A Night At The Carnival II

    With storms on the horizon, the Nightlife Carnival was soon ready to pack up for its final performance for the evening. It was the last night it would be here for all so many to enjoy.

Being the last evening the best candies have been brought out that do not taste like soggy crackers. Jugglers juggling near the entrance, with tightrope walkers performing dangerous acts directly above the people who walk below.

Many of the shops have already been closed up along the pathways, leaving only the performers to entertain on the main stage as they perform beautiful music with the mesmerizing dances.

    Not far from he stage was a small tent that belonged to a fortune teller, who would tell anyone's fortune for free. Then not far beyond that was the haunted fun house, with a mirror maze included.

For those who have never been here before, they may not know what is within, but for those that have, they might notice that it is not as busy and many attractions that were before are now missing.

    "This place looks a little bit empty, though... I don't trust the fact with the consideration all of the people that seem to be in charge are bosses," Merek mentions, while he takes a moment to adjust his beltcape, the potion belt adjusted about his waist while he takes a moment to look to everyone and nodding from the scarf.

You know that saying about all work and no play making Jack a dull boy?

Miyako's been so busy handling things in Shibuya that Kotono has been worried about her. Sure, Kotono's been helping out too, but she's been keeping things in a bit of moderation. Kotono doesn't like it one bit, and knowing that the carnival is in its final night, she's finally managed to convince Miyako to come with her to check out the carnival. "I'm sure we'll have a blast there," Kotono had said with her usual grin. "It's gonna be a lot of fun!"

Upon her arrival, Kotono finds that things seem a little smaller than she thought they would be. She hadn't been here before so she doesn't know what to expect here, nor does she realize that there's quite a bit of things missing. "Well, small or big, I'm sure we can find something to do, right?" Kotono says with a slight smile.

    The necroamncer has returned to the nightlife carnival, as was predicted. Last time Setsuna was here, he was told he would only find bad things if he continues and he did. Today he planned to be different, he walks throough the carnival, towards the fortune teller tent as his head swivels trying to keep an eye out for a certain trio. THey were here he was sure it , mister top-hat , mister giggles...and her~. Ok focus, just because there was something about her that made him smile didn't mean he was here for her. Nope he was going to walk out of here with every missing kid saved. His eyes fall on the fortune teller's tent and plans to start there.

Goldenblade is here and wandering around the carnival. She has not been before, but she was given a bit of heads up that something was afoot. She walks around, eyes open. She's just walking around, now, looking around with an expression of fierce interest. Up and down the lanes, watching the acts that remain, looking for what's not there. If you can look for that.

    Miyako is not exactly thrilled to be dragged away from Shibuya today. "Ko-chan, there's just *so much* to do... we haven't even properly finished the first level." She sighs, dragged along. "Well, at least there's only the one night left," she mutters to herself.

    "Maybe there'll be some good music or something?" Carnivals have never really been her thing. Acrobats? Meh. Clowns? Creepy. A good stage magician or a concert, now, that's more her style.

    Amalthea is here.
    Taking time out from the hectic life of helping lead the Odysseia Knights doing this, that, and some more. Though whether she's here to unwind or for some other reason is hard to tell considering she's in her armor rather than more casual clothes. Though she wears more of a haggard and weary expression than anything else.

In a mere week? She'd not been able to find anything that might help Tim, maybe she could beat it out of whatever sired him. She had managed to get Lucy and her mother to remain home at the fair. If the worse came down to it? She would do what she had to do, but she wouldn't make either of them watch even if Lucy would hate her forever. She would be wandering about with a grim look on her face, there is no sense of joy about Gwen as she comes up to Amalthea which should set off alarm bells to the older Paladin.

"Come to the fair to relax my friend?"

    Moving toward the group is a panther Cait sith, with glowing cat eyes, proper clothing from the black jacket, to pants, even the top hat, to cane. His strides match the very movement of his cane as it taps the ground. His movements graceful, but precise.

"Welcome, welcome." He says to the group, with a proper bow to them as they move from the entrance into the Carnival. "Do forgive the lack of attractions, it is our last day I fear." He stands up fully, twirling the cane to rest under his arm. "But please do enjoy yourselves. From the fire breathers, to the performers, and even to the treats. We all hope /you/ have a wonderful time." His tail flicks gently behind him, as he gracefully moves to the side.

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    Up on the stage the dancers move with the music, moving between foot work, to taking hold of hanging rings to add to the grace of the music. The few landers in the crowd watch the stage and cheer, as the lights go out, bringing the whole stage into darkness.

It wasn't long after does the sound of a harp-type instrument play, as the torches light, they light one by one with blue flame, till the entire stage is lit. The harp plays alone, no one can be seen on stage, but there it plays. As it does a gentle mist comes over the stage, as from the mist rises up shadows of figures beginning to dance. Then wisps of light twirl around those figures, before they become corporal as the sound of drums enter the music.

The figures look to be Salamanders, male and female alike moving with the drums and the harp. As their feet touch the ground, a lick of fire comes from their feet, giving off a nice little pyrotechnic show to the crowd.

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    The Fortune Tellers tent still sits there. There is a gentle glow as there was before, and sometimes the flicker of the light inside the tent, shows the feminine figure that stands inside. Setsuna may notice that she is toying with her hair perhaps, or maybe the veil she wears that hides her face.

Will he enter or will he stay away?

    Merek looks to the cait sith, then he walks along right up to him, both hands to his sides while he leans back a bit. He then points to the man, "You, we know you are more than what you say, where are the children!" You know, there are few things that make the man want to be so forward, it looks like they managed to actually find a way.

    "Something like that." Amalthea replies as she turns to Gwen on hearing that familiar voice and... The Paladin frowns.
    "... Gwen are you alright?"
    There's no missing the look on her friend's face and immediately, the old Odysseia Knight's own expression is one of concern. She almost barely registers the Cait Sith as a result, wheeling around as he taps his cane for attention. Amalthea does a cursory EX, out of pure habit when meeting a new Lander, ever since her time in Zumfit where the Landers had strange symbols.
    She still never figured out what they meant.
    What do they meaaaaannnn?
    This should be nice though! A night to unwind at the last night of a carnival.
    What could possibly go wrong?

Goldenblade is not quite sure what she's here to see, but she hasn't found it yet. The dancers are interesting, though, she watches them for a bit, and then moves along. She hrms thoughtfully at the panther Cait Sith, nodding as he speaks. She looks over at the Fortune Teller's tent, then at the other patrons. She's still touristing.

"Maybe, you never know," Kotono says to Miyako with a smile. "Although, something about this seems off. I don't know what it is..." She looks around, hoping to find some music or something similar. "Maybe it's just me?" She tries to find something that Miyako would enjoy. Then she spots the music being played on the stage nearby, and she gestures towards that eagerly. "That sounds good, doesn't it?"

    "Mistress Odelle, " Setsuna says as he enters the tent and looks at the fortune teller , he probably would have knocked if there was a door. Knowing what he is walking into, the necromancer feels manners will save him more then being loud... As if on cue he can hear Merek and his hand goes up to his face, " He is going to be the death of us all." It's not the first words he planned to be out of his mouth infront of Odelle but they slip out before he can think.
    Looking up at the fortune teller he gives a forced smile, "Good evening. I hope the night is treating you well. If my comrades loud mouth is any guess we need to talk I think, Mistress Odelle. Somethings like less prophetic then others."

Gwen takes note of the Cait Sith for a moment, she catches note this is the last day of the fair. This is also the last day to do anything about this with Tim. She'll look out at the events with a critical eye. Before she replies to Amalthea.

"I am not."

She keeps looking about and she keeps her voice low.

"I'm looking into a missing carnival goer. A lander named Tim, I was helping his child look for him. I found him he was no longer a lander."

She looks right at Amalthea and notes "He was a vampire and slated as a monster. He was also dressed in the uniform of the carnival."

"I hope I can do something for him but I fear there may not be much I can do..."

    Miyako shrugs and nods, following Kotono's gesture towards the stage. "I suppose it's worth a look, at least," she muses. "Whoever's playing has a good hand for the strings." She walks along with Kotono, over towards the stage, pausing to purchase a drink for the pair along the way.

    "Interesting," she muses, watching the Salamanders dance. "I've used illusions to fill in a backup band, or something like a music video, but this is different."

    Everything has, immediately, gone wrong.
    She outright stares at the Cait Sith in black for a moment, before the old Paladin clears her throat.
    "Oh. I see." She says, voice halting and stilted as she replies to Gwen.
    Resuming her natural act, Amalthea scratches at her chin.
    "That... Certainly sounds like a problem, maybe I can help you with--"
    And there goes Merek.
    Amalthea heaves a heavy, weary, sigh for a moment before forcing her brightest of smiles.
    After all. It's just an ordinary carnival right?
    Right?
    Amalthea /inpsects the dancers next while doing her best to keep her cool.

    The Caith Sith only smiles gently at Merek. His tail flicks as he has a foot in the shadows. "What ever are you talking about, my good sir." Then moves into the shadows. Should Merek give chase, he would find himself maybe catching a glimpse of where the Cait Sith goes, but can he honestly catch him?

Amalthea would also notice a few things about the Cait Sith that Merek is calling out, but what will she do with that information? Will she too follow or will she do something else? Seems she continues to inspect this merry group of carnival performers...

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    The fortune teller named Mistress Odelle lowers her veil just as Setsuna walks in. Her haunting, beautiful grace moves herself to face him, before she lowers herself to sit down. Her delicate fingers move to rest with enchanting grace upon her table near her three dice. One black, one gold, and one silver.

As Setsuna talks to her, she moves her head ever so slightly, seeming to give no mind to the distant voices. "You have returned once more. Aware of the dangerous and the possibilities. What is that you wish to speak on?"

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    As Kotono and Miyako head for the stage, the performers continue their fire ritual dance. Clapping their hands in time with the quick drum beat that takes place, to fling out sparks, before generating a fire ball of flame. One which they move with their hands, having the flames dance with them and move with their movements.

They then slam the flame down on the ground, which causes a brilliant flash of color, then from the light the Salamander dancers are replaced by that of cait sith of wolves, foxes, and other feline types. Each not wearing much; Just enough to be decent and now moving to a new melody, the sound of the harp slowly moves over to that of at least two types of flutes.

The two Cait Sith playing those flutes can be seen, but they have an almost ghostly form to them, as the others dance around the stage moving the different colored smoke from the flames with control over the air.

    One of the performers, extends their hand to a lander in the crowd and says with a smiling, happy tone to his voice, "Come. Dance with us!" Before sweeping the lander up into the group, and the human is soon dancing with them. Then another Lander, a female Salamander is done the same. Till at last one of the performers comes over to the Miyako and Kotono. A fox male, extending his hand, "Care to join us for our final dance?"

    Merek looks between all of the people, and analyzes that within his mind. "I am going to follow him, I am worried about everyone else though," he notes to Amalthea, "What do you think?" he asks, then adds, "Children are kidnapped, people running this thing seem to be monsters."

    Setsuna takes his seat and , well staring would be impolite so obviously is not staring but looking intently at the lady. Finally though it seems the summoner snaps out of it and remembers howo to handles monsters. Taking a deep breath he motions to the dice, " 3 dice, 3 questions." Picking up the first dice, "THe dice of the past, what happened to those who have gone missing." He places the dice of the past down and picks up the next, " The dice of the present, are they still alive at this moment?" Finally his hand shuffles to the last dice and then raises it and looks into Odelle's eyes, " Dice of the future, how does this end for us?" Setting the last dice down he continues to stare into Odelle's eyes waiting for an answer.

The show is rather interesting, and Kotono seems to be genuinely enjoying it. "I'm glad we found something we can enjoy," The girl says with a smile. But then, her expression turns to intrigue as various spectators are invited to join the final dance. She raises an eyebrow before looking to Miyako. "I think we should try it! C'mon! It'll be fun!"

    "Well." Amalthea says as the Cait Sith slinks into the shadows.
    "I wasn't going to say anything." Muttered as she scratches her chin. Looking at the dancers for a beat confirms something for her.
    "I was going to exercise discretion and try to not rush into anything, but..."
    No buts about it though, the old Paladin heaves a big old sigh and starts following after Merek and the panther Cait Sith.

Goldenblade will make her way over to where Amalthea and Gwen are speaking with the Cait Sith. She's not sure what may be going on here, she will hopefully find out. She walks closer, hands at her sides, and continues to try and watch everything. When the fellow runs off, though, she will follow. Just to find out what's going on. Something's up.

    "When it's kids, well I don't think that I can play it that way, I apologize," Merek admits, while he nods to Amalthea. The man follows along with the Cait Sith, that's the path that he will take. He does speak into his chimlink for the New World Alliance, <"This carnival is being run by monsters, keep that in mind, kids are being kidnapped.">

Gwen looks to the Cait Sith as he's going and then she sees that Merek and sighs.

"Well we have little choice at this point."

She will keep an eye out for Tim, but for now, she's following in stride after Amalthea as they both go after Merek. He's going to need some backup it seems.

    Miyako shrugs and nods. "I don't see any reason not to," she answers Kotono, stepping up to take the dancer's hand. "Fascinating show," she tells him. "Loved the way you used the fire to accent it. Going to have to try something like it myself when we get home."

    The slightest wince passes across her face as Merek's message goes out. She doesn't respond, knowing that the man in front of her would hear any reply she were to make.

    Setsuna would find that each time he touches the dice, the dice dots glow. He may feel his hand tingling with each touch, till he touches the last one which gives his hand gripping pain; almost paralyzing it.

After that she says very calmly. "... Please do not touch my dice again. I can not guarantee what may happen next if you do." After that, she reaches for the black one, and says calmly after she rolls it; He may find her voice far harder to ignore. "The number is three. Their circumstances are changing and the situation could change very quickly, if not sooner than anticipated."

    Odelle reaches for the gold and gives it a roll which lands on a six. "This dice shows that it is a six. Many have already undergone their changing circumstance. Many more are following. Their continue misfortune will be driven to a possible fatal conclusion if a path is continued."

Then she reaches for the last dice and rolls it, landing on a five. "There will be unexpected events for all. Plans that come to be, plans that fail. It is an air of ever changing, impacted by the other two. A wheel that has started to turn in motion, that should not have been spun."

She then motions two the gold and silver dice. "The combination of these two is elven." She then moves the dice toward her. "There will be much pain, grief, and concern to follow. Perhaps that of loss and misery... a chance... of regret." She then goes to slowly stand. "A darkness still follows you, Setsuna... A darkness that will engulf everything." Then taking one of her dice, she rolls it in her finger and slams it to the ground. It creates a bright, blinding flash of light and when it vanishes; She is gone.

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    As the two come up on stage, the friendly Cait Sith smiles, "Perhaps one day you will learn our trade secrets, my dear adventurer." He says with a playful wink, then at least one of them is twirled with ease.

The Cait Sith who invited them on stage, shows them the dance steps they are doing, and has them follow along, including the landers that have also come up. They twirl and move with well timed steps to the beat. A little to the side, a little to the back.

The air twirls around, as wisps of light then move about the stage flickering playful lights that are almost hypnotic in their color and flickering. There is a mix of laughter and well timed claps.

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    The group following the ringer leader of this Carnival find themselves moving amongst the tents and back area. Each time they get close, they only catch his tail or perhaps his shadow.

It was slowly becoming like a maze, till they end of /there/. There at the haunted house which only has the glow of the blue flames and a sign that says "closed". There is also a mist the rolls out from the entrance; Do they dare to go inside?

    Merek looks to the building while he nods a bit to Amalthea, "Alright, this place is with the mirror maze," he notes, the man speaking into his chimlink. There's a shift while he takes a moment to draw forward both of those hands while he begins to let them both shimmer with energy, then he enters the place.

    Uh. ... Where did Amalthea go?
    Did she get lost following that Cait Sith in the darker parts of the carnival?
    Seems that way. Oops.

    Setsuna's hand seizes up as he holds the dice and asks his question , it slips from his hand and he is staring at his hand for amoment. As the feeling in his hand returns he looks back at Odelle as she speaks the last part. He is about to ask more but then the blinding light causes him to turn away. As the spots clear his vision and he looks around. She was gone. Standing up he looks around a moment more before he shakes his head, " Lady you have no idea." Setsuna is apparently done with the game for now as he retrieves his staff from his inventory. Walking forward he goes through the back of the tent , obviously it as the only way she should be able to go.
     As he explores behind the tent he would mimic a bad french accent as he looks around, "Where are you my petite pale monster lady. Come out come out where ever you are." He knew his french accent really stunk but alas what can a romantic do.

Kotono's really getting into this. Grinning and spinning around, the girl seems to be having a lot of fun. That is, until she hears something over her Chimlink that makes her worried. "We've got to get out of here," Kotono attempts to say to Miyako discretely in hopes of avoiding drawing suspicion.

Goldenblade pulls up short as we find ourselves in front of the closed haunted house. She looks to Gwen and Amalthea for cues, wondering, "Do we follow?" Is that where he went, even? She's not sure. Wait, where did Amalthea go? Now she can't find her friend, either!

Gwen finds herself with Merek. She looks to Merek for a moment and nods.

"Right so we're going to have to go in. She will keep her guard up and follow Merek into the mirror maze who knows what could happen here. She does whisper to him. "I have your back." She'll try to start looking for anything that is amiss here.

    Despite Merek's timely warning, Miyako flows into the dance easily, letting the Cait guide her on through the steps, her eyes seeming to focus on those hypnotic flickering lights. It's actually tempting, for a moment, to let herself be carried away, follow down the rabbit-hole and see how deep it goes. It doesn't help that the fellow is quite the dancer, nor that he's rather handsome.

    Still, it might require more acting chops than she has... and Kotono is quite clearly uncomfortable. She gestures for Kotono to back off while she tries to monopolize the dancer's attention, both hands sliding around him to make a chance for Kotono to escape. Once she's clear, Miyako will make her own attempt to break away.

    The inside is nothing like it was before. The blue light from the flames gives very little light. The side that was the 'haunted house of fun' is missing, with the mirrors can be seen easily shifting in place, rotating, and moving.

The light flickers off of them, as one at last catches a glimpse of the Cait Sith, then a few more with people tied up. "You desire to save their lives." Felix's voice says very calmly. "But at what price?"

The mirrors then all come to a halt, their own reflections can be seen. Then there is a laughter; A very chaotic laughter. It wasn't Felix's, no. It was that Jester. One that Merek and Setsuna would know well...

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    Setsuna would go hunting for her, only for her to appear behind him out of the white mist that forms behind him. She reaches out to grab him with super-human strength. Those dice spinning around above her as she holds him.

"Your numbers are one, two, and five..." She whispers to him. "Forming the full total of eight... a number that seems to follow you, Setsuna. A number of reckless choices. Discourse and danger." Odelle moves her lips close to his ear. "... I fear that path continues to chase you... and you may never escape it..."

Before another word is spoke, the female vampire's fang become seen as last, as she bites down on the side of his neck.

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    For a moment, they have an adventurer's gaze. One adventurer and so many landers, but in turn, Miyako manages to turn those tables, as she places the moves on the one dancer that invited them up.

He smiles softly at her, his eyes glow gently, but as Kotono gets away unnoticed, as Miyako goes to leave, he gently goes to grasp for her wrist, "You could stay with us... Dance with us forever. You have a natural grace... so won't you stay to the end?" While they do not dance, the others do move around them; seeming unaware of their exchange.

His grasp isn't tight, Miyako can easily slip away if that is what she wants to do.

Kotono manages to slip away, but she calls out for Miyako. "Miyako! Come on! We have to go!" She's still running, but she glances back occasionally. When she doesn't see Miyako following at first, the girl goes for her blades. "If you try anything, I'll slice-n-dice you all!"

    Miyako smiles warmly as she turns back to look at her dance partner. "It's a tempting offer," she muses. "Just for the evening. Or you could come with us," she counter-offers, even as she drifts closer to the Cait. An odd little smile touches her lips, perhaps imagining something special. Pursing her lips, she tugs at his hand, not even seeming to hear Kotono's words. "Have you ever been to Shibuya?"

    Setsuna feels the magic and tries to turn but , sadly he did not get a character with a super-human strength stat, it was actually a little below average if compared. As his fortune is read he responds trying to be witty, "I thought your name was Odelle but if ..." The necromancer gets cut off as he is bitten and well that is going to leave some marks. Some serious bleeding hole marks. " I think we need to start with coffee before dinner, " Waving his staff in a flailing motion he panics for a moment as he can feel that virtual blood loss before he tries to throw a very shoddy fireball behind him. Something anything... or else he is going to be taking a nap soon.

Gwen would give Goldemblade a nod.

"Aye we should."

She notes to Goldenblade before she enters deeper into the maze. She'll channel a spell to help her with trying to spot any hidden passages or maybe signs of magical enchantment she hears the laughing.

"Watch it who knows what we might run into here."
% She does not reply to the taunting herself she's too busy looking for any way to get through the maze or other signs of anything they might be able to use.

    Merek nods a bit to Gwen, while he looks to the people tied up walking in and looks to Felix. "Alright, you know what. I don't want to play games with you, I want to know why you need all of these people," he mentions, then he begins to shift and form magic into both hands, "I am Merek."

    Kotono draws her blades, but no one on the stage reacts to it. Instead what she finds is a few of the jugglers who have been entertaining a few landers take notice, but only one of them moves toward Kotono.

Her blades being drawn does cause a few landers in the crowd to step back, even a few scatter in fear. This though does get the Cait Sith with Miyako's attention. He makes a very subtle motion to the juggler, before his eyes go to look into Miyako's own.

He goes to pull her in closer, his hand slowly gliding to twine with her fingertips. "I... have not and I fear I may never. For this is my life. My place. On the stage and in the night."

    The dancer cait sith then whispers to her. "I wish for you to be part of the night with me." His fangs show for only a moment. "...But I fear our destinies can not be entwined." He then twirls her away, with grace, before kissing her hand. "Now," The lights on the stage start to dim. One by one, it starts to fall into darkness. "Forget me not, for perhaps one day, we will dance again." He then let's go of her hand as the stage goes fully dark.

When the torches shine with normal flame, Miyako will find herself alone on the stage, the people who have been watching cheer at the performance as if Miyako herself was one of the stage performers or was part of the performance. Yet, what happened to the landers that were up there with the dancers?

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    As Goldenblade decides to remain on guard ot go check other locations, Merek would ask his question. Though he would get no response. Simply the reflection of the two that now remain.

Gwen's successfully finds a path, which she begins to move to navigate it, but she will be quick to notice that the mirrors are shifting. along with the floor. Someone or something is rotating the room trying to throw off the sense of direction.

    As they continue, they eventually find, thanks to her, a side room. There are several people chained to the wall, their HP dangerously low. Others the same way in a cage; Yet neither Felix nor the one who gave the chaotic laugh could be seen.

As they move further in the room, they will soon find themselves running into a wall; A see through wall. Yet as they look at it, someone appears behind them.

A figure's reflection comes into view. A man with colorful clothing, an unnatural fanged smile, and glowing gold eyes. When he realizes he is seen, he gives them a wave, before back flipping away and hopping up on one of the rotating mirrors. "Round and round we go! Where we stop we never know! Hahaha!!"

"An entrance you need to find, but an entrance you will not." The Jester, known as Dexter, goes to rest his hands on his face. "Whatever will you do! Attack? Parley? Perhaps play a game? Oh! I do /love/ games! Nehahahah!! Let's play! Come on!"

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    Odelle continues to drain his life, at least till he flings fire in her direction. Which he is released left with a nasty little bleeding debuff.

The white mist then moves a bit in front of him, as her eyes look into his. She takes her index finger and runs it along her lips, before a seductive smile appears there. "Hmmm... You are running out of time." Those three dice still spin above her. "What you desire is confusion, but you must make a choice... before the path is fully set. You know what you have to do, so why do you hesitate?"

    Merek looks then to Gwen, and to the see through wall. "What kind of game do you want to play, what is your reason for even doing this?" the man asks. Those two options are the best, he knows fighting will not lead any of them anywhere. Especially with kids being tied up like that, meaning the bad guy if inclined would be able to use them to be hostages.

Realizing Miyako isn't budging, Kotono puts her blades away and rushes towards her friend. "C'mon, Miyako! Snap out of it!" She pleads loudly, hoping that her friend will snap out of it somehow. "It's not safe! We gotta go!" It's when she gets closer that she realizes Miyako is the only one up there. "We gotta find the others!"

    Setsuna stumbles as he grips his neck here the blood is still flowing. So what if he had a little dizziness and he was a bit drained. "Hate to tell you this but my ex-wife was twenty times better at sucking the life out of me." Maybe it was true but maybe it wasn't though when she starts talking about choices and secrets. " Hate to tell you this, but I doubt your abilities to see things. Especially after this. " Setsuna would slam his staff down, much like the dice, emitting a bright blinding light.

    Miyako blinks, once, twice, a third time. She looks out at the crowd and waves... then Kotono grabs her hand, and she focuses in on the other Spriggan. "Right," she mutters. "What the heck was I...." She shakes her head, dismissing it, even as a glimpse of the cait's eyes flits through her mind. "Let's do this."

Gwen is following after Merek she's ready for trouble though and has a healing spell on tap cast on the prisoners if it comes to it. She's not a cleric but it's would get them out of some level of danger.

She will wait for a moment and look to Merek as he goes to try and talk this out. Gwen meanwhile will be trying to stay on alert for something else happening to the people trapped here. She may also be thinking on what to say, yet she rather wait to see if they reply to Merek's own efforts.

    Dexter smiles and it is a dangerous smile. "Oh! So you choose to play!" He then snaps his fingers and all the mirrors come to a stop. He sinks down into one of them and his image is repeated five times across the mirrors.

Each one has the Jester stand a different way. They all speak at the same time. "Pick the right mirror and I will set them free. Pick the wrong mirror and that one life will belong to me!" They all say before they all laugh at the same time.

"Now choose!" Each one glows with a purple glow around them. "Pick pick pick! Time is wasting! Tick tock tick tock!"

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    Kotono is quick to find a false door in the floor of the dark stage, once opened she will see the wisp of lights, along with hearing the flute playing of one of the performers; It is almost hypnotic even at a distance.

If they are quick, they may be able to grab the people before they become out of reach. That will be five lives that the Forgotten forces will not obtain this evening!

The juggler who was told to stay back, notices Kotono finding the trap door and goes to stop her, but with a crackle of lighting. He stops and goes to take a few steps back, before sinking down into the ground. As carnival goes leave, the two of them both may notice the employees with unwatching eyes on them all starting to sink into the ground one by one.

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    The flash of light from Setsuna's staff causes the Odelle to wince back in pain, before she suddenly turns into a white mist and seems to move from tent top to tent top.

Setsuna also would be the first to notice the fading lights of the Carnival, along with an unnatural lightning crackle in the sky. The next he may spot is things 'sinking' into the ground.

They were running out of time...

    Merek points to the second mirror, "I choose that one," he notes then, while he nods a bit along to Dexter. "Thank you, set them free if you would, if not... Well, I have a game I might like to play. When we have the kids, we want you to answer why you're doing the whole thing."

Kotono finds the false door, and then she realizes what's going on. "That melody! It's hypnotic!" Kotono grits her teeth as she rushes to try to save the people that are hypnotized. "Come on, Miyako! Help me out here!" Even if Miyako can't help, Kotono will still do her best to try to save those people.

    The necromancer watches the vampiress start to retreat as he says, " In the court of those that like to run their mouths, sometimes you have to be able to back it up.." Setsuna sends another spell forward as the tell tell vines of Thorn Bind Hostage miss the woman. " Damn. " He turns a bit angry but curioisty beats out anger as he notices the carnival sinking, " Well thats no good ...BUT I THOUGHT ANY GOOD RING LEADER WAS SUPPOSE TO GO DOWN WITH THE SHIP!" He shouts down an empty path as he begins to run in a single direction. He would find the hostages.

    Miyako descends beneath the stage, following Kotono, fixing determination in her mind: to rescue the kidnapped Landers. She pauses briefly at the bottom of the ladder, then follows after Kotono, her steps unconsciously falling into the rhythm of the music. "I'm alright," she insists, quietly.

Gwen is looking at Merek and then to the low HP wall, she thinks she could bust it down throw out a heal and they could hopefully get most of the people out. Without playing this insane game, however, for the moment she looks at Merk and does her best to make some subtle gesture to the wall hopefully that only he will catch she doesn't act yet but it more than ready to enact the plan she's forming. She's not ready to move just yet.

    The two women work on getting the landers knocked out of their haze and back up to the surface. They may hear a rumble, feel the earth slightly move, as the music continues to play.

Once the last lander gets out, the stage seems to shift, they can feel the ground shift as well. They need to get out quickly, which one of the lander's they freed, a Tiger Werefang at that transforms and extends his hand to them both while roaring out, "Quickly! You don't have much time! Take my hand!"

    Setsuna might notice the trouble happening there or will he head for the Haunted House, which is slowly being ripped bit by bit back into the ground, as another lightning strike streaks across the sky.

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    As Merek calls correctly, they all look at one another, before the Dexter the Jester combines back into one and steps out of the mirror. "No fair. No fair I say! How did you know? Hm!?" He steps up closer to Merek and eyes him, completely oblivious to what Gwen may be planning. "But fine, save your precious toys." He snaps his fingers and the mirror slides past them both, before hitting the see-through wall, merging with it into an entrance.

Dexter then back flips up on a beam before he smiles in his cheshire way. "But do be quick! The house is coming down, haha!!" Then flips back off and goes straight into the ground, as mirrors start to shatter one by one.

That is when Gwen and Merek both may notice that the roof was starting to slowly sink toward them, which means that Gwen will need to heal these people quickly and get them out the back before they all get crushed under the facility!

    Merek looks then to Gwen and nods a bit, "You take care of the kids, get them away. I am going to keep the place up," he notes, then he takes up that rear while he begins to shimmer a full shield into being that's upon the ceiling.

It wasn't easy, but the duo of Miyako and Kotono get the captured people to safety. "Well, that wasn't easy, but we did it." She sighs as she wipes her forehead before saying, "C'mon, let's get outta here before something else shows up!"

Gwen looks to Merek for a moment and says "Not bad." She will then start chanting casting a fairy healing several times quickly on the captured lander. It's not the biggest heal in the world but it will get them a bit topped up.

"Merek get them free. I'll crack the wall."

Gwen will once she's certain of where to hit the wall shoulder charge it as hard as she can hoping to finish it off so they can start getting people out. If this works she'll help Merek get people free of their bonds. Then start leading the way out.

"We'll get you all healed up once we're out of here come on let's move."

    Miyako works almost mechanically, her feet tapping to the rhythm as she and Kotono free the trapped Landers. With one last glance down the corridor, she reaches up to take the tiger-man's hand, and with his help hops up onto the stage. "Alright, alright, everyone, let's get to solid ground before everything decides to play cenote."

    Merek will nod a bit, and while he assists with the shielding, he will free a few of the kids with Gwen to assist in making sure they all are away from the place.

    Setsuna looks at the haunted house and then the landers and then back to the haunted house he grins, " You see Miss Rash and Darkness, I can be in two places at once. " He smiles as he drags his staff along the dirt before turning back and shouts, "Arise!" First a skeleton hand pops out of the dirt , followed by another before continuing to run. He was sending his skeleton minions to literally tug and pull on the landers to get them out. Meanwhile Setsuna would continue to the haunted house. As he gets to the door he hears Merek over the chim link and responds back, <"Good I'm outside. Let me know if you need help.">

    People are being saved left and right. The Adventurers make quick work to get everyone out safely, but who knows how many others before now were taken. How many lives, like Tim that Gwen saw, are now sharing that same fate.

As the adventurers all get clear of the Nightlife Carnival it sinks all into the ground, but one figure remains. The Cait Sith with a top hat; Felix Nightshade.

    He stands there, with his hands resting on his cane. His tail flicks gently as he looks at them all. There was a tip of his hat, before he fades directly into the ground with one last thunder crack in the sky.

Slowly rain start to gently fall from the sky above. A reminder that soon the storm festival will be here for all, but for this evening, the carnival was gone and were returning to where-ever it is the Forgotten live...

    Setsuna looks at Felix with a death glare, rather mad. When Felix sinks into the ground Setsuna sighs heavily and turns to walk away, "I need a drink,"