The room looks simply lavish and excessively comfortable, not something Jix was accustomed to at all being a former street rat as it were. It was almost too much for the rogue as she glanced around with disdain at all the pillows and frills. Whoever decorated this place really had terrible taste, Jix nodded as she thought to herself of a more comfortable simple bedding of recently slain animal pelts. She shrugged as she entered the room anyways gathering some pillows and making herself a fortress out of them and the sheets, might as well make due.
Oh, this was just too good, Jix could hardly believe the opportunity Kali had just afforded her with, the poor girl had just left herself completely undefended. This was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. "O, course not silly Kali, everything's fine an' right as rain it is love. . . One little question though Sweet Pea, we were all jus' wondering why ya decided to sleep in naught but yer skin. . . seem;s just a tad inappropriate doncha think Snowflake?"
Kali sits back up and holds a finger to her lips for a moment in a signal to not be so loud.
"Li'l brudder's 'sleep," she quietly explains in a whisper before she realizes what Jix was saying.
"Huh? B-b-but I was wearin' clothes," her voice trails off as she spies Lia. She stands up carefully, still mindful of the sleeping Thomias even in this delirious state. She moves a little ways away, mumbling something to herself as she grabs at the sleeves of her tunic and the legs of her pants.
"Tha's not funny Alexandrie," she says quietly as she turns to point a finger at Lia. She overbalances and grabs onto the other woman to steady herself, and only succeeds in making her fall onto the pillows with her.
"'Snot funny," she mutters again as she pushes Lia away and works her way back to a sitting position, "Mad'm Bludet told you t'stop trickin' me with magic."
Great. They needed to make a subtle escape but now it sounded as if Ilsuran was going to come under attack. Phrases like "no witnesses" were never a good sign. He was hired to make a delivery, not stop a bandit attack. But such a thing would certainly interfere. He couldn't let that happen. He needed to slow them down a little while an opportunity presented itself.
Before they can leave, he disappears down an alley or in the crowd and comes out a different person. A larger, more rotund man, with many shiny baubles, a single weapon and an affronted look on his face. He looks like he could perhaps be some sort of merchant doing fairly well for himself. He approaches a guard nearby, huffing angrily. He points at the two men. "See those men. They tried to steal my coin pouch. The little one distracted me while the big one in armor tried to threaten me into submitting. But I was having none of that. I escaped but they should be taught a lesson. Go. Cut a hand off or something for attempted thievery. The villians."
As soon as the guard turns away, he poofs back to himself and walks away. Best case, one of them was arrested. Worst case, they are waylaid a few minutes. Both will work. He hops to it back to the inn. He is extremely happy to see Otho and Tish back already. They don't appear to have a carriage but he could worry about that later. "Chop chop. New info. New plan. Gotta leave now." He pauses mid action to look over Tish with a discerning eye and says. [b]"Oh good, you took my advice. You're shotgun. Everyone else in the back.
As everyone piles in, Owl takes a few minutes to dress down to something similar to Tish's outfit. He carries only his sword, adds a few dirt smudges and musses up his hair to try and cover his ears.
It wasn't great but it'd have to do. As long as he didn't seem out of place sitting next to her and no one gave them much attention he might be fine. He then takes the reins and does his best to guide the cart out of the city as expeditiously as possible.
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"You know Tish," he started, out of the blue, "I don't say this often enough... Thanks for helping me out. I don't have much in the way of manners, but I should have had a bit more of them when we met."
After tying Scoot to the wagon the only thing that seemed to be left was waiting for Owl to get back. He stayed well away from the shenanigans in the bedroom and instead occupied himself with his favorite pastime. He was scrounging the cooking are for a pot and some corn when Owl barged in and started barking orders.
Since there was nothing he could do for now, he went back to looking for his items. In a few hours time, hopefully, he'd have something to take the edge off the day.
"Oh, don't go thinking I've helped you wrangle this beast out of the goodness of my heart," Laetitia warns Otho as the pair make it back to the carriage. "I believe you made mention of homebrewed ale earlier. You must be doing something right if someone was willing to cross Scoot here to get at it. You should see if you can brew up another batch of the good stuff with the things inside, because if I have to spend the entire ride bored and sober... I can promise it will be an unpleasant couple of weeks for us all," she says, leaning forward to say the last part in a low whisper. A smirk curves her lips once more, making it hard to tell if she's joking or not. She's not.
The smirk slips off her face when Owl returns to give orders, replaced instead with an irritable pout. She did not have any intentions of spending any part of the journey outside the carriage, but even she can see the wisdom in having another cleverly disguised fast-talker riding outside as they attempt to leave the city. "Fine," Tish says with a little huff, going inside just long enough to grab one of the plainer-looking blankets to wrap around herself before exiting the carriage and climbing onto the driver's bench. "But just until we leave the city. I'm not particularly keen on spending the entire trip staring at a horse's arse." The irritation showing on her features gives way to a sharp little smile as she regards Owl, her voicing teasing as she says, "And I don't much care for looking at these horses' backsides either."
@ Owl
Before you leave, the guard coughs and hold's out a hand. He is clearly indicating some sort of bribe is necessary, though he believes your lie.
@ Everyone
And with that, the journey begins. Assuming the bossy Owl has his way, he and Laetitia sit driving the carriage forward while everyone else is inside the impossible room.
Jix just rolled her golden eyes at Kali's lack of a reaction and Lia's accusatory glances. "Bah yer all no fun, no fun 't all I say!" This was all starting to get rather dull fairly quickly, she felt, and she knew that she absolutely had to do something to alleviate the boredom she was beginning to feel set on. She groaned and leaned back into her cushy pillow fort as her crafty fingers fumbled about for a decent pillow to grab. And in a moment she finds one, perfect, weighty yet aerodynamic and easily grasped, the ideal instrument of destruction for a vicious pillow fight.
The pillow fort bursts apart into shrapnel as Jix cries out, and strikes at an unprepared Lia with great force, "HAH!!! En guard Snowflake!"
As the pillow savagely booped Lia on the back of the head Jix let out a triumphant shout. "How do ya like me now?!"
Kali flinches as Lia reaches out for her. Slowly, as Lia strokes her hair, Kali's eyes open in surprise.
"Y-you're being nice to me? B-b-but you're never nice to me, Alexandrie," the tiefling wonders as she frowns in confusion.
Then comes the pillow throw of doom. Jix's shout causes Kali flinch again. She turns and moves the few feet she needs to close the distance.
"Tuliliananilli, Mad'm Bludet's gonna get mad if you keep yelling," she whispers urgently, trying to get Jix to keep her voice down.
Kali isn't in the way for long. She lets out a soft squeak and drops to the floor before trying to crawl away.
Jix let out a gasp of surprise and indignation as the large pillow Kari wielded buffeted her in the back and knocked her small frame off balance into a staggered state as her arms flailed about to keep balance. "Oi, you cheeky f%&#er! Now you gone an' done it Jeeves!" The ratfolk girl cried out with a smirk on her face, now this was getting interesting.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jix noticed Kali's attempt to crawl away. A twinkle could be seen in her eye as she swung her hefty pillow wildly at the girl on the ground. "Fool! There are no bystanders in pillow war! Now DIE!!!!!!"
Jix let out a fierce battle-cry as her pillow smashed the ground beside Kali's head, missing her completely but striking the ground with enough force to generate a loud thud as the pillow's weight impacted the floor. The ratfolk then lifted the pillow upwards in an upper-cut like fashion at Kari behind her.
And once again completely missed target but the glimmer Kari could see in Jix's eyes said it all. Death to those that cross me here.
"Bring it on all o ye lot. Ya can't take me! I thawp bigger foes then you lot in me sleep, wit' me left 'and!"
Kali, not wanting any part of this pillow brawl, buries herself under a mound of them.
"Madam Bludet's gonna kill me if they keep this up," Kali whispers in a tone that mingles frustration, desperation, and terror.
The first pillow from Kari was dodged by Jix with a level of skill and grace on might not have expected from the loud-mouthed rat-girl and the floating pillow seemed to merely be a distraction to her which she easily disregarded. However, a gasp escaped Jix's lips as she was buffeted with Lia's pillow in the face. It was quickly becoming apparent that she was outnumbered and soon she would be over-run no matter what her skill level was. Something had to be done or she was doomed.
Still not noticing what was going on with Kali Jix launched her newest strategy. Lifting an arm an pointing to the left Jix exclaimed wide-eyed with a wavering inflection of panic in her voice. "OI, OTHY PUT THAT DOWN! TIS NOT FAIR TO USE A PILLOW THAT BIG!"
As all the women's heads turn to look in the direction Jix pointed she attempts to make a stealthy getaway, rolling behind a wall of pillows over to the right of the room.
No one notices as the rat blends into the shadows of the room and readies herself for the next attack from darkness.
The trip takes a few days, and between the six of you each day is filled with decent eating. In fact, when you stop for the night and take turns doing watches, you find that the fixtures taking the majority of the space in the carriage (actual carriage not impossible space) are actually decent for preparing food. You reason that you could probably make some sort of decent dishes here: soups, cooked meats........noodles.
Eventually, you reach the town of Ilsurian. However, its just past sunset and oddly enough as you near the town there seems to be strings of torches and lights all around just outside the town. Deciding the best action would be that everyone should vacate the carriage as you got closer, you enter a clearing that seems to be full of other carriages and the like. Before you all can begin to speak of your puzzlement, a middle-aged woman, hair bunned up tight, and lips pursed in officiality strides up to your carriage.
"No, no I'm sorry, but this is the concessions area. You'll have to find somewhere else to park your carriage. I don't care if you've traveled hundreds, even thousands of miles to see the Umbra Carnival, Sheriff Feldane left me in charge of this area and I intend to oversee it properly."
You can tell by her clothing and posture that she's probably no any sort of law enforcement, but she does seem convinced of her own authority.
The pillow fight comes to an abrupt end when Kali, now fully awake and aware of what what's going on emerges from her hiding places and levels a soul-searing glare at Lia and Kari before marching towards them and grabbing their ears to drag them outside the pillow filled room.
"Thomias. Is. Trying. To. Sleep," she says quietly, clipping each word and exuding the air of a very ticked older sibling. Once her message is delivered, she stalks back into the room to find Jix. After a minute of not finding the nimble and stealthy ratfolk, she returns to where Thomias lies sleeping and soon rejoins him in the realm of dreams.
The next several days, Kali can be found either keeping the middle watch or keeping an eye on Thomias. She never lets her guard down as much as she did the night they were given the task of escorting the young lad, but she is less guarded around him, sharing stories about where she's been and things that have happened while on her travels. She's more guarded around Owl and Otho, keeping her conversations short and to the point. Around Kari and Lia, she does her best to keep quiet, while she actively avoids Jix and Laetitia.
About a day out from Riddleport, she begins to wear the battered holy symbol of Iomedae again. She spends her early mornings praying and practicing with her blades and shield. Her evenings are spent caring for her gear, repairing as much of the damage as she can on her own.
Anyone paying even just a little attention to Kali finds that while she is distant and guarded, she is willing to help anyone that needs it without being asking first. She will also do almost any work asked of her, and even if she is more likely to hurt herself doing it alone, she refuses to ask for help doing anything.
None of the stories ever involve her. Any questions about her are answered as quickly and vaguely as possible without trying to come off as evasive.
As they approach the clearing, Kali pulls the hood of her cloak low over her face. She hopes that the dim light and the hood would hide her nature enough to not cause an issue. It was a forlorn hope, but it was better than no hope. Still, that hope was about to be tested as a middle-aged woman comes up and informs them they'd have to find somewhere else to park.
Owl would probably be the best at talking to her, she thinks. I'd just make a mess of it.
She takes to instead seeing if there were any threats that might nee her attention.
Okay, now that money was coming into it, Owl made another quick reevaluation and decided a bribe was not worth it. Not when the expected outcome was only going to give them a marginal lead. They'd just have to move fast. In his merchant form, Owl looks affronted and huffs at the guard. "Yes. Your hands are dirty. Just like your morals." He spins angrily and walks away.
Their first day out, Owl is all ears and eyes, keeping watch. After no signs of pursuit or attack are apparent he decides it's high time he got the whole story here. This was one of the weirdest recruiting missions he'd been on. He wanted to find the connection. So as they sit and eat outside one night he broaches the subject with typical flair. He stands and clangs a metal spoon to his metal mug for attention. "First off, I'd like to apologize for being pushy two days ago. I overheard a conversation about some pursuers and decided expediency was in order."
There is more to it than that.
"Also I'd like to apologize to you Otho. I fear I misinterpreted your comment. I thought Scoot was a person you intended to muscle to get your cart and ox back. You can understand why I thought that a poor choice of actions seeing as we wanted to leave quietly. I did not realize Scoot was the ox. To the rest of you, I'd like to know how this all happened?" he says, waving a hand over the group. "I met Miss Lia earlier that day after a spoiled deal," he says glossing over the fact that she spoiled it. "And then later I met Miss Laetishia when I went to see her beau," he winks at Tish, " for information about an altogether different matter. It was mostly by happenstance I met Desoran, the man who hired me to release you all and aid in returning poor Thomias to his mother. Of you two," he says, indicating Otho and Jix, "I know nothing. So how did you all end up in that cell?"
Of course, Kali thinks as she notices she's being ignored, they probably all want me gone anyway. That's the way it usually goes, right?
She just busies herself with honing the edges of battered swords while keeping an eye on Thomias. The battered blades are nicked and scored in dozens of places, but they are free of rust.
The snooty woman taps her foot impatiently, looking to each of you in turn.
"Well? Are you going to move this eye-sore or will I have to fine you?"
You can see the uncomfortable looks from other vendors (most likely locals), and with your keen sense can hear them whispering.
"Who thought it was a good idea to give Old Mad Marge a position of authority?"
"Well, it was either the concession area or the daycare, and I'm not about to suggest the Sheriff send that she-demon with the kids..."
Not one to let an opportunity for a little coin slip by without at least trying to capitalize on it, Laetitia steps forward to address the severe woman. "Oh, no, Madame. I don't think there will be any need for that. We're vendors, you see? We've come to give the good people of this town a taste of what we have to offer."
Owl managed not to look confused at Laetitia's bluff. Why was she arguing? They had nothing to sell and nothing to gain by parking here. He might as well help if she had a plan.
"Where do you want set up our...goods?" he asks Tish with some difficulty.
"Oh Bird-boy I kin tell ya all ya need to know about 'ow Othy an' me splendid self managed to get caught up in all this rot. Ya see Mr. Grabbers. . . erm. . . I mean Tom. . . lifted me purse, 'e did, so's I chased 'im down only to find good ol' Othy 'ere layin' into 'is pa like 'e was lookin' to make a smear outa the ol' man." She chuckled to herself and offered Otho a thumbs up with a wink. "It was bloody brilliant, it was! But then Ol' Othy found 'isself outnumbered an' 'e 'ad to rely on 'is new pal Jix to get 'is skinny arse outa the fire, which o' course I did expertly, then we 'eard about Mister Grabber's pa bein' an arse from the cook at the inn were we all came together an' Othy volunteered 'is dumb self so naturally I 'ad to tag along jus' to make sure the poor fool didn't get 'isself killed."
Jix couldn't help but roll her eyes and groan every time she glanced up to see Lia looking down at her expectantly, quill and paper in hand. "Oi, would ya mind? I'm jus' walkin' 'ere, I ain't tellin' no tales right at this minute. . . I swear you're jus' like that other one, I can't seem to get away from you story mongers now can I? She shook her head and looked wistfully up at the sky. "Sorry Snowflake, it's not that I don't like to brag about me wonderful self and me daring exploits I'm just storied out at the moment, perhaps later alright love?
Jix took some time to notice all her surroundings in this stranger new place. She didn't get involved with the current dialogue however, as she wasn't quite sure what the objective of getting into the vendor area was.
"Goods," Kali asks just loud enough for everyone close by to hear. "Do we even have anything we can sell?"
The young fighter looks at Laetitia with a quizzical expression, the clearest expression seen on her face since leaving Riddleport. Her eyes glow a dim violet in the shadows of her hood as she waits for an answer.
"You're vendors?" Marge asks, eyebrow raised in disbelief. "You don't have an air of professionalism, but I guess they'll let anyone near a soup pot these days. Keep an eye on that one, he looks shifty to me." she finishes unsubtly pointing to Owl.
She sighs and pulls out a bit of parchement and a quill. She dips the quill in a small thin bottle attached to her wrist and poises it to write.
"Alright. Name? What are you selling? and its 2 gold pieces to rent the space for the weekend. No sleeping in the vendor area after closing, and the town of Ilsurian is not responsible for any damages that may occur.
EDIT: Thomias, mission momentarily blasted out of his mind by the bright lights and colorful tents of the carnival, tugs on Kali's armor.
"Can we go?" he asks, the first bit of excitement you've seen in the beaten boy's eyes in quite a while. It also occurs to you that finding a woman while the Carnival's on may be a difficult task with everyone moving around so much.
Kali looks down at Thomias and sees the excitement in his eyes.
"I don't see why not," she says. "It'll be fun after road," she adds with a smile. "Do any of you want to come," she asks, trying to be polite.
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"Now this... should be the good stuff."
Otho rejoined the table triumphantly. In his hand was a simple clay jug. Inside, however, were the fruits of his labor. Considering the demand for spirits from Tish, he'd used higher heat and bread yeast to speed the fermentation. The only thing left was to try it out and hope he hadn't wrecked the whole batch. Still, it couldn't be worse than pruno, right?
Since the night they'd set out he'd divided his time between distilling, driving the carriage, checking the Scoot and the horses, and spending a little time with Thomias. He wasn't much of a conversationalist, but if anyone had something to say or ask, he answered. So when Owl started talking...
"Yeah, I get it. Scoot's been with me since I got back on the road after doing time in 'The Hells.' Guess I tend to get a little protective of him. Only friend in the world and all that."
He was referring, of course, to Magnimar's infamous underground prison. A place not far removed from its namesake. As Jix went on to tell her side of the story he carefully sipped his concoction from a cup he'd poured, leave the rest within easy reach. Honestly, it wasn't half bad.
"She's got it mostly right. 'cept the parts about arses and fires."
"Liquor, wine, spirits. Take your pick. Now go bother someone else," Otho called, rather unhelpfully from inside.
So Laetishia was haggling with the matron, Otho was going to cover their trade spot by selling alcohol, Kali was going to watch the boy and Lia was going to secure sleeping quarters. Guess that meant was going to do what they came here to do. So be it. Owl bids them a farewell and wanders into the crowds.
Owl put his every skill to use to find the woman. He wanted to get out of here before the bandits arrived. But just in case, he slips the guard an anonymous note that their fair city might just be attacked from the general direction of Riddleport some time during the next few days. He didn't intend to get involved but if they got here before the he found her...well hero's usually got a lot of power. Could go a long way in finishing the mission. But that was the back up plan.
"Aye." Jix called as she stepped out from behind the crowd to address the woman. "We're a . . . noodle cart and booze 'ouse, we are, best in the land at that! And the cart be called the. . . Goodle Noodle. As fer the fee. Hmph! tis an insult it is! We're so skilled an' renowned that we'll be bringin' in such business as that you sould be payin' us!"
She smiled at her own impromptu wit and bowed. "By the by I'm Jix but ye kin call me Jinx, ma fair lady. At yer service 'o course."
"Who? Him?" Laetitia asks the woman with an air of faux surprise. She couldn't have her temporary partner-in-crime drawing suspicion so soon; his talents seemed particularly suited to discretion, which wouldn't be easy to achieve if the townsfolk were wary of him to begin with. Who's to say this Mad Marge wouldn't go straight to the Sheriff with her suspicions. "Oh, no, he's a saint. A perfect gentleman, that one," says Laetitia, waving off the woman's concern with a warm smile while neatly stepping in front of her to block Owl's disappearance into the crowd. "That's the one you need to watch out for," she warns, pointing out Kali's retreating form. Nothing like a little misdirection.
"The name of our stand? ...Oh! The Hon--" Laetitia fixes Jix with a scorching look when the ratgirl suggests a name before she can. Pointedly clearing her throat, she turns back to Marge, the warm smile back on her face like it never left. "Oh, don't worry. She isn't allowed in the kitchen," Tish assures the woman as she pays her the two gold coins. "Will that be all?"
Kali pauses for a moment as a chill runs up spine, but brushes off the moment as the great sense of foreboding passes.
@ Kalisuel and Thomias
You join the local townsfolk as both you and Thomias enter the Midway from the concessions area. A path runs east here from the midway toward the traveling zoo. To the south are booths with pavilion tent tops that provide shade for the games of skill and chance played beneath. Behind them are circus wagons, some clearly only for transportation and equipment, while other are attracitons and portable shops for merchants. to the north is a gigantic tent erected on tall poles with a stage curtain pulled shut across its front.
Fo you Kali, you seem to be getting mixed reactions. Some villagers seem frightened by your appearance, while other assume you to be part of the carnival itself, but like most often, its usually summed up as "surprise"
"Over here Kali!"
You feel Thomias tug at your arm until you're in front of a carnival game. A heavy, long handled mallet leans against a 3-foot-wide and 12-foot-high wooden tower crowned with a stuffed lion's head. At the base is a lever attached to a puck that slides up and down a pole running the length of the tower up to the lion's head.
You can har the large Ulfen man tending the stall barking challenges to passerbys.
"Who's ready to test their might! TO SHOW THEIR PASSION!" he says with great gusto and a large smile on his face.
Thomias looks up to you with a pleading look, clearly wanting to give it shot, but also having no money to his name.
@ Lia Neve and Kari
"I swear you and that little mouse creature are going to be the death of me."
Kari is currently lamenting the fact that she got chewed out by Kali during the pillow fight incident. All she had been doing was following orders. Your orders. Never mind she was enjoying herself, but still, her ear smarted like nothing else.
It takes a good ten minute walk to make it to town, which is eeriely more quiet than the raucus circus you just left. Kari picks up a bit of cconversation now that you two finally have some time away from the others.
"So...they seem like a fun bunch. Though that bird guy could loosen up a little."
@ Owl
You spend a loooooong time trying to strike up conversations when people are drunk, wanting to have fun, or are just going to the privy. Yet you manage to get a decent chunk of info that seems promising.
In short, you succeed in getting useful info which I will give later, so you can actually do stuff like particapte in combat or explore the carnival.
@ Jix, Laetitia, and Otho
Marge looks at you Jix with a hint of suspicion.
"I suppose...." she says slowly, "That if you can provide me a free sample to prove you merits, I could waive the fee."
At Laeitia does a bit of misdirection, Marge considers her and nods in approval. She'll be keeping an eye at for any misbehaving tieflings.
As Laetitia also presents the payment necessary, Marge waves it off.
"I stand by my word. If you can prove to me your cuisine is of suitable standars, I'll will waive the fee."
Kali does her best to not let the looks get to her, and focuses on the games and concessions set up around the
"Alright," she says with a grin, "we can play that one."
The young tiefling walks up to the ulfen barker with Thomias and asks, "E-excuse me, but how much is it for two tries? One for him and one for me?"
Jix scrunched up her nose at Tish's comment and snorted, "Right well. That'll 'ave to wait till we get settled ya see. Our chef as just run off an' we need to get the place proper set up before we can do any real cookin'. It ain't like we just got food lyin' around in 'ere love. What are you accusin' us of?! Usin' recooked noodles?! The insult! My good lady I assure ya y'll find none o' that rot in this fine establishment. Now if you'd be so kind as to get out the bloody way we kin get set up an' grant you yer vittles soon. Now off wit' ya! Go on sho!" The ratfolk scowled waving her hand at the woman with all the air of someone above being bothered with such meager things.
The carnival atmosphere is infectious. Not enough to distract but enough to indulge a bit. A treat here, a game there, some window shopping, maybe even a little haggling. Some practice too. Adopt a new persona at each station. Be as convincing as possible.
He was doing fairly good. Or at least he thought so. He still needed some practice reading people. And he really needed some new clothes. Something fine and functional. Something that said you should be my friend cause you don't want to be my enemy.
While wandering through the crowd, he slips past some guards enjoying a bite and slips them a piece of paper warning of an attack in the next few days from direction of Riddleport. He signed it The Concerned Citizen. All the while as he is having his fun, he never forgets the job. He questions people here there about a woman missing a son, possibly taken or forced by law. He wasn't sure on the specifics. If they were lucky, Kali would find her as they walked around by accident. Happy reunion. Get out before the bandits arrive. Mission complete.
@ Kalisuel and Thomias
You approach the boisterous man, calling out for people to try the game, and he flashes you a genuine smile.
"Just a one copper piece a try miss, and perhaps you'll have better luck than that gentleman."
He jabs his thumb at the man who has just frustratedly dropped the mallet and stalk off.
Thomias stumbles a bit as he tries to lift the hammer, grabbing onto you to steady himself. It seems your efforts to comfort the lad have definitely led him to rely and trust you more than most.
He takes a swing!
But as the mallet hits the base, the puck slides only partway up the pole. He frowns with dissapointment, but hands it off to you.
@ Owl
As far as the carnival workers and patrons are concerned, you're just a traveler who stopped by the carnival to enjoy himself.
A particular game does catch your eye though as you round back to the midway. Three raised runways meet at a point like an arrow beneath a brightly colored pavilion tent. Where the runways meet sits a tall rectangular box covered in mirrors. Off of one side is a raised speaker's podium. Posters on makeshift signs depict an attractive woman in a provocative gown and silver mask, with the words "The Lovely Madame Masque" in bold print.
A well-dressed man is approaching people with a hat and you see many throw coppers into the hat. It seems this is somewhat like a perception based game where the winner get part of the pot.
@ Lia Neve and Kari
And you do manage to move out of the way as Kari takes a swipe at you.
"Its talk like that that leads to soup being shoved under your pillow." she threatens, a smirk on her face.
You both walk just a bit further on. The carnival actually rivals the Ilsuran in size, and there's a enough of buffer that a brisk walk finds you in a very quiet town. It takes some searching, but you do find a small inn with a very bored looking young man attending the counter. He does perk up as he sees to young, attractive women walk in and he quickly clears his throat.
"H-How can I help you?" he asks, his voice just slightly betraying the nervousness of someone trying to make a good impression.
@ Jix, Laetitia, and Otho
While she had been going along with Jix's cajoling and phrasing, you can see her start to frown as she's been to leave despite her stipulations.
"I do think I will be leaving. Straight to the Sheriff."
And she's about to make good on her threat before Otho comes in and sets up a small eating table. and some wine.
"That's better." she says as she sits down. "I approve all concessions before they are served. Everyone has already submitted the proper paperwork and samples while the carnival was setting up, and I will not bend them to suit certain selfish needs."
She eyes the now considered unfriendly Jix critically.
Meanwhile back in the carriage, Otho finds some leftover stew that Kali made during the road. Its decent to taste, but a far-cry from the claims Jix has made. In fact, you would definitely need to put in some quick effort to create something that would impress Marge.
Kali pays a couple of coppers and does her best to keep Thomias from getting discouraged.
"It's okay," she says as she takes the hammer. "After all, even if you didn't reach the top, you still made it move a good bit."
The young woman takes the hammer in both hands and sets her stance before taking a swing. She puts every muscle in her body to work as she brings the hammer up over her head and down onto the target.
Laetitia feels her heart sink at the woman's threat to call on the sheriff. She is quick to try and soothe the woman's ire, but it's clear to most that her typically unflappable demeanor has been a bit shaken by Marge's words. "Please forgive the ratgirl," she asks of the woman, the black glare she fixes Jix with switching to a placating smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes as she returns her attention to the townswoman. "Her mother passed before she was given the chance to learn any decent manners. If you'll wait but one moment..." Laetitia is thankfully saved from any further grovelling by the timely arrival of Otho. With Marge settled at the table with some wine, Tish turns to help Otho put together a meal for their 'customer'.
"A little hospitality would not be unwelcome, you know?" she seethes, slamming the door to the carriage shut behind her. Picking up a nearby ladle, Laetitia tries a bit of the stew Otho had found. While the taste wasn't bad in the least, time had faded some of what made the dish so appealing when it was fresh. "I just so happen to find an opportunity to earn us a bit of coin while we're here," Laetitia starts, angrily shaking various herbs and spices into the stew before setting the pot back on the heat, "And no one can be bothered to do their part. At least not cooperatively."
The stew soon begins to bubble and boil in an imitation of what Tish imagines her blood is doing in her vains at that moment. So this is why I've always worked alone. Well, this, and that I was never very good at sharing in my last line of work. "In case it's escaped everyone's recollection, we're still technically on the run for kidnapping, so the last thing we probably want is that woman summoning the Sheriff, and having him come down here to ask a bunch of questions we'd rather not answer." She takes a wooden spoon to the pot and stirs the stew well before raising a spoonful up to the giant's face, nearly brandishing it at him. "Now taste this."
@ Laetitia, Otho, and Jix
The mix of spices that Laetitia has thrown into the pot seems to bring out the heartiness of the stew, and the spoonful that is thrust at Otho's mouth has a flash of spice that is quickly followed by savory beef flavor.
Owl considers the game. It looks like it would take a quick eye and a quick wit to win. He takes a few coins, at least equal to what others drop in, and adds them to the pot. His elvish blood should give him an edge.
@ Kali and Thomias
"Holy mother of Sarenrae!"
The swearing of the very surprised stall tender is drowned out by the massive roar that the lion emits as the puck rushes up and hits it with such force that for a moment you think you may have broken it.
The loud and thunderous roar draws attention from bystanders all around, and a delighted smile from Thomias. As the ringing fades, you start to hear laughter as the stall tender, who introduces himself as Narthi, approaches you with a paper crown.
"In all my years I've yet to hear someone sound the lion that loudly! Wonderous!"
He thrusts the paper crown on your head, and it has on it proudly written Queen of the Carnival.
"That'll give you half off for the big top performances and the sideshow," he mutter to you before turning away to the now large crowd who are eager to reproduce your work.
@ Owl
It is but a copper to join the betting pool, but soon the hat has been collected and a hush forms over the crowd. A few quick questions reveal that this game is a guessing game, or one of observation. And then it begins...
A shapely young woman in provocative Varisian costume gown of red and black silk held together by ribbons. She is adorned with all manner of scarves, necklaces, earrings, and other decorative costume pieces, but her face is concealed by a finely crafted silver mask showing only her playful brown eyes. She remains mute, but nods and waves to the crowd.
She struts down the center runway, her hips moving seductively and drawing men's gazes from all around. She stands there, and poses for a minute, standing motionless except for the subtle rise and fall of her chest. There are a few guards in place just in case some of the grabbier members of the audience grow a bit too bold.
Madam Masque then struts back to the center stage and just before she moves behind a mirrored cabinet, you swear she flashes you a flirtatious wink.
There is a flourish from the presenter, a flash of smoke, and three Madam Masques appear from seemingly nowhere. Each one walks down a different runway and once again stops to pose.
"Now! Can you spot the real Madam Masque! Remember! Deatils are key!"
Kali is a little startled by her own success, but seeing the man who was manning the stall laughing and Thomias' smile causes a grin to spread across her face. The hood of her cloak had fallen from her head, but it was soon replaced by the paper crown.
"Thank you, Mr. Narthi. I hope the rest of the night is a rousing success for you," she says after he tells her about the benefits that come with being the Queen of the Carnival. As they walk away from the now busy game, the young woman chuckles.
"That was fun," she says quietly to the young boy. "What do you want to do next? See one of the shows or play some games or get something to eat?"
At that moment, her stomach growls rather loudly, causing her to blush in embarrassment.
"Well, I guess that's one vote for the last one," she says with an embarrassed laugh.