunch
 
It felt like he was in a trance, Elliot's words barely making it through to him. He jumped as he heard a familiar voice, turning his head in horror as Jefferson spoke to him.

The freak teacher who got arrest for his sick photography of drugged girls.

He clambered to his feet with Elliot's assistance, discreetly holding onto the other man's sleeve. Mark Jefferson was not a good person.

"Whatever, Mr. Jefferson," he said harshly, just wanting to leave the situation by any means- not noticing Bridgette coming up next to him. She spoke to the teacher, her words making Nathan cringe when she referred to him as a 'friend'.

This was a nightmare.

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Capri @York
 
Azure Kite

When it came to the forked road, Kite stood back and watched the others go first.

He decided to cut through the middle, where Billy, Lucifer and Blake were chasing down the girl. Once they arrived at the clearing where the tea party was being held, Kite was confused as all heck. The people there kept changing their appearance when he wasn't looking, and it really threw him off. He rubbed his eyes hard as he began to doubt his eyesight, only to remind himself that such things were normal now.

Kite looked at Billy, hoping for a clue on what to do, but he seemed to be troubled by something. He couldn't really blame him— these people were kinda creeping him out. Instead, he followed Blake's lead and took a seat beside him.

"We... can't stay long," he mumbled, eyeing each of the attendees. "We don't have much time..."

 
The girl gave Jianyu a startled look over her shoulder, though impressively did not slow down. "I-I don't know!" the girl stammered. "I just... I must simply catch up with that rabbit!"

The forest soon gave way to a small clearing and the girl stopped in the center of it. Strangely, there appeared to be two points of interest. One was an out of place white door that stood off to the side. The girl considered it for a long moment before turning her gaze to a dirt path that led through the forest and out to somewhere beyond.

Two different paths, though the girl eventually chose neither. She ran in-between the door and the road, dodging trees and bushes as she went.

Billy lingered for a moment, unsure what to make of this. "Is she going the right way?"

Elliot made a move for the door. "This just seems too out of place to not be important," he said.

"Hey, where are you going?" Billy asked. He looked at the door for a moment, deciding he didn't like how it felt.

Elliot shrugged. "The girl could be going the wrong direction," he said. "Even if she's not, you said we should look around."

Billy shook his head. "I think I need to follow the girl."

Wanda broke from the group and began to pursue the dirt path. "I feel this way calling to me," she said. She stopped momentarily to look toward Billy. "Don't worry about me. I believe following the path that seems right to us is the best way to proceed from here."

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"Ugh." Billy didn't like this, but it seemed there was no choice. "Make your choices then!" he exclaimed, running into the forest after the girl.

@Takumi @mintyy @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Indigo Al @York @Capri @Crunch @Yun Lee @Lucky @Sark @Space_Candy @Alex Azure @Ver @Josh @Kaykay


Lucifer could feel something calling him the way Billy went. Whether this was anything important or had to do with his possible connection to the Dark Place itself was unclear.

Billy pushed through the brush and foliage, still able to see the girl he was chasing through trees. He called after her but she had no interest in slowing down. Eventually though, he and the others cut through to another small clearing.

There was some distance between the group and the girl. They watched as she ran to a dining table sitting alone in the clearing.

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It was too hard to make out who was sitting at the table, but clearly there were people in attendance. "Like out of a storybook," Billy grumbled.

@Lucky @Gummi Bunnies



???
@Lucky @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @Tea Party


A young girl sat at the table, dressed in red, with an awfully cheerfull smile on her face.

Perhaps she was familiar, or just another face, depending on who you ask, but one thing that could be considered odd, aside from her overall behavior might be her silver eyes.

Upon spotting the others, she excitedly waved over to them, apparently glad to have more guests

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"Hey! Hey! Come join us! There's plenty of food and drink to go around! Right, Usami?!" She exclaimed, speaking so fast her words almost seemed to trip into one another.

Her plate was already piled high with a variety of sweets, though it seemed she favored strawberries, even in her milk, given the strange, pink tint her cup had, which was sitting next to her so far untouched tea, almost brimming with sugar cubes.

"Strawberries~! Strawberries~!" She almost sang, her attention having gone back to her food, and the apparent tea party going on, for now.​
[/QUOTE]


Billy could only give Lucifer an incredulous sidelong look in response to what he said. "Let's just check this out," he said.

As he and the others approached, they saw a young girl beckoning them, talking about sweets. It took Billy a moment, but he definitely recognized her. "You were one of those two that were lost," he said, not even realizing he spoke out loud.

The rabbit, apparently named Usami, was sitting at the table as well. She was beckoning the others alongside the girl dressed in red.

The girl they had been chasing sat plainly across from the girl in red. "Ruby," she said, apparently knowing the girl's name. "I'm Jennifer. You and I, we are--"

"It's so wonderful to see more friends join us for our tea party!" Usami interrupted. "I was so worried I'd be late!"

There were others seated at the table. The man at the head, for just a moment, appeared to be a young man in his twenties with short, black hair and a blue dress shirt with a myriad of symbols on it. However, his image shifted to an older, balding man.

dm5VGmo.jpg


"I... can't say I've ever been to a tea party," the man said. He sounded almost as if he wasn't sure where he was.

There was a girl next to Ruby, one who had short blonde hair and a designer shirt, but she too shifted into a red-head with neon blue streaks.

5s3k3nn.jpg


"Ruby, pass me some of the treats too!" said the girl excitedly.

The man across from her and next to Jennifer appeared to be short man with a big nose and a long, white beard. On his head was a tattered prospector's hat. He transformed suddenly into a much different man.

iS3dW0T.jpg


"Now, Usami, this is a real nice spread you got here," drawled the man. He looked almost entranced, licking his lips.

Two others sat opposite each other, looking like red-head twins. They were quite familiar.

WcVpwr1.png


"What a quaint little party," said the woman.

"Perhaps too quaint, yes?" the man replied.

"That clearly was already implied. In any case, so glad to see old friends, isn't it?"

"Perhaps not, considering the situation."

Billy's mind was reeling. He at least was familiar with some of the people here. He gripped at the table, feeling a sudden onset of anxiety wash over him.

@Lucky @Gummi Bunnies
Blake let out a tired sigh. This was going to be something else, wasn't it? This tea party has all sorts of people here, and it's clear that it was putting Billy in some sort of edge. That's enough to figure that he recognized a good amount of people present, along with how some of the attendees here were changing appearance one by one. Again, he didn't really see much else to do but to let this play out... except he did recognize a few faces here too.

He wasn't in touch with much in the first loop, but he did get a passing glance at the twins back there.

yqH6jNp.jpg


❝ Tch... I think I recall you both. Maybe not, my memory hasn't been too... great lately. ❞ He pulled out a seat to sit down, resting his head against his hand.

@Lucky @Atomic Knight @York
Lucifer Morningstar

" I think I'm good, I'm not hungry or thirsty. I got alcohol though,"
he replied, walking over to the man who looked young now. " Fancy a drink?" He asked. He would eye the good suspiciously having this strange feeling that it was part of the reason that everyone was acting so weird.

@Atomic Knight @York @Gummi Bunnies
Azure Kite

When it came to the forked road, Kite stood back and watched the others go first.

He decided to cut through the middle, where Billy, Lucifer and Blake were chasing down the girl. Once they arrived at the clearing where the tea party was being held, Kite was confused as all heck. The people there kept changing their appearance when he wasn't looking, and it really threw him off. He rubbed his eyes hard as he began to doubt his eyesight, only to remind himself that such things were normal now.

Kite looked at Billy, hoping for a clue on what to do, but he seemed to be troubled by something. He couldn't really blame him— these people were kinda creeping him out. Instead, he followed Blake's lead and took a seat beside him.

"We... can't stay long," he mumbled, eyeing each of the attendees. "We don't have much time..."


Mason Moretti
@Atomic Knight @Gummi Bunnies @Lucky @mintyy @York

Mason's first reaction upon discovering they were in the Dark Place was fear. Paralyzing fear. Memories flashed before the young man's eyes. A deadly game. His own death. The horrors of a world out of his control. The world around him felt fuzzy.

He backed away from the group. They were talking, he knew. Things were being said. He could tell that much, but the sound around him felt garbled, like it he was trapped underwater and the rest of the group was at its surface. All Mason could think about was the past.

"Pull it together, Mason. You've survived it once. You can survive it all again. Death didn't stop you. Being erased from existence didn't stop you. You faced this place with such bravery last time. Where's this fear coming from?"

Despite his efforts, he couldn't keep the daggers he summoned last time in perfect form. They faded away, and Mason dug his empty hands into his pockets. He stared vacantly ahead. As the group pushed onward, he shuffled along only as quick as he needed to keep up with the group, hanging towards the back. They reached a crossroads, but Mason didn't acknowledge it. He shuffled forward on autopilot, following Billy, Kite, Blake, and Lucifer.

A familiar voice broke through the murkiness and brought him back to this twisted, dark reality. It itched the back of his mind. He knew he'd heard this voice, and heard it on his first foray into the wider scope of the multiverse. A face, a voice, and eventually a name to go with it.

"Ruby, what are you doing here?!" he exclaimed, suddenly taking in the surroundings of the unhinged tea party. "What's with this setup? What's... What's going on?"

Mason took a seat next to Blake and eyed the food at the table. He didn't trust it, but his stomach growled from missing dinner with Wanda earlier. Though he probably wouldn't have eaten at that dinner anyway
 
"Good evening," said the man. He casually rested his hand on his chin. "My name is... Nightmare."

"This is just bloody ridiculous," Cullen said quietly. Both Claire and Billy looked up at the man, unsure what to even think of all this. Elliot squeezed Nathan's hand and pulled him closer.
Fear. Always fear. No matter how many times he changed his ring, the yellow light of terror always seemed to find him again. And found him it had. He had encountered rats made from fear, and, of course, another pretender claiming who claimed to be its master. Sinestro had resigned to his fate as a magnet of curious figures long ago, but Nightmare? He was more curious than most.

The fear Nightmare yearned for was more chaotic than the fear he and his corp sought to create. Nightmare was mad, there was no denying that. One could tell that much as a glance. He made no attempt to hide it. Quite the opposite, in fact. He seemed to revel in it. That alone was enough to catch Thaal's eye; the fear of madness was a potent fear indeed. But madness was dangerous. Madness was unpredictable. Madness was uncontrollable. It didn't have a place in the new, ordered world he dreamed of for long... And yet..

And yet he couldn't banish the thought...
That mad, chaotic thought...
The thought that Nightmare might make a fine addition to his corps.
Yes, Nightmare was mad. Yes, he was dangerous. Yes, he couldn't be controlled as easily as the corps that he already held in the palm of his hand.
But even the heaviest war hammer could be used to create art if it was directed towards a well-placed chisel.
Perhaps the demon had a purpose after all...

Thaal slipped his ring yellow from his finger for a moment. He released it from his control.
Searching for Sentient Replacement-- It hummed.
Sinestro closed his eyes and waited for it to make its move.
Locating Nightmare of Earth 616--
Ah... so Parallax agreed with him. The madman had merit. Thaal opened his heart fear's will once again.
Sinestro of Sector 1417: You have the ability to instill great fear--
His ring returned to his finger, falling back in line like a dog heeding a whistle. It still knew who its true master was.

With each passing minute, Nightmare grew more curious in the mind of Sinestro. He anticipated their next meeting with excitement.
Oh... he could hardly wait.
***
As the group entered the tent to get out of the rain, they suddenly came upon a very eccentric looking man. If one looked past his outlandish attire, they would find he looked quite upset.

"Ugh!" he sneered. "You are dragging mud into the tent. Not only that, but you are all completely soaking wet! Do you know how many rules you all are breaking already?!"

@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Ver @Crunch
"Oh em gee! I am SO sorry! Let me just dry myself off with my towel and wipe my feet on the doormat...oh. Wait. Neither are around, are they?! How do you expect people to follow rules you don't even have posted, huh?!" Jianyu glared daggers at this neon highlighter son of a bitch. "Now how about you cut us some slack? It's not like we WANTED to get caught in the rain!!"

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Crunch @Ver
"Perdonami, sir. We hadn't meant to track dirt into your tent here, we were just passing by the area and got caught up in the storm outside. It's a heavy one. Foolish of us to forget to pack umbrellas, heh. Am I right to assume you're the owner of this tent?" the don spoke affably, maintaining a civil smile in the face of the man's shouting.

His smile, of course, faded a bit as Jianyu started shouted. He shot her an irritated look before turning back to the 'ringmaster' and smiling. "Ehem, pardon her. As you can see, we're all a bit on edge. If it's too much trouble, we'll get out of your way... though, I'm surprised to find a circus all the way out here. You must be the owner of that too, I imagine?"
"Oh, yes..." Sinestro hummed, slipping out of his distracted trance.
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"You must forgive my niece..." He hissed through gritted teeth. "She is terribly thick-headed. She took one look at your wonderful circus and believed that she could find a new home among her fellow clowns. She's perfectly harmless, I assure you. She's a toothless dog-- All whine and no bite. Please don't judge our troupe for the infantile behavior of our mascot. We'd just like a quick word with this establishment's owner, and we'll be on our way."

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Crunch @Atomic Knight
 
Of course. Of. FUCKING. Course. Jianyu felt herself shaking with anger with every shit Sinestro took with his mouth, with every goddamn insult lobbed her way. She was so tired of this. So tired of him. "Fuck this." She stormed out of the tent and back in the direction they had been come from, making a little shield of Psycho Power so that the rain wouldn't touch her. At least the fucker was helping with her water issues...but if she'd spent another second with him? She'd probably break every rule in the circus book.

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Sark @Crunch @Ver
 
"Oh, perfect!" exclaimed the girl. She pulled out a clipboard from her bag and handed it to Gentaro. "Just sign your name, your phone number, and your school number! We'll text or email you the party details." Most of the names were unknown to Gentaro, though one read Nathan Prescott.

Meanwhile, The man seemed surprised that Bridgette even spoke. His brows raised in surprise. "Ma'am, I am a professor of this school," he said, looking between Nathan and Bridgette. "Mark Jefferson." He put his hands on his hips and was about to say more when Nathan spoke up. Jefferson frowned and cleared his throat.

"Nathan, that is no way to speak to--"

"We're friends," Elliot said, butting in. "And we weren't roughhousing, sir. Nathan just slipped and I was helping him up."

Jefferson did not look convinced. "Well..." He eyed Bridgette. "I'm sorry, are you here to pick up a student?"

@Capri @Space_Candy @Jeremi @York @School



"Name's Shane," the man said, smiling at Lucifer. The smile seemed almost uncharacteristic of him, even though Lucifer had never met the man before. "Try the food. Gotta enjoy yourself sometimes, man."

Billy leaned forward and looked at the rabbit. "You're Usami, right? Listen, this is the Dark Place. You all might be confused about what is happening here."

A single bead of sweat ran down Usami's forehead. despite her plush exterior. "No, no, no!" she insisted. "We're all enjoying ourselves! Please, you must relax!"

@Lucky @Gummi Bunnies @mintyy @Alex Azure @Tea



The man continued to sneer, aiming his eyes pointedly at Jianyu. "Do you even know who I am?" he asked. "They call me Monsieur Loyal. I am the ringmaster of this carnival – so, you must obey me. Do you understand?"

He paused as the others chimed in. His expression softened slightly, but the the aura he gave off was still... aggressive. "So, you are lost, eh? No worries, it happens. We have not had new guests in a while. Unfortunately for you, none of you seem to realize what it means to be a guest at the Devil's Carnival."

He trailed off as Jianyu made her dramatic exit. He shivered with anger for a moment and shook his head. A heavy wind picked up outside, pushing Jianyu back the way she came, overpowering her or any of her powers. As she fell at Monsieur Loyal's feet, he looked down at her in pity.

0gEy0Yi.jpg


"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. Though, considering you just broke rule 89 of our 666 rules, which involved walking out on me, I'll be letting Cordis have you."

A man who appeared to be taller than Monseiur Loyal approached them as his arms crossed against his chest.

hW29UGu.png


"Again?"

"Yes! Take this girl away!"

The man sighed and moved to help Jianyu to her feet, before escorting her out of the tent through the other side from where the group came. He had taken her arm with a gentle touch, but his grip was firm and vice-like.

Monseiur Loyal made a dramatic sweep of his hands toward where Jianyu was going. "The rest of you, follow me. I'm afraid you simply have no choice. Single line, please."

Wanda was calm throughout all of this and did as the man said, leading the way. As they came out the other side of the tent, they would find that it was not raining and that a the horizon was filled with a setting red sun. The carnival was loud and booming on this side, with lights and props set all throughout. Performers moved to and fro, looking busy as they ran around.

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"Come," Loyal said, leading the main group away from Jianyu, who was being moved by Cordis to a smaller tent off to the side. Loyal's group moved toward a larger tent, one brimming with activity.

"We currently have a performance going on. Get in line and I will get you all one ticket. Remember to never lose it, or else!"

@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Ver @Crunch @Sark @Carnival
 
"Wait, I--" What the fuck just happened?! Jianyu only really made sense of all that was going on as she was being dragged away. "Hey! Let go of me!!" She pointed at the group as she was pulled towards the smaller tent. "That fireball fucker son of a bitch is the one you should be dealing with, not me!! He keeps pissing me off on purpose!! Let me GO!!!" She was NOT getting captured again, no fucking way in Hell!!" She would attempt to use her Psycho Power to pry Cordis' fingers off her arm, if just long enough to make a break for it.

@Atomic Knight
 
GENTARO KISARAGI
@Atomic Knight


Gentaro looked at the list, seeing Nathan Prescott on there.

Nathan is the name of Elliot’s boyfriend, if his memory serves him right.

Now two problems face Gentaro. The first is that his phone wasn’t on him, he left it at the Rabbit Hatch when his world still existed.

The second is that Gentaro doesn’t have a school number, mostly because he doesn’t actually go here.

Gentaro would look at the girl.

“U-uh... I’m actually... just starting today. I don’t have a school number yet,”
 
The girl talking to Gentaro let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Okay... well, it doesn't really matter. We just need a way to contact you."

@Capri



When the group were led for the line to the big tent, they could see the advertisement for the show that was running.

Come see the HUGE and AMAZING wonder from the East, the STRONG MAN!

Loyal held out a ticket to the guests in line.

uvXPUTi.jpg


"Just take one and head inside, please."

***

Jianyu's power seemed to simply melt away as she tried to use it against Cordis. The man sighed and pulled her closer toward him. "It doesn't matter what you did or didn't do," he said. "Monsieur Loyal says you're to stay with me, so that's where you'll stay for now." He pulled her the rest of the way into the tent.

The first apparent thing about the tent was the pungent smell, a strong lingering presence of patchouli, with an undeniable hint of some kind of musty odor, like a long-neglected basement of an old decrepit house. Immediately above the entrance were banners advertising the sights found within, similar to the ones displaying on the outside of the tent.

It was apparently the "Freak Show" tent.

Cordis led Jianyu a little bit into the tent before letting her go at the entrance to a corridor lined with cages.

"I don't have time to deal with all the customers Loyal wants me to deal with," Cordis admitted. He moved to browse a table inside the tent lined with peculiar tools. "Wait here while I deal with a little experiment. I trust you won't leave, as that would be needlessly dire for you." Cordis left through an exit that led down another dark corridor.

From behind Jianyu, someone tried to get her attention.

"Psst! Kid! Hey, kid!"

There was a man in the cell closest to Jianyu. He was gesturing for her to come to him.

oIqKdYv.jpg


"Kid, you gotta get me out of here."

@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Ver @Crunch @Sark @Carnival
 
Ugh, this fucking sucked dick. Jianyu wanted to scream, or swear an oath, but she felt pretty much trapped in this shithole. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." She'd use what Psycho Power she could to try and pick the lock on the cell. "What rule did they get you for? I tried bailing."

@Atomic Knight
 
Nathan started to stretch his arms, tense from the past events. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the girls who worked at the Vortex Club, a shitty club that was an excuse to just drink and smoke- one that Nathan loved at the time, it was an escapism thing. His attention was grabbed again as Jefferson spoke to him, frustration rising in him- his fist clenching so hard he felt his nails dig into his skin. He eased slightly when Elliot spoke, but the professor didn't seem convinced at the younger man's words.

"What-the-fuck-ever," he hissed in response, before storming off to the nearest bathroom- hitting Elliot's shoulder with his own as he pushed past him.

The bathrooms still looked the same- everything did, this all felt surreal to Nathan. He tried to regain his balance as his head spun, grabbing the nearest thing to stabilize him- which was one of the sinks. He sighed before turning the water on and rising his face, only to have a shock when he looked up in the mirror.

He looked like his 19-year-old self, fully slicked hair, layers under his jacket, and most shockingly- he had nail marks across his right cheek. He screamed in shock and walked backward crashing into an out of order closed stall, eyes wide.

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @York @Capri @Blackwell
 
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"Thanks!" said the girl, taking the clipboard from Gentaro and walking away as if dismissing him.

Elliot had his hands up, blinking in confusion at Nathan's outburst. "Sorry!" he said as he began to chase after Nathan.

"Hey!" Jefferson yelled after them, but it seemed he did not really care to pursue them. He turned back to Bridgette and waited for her answer.

The bathroom door slammed open as Elliot barged inside. He looked around quickly for Nathan, eventually finding him inside one of the stalls. "Nathan," he hissed, sounding worried. "What's going on? You knew who that man was?" He let out an exhale of breath and leaned against the door of the stall.

@Capri @Space_Candy @Jeremi @York @School



Wanda was the first to take a ticket, and with no other choice in the matter it seemed, the others followed. The carnival carried an odd atmosphere, one that made ones head feel a bit fuzzy at times. It was easy to get lost in the setting if one was not careful.

Inside the big tent were rows of bleachers arranged in a semi-circle around a large, raised platform. There were weights, barrels, and other oddities on the stage. There was already a crowd waiting, though they most consisted of people cloaked in darkness. They looked almost like anonymous walking shadow people, oddly enough.

The tent flap closed behind the last person to enter, leaving no easy way of going back.

A man was on stage with a mic in hand. He seemed completely normal, aside from the cat ears on his head. He was in the middle of his introduction, as if the group had arrived just a bit late.

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"--this man knows no equal in the world of strength! He is an unprecedented marvel of nature. He is the mountain from the East, the world's strongest man of all, the cannonball of destruction, the Sumo wonder...! You, audience, will know this man's sheer power upon one look at him. Please, from us to you, enjoy the spectacle that comes from true power!"

The man raised his hands. "Remember, audience, we--"

The audience finished for him. "--sell fun!!"

The cat-eared man walked to the side as a spotlight turned on and illuminated a tent flap at the edge of the stage.

***

The cell door opened easily enough and the man slipped out quickly. He ran his hands down his body, as if checking for something. Now that he was closer, it was clear he was looking a bit grimy and slightly malnourished. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. It took a moment for him to come to his senses and turn back to Jianyu.

"No, uh--" He bit his lip. "The guy who owns this place hates my fucking guts, so I've been a 'permanent' resident here. You seriously don't know the shit you've gotten yourself into here."

@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Ver @Crunch @Sark @Carnival
 
Lucifer Morningstar

"It's nice to meet you, Shane." The smile felt off, and he couldn't quit place why. " I'll make you a deal. You have some of the alcohol I have to offer and I'll eat something," he replied, being incredibly delibrate in his phrasing.

@Atomic Knight @York @Alex Azure @mintyy @Tea
 

If the crowd had yet to fall silent after the introduction, the sudden clamour of wooden blocks would. They built to a crescendo, the marking of a traditional Japanese song, and then...

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!"

The music quickly turned upbeat and boisterous while still keeping that Eastern feel as the circus' very own strong man appeared, a wide grin on his face as he laughed loudly. He looked and dressed every bit the part of a sumo wrestler, and just one look at him made it clear the cat man wasn't exaggerating in his introduction.

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"Hey there, everybody! Thanks for coming tonight! We got a great show all lined up, and what better way to start than with the Main Event himself?! Gahahahaha!!"

He stepped towards a barrel, cracking his knuckles before bending his knees and tossing it into the air. Bracing for impact, he crouched down as it landed in his outstretched palm, before extending to full height, proudly displaying the massive object as if it was a toy. "Aha! Expect nothing less from Tokyo's finest!!"

@Atomic Knight @Sark @Jeremi @Crunch @Ver
 
GENTARO KISARAGI
@Atomic Knight

Gentaro saw Elliot and Nathan run into the bathroom but decided not to enter and interfere in their romantic moment.

He then continued onwards to try and find the school's infirmary.​
 
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