⇨ 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

[tacosgay]

Taako steps away, gives him a little bit of space; his hand drops from his own head, though it's still throbbing dully. At least the pain seems to be fading pretty quickly.

"So, wait, if you're here on purpose, you can just... fuck off occasionally, as long as you come back?" That's... actually kind of bullshit. "That's... well, I mean, I guess she can totally just come after you if you don't come back, so... uh."

So Amethyst is taking a break. That's... gotta suck for Foster, losing somebody he only just gained as his sister--

... mf. Taako's hand goes to his chest, and he exhales slowly.

"... well. She's coming back eventually, right?"

[control_freak]

Foster doesn't answer.

He just... stands there, his paws still raised as though he means to do something, but finally just drops them. Eventually, he turns to look Taako square in the eye and says, "she didn't actually tell me."

And that's that. His voice creaks, but his eyes, wet though they are, don't begin to water anew.

Good enough.

But the Ring Master's punishment cracks open new memories inside of him all the time.

So he knows... he remembers now how this will give her the best outcome, how consistently it's been proven to be the right answer.

A happy ending.

Or the happiest ending possible.

The most painless ending.

But such endings could only happen if you removed him from the picture.

He didn't blame her.

He only wished.........

.... he knew better than to complete that thought.

"I'm going back," he says, flatly. Then, for clarity: "To my trailer."

[tacosgay]

Shit. Well, that's what he gets for having genuinely good intentions, as genuine as he ever is. So much for that!

"Uh... yeah, okay, you do that, I'm just... gonna fuck off for a little while I guess, you know, let you kinda... sort through all this."

Awkward!

With that, Taako turns on his heel, intending fully to head back to his own trailer and pretend none of this happened.

[control_freak]

"Wait." Foster is rubbing his brow with both paws, eyes squeezed shut, his claws leaving faint, temporary marks in his skin.

"You can--you can come, I just... I gotta... not be here. Right now." He can feel how raw he is, how strung out and wrung out and wrong. Everything is creaking and strange and tight and he can feel it and oh god he just wants to lie down.

But lying down alone in an empty trailer sounds....

Mmmmm.

God, he wants--

Well. He wants it.

[tacosgay]

"... oh, you-- uh... want me to come with? Uh-- I mean, sure, yeah, okay." It's not like he's doing anything else with his time right now, given the Ringmaster's... situation, and their current hiatus. It is a little bit unexpected, to be invited back to Foster's trailer, given their track record together-- things have been, uh... volatile since day one.

Then again, he's beginning to get the feeling that that's just... life with Foster.

"Lead the way."