Twisted Wonderland 2

Glorified Huckster

Ernesto walks over to your group with a grin. "Good morning, everyone. Lovely weather today, isn't it?"

Gino smiles and nods.

The fox places a hand to his chest in astonishment. "My gracious. There are even more clever looking scholars here than the ones I met yesterday! What have we here? A lion beastman? Now there's a rare sight around these parts! I mean, obviously I'm a beastman myself, but a fox hardly has the presence that a lion does. Wouldn't you agree, Gino?"

Gino brings his hands to hide his silent snickering as he nods.

"And is this THE Vil Schoenheit I spy?" Ernesto continues. "My word! What ethereal beauty! Fantastic! Unbelievable! It's not even dawn yet, but this is such a brilliant assembly of students. Your glow is practically giving me sunspots! Am I right, or am I right, Gino?"

Gino places his hands over his eyes.

Ernesto kneels beside Gino. "What's that? They're so brilliant you can hardly see? I know JUST what you mean." He stands and twirls his staff in one hand. "What an absolute PRIVILEGE it is to welcome such distinguished guests to the park! Why, it's the biggest honor of my life!"

Vil quirks an eye as he folds his arms. "I am well and truly baffled. You actually believed this... glorified huckster? I was questioning everyone's judgement, but this is worse than I thought."

Lilia narrows his eyes suspiciously at the fox with a hum. "This is at least a million times shadier than I imagined."

"Come on, Acey." Cater scoffs. "You thought THIS guy sounded trustworthy? Since when are YOU the gullible one of the bunch, huh?"

Leona glares at Ernesto. "Hey, fox. I'm not here for fun and games. I'm taking these numbskulls back to school."

Ernesto only chuckles. "Ahh, you're quite the jokester! You'd come out all this way just to turn around and leave? It'll be such a shame for you to miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity. Surely someone so bright wouldn't make such a foolish choice."

The lion lets out a low growl. "If you're trying to sell me on this, don't bother. I don't trust a word out of your mouth. An 'illusionary amusement park'? There's no such place and everyone knows it."

Ernesto only smiles slyly. "Come now, little lordling. I assure you, you have nothing to worry about."

"'Little lordling'?" Leona scoffs.

"Ah, it's almost dawn." Ernesto waves a hand to the dock. "Have a look, everyone. Behold the magnificent... Playful Land!"

You look to the dock just as the sun crosses the horizon. You have to shield your eyes from the glare of the sun over the water.

Kalim brings a hand over his eyes. "Woah, it's so bright! The sun's in my eyes..."

When your eyes adjust, what you see takes your breath away. You see an entrance docked to the wharf leading to a colorful and whimsical amusement park. The entrance is adorned with a vibrant archway featuring the park's name in bold, playful lettering. Above the archway, there is a cheerful fox character with a green hat. The pathway leading to the entrance is wide and paved with a pinkish hue, flanked by decorative railings with golden medallions. Stylized lampposts with ornate designs line the path on either side. Behind the sign, you see that the park is filled with roller coasters, turrets, and other fantastical structures, all contributing to an atmosphere of fun and excitement.

Ace shakes your arm as he stars at the park in shock. "Hey... Hey, Y/N! Are you seeing this? I'm not just seeing things, right?"

You nod, your eyes haven't ever left the park. "I see it. I just don't know if I can hardly believe it."