All the fun of the fair ... except not

[shadesofeco]

Characters: Jak shadesofeco, Daxter does-everything, Kage shenghuanzhe, Karis teethofneedles (closed after they enter, if you want in, make it quick!)
Location: Deck 04, Carnival
Date: Present
Rating: R for violence and death

Comments

[teethofneedles]

Karis trotted up to Jak, armor clanking. She was wearing most of her plate (minus the backplate, which was still being fixed). A helmet was under one arm, while in her other hand she clutched what looked like a miner's pick crossed with a blacksmith hammer. She gave it an experimental swing or two and then grinned, "Heya, Jackie."

[shenghuanzhe]

Kage's clothes were the same as they ever were when the First Mate wanted to enter the Carnival: combat boots, tank top, cargo pants, MP5, pistol, knife, mace and two shock gloves, one on each hand.

He eyes Karis' hammer as he approached.

"Where'd you get that?"

[teethofneedles]

"Tool of my trade, First Mate Sir." Karis snapped off a passable salute, "Was on me when I got pulled here. Use it for mining and blacksmithing. Thought it might come in handy in case we need to do any mining. Or blacksmithing. Or break down doors."

This face is the picture of innocence.

No, really.

[does_everything]

This was the worst idea in history.

Scratch that; past history. The history of history. This was worse than the idea that maybe dark eco was just misunderstood. "How do I let him talk me into this crap?" Dax muttered to himself as he strolled up to the carnival, fur already standing on end and puffing him out. "I'm defenseless. Gun-less. He wants me to go in here and hang out with a bunch o' masochists and he calls it fun."

Two people were standing idly by in the distance; probably Kage and Karis, the people Jak had mentioned they were meeting. There weren't even any air vents around here, at least nothing close enough for Dax to get into and escape. Baaaaaad feeling right now. "I got bad vibes about this," Dax sighed, but approached the two all the same.

[shadesofeco]

Jak threw a glare at Karis. He did NOT like her one bit, and wasn't exactly thrilled that she'd decided to show up. Grunting at her in a vague greeting, he pushed away from the wall as Kage arrived.

Now he had a better idea of what to expect, he'd prepared his Mar armor and wrappings, but was ready to guard the unshielded flesh around his upper arms and any other body parts the armor couldn't protect him from.

A bright orange blur caught his attention and he smirked. So Dax showed up after all. Wonders abound.

"I guess this is it."

[shenghuanzhe]

Oh, come the fuck on.

Kage gave her a look that was clearly doubtful, but... whatever. If she had managed to get something that could be used as a weapon, he'd let it go.

"That find its way into anyone's body outside'a Carnival, I'm takin' it from you," he said, pointing at the strange pickaxe/hammer thing the zombie was packing.

He turned to face Jak and then nodded. "Assholes and elbows, passengers. Asshole and elbows."

The First Mate slid his master keycard through the lock and the door opened up. Kage stepped through and took a deep breath of the sickly-hot, humid, thundering air. Ahh, Carnival.

[teethofneedles]

Karis tossed off another salute in her best parade-ground fashion, "So noted and understood, sir!" She chuckled and slipped her helmet on as she followed the first-mate in.

In any other situation, she wouldn't actually consider using the thing as a weapon, but... she needed it right now.

[does_everything]

With a huff, Daxter hopped up onto Jak's shoulder and clicked his claws against the armor. Well...at least he was wearing it. And if things got really hairy, Dax could always hop off and hide, probably.

"So this is what you guys do for fun around here? Bust some skulls? Lemme tell you, this is some pleasure cruise but I was thinkin' maybe a few more hot babes in the spa center, no offense to your furry compadre." Fear wouldn't stop him from running his mouth, though.

[shadesofeco]

Nodding to Kage, Jak wrinkled his nose as the stench wafted out from the open doors.

"Stick close, Dax," he muttered as he followed Kage down the ramp. At least Karis had armed herself; he wasn't enamored to the undead and didn't particularly want to expend any more energy than was necessary to protect her if things got nasty.

[shenghuanzhe]

Kage flicked the safety off and switched his grip on the weapon to an easy, under-arm carry with his elbow resting on the butt of the thing. The carousel with the fleshy horses tinkled away in the background and he stopped as they came to the fork in the ramp, squinting and the baleful, hot wind pushing the cloth of his pants this way and that.

"So you got a burnin' desire to go back the way we came, kiddo, or is it First Mate's choice tonight?"

[teethofneedles]

Karis let her hammer dangle at her side as they walked. Oh yeah, here we go again. That carousel, the weird stench...No acid-spitting crazy man yet, though.

"As long as we don't try and cut through the garden again... Don't think we're equipped for that shit.

[does_everything]

Daxter snorted and rolled his eyes; oh right, like he's gonna go run off and tackle something here himself. His fur was still standing on end, a ridge raised along his back and neck, his ears flat against his skull and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't seem to retract his claws.

Something was seriously bad news about this place, and it wasn't just the whole death and danger thing. Daxter fell into that uncharacteristic silence when he's truly afraid, a lump rising in his throat.

They're being watched. Daxter doesn't know how he knows it...but he does.

[shadesofeco]

"Your choice, Kage."

He could practically feel Daxter shivering on his shoulder and he smirked. It wasn't anything knew for the ottsel to be nervous around danger, but he hadn't been this jumpy since they ran through the war factory to face Erol's cyber form.

Cracking his knuckles, Jak clenched his fists at his sides. The air was thick and heavy, the pungent stink of death hanging all around them. His heart pounded in a mixture of fear and excitement, adrenaline making him jittery and alert. He couldn't let his guard down here, and it had been entirely too long since he'd actually felt that close to outclassed.

It was exhilarating.

[shenghuanzhe]

His choice?

No way he was going to lead them back to Xamira's cabin if the bitch was still alive. That would be like offering a steak to a ravenous dog and saying 'now play nice'. Kage had to choose the option that would hopefully end in no deaths, but realistically would end in just a few. He pointed down the ramp to the carousel and began walking, his steps heavy.

"This way. See if I can find where the Counsellor spawns from."

[teethofneedles]

All hail the conquering hero with the gun. Figures he's the only one with a 'real' weapon...

Karis follows him closely, alert and looking for danger. Left, right, up, down, back. Be careful. Be very careful. This place is dangerous.

"I'd rather get some more answers about this ship..."

[does_everything]

For once, Dax agreed with Karis. He'd have voiced his opinion -loudly and repetitively but he was too busy being spooked out of his mind. This wasn't like when they'd been in the temples, crawling with Dark Makers, or even when they'd been storming the KG war factory. No, this was...

Hell, he didn't know what this was. "Jak," Daxter whispered hoarsely, and hunkered down atop his shoulder, "I don't like this, buddy. I mean, I know I say that a lot, but I really really mean it this time. I think you should trust my godly instincts and get us the hell out of here."