lostcarnival | ⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

Entry tags:

⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 138 - Day 152
Where: The Summerlands
What: The Ringmaster brings the carnival to the Summerlands immediately after being freed from Portland so that everyone can take a fucking nap. Her included.
Warnings: Individually marked! Most likely discussion of torture and trauma in here.

DAYS OF SUMMER↴

You made it! And things are back to normal... more or less. Upon waking, you will be greeted with a clear blue sky and gentle breeze – the carnival has found itself situated between a pair of mountain peaks, with great fields of flowers extending in the distance. In the other direction, you’ll see mountain-top cities and tall waterfalls accenting vast swaths of forest.

Some of you will already know this place. It’s the Summerlands. You game here once to rest in safety nearly a year ago, and now you’ve come to rest once again.

► WAKING UP: Shortly after the carnival arrives, the Ringmaster will send out a somewhat cryptic radio message - but her immediate location won't be clear. Whatever items you had on your person at the time the Severing was broken will still be on your person, including whatever clothing. All of the animals and pets of the carnival will have returned to the grounds as well, though they are currently free from their designated living spaces. Things in the carnival will appeared to have naturally aged a month, as if the carnival was been sitting here empty and waiting while everyone was in Portland. The lawn needs mowing.

► SUMMER CITY: After the Summer Fae become aware of everyone's presence, they will welcome you into their city. There are stairs that lead up the sides of the mountains, but thankfully there are also magical means of getting up there as well. The Summer Fae will be willing to help workers with the injured as needed, offering herbal remedies and healing magic to those that want it. You'll also be invited to join them for dinner, but they will not be particularly offended if they are turned down, for now.

► SUMMER PEOPLE: The fae here will mostly enjoy the company of any carnival members that offer it - it doesn't seem that much happens here besides day after day of peaceful meditation and relaxation. It is not uncommon to see Summer Fae spent days doing exactly the same thing, whether that be enjoying the weather, listening to music, or dancing - the day and night periods may be similar to earth, but when you don't need rest it can all blur together just the same. Some of the fae work on feats of agriculture or craftsmanship, and while there is no particularly need to work in this place, they take pride in the fact that they do.

► NEW ARRIVALS: Though the Ringmaster will not be offering much guidance for the first week or so, eventually the carnival will begin running for a few small performance sessions, off and on, as a thank you to their fae hosts. The carnival will also be open to receiving new arrivals during that period, and so there will likely be some newbies to train and get orientated as well.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tamaki is just walking along and minding his own when he sees this sudden confrontation, blinking in surprise that she so rudely rejected the food. Tamaki himself has been happy to accept at least once.

"That was harsh," he observes, from where he's standing a few feet away.

Rita folds her arms as she turns to see the source of that unsolicited criticism. She recognizes him... They met in the carnival before.

"They're fae," she replies, bitter. "They don't just offer things out of the goodness of their hearts. There's always a catch." This was common sense to another Rita, in another world... but even if that wasn't her, and those fae weren't these ones, she can't help but suspect that they're no different.

Tamaki shrugs. "Yeah. But the Ringmaster already contracted us." And he doubts they can just take them from the Ringmaster, at least not without conflict arising. Then again, who knows? But being in service of one fae or another can't really be that different, right?

He reaches up and touches one of his horns, contemplatively. "We're all like fae now too."

They're already contracted... Maybe that's true. It could mean that they're safe here... at the very least, it's a better assurance than people telling her they're safe, they're friendly, and they've got nothing to do with those other fae.

But there's a visible twinge of discomfort at hearing we're all like fae now, too. "That's not... it's not the same thing, obviously," she stammers. "I mean... I'm still human, even if my body's different." Isn't she?

"Yeah, I guess so." Tamaki isn't sure himself, but then, it doesn't really matter in the end, does it? He's just Tamaki, no matter what form his body takes. So Rita must be just Rita too.

But it sure seems to make her uncomfortable to suggest otherwise. He lowers his hand, stuffing it in his pocket now instead.

"But maybe they don't know that."

He concedes the important part, but Rita wishes he sounded more sure about it. She wishes she was more sure about it.

"So... what? You think they'll welcome and treat us like one of their own kind?" Her tone is snippy as ever.

"Isn't that what they're trying to do? They asked you to eat with them."

As far as Tamaki understands, that's a pretty clear sign of trying to treat someone like your own kind. Why would you welcome someone under your own roof and share your food with them unless you were trying to extend camaraderie to them?

Unless they really are up to something nefarious, like Rita thinks.

"Have they done something to you?"

Rita glares at him, apparently annoyed at being contradicted. So they're being friendly. That doesn't mean there isn't a catch.

"The Summer Court's done plenty," she answers him with a huff. "To the other me, I mean." It might not have been this specific group, but it's enough of an association to make Rita wary. And even if that Rita wasn't really her, she can still use those experiences as a warning.

"Oh..."

Tamaki never really encountered the fae in that other world (the Ringmaster's other self and the Winter Court at the ritual aside), so he doesn't know what's so frightening about them. But anyone can be destructive no matter what their species; Tamaki's other self's worst tormentors were humans.

"Sorry."

That throws Rita off; she was ready to argue some more. Lips pressed into a thin line, she looks away awkwardly.

"It's not like you need to apologize," she says after a delay.

"Mm... but I was trying to force you into it, I guess."

When did he become the kind of person who would scold someone for being unsociable, anyway? Maybe since he became happy someone could see him to invite him to dinner in the first place. But that doesn't mean everyone is so glad for that kind of attention.

"What did they do to you?"

There's some hesitation. It's not that it's too painful to talk about or anything like that, but more that Rita doesn't really care for being pitied. Still... she'll give an honest answer. It's probably best that this guy hears what the fae are capable of, rather than finding out the hard way.

"That other me was a changeling. Spent her whole life in the fae realms, as a prisoner of Ignatius, the so-called Lord of Conflagration. Raised to be some kind of tool. She escaped, spent a couple years living in Portland, and then the Rose Queen started recapturing changelings... some of them, her friends. So she made a few allies, tried to strike back." She shakes her head, her expression wry. "It was a disaster. People took heavy injuries... they barely got out alive."

Tamaki doesn't know what a changeling is, but he understands enough of what Rita is saying to get the gist anyway. She'd been used by the fae, and then hurt by them when they tried to get her back. Even if it was that other her, like Tamaki had another him, those memories must still be with her.

"Sounds like a mess," he says, though that's probably a bit of an understatement. "I'm glad you're okay, now."

After what happened at the Celebration, he knows it can be worse.

"But I really don't think these fae are the same. And even if they try to hurt you, we're all together again. We can help."

Well. Other people in the carnival can help. Tamaki personally can't do much.

Rita gives him a long stare. There's a slight redness in her cheeks; it's hard to respond to someone who's obviously trying to show concern for her... but that just frustrates her a little more.

"Help how? You can't do anything... Even the Ringmaster couldn't." She grits her teeth. That was another thing she learned from Portland: as powerful as their fae employer is, she's only one of several powerful fae. They can't rely on her protection... or her judgment, either.

He can't exactly argue that the Ringmaster can't always, actually; it wasn't like the Ringmaster had done much when he himself was kidnapped, and it'd ended in one of his best friends nearly getting shot. No one had come charging in to save him that time, but the agents had him hidden away well. If they'd known where he was, they would have tried... at least, Tamaki hopes so.

"Rini-san... I don't know how much she cares." He says it honestly, frowning a bit. "I think... she means well, but... she's too relaxed. And so things like that happen.

"But when people were taken by the vampires, and when Massichi was part of the ritual... everyone helped. Everyone banded together. Right?"

Edited 2017-08-17 04:49 (UTC)

"Uh... Rini-san?" Rita gives him a weird look. A name for the Ringmaster...? She doesn't really get it. "And... Massichi?" Is that someone at the carnival? She doesn't remember anyone like that being involved in the ritual.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Whatever went on involving vampires, at least, is definitely something that happened before Rita came, she's pretty sure.

"Ehhh..." Tamaki sighs, deciding to give up on trying to explain this in his usual way. Some people just don't get it. "The Ringmaster, and Childermass... He was the guy who was all..."

Tamaki does his best impression of Childermass hanging from the ice pillar. Unfortunately it looks less dramatic and more silly than the actual event, but then, Childermass had the advantage of bleeding.

Rita just gives him a wide-eyed, blank stare at his impression. Is that actually supposed to be...? Bewildered, she stammers out, "Wh, what are you..." The gesture is recognizable, if a completely bizarre way to communicate it. She has no idea how to respond, and it takes a moment to find her words.

"I mean--I know Childermass. He's my roommate. I just didn't..." She raises an eyebrow, suddenly realizing something. "Do you have a name like that for everybody?"

"Yeah." Tamaki drops his arms and shrugs. He's always given people nicknames; it's just normal.

After a moment, his expression changes to confusion. "Eh, wait... That old man is rooming with you, though?"

Doesn't that seem kind of weird? Isn't Rita a young girl? Did the Ringmaster decide this or what?

"Is he a pervert?"

The question takes Rita by surprise, but... not that much. Honestly, the thought crossed her mind too. It is pretty weird for a teenage girl to share a room with an old man, and she was a bit suspicious of him early on.

She shakes her head in a definitive gesture. "Hell no. He'd be dead by now if he was."

Rita isn't joking.

He can't help but think that Rita is probably around the age of his younger sister; he'd kill a man who tried to live with her like that. Or at least, he likes to say he would; at the very least, he'd probably punch the guy.

But Rita seems like she can handle herself, at least she sounds confident that she can, so Tamaki just nods.

"Okay. I guess you can take care of it."

"Of course I can," Rita smugly affirms. It's part of why she learned combat magic to begin with: so she could handle any situation without needing anyone to protect her.

"What's your name, anyway?" She's seen him around a few times now, so it's probably about time she bothered learning it.

She sounds sure enough of herself that Tamaki is convinced. It's not like there aren't people who could take care of Childermass if he did do something, anyway.

"Tamaki," he answers. "What's yours?"

He can't remember if he's ever learned hers, either.

"Rita," she replies. "Rita Mordio. I'm a researcher." That's the job she takes pride in, anyway, but it's not exactly a recognized position in their little troupe. So after a pause, she adds, practically mumbling, "...and I do lighting and special effects, at the carnival."

Wait... he said Tamaki, right? She's heard that name before. It was...

...oh yeah. Something about ghosts, back in Portland. That nonsense. "You, uh... know Lambert and Yuya, right? I think they mentioned you."

"Yeah. Yuu-chan is my roommate!"

He sounds pretty happy about it, even if he and Yuya aren't particularly close. Tamaki does consider him a friend, however.

"And Lam-san is my friend."

So obviously they would mention him, right?

(no subject)

anti_nonsense - 2017-09-03 17:50 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

puddingemote - 2017-09-08 22:01 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only