lights out

[equi_nox]

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. 

 

 

Comments

[jonesiseverywhere]

The Nox went still a few moments after Casey did. The fire on his hands had extinguished just as it burned through whatever it was that kept it alive. It's heart or whatever, who cares? All Casey knows is that the adrenaline that was keeping him going is completely gone. In it's place is weakness, soreness, exhaustion, and a headache so bad he could barely see, like he's had two straight nights of sleepless hockey practice. Everything hurt, and he flopped backwards to take stock of exactly what "everything" included.

"I think..." he tried to move his leg and grimaced, "...think my leg's busted."

He tried to sit up, but didn't feel quite up to it his second, so he raised himself up on his elbows and tilted his head back to look at Greg upside down. His heart was pounding heavy in his ears. "Might be able to stand if I had a crutch." Of all the times to be without his hockey sticks...but a broken bone isn't anything he hasn't done to himself before. Greg took a pretty bad hit back there.

"Yo, you OK? That thing really walloped you."

[panspermia]

A broken leg... oh man. He'd have to get them out of there, then. Problem was, everything seemed to be made of lead.

"I've had worse." He gave a pained grunt as he tried again to figure out how to get his feet under him. "I'll have one heck of a bruise, though." And almost definitely no other internal trauma of any sort. Yep. "Just need a second to... catch my breath..."

Honestly, Greg would have been happy to pass out right there, as drained as he was. However, they were still under the wheel that had leaked dark death all over them, at the heart of a shadowy hell. With monumental effort, Greg managed to squirm onto his knees.

The Nox had dissolved with its evident death, leaving Casey's bat in the dirt. Not as good as a hockey stick, but better than nothing. "All right... grab on, Casey, never too old for a piggy back ride."

[jonesiseverywhere]

Even through the haze of pain and exhaustion, Casey still managed a look that said yes, you can be too old for piggy back ride and whatever that age is, Casey's hit and passed it.

"Dude. Hockey player, remember? Not my first broken bone. I can just lean on you." He's pretty sure he's not sure that Greg is telling the truth. That Nox caught him pretty hard as far as Casey could tell and Greg doesn't seem like he knows how to fall.

Not like Casey who toppled like a tree and had a horse fall on him. But if he had been in a position to fall right, he totally would have.

He held up his hand for Greg to help him up. He might have said something about Greg grabbing his bat, but whatever. It wasn't like a bat was a tough weapon to use. You just whacked things with it.