Midnight Pals: Tears of a Clown

Hailey Piper: submitted for the approval of the midnight society, i call the tale of the clown transformation
Barker: how sexy is this clown tf
Piper: it's not really sexy
Barker:
Barker: could it be sexy?

Barker: is it about making clowns gay as fuck?
Barker: because, to be clear, i would be down for that

Barker: i mean making clowns gay as fuck
Barker: i just think that would be interesting
Piper: well i don't know about that
Piper: but there is one thing i do know
Barker: and what's that?
Cynthia Pelayo: NO
Pelayo: NO!
Pelayo: NO NO NO!

Piper: this is a story about clowns
Piper: but also, it's a story about the world
Piper: and the way that we treat each other
Piper: and the clown as a dark mirror of ourselves
King: oh wow tom this sounds right up your alley
Ligotti: hm

King: it sounds right up your alley tom!
King: your CLOWN alley as it were ha ha
Barker: Stephen what does that even mean
King: cuz in a circus you know there's the clown alley

Barker: Steve we aren't all aficionados of obscure 1920s carnival barker slang like you are
Barker: to the rest of us that sounds like an anal sex joke
Lovecraft:
Poe:
Koontz: i didn't think it was an anal sex joke

Piper: have you ever considered
Piper: what if the real clown all along
Piper: was you?
Ligotti: no no that couldn't be
Ligotti: me, a clown? absurd
Ligotti: the very idea!
Ligotti: and yet

Ligotti: no i cannot accept this
Ligotti: me? a clown? no it couldn't be true
Ligotti: in fact, i'm confident it isn't so
Ligotti: so confident that i won't feel any trepidation at all in looking in this mirror

Ligotti: ah yes my reflection, i know it well
Ligotti: [sees reflection]
Ligotti: oh no! how could it be!
Ligotti: the clown within… comes out!
Ligotti: is this my curse…???
Ligotti: OR
Ligotti: my destiny?????

Ligotti: oh no! i was wrong!
Ligotti: i was a clown all along!
Ligotti: you finally made a monkey out of me!