⇨ 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

[whattaprick]

Five minutes.

[ Look, Lambert isn't a patient guy. ]

I was just about ready to use Axii to get her to let me on.

[ The basket has a couple of places to sit and still be able to access the mechanisms that keep the whole thing going, the balloon being steered by directing heat in the opposite direction of where they want to go. Under them, as they pull away from the dock, the Summerlands stretches out like a dreamscape. It's mostly fields of flowers as far as the eye can see, occasionally interrupted by pools or waterfalls. ]

[hippocarnival]

Who's Axii? [A pet, maybe?

Yuya doesn't take a seat just yet, instead bracing himself against the edge of the basket did that he can watch the view grow as they float further up into the air. The Summerlands are really beautiful, he's never seen so much rolling grass and forest.]

Wow...

[whattaprick]

It's a spell.

[ Lambert leans against the side of the basket, one arm resting on the edge while he steers them around. They aren't the only joyriders in the sky, today. ]

Lets you charm or trick someone into doing what you say, so it tends to come in handy when you want to make a point.

[hippocarnival]

... Like taking control of them? [What the hell, Lambert. He looks over his shoulder at the Nightrider with a deep frown.]

[whattaprick]

[ Lambert doesn't give any sign of being bothered by that look at all. ]

Nah, it's more like a suggestion. 'Let me through' or 'drop your weapon,' that kind of thing.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya might have personal issues with that stuff, okay.]

So if they really didn't want to, they could still say no?

[whattaprick]

It'd be easier to try it on you and see for yourself.

[ Lambert's only half-joking, if his shitty grin is anything to go by. ]

[hippocarnival]

[There's silence as Yuya actually considers that. If it's a battle of willpower, then it's like a test. Sure, the part of his soul still called Zarc wad pulled from him but it didn't change that he hadn't had a strong enough mind not to be consumed by it-- and that weakness wouldn't do. He can't protect his friends like that.

So he turns around to face Lambert with determination.] Do it.

[It's like a test. Either it proves the magic is benign or proves Yuya can handle outside forces controlling him-- if he succeeds.]

[whattaprick]

[ That wasn't exactly the response Lambert was expecting, if his raised brows are any indication -- but he's quick to recover, that toothy smirk growing wider.

He isn't going to ask permission or give warning, moving his arm off the basket. Instead, almost lazily, he flicks his fingers through the air. There are only so many things to order Yuya do on a basket floating in mid-air that don't involve jumping off, so he keeps it simple. ]

Act like a chicken. [ As soon as he utters the command, inane as it is, the magic takes hold. It doesn't feel so much like a compulsion as it is a susceptibility to the idea -- why shouldn't he do that? It would be so easy -- as a mental fog descends, the spell trying to push Lambert's will on Yuya's. For better or worse, he isn't trying very hard. ]

[hippocarnival]

[With no warning, Yuya has only the movement of Lambert's fingers before he hears his words through a--what feels like a filter. Something that makes the demand sit much heavier in his head, like he's not trying to prove he can't be controlled--instead, like he's trying to prove he can do what Lambert told him to.]

Nn--[But he does know what he asked for. What's his reason not to, because... because it's not him. Not him, not what he wants.

He lets out a low sound as he grabs his head with his hands and squeezes his eyes shut. He won't.] No!

[whattaprick]

[ And with another wave of Lambert's hand, the mental pressure vanishes. ]

Good job.

[ He says, simply, still with a trace of amusement. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya slowly opens any eye to peer at Lambert.] I did it?

[He grins, pleased, leaning back against the basket and sinking down a little.] I did it! I'm not gonna act like a chicken.

[whattaprick]

Too bad. Would've been pretty funny, if you ask me. [ Lambert snickers at some memory he isn't sharing. ]

This isn't anything compared to what a sorceress can do, though.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya just grins at that, sinking down into the seat finally--but he quickly twists around to go back to looking at their view from the balloon.]

Is a sorceress stronger, or just better at magic?

[whattaprick]

Both. You have to be born with the ability to channel magic in the first place, and they spend years studying how.

[ Below them, a loosely scattered collection of trees forms something like a forest. White shapes that are vaguely horselike dart through the undergrowth, but something doesn't quite look right... ]

Huh. They've got unicorns. [ Lambert remarks casually, leaning over the basket to follow Yuya's gaze. ]

[hippocarnival]

So you can channel magic, you just didn't study as much? [If he's following that line of thinking right. It's still more magic than Yuya's capable of doing.

Yuya leans over a little more to peer at the white shapes.] Really? It's just like a fairytale out here... [Not at oppressive as the Summer Court at all.] That's so cool.

[whattaprick]

[ Lambert can't help laughing at the idea, even if there's no way for Yuya to really grasp why it's so funny to him. ]

I could study my whole life and I'd never even touch what a source can do.

[ It's like comparing a lake to the sea. As Yuya keeps watching the unicorns, they disappear into the greenery, and it's quiet again. But the sight of wildlife below has made Lambert frown, scanning the skies. He can hope no predatory airborne creatures show up -- the faerie certainly didn't warn against the possibility -- but better wary now than sorry later. ]

[hippocarnival]

[He glances over to Lambert with a raised brow. So there's different levels of magic capability? Interesting. But it makes sense, people are more talented in some things than others.

He looks back down at the scenery again.] It's more than what I can do! There's not really magic like what's in the carnival where I'm from. Everything's pretty normal.

[Except Yuya. Yuya is decidedly not normal by his world's terms.]

[whattaprick]

[ Yuya's lack of normality is, naturally, not something Lambert is aware of, so he's going to only shoot him a mildly amused look. ]

Does that mean you can't throw things around with your mind? Damn. So much for recruiting you as a nightrunner.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya sighs dramatically.] No. I tried it while I was stuck in bed and nothing happened!

Guess I'll just stay an acrobat. [Not that he sounds very broken up about that.] I wasn't very good at fighting anyway.

[whattaprick]

You really weren't. [ Lambert says cheerfully. Never mind that he really wasn't good at fighting until the last week of that, either. It's not been that long since they left the dock, but they've been making good speed, and the city's already disappeared into the cloudbanks behind them. Up ahead, they're due to hit another wall of fog. ]

Let's see if you're a better navigator. Check under your seat if there's a map or something, would you?

[ There isn't a map. ]

[hippocarnival]

A map? [Yuya was content to just coast along. He glances around at the fog before twisting around and ducking to the floor to check under the seats.]

Uh, there's no map. Are we supposed to be going somewhere specific? [Actually... where have they been going up until now, except away from the city.]

[whattaprick]

Not really. [ Lambert shrugs. He doesn't seem particularly concerned at this turn of events, only mildly annoyed. ]

We've got a pretty good view. Worse comes to worst, we know to head towards where there's some clear air. Let's just where we end up.

[ Famous last words? ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya sits up, looking a little incredulous as they drift into the fog.] Couldn't we just turn the balloon back the way we came?

[That seems like the most reasonable way to get un-lost, provided they know which way the city was. He glances back, but when you float into a cloud it kind of obscures your vision.]

Uh, but can we get under the cloud? Or over it? [Over it would be pretty cool, they could go even higher!]

[whattaprick]

We weren't exactly going in a straight line. Wind's been pushing us a little, too.

[ Nonetheless, he'll reach up, fiddling with the controls. The flame spouting out of the mechanism overhead flares brighter, roaring with heat, and they begin to ascend gradually, bursting out of the cloud cover and into clear, endless blue sky.

Lambert whistles, lowly, the fleeting thought of getting back to the city later entirely forgotten. ]

Wow. Look at that view.