Play Date **JUST UPDATED**

Carnival of Light 4: FIRE

While Adara was left to entertain herself on the various rides, Jack hustled back to his tent. He had to clean up an embarrassing mess. The one in the toy machine. How had that damned woman seen through his seemingly flawless illusions? He had to make sure there were no more of these little hiccups or his perfect plan would fail. Everything was going the way he wanted except for that. Such a minor thing, but just one slip up would make her suspicious. He wanted her to trust him. If she saw him and his domain the way it REALLY was, she would run away and he would have to enact...Plan B, which wasn't pretty. There were cadavers in other areas of the park he would have to bury as well. He didn't let the living children see that if he could help it. They were the ones he loved, the ones he had rescued from abusive situations in their own world. So he had a soft side. So what? Some deserved to see that. The most recent kill had been a spoiled little screaming brat with a pink dress and a fake rhinestone tiara. Her room had been filled with trophies and an abundance of Hello Kitty decor that made Jack want to burn the whole damned house down. What was it with these modern rich girls and their obsession with such blasted insipidy? It made his black blood boil. Of course, he'd seen his share of equivalent extravagance over the last hundred years. The toys and the decor changed, but the sense of entitlement didn't.

His reverie was interrupted by a sudden loud blast of light and voices from the theater stage. The big one. In a puff of black angry smoke, he was gone.

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Jack arrived to be met with a storm of light and sound. His stage, HIS stage, had been taken over by a show he hadn't planned. All his children were crowding the front to get the best view.  His Adara was nowhere in sight. A group of performers, some of them with various firelit props in their hands, stood around a central figure. This figure was tall and stunning with long thick electric blue hair. He had multifaceted glittery purple eyes.  He was dressed like a jester wearing half black and white, and half rainbow colors. Jack felt an involuntary chill run through him. He tried to magic the figures away, but his magic would not work. The kids were looking up at him awed and entranced. The beautiful man spoke, his voice smooth and almost androgynous. Gentle yet effortlessly projected.

"To those who are dead on arrival, welcome." He paused and seemed to mock catch himself. "Did I say DOA? I meant late." He smiled and the kids all laughed. Jack did not see anything funny and frowned, crossing his arms. Who was this usurper?

     "And who, that is if I'm allowed to ask, are YOU?" he demanded of the fae faced man.

The man bowed, and Jack knew it was in mockery. "I am the wind, I am the rain, I am the joy, I am the pain." he said cryptically. "Some would say I am also the fire. You will know my name, when you know yourself."

Jack snarled. "Cut the rhyming rubbish and tell me who the hell you are before I turn your intestines into balloon animals!"

The slightest ghost of a knowing smile came to the jester's lips. "I was invited by the Lady." He held out his hand, and Adara came out of the shadowed end of the stage. She looked embarassed and a little scared.

"He's an old friend. He's only here for this performance." She bit her lip, and Jack softened a bit, but barely. She then ran out of sight.

He huffed and growled. "Fine. Just get on with it and get on your way."

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