[Harleigh Meets A Living Compass (And Scares Her)] (Special Guests, Parker Cherry and Jackie by @cryingpariah)
*We open up on a dark and moonlit night in the forest where Parker and Jackie are walking around, Parker more visibly worried than Jackie*
Peter: Why are we out here again Jackie?
Jackie: Cause you’re “helping me” find interviews, also cause I got Morgan’s to agree to shipping you over here for a little reunion.
Peter: (Nervously) I’m still scared…what if a weirdo comes up to us?
Jackie: I’ll deal with them, I’m kinda like the anti-thesis to weird perverts. Especially the weird perverts that we’d find in the woods.
Peter: That…doesn’t make me feel any better.
*Music begins to play*
Peter: (Confused) What’s that noise?!
Jackie: Music?
???: Come little children, I′ll take thee away, Into a land of enchantment…Come little children The time's come to play Here in my garden of shadows!!
Jackie: (Slightly Scared) Show yourself you pervert!! Why are you singing about children!?
Peter: (Whisper Yell) Jackie!! We need to leave!!
Jackie: (Whisper Yell) No!! I’m gonna find this weirdo, as soon as my compass stops spinning?
*Harleigh steps out from behind a tree and smiles at the two of them*
Harleigh: Follow sweet children, I′ll show thee the way Through all the pain and the sorrows!Weep not poor children For life is this way Murdering beauty and passions
Peter: Jackie, We have to go!! That Clown…
Jackie: “Jester” it’s wearing a motley, therefore it’s a jester.
Peter: Jackie, he’s just staring at us from the tree line! He’s obviously singing at us!!
Jackie: Not before I give this man a piece of my mind!! 😡
Peter: (Internally) Why does he look familiar?
Harleigh: Hush now dear children, It must be this way, Too weary of life and deceptions, Rest now my children For soon we'll away, Into the calm and the quiet…
*Jackie looks down at her compass but her face freezes in horror as she realizes it’s spinning sporadically as Harleigh walks closer to her*
Jackie: (Scared) P-Parker…
Peter: Get away from her creep!!
*Parker attempts to throw a punch but is easily redirected away from from Harleigh*
Harleigh: Come little children, I′ll take thee away, Into a land of enchantment…Come little children The time's come to play Here in my garden of shadows!!
Peter: (Scared) W-Who are you??!
Harleigh: (Gently) I’m Happy Harleigh, the Contortionist of The Mind. Would you like to come see my show, little children?
*Harleigh outreaches his spindly hand and both look at each other before taking his hand*
Harleigh: Come now, the performance awaits.
Jackie: (Whispering) If he tries anything funny, I’ll take his head off. Don’t worry.
Harleigh: Cut my head off huh? Interesting method but effective
Jackie: How did you…
Harleigh: (Excited) We’re here!!
*Peter and Jackie look out into a crowd of varying teenagers from the goths to the stereotypical losers*
Harleigh: Take a seat, enjoy my crew!!
Peter: (Whispering) Jackie!! That’s the terrorist that attacked Mariejois!!
Jackie: (Shocked) Oh Shit really?! I gotta get an interview with him, he has a 700,000,000 Berri bounty for that act alone!!
*Harleigh appears behind the two and places his hands on their shoulders*
Harleigh: Aw, you must be referring to my Theater of Heavenly Destruction. The Greatest Show ever to grace the holy land in all of its creation!!
Jackie: Would you be willing to answer some questions for the press?
Harleigh: Weeeheehehehe!!! Ah, the ink-stained inquisitors arrive! Forgive me, dear quill-bearer, but I answer only to the silence that follows the scream—not to those who scribble while the fire burns.
Jackie: Well, lucky for me, I’ve always been good at catching whispers in smoke—and I’ve got ink enough to outlast your fire. Care for a quote, or shall I just write the legend myself?
Peter: (Confused) What are they saying?
Harleigh: *His grin grows a little wider* You’re feisty…tell you what, I will answer 3 questions from you. No more and no less, you may begin now.
Jackie: Why’d you attack Mariejois, Where did you come from, and how did a rookie pirate think attacking Mariejois was a smart move?
Harleigh: Jeez, so direct and yet so young?
*Harleigh leans his face in close which causes Jackie to reel back in fear and annoyance*
Harleigh: You’re going to make a lot of enemies in the future kid
Jackie: I already have a lot of enemies, now answer my questions.
Harleigh: Hmm…to answer your first question, here’s another question.
*Harleigh clears his throat*
Harleigh: Why the palace? Why not the mirror it’s built on? I danced in their halls until the walls began to laugh back. They called it truth, I called it a trick of the light—so I shattered the stage to see what bleeds behind the curtains. Tell me, do you see the strings yet, or are you still clapping for the shadows?
Jackie: Interesting…
Harleigh: To answer your second question; Tell me, have you ever seen a lullaby sharpened to a point? Or a nursery rhyme that ends with silence instead of sleep? They gave me toys that whispered names, taught me to smile before I struck. What child doesn’t play pretend… if the pretending is who dies?
Jackie: Care to elaborate?
Harleigh: I’m pretty sure you know the answer to that.
Jackie: Last question, tell me your little “riddle”.
*Harleigh claps his hands and suddenly the entire carnival disappears, including all the people. Leaving only Harleigh, Peter, and Jackie*
Harleigh: What laughs when trust is twisted, and dances on blades unseen? What hand feeds venom in velvet, yet asks the fool to preen? When broken faith bleeds shadows, and crowns drip crimson lies. Who sets sail on sorrow’s sea, with fire burning in their eyes?
*Harleigh suddenly disappears and Peter shivers as if something horrible had happened*
Peter: (Scared) Jackie…can we go home?
Jackie: Yeah…Yeah let’s go home.
*Jackie looks at her arm and notices a note that reads “You don’t find me, I’ll find you” and as she looks at her compass, it’s still spinning and unable to find the Jester*
