[I Like Bees]

Day 6

[ Art by harvestberry ]

There were no candles tonight… yet the air tasted of fire, candlewax and woodsmoke.
Banners sagged against sequoia posts, their once vibrant crimsons and greens now muted and sun-bleached. The autumnal chill have sunk into your bones… wind howling in your ears as if there was a ghoul in the wind.

It is only then you hear the chanting.
The baritone of drums crack in the silence, reverberating through the earth as thousands of eyes pierce the inkdrop night. They are the color of burning plasma and bruised sunsets. Their delicately pointed figures, a mere silhouette against the dark. Your heart is in your ears, thrumming through your veins as the Cinnamonstick's tale peals through your growing horror.

"Now this ghoulish carrot haunts the carnival, tearing the place apart. All in search of the soul who cracked its home - the statue."

Then, there's nothing. There is no chanting. No drums. No sentient carrots peering at you from the dark.
You shake your head. You must've been hearing things… this whole haunted carnival talk must be getting to your head. You should get going. Besides, Maplefrost needs your help with the investigation and she needs all the help she can get!

[ Written by faelyn ]

[Aizaka]

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[I Like Bees]

Day 7

[ Art by harvestberry ]

A warm glass of apple cider steams in your paws, its sweet earthiness blooms on your tongue as the sunrise swallows up the last remnants of ghastly moonlight. The first batches of candied carrots bubble at large cauldrons of sugar crystals and booth games whirr to life. It seems like the carnival is piecing itself back together! But there is a strange apprehension that hangs in the air… a bone-deep silence that has corrupted the very heart of the carnival. As some would put it, the calm before the storm. And for some reason… you can't find Maplefrost today. She's nowhere to be found!

And with that, you make your way to the investigation booth! Maybe you will see her there?

[ Written by faelyn ]

[Vivika]

Day 8

[ Art by harvestberry ]

There was something divine about how the skies become moon-soaked at the stroke of midnight, bleaching the carnival until it was a sallow portrait of what it once was. Lightning roared above and autumnal rains wept, petrichor seeping into the air that still smelled of woodsmoke and fire.

Throaty snores permeated the carnival, oblivious to the roiling storm above. Your very bones tremble at the cold as you clutch at your flashlight, the frigid steel biting into your skin. It had been hours of waiting and you begin to wonder if Maplefrost was wrong. Perhaps there was no culprit behind the sabatoges… perhaps this carnival was really haunted.

It is only then when a twig snaps.

Warm, honeyed light pours throughout the clearing and your head snaps up, your heart in your throat as you squint into the inkdrop dark. The saboteur had come.

You hold your breath as the silhouette emerges, honeyed light cascading off the panes of their face as he steps into the open. You couldn’t believe it… the saboteur- the saboteur… it was Cinnamonstick.

“How could you do to me? To us? To the carnival?” Autumn-leaf curls and hollow eyes seem to scorch the earth as Maplefrost barrels toward her brother. The once delicate nuances of her voice grew shrill. “Why did you do this, Cinnamonstick… why?”

“Don’t you see? I had to do it! I had to for the good of our family!” The saboteur hung his head, a breath shuddering through him as his gaze darts to the gathered cats and finally… his sister. “We both know what kind of debt we’re in, Maplefrost. I had to do something. I thought.. maybe the old ghost story would be good for business.” He fiddles with an errant cinnamon curl, still mussed from the rain. “I’ve heard haunted places are a trend right now… and y’know i decided to take advantage. I couldn’t just let grandpa Carrrl’s legacy go to waste.” His voice cracks. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all of it.”

You expect an uproar. A pandemonium that would shake the carnival to its core.
But no one moves. No one makes a sound. There is just a bone-deep understanding as the night ends. The crowd disperses, and you can’t help but watch as the beginnings of the sunrise stretch over the clearing. rich auburns and burnished golds ooze over the carnival, gilding every tattered edge even as remnants of the storm still hang heavy in the air.

---

Maplefrost and Cinnamonstick are missing and perhaps… just perhaps you can do something to help the carnival.

[ Written by faelyn ]

[Vivika]

hi everyone!! today is the last day for most (except one) of carrrl’s carrotopia booths! an official farewell (along with a few other reveals / updates c;) will be posted when the investigation booth closes!

• bumper carrots, carrot fishing and kitchen mayhem will also be open for one final round! <3 make sure to visit hana, seaviper and grape jelly one last time for a chance at carrot coins and gift basket tickets!
• attack of the carrots (part 2) and pumpkin carving are closing at cs rollover tomorrow (15 → 16th)! make sure to have your entries in before then!
• the investigation booth is open for 48 hrs (closes at cs rollover from 16th → 17th)! this will be the last booth to close in the event! come and join the advertising campaign for carrrl’s carrotopia! c:
• if you’d like, pop by pluck & pickings to say goodbye to hareskip && thank them for all the lovely flowers <3

[I Like Bees]

Farewell

[ Art by harvestberry ]

Maplefrost and Cinnamonstick stood on the outskirts of the crowd. The younger she-cat had a look of pure glee on her face, thrilled at the idea that her family carnival would be saved for the coming years. Cinnamonstick still carried a look of guilt, although there was no mistaking the gleam in his eyes for one of happiness.

As you approach and the crowd goes silent, awaiting some great announcement, the siblings seem a bit misty-eyed.

"Thank you so much for all you folks have done, really. Although the carnival didn't go exactly the way we planned," Maplefrost takes a quick look over at her brother, amusement glimmering in her eyes, "I'm glad that it still made everybody happy. I'm extremely happy to be sticking around in order to carry on the carnival for seasons to come! In order to celebrate, we have now opened up our carnival shop! Please, look around and use those special carrot coins. Get something to remember us by!"

She seems ready to bid everybody goodbye, however Cinnamonstick steps forward, his face slightly solemn. "I just want to apologize for everything I did. I just wanted to make sure that this carnival could stick around long enough to give joy to more cats than it already had. And I'm sure it will, with Maplefrost running it." He gives his sister a look of pure adoration, pride washing over his face. "However…"

"I do want to announce that I will be retiring. This season has proven that I've gotten a bit too involved with running this carnival and it's best if I step away. In fact, I've heard so much about your homes and your families, I was thinking about possibly tagging on with one of you…" He trails off, head dipping in slight sheepishness.

Maplefrost steps in to save him, tail draping over his back. "But that's enough from us! Go on, enjoy the last of the carnival! And thank you again!"

[ Written by elliott. ]

[Mythz]

hello everybody !! we hope you enjoyed carrrl's carrotopia - I know we all had a blast planning it for you guys !

the event shop is now open !! please make sure that you read everything on the thread so that you understand everything related to the raffle baskets and some new item rules. head over now and spend those hard-earned tokens <3

we're also excited to introduce Maplefrost as our newest member of the event NPC's ! so you'll still see her face around.

the beloved Cinnamonstick has decided to retire from the carnival shenanigans and is looking for a home with someone - he's now available as a raffle prize !!

again, we hope you all had fun, and we'll see you around for our next event !!