daemoniumexmachina: (mendel)
daemoniumexmachina ([personal profile] daemoniumexmachina) wrote in [community profile] ph_logs2024-08-22 10:41 pm

Devil's Carnival! [ Court of Fools Open ]

Warning(s): unreality, gaslighting, identity crisis, amnesia



With their master’s machinations on the horizon, Mendel’s Court of Fools takes to the town to prime their audience. They can be found in remote shadows and dark corners, but it’s so important to get the crowd in the right mood for a show, wouldn’t you agree?

-Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss-
[Blanche, the Baroness of Blank]

Sometime nearing or after dark, if you’re still wandering the streets, there are a number of things that can still find you even when you stick to the paths of lit lanterns.

“You’re missing something, aren’t you?” The jolly voice comes from behind you. Should you turn, you’ll see a woman dressed almost entirely in white aside from thin red lips and thin red pinstripes. Her eyes are even white, including her pupils, so that they very nearly blend into the rest of her face if not for her big, white lashes creating a bit of depth. She smiles, revealing perfectly white teeth all in straight rows. She hangs upside down--- from a rafter, a shop sign, a tree branch, or nothing all.

Climbing down and righting herself with acrobatic ease, she continues to wear that cheshire smile. “I can always tell when someone is missing something. Or needs to lose something. Perhaps that sounds more like you. If you’d like, I can find it for you. Or unfind it. Your choice.”

- Damn, that's a really creepy doll-
[Seemingly, the Thane of the Capricious]

There is an alleyway in town, hidden behind the Oak & Iron. It is rarely used except by stray cats. Hidden there, among the garbage, you will find what looks to be a pile of broken gears and metal junk, entwined with bits of fabric. Four masks lay strewn about. But upon inspection, the gears creak to life suddenly, and an automaton begins to build itself quickly with the pleasant clinking of small metal pieces against one another, and in moments, there is a figure before you that tips its hat before placing it on its head. The masks are seated in a circle around what would be its head, and the one in front is an expressionless mask with a large, golden crack down the center.

It whispers to you sharply. “What are you?”

[ Seemingly has four masks that each have their own personalities, voices, and even pronouns. They are as follows:

Hollow - it/its - a white mask with gold flourishes and a golden forehead gem, and a blank expression which speaks in a harsh whisper. Its intent is to be threatening and cut to the heart of you. It was broken once, and now bears a striking crack filled with gold.
Glee - he/him - a white mask with golden clown paint on the eyes and a wicked, twisted grin, along with a prominent nose. He is sinister and jolly and speaks with a masculine falsetto.
Wrath - they/them - a pure gold mask with black flourishes that looks enraged. They speak in a distorted voice, as if through a tube, that sounds androgynous.
Twist - she/her - a half gold, half white mask with a slight smile, which speaks in a deep and sonorous feminine voice. She is patient and scheming. ]


-Some kind of fucking spooksperson-
[Smiling Jack, Mendel’s Infernal Servant]

If you walk past Infernal Arms and Armor at midday, you may hear the clinking of glass on glass at one of the soot-covered windows. A whisper can be heard.

“Hey! Hey, over here!”

There is a bottle of orange goop with a jack-o-lantern face crudely floating in it. Are these… pumpkin guts?

“Hey, c’mere! I just wanna talk. God I’m so lonely. How’s it goin’?”
xiaoxiuya: made by mdzspring (Default)

Manipulate, Mansplain, Malewife

[personal profile] xiaoxiuya 2024-08-23 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
Shen Qingqiu sighs. He'd been half-expecting this, ever since he came out the other side of the plague with his symptoms slightly relieved, his cultivation freed up a little for other things -- but only slightly. Only a little. He's still being crushed under the heavy weight of those visions Nyarlathotep planted in his head, it still hurts and he still can't see them clearly. Like a thick block of granite it looms there in his mind and he hasn't yet found the tools to crack it open. And he's heard how these demons work, how they prey on the desperate.

Shen Qingqiu does not get desperate. He is cool, he is collected, and he is in control. He is absolutely not lying to himself.

"Begone, foul thing," he says firmly, and makes to keep walking, unconcerned about showing the clown demon (why) his back. "You have no business here."
gruesomegourmand: ([Fear] ohhh god)

A Particularly Creepy Doll

[personal profile] gruesomegourmand 2024-08-23 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
As far as Laios can tell, at first glance, there's just some unusual trash outside to navigate around while he goes through the closing checklist for his rare night shift. He hefts the trash bin into the larger one out in the alley, dumping it out with care not to spill it... only to be made to jump and drop it by those quiet, metallic sounds breaking the relatively peaceful silence of the night.

When he's met with that cracked, masked face, he's frozen where he stands, unable to do anything but gawk.

"I... um." He mumbles, not able to get much louder than that quiet confusion. "I'm... Laios."

A beat. That's not what it asked.

"And I'm a... tallman?"
xiaoxiuya: made by mdzspring (Default)

[personal profile] xiaoxiuya 2024-08-23 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
He winces as, like an actor hearing his cue, a bolt of pain lashes his left temple. "That would be nice," he concedes, "But I hardly see why I should seek your help with it. Forgive my saying so but you hardly look like a qualified medical professional."
gruesomegourmand: ([Neutral] thinking)

[personal profile] gruesomegourmand 2024-08-23 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
Huh. That's a hell of a question. Does he even know that answer? His frightened expression melts, slowly; he's clearly still nervous, but a thoughtful frown rises over it.

"I'm... an adventurer, and a warrior. Or... I used to be. Now I'm a cook." But is just job the core of what he is? When he was adventuring, it felt like it. Now that he's not, he isn't so sure. He wracks his mind for a moment, and it's difficult to find just how hard it is to cement what the core of him could be. "But... I think I'm mostly someone who's still trying to figure out what I am."

Even with how odd this is, and how his better judgement beckons him to hurry back inside, to find his sword, he can't help but look more deeply.

"...What are you?"
xiaoxiuya: (exasperated fan)

[personal profile] xiaoxiuya 2024-08-23 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
Ugh, creepy. Instead of shaking her hand Shen Qingqiu pulls out his fan, opening it with a crisp click of wood and holding it between them like a barrier. He looks 'Blanche' up and down coolly, his own face a mask of calm. Cool as a cucumber, as they say. "And what do you know about my dealings with Nyarlathotep?"
Edited 2024-08-23 03:37 (UTC)
abhorrently: (journey.)

creepy doll.

[personal profile] abhorrently 2024-08-23 10:37 am (UTC)(link)
It wouldn't be her usual place to check, but she could have sworn she heard Chills and their little shriek somewhere around here, and if they've gotten into some trouble, she feels duty bound to check. But there's nothing back here but trash and oddities - perhaps something worth salvaging. Yet before Fever can try to pick up a mask, the automaton jerks to life, and she falls back into a more guarded stance, already knowing that it takes but a word and a gesture to start fighting.

"What are you?"

It may have asked first, but oddly personal questions being asked in the trash alley is more of a familiar acquaintance territory and not a first meeting sentiment.
incomingchoppers: (are you serious sir?!)

gaslight gatekeep girlboss

[personal profile] incomingchoppers 2024-08-23 01:51 pm (UTC)(link)
It's kind of a surprise he didn't put the pieces together before now.

Okay, so there wasn't a lot to put together at first. Miss Leeds sending him home early some nights, then gossip the next day about another Pine Devil attack? Maybe she just knew it was gonna happen because she grew up here, and wanted Radar to get home safe in time. But ever since Radar came up to the estate one morning and spent half the day squeaking in outrage about how half his paperwork got burned, now he's gotta redo a bunch of orders for the party next month, what happened!!! -- yeah, Miss Leeds explained a candle fell over and apologized a whole lot, but she also seemed... preoccupied. Calm as ever on the outside, but noise pinging around her head louder than usual.

Loud enough that tonight, Radar heard something he definitely, definitely shouldn't've heard.

(Dahlia. Dolly. It's so obvious he'd kick himself if he wasn't so busy freaking out.)

He faked a stomachache, which honestly he didn't have to fake too hard, and started the walk home as fast as he could. Radar's barely paying attention to his surroundings. And he's wound up so tight that when someone speaks up behind him, he jumps about a foot and yelps as he whirls around.

"Jeez, don't sneak up on a guy like that!" he squawks. "I coulda had a heart attack!"

...Wait, did he forget his keys in his rush to get home? Is that what she's talking about? Still scowling, Radar pats down his pockets, quickly locating both his sending stone and his keys with no trouble. "No, I got everything I need, ma'am, I didn't drop anything."
xiaoxiuya: (exasperated fan)

[personal profile] xiaoxiuya 2024-08-23 04:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Shen Qingqiu lets out an inarticulate sound of outrage. "You brought him up first!" he points out, and then growls and sweeps past Blanche so quickly that the trailing ends of his sleeves nearly snap in the breeze. "Ridiculous! Why do I even bother?"
theydrewfirstblood: (quiet{ o rly?)

some kind of fucking spooksperson

[personal profile] theydrewfirstblood 2024-08-23 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
John visits Infernal Arms fairly regularly. He's noted everything in there, including the bottle--he's just never paid any attention to it. It's not like his station is ever over that way when River's working with him anyhow...

But today he's setting up another little nail shrine when he hears it. He looks around, confused--and the voice draws his gaze to the bottle in question.

Abandoning his half-finished prank, he crosses over and squints into...yeah, that's pumpkin innards, and a face in them.

"...uh...hi?"

God and Serranai, please don't let this be the moment he's officially losing his damn mind...
xiaoxiuya: made by mdzspring (Default)

[personal profile] xiaoxiuya 2024-08-24 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
He does think he's too good for this, is the thing, although he's at least too polite to directly say so. Not that what he actually does do is that much better; he snorts, fanning himself slowly, and says, "I 'shook hands', as you put it, because I was hoping to learn something useful. Something I could use to protect the people here from the likes of him and you. If I'd known I was going to walking around with a sectioned off block in my head like this, I'd have refrained." Well, probably. He'd have had second thoughts before doing it, at least.

"I don't want to forget," he mutters to himself, fanning more vigorously in his agitation. "That'd completely defeat the point. I just need to figure out somewhat to wrestle it into a shape I can use, something I can understand..."
cacophonish: MOPI (scene27331)

spoooooooksperson

[personal profile] cacophonish 2024-08-24 01:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Jeff's got no business at a blacksmith's, but in an act of kismet, he happens to be passing by at juuuuust the right time, at the right day.

Pumpkin guts are talking to him. Jeff doesn't even blink. He just leans in, sooooo close to the window, and exhales, fogging up the glass. Then, he draws a smiley face on it.

"Hey, man. It's going good, I mean, I can't complain. Totally copacetic here." He tilts his head curiously. Loneliness is certainly a feeling he's well acquainted with. "Are you the only talking bottle of goo in there? Or are the others just, like, dicks."
Edited (I can't stop changing words around idk man) 2024-08-24 13:23 (UTC)
theydrewfirstblood: (face{ listening)

[personal profile] theydrewfirstblood 2024-08-24 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
“I…yeah, sure.” John replies, still a little stymied as he reaches over to flick the latch and swing the window open.

It’s a forge. It is hot—and he figures that, face in a bottle or no, it’s a small bit of kindness God and his goddess would both look on favorably.

With the window open…and realizing he’s talking to a pulverized jack o lantern, John leans against the wall beside the window and folds his arms, squinting.

“…if I sit here ‘n talk for twenty minutes, will you help me pull a prank without ratting me out?”
cacophonish: MOPI (set1-00352)

[personal profile] cacophonish 2024-08-24 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
A beat, then Jeff suddenly lets out a laugh, far more hysterical than the little pun calls for.

"Oh! Guts!" he manages between giggles. It takes a few moments for his laughter to die down, but it's still there, juuuust below the surface, threatening to erupt again at any second. "So what's that lady's deal? She break her funny bone?"
gruesomegourmand: ([Fear] sweats)

[personal profile] gruesomegourmand 2024-08-24 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Laios blinks, surprised, but puts an arm to his waist, taking a bow right back. It's the respectful thing to do, after all.

"Uh, no, not... really."

His answer comes ever-literal, but who could blame him? He's very distracted by those very tangible, very ornate masks that float about her head.

Page 1 of 4