logsinthenight | 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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Stone can't speak in this form, but he does raise all his spines like a quizzical bird raising its feathers, then tilts his head and beckons with one foreclaw. Come on in, then?

He may still be unaware of the particular weakness to water Rosinante has, having spent the flood entirely cut off from the inn folks, and being on a different exploration team down at the Helix.

No need to hear words to understand clearly. Rosinante shakes his head.

"I'd rather not drown. Can't swim because of-" he begins, then abruptly clamps his mouth shut as a look of deep concern crosses his face. The content itself really isn't a secret, doesn't need to be, but the ease with which it all began to come right out is startling.

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."

"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.

"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.

"It doesn't come up much." He doesn't bring it up much, that's the difference, but he manages just well enough to keep from saying literally those words. It's a struggle, though, as he focuses on what he wants to say, rather than what comes to mind first. He continues to frown as he stares down at the water rather than at Stone, trying to concentrate.

"It's a type of fruit that grows in my world. If you eat one, it gives you powers. But it means you freeze up in still water if you get too deep. They call them 'devil' fruit because of an old myth about how there are devils that live in them, and how the sea hates the devils and wants to punish them and those who harbor them. We know better now, but the name stuck."

"Oh. Well, shit." Stone frowns deeply, but accepts the explanation. "That's a thing people should probably know, Rosinante, especially when we have floods and rain and really dangerous rivers. What if nobody knew and didn't know you needed help?"

"People do know," he replies. "Law's-"

He's able to cut himself off at that, grinding his teeth before he starts spouting off things about other people. He's already annoyed at having to talk so abruptly about himself, but he doesn't need to go spilling others' secrets and weaknesses. Not that this is any secret anymore, really, after the Helix Station.

"Law's not far off, usually. He knows. Besides, of all the things that have managed to kill me here so far, not once has it actually been water. I've lived my whole life around the ocean, I know how to deal with it."

Stone gives a little grunt at that. He does have a point that he's been fine, but at the same time: "You keep too many secrets, boy." He shrugs. "But if you don't trust us after all this time, I guess that's as much on us as it is on you, isn't it."

He looks between Rosinante and the water thoughtfully. "Does splashing hurt you? Or just wading in?"

There are some things he wants to say to defend himself, for he has very good reason for all his secrets, but before he can open his mouth and spout it all out against his will, Stone continues, thankfully. The question disrupts his thoughts, half-formed.

"No. It doesn't hurt no matter what. It just makes me tired. Not sleepy, but exhausted. Too deep and I can't even move. Gets hard to think. But only if it's still water, like that lake. Rivers are fine. Splashing's fine. I just get wet."

He frowns a little and shrugs. "I talked about this with Will when he first found out and he tried to come up with all kinds of reasons but nothing I said really made complete sense to him. I know the old stories, but not really why or how. Doesn't matter anyway, I just try to keep out of it."

EVENT LOG: COTTON CANDY HEARTS

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