Takem

The children will witness what awaits beneath the tent first, no nosey adults need interfere. Come one, come all for only the luckiest!

The circus spreads without warning, it’s almost as if there was no asteroid to begin with, rather, just a slight breeze blowing in posters and confetti your way. Entertainment arrives, stages appear, music without a source can be faintly heard, the everlooming tent begins to rise and beckon you. Color spreads throughout your town, and your world becomes infected, so try to avoid that.

Some of it is an illusion, some is not. The air isn't quite right, though breathing in it does no harm, if you resist. If you wander in a group, try not to get separated, you'll fall into one of their tricks, each one unpredictable.

If the forest turns into a mirror maze, you’re being watched. Run before you begin to miss a loved one, who might just be hiding behind one of those reflections.

A farm could become a rodeo, now home to remarkable creatures. Linger too long, you’ll be trampled by an unruly horse and find yourself completely intact.

Don’t enter your home to retrieve a family member or necessities if the house shows an array of patterns and color, you’ll never want to come back out. The dinner table is set with poison.

Your church is no longer a sanctuary, it is a vessel for a new faith and a new god. If you dare pick up that bible, familiar guests will have already filled the room.

Now the circus is filled, now it can spread its joy to the rest of the world!

-

Though it presents physically, it is an emotion based virus which feeds on any insecurities and fears you may have and aids in an “escape from it all” by compelling you to the circus. If you are thoroughly unconvinced or have any biological defenses, you may be immune or have the strength to will the disease out of your system.

You essentially become so infatuated with the visions of your Ideal Life that you go nuts chasing the circus. You have to be held back instead of being let go. It's as if there's a little parasite in your head making you afraid of whatever isn't the carnival. Of course, you can begin to resist and fight back. That's when they have to let you go.

You endure the classic biting or mere Prick of the skin from a carnie, and might not even feel it, then you begin the metamorphosis! While a sticky substance slowly overtakes your body, your skin becoming coated in an unnatural color, you grow lethargic from constant hunger, more vulnerable to breakdowns and impulsivity. Endorphins will rush into your brain and body, making you lightheaded. You’ll crave fun and excitement to an addicting degree, and the rest of the world becomes your enemy. These emotions will allow you to act as a functioning person long enough for you to be unaware of your own deterioration.

If your starting point is on any limb, amputation is a fruitless endeavor, though it’ll decrease the spreading. But it’s already inside your head. You will be cocooned and emerge as one of them. It’s painless once you give in!

Stage 1: Your body remains stable, albeit a stronger one fit for your role, but forced into makeup and costume with no thoughts beyond an unwavering dedication to the circus. The virus feeds on insecurities, convincing you that the only solution to your turmoil is to join the hivemind. You can be turned back to normal if someone reminds you what troubled you in the first place, that agony can be endured if you have the support of your loved ones. I pity the fools without a family to depend on.

Additionally, at any point should you return to normal, it’ll take a good scrubbing to get that paint off of you. It consists of rather unconventional materials.

Stage 2: Because you have no will for sleep or food, only eating artificial candy or taking stage breaks, your body needs to change to adapt, you need a proper vessel. All functions shut down, only being given energy by what you cant see. Trying to consume real food will trigger symptoms akin to refeeding syndrome. You will further lose yourself in the process and become much harder to save because your body resists it. It’s in preparation.

Stage 3: You will mutate, this is the point of no return. Depending on what part you play in the circus, you may either grow limbs, lose bones, grow horns, gain animalistic or inhumane features, or attach yourself physically to your assigned partner. There is no limit, but it cannot be undone. You wanna stop it? Talk to God. Your makeup will imprint in such a way that it spreads out across your face and body. Your insides are a sticky, sludgy substance, you can be contorted and beheaded and not take issue with it. You’re just a decoration.

If you happen to be a corpse revived before the apocalypse… well, I guess you bear the gift of knowledge. Can’t reset a brain twice. External measures need to be taken to make sure you don't try to leave, and you know theres no point in trying.

BASICALLY - The Eyes has sent itself down from the skies and uprooted itself as a circus tent, beckoning the 6, among other children, to follow the path to the circus and become one with it. what follows is an apocalyptic scenario where the concerned adults in town must figure out how to cease (or undo) the spreading infection without becoming a Carnie themselves. this au is inspired by Killer Klowns From Outer Space, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals, and most obviously @/staticCL1NG's Night Parade

Skid wished upon a shooting star. he prayed for his father to be safe, wherever he is. and because Gregor's words cut deeply, he also wished for a way for him and Pump to stop hurting people and bring them eternal happiness instead

this AU has a Very loose plot because i dont want to have to constantly change it as more episodes release, but im settled on the idea that The Eyes crash-landed to take matters into his own hands. Everything will be his, and Everyone will be complacent.

i imagine the main character of this story is Kevin, just for the fact that thanks to seeing The Eyes beforehand, he would be the only non-cultist able to see the tent. and of course Nobody would believe him if he tries to explain that Thats why a group of kids suddenly disappeared. but thats okay, they came back! and now more people can see the tent.

the cast in total is focused on Kevin, Lila, John, and Patty. theres additionally Frank and Radford since one of them knows quite a lot about kids, and the other is there for comedic relief + zombie apocalypse movie info. they find survivors, they lose them, they try helping the cultists... they stop trying to help the cultists. etc. all this while trying not to get bitten by freaky little kid zombies

heres da list of what everyones acts are (including hypotheticals for the survivors), along with some info

CHILDREN

Skid

Carnie barker

Asymptomatic

Pump

Carnie barker

Susie

Acrobat

Lost her brother amidst the darkness of the woods after he let go of her hand, not even the sky shone a path for her. A cold hand then took hers, and Susie could finally see the tent.

Roy

Strongman, juggling, club swinging

The circus is for “babies”, as he puts it, so he leaves early. Instead of the outdoors, Roy gets lost in a maze of reflections. He cries for his family, and one of them comes to his aid. He missed him, too.

Ross

Mime 

His act is a little too convincing

Robert

Jester, cyr wheel

Hope

Globe walker

Usually stays with Ignacio, shes never not seen balancing on a ball

Lucky

Horseback rider

The last kid to be turned, managed to miss the whole thing. Isn't he lucky

SURVIVORS

Lila

Stiltwalker 

In order to convince her husband to reveal how to undo everything, she first needs to comply with his wishes. Contact with an infected through a kiss is effective, Lila can’t help herself to love… that’s not her husband.

Kevin

Contortionist 

He has every reason to join them, why does he have to be so stubborn?

John

Stuntman, human cannonball

Found Hope and searched endlessly for her once she ran off again, never realizing she infected him. The survivors kept him and worked tirelessly to scrub him of his ailment, but he became a husk of himself.

Patty

Magicians assistant

Almost couldn't identify that it was an outbreak, since the concept of “zombie clowns” was too ridiculous to take as a legitimate issue.

Frank

Strongman 

Asymptomatic

Spent a majority of his time protecting Lucky, who was conveniently in his van by the time the circus rose and the outbreak occurred. He now fades in and out of consciousness as he tries to find a way out of the tent and away from the Carnies.

Radford

Acrobat

Those glasses muddled his reality, he had to learn the hard way that life isn't a movie. Deliberately let himself get turned once he realized he had no family left. John was a walking corpse, that was the breaking point. Call that clownicide

TOWNIES

Jack

Stuntman, human cannonball

Put on a brave face because he loves his friends more than he fears clowns. He will be missed

Mr Wonder

Vendor

Jaune

Escape artist

You cant quite tell if shes acting like herself or not

Aaron

Motorcyclist 

Rick

Ticketmaster

Shows up behind every booth, you're only required to answer cheesy questions or solve riddles for him to give you a ticket. By the time he breaks character and you remember whos taken his place, the exit door is gone.

Streber

Backstage worker

Asymptomatic

Wears a mask to keep him in an induced trance, his focus is necessary to keep Frank in his place

Richard

Tightrope walker

Carmen

Tightrope walker

Dexter

Ventriloquist

Asymptomatic

Over time, his awareness comes back to him as he turns into the puppet on his hand, and the husk personality is switched to his original body

Michelle

animal/lion tamer

Asymptomatic

Brought back to life by Moloch, isn't aware of her lucidity nor does she understand the situation she's been brought into. Pray her other eye never opens.

Gregor

Fortune teller

Costume Kid

Dragon dancer

It’s not just him, the other employees follow his lead! But not enough to make that many set of legs…

Moloch

“Bull” kept under Michelle’s watch

CULTISTS

Bob

Knife thrower, sword swallower

Asymptomatic

Only acts in an animalistic manner because of his already rotten brain

Garcia

Clown 

He looks familiar!

Evermore

Ringmaster

Ignacio

Firebreather 

CD

Vendor, backstage worker

Thin Thief

Hobo clown 

Fat Thief

Hobo clown 

Mort

Magician 

Uncle

Illusionist 

Asymptomatic

Hides in mirrors, looking for a good scare like always

Captain

Rodeo clown

Shotgun

Rodeo clown

Skiddad

Stiltwalker