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

[They didn't say much to the other when they first re-found each other after returning. Yuuya was in too much pain for that-and while the injuries weren't physical they were something severe, and so Gongenzaka had hurriedly trotted to the medical tent with his best friend nestled in plants upon his back.

They still needed to talk, however. So at the very least, after a knock on the door, he awkwardly makes his way inside Yuuya's trailer, peering around as his ears flick and twist backward.] ...Yuuya? [he asks, softly.]

...Am I disturbing you, at all?

[Yuya looks over from his bed and grins wide at the sight of his friend.]

Gongenzaka! [He props himself up on one arm.] You're not, I wasn't sleeping at all.

[He's sick of sleeping, talk to him, this is boring.]

Ahh, that's good...ah... [Hold on, getting through most trailers is really hard like this, and he hasn't had to worry about it for a whole month.] ...Here we...are...

[There. Now he's here.] Phew...

...I, the man Gongenzaka, am relieved to see you in better spirits now, Yuuya...

[Unfortunately Yuya's trailer isn't built for large dogtaurs. He almost rolls out of bed to meet Gon, but he manages to get in.

He lets out a laugh.] I feel a lot better. I didn't think I'd be glad to see you looking like that again.

[Quite right-and he sighs and nods.] Aaah...while I, the man Gongenzaka, have indeed grown accustomed to this...

[Well. Speaking of, he finds his thoughts trailing to what he WAS before.] ...I suppose as well that I, the man Gongenzaka...owe you some explanations...

You do? [His brow raises in surprise. He couldn't think of anything Gon was supposed to tell him, but then again everything's still a little hazy after sleeping for two days.] What is it?

AUH-

Y-You haven't been concerned about what we spoke about in Portland..!? [THE VAMPIRE THINGS, THE DYING THINGS??? Well, He thought they were important at least.]

I haven't been thinking about much of anything. [Especially things like Portland. Getting your soul stabbed really takes it out of you.]

A...Aauh, that does make sense... [Hooboy.] ...Perhaps we should speak later, then....

No, it's fine! [Thinking about it, he's a little worried about it being about the things he blabbed about with Yugo, about their souls. Is he going to be able to avoid that truth forever...?]

If you have something to say, I want to hear it.

[Hooo boy. He grimaces.] ....Very well.

...Yuuya... ...I, the man Gongenzaka, am ashamed to admit so, but... ...I have not been wholly honest about how long I, the man Gongenzaka have been here-nor the nature of my 'recovery' before... ...or even the dangers here, I feel...

Not honest? [That's not what he expected to hear. Gon isn't who you associate with lying.

Still... ] I don't think the Ringmaster meant to put us in that much danger. But you said you've been here seven months, right?

....Indeed. [He swallows, and does his best to look at Yuuya while he speaks.]

I, the man Gongenzaka, have been awake for that amount of time.

...However... ...In actuality Yuuya, I, the man Gongenzaka... ...died, less than half a year into my first contract.

[A beat.]

You what? [He jerks up, rolling close to the edge of the bed.] What do you mean by died.

NHM- [Oooooh...he grimaces, and nods.] ...I, the man Gongenzaka, mean exactly as I said! ...Yuuya...

...If you remember, for a time in that city, I was confused-I, the man Gongenzaka, recalled combat with three vampires in three different situations...

...The first, [he says quietly,] ...Was during a war that attacked the Carnival Grounds. ....because of my contract, I, the man Gongenzaka, did not stay dead, but...

...Yuuya. That does not change what occurred.

[Damn Skippy it doesn't. Yuya does remember his confusion, but at the time it was so easy to just write off when there was so much else going on. So he was a little confused, he was a hundred year Vampire after all... except, he really wasn't.]

You didn't want me to worry so you tried to hide it. [He knows that feeling very well. It makes him a little guilty, that he can't blame Gongenzaka for doing the same.]

...It was an incident that should never have occurred, and typically wouldn't have. ...The Ringmaster had been hired for a task on that realm, but the Nightrunners failed to realize they were being followed on the way back.

...I, the man Gongenzaka was not turned back then, but...

[He raises a paw.] ...It was being revived, which took so long. Nearly half a year of time was spent being 'regrown' from magic. That... ...is why I, the man Gongenzaka, appear as I do.

[Yuya frowns, forcing himself to sit up. He knows where Gon is coming from there, but...]

You're my friend. Even if I'm worried you don't have to hide things like that from me. I care about what happens to you!

[He pauses, then looks away.] And I... I owe you a bigger explanation, anyway.

[To all of that, Gongenzaka merely shakes his head.]

Yuuya...

[He swallows.] ...There is yet more, that I, the man Gongenzaka, must reveal.

[Yuya's expression slips at that. Just how much did Gongenzaka feel he had to keep away from Yuya?

He just nods wordlessly for him to continue.]

...I, the man Gongenzaka, claimed three instances were in my memory.

Only one was created by Portland. ...The second occurred when the vampires of that realm followed the carnival again.

[There is...a pause.] ...They did not fail in that attack. ...Many, including myself, were turned-and taken to where they hailed from.

[So apparently he was a vampire there too. That's...Probably fine right? Right?

Gongenzaka's voice sounds broken. His ears, and everything about his body language speaks of pain, and sorrow beyond measure. And the man whispers-] ...They brought those they turned to a series of tunnels... ...Where they intended for the 'young' to fight amongst themselves in order to thin their numbers.

And I...

[He survived that.

...It speaks for itself.]

[Yuya stares mutely as he puts the pieces together. Gon didn't shy from confrontation like this, so to see him so disturbed... it was worse, wasn't it? It was something horrifying, that even talking about it was shaking his steadfast friend.]

Did they--[But he stops himself from putting into words what Gon couldn't. If he couldn't say it as cleanly as saying that he died, then...

Yuya sucks in a deep breath and moves to get off the bed--which just results in him tumbling off the top bunk to the floor.

Buddy, he's coming for you. Give him a minute. He'll get there.] Ow...

NGH-!! YUUYA-! [He shouts, rushing to try and catch the other.] Wh-what are you doing..!?

[Trying to get to his friend to comfort him, which goes about as well as expected. He flails a moment as he shifts so he's facing Gon, his expression less muddled and more resolute.]

Gongenzaka, you're my friend. You don't have to hide these things from me. I'm a lot stronger than I used to be, so when you're down you can rely on me too. No matter what it is!

[He can't imagine he can make any of that better now. But he doesn't want Gon to forget again to trust him.] And I won't leave you to deal with anything like that alone.

Y...Yuuya...

[He clenches his teeth, holding the other somewhat awkwardly by the shoulders.] ...Even if you are stronger, Yuuya, I, the man Gongenzaka, could not bear to admit that so much death could follow those here though..! Especially not having...

[...Well. There was no avoiding it.] ...I, the man Gongenzaka, lost myself, for a time... ...to share that when you were so happy...

[It was Alola, where Yuuya had arrived after all, and with the knowledge that soon he could save his friends, or so he had been told.

...but then, Yuuya as well, has his own secrets.] ...I...

...There are no more secrets, Yuuya... ...but to have you think of me in this light... [He can't even say how horrible a sensation it is, some of his flowers merely wilting on the spot.]

BEDREST wow i thought I sent this

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject