Xiv isn't sure what all the fuss is about. Being thanked for enjoying a carnival seems a little out of the ordinary to him. "Ah can only speak for myself of course. But I mostly came to enjoy the carnival. Though being here reminded me ah might've misplaced something here when I was a kid."

"Well the main reason I came is because I work here, but another reason we've been around the carnival is because we're looking for things we've lost, I believe, been finding many people who have lost things as well,"  Marwan notes, speaking in a professional tone and taking this meeting very seriously, perhaps this is a chance to see if the two organizers know anything, but Marwan is too nervous to ask them any questions at the moment.

"And what a coincidence.  I lost my smile here years ago.  I've heard the "don't lose stuff you want" and the "some forms of payment will be taken" speeches.  I'm pretty sure we're all looking for practical solutions.  Like, how can we find them & buy them back?

Maybe I can adapt?  Scare instead of smile?  BooOOoo!"

She puts her fingers to the sides of her mouth & slowly pulls it into a creepy smile & slowly back.

Intimidation 13

"What do you think?  Scary enough foe a job at Halloween?   Worthy of enough pity to help us?  Please?"

(  +2 if it counts as a Persuasion roll instead of intimidation)

Brenviel hangs back at first, but hearing others mention lost items they blurt out:
 
"with so many people losing things here, we think there might be thieves coming to your carnival and taking advantage when people are distracted. You have a lot of awfully bright lights and sounds here! Maybe you should post more signs around the carnival to remind everyone to beware of pickpockets."

tonedeaf as usual, it doesn't occur to Brenviel that the 'thieves' in question may in fact be employees of the carnival, nor do they realize that Mister Light and Mister Witch may interpret the mention of thievery as an accusation of impropriety on their parts. 

Mr. Witch nods, and says, "Why yes, I think I remember each of you."  looking at each in turn, he then says, "I believe you each failed to pay your admission as well!  But no matter, I believe small grievances committed as children can be overlooked."

Mr. Light also seems to have some vague recollections.  "Yes... yes... I recall.  I regret your feelings of loss, be they real or not, but certainly we are not responsible for those losses.  Of course, forces are at work on the other side that are entirely beyond our control.” 

Mister Witch adds, “The wheel of time turns ever on… what’s lost is lost, what’s gone is gone.”

Xivros scratches his naked chin, speaking with his slow, deliberate drawl. "Well, I'm alright earnin back things I lost myself. But it's the other sort of mischief that's a little more concernin. Like a lost kitten. And two sabotaged marriage proposals that ah know of. And it was pretty disheartening to someone heckle a beautiful performance. Heartache and injury might be a natural part of life, but that's the sort of thing people are tryin to forget for a little while when the come to the carnival." 

"We are aware that you were not responsible for the loss, we have the names of the people responsible for our losses, in fact, and we have an idea where they live, one lives in a fey forest, I hear, another in the swamp, and the last in the mountains." Marwan notes "I don't suppose you might be able to tell us more if we provided the names in question? they may be related to the mischief going on."  He adds, continuing to be professional and polite.

"No, no, we likely don't know who you are looking for, right Mr. Light?" says Mr. Witch.

Mr. Light responds, "No, probably not.  But heckling, while not unheard of, is something we care not to see. Who was heckled?"

"That would be Ms. Palasha."

"Wait, someone's stealing kittens too?  And messing up marriage proposals?  Robin punches her fist into her palm and imitates the "tough guy" from a play.  

"Are you'se guys sure you don't need someone roughed up?  (stops imitating)  And "forces at work on the other side" suggests you know what "side" they're working from."

"Well, if you can stop the heckling in some way, that would probably help keep the mood of the crowds high.  And we aim to please!" Mr. Light bows with a flourish.

Mr. Witch then looks at his ornate pocket watch fastened to the end of a gold chain. It glows with a faint golden light when opened, and he makes a small "tsk" sound.  "Thank you for coming, but it is time for us to get back to our duties.  Please see Thaco, the clown, on your way out.  He would be happy to make you balloon animals - any animal you fancy.  He is quite skilled."

"Alright, thank you for your time." Marwan will note before they leave the carriage and allow the two to get back to work, he is not too interested in Thaco, will ask for a bird just to be polite, he will instead turn to his companions. "Perhaps what we seek is a way to this 'other side', we should form a plan to follow one of these forces back to their origin, any ideas?"

The balloon animal is surprisingly very good, elaborate enough that you think it may specifically be a kenku.  It also seems to magically flow in the air, so it is tied to a string.  Thaco gives you a creepy smile as he hands Marwan the string.

Brenviel asks Thaco for a kitten balloon, thinking of the lost displacer cat’s baby cub. 

They follow Marwan out past the caravans and consider the question of “the other side”.

“well, are we just to go ‘round the back of the Carnival? Isn’t that the other side?”

they scrunch their brow in frustration. “darnit! Why can’t I make sense of what people mean?! And why don’t they just mean what they say?? I guess you can tell by now that’s what I’ve lost… subtext and nuance… argh!”

Brenviel thumps their forehead with the palm of their hand, trying to think clearly through all the riddles and double-speak.

"Well, ah reckon sometimes metaphors get more to the heart of an idea than simple words sometimes. But ah agree that was all real confusin'. Ah s'pose we could just start with those witches. They might know something 'bout things. As for gettin' to the other side. If ah had to guess, and ah do 'cuz I got no idea what those two were going on about, we probably need to die. Or dream maybe."  Clearly a little agitated, Xivros'  rural drawl gets a little thicker and higher pitched.

"I agree, it is probably a good idea to start with the witches Xivros mentioned, they seem the most likely to know how to get to the 'other side', it's a safer bet than dreaming or death, in my opinion, this 'other side' could be magical in nature, my first thought was that there was an enchanted mirror to get there, to be quite honest." Marwan notes, politely taking the kenku balloon, he compliments Thaco's work idly. "But witches seem like they would know how to get there."  

"Oh, and may I have an elephant please." Requesting his balloon animal. 

"Eh, I'll take a dragonfly please", Robin asks Thaco.   

"And I'm pretty sure you'll find the fay forest, fay swamp and fay mountain on the other side in the Feywild", she tells the group.  "The hard part is finding the gate, as neither death nor dreams will open that portal.  Does anyone have a better idea than following someone who snuck in without a ticket, and catching whoever is stealing their stuff?"

All of the balloon animals are spectacular.  You are again back out in the carnival proper.  You have about 4 more hours until the closing event, in which someone to be crowned Carnival King.  Marwan knows that this selection is usually made by Mr Witch's Witchlight Vane, the glowing rod he has been carrying around.

"Do you think they'll try to get themselves made carnival king? I'm not sure if they'd be interested, regardless,  it may be worth our while to take a look at the rest of the rides we haven't seen yet." Marwan notes, thinking to himself, "There's only 4 left we haven't looked at, by my count, assuming you two gave the hall of illusions a once-over."  presumably his companions had told him that they had found candlefoot by the hall of illusions, by now. "pixie kingdom, the teapot, the snail races, and of course, Mystery mine, though, sometimes i feel we're already on that last one with how this adventure has been goin' so far." Marwan jokes, making light of their investigation.