logsinthenight | EVENT LOG: COTTON CANDY HEARTS

Entry tags:

EVENT LOG: COTTON CANDY HEARTS

characters: everyone.
location: amusement park.
date/time: august 17 - 31.
content: time to enjoy a little time at the carnival!
warnings: n/a. please use cw tags as needed.

oh come, take my hand, and run through playland...

It's clear in the past two days of fevered work, the spirits are up to something. Collecting rainbow wigs and pinstriped jackets, gathering food and preparing decorations. There's no getting them to reveal the secret, though — any attempt to ask only results in an ominous gesture of silence. However, characters won't have to worry about what the spirits are up to for too long, as on the start of the 17th each and every resident of Beacon will be delivered a note, inviting them to come out and enjoy themselves at the Amusement Park.

ALL FUN AND GAMES.

Over the last few days, some of the food tucked away in the General Store, The Invincible's stock room, and the kitchens of The Landmark may have gone missing - but not to worry, because here it is, all stocked at little booths within the amusement park, ready for sampling! The enticing aromas of fried batter and sugar wafts through the air, no matter where you are in the park. Find old favorites, from funnel cakes to fried pickles, popcorn to whole turkey legs - or try something new! Ever had a corn dog wrapped in curly fries? How about a deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a stick? One spirit, currently chewing on a crispy battered pine cone, even offers a unique suggestion - bring it anything you like and it will deep fry it for you. You do have to eat it, though, that's the catch, or the spirit will be very irate and might take something of yours later to deep-fry and leave on your pillow. Don't waste good food!

At the end of the row, tables have been covered in classy checkered red-and-white tablecloths, and piled with ingredients, and it looks like ovens formerly belonging to some ruined village housing have been dragged all the way out here and plugged in, and are now waiting and ready. There's flour (all purpose, pastry, chickpea, and others, and - no, that's just a pile of sand on that plate), plenty of butter and sugar and spices, all sorts of summer fruits, and more. It's a pie making contest! The judge is the Lunch Lady spirit, who hmms and ahhs and ohhhhs wisely as they pace back and forth along the tables, observing the pies being made and occasionally taking tiny little samples with tiny little forks when the pies are baked. How will they decide the winner? That's their secret, for now!

But their delicate little tasting session has left the pies mostly unscathed, which means it's time for the pie eating contest! A rowdy quartet of squirrel-like spirits cheers everyone on who wishes to participate, and they squeak and chatter at participants, bringing pie after pie after pie directly to whoever walks over. How many can you get down?

If food isn't your style, though, carnie spirits host a number of games scattered throughout the park. They whistle and wave you over, jump on your shoulder if small or yell at you with animated limbs from above if quite tall, urging in their musical tones for anyone and everyone to come on down and give the games a try! Toss balls at a set of colorful stacked bottles, and see how many you can knock down in a single throw, with candy and costume jewelry for rewards. Fling a ring into a booth and land it around the head of the stuffed animal you want to win, if your aim is good enough. There's even a duo dunk tank set up - over a large tub, two chairs are suspended, each with an attached bucket of softballs and a target over the head of the chair. You and a friend get to climb in and see who can dunk who first!

MUST BE THIS TALL TO RIDE.

A carnival isn't a carnival without some rides to test your bravery with, is it? Past where the food booths and skill games are set up, there are a selection of them set up, all providing various levels of thrills. There's a roller coaster, of course, that's been constructed of wood and makes a loud rattling noise as it drives you through the loops and hills. There's also a tilt-a-whirl, a gravitron, and a log flume, if you're still feeling the effects of the heat wave.

For those less interested in thrill seeking, there are also slightly tamer rides, like the bumper cars, a ferris wheel, and the tunnel of love. All of these rides have the innate feeling of danger that you'd find at any theme park or carnival, but they operate quite safely, albeit with some creaking.

COTTON CANDY HEARTS.

Away from the fun and excitement, the Fun House has also come back to life. There's something a great deal more ominous about it than the rest of the celebration, however — in fact, spirits will actively attempt to steer residents away. However, those determined to explore can still find their way inside.

To start, it doesn't seem that abnormal. A mirrored maze, flashing lights and creepy music. However, as they travel through the mirrored halls, they'll notice something. Their reflection doesn't necessarily follow their movements. Actually, it seems like it is trying to get closer. Maybe that isn't their reflection at all?

Trapped and lost in the maze, eventually the reflections will become full-fledged matching doppelgängers of any character that entered. It's hard to tell the difference between the fake and the actual thing, though the doppelgängers will not speak, only chase — and chase aggressively. They will grow more and more aggressive in trying to reach their double, willing to go through potential distractions if they have to. Cutting them down seems ineffective at best; as long as there are reflections, the doubles will keep coming, growing more and more bloodied as they "die". Ultimately, they will not stop until characters exit the maze or they reach their exact match.

As they reach their match, they will reach out and grab their heart. Literally, hand through the chest and everything. It's as excruciatingly painful as it sounds. The doppelgänger will smile a demented, satisfied grin, and disappear immediately after without a trace. Any character that got nabbed by their double will suffer from lantern malfunctions for the rest of the event. You're more than welcome to pick what malfunction and to what extent!

FIND YOUR FORTUNE

Characters that have braved wandering outside the relative warmth and activity of the the celebration will find the rest of the amusement park still a little grim. Dark, worn down, abandoned. Plenty of the rides seem ominous at best and dangerous at worst. In their searching, characters are likely to happen upon a fortune teller lingering in the shadows.

If they are brave enough to approach, they'll find there is no need for a coin. Upon spotting them, the fortune teller will creak into motion, offering a spiel in a slightly monotone robotic voice. It's a little unnerving, though what is the worst a robotic fortune teller can really do?

Well, it turns out, every fortune the fortune teller provides always comes true. Some of them are harmless, like a prediction that they will win their next game of darts or find a cherry in their blueberry pie. Some will get far more grim fortunes, that they will find glass in their next drink or that they will step on a nail. Worst of all are fortunes that essentially force a character to do what they would normally wouldn't, like confessing a dark secret to the next person they see.

While you are welcome to make up your fortune, you are also able to put your character's name here to get a mod-generated fortune. There will be potential clues for future explores in these fortunes, though there is also a chance of receiving something else, such as an injury or a strange happenstance. No one will receive death in their fortune!

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"You know not everything here that looks spooky is actually bad, right?" Soldat asks blandly, maybe a little annoyed at being called stupid just for wanting to test something out. "I am enhanced. I am stronger, faster, and heal more quickly than most people. So most things are safer for me than other people. And without proof that it's dangerous, other people will test it." Even with proof....

"I guess you never know. Maybe the spirits like fried hair." They've eaten more dubious things before, from what he's seen.

"Did it just hand you that, then? I guess you could ask for something else. Or I saw some sort of fried bread thing down that way," he says, pointing toward a stand in the distance. Smells good, actually - sweet and spiced. But even if he could taste it, he wouldn't want to, because bread is atrocious.

And no, he's not going to try the crispy fried hair, either, or whatever that is, as he continues to make no move to even touch it.

"Haven't broken it yet!" he shouts cheerfully as he rights himself, and rubs his hand against his nose. Hm, it's bleeding. But it doesn't hurt enough to be broken! His eyes cross as he tries to look at it, a moment of intentional clowning in an attempt to get Law to lighten up a little.

"Okay, how do I..." he then mutters to himself as he sits crouched all long-limbed and spiderlike, with knees and elbows jutting out at angles as he more cautiously tests the brake and the gas. It jerks again, but less abruptly, and eventually it gets going. Slowly. Because he has absolutely exceeded this thing's weight limit.

"What, you think it goes fast for me?" he counters with a laugh. "Doesn't have to be a race, then. We could make them actually crash or whatever they're supposed to do."

It'll be some slow-motion crashing if so but maybe that's for the best. Whatever the weight limit on this car is supposed to be, he absolutely exceeds it.

Stone has no such qualms. He pads over and starts picking them up by arms, scruffs, tails, antlers, whatever is handy, and setting them gently to one side. "You're crowding her," he says, kindly but implacably. Most of the spirits get the picture when he moves them a second time (a couple even the first time) and sheepishly trundle off.

There's only a couple who get angry, but they're small and easily intimidated by sharp teeth and a ground-vibrating growl.

Stone's spines rattle a little, skewing in a body-language kind of questioning way, not that Rosinante will recognize that probably. Then he wades back closer to shore, and once he's close enough to stand in groundling form, changes back. "Because of what, Rosinante? You can't go starting a statement like that and then not finishing it."

As soon as his face gets splashed over, Stone's hand on his back pushes him back up where he can breathe. "You're okay, I've got you. You can kind of push your stomach up a little and it helps keep you at the surface."

He speaks loud enough to be heard through the water, carefully enunciated (for Raksuran levels of "enunciated"; technically his speech is made up of hisses and growls as much as it is vowel sounds) so as to be understood.

"World's slowest race," they suggest, sounding vaguely amused, but they do climb into the round car pen and gingerly step into one of the cars. (A red one, of course.) It creaks alarmingly but their feet don't go through the floor, so that's something, and they settle carefully in the seat. It's too small, but not quite as too small as it would be for Rosinante.

Edited (pronouns arg) 2020-08-27 19:53 (UTC)

"Sorry, I - that was weird," he says, frowning at himself. "No, I can't swim because of my devil fruit."

It all comes out so much more easily than it should, and that's frustrating and strange. His mouth scrunches in annoyance as he experimentally tries to keep his lips sealed, as if that's actually going to help, then sighs heavily. Whatever, here come the questions.

"See? You fit fine!" By some definition of fine that doesn't quite qualify, but good enough is good enough.

"The ones in the scrapyard are bigger than these, so I know they probably were better at holding people. Must have gone a lot faster, too!" he says as he carefully presses the gas pedal, then presses a bit harder as it barely budges at first.

Don't mind the nonsense about cars, as he just spouts things stream-of-consciousness. That's totally normal, right?

It was very tempting to test the limits of the deep fryer spirit, to figure out if it really could fry anything. Could he just give it inedible objects? Liquids? He knows, of course, how a deep fryer works, even if they rarely see much use in his time, but there's a stunning lack of good entertainment around here most of the time, and the spirits have shown themselves capable of some truly bizarre feats. Of course, the caveat that he'd have to consume anything he handed over made the prospect far less appealing. Until he thought of a happy medium, that is.

Now he's not entirely sure if he regrets his decision, cracking a deep-fried coffee bean between his teeth. That... certainly is a flavor.

"I'm not entirely certain how to answer that. The texture could use some work."

There is, after all, a reason people started brewing these instead of just eating them.

"Believe it or not, I used to eat those by the handful when I needed a caffeine boost and didn't have time to wait. Roasted, I mean, not deep fried," he clarifies, as if it makes a difference. "Is it more crunchy than usual?"

The questions he finds himself asking, sometimes. Beacon, why. He almost sounds hopeful, though, as he imagines a coffee bean with the texture of, say, popcorn.

Klaes blinks rapidly against the water that got in his eyes and draws in a breathe before doing as he's told and tightening his stomach muscles to draw himself up.

He is more successful on the second go around.

"Do not mistake this for criticism. But I don'know what floating on my back has to do with swimming. Aside from making certain it takes longer for me to drown."

And half smirks mischievously at his teacher.

"Without a challenge where is the fun?"

Ashford grins and shrugs.

"Best out of 10?"

He can't fault Rosinante for not taking the challenge, although he would have enjoyed being witness to it. He hesitates a moment longer, unsure what to do with the oddly spongey ball before simply throwing it over his shoulder.

"Eh, I am more of a scotch man."

Though if he finds something akin to deep fried noodles he might partake. He has missed the noodles on Eros since long before he died.

After an awkwardly long pause he nods in Rosinante's direction.

"I had heard you were killed."

Surely this is a good ice breaker for conversation.

Scotch - that's alcohol, he's learned that in his time here. Something like the whiskey he's familiar with, but he's not clear on the distinction.

It would be something they might have in common, he might even be able to build a conversation out of that comment, when Ashford instead strikes with that observation and Rosinante frowns, swallows the question he might have asked, and nods.

"Yeah. I made a mistake. Wasn't aware enough, and a spirit caught me off guard," he says. "But I'm doing all right now. The people working on lantern repair have to practice somehow, right?"

For the spirits who take offence, this is where Lorem steps in. When all the attention was off her for once, she took the time to fish out her ocarina.

She gets their attention with a quick whistle and flashing an apologetic smile. Nodding her head in agreement to what he said, she manages to stumble out an apology and a promise to see the spirits some other time.

It soothes their agitation. Enough that they depart without so much as a look at either Lorem or the one who had helped her out.

"Thank you," she says to him as the last of the spirits scurry away. It feels like she can breathe again, she thinks as she leans against the booth. "I gave one of them a prize I won and they all hurried over." She made the error of trying to get them all prizes, wanting to win their favour, but it brought more in. "There’s a lot I need to learn about them but that certainly was an experience. Thank you for help again, Mister... ?"

He is kind of rambling. That's not really a Rosinante trait. Soldat eyes him briefly, but lets it go for now. Maybe he's on a sugar high or something. "These are toy cars. Basically."

They're careful about the gas pedal on theirs, too, but having actual experience driving cars (wow, who knew, they sure didn't) Soldat does get it moving and turning as smoothly as bumper cars ever actually go.

"Right, that makes sense. Just rides for the park, like how carousels have fake horses."

Cool. The car is slow, but considering the last time he floored it to make it go faster he ended up (not quite) breaking his nose, he's determined to be more careful this time. He turns, and it goes puttering in a wide arc, but ends up trying to straighten the wheel far too late and thunks into the side of the arena. He doesn't fall out so much as he abruptly falls downward in a collapse of splayed limbs across the top of the car.

"Are the real ones at least easier to drive?" he grumbles as he tries to sit up, and that's when he instead falls to the side and onto the ground.

"It's... additionally crunchy, I would say." The beans themselves aren't any crunchier, but there's also the batter on top, which is its own thing entirely. Two cronch for the price of one.

"I won't claim I've never eaten these raw. Can't always bother finding the time to brew them." Or rather, can't always find the water and heat necessary when you're poor space trash, but let's not add that part.

Will pops another couple of beans into his mouth, realizing that they snap much easier between his jaws than they should. They're not soft, exactly, but not difficult to chew.

"I think it may have made them a bit easier to eat, as well. Doesn't take much effort to chew them." Trust him to give way too much information on something so trivial.

"Kinda sounds good. Mind if I try one? I'd offer a trade, but all I've got is a half-eaten ear of corn," he says, grinning wide. "Probably not very appetizing. I could go win you a stuffed animal, though."

Is he boasting about his ring toss skills? Maybe. When he's not prone to fumbling things he does have excellent aim.

"Oh, yeah, they can get excited like that," Stone agrees. "Or about nothing at all, sometimes. They're odd little things." He looks after them with a mix of amusement and exasperation, before looking back at the young lady. "Anyway, I'm Stone. Been here almost a year now. I've smelled you around, but don't think we've met yet."

"Well now you're going to have to explain what a devil fruit is, because I'm not from your world, and no fruit I've ever heard of kept a person from swimming." He starts wading all the way out of the water, heedless of how his clothes and hair are dripping. It'll dry, it's certainly hot enough.

"Which is the point here," Stone says sternly, holding a hand under Klaes's back even after he seems to have gotten the knack. "Keeping you from drowning. What if you broke an arm or a leg? Floating would keep you alive longer, so someone can come and grab you out. Hopefully me. All right, stand up again."

"They are, actually," Soldat says, smothering their amusement so they don't get Rosinante more annoyed. It might help that they, too, are having a little trouble steering, in no small part because they are too big and heavy for the poor car. Mostly it doesn't want to turn, at all. "A lot easier. Also. I think these are meant to hit things. Like each other. So poor control is built in."

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EVENT LOG: COTTON CANDY HEARTS

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