⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

[ringleaders]

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.

Comments

[espigeon]

Ah, this kid is attempting to be fashionably apathetic. Now that he's actually noticing it this is definitely that kind of clothing. Julien tips his head. He'd had a phase like that when he'd been very into the emo scene, but his makeup hadn't been as good and his sister had vetoed some of his fashion choices, which turned out for the best.

He nods agreeably. "Must be! Very nice color blend there though, it took me months to be able to pull something like it off. I'm Julien, by the way! Julien Delacroix, it's a pleasure to meet you!" He has no idea if the kid - is he called Steven? - recognizes any of Iuliael's spacey angel in his appearance or voice, but he doesn't actually want to come out and say hey remember that weird version of me.

[starseedling]

It's when Julien introduces himself that Steven finds himself pausing, looking at the features of his face and trying to place where he's seen him before. Julien's Portland self was pretty different, apparently - so much in fact, that when it starts to click in to place Steven momentarily can't believe it.

"Did... Did I meet you when we were in Portland?" he asks. It feels a bit forward to assume he's the strange bird angel, but... he might be the strange bird angel?

[espigeon]

Yeah, Julien saw this coming when the kid started staring. He runs a hand through his feathery blue hair, smiling again - he's usually smiling - with a rueful tinge, but without apology. It's easy to think of Iuliael as a completely different person, all vulnerable and uncertain and raw, just like Julien isn't. Not so people can just walk by and see.

"Yeah, I think so. I sang, and I was a pretty different person," he says, as if he remembers events much more vaguely than he really does. As if he's not sure, as if the wings alone don't make it obvious, he asks, "You were Steven, right?"

[starseedling]

Steven nods - he definitely remembers the person that Julien was. His expression warms at the realization.

"I'm still Steven!" he says. "I remember you. I really liked your singing... even if it was different from how you are now." He rubs at his hair. "Kind of a wild month, huh? Thanks for being nice to me... back when we met."

[espigeon]

"Well, I'm glad. That stuff was all messed up." He shouldn't complain, especially around someone who'd objectively had it much worse off than Iuliael.

"I can't... uh, I'm limited to three voices at the same time now, and one of them has to be my own, but on the plus side, I can play guitar and I know a whole lot of songs. If you want I could totally still show you." He glances around, grins. "Out on the street or not."

[starseedling]

"I play guitar, too!" he says, brightening at the prospect. He bundles his hands together excitedly. "I mean... I didn't back there, but I do here! I'm one of the performers! We should jam sometime. I'd be way better at it, now."

[espigeon]

Julien's smile splits his face. "Nice! I'd like that. I'm a bit out of practice but that's all the more reason to start again." As a bird he's unable to play. Move the bow on a stringed instrument, yes, but not to do the fingering. He'd kept some old friends in his inventory anyway.

"Hey, I gotta ask, though. Do the claws work for picks? Gotta have metal strings?"

[starseedling]

Steven pauses, and the looks down at his claws wonderingly. He almost forgot how it felt to have them during Portland, so he's almost surprised by the reminder.

"Uh... kinda! Usually I use dad's tools to grind them down so they're less sharp. They're made out of gemstone so it's kind of hard!" He laughs helplessly. "When they're smoothed out it's okay, though. I guess I need a rock tumbler for my fingers!"

[espigeon]

"Changes make things weird and messy, huh? I know how that goes. I spent a long time completely unrecognizable. Still am! This," he waves a hand to indicate himself, this body, "this is kind of a new development. At least my claws are just keratin, though!"

He has no claws on this body. Manicured nails with a slight gloss to them clearly don't count.

[starseedling]

Steven blinks, obviously confused. He tries to figure out what Julien means for a few moments, before giving up and asking.

"What's a new development? Looking normal? What did you look like before?"

He obviously has no idea about the two bodies thing because that's generally not something you casually assume of people.

[espigeon]

When Julien had seen Steven he'd split off from himself, but the rest of him hasn't gone far. He maneuvers as he talks, getting his big bird body out into the middle of the path. Still some distance away, but plainly visible.

"Ah... actually, just a second. Don't get too weirded out, okay? Because it's definitely not a normal thing here." Not looking back - he doesn't have to look, he can see himself - Julien points with his thumb and simultaneously opens a wing up, very up. Voice very nearly the same, probably a bit more resonant and with a few somewhat odd consonants, he calls "This is also me!"