I'll never forget the night that we took a wrong right and lost ourselves at the Carnival...
[[Again, I'm a bit behind on threads, but it's That Time, so if your character wants a black ticket and hasn't yet received one, feel free to post them in, and I'll go back and do the lead-up as best I can. That said, characters that show up are in real danger here -- they will very likely be injured. They may die. If you want your characters surviving, that's doable, but no one's getting out of here unscathed.]]
It's time for the midnight show, and the Carnival's ablaze with lights. Each ride and booth is individually lit, and people dance around juggling flames to the ever-present calliope music. The dancers from the girlie shows are up on a main stage, undulating in the flickering light, and everyone seems perfectly cheerful and happy to be there.
Smoke wafts through the grounds, cloyingly sweet, covering the grounds in a narcotic haze, and lovely (if oddly pale) men and women move through the crowd with trays of wine and champagne. Where the Carnival by day seems a family-friendly playground, the nighttime Carnival is a different sort of wonderland, with a distinctly adult bent. It's all a bit seedy, a bit naughty, but oh so delightful. Everyone's going to have such fun!
In the middle of the dancers on stage, Maximilian J. Maxwell himself appears in a flash of light, and as the crowd applauds, he grins broadly and bows.
"Thank you, darlings! Welcome to the show! I promised all of you a night to remember, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what you'll get!" The grin may seem a tad sadistic, but possibly that's just the haze of smoke and good cheer. Maybe it's the alcohol, for those that have decided to partake. After all, why would this charming showman be looking at them like they're prey?
Behind the stage, the carousel spins merrily, unoccupied for the moment. It may look like some of the horses are moving on their own, one or two of them stamping impatiently, but that, too, can just be brushed off as a trick of the light, playing on painted wooden figures with rolling eyes, mouths open in soundless neighs... And then the light glints off a fang in one of those painted wooden mouths.
And then it becomes obvious that the assorted Carnival folk have made a tidy ring around the expectant guests.
And Max is still smiling.
It's time for the midnight show, and the Carnival's ablaze with lights. Each ride and booth is individually lit, and people dance around juggling flames to the ever-present calliope music. The dancers from the girlie shows are up on a main stage, undulating in the flickering light, and everyone seems perfectly cheerful and happy to be there.
Smoke wafts through the grounds, cloyingly sweet, covering the grounds in a narcotic haze, and lovely (if oddly pale) men and women move through the crowd with trays of wine and champagne. Where the Carnival by day seems a family-friendly playground, the nighttime Carnival is a different sort of wonderland, with a distinctly adult bent. It's all a bit seedy, a bit naughty, but oh so delightful. Everyone's going to have such fun!
In the middle of the dancers on stage, Maximilian J. Maxwell himself appears in a flash of light, and as the crowd applauds, he grins broadly and bows.
"Thank you, darlings! Welcome to the show! I promised all of you a night to remember, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what you'll get!" The grin may seem a tad sadistic, but possibly that's just the haze of smoke and good cheer. Maybe it's the alcohol, for those that have decided to partake. After all, why would this charming showman be looking at them like they're prey?
Behind the stage, the carousel spins merrily, unoccupied for the moment. It may look like some of the horses are moving on their own, one or two of them stamping impatiently, but that, too, can just be brushed off as a trick of the light, playing on painted wooden figures with rolling eyes, mouths open in soundless neighs... And then the light glints off a fang in one of those painted wooden mouths.
And then it becomes obvious that the assorted Carnival folk have made a tidy ring around the expectant guests.
And Max is still smiling.