⇨ 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

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

On its own? I am not sure.
But consider it's for her.

[Viewed in the light of 'powerful, capricious, often arbitrary fae', most things made a certain amount of sense if you could see the general shape of alien logic behind them.]

Nopony should mourn
The phoenix reborn.

[whattaprick]

Is that what she is now? [ Lambert snorts. ] Seems a little too scaly to be one.

[ Did phoenixes evolve from dragons? Is the Ringmaster going to sport a ruff of feathers the next time they see her transformed? Who even knows. But she is the Beast after all, so maybe that includes all possibilities in it. He remembers the mark on the posters, after all... ]

How's it looking out there? Anyone committed mutiny yet?

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

They would not know
Where to go
Even if they fled
After losing their head.

[Maybe people are discontent, and who could blame them, but Zecora hadn't heard a word against the Ringmaster or the supervisors yet. She figures rebellion of that sort gutters out for anypony when they first find themselves stuck here, bound by their contracts.]

[whattaprick]

This whole place is held together by the Ringmaster's magic, isn't it? We'd all be screwed if she really kicked the bucket.

[ It's possible for True Fae to die, at least if the rumors that were floating in Portland had any truth to them. ]

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

In the case that is worst
She'd lose us first.

[Really, as generally benevolent as the Ringmaster seemed -- she could always get new employees, but she definitely could not get a new life. Zecora finds no fault with this argument, in much the same way she can find no fault in the Everfree Forest's random weather patterns, even when they soak her with rains.]

[whattaprick]

What are you getting at?

[ Lambert frowns. Zecora's rhymes are hard for him to follow at the best of times, but whether it's because he's more tired or because she's deliberately choose words difficult to interpret, he's having difficulty understanding what she means here. ]

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

[Zecora has an occasional habit of being far more obtuse than she intends. Ask about how she met her friends in Ponyville, someday.]

[She turns to face Lambert, absolutely serious in all respects.]

She means well, is perhaps a friend
But our lives are not worth her end.

[Clearer?]

[whattaprick]

[ On his back, eyes still shut, Lambert's expression relaxes a little. ]

That much was obvious. [ Why be loyal to anyone but yourself, if you live that long? ]

You've been here a pretty long time. Still worth staying, knowing that?

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

How could I spurn
The chance to learn?
When all those here
Disappear,
Perhaps no more friends
Mean my time ends.

[Life is dangerous. Living in the Everfree Forest is dangerous. But with danger comes things Zecora values, and that makes the decision quite clear.]

[whattaprick]

[ Typical. Lambert's never been able to understand the type. Being unable to think of anything to say in response to that for now, he lapses back into silence. Hard to tell if he's fallen back asleep or simply exhausted. ]