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lights out
Warnings: Potential violence and psychological fuckery.
Location: Glitter Carnival
Characters: The Nox and you.
When: June 23rd through June 30th
Summary: There's trouble stirring up in the Glitter Carnival.
Despite its usual state of near-emptiness, Glitter Carnival’s name has been apt long before even the first arrivals were dropped into Freesia; the lights on the rides and stalls twinkle and glitter day and night, a cheery beacon from afar.
Until now.
Unceremoniously and unanimously, every light flickers and dies. The cheery carnival music continues over the rides’ speakers, but the rides themselves are perfectly still. None of Freesia’s citizens stick around, and not solely because of the uncomfortable ambiance.
The Nox have made a move, figuratively and literally. Larger than the ones scuttling through the rest of the city, they’re walking between the games and rides without a care. Some of their murky silhouettes are roughly shaped like clowns, some like every animal on the carousel…and, rarely, an oversized and certainly grotesque mix of both. And they’re whispering.
Glitter Carnival is Nox territory.
Anyone nearby is likely to get into trouble--or maybe that’s what they want. Give those Nox the good old one-two. Or maybe try and realize they can’t and flee. They certainly have options:
1. The Hall of Mirrors always seemed a bit more uncomfortable and frustrating than fun, but it looks like a good bolthole for someone panicking. Alas, only two steps in is the maze...and in the maze, some of the shadows have eyes. Good luck choosing the right ones, or the glass will be nearly as much of a hazard as the creatures themselves.
2. The rides are nonfunctional--or so it seems. If you look close, the inner components of most have a sticky black coating of ooze. Thing is, if you’re close enough to see that, you’re close enough for the Nox to spring into action and try to take you out. Enjoy dodging bumper cars and the like going at near-fatal collision speeds.
3. There's nobody around, but there are still voices, tempting or terrifying or both. The Nox would like to have a word with you.
4. Surely there are other things to do. It's a carnival! Ignore the Nox or try something else, go wild.
no subject
We can't.
No mat-ter how much
we might wish to.
no subject
What else is there to say? What else is there to do, really, other than smile nervously. (And no. He's not going anywhere near that horse, save for a cautious step away from the darkness.)
"Why can't you?"
no subject
You're ask-ing.
That is
strange.
no subject
"Would you rather I didn't?"
no subject
ne-ver ask.
You're told
to hate us.
To kill us.
Most
do.
no subject
Don't play the self-righteous game, Nox. He can do that just as well.
Probably.
no subject
We don't want
to die.
It sounds quiet.
no subject
He feels majorly uncomfortable. Enough that asking to leave feels more natural than running past. "I can't help you."
no subject
a little.
Its decorative bells ring as its head lowers further.
You
list-ened.
There's a new, strange undercurrent in its echoed voice. Something like relief.
no subject
"You're welcome."
His muscles still ache from fighting off the spiders. Somehow, the light tinkling of the bells sounds anything but cheery.
no subject
You are
hurt?
no subject
He lets the soft pinkish light flare up on his palm.
"Healing magic."
no subject
Heal-ing.
Is that
good?
no subject
He crosses his arms.
"At the very least, it's not bad."
no subject
strong, ei-ther.
You were giv-en the most use-less
skill for kill-ing us.
For keep-ing
any-one
safe.
no subject
As if he hadn't heard that before. It still stung.
"It's not like I could change it. It's a part of me."
no subject
Is that what
Lux told you?
no subject
Neither a yes or a no. He's still upset over being told his magic is weak. Understandably.
no subject
We can...
help fix that.
Your mag-ic.
no subject
Should have.
"You can?"
no subject
You want to help.
And we
do not want
to be slaugh-tered.
We can of-fer
our own power
in ex-change
for yours.
no subject
"Alright. If you tell me what you power is."
Missing out on saying first which erased any possibility of backing out once he figured out just what those powers were; but he'd jumped headfirst into things before.
no subject
It throws back its head and canters towards Aaron--if he wasn't so close, perhaps he could have fled.
The dark-ness can be any-thing, every-thing you need.
The shape of the horse blurs and fades just before it would have hit Aaron hard enough to send him flying. It curls around his body, and shadows run over his skin like spilled ink.
Slowly, it sinks into him.
It's cold.
no subject
It's cold. I's really cold, like being dunked in ice water-- and the parts of his skin not in contact feel painfully hot in comparison, until the inky blackness claims them too.
Maybe he shouldn't have handed over the reins (ha) quite so quickly.
When he's finally fully covered-- at least, when the Nox has touched every inch of his body-- is when the cold stops, leaving only a lingering tingle.
"--that's-- that's it?"
no subject
The Deal is done.