[-][L-A][P-1x1] Freaks of Fortune

[milkymosaic]

Welcome! One, and all! Come, come! To the Dark Woods Circus.

"Oh, you're here, you're here! Tonight, we'll be showing the sad fate that some of this world carry. Children that God has abandoned, restlessly creeping out. Children who can't even carry the trembling limbs they were born with. Their shaking tongues even accidentally cry out. The crowns of their heads that caress the dark clouds. The smile as they dream of their mother's embrace. Ooh, the deformity! DEFORMITY! Drop by and see him. Drop by and see him."

~ The Chairman

 

[milkymosaic]

Plot
Deep back in the woods there is a traveling circus come to town. The cast is all jolly, and although their forms are strange, it is ever so fun. You're a visitor, aren't you? Saw one of our fliers in town and came to see? Well, take a seat, and enjoy the show! We have freaks of all kinds here, ones that know tricks, ones that are funny, ones who disturb and disgust, and some just for show.

***

"You know, we weren't always like this. These wretched things sitting behind the bars of our cages, waiting to be trotted out for all to gawk at. Most of us were normal. We heard of a fabulous show deep in the woods where you could find amazing sights brought to you from foreign lands! We came to enjoy ourselves. We were their guests. Yet here we are today, tortured and mauled into what you see before you today, standing upon the stage. So...what will you do? Will you try to save us? Will you run far away, and try to escape the fate that befell us? Or...will you join us? We could always use another lucky volunteer from the audience..."

Notes
This RP will be loosely based off of the song "Dark Woods Circus." You don't need to know anything about the song though. The plot will stand alone and use mostly OCs. The "Cast" listed below is merely a list of the freaks shown in the original music video. You can use one of those ideas if you like, or you may make your own. As long as it's good, it'll be fine for the RP. xTwo of the characters shown in the video were excluded from the list for reasons either apparent or to be revealed during the RP itself.  

[milkymosaic]

Rules
1. Follow all site, guild, and forum rules (ToS). You should know what these are.
2. PG-13. We all know it. Respect it.
3. To submit a character, please use the profile skeleton found below. Just PM it to me. Add a bunny of your choosing so I know you read this.
4. NPCs/extra characters are allowed so long as they aren't ridiculous. Unimportant characters may enter and leave at whim, but when adding more important characters, it may become necessary to create a profile (but we'll handle that when we come to it.)
5. I'll try to post as much or more as whatever you give me, so please try to do the same.
6. I've got some difficult classes this semester, but I try to be on at least once a day. That doesn't mean I will post once a day, but I will do my best. I don't expect you to post every single day either, but if you haven't posted for a week, please send me a PM saying you are tied up but still devoted and I will understand. I will try to do the same.


The Jolly Cast
one with two heads
a blue beast (who loves to eat things cold)
a couple with strange forms
the chairman with big eyes

a deformed diva
Real Name: Fukui Kou
Nickname: the Sable Siren
Gimmick/Talent: A heavenly voice and incredible range, but physically deformed enough to frighten most people. He has several vestigial wings growing out of his back at odd angles and his legs below the knees are covered in a thick, rough, yellowish skin with talon-like toenails.
Bio: When he was seven, Fukui begged his older brother to take him to the circus when it came to town. They finally went together, and it was one of the best nights of his young life! All of the freaks and performers, things he had never dreamed of before in his life, all dancing and skipping around just for him! It was as though he’d stepped into a fantastic dream he never wanted to wake up from. Unfortunately, his wish came true. As his brother tried to make him leave after the show, Fukui pulled away from him, wanting to see the weirdos one last time up close. He got his wish, running into the ten-meter-tall chairman as he ran around the back to try and see the freaks just one more time. Before he knew it, Fukui woke up in a dark cage, everything smelled, and he was cold. It took a while for him to realize that his dream to see the circus had become the nightmare of being in it.
Pic:the Sable Siren

The Blue Beast
Real Name: Kaito
Nickname: Pochi
Gimmick/Talent: A canibal that is obsessed with medication. Often considered the 'pet' of the circus.
Bio: Kaito had always been intrigued by the thought of joining the circus. Then, by sheer luck, one came near his home town. After asking his parents to go, and being told no, he decided to take the money he made from babysitting and snuck out and went anyways. The show was just as he had imagined, no. . . better than he had imagined. After is was over, he searched for anyone he could talk to and pursuade them to let him join.The next thing he remembered was waking up in a dark, very dimly lit room. Though it was hard to tell, it looked to be a cell, or a cage. He found that his teeth had been filed to sharp points (because it's not easy to bite through raw flesh. . . Believe me I've tried. twisted ) ((I know it's terrible, sorry.))
Pic:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/darkelf/Nyum4/dark-elf-3.jpg?o=94 [Instead of the reds and browns in the picture, replace them with different blues]  

[milkymosaic]

The air throughout the woods was heavy and slightly foreboding despite the marvelous treat that had rolled into town earlier that day. Flier had been passed around and posters pinned up advertising the world's most unique and thrilling circuses. The tent had already been set up in the middle of the woods by the time the first few curiosity seekers had come around mid-day to try and sneak a peak. Despite their best attempts, they had been turned away by a freakishly tall man in a suit and top hat who urged them to return that night with their friends to see the real show. Rumors began spreading through the town like wildfire about the acts, claiming everything from an animal tamer and acrobats, to one of the finest selections of freaks and misfits.

There had been a quiet unrest all day as some of the older members of the town had become suspicious of this new attraction. Although it would only be there one night, there was a natural sense of hesitation in the hearts of many. Still, hundreds of young people, families, and couples had already made plans to go and were eagerly awaiting the sun's final descent beyond the horizon. For as soon as the last light of the sky had faded and the street lamps flicked on with their usual soft buzz, they would all flock to the forest which had always stood by the edge of town and ready themselves for an unimaginably fantastic show. Little ever happened in town besides the usual comings and goings of your average blossoming metropolis. It seemed as though the world was unfolding before the citizens' very eyes, and that the arrival of such a storied troupe was merely par for the course as their reputation and population grew.

When the twilight eventually passed and the evening had arrived, the sound of skipping feet and chatting crowds could be heard nearly everywhere as the audience of the night began the walk through the trees. At the entrance of the tent stood a strange man, mostly sitting in the shadows of his booth, taking money and distributing tickets for admittance. Above the entrance stood what looked like an oddly shaped gate, but staring for more than a second would prove it to be a pair of performers holding hands high above the heads of the entering queue. Their legs were long, easily longer than any of their guests full height, yet they stood rather still, staring down with blank smiles as they welcomed their meal tickets for the night. Every now and then they would look at each other, exchange a brief word, but they were always orderly. With one staring out from beneath a top hat, and the other peering out from behind long bangs and a silken veil, they almost appeared to be standing at Hell's altar.

Within the tent the mood was lighter, with the audience noisily taking their seats with snacks from the vendors. A few stage hands down in the dirt ring of a stage were pushing props into view. At the center stood the man in a top hat who had earlier barred snoopers from ruining the spectacle, whispering curiously with one of the many helpers running about. His smirk was confident, his poster self-assured, and his height and smooth figure won him a few fans of his own before he even spoke. With the stage prepared, the guests arrived, and the time approaching, the lights across the tent began to dim. Spotlights flashed onto the center of the ring and the dashing chairman, and the audience finally began to quiet, their roars falling to whispers as the tension they had carried in their hearts all day reached its peak. The show was only beginning, yet for some it would never end.  

[Sacrifice Kaigen]

Wind picked up, blowly blowing the fog from the streets, and the flyers rustled on the posts they had been nailed to. Though it seemed differently, it was early in the morning. Stopping by one of the large lamp posts, Kaito looked at one of the flyers and smiled excitedly.

A circus had come to the next town over, which was not even a mile away, and took refuge in the forest on the outskirts. Hurrying home, to ask his parents, Kaito braved the wind and the almost blinding fog.

For years, nearly nine, he had always wanted to join a circus, even though he had no real talent to speak of and was one of the clumsiest boys his age. He still wanted to join. . . And now was his chance.

Taking a deep breath as he closed the front door of his house, he walked to the room his mother was in and asked. Only to be rejected. He stood there and sulked and pleaded with her for a few moments, but nothing changed her mind.

Finally, admitting a silent retreat, he made his way up the stairs to his room, shutting the door behind him. Though, he was not defeated yet, he kept to himself as he planned to sneak out when it was close to dark, taking the money he had earned from watching his cousins for the past month and a half.

~~~

As the night finally waned, the fog only got thicker. But Kaito didn't mind, all he wanted to do was watch and possibly (hopefully) join that circus. He hopped on his bike (I'll fix it later depending on what time zone this takes place in) and rode to the location on the flyer, having to take one with to make sure.

Since he pettled fast, he got there fater than should be humanly possible. He parked his bike in a safe place, just in case they didn't accept him no matter how much he begged them and needed a ride home, and walked to the entrance of the circus tent. After paying for his ticket, he quickly and eargerly took his place as close to the front as he could get and patiently waited. No matter how excited he was.

~~~

By the end of the show, Kaito was even more excited than he had been before it started. It had been more than he could have possibly imagined. The best thing in his life.

As everyone was walking to the exit of the forest, Kaito turned around the corner of the large tent to look for who ever was in charge. But after a few minutes of walking and looking around, and of not seeing anyone that looked authoritative, he almost gave up his search; he couldn't stayout the all night. His parents would have a fit.

~~~

He couldn't remember anything that happened after that. And when he woke up, he almost thought he had still been sleeping. He was in some kind of room, that was dimly lit and smelled very strange. He stood, stumbling to the opposite edge of the room, feeling the barred wall's cold metal against his hands.

Looking out as best as he could, he made out a row of metal cages in the dark, having to squint. He opened his mouth to speak, to see if anyone else was there, but closed it again when a searing pain shot through his entire jaw.

He held his hand to his mouth for a few seconds before slowly opening his mouth again to brush his index finger across his now razor sharp teeth. "What the hell? . . ." He muttered under his breath, barely moving his jaw as to prevent any unneccesary pain.

 

[milkymosaic]

((As for the time period, I was thinking something steam punk, but not post-apocalyptic. So, technology, but a bit clunkier, and perhaps with a tinge of fantasy element.))

Sitting on his knees in his cage, Kou rocked back and forth quietly, humming a song almost under his breath. As he neared the end, his volume rose just a tad, and he gave out a quiet laugh. At last, he couldn't take it any more and shrieked out like a theremin going haywire. Grabbing at the bars of his cage, he shook them violently as he screamed, even though he knew his efforts were futile.

Having exhausted himself quickly, Kou let himself flop down on one side, panting and tearing up. As things finally came back into focus for him, his eyes drifted to one of the other cages, one that had been empty only a night earlier. It was the cage beside his own, and he could just barely make out a dark shape within as his eyes were adjusting to the light. Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he squinted through the darkness and saw movement, confirming his suspicions.

Crawling over to the closer edge of his cage, he called out, "Hey, you over there. Are you new here?" It wasn't often they got new acts, but then again it wasn't something that surprised any of them. Every now and then some idiot would wander around back or loiter too long around the circus grounds and get picked up by the chairman. Falling silent for a moment, he said, "You probably got dragged into this and have no idea what's going on, huh? Well...you're one of us now. Get used to it. For now...we're supposed to go to sleep. I guess we should, but...if you need someone to talk to, I'll be right here."

Laying down softly onto the floor of his cage, Kou listened to the sounds of the other performers shifting around. Some of them were munching on things they had probably picked up off the ground, others were sobbing or babbling incoherently, and still others were completely silent, having lost all will to live long ago. Himself, Kou still had something to live for. As miserable as life in the circus was, he loved his own voice and how much they had improved it for him. Even if it came at such a steep price, he knew that some people at least found him beautiful, and that was enough. At least, that's what he told himself. Truthfully, he had still not accepted the fact that this would likely be his prison for the rest of his life, that he would live and die there.

((Un, sorry it's kind of short. Then again, it is the beginning. Things should pick up as the plot gets rolling. For now, introductions I suppose.))  

[Sacrifice Kaigen]

Turning his head quickly to the sound of a scream nearby, Kaito tried to see into it. "I guess I'm new, but what am I getting used to?" He had a funny slurr in his voice, sounding similar to someone who couldn't hear, due to avoiding any contact with cheek, tongue and teeth. He didn't want to be dying of bloodloss any time soon. "I don't remember anything after the circus, where are we?" He crawled closer to the edge of the cage that he heard the other voice so he could talk quieter.

He lay on his back, looking straight up. "My name is Kaito. . ." He said even softer than before, thining that the other had gone to sleep like he had suggested, having not heard anything from him in a while.

He closed his eyes again, not feeling tired at all from just having woken up. Who knows how long he had been sleeping before that.

Sorry, it's short, but I should pick up the bigness of it all when we get further in.  

[milkymosaic]

Wondering briefly if it was okay to continue talking like that, Kou finally replied, "Being part of the circus, of course. It sounds like they did something to your mouth, so...you've been altered. You're one of the freaks here now, you know? In the morning, when there's more light, we'll find you a mirror so you can see yourself. You probably won't like it, though.

"Still...I suppose this is your life now, whether you like it or not. So...you'll get used to it eventually," he explained, his voice trailing off at the end. One thing he hated more than noticing a conspicuously empty cage was having to watch a newcomer work their way through the first stages of assimilation. Many of them went insane before they even managed to reach the stage of acceptance. It was almost normal.

Hearing a name, he replied, "I'm Kou. My act is singing, mostly. I mean, they made me a freak too, probably so that I'd be interesting to look at while I sing, and I can do funny things with my voice now. Some of the other guys say I have it easy, but I can't really agree with them," he said tiredly, hating to have to explain such things. It was almost boring how morbid and grotesque his daily life was, and it made Kou smirk bitterly when he thought of what outsiders would think of him whenever they watched the show.

As he was drifting off to sleep himself, Kou said, "Just...always be sure to watch yourself. Not everyone around here is so nice or trustworthy. But...I'll be here if...you need someone...to talk to." Rolling over onto his other side, Kou put his new neighbor out of his mind for the night and let himself drift off to sleep silently.

((And you can cut to the next morning if you like. Most likely when they wake some of the cast will already be helping to clean up and pack everything for their trip to the next town.))  

[Sacrifice Kaigen]

'No s**t they did something to my mouth. . .' Kaito thought silently, though listening to the rest of the explination. Slowly and carefully he ran his tongue across all of his teeth, feeling that the four back teeth on each row (Four on either side, but two on top and two on bottom rows.) had been left the way they were. Which was a shame; he had the best teeth in his town. . .

Letting out an anxious sigh, he closed his eyes again and tried to go back to sleep. But the now dull ach in the lower half of his head kept him awake all night. And all the noise from around his cage didn't help either.

~~

In the morning, or somewhere near it light turned on nearby. Kaito looked down from the place he took sometime during the night, with his legs dangling out of the bars of the cage (the space between the bars was just big enough for his legs, only), and watched as three men and women to a torch, with about six torches, walked around opening cages.

As they got closer, Kaito backed up slowly, getting his legs back in the cage. Finally able to see more than a couple inches from his face, plus a few select things (if bright enough) off in the distace, he turned his head to look over to where he heard Kou. Only a little surprised at the others appearance, he reached over and hit the floor of the cage in an attempt to wake him up.

Not knowing what to expect, he tried, louder this time, to get Kou's attention. "Hey. . ." He said as loud as his throbbing mouth would let him. "Wake up."

Looking back towards the ground, other members were now moving out of their cages and begining to walk around to start the day's work.


Lame. . . But I figured that if they have cages. . And know that some will try and escape, then why keep them unlocked. Right?  

[milkymosaic]

Feeling something rattle his cage just as he was drifting back out of sleep, Kou struck out with one of his clawed feet, hitting the bars and making a bit of a racket. Groaning, he rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself up, looking around before realizing it was time to get up anyway. Yawning, he stretched before remembering to check on their latest addition. Looking over into the cage next to him, Kou was only slightly surprised to see someone who looked fairly normal before remembering the voice he had heard last night.

"We'll find a mirror for you to look into today. I don't know if you'll like it, but...it'll be better to just get it over with," he said drearily, still waking up. As their cages were unlocked, Kou hopped silently out of the cage, scratching his neck and sighing. Looking over at Kaito, he said, "I guess I'll have to show you around since no one else seems to be paying attention." Even as he said it, no one paid either of them any mind, apparently too busy with their own matters to even care.

Motioning for Kaito to follow him, Kou explained, "Today we're cleaning everything up and packing so that we can leave town and head on to the next one." Pausing for a second as a thought hit him, Kou asked casually, "You have family in town, right? Parents or something?" If the Ringmaster had again forgotten their need to be inconspicuous, they would need to keep an eye out for anyone in town coming to question them. Of course, such things had happened in the past and never been an issue, so Kou doubted anything would come of it this time as well.

Continuing on their walk as other members of the circus worked on putting things into boxes or rolling up cloth, Kou kept looking from side to side, trying to find a mirror that they could look into. Finally spotting someone with a hand mirror a few feet away, Kou hurried over with Kaito in toe. Seeing it was one of the young woman in a gorgeous, red satin gown sitting on a wooden crate and admiring herself shamelessly rather than helping with cleanup, Kou said in an irritated voice, "Let me use your mirror for a minute, and I won't tell anyone you're slacking off again." When the woman turned to look, she had an ornate, jeweled eyepatch covering one eye, and plentiful burn marks running down her face and neck.

Huffing indignantly, the woman handed him her mirror before beginning a rather determined pout, clearly unhappy with having to make such a compromise. Not giving her a second look, Kou held the mirror up for Kaito to see himself in rather than letting the other boy hold it. "Can you see into it?" he asked, hoping he wouldn't have to adjust his angle too much. "Whatever they did, it's in your teeth, isn't it?" he asked, noticing that the woman whose mirror they were using had taken a fleeting interest and was craning her neck to see past him and over the mirror at Kaito.

((It's fine, the cages were meant to be locked. Yeah, there wouldn't be much point to having them if they weren't locked. ;^.^))  

[Sacrifice Kaigen]

Once his cage had been opened, Kaito quickly jumped out, pushing his long, black hair behind his back. He looked over to Kou, taken aback by the other's strange appearance. Nodding at the comment, but forcing himself not to say anything due to his teeth almost constantly rubbing against the inside of his cheeks.

Kaito followed wodlessly, lookingaround at the other members. When Kou asked about his family, he turned his head back to the other. Sighing inwardly, knowing that he would have to speak eventually, he nodded, saying, "my mother lives in the next town over." He wondered if they would be looking for him eventually.

When the mirror was held in front of his face, he ducked a little because of their height differences, and once he got a good enough veiw of his mouth, he opened it and looked at his teeth. Closing his mouth almost as fast as he'd opened it, he turned away from the mirror and looked down at the floor. "So, what should I start with first?" He asked after a while, glancing up at the other male briefly.  

[milkymosaic]

Frowning a bit at Kaito's reaction, Kou handed the mirror back to the young woman, who was now blushing and giving Kaito the once-over. Free of the mirror, Kou looked Kaito over once as well before saying, "Well, you're new here, so it's dirty work for you. I suppose I'll help out with it too, though I'm usually part of the group that puts the delicate items together, like certain props and the costumes. Anyway...to start I guess we could help with the rope ladders. That's in the main area, so let's go," he said a bit softly, not really looking forward to going back to rookie work.

As they walked along, Kou mostly remained silent, and none of the others seemed to bother the pair. As they moved into the main area holding the rings and acrobatic rigs, Kou looked around to be sure no one was already doing what they had planned on before saying, "These feet help me grip to poles, if nothing else, so I'll climb up to the top and unhook things. Then I'll toss them to the ground. All I need you to do is not get hit by them and to wind them up neatly without letting them get tangled. Once we're done, we'll haul them all over to where things are getting packed. Got it?" he asked, looking back at his charge.

Feeling a bit sorry for the new guy, Kou said, "Hey, what kinds of things do you like to do for fun? Sure it's hell here, but...maybe I can scrounge something together from the others. You'd be amazed what some of the people here manage to find lying around. If you can learn what kinds of people like what, you can really do some shrewd trading and get all kinds of stuff you wouldn't think of. Maybe...maybe I could find you something if you wanted," he mumbled, blushing a bit as he realized how nice he was being to someone he barely knew. Certainly, he was thinking of how hard a time he'd had adjusting himself, trying to make up for the past.  

[Sacrifice Kaigen]

Kaito looked up and silently listened to Kou's explination, looking from him to the woman with the mirror then back to Kou. Following when he was done talking, he continued looking around the large caged area. Silently, he wondered how many of the people there were there against or for their will.

Looking back to Kou once they got to what he recognized as the performance area from the night he had gone, he listened to the instructions carefully. At the question, he shrugged with a small smile. Opening his mouth to talk, he carefully replied, "I like to read and paint."

He had figured that keeping his teeth together when he talked redused the rubbing on his inner-cheek and tongue, therefore reducing the possible blood loss. There was no possible explination in his mind what anyone could want him to do with teeth like this, but he guessed they would find something.

Kaito looked up to the top of the tent where the ropes had been tied on to help keep it standing up, wanting to get the work over with so he could sleep off the uncomfort in his mouth. . . Or maybe get something to eat.  

[milkymosaic]

Thinking about it for a moment as he prepared to climb to the top of the trapeze platform, Kou said, "Well that's not so bad. Books can be kind of valuable, but no one ever gets rid of them, so we've got plenty laying around. Paints are even easier to get since the circus uses them to retouch things that start getting worn. I don't know if we'll be able to find you good paper, but there's plenty of canvas and wood scraps to go around if you're okay using those." Kou had to restrain himself from a sigh of relief knowing that Kaito would be able to find enjoyment in such simple things. Those without hobbies generally adjusted to the circus very poorly, while those who managed to busy themselves seemed better able to maintain their sanity.

Pulling himself up the rope ladder, Kou managed to make it to the top in little time, and began disassembling the rigs just as hastily. Of course, such dangerous work was usually reserved for newer members who had not yet proved their worth, or to people who gave the ringmaster trouble or otherwise didn't pull their weight in the show. However, looking at Kaito, Kou feared for what might happen if he tried it on his own, and he doubted any of the others would have stepped forth to offer such help. Still, he couldn't say he enjoyed having to work with the ropes; they chaffed his soft hands.

Tossing a few ropes over the side of the platform as gently as he could, Kou did his best to get through the work without complaining; the faster they could get this done, the sooner they would be able to take a break.

After a few minutes of hard work, they had at least taken all the ropes down, and the only thing Kou had left up was the rope ladder to the top of the platforms. 'No way for me to get down if I take it off,' he reasoned, and decided it was someone else's problem.

Yawning as he stepped back onto solid ground, Kou scratched his head and glanced over at Kaito. "Well, we have to go report to the Ringmaster. He kind of oversees all this stuff...when he isn't flirting. After that we'll have some time to ourselves. Are you hungry? Or does your mouth still hurt too much?" he asked as they walked away, always keeping a straight face.

Standing a distance away, chatting together, were two freaks of enormous height. Both wearing suits, one had purple and grey pin stripes, while the other's attire more closely resembled that of a Ringmaster. As the two smaller performers approached, they looked over and fell silent, though they both smiled politely to them. "Why hello there, Kou! I seen you've met our latest addition," the Ringmaster said in a smooth voice, smirking down at the two. Towering above them at about 12 feet, he was only a few feet taller than the woman in a suit next to him, who smiled down at the boys shyly from below the brim of her matching top hat.

Giving the man a disinterested stare, Kou said in a matter of fact tone, "We brought down all of the trapeze works. We're done for the day." Watching as the Ringmaster wrote something down in a small book, he was relieved to hear the man agree, and muttered a thanks as the two pairs parted ways.

Checking on Kaito again, he asked, "So what do you want to do? Get food, meet people, or try to find you some materials?"  

[Sacrifice Kaigen]

Kaito listened to Kou talk, "Those are great." He said, watching the other male climb up the rope ladder. Being careful not to get hit with any of the ropes, Kaito rolled them up so they wouldn't get tangled before starting on the next rope.

When Kou got down from the ladder, Kaito looked at him curiously. "Is it okay to leave them there?" He asked, his mouth hurting a lot less than it had before. Which he was very grateful for.

At the question asked, Kaito nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I 'm kinda hungry. But my mouth doesn't hurt that much anymore." He asnwered, following Kou as he lead them to the Ringmaster.

Watching and listening to the conversation, Kaito stayed silent, returning the smile from the tall woman before following Kou again. "Well, after we eat, we can do whatever you want."