Chapter 1: Witchlight Carnival

[Bohemond]

Jack stops in front of the young Halfling. "Good evening, sir. I am Jackalope Quintus Swiftfoot, a duly appointed representative of the Witchlight Carnival and all associated enterprises. This is Princess Violet, also a duly appointed representative of the Witchlight Carnival and all associated enterprises. I have to insist that you get your ticket punched," he says, keeping an eye out for the girl in the pig mask. "What did the girl in the mask say to you?"

[ManWithDoor]

Rubin jumps with a start as Jack and Quill come up on him, and the pig-masked girl disappears into the mirror. "Sorry! Sorry! The nice girl was saying that if I had any regrets, she knew someone who could help me. All I had to do was follow her, and she'd guide me." He blinks at the mirror, only now contemplating the strangeness of physically stepping into a mirror's reflection. He expresses embarrassment about running in without getting his Ticket punched, and follows wherever you lead.

Regardless of whether you backtrack or continue forwards on the proscribed path, the mirrors continue their chronological march into the future - showing you as elderly. No hint of what death might ultimately befall you, just what you might (or will?) look like many years from now.

By the time you get back to the entrance, Ween has finally recovered from the Hideous Laughter spell that caused this whole debacle.

[RorytheRomulan]

Now Quill becomes visibly disturbed by the illusions. Even if she looks away, she can't get the image of herself slowly aging past frailty out of her head. In her mind's eye, it looks ghastly.

"I don't remember any girls in the mirrors the last time I was here. But, this is not anything like the last time I was here. Well, maybe it's just different every time, right? Right." She takes note of Jack's new friend, but is too preoccupied to address her.

Just as they're coming out, finally bothered enough, she projects an image onto one of the mirrors: a dorky, silly-looking kobold in a patchy robe that's too big for it, with stubby and unflattering features, lacking any dignity whatsoever. She sticks her tongue out at it and blows a raspberry. REVENGE!

(action: I cast Still Image on a mirror)

[Muskrat]

Shiloh sees the others exiting with Rubin and says to Ween, "Ah, there they are with Rubin. I'm sure that they've explained to him that you were the victim of a rather nasty prank. Are you ready to go over and talk with him?"

[Bohemond]

"I don't think that young girl is part of the Carnival," Jack says, a little unnerved but still maintaining his comically official demeanor. "All Witchlight Carnival associates have fairy wings," he says, briefly modeling his fake fairy wings before turning to Violet, who 'models' her very real fairy wings. "The Carnival is a piece of the Fey realms, brought here for the happiness and wonderment of all. And the Fey is indeed joyous and full of wonder. But it is also very old, far older than any of us, or even what our reflections showed us. One never presume to have it figured out, or take its magic lightly."

OOC

I'm presuming the girl doesn't work here because she doesn't have wings, and there is no mention of me seeing her before.

[ManWithDoor]

Once Rubin comes out of the Hall of Illusions with the group, Ween runs to him and embraces him. She is crying with joy, and firmly plants kiss after kiss all over his face. He teeters off balance and then falls over with Ween on top. They burst out laughing, this time natural laughter, not one caused by 'Tasha'. Before he can repeat his request, Ween says she would love to marry him, and after a bit of fumbling in his pocket a pretty silver band is now on her finger.

While Quill gets some temporary illusionary revenge on the perpetrator of the prank, the two gnomes manage to get back on their feet and profusely thank you. For anyone that goes along with it, Ween enthusiastically hugs them, and plants a wet kiss on their cheek. Rubin is beaming throughout, clearly not the irrationally jealous type.

OOC

Bohemond - correct, the pig-masked girl in the mirror was not wearing faerie wings, and you have not met her before.

Note: The "Mood Tracker" on the bottom-left of the Map has gone up 1 Step. The couple's joy is infectious, and everything seems a bit brighter.

Locations you have not yet visited:
- Big Top
- Bubble-Pop Teapot
- Calliope
- Carousel
- Dragonfly Rides
- Feasting Orchard
- Gondola Swans
- Lost Property
- Mystery Mine
- Pixie Kingdom
- Silversong Lake
- Small Stalls
- Snail Racing
- Staff Area (not open for Carnival-goers, but some of you are Staff so can walk right in)

[RorytheRomulan]

Quill tries to hold the silent image, intent on keeping it until she moves too far away, but the laughing breaks her focus barely a moment later, and she can't commit her willpower to a spite around the young couple's joy. Presently, she looks for the clown, paranoia niggling at her to check, and tries to keep a safe distance from the Tasha dummy.

"Hey Jack, should we tell your boss about all of this? None of it seems happy and wonderful, like you said. I mean, apart from these two lovebirds."

ooc

Depending on what the experience of the carnival assistants tells them, I think Staff Area next, otherwise the Pixie Kingdom is close.

[Muskrat]

Shiloh hasn't had a chance to go into the house of mirrors, but the whole prank on Ween and Rubin had left a bad taste in her mouth, so she wasn't really eager to do so.

OOC

I'm fine with the Pixie Kingdom.

[ManWithDoor]

The Staff Area is rather painfully guarded against casual visiting by a magical wall of thorns. If anything of particular important happens it would behoove any staff to report it to Mister Witch and Mister Light. But it would need to be rather urgent to disrupt them in the middle of operations, so it is up to the judgment of the Witchlight Hands what is of most important versus something that can wait.

OOC

Put a more in-depth description of the Staff Area in the OOC Thread.

[Bohemond]

The Harengon quickly takes a moment to think about reporting the incident to Mr. Witch and Mr. Light. However, one mysterious person in a mirror would probably only result in an instruction to 'keep a close eye on things' from the bosses, and Jack was on the ball enough to figure that one out for himself. "I'll keep an eye out for the girl," he tells Quill. "But the incident with Tasha is merely an unfortunate coincidence, one rendered sweeter by the joyous outcome," referring to the two Halflings still pawing over each other. "Perhaps the Pixie Kingdom is in order, since we are in the presence of Fey royalty," Jack says, bowing to his companion Violet with a flourish of his wide-brimmed hat.