This place used to be where everyone in town came. It was where you laughed and loved and just connected. Now, as I stand here and look at what used to be the happiest place on Earth, now abandoned, I wonder what would have happened if people still came here. Would there be more attractions? More rides for the kids? More booths for the adults to look around in? We may never know. I sit my lantern down on the counter of an old balloon game. The kind where you had to shoot water into a bull dog's mouth to blow it up. Those we're good times, simpler times.
Silence. Nobody's here and I find that kinda sad. Now it's just a place to hide from the cops. Not that I would know that. I look at the carousel and at the little horses I once rode as a child. And just for the heck of it, I walk over and sit on one. It creaks beneath me and I have a small moment of panic, what if the whole thing collapses on me? Let's not go there. Think happy thoughts. I close my eyes and just as I wished it, I'm back when this place was in it's hayday. A child runs by, a balloon animal trailing behind her. A guy on stilts walks by and tips his hat to me and continues on his way. Then suddenly she's there. Grabbing my arm and laughing, saying, "God! I'm so dizzy! Let's never go in those strawberries again."

I laugh and she smiles. She shakes her head a little, brown hair bouncing with the motion. I watch her as she points to a teen throwing darts at balloons. His aim is on point and he gets a giant teddy bear, handing it to the girl next to him, who pecks his cheek in return. I look over my shoulder and see an elderly couple walking and looking at knickknacks in a little booth. And I think to myself as I look back to the younger couple, will they be like the elderly one? Will they stay together? Then I'm being dragged by her, and shes talking about how her brother was dying to try out the new ride called the Zipper. It was a tall ride that had cages you were put into and then you were able to flip those cages. I follow her and just watch in awe as she looks at everything and everyone with open eyes and a smile. She's so good, when I'm.... Not. Then we spot it at the same time, a small booth stuck in between to bigger ones, which both seemed to be getting a lot of business. She looked at me and I grinned, "you thinking what I'm thinking?"
She nudges her shoulder against mine, "heck yeah, come on let's go check it out."

We walk in and notice all of the frames with symbols and cartoon faces in them. Then as if he was summoned a big guy walking in from the back, with a total beer gut, and spots into a can. My hopes about this place just sunk to an all time low. But she looks him square in the eye and says, "hi! What do you sell here?" Goodness this girl is crazy. I watch as the guy looks over both of us, her with her brown hair cut of shorts and tank top, and me in a pair of khakis, a black T-shirt and black hair. We probably looked like polar opposites.
He spits again then says, "Tattoos." We looked at each other. A silent conversation going between us. Tattoos? At a carnival? Why?
"That's a little strange. Well how much do you cost?"
The guy, again, spits, and says, "depends on the body part." I look at him and see a name tag that says 'Mick'. I walk over to the far wall and she follows me, hand in mine.
Then she points to a black tattoo in the frame, with a whole bunch of Aztec symbols, "This is so neat! Reminds me of something from a movie I once saw." I look at it and then at her and I hear another 'TING' from his spit hitting the inside of the can, I slightly gag. What's with him spitting all the time?
"How much for a tattoo on the bicep?" I ask over my shoulder.
"Ehh, about twenty bucks." I slightly nod and then lean down to whisper in her ear,
"Think it'll look good on me?" I ask. She turns and looks at me.
"You'd get a tattoo?" I shrug, but nod. "It would totally go with you! I mean it really speaks out to me and you doesn't it?" I look back at the frame,
"Yeah it kinda does." I say.

-

"So you came." I jump and I'm back in the abandoned carnival, still sitting on the horse. I look over and see him standing there. His blonde hair bright against the bleak sky.
"You didn't think I would?" I growl, standing up.
"Oh I knew you would. Ever since I informed you she was alive and well." My heart tugs and I look at him and sigh,
"Well you have me Ruffieo, what is it you so badly want?" I ask. He comes up to where I stand and he grins, yellow teeth on display,
"That'll come into play soon, now all I need to know is, did you bring me what I wanted, Man and Moon?"

Oooo what a neat story! I especially love the carnival theme, fairs are very special to me I guess you could say. We go to a local agricultural one every year, I just love it sm. x)
There's always a equestrian competition next door, so I walk down and watch that as well. :P
Ooo and funny that there's a tattoo booth there! I was just thinking about that recently. I'm actually considering on getting into henna or jagua ink (probably jagua, but it's pricier)
I don't wanna go permanent but I like the idea of body art so yea. :P
I wanna do some neat patterns lololol.

Re: Ahhhh thank you! Imagination is something that needs to be exercised as well I feel. I've always been wanting to get to the point where I could draw what I see completely in my mind without error, I still haven't gotten there yet, but I'm closer than I have ever been!
And yeee thought I added the tag already, but I fixed spelling so maybe that's it x)

I love the emotions this makes me feel

Re: That's why I'm considering both Henna and Jagua.
They aren't permanent but stay around for a bit. Few weeks at most I think? I like jagua because it's darker as in black. Black henna isn't really a thing and ones that do claim to have it have toxic chemicals x)
The only problem is funds atm, I can't really afford to buy fun things ooof.
Awe many that sounds like fun! And aha no worries! it's hard to spot them in the mess of tags x'D

Yeee :3 it's beautifully chilling

Re: It's mostly black henna that ypu shpuld stay away from I hear. Henna actually comes from a plant natural and runs from the colors of red to deep brown. Jagua is cooler and is more blue to black. :P
The longer you let it sit the darker and longer it will last.
I think so long as you look into what is in the body pain that you're buying, then it should be ok.

And aha ty!
Yea I like the hair style too, I actually wear that one. x'D
My mom says it make me lool like Ray from star wars so yeeeee.

Re: Yea I'm leaning towards it as well, the only problem is that it's a lot more expensive then henna so rip x'D
Henna is more widely known then jagua, so I think you can get more of a quantity with it?
Rn I'm just sitting and looking at the prices and mumbling on how I probably shouldn't go buy it. x'D
Oooo nice! Short hair is so nice! I cut my hair pretty short a one point and I loved it. But yea you can't do much with it. I generally like to keep my hair on the shorter end anyway though. So much lighter. gngjjnn.
My sister also got a pixie cut when she was in college x'P
She sorta looked a bit like Harper. :thinking:
I try really hard not to make my charas look or act like anyone else but sometimes likeness slips oops.

Harper had longer hair herself at one point ofc, but now she keeps it short bc it's easy to maintain. Unfortunately some mistake her as a guy at times, rip poor girl.

She's still a chestnut head tho lmao.

Re: Thank you! I was actually worried I got something wrong xD

Re: College steals all the time lol, watchya studying if I may ask?
Merp I start in the fall, freshman year yayyyyy. Currently my major is ACES which stands for academic center for exploratory students. (it was not my intention to get in as that but tje first few years are mostly just gen eds anyway.)
I'm thinking maybe a dual degree in buisness and graphic design. :000
So I hope to transfer into those schools by the winter lol.
Rip yea, I got a job because I'm going to need it for gas and probably summer sessions. :')
I wanna graduate in 4 years sooooo oof. many credits.

Man yea, sometimes times character designs can be very unintensional x'D
I would say I could probably pass off as Harper, buttttt eye color and hair color differ.
My hair is more of an ash brown, and ofc I have dark brown eyes :')
Our personalities are quite of a difference as well, (I try to do a lot of things to make my charas as unique as I can *cries*)
And many yea, I love her bob cut, it looks so swishy and kind of soft. *thinking*

Re: ooooo taking college courses in highschool will help for sure! :P
Ah yes, college is a bit pricey unfortunately. But luckily thanks to the Internet, education is taking an interesting turn. It's almost to the point where you could earn your master's online. Ofcourse I still think there's probably value to going to class, but the option of doing and teaching yourself is becoming of more abundance as information becomes more and more available.
Other than taking courses online, you could go to a community college then transfer into a bigger university after 2 years. That'll cut your debt significantly!
Commuting and scholarships will also help a bit as well. x)
I was considering community college, tho I got into the University of my choice, so yeeeee. It's a good school, so I think I'll be fine.

hmmmm I'm not quite sure? Buisness wise I'm very interested in entrepreneurship, investments in stock, bit coin, gold, silver, consumables etc, marketing, and finance are cool too. The economy has always intrigued and I'm pretty into that. What can I say, I love money. ;)
My granpa was also in buisness, he was a professor at the uni I'm going to. He had is own company I think at one point as well.
I never met him though, he died before any of my sibs were born. :)
Graphic design I'd love to do, but art fields don't always hold up. But it is a consumption that can be sold, so paring it with buisness or something computery even is smart imo.
I also dislike how most people view art in that field. I hate to be written of as passionate or expressionistic. I think there's more to art than that, and I need something else to exercise my analytical side. I won't be satisfied otherwise.

lol I rarely compare my personality to any of my charas, as I do take a bit of pride in it. But I guess you could say my introversion has rubbed off on them.
Pffff her hair be soft, maybe good for pet pats. But your hand might be met with a gun. The girl doesn't like to be touched >:0

Re: My dream job is still game design and film, so I'm still trying to pursue that. Though the way I see it is I'll be able to do more art on the side, with a hire education. Or whatever else I pick up on the side.
Ah man that's great good for your mom!
And yea it can be tough finding what you like x)
I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.

Eheheheheh, I keep finding ways to torment all my poor charas. lol

The one subdued light source really works well in this one. And you covered a lot of ground in a short time. Good work.