Lost Rambler

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 79

Lorne Thomas is the Bruiser

His aspect is Bully

Bully: The Bully dominates scenes through pressure, whether physical, social, or psychological. With a shove, a cutting remark, or the kind of cutthroat charisma that keeps others in line, they bend the room around them. Some Bullies hit hard. Others hit where it hurts. Their strength lies in confrontation, in pushing people to their limits, and in stirring conflict that demands a response. ...

2025-09-15 00:25:52 +0000 UTC View Post

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 78

Jules didn't like the plan at all.

The plot cycle may have said it was the beginning of Rebirth, but there were other things to take into account—the vibe, for one.

The problem with players is that so few of them, even back in the days of rescues, ever truly experienced a doomed storyline, not with their eyes open, at least. When players failed, they usually didn't know what hit them.

Jules had been on plenty of failed missions since arriving in Carousel, and she knew the ...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 77

I found myself hyper aware of the compulsions that had overcome me in my time within the Eternal Savers Club.

I stared at my cart with items literally stacked up over the rim, and while I didn't feel like I was under the effects of mind control, and if my infection indicator was going off, I didn't notice it at the time, all the same, I knew something was going on.

It was a feeling, a desire to have whatever I wanted pumped straight into my brain from somewhere dark and a...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 76

As the sun rose on our second day in the storyline, I could feel an energy in the air that didn't match the beginning of rebirth. It felt like the end. It felt like the finale was about to draw to a close.

It was like when you had a three-day weekend, and you got to take Monday off, but then for the rest of the week, nothing felt right. Tuesday didn't feel like Tuesday. Thursday didn't feel like Thursday. And it wasn't until the following Monday that time fixed itself.

The origina...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 75

As we fled into the parking lot from our exclusive party within the hedge maze, we sporadically went On-Screen. That meant we couldn't just wait around; we had to actually stay in character, which meant fleeing.

The problem was that we had walked here, and while that was okay for us to do as players, it was a pretty odd thing for our successful characters to do. As embarrassing as it was to admit, I wasn't sure what we were supposed to do, and it was Kimberly who came up with the...

Announcement

I will be taking a week off from posting after today's chapter.

I need to get caught up on some things and get the storyline straightened out.

I appreciate your understanding. I hope when you see where this is going, you will understand.

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 74

With the cloaked cultists surrounding all exits from the center of the hedge maze, all I could do was hide behind the ice sculpture of the angel with Kimberly and Antoine.

They were called Night Stockers on the red wallpaper, and as funny as that joke of a name was, they didn’t come across as humorous while wearing those shadowy cloaks and hoods. There was a strange staticky sound that emanated from them, but only when I was looking at them.

They moved in jagged, harsh blinks. 2025-08-21 04:18:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 72: Bobby II

Note: I divided chapters 71 and 72 up. Don't be confused if you think you've read this before.

Tom did a great job of carrying the conversation onward and encouraging people to share. As was the norm for this sort of thing, Tom did this once Off-Screen with an NPC, and then when they went On-Screen, he did it again with another NPC, greeting them, being polite, and encouraging them to speak.

"Riley," Tom said, "you've been coming to group for some time now...

Just Checking In

I apologize for the delay. I will get the next chapters to you ASAP. Just making sure everything is right. You will get all of the chapters due to you. Thank you for your patience.

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 73

“But I don’t understand, if the title of the movie is Homibridal, won’t the audience know who the killer is?” The man asked, blank-faced, standing next to a pair of women who also didn’t seem to get the premise. He was a big movie producer asking me about my latest project.

“Well, it’s not a murder mystery,” I said. “It’s a black comedy. The bride is the main character. The audience is supposed to enjoy watching her antics while the groom and others slowly b...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 71: Bobby I

Note: This story might be a little slow at first but it will pick up.

Carousel always kept a careful balance of cars on the road, Bobby Gill thought as he sat in the booth.

There always had to be enough cars to make the world feel lived in, but not so many that you couldn't hear what was going on around you. The roads always needed to be clear enough that you could jaywalk if you needed to, and if you found yourself walking down the road, especially out in...

Carousel Book Six, Chapters 69 and 70

Bobby Gill is The Wallflower.

His Aspect is Recast.

Recast: The Recast slips into minor NPC roles and quietly transforms them into story-critical characters. Armed with targeted background knowledge and uncanny narrative timing, they pull strings from the sidelines, guiding subplots, influencing outcomes, and stepping into the spotlight when least expected. Masters of adaptability, Recasts turn overlooked moments into defining scenes.

...

2025-08-07 05:26:44 +0000 UTC View Post

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 68

We picked five players to go on the rescue in Eternal Savers Club.

The more players you had, the more characters you had to share screen time with, and because Bobby's rescue trope was about completing subplots from the failed storyline, I worried that we would be hurting for screen time anyway.

There was no way to know until we actually got there and used Bobby's trope for the first time.

It was Bobby, Kimberly, Antoine, Dina, and me. It was a good mix of some stro...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 67

“See, there it goes again!” Ramona exclaimed.

We stood in front of the flea market, which was the same place we had bought the painting that acted as an Omen for Stray Dawn. It was one of several destinations on our shopping trip.

We weren't really trying to load up on trope items or spend our money; we just needed a break. Somehow, Kimberly always used her influence to push us in the direction of shopping. It was inspiring in a way. Carousel had broken us all one way...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 66

“Hey, Wilma, can you turn on the Whether Report?” Antoine asked the woman behind the counter at the bowling alley.

“Sure thing, doll,” she said, moving over to the small radio she had playing at her workstation and switching the dial. It was easy enough, like most technology in Carousel, all you had to do was mess with the switches and turn the knobs, and you’d get what you were after, assuming you knew what you were after. Sometimes you might need a bit of Savvy, but not for ...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 65

“This is the most boring stakeout I have ever been a part of,” Ramona said.

“Do you go on a lot of stakeouts?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “I spent years investigating deaths caused by the Die Cast, remember?”

“Okay, sure,” I said. I forgot about that. A lot of that confusing Centennial-related lore had faded from memory, “But come on, don’t you want to know why these people are buying all of these things? That guy’s entire basket is filled with meat....

Update

The next chapter will be posted on Thursday. I will use this next storyline to get you all caught up to where you are supposed to be. First, however, the players have some shopping to do.

Give me ideas for what should be on their list in the comments.

Update

The next two chapters for this week will be posted on Friday and Saturday instead of Thursday and Friday.

As a reminder, if you liked Homibridal, please go vote for it on Discord here.

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 64: Interlude

Bobby Gill held the ticket in his hands all the way up the stairs. Backstage Access. A proper scouting trope that belonged to Lila, but she would let him borrow it at night so he could walk the dogs.

He tucked it into his pocket. He had purchased a big coat that could keep him warm on cool nights. It was one of the only expenditures he had made on himself; most of his money went to the dogs.

As he walked through the roof access door and over to the makeshift kenne...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 63

“How were their levels this low?” Isaac asked. “What were they doing the whole time?” We were up on the roof, reviewing Eternal Savers Club.

“How were their levels this low?” Isaac asked. “What were they doing the whole time?”

We were up on the roof, reviewing Eternal Savers Club. Everyone was there, either in a chair or lying out on a blanket.

“It was a different time, Isaac,” Andrew said. “I know how foreign the concept must seem to you, but in those ...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 62

When we got back, the others were very excited to see Ramona.

It was clear that they hadn't gone on The Final Straw, because that storyline lasted multiple days, whereas ours had lasted less than one.

Anna was in tears and embraced Ramona, which was a bit of a surprise because most people kept a distance from her.

“We thought we lost you,” she said. “You just disappeared.”

Anna was using her Are you okay in there? trope. I didn’t eve...

Next Post

Update: The chapters will come out soon.

~~~

I'm going to post a couple of chapters tomorrow as I make plans for the rest of Book 6. I have been meaning to ask your opinion on Lucien's Throughline. Any thoughts? They would all be adventure-based with an emphasis on creature features (awarding experience in Adventurer and Monster Hunter). Most of the storylines would be shorter than usual. Some would be abridged storylines, something I need to experiment with as the web novel moves...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 61

I wished that the rain would come back. Once the storyline was over, it would have been a pleasant, warm embrace.

Instead, I got sunshine. It was nighttime at the end of the story, but that didn’t mean anything to Carousel. We got daylight, if only to allow us to watch as Carousel drained the massive flooding around the casino as if by some miracle.

Within ten minutes, it would all be gone. Heck, within fifteen, it would probably be dry outside. Carousel had no limits within its...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 60

Daphne didn’t suddenly get better when the cameras weren’t watching. My little poisoning trick, combined with all the damage from the explosions, really was getting to her.

I actually did feel terrible. It wasn’t something I could control or even understand, but watching her in pain was difficult, though it did remind me of what she had done to Ramona. I tried to focus on that anger I felt, to wash out all the other emotions, the fake ones.

I glared at her.

She smiled ...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 59

Emmett’s celebration over conquering his eternal tormentor disappeared the moment we went back On-Screen. Now he was the cool, calm, and calculated leader of the blackmailers again.

Miss Kitty took the axe and started swinging it, just teasing Daphne, and there was nothing that could be done about it. She had nowhere to run.

She grabbed for her handbag, where she kept her weapons.

“None of that,” Emmett said. “Drop it over the edge.”

Daphne looked afraid, but...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 58

On-Screen

“You should have paid the ransom,” Emmett said. “You didn’t even need that money. You had a meal ticket to last a lifetime,” he said, looking over at me as I abandoned my hiding spot. “Now I’m starting to suspect that your secret might be a little more involved than a hidden identity.”

“How are you alive?” Daphne asked. She was sure to seem intrigued, but she tried to hide her fear as best she could, even with her Moxie leeched away.

Now they ha...

Heads up

The last chapters of Homibridal will be posted on Thursday, the 17th, and the rewards will be posted on Friday or Saturday. If you have any ideas for rewards, be sure to mention them in the comments here.

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 57 (Riley)

I wouldn't have picked the rooftop for the final battle if I had known it was going to take so long. I was soaked to my core.

The rain had subsided a bit. That was fortunate. It had been so difficult to see and hear what was happening around me. But now, when the blackmailers arrived, it was clear as day, and the rain was only set dressing.

It didn’t feel like a real place. The odd lighting made it feel like a movie set.

I had realized recently that this storyline, Homibri...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 56: Daphne IV

The final battle was going to take place on the roof. It was a nice change of venue. The hotel could be a bit cramped despite its size. At the end of the day, one part of a labyrinth looks like any other part.

Of course, as Daphne rounded the landing and started up the interior stairs toward the exit onto the roof, she went On-Screen.

When she had staged Logan's murder up here, she had done so completely Off-Screen. That was rare enough; it meant she would probably have to explain...

Carousel Book Six, Chapter 55: Andrew Interlude

~Andrew~

Kimberly left me in a supply closet.

But to her credit, it was quite a large closet. It even had a window, a small glass sliver that allowed me to see out into the darkness where the storm raged on. The water pelted the glass so hard it looked fringed.

Pain radiated through my body. Poisoned by a cigarette when I never took a single puff. I remembered, as a child, being warned of the dangers of second-hand smoke, but this was something else.

Why couldn't I c...