The Park, All Day Friday

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On Friday morning, a strange mist rolled out from the park. It smelled sweetly of cotton candy, much like the scent of the night before. When the mist ebbed, it left something in its wake: tents and booths and rides, spread somewhat haphazardly around the park.

A moment later, the lights went on. At the front, an arch that bore a sign: Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show.

A tall man with a dark mustache stepped through the arch. He took momentary notice of the carnival's surroundings. Then he clasped his hands together and turned around, disappearing into a small tent just off the carnival grounds proper.

As the attractions turned on one by one, music drifted from each ride like the mist that had come before it. It could be heard everywhere on the island, inviting anyone with the time and the wish for merriment to approach and try its many delights...

Comments

Enter the Carnival

[fh_thumbprick]

Come in, come in! Buy tickets for the rides, don't mind the crooked smile on your salesperson's face!

Re: Enter the Carnival

[trigons_child]

Raven had a bad feeling about this. She'd been to the Homecoming carnivals, of course, but they hadn't appeared out of a strange mist. Still, something about it drew her in, and she told herself she was just going to investigate to see that nothing was amiss.

But that cotton candy sure looked tempting.

Re: Enter the Carnival

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

The entire psychic scent of this place was off. It reeked of wrongness.

So of course Surreal was going to go. Her stiletto was openly strapped to her thigh, and she had a dozen other blades hidden about her person. She was going to get some food, scope it out, and, if she decided it was dangerous instead of just shady as Hell, find the best place to burn it to the ground.

But first, a ticket.

Re: Enter the Carnival

[furnaceface]

Jono had come back to the island a day early to do some paperwork, but there was a general feeling of... of wrong that had pounded at his skull as he sat down at his office desk, and apparently it wasn't going to let up until he came to investigate.

So... here he was, a grim look on his face as he bought a handful of tickets. No sense actually instigating something until he got a good look around to see what was causing that... crawling feeling in his head, after all.

Re: Enter the Carnival

[tigerundercover]

Raven you know, the other one was getting actually zero weird feelings about this carnival. This was because she was actually zero percent psychic. Sure, it was a little dingy, but most carnivals in her experience were a little dingy. And if the salesperson looked shifty, that was because most carnival people looked shifty.

So when classes were done for a week, she was perfectly happy to head out to the carnival and see what was on offer. If it wasn't any good, she'd just leave. Right?

Right?

Re: Enter the Carnival

[locointhecoco]

Did someone say "carnival"? Carnivals were for fun.

Pinkie loved fun!

That pink streak that just went through, flinging a flutter of paper bills -- precisely the cost of the tickets it managed to suck into its tail wind -- after it? That'd be Pinkie Pie. At least she'd remembered to pay.

Re: Enter the Carnival

[pasunereveuse.livejournal.com]

Celia almost couldn't help herself. The draw of the carnival was nearly compulsory -- she initially credited it to the lights and fanfare offering a nostalgic glimpse of the world she called home.

But once she'd passed the first tent, Celia caught herself nervously drumming her fingers against her skirts, crossing her arms around herself -- fidgeting. The whole of the place made her practically itch with magic, and while it wasn't unpleasant, it was...distracting.

Something was off, here. Something was strange. But she couldn't keep away, all the same.

Re: Enter the Carnival

[likes-ducklings.livejournal.com]

You know who'd never even been to a carnival?

Yeah. Right here.

Now, did it especially matter that it had materialized out of nowhere? Probably. But never let it be said that Rapunzel wasn't one to take advantage of a fun time, even if said fun time looked maybe really dangerous?

Re: Enter the Carnival

[doesnotkneel]

Now Edward had made a habit of sleeping in most days - a luxury he could hardly afford at home. So by the time he finally managed to stumble outside and within the bounds of the carnival, he was still bleary and blinking.

"Now what's this?" he muttered in the salesman's general vicinity.

Not because it was that odd a sight, mind you, but for some reason the carnival kept blinking back and forth between normal-colored and deep, unsettling red. Perhaps his vision was blurring. Was that it?

After another moment or two, the effect faded, and all looked about normal.

And the salesman was staring at him.

"...pardon me, man. I've no coin on me, I'll be out of your way."

Re: Enter the Carnival

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

This was the first exciting thing to happen in a long, long while so you can bet that Hatter was going to show up to see what was the what. He purchased a few tickets for the various rides before heading in and wandering around.

Re: Enter the Carnival

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

Honestly, Nathan had never been to a carnival before. He didn't think he'd even been close to one so he couldn't pass up the chance to attend even if something was prickling as strange to him.

He ignored that feeling and wandered inside.

Re: Enter the Carnival

[filleauloup]

Well now, what was this business going on, right in the middle of the park so that it would pique the interest of a girl whose business it was to go back and forth across town all day long?

Nothing at all like Carnival in Paris, that was for certain, so naturally Éponine's curiosity was going to get the better of her, any cause for suspicion notwithstanding. (Despite the fact that the ticket seller's expression reminded her of some of her father's associates. People like that, at least, she knew how to deal with, and if you asked her it was really the ones who took care not to look suspicious that you really had to watch out for.)

When she was done with her day's deliveries -- having made quick work of them for purely self-interested reasons -- she hurried back to the park and got herself a handful of tickets.

It would be nice to take in something like this, she thought, on her own terms and without any obligations to her father or anyone else. Or without having to keep an eye out for the cops; that part was nice too.

Re: Enter the Carnival

[beautifulsenshi.livejournal.com]

"Minako, I'm sensing a lot of Dark Energy," Artemis hissed under his breath as he twined around her ankles. "This might be the Dark Kingdom making their move."

"They don't have 'moon' or 'Dark Kingdom' anywhere in the carnival's name," Minako pointed out, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Artemis. They aren't creative enough to hide who they are. It's a carnival. A creepy, creepy, carnival, but not yoma."

She nudged him quiet with her foot as she walked up to buy tickets for the rides, and then headed off in search of fun. And investigation. Totes for investigation.

[OOC: The fact Artemis can talk is, as always, NFB. That he followed Minako to the carnival is totes FB]

Re: Enter the Carnival

[voiceoverdue]

"Oo, neat!"

Cecil hadn't been to a carnival in ages, and this one looked so bright and friendly!

...possibly he had an odd definition of "bright and friendly". Would anybody be shocked?

He grinned at the salesperson hugely as he bought some tickets. "Thanks!"

Re: Enter the Carnival

[so_hawkward]

Clint had definitely noticed the smell that had permeated the island last night, but when he smelled cotton candy again today and heard the sounds in the park, there was no way he could ignore what was going on. This wasn't just something freaky and new in Fandom--this was like his childhood splayed out in front of him, and there were a lot of memories to sift through, both good and bad, as Clint wandered and took a good look around.

Concessions

[fh_thumbprick]

A stand in the middle of the carnival's clearing holds innumerable treats. Above all, there is the cotton candy, which seems glossy and full and inviting.

Surely taking a bite won't hurt. Or another. Or a third. The kind woman with the beard manning the booth will be happy to keep serving you... for as long as you want.

[[ the cotton candy is addictive, and eating more of it will make the addiction worse. ]]

Re: Concessions

[locointhecoco]

"Ooo, cotton candy!" Pinkie cried, somehow surprised at finding the cotton candy stand even though she'd been smelling it since sundown the night before. "I love cotton candy!" She bought herself a nice big fluffy bundle -- and sucked it down in a single go. Then she bought another. And another. And another, until she was starting to expand in a manner not entirely unlike a blimp.

". . . So gooooooood. . . ." she drooled, as she slurped down her twenty-sixth candy bundle. "Soo o o o o o . . . goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood."

Carousel

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A beautiful carousel sits just to the left. It's an antique and intricate work. Each seat is a horse, stretching out majestically, hooves polished and face nearly lifelike. The carousel makes wonderful music as it turns, and turns, and turns...

[[ the carousel will age you up or down, depending on its whims. ]]

Re: Carousel

[tigerundercover]

Carousels were classic, and Raven was not immune to the cliche of the girl loving horses.

Especially that one, the black one with the golden mane caught in a dramatic lunge, its head curled forward as if it were being driven forward into something terrible to look at, its teeth gritted in determination.

Yes. That was her horse.

Raven handed over her tickets -- all of them, without even thinking about it -- and climbed aboard, caressing the horse's wooden neck before hopping up to perch proudly on its back. As the ride started up, she gripped harder, laughing delightedly to herself as it spun.

It was just like when she was small, and the Xaviers would visit Coney Island. She'd ride on the carousel for hours, then -- usually because Charles' mom and dad forgot to come back and find her after they wandered away. Even before that, though, as a tiny child on the streets, she'd loved carnivals. She'd sneak in, taking the form of a clown or one of the many groups of children (no one thought twice when they happened to spot the same child again in a crowd, children milled, it was just a fact of nature). Sometimes she'd even try her hand at being one of the horses, take a break from the constant fight for survival and ride and ride in a never ending circle. . . .

It was just like that. So very, very much just. . . . Like . . . that. . . .

Mirror Maze

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It's a hall of mirrors, bent in a hundred different ways. The light bounces off each one, back and forth - can you find your way out? Or will you be distracted by what you see?

[[ can show you your own memories, distorted versions of yourself, images of people who've been co-opted into joining the show and scenes of how it happened; the maze will drive you mad if you stay too long ]]

Re: Mirror Maze

[furnaceface]

Jono had no use for the concessions, and the carousel seemed straightforward enough. It was the mirror maze that drew his attention, that seemed to scream wrong at him.

And so of course he went inside. That was what he did, after all. Went where the danger seemed the thickest, took it apart, left again with a job well done behind him.

He wasn't terribly surprised when, after a few minutes of wandering, he turned around to come face-to-face with one of the shadows in his head- a burning effigy of everything he'd ever hated about himself, a skeleton with flesh hanging from bone, fire and raw power and something bigger and stronger and crueler than he ever was lurking around the corners. He stared it down, and it grinned back at him, all hard edges and malice. It was a face he saw every time he managed to catch a minute of sleep, every little betrayal of his mind and body all wrapped into one. That face, he could manage.

The other faces that stepped up around it, on the other hand... the screaming, pleading faces of the mutants of Neverland, of the soldiers lost in Yllestad, of Mira and Vin and Ev, of everyone he'd failed to save...

He'd never been able to handle those.

And when he tried to back away and his shoulders pressed against cold, solid glass, he was certain that there was a pair of solid grey hands pressing on his shoulders. He couldn't see them when he looked, but he knew they were there as they threw him forward to watch as the writhing, pleading crowd tore his reflection to shreds.

On the floor of the hall of mirrors, Jonothon silently screamed as he writhed in agony, his mind ravaged by invisible shadows in the dark.

It was what he deserved.

Shooting Gallery

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The man who staffs this gallery has a crooked smile and plenty of rifles to hand out. Behind him is a row of targets, moving back and forth: little wooden ducks and tigers and snakes and lions dance back and forth, waiting for your attention. Or... did one of those just hiss?

[[ the targets will come to life if you try to shoot them, growing larger and attacking you. they might be wood, but they have sharp claws and teeth ]]

Re: Shooting Gallery

[vdistinctive]

Eliot hadn't planned on actually trying any of the games. They were always rigged, and shooting wooden targets wasn't exactly what he'd call "thrilling".

But the damned guy running the booth was just so smarmy. He got right onto Eliot's last nerve. He grabbed up one of the rifles, examined the sight, took a single practice shot, then nailed one of the tigers between the eyes.

And then found himself having to bash the wooden tiger's wooden teeth in with the rifle's stock.

He tossed the rifle aside once the tiger was splinters. He wiped the hair out of his face and looked over at the guy running the booth, who'd been cheering the tiger on.

And he growled.

Five minutes later, Eliot headed back out of the carnival, a touch of blood on his knuckles, tossing a wooden tiger tooth in one hand.

That was enough "fun" for one day.

Fortune Teller

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Hidden in a tent of her own, the fortune teller awaits. She may look like any charlatan you meet on the street, but nothing is less true. What she sees in her crystal ball may well come true...

[[ the fortune teller actually sees the future - but the futures she sees will inevitably be negative alternatives. if you want to see something specific, please designate this in the npc post or mail us. ]]

Re: Fortune Teller

[trigons_child]

The mirror maze was tempting, but Raven was more drawn to the fortune teller's tent. Maybe speaking to her would give her a better idea of just what this strange carnival was all about.

She hesitated a moment at the entrance to the tent, not entirely sure this was a wise idea, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Hello," she said pleasantly. "May I have my fortune told?"

Ferris Wheel

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This ferris wheel is somewhat old-fashioned, and not nearly as grand as the likes of it built today. But it reaches high in the sky, and it keeps rolling, rolling, waiting for more to enter and get a good view of the island and its surroundings.

[[ the ferris wheel will come loose or spin out of control periodically, killing or hurting those inside. ]]

Re: Ferris Wheel

[dauntless-four.livejournal.com]

Four took one look at the ferris wheel and snorted. "There is no way I'm getting on that thing."

He was Dauntless, not stupid.

Knife Thrower

[fh_thumbprick]

A man stands in one corner of the carnival, flipping knives. Ahead sits a wooden target, at which he sometimes throws his knives. Just a harmless attraction - unless you'd like to join it.

[[ the knife-thrower can and will throw knives at you, whether you decide to stand in front of the target or not. ]]

Re: Knife Thrower

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

Surreal had stolen found some funnel cake at some point, and had now meandered over to watch the knife thrower while she worked on demolishing the sugary contraption.

Picnic Tables

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There's nothing terrible about these - it's just a place to sit.

Re: Picnic Tables

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

Jessica pulled herself away from the cotton candy and she was just filled with sugar and shame and anger and annoyance at this stupid carnival for stupid existing, but whatever. She'd escaped the worst of it. She was sitting at a picnic table now, letting herself simmer down.

And that's when she put her hand down in the wrong place and got a splinter. It was a nasty splinter. It looked like there might be an infection in her finger.

A carnival infection.

Stroll Around The Carnival

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Or maybe you'd just like to look around and not engage.

Re: Stroll Around The Carnival

[notconflicted]

If everyone else was having a bad feeling about this, try being Force sensitive. It wasn't curiosity that brought Sia here as much as she wanted to see the potential threat (because she'd been here two years, it was always a potential threat), and she walked around, trying not to get too close to anything.

She did not like this at all.

OOC

[fh_thumbprick]

The NPC request post is here. You're also free to mod your attractions!

Anyone affected by the carnival - up to and including dying on the ferris wheel - will return as a carnival attraction.

Re: OOC

[trigons_child]

Question! (And apologies if this has been answered elsewhere.)

Define "affected"? Can someone go into the mirror maze, see bad things, and freak out and leave before the carnival takes hold? Or does engaging in any of the attractions mean you'd be affected?