Raffle at the Midnight Carnival

[Lizica]

As you round a corner on your Trick-or-Treat route, the sounds of the last house you visited softly fade. The crisp autumn wind gently rustles overhead, but somewhere in the distance, you can hear--something else. Someone calling?

Your curiosity gets the better of you, and you turn to follow the voice, straining your ears to catch what it's saying. And pretty soon, you make out the words:

"Step right up, folks, step right up!"

The trees part, and you find yourself at what appears to be a small carnival. Lights and colorful orange buntings hang overhead, but all the games are off and dark. You can see a wide assortment of tantalizing games behind the fence--cornhole, Test Your Strength, Pick a Duck, balloon pop, apple bobbing. All of them have equally tantalizing prizes behind them, from plushies to t-shirts to candy--and all of them have machines that require the player to deposit tickets.

"Ah, looks like we've got ourselves a newcomer, folks!"

Before the gate to the quiet carnival is a small crowd of other trick-or-treaters who have found their way here as well, and immediately upon seeing you, a carnival barker at the entrance sweeps his arm wide and gestures you forward.

"Welcome, my good friend, welcome!" he crows. "Welcome to the Midnight Carnival! You're here early--or, if you will, you're here exactly at the right time! You see, the Midnight Carnival sports a thrilling variety of games that you can play to your heart's content to win prizes--but, you see, it's not open just yet. And that's where all you dashing folks come in!"

The barker grins widely and theatrically unveils the carnival entrance's ticket booth.

"My good folks, we can't just open the Midnight Carnival! Why, this year, we want one of you to do the honors! And to determine who, we're holding a raffle! That's right, folks, a ticket raffle! First prize gets to open the carnival themselves--" Here, he makes a flourish towards the closed gate, currently draped in a large orange ribbon. "--as well as earning themselves this handsome trophy filled with game tickets and mouthwatering candy!" And here, he flourishes behind him, where a shiny trophy rests on the shelf, absolutely stuffed with candy and rolls of game tickets.

An excited murmur ripples amongst the crowd of gathered trick-or-treaters. The carnival games look fun, and whether or not the trophy is plastic hardly even matters when there's that much candy and free game access at stake.

"And second prize," the barker adds, "is slightly smaller, but no less glamorous!" He steps aside, revealing a smaller trophy beside the huge one, which still has a formidable stash of candy and tickets despite its size.

"What's the catch?" asks another trick-or-treater, a skeptical lady dressed in a weird costume with a lot of faces.

At this, the barker lets out a hearty laugh. "Why, there's no catch, my dear! Just some good old fashioned fun with a little game of chance to spice things right up!" He winks, and straightens up. "So how about it, folks? Let's get this raffle started! We take check or cash, treats from other houses, or just about anything you think is a worthwhile investment!" He brings out a great roll of brilliantly colored tickets. "Buy one ticket! Buy more to up your chances! Just be sure to stick around for our announcement of the winners and our grand opening at midnight sharp!* And don't forget to keep all your raffle tickets! They make a stellar keepsake, if I may say so myself, as well as doubling for use in the games!

"So--step right up, folks! Don't waffle on this raffle! Buy a ticket, leave with dazzling fun!"

SPOILER: Click to show

*Midnight sharp in-universe. The actual winners will be announced on October 31st!

Okay, how this'll work:

1. Visitors can RP buying a raffle ticket. (I'm thinking one ticket per post. You're welcome to post more and buy more tickets, but please refrain from double-posting so others have a chance!)

2. On October 31st (probably evening sometime EST, but I'll try to give a heads up beforehand), I'll use a List Randomizer to determine who wins first and second prizes!

3. And then a totally normal and nice denouement, and hopefully everyone leaves happy and/or goes to play some in-universe carnival games, yayyy~

So, who's up first, my friends, who's up first?

[downrightdude]

Dressed up in a cool space-themed outfit, Snaw approaches the barker. Trialing behind is Charlie the llama, a fluffy purple creature with yellow stars decorating his fur.

"What a shiny trophy! It's kira yaba!" Snaw squeals. "Mr. Barker, one ticket please. Charlie and I shall split the prizes between us, though I'd probably take it all anyways."

Charlie opens his purse and fishes out two coins.

[Gelquie]

A plain and ordinary person in completely ordinary clothing looks around the carnival. It did look like some nice wholesome fun.

But early? Them? They exhaled. Then chuckled. Then descended into laughter.

"Sorry, I'm the one who's early?!" they said between their laughter. "That's. How is that possible? I-I can't. I can't even!"

Eventually, they composed themself completely and entirely, and they rose back up.

"Sorry, sorry. Um. I will assume that my payment of humility doesn't count as entry for the raffle. But um. Much like my costume idea, I... have no ideas. Um. Ummm...."

They get a brief flash of an idea.

"Oh! Um. You have apple bobbing, right? And once they have the apples, that's all well and good on their own. But if you'd like to drizzle on something extra afterwards, here." They pull out a bag of meltable caramel candies. "I wouldn't dip the apples in them after they've been bobbed, but people may like them! Or I guess you could just give away the individual candies too."

There was a brief pause, then they answer an unasked question. "I got really into caramel sweets for a while, but now I'm burned out on them, but not before I bought a whole 'nother bag."

[Lizica]

The carnival barker beams as downrightdude approaches with Charlie.

"A purple llama, my stars!" he exclaims. "Why, those are good luck, so I've heard! Perfect for splitting your potential raffle winnings with." He winks, and graciously accepts Charlie's two coins. The barker bites one experimentally, whether to check to see if they're chocolate or simply not counterfeit is uncertain. He nods in satisfaction. "Excellent, and you don't need luck for that!"

You have received 1 Midnight Carnival Raffle Ticket!
You currently have 1 ticket total.

Suddenly, you hear a low rumble from off in the distance. It's probably thunder, though, and soon the sound is drowned out when the barker turns now to Gelquie, who is currently catching their breath after laughing so hard.

The barker, whose wide smile never seems to falter, continues to grin. "Well, my good trick-or-treater," he says in a jovial, conspiratorial tone, "I find that you can never be truly late for anything if you make a grand enough entrance, you know! And," he adds with another wink, "one doesn't need a flashy costume for that--though it sure pays to dress the part!" He snaps his suspenders with confidence.

He takes your bag of caramel candies and pops one in his mouth to taste. "Now that's what I call a sweet payday, am I right? Here you are, and may it serve you well with the apples."

You have received 1 Midnight Carnival Raffle Ticket!
You currently have 1 ticket total.

You imagine you hear that low rumble, too, but only for a brief moment before the barker straightens up again and calls out, "That's two tickets already sold! Who's up next, folks? Buy anew, buy more, by golly!"

[downrightdude]

Snaw hands the ticket to Charlie, who deposits it into his purse. As the rumbling subsides, the llama pulls out ten sparkly pens and star-shaped tips.

"You're right, Charlie! We might be able to find a Zodiac Star Colour Pen around this kira yaba carnival!" Shaw skips over to the cotton candy stand.

Charlie eyes the barker again before heading to a crane game machine.

[Lizica]

downrightdude

The barker gasps theatrically when he sees Charlie's exquisite variety of pens. "A marvelous collection, for sure, my good sir! Why, I fancy you could find many wonders in our Midnight Carnival with time and just the right brand of luck!"

He takes a single one of Charlie's many sparkly pens and twirls it in his fingers like a baton before pulling out another ticket from thin air like a stage magician with a wand. He hands it to you and Charlie.

You have received 1 Midnight Carnival Raffle Ticket!
You currently have 2 tickets total.

The carnival does have a fence and a gate, but they're honestly only suggestions, and the barker twirls his new pen and cheerfully looks the other way as you slip past and go exploring. The downside is, though, that because the carnival hasn't officially opened yet, both the cotton candy stand and the crane game are powered down and dark and overall kinda boring. You hear that low rumbling again, though, and more distinctly now that you're further away from the noisy crowd. Hmm, if it is thunder, would it be better to be closer to the group? I dunno.

((I wasn't sure if you were officially offering the pens as ticket payment or not,

so I only had the barker take one. Let me know if I misunderstood! ^^))

[downrightdude]

Snaw stares at the cotton candy machine with longing as the rumbling begins once more. Another shaking of the Earth? One shake was startling enough; but with no cotton candy to distract them, Snaw's senses begin to heighten.

Fortunately, the sight of a second raffle ticket serves as a great distraction. "Kira yaba! I thought we could only have one per patron?" asks Snaw. "That's why Charlie only bought one ticket from you earlier! But if we can have two, then Charlie can have his own prizes!"

Then Snaw asks, "Is there anything to eat around here? I'm starving--ooh, nice pen! And it's Virgo themed! Must be a sign I'm craving chicken!"

Charlie walks around the crowd, admiring everyone's costumes.

[June Scarlet]

June joins the gathering crowd dressed as a starry witch. "I'll take a ticket!

"As for my payment, hm, my costume came with a wand, but I haven't really used it because I already have wands. Here, take this," she says, handing over a black plastic wand with a clear jewel at both ends.

[Liou]

A pair of fantastic, shapely legs is jogging up the path to the carnival. They brake to a halt, their entire upper half wobbling dangerously side to side as they do so. Perched at the tippy top of that flattish upper half are a large fish eye and partially open mouth, tilted at an odd angle from the legs.
The reverse mermaid uses their powerful legs to squat and lunge into the right angles to peer at the scene in front of them and settle in front of the charming talking dog who described the offer.

"Blub," says the half fish, and a still-wrapped block of cheese comes out of their mouth and lands in front of the dog.

[Lizica]

downrightdude

"Indeed, indeed, my good trick-or-treater! It is certainly most kira yaba!" the barker calls brightly. "Each ticket you purchase will improve your chances of having your name being selected from our grand pool of candidates!" He gestures toward the costumed crowd. "So if you fancy having Lady Luck on your side, buying more is always the way to go! If you get lucky, maybe our handsome llama friend can indeed have his own prizes!"

He doesn't answer the question about food, as he's already turned to the next trick-or-treater, a starry witch.

June Scarlet

The barker claps his hands as you offer your plastic bejeweled wand. "A delightful payment!" he exclaims. "But, truly, can one ever have too many wands--in the same way that one can never have too many tickets?" Nevertheless, he happily accepts, and now armed with both your wand and pen he got from Charlie earlier, he performs a quick juggling/baton-twirling act. Like magic or sleight of hand or reverse pickpocketing, you suddenly find something in your hands.

You have received 1 Midnight Carnival Raffle Ticket!
You currently have 1 ticket total.

You think you hear a strange noise, like a distant, clinking rumble, but it's quickly overridden: Finishing his juggling act, the barker laughs merrily, bangs his elbow against the wall of the ticket booth, and calls out, "Who's up next, folks? We've got plenty more tickets here!"

Liou

You're the first to respond after this question with a Blub.

"Why, expertly spoken!" congratulates the barker, whirling towards you just as your cheese lands before him. He showily accepts the cheese, and deftly rolls it off his shoulder and along his arm into his pocket. "I'm a man of the sea myself, you know," he says with a wink. "Perhaps you could be one to take on our Midnight Carnival's dancing arcade games?"

You have received 1 Midnight Carnival Raffle Ticket!
You currently have 1 ticket total.

That distant, clanking rumble sound grows for a moment before it dims and the barker announces once more, "Five tickets sold, folks! Get your own tickets and contribute to our growing pool of fabulous contenders! Don't miss out!"

[downrightdude]

Charlie the llama is excited to see June. As he trots over to say hello, Snaw walks over to the merry-go-round. All ten horses look disheveled; their paint is peeling off, revealing their coal black bodies.

"Poor ponies. If this carnival wasn't still sleeping, they'd be neighing and neighing until the cows come home." Snaw creates a red star and punches it, sending it across the carnival.

Fortunately, no damage was done.

[Lizica]

downrightdude

Maybe no damage was done, but your Snaw Star Punch hits the aging carousel with a little force. The carousel revolves forward about two inches, and makes a horrible, hideous, grating, metallic squeeeeeaaaaal. And then it revolves backwards two inches back to where it started, with an equally distressing thwummm rumble that seems to last much, much longer than it takes for the ride to right itself.

[June Scarlet]

June waves at Charlie the Llama. "Are we supposed to be ignoring the rumbling that's been going on? Well, I got a waterproof poncho at the laundromat anyway, so I guess I'm okay."

She puts the poncho on over her witch costume, then turns back to the barker. "I didn't really bring that much to trade away, would you accept this granola bar I have with me for a second ticket?"

[downrightdude]

Charlie the llama is impressed by June's poncho. He's unsure about the rumbling; the frequent quakes seem to be happening for a reason, though he doesn't know why.

Snaw watches the carousel, hoping the horses will fly out of the structure. When they don't, Snaw goes back to staring at the cotton candy stand.

[Liou]

Lizica
The mermaid gobbles the ticket from the dog person into their mouth. They look up, which is the main way they can look, at the rumbling sound. Their fish whiskers twitch, and off they run, splap-splap-splap towards the direction of the sound.