At The Carnival

[sockify]

The Carnival

An overheated afternoon of family drama fun. Thrill seeking on wild rides. A romantic evening of prize winning. An excuse to eat terrible food. Or just pure nostalgia for a simpler time. Carnivals have a little something for everyone. Come check it out!

No Blank Top Levels: Set the scene yourself and give your character a reason to be there. Are they waiting for someone? Were they the odd one out and have th share a ride with a stranger? Are they just wandering around looking for trouble? Give someone else a reason to bother them.

Prompts

Games
From classic ring toss to the shooting gallery, here's your chance to win a prize for yourself or for that special someone. Some say the games at a carnival are rigged, but maybe, just maybe, you'll get lucky!

Food and drink
The sweet smell of funnel cake and the familiar briny aroma of popcorn draw you over to the food and drink tent. There's cotton candy, candied nuts, and cheep booze, all here for your enjoyment.

Gentler Rides
The carousel, the ferris wheel. All carnivals need these classic rides for kids and adults who aren't looking for the excitement of the faster-paced rides. Snuggle close to your partner and see if you can see your house from the top of the wheel.

Wilder rides
This is for thrill-seekers. Here you'll find the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Gravitron, the Screamin' Swing--all the rides designed to make you lose your lunch. Hope you didn't have too much cotton candy!

The Fun House
Twisting hallways of spooks and mirrors. Slow rotating drums that still knock you off your feet. It's easy to get turned around and run in circles within the dimly lit spaces.

"Oddities"
Carnivals of old had a reputation for the scandalous. This one claims to be the same. But when you're given the promise of a real life mermaid, you just find the skeleton of a monkey poorly attached to the tail of a fish. At least the poorly carved wax figures are mildly unsettling.

Tunnel of Love
Or perhaps tunnel of mild boredom. The red-tinted lights and quasi-romantic music are meant to make this ride a great makeout spot, if the chemistry is there.

Vendor Stalls
Whether a row of poorly secured tents or a proper building, there's always questionable wares for sale. Cheap knockoffs and suspiciously cheap swords sit alongside lovingly handmade goods and some newly concocted personality test. They're not trying to collect your information, honest.

Wildcard
Every carnival is different. Create your own attraction. Or just wander around and cause trouble. Anything goes.

Adapted from sockhopsolly

Comments

Sylvie | MCU | OTA

[lowkeychaotic]

[ up to date on all D+ shows and Black Widow ]

Re: Sylvie | MCU | OTA

[cinderebella]

[OOC: Any preference on where these two would meet up? I think they’d get along.]

Will Graham | Hannibal

[cognitivus]

( open; carnival crime scene maybe? )

Dean Winchester | Supernatural

[righteously]

( gen cr to start with preferably, unless it's Cas or we have cr history )

[borrowyourcoat]

[ Hitchers like Rose are considered good luck by most carnival folk who know how to spot their road ghosts. While she doesn't bestow any sort of otherworldly blessing on any travelling attraction she visits, she does tend to reward good hospitality in the ways she can, keeping less friendly haunts from sticking around or tipping them off when a ride isn't showing how badly it needs maintenance.

The coat she was handed by someone at the gate is at least ten years or more out of style, collected from the lost & found after never being claimed, and cut for a man. however, its pockets are deep both literally and figuratively, since she's only just started spending the tickets. They're a fun treat for her, not the endless junk food itself (though that is nice), but the chance to order things for herself for once. When she's hitching, she's limited to what anyone else buys her, but the tickets themselves seem to carry the intention of tokens freely given in a transitive enough way for her to actually taste every deep-fried calorie the booths in the fairgrounds have to offer.

The increasingly bizarre offerings of American carnival food is at the end of the midway though, and she has a bunch of game tickets to work her way through first. It's not that she wants any of the prizes, but she's usually brought to carnivals for a reason, so she stretches the time out as much as she can.

By all appearances right now, she's a teenage girl in hand-me-down or thrifted clothes (a t-shirt worn beyond the band or logo being identifiable, and jeans that fit too loose but are unfashionably worn-out instead of the made-to-order distress sold in stores these days), idly shooting at and missing the moving duck-shaped targets with a pellet gun on a chain. ]

I don't know why they paint them to look like cute little cartoon baby ducks instead of something more realistic. Real ducks are assholes. If these were real, people wouldn't shoot them.

[ Idle conversation with the booth operator. She's currently the only person willing to play, and giving him her opinion why over the piped music. ]

Hana Kang | Invitation of Mystic Messenger | OTA

[sweethana]

[AUs, canon and cross canon all welcome!]

Reko Yabusame | Your Turn to Die

[musicaldemon]

[AUs, canon and cross canon all welcome! 17+ OTA for anything shippy, all ages for gen.]

Dr. Robotnik | Sonic Movie | OTA

[evilgrows]

[This doesn't exactly seem like the kind of place you'd find a guy like Robotnik. He hates being around people and it shows! And yet... maybe he looks like he's kind of having a good time when he thinks nobody's looking?

Sure maybe sometimes he's inspecting the rides and maybe sometimes he's arguing with the people running the games and maybe sometimes he's grumbling about the decor, but even he'll put his hands up on the roller coaster whether he's stuck next to someone or not.

You will not speak of this. It's classified.]

Eclair | OC | OTA

[ceraunos]

[ She can be here for a date, a first-hand look at how humans have fun, or be working at the food stalls! She makes great pizza and woukd be flattered if her friends visit her at work ]

[ailuruslucidity]

[Upon setting foot in the carnival, Pandora was pummeled by amazing smells: Some familiar, some new, all of them enticing. She already had a half-eaten poof of cotton candy in one hand as the aroma of pizza wafted over to her. She approached the stall and tilted her head, studying the menu. After a moment, she looked to the young woman behind the counter.]

What would you recommend?

james buchanan barnes | mcu

[counterstep]

games.

( okay, so he's cheating a bit. whatever. he can still remember how he and steve would try over and over again to get the trick, failing more often than not, but now that he has a better sense of how things like this work, so what if he's using that to rip the midway workers back a little for all the money they're making?

bucky's not keeping the prizes anyway, gifting them to passersby who seem curious before drifting off to the next. maybe he gives you one, or you catch sight of what he's doing and have something to say, but either way he seems to be enjoying himself just fine despite the blank expression that dons his face. )

drink.

( they've got a beer garden. can you believe it? yeah, bucky can't either. it's weirdly like a classy thing being a cheap thing trying to pretend it's still classy, but heck, even if he can't get drunk anymore, it's hard to say no to a bottle.

there are a few tables set up for people to sit at, but he sticks to standing, preferring others indulge in that comfort instead. he's probably got more practice standing for long periods of time than the average person anyway, but feel free to invite him for a seat or try to make some conversation. thought he sips from his drink regularly, bucky seems to be staring off at nothing in particular, unless there's something interesting on the ground that everyone else seems to have missed. )

oddities

( bucky remembers some of the classic spooks used back in the day, and when his interest gets piqued by the initial thought of reliving some of the old days, the soldier only finds himself disappointed in the crude imitations of days long gone. with how far technology has come, he would have hoped at least the exhibits would be a little more convincing, but like with many other things, capitalism seems to have cheapened the quality of life even further than it had already been at times before the war.

still, it's only proper to finish touring the sites, even if he looks absolutely bored out of his mind as he moves from display to display. )

vendors.

( he's more interested in the handcrafts than anything else it seems, ignoring the tables covered with two-bit trinkets in favor of the things he can tell have care put into them. they're the most genuine part of the carnival that he's found, and even though he's not much one for collecting, he chats up some of the vendors anyway, curious as to how they honed their craft and how their lives led to a passion for its mastery.

hopefully, he's not in the way or preventing you from buying anything by keeping the seller's attention. bucky isn't really trying to stave of clientele, but there's a look in his eyes that says he's happy to stay here for another hour at least. )

wildcard.

( hit me! )

Games

[cinderebella]

[Cinders usually stands out with her black dress, green and purple jacket, and dark makeup but it’s a carnival. There are enough oddly clad performers that she blends in for once. It’s not so hard for her to pick out the one person who seems to be doing a little too well at the games. He’s definitely not from around here so she doesn’t bother saying anything. Let the town’s people of Belleville lose some money for a change. What catches her interest is him giving the prizes away. She slips up behind him.]

I know what you’re doing.

Guillermo | What We Do In The Shadows | OTA

[guillermogoth2000]

⚰︎ 01. AROUND
It had started so simple. Everyone talking over each other to the point that it was impossible to tell if it was a discussion or an argument, while Guillermo tried to get his work done. He didn't know how it came up, but Nadja said something about popcorn, which led to more bickering and her admitting to having gone to the carnival with that guy that ghost guy. He'd thought it would devolve into more bickering and they'd move on. But out of the chaos came Nandor's announcement. They were all going to the carnival. Oh. Great.

It got worse when shortly after they arrived he was waved off with a task to find them all someone to eat. But how? Sidle up to someone and say "hey come hangout with my weird roommates for a while"? So he was left wandering around, awkwardly hovering near groups of people, looking for any sort of opportunity to maybe talk to them. People who seemed like they were on their own quickly found their friends. Telling people they did great at a game just earned him scornful looks. But he kept trying. It had to work. Eventually.

⚰︎ 02. FOOD AND DRINK
Okay, maybe there were some perks. Some of the food places had samples. Well, two fo them did. Having not been given any money of his own, he had to do what he could. First pass, fine, no problem. After making a circuit to find the food he was tasked to fine, he made another pass. That went okay, too. By his third pass, he'd hoped the employees would have switched around. At least all it earned him was an irritated look from the girl handing out little cups full of hacked up corn dogs.

Out of sheer guilt, he actually got in the long line for the place that advertised foot long corn dogs. While fumbling in his pockets to see if he had a few dollars might have forgotten about.

⚰︎ 03. WILDCARD
[ He's exploring every part of the carnival, so find him anywhere. He's probably hovering. I especially invite anyone to terrorize him for any reason! ]

Estellise | Tales of Vesperia | OTA

[naivenoble]

[ M/F for shippy date options ]

Orko | Masters of the Universe: Revelation

[orko_of_trolla]

[ooc: Canon and Cross-canon is OK | prose style preferred | Voice testing!

Please note: Since the first part of season 1 is still new, and I want to avoid spoiler bombing everyone - I shall get creative and have Orko be an oddity and part of the carnival. Due to the events of his series, he ended up there one day and had nowhere else to go. His memories are muddled from the experience but he will recognize characters from his canon and does have a sense of urgency and worry about his friends back home.]

[chiaro_oscuro]

[Ben keeps a low profile at carnivals like this - less because he's afraid of becoming one of the exhibits and more because he feels the Force possesses more dignity than being used for cheap tricks. Many of the things he sees, such as mind reading and guessing games, are things he can do for real. That sucks out some of the fun. However, he decided to indulge in a little entertainment.

He figures it isn't cheating when enhanced reflexes and better aim come to you naturally, so he's had his fill of carnival prizes and flummoxing stand owners who were shocked that the stranger in black tore what were probably supposed to be scams to shreds.

Ben didn't expect to see a person here, though. Someone with real magic, like his.

He isn't sure entirely what species he's looking at. Whatever alien race this person belongs to is not native to his galaxy - but nevertheless there's a sense of power here.]

Hello? Who are you?

Isamu and Minoru - OCs

[itmeanstruth]

Option A: Games

Oh, yes. The games are rigged. And if you ask Isamu how, he will be sure to tell you in excruciating scientific detail how slim your odds of victory are and why.

But there was one game that could technically be won on skill - the rope ladder - and Minoru was bound and determined to win that giant stuffed teddy bear. He’d had a few false starts figuring out the center of gravity. And would have totally made it that last time if the carny hadn’t jostled the rope with their foot.

“Ug, I thought I had it that time!”


Option B: Thrill Rides

They’d both been waiting in the line for the Sky Coaster - the most epic thrill ride these grounds had ever seen - for the better part of an hour. (Not because it was long, per se. But because they kept having to clean up bodily fluids and make seemingly insignificant repairs.) At long last, they were next in the queue.

Minoru sprung forward with excitement.

Isamu, on the other hand, turned to the person behind them. “Oh! You are welcome to go ahead. I was merely providing pleasant company. I have had all of the tilting and whirling I believe I can manage for one day.”

[orko_of_trolla]

"For the last time, I can't let you on."

"C'mon! I'm not even human so the 'must be this tall to ride' rule shouldn't apply. What's there to be afraid of when I can float!"

Orko had been working on getting on this ride for most of the day. The ride operators were familiar with the tiny floating creature by now, as was the other carnival workers. But it was still a little jarring for many to see a small robed figure with a large hat floating at eye level above the ground. A wide scarf was wrapped about his narrow shoulders and obscured his face, which was also shadowed under the wide brim of his hat. The only thing visible was the huge reflective golden eyes that was staring at the operator. In fact, except for his long thin arms and what appeared to be long tapered pointy ears sticking out from holes in the brim of his hat, none of his body was visible.

Finally, FINALLY the operator relented. The only stipulation was that Orko couldn't go on by himself. Seeing that one of the twins at the front of the line was going to sit this round out and the pair behind them didn't want to break up, the operator pointed at the one who had sprung forward. "Want to take this guy along? Don't say I didn't warn'im."

Orko raised his hands in the air with a triumphant "Woo!!"

sebastian | the suicide squad | OTA

[sidesqueak]

⬊ the food

[ Seeing a rat munching on a fallen piece of french fry, a piece of hamburger bun, or a piece of a funnel cake, isn't the strangest thing at a carnival. But if that rat is wearing a red vest and eating it on top of a table? Maybe that's a bit bolder than usual.

Sebastian knows a good nom when he sees it. He's no fool. If spotted, he blinks up at whoever it is and offers them a little wave with one paw while gulping down his delicious snack. Hello! ]

⬊ gentle rides

[ Who says only people like rides? Rides like these are something of a new thing for Sebastian. They aren't cars or buses, there are too many bright lights and they don't go anywhere. Plus, sometimes people forget food in them. They're definitely worth a look. And that's how he ends up perched on the bars of a ferris wheel, squeaking loudly and maybe startling the occupant(s) who thought they were alone in the bucket. Just what is this thing?? ]

the food

[ratcatch]

[ They're not always attached at the hip — Sebastian is a very independent rat, okay, and Cleo knows he can scurry off and do his own thing for a while and he'll always wend his way back eventually. She doesn't need to flare the device to life to make him listen to her, or help her, or come back to her. She trusts him.

So the rat wanders, and Ratcatcher wanders. Hands shoved in her denim jacket pockets and boots scuffing along the ground, Cleo buys some caramel popcorn and aimlessly snacks on it as she walks. There's nothing to steal here, nothing of value — she could pickpocket the other carnivalgoers, but there's no point. So the only point is to enjoy themselves, and so she does, taking in the games, the food, the rides.

It's been a while since she's seen him, though, and part of her is always keeping an eye out for a quick fleeting movement out of the corner of her eye or listening for a shrill scream; other people are so very prejudiced and often try to kick or step on rats. When she finally notices that flash of his little red vest, she saunters over to catch up with him again. ]

Found anything good?

elia martell | asoiaf | ota

[veryfond]

[ look at this Fun Mom™ taking her small children to the carnival! Either you've come with her, or you have been charmed into watching a stroller with a totally sleeping baby who DEFINITELY won't wake up while she and her daughter ride the kiddie coaster. ]

Conrad Achenleck | Hanna Is Not A Boy's Name | OTA 🦇

[conradachenleck]

— Conrad is not an enthusiastic carnival goer by any means. But he'll tag along, even if he feels like a third-wheel. Or perhaps he's wound up here against his will? One way or another, after the sun sets and the carnival lights up the night, he finds himself in the midst of the glimmering funfair.

RIDES
— Conrad is deathly afraid of heights and he has a rather nervous stomach, so most rides are out. Plus he questions the safety of these carnival rides, who knows if they're properly maintained? But a handful are tame enough for him and he supposes riding them won't result in him losing a limb or anything. Maybe he can be coaxed onto a ride or two if someone is deadset on dragging him along... He'll still probably hate it, though.

GAMES
— While he knows the carnival games are a scam, he's better at them than one might expect. Or not, it depends on the game. And he might actually get worse the harder he tries. He gets suckered into playing when one of the carnies heckles him, as it's pretty darn easy to push his buttons. He might blow a small fortune trying, but he's determined to win a big prize. He knows he can do it, he just needs to keep at it. He's not going to let some smooth-talking carnie make him feel like a loser.

NOT-SO-FUN-HOUSE
— The funhouse isn't much fun for someone who can't see their own reflection. It's embarrassingly easy for him to get stuck in the hall of mirrors. Can anybody help him out? He feels rather lost and helpless in a seemingly endless labyrinth and can only guess his way out by feeling along the walls and making his way toward the sound of approaching footsteps.

HAUNTED HOUSE👻
— Really, a haunted house? They're so cheesy, it can't be too scary, right? He is an actual vampire and a grown man, he's not going to freak out over some jump scare animatronic or a paper-mache ghost, no need to hold his hand or anything! He's fine! He's not usually a clingy person, he's just going to stick close by so nothing can sneak up on him...

TUNNEL OF LOVE/PAIN💖
— Conrad is a pretty romantic guy, really, if he's with the right person. But the tunnel of love is more than likely going to be a painfully awkward experience for both parties. Careful, get too touchy-feely with him and he may bite.

"ODDITIES"
— As far as oddities go, he is pretty odd, isn't he? He's not your typical predatory vampire, he's just an inexperienced fledgling, easy to capture. Perhaps he was abducted by the sideshow. Or a vampire hunter caught him and sold him to the highest bidder. His default defense mechanism is to turn into a bat, but he can't even fly, so it's easy enough to bind and cage him. A talking vampire bat is a valuable attraction, way better than all the fakes and creepy pickled punks in jars. The small chubby bat doesn't feel particularly chatty, but he will peer at anyone who gets close and attempt to get their attention. Perhaps someone who feels sorry for him can free him, he is pretty pitiful... He'll be eternally grateful.

Wildcard — ( Feel free to get creative and find him wherever doing whatever. Assume any kind of CR if you like for any of the prompts! )

ziggy berman | fear street

[shittysider]

( lmk if you want the 1978 or 1994 version. )

jyn erso || rogue one || ota

[made_of_stars]

[ooc; but make it shippy.]

cassian andor || rogue one || ota

[rebellionbuilt]

[ooc; but make it shippy.]

rey || star wars || ota

[see_the_stars]

[ooc; but make it shippy.]

ben solo || star wars || ota

[in_the_grey]

[ooc; but make it shippy.]

bodhi rook || rogue one || ota

[bravenough]

[ooc; but make it shippy.]

rose tico || star wars || ota

[what_we_love]

[ooc; but make it shippy.]

Samuel Oak, Pokemon Anime

[symbolofstrength]

((If you'd rather not have this take place in the Pokeverse, I can easily AU him into anything from a celebrity zoologist as in canon, to simply your friendly neighborhood veterinarian. (Either way, good luck recognizing him without his labcoat.) Or we could go with an assumed jamjar. Good with random stranger tags, voicetesting, etc.))

Troublemakers

He doesn't know how this fight started, and honestly, he doesn't care to know. He's barely turned a corner when a large, burly man (possibly drunk?) suddenly launches himself at another carnival guest. Time seems to slow to a crawl as he rushes forward, throwing himself against the man in turn to wrap his arms around his waist from behind, using the best of his strength to try to pull him back, away from someone who, for all he knows, is nothing but an innocent victim who's done nothing to deserve this.

"That's enough!" he grunts as he struggles with the larger man; still, for such an unassuming grandpa, he's doing a surprisingly good job at holding his own. The other witnesses seem to be still frozen in shock, as he's the only one who's said or done anything about this sudden conflict so far.

Questionable Food (TW: Vomiting)

The man bursts out of the food tent, both hands clasped tightly over his mouth, at a full run. As he blindly makes a sharp turn, he accidentally shoulder-checks a passerby, knocking them to the ground and scattering anything that may have been in their hands. He can't stop to worry about that, though, as he has his eyes firmly affixed on his goal: A nearby large trash can. He hurls himself toward it, only letting go of his mouth to grab onto the edges of the trash can. And... there he goes, releasing his recent snack to splatter against the plastic of the trash bag and its previous contents. After a few moments of this, he weakly drops to his knees, leaning forward to support his weight against the can.

"S-sorry," he weakly calls back, glancing over his shoulder. "About knocking you over." Any further apology will have to wait as his eyes go wide and he claps one hand over his mouth again, struggling to pull himself back up with his other hand. He leans over it again, coughing and retching, though nothing's coming out this time.

Merchandise

He's not keen to waste his money on typical carnival schlock, but he does walk by the various vendors anyway, giving most of the stalls no more than a quick glance. One, however, does catch his eye and even completely charms him as he approaches closer. A menagerie of glass sculptures of various creatures, both real and mythological, sits across the vendor's table, scattering the artificial and moonlight into little starbursts across the tablecloth. After glancing at the vendor to confirm it's okay, he gently picks one up, holding it up to the light to get a better look.

Wildcard

((??? Make your own starter!))

-2-

[death_calling]

[[Playing the Pokeverse card here!]]

Olivia isn't a fairgrounds type of person, but when she happens to be in a city where a festival is going on, she can't resist the call. Who can resist those Spinda-shaped Funnel Cakes or Ditto-inspired mochi, after all? As an up-and-coming Pokemon researcher, this is prime time to get work done.

Ghost types are fond of fairgrounds and this is a great opportunity to study them in a human-based environment. It's good data for her next thesis report, which she hopes to submit to the board sooner rather than later. As such, her Chandelure stays overhead, murmuring happily and occasionally jingling her candelabras when a hidden Pokemon is near.

Neither is prepared for the sudden run-in, and Olivia gets away with just a small ache in her arm. No big deal, since she wasn't carrying anything.

"There's no need to apologize...?" Her gaze shifts quickly, seeing the man hovering over the nearest trash receptacle. Oh, dear. Someone's having a tough day at the fair and she completely understands the tricky part of discerning really good carnival food from something sketchy. Blame working with Poison, Dark, and Ghost Pokemon on that trait, as it's made her resistant to a lot of disturbing things and observant towards the unusual.

She hasn't discovered the identity of this mysterious man quite yet, unaware that she's speaking to one of the greatest Pokemon professors of all time. Instead, she treats Samuel like she would any other person, someone who clearly needs help. Not fazed in the slightest by his sickness, one hand is already reaching into her pocket for a Pokeball.

"Can I be of assistance to you, sir? A Heal Pulse or two should be able to remedy your upset stomach."

E Nygma/The Riddler | DC comics | OTA

[ainissesthai]

Games
The placard declares 'Fool the Guesser!' and the man beneath it is dressed in green with a large question mark on the back of his jacket and a conman's grin. The typical range of prizes - stuffed toys, a few puzzles and tricks - hang behind him as he calls out to anyone who ventures too close. "Step rrright up! Fool the guesser, see if you can outsmart the smartest man alive! How about you, care to try your luck?"

If anyone stands back and watches long enough, they'll see him unsuccessfully guess at a player's occupation, hometown, marital status, everything, and get corrected on each. As the winner walks away with their prize, he turns away, muttering quietly into what can be deduced to be a tiny microphone. He turns back to the crowd, clearly bored before that grin is back, and he's calling out once again. Meanwhile, the winner of the game hears a voice calling out to them from within the tent of the psychic with some curiously specific details about them.


Funhouse
"Ugh, who considers this 'fun'? The real reason they keep the lights off is so no one can see how filthy it is in here! It's not even a challenging maze. A corn maze would be preferable!" The griping is fairly non-stop as Edward makes his way through the not-fun house, clearly looking for something given the way he scans the walls.

Coming upon another visitor, he pauses his searching to give them a haughty, disdainful look and demands, "Out of the way. If you're too incompetent to find your way out, at least don't impede others."


Or choose your own scenario. Anything goes!

Up for something a little weird? (Or, perhaps, Wyrd?)

[senseloss]

There's a moment when Edward's alone in the funhouse, where something strange happens; the space stops making sense. There's moments when three left turns don't work the same as a right, or when walls seem to stretch longer than the space the funhouse occupied from the outside. Someone is cheating.

Except that there's still hints of how to get out; the key is the colors; if he chooses his turns to head down corridors in the order of the colors of the rainbow, he makes progress in this impossible space, finding ground he hasn't traced before.

hai-ryun yeasomul jedha ('hanyuu') / higurashi no naku koro ni

[markofthejedha]

[ she's never been to a carnival before, so after overhearing that there was one nearby, she found herself intrigued. given that she's going out in a public area where there will be a lot of humans, she is wearing something to cover up her horns so that she doesn't wind up scaring anyone.

also available in a non-kotohogushi variant, where she's going to the carnival with her friends. if you want her non-kotohogushi/OG higurashi variant, replies will come from aupologizes! ]