lostcarnival | ⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

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⇨ 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

Okay, having Psi suddenly acting all... weird like this is kind of concerning, especially after what happened in Portland. He'd be worried anyway, but... now that they've got the whole. Relationship thing. He guesses this is actually his business now.

When he finds him staring off into space, he steps up to wave a hand in front of him, trying to get his attention. "Hey, you feeling okay?"

He startles, stepping back as Ginko's hand suddenly appears seemingly out of nowhere. It's only then that he realizes that Ginko is actually there at all. He'd been so distracted, and by nothing. He didn't even know what he'd been thinking about. He's both glad and embarrassed it was Ginko who caught him like this.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I... asked if you feel alright." And that answer seems like it's probably a 'not really'. Ginko frowns, examining Psi's face. "You seem really out of it."

His face is as slime coated as the rest of him, but it really just looks like a thin layer of sweat unless examined closely. His ears twitch and he leans back, as Ginko frowns and examines him, uncomfortable with that level of scrutiny. He has an idea of what's happening, but he doesn't want to say, which is the other reason Ginko's probing makes him wary. He's only now recalling this is the reason he hadn't been in a real relationship in years. True emotional honesty is tough, but it's also absolutely necessary in order for any kind of romantic relationship to work. He looks away before speaking up again.

"Sorry. I've been having a weird day... I think my body might be changing soon. But it's probably not anything to be worrying about."

He sort of shrugs, before reaching up to put a hand on the back of his neck, his wings fluttering slightly. Ginko was probably their when he got them, though he might not have seen him actually cocoon onto the dining hall wall before the Ringmaster moved him to her egg tent.

"You're changing again?" That does explain it. "Do you think it's going to be another big one, if it's causing all this?"

And, of course, given what happened when he grew his wings, there's the unspoken question: Are you going to have to be a cocoon and live in the egg tent again.

He takes his hand off his neck, the slime that's coating his skin making a string of mucus stretch out between them before it snaps. He barely even notices. His gaze is moving, from Ginko back to the corner again, but he catches himself and forces his attention to the human in front of him.

"Yeah. Maybe I guess. I'll try to stop myself from climbing the walls and shedding my skin this time though."

It'd be a pain to be out of commission now after everything that happened. He knew his department could function fine without him, but still, he wanted to be there for people if he could. Of course that thought makes him recall his last conversation with Foster, and he frowns looking almost remorseful.

"Though I guess some people'd be happy not to have me constantly looking over their shoulder."

He offers a weak smile, trying to make it clear he's joking. Still, he does actually think there are some people who'd be happier without him around. Ginko wasn't one of them though, at least there was that, and he reaches out to take Ginko's hand in his own at the thought totally forgetting that he is absolutely coated in slime.

That's... a little bit gross, but not nearly enough so to outweigh Ginko's concern. "That... might be for the best, yeah. But, if it happens it happens."

--Speaking of things being gross but not enough so for Ginko not to be worried. He lets Psi take his hand, slimy or not, as weird as the contact still seems. "Seems like that's their problem, then. Looking over people's shoulders is a part of your job, isn't it?"

He's glad Ginko isn't too grossed out by him for the moment at least. Ginko's hand in his helps, and he's happy to have it. He still isn't feeling great, but somehow all the negativity he's been feeling seems a little easier to deal with if Ginko's beside him. He smiles wryly, giving Ginko a look.

"You're the one always fighting against me the most, if we're going to talk about stuff like that."

Ginko gives Psi a look right back.

"Hey, I only complain when you try to stop me from working."

He rolls his eyes, shaking his head as he lets out a laugh.

At least I know to expect it." And maybe now that they were dating he could convince him to take things easy in other ways. He was only trying to keep Ginko's best interests in mind. That's all he ever wanted to do. That's why he took the supervisor position in the first place. Of course those thoughts only remind him of his argument with Foster once more and just like that his shoulders slump.

"Hey," comments after thinking things over for a moment. "Do you think I'm... Nosey?"

That is... admittedly, not a question Ginko is expecting, and it takes him a moment to get a response together.

"...Are you... nosy? I mean, maybe, but... I don't know if that's a bad thing. You try to find out what's happening with people because you care about them."

And Ginko himself might also be a little biased on the topic of nosiness.

He sighs, somehow feeling dissatisfied with that answer, though it's honestly better than he was hoping for. He shifts his weight, staring down at the ground. It was true he did it because he cared, but if it wasn't a bad thing why did it seem to piss people off so much?

"I thought so too, when Joker yelled at me for it."

It wasn't wrong to try and help someone. So maybe it was just his way of helping that was messed up.

"But when people keep getting mad at you for the same thing, you start to wonder."

Edited 2017-09-04 02:43 (UTC)

...Ha. He wonders if Psi has any idea what a familiar sentiment that is to him. There's a reason he keeps his thoughts to himself so much of the time.

"I guess... sometimes, when someone tries to find out what's happening with them, it can make people defensive, for one reason or another. That doesn't mean that it's wrong to want to figure it out and help them."

He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, before he slumps over. He's confused and frustrated and he doesn't know what to do.

"I've been trying to help Foster... But somehow I only ended up making things worse."

So is that right? Or is it wrong, since he'd only botched everything up in the end.

...Ah. Foster.

"Foster is... kind of a difficult case." Ginko sighs, his ears drooping. "He... doesn't want to be helped. I hate to say this, but I'm not sure how much headway you can make with him if you try to be direct about it. But that doesn't make it wrong for you to want to do something; you'll just have to adapt."

He frowns, irritation crossing his features. He can't help it, he thinks of Foster and he gets annoyed.

"I have all these... Stupid memories." He brings a hand to his forehead, trying to sort make sense of memories that don't feel like his own. He and Foster had been- Well, not friends, but something close at least. And then, of course, there had been Ginko, a friend to them both. Psi smiles, just a bit, giving Ginko a look.

"You were real cute over there, you know?"

Ginko gives a quiet hum. 'Stupid memories' about sums it up. He still can't say for sure if he'll end up regretting trying to get along with Foster like this, but... he knows now that it might be possible. He can't imagine leaving that possibility unexplored.

Psi's comment gets a disapproving frown. "I wasn't cute, I was just a dumb kid. I basically never had any idea what I was doing."

Yes, twenty-four is a 'kid' now. Or at least, it is when he's talking about himself.

He just laughs at Ginko's response before stepping closer. He's still slimey, still kind of distracted, but he can focus on Ginko, enough to smile at his frown.

"Do you ever know what you're doing now?"

Ginko doesn't actually seem to notice Psi moving closer; mostly, he seems busy being indignant.

"I do! You of all people should know that I know what I'm doing with the animals, for one thing."

And that's also kind of cute.

"I meant in general. Other you was pretty good at his job too."

Before, you know, Psi got him fired.

"...Fair enough." Hey, maybe Ginko wouldn't be so defensive of his professional skills if he wasn't so aware that he sucks at eveything else.

"So, basically, I couldn't have been cute because I wasn't really that different from how I am now."

"Hey," Psi starts, admonishing Ginko though he's still smiling. He puts a slimey hand on Ginko's face. "It's just the opposite, really."

And then he goes in for the kiss.

Ginko is just about ready to start arguing with that (and possibly to gently remove the slime-hand from his face, sorry Psi), but the kiss catches him by surprise. He goes very still, his good eye wide, and it takes him a few moments to even think to lean into it in response.

Psi should be surprised Ginko actually leans into his slimey kiss, but he's forgotten all about his sliminess at this point, so he isn't. He's still happy though, when Ginko returns the gesture. It's not a long kiss, not a very passionate kiss either, but it's long enough to get Ginko to stop insulting himself and that's good enough for the Psionic.

"Thank you."

He laughs, his ears flicking sheepishly. "For what?"

Edited 2017-09-29 01:54 (UTC)

⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

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