lostcarnival | ⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

Entry tags:

⇨ 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.

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The gem does not seem totally convinced.

"Maybe I should set up some security around this patch, just in case," she half mutters to herself, glancing around dubiously.

"If it makes you feel better, but I don't think you've got much to worry about. She's more interested in hanging out with her friend than trashing any gardens." Speaking of which ... he points at the Mudsdale and the Arcanine emerging from the treeline, back from wherever the hell they'd run off to.

"See?" The Pokemon seem to be entirely unaware of being observed. Baker, being the more nimble of the pair, is racing circles around Pig and stopping from time to time, but although she's perkier than she usually is, she still won't let herself be rushed.

Peridot glances over at the pair, and her wide-eyed expression seems to indicate that she'd completely forgotten how massive both these kinds of Pokemon actually are.

"An arcanine?" She frowns. "I thought we were all only allowed to bring back one Pokemon each. So whose is that? Or did you somehow get two?"

Pumpkin, still resting in Lambert's arms, perks up a little at the sight of the duo, and starts making whining noises like she is seriously contemplating going over to investigate them both.

"Oh, Baker's not mine," Lambert says, snorting at the very idea like it's hilarious. He tightens his grip on Pumpkin -- uh uh, kiddo, you're a vegetable, Pokemon eat those -- in case she runs off, then continues.

"Childermass decided to keep him. He used to be about--" he vaguely indicates a point in the air that is, shockingly, even shorter than Peridot. "-- that high. He's been like this since we got back, though."

"Childermass?" Peridot says incredulously, and turns back to look even more critically at the arcanine.

"Weird," she says after another moment of watching. "Somehow, he never really struck me as the sort of person who would favor a gigantic, boisterous fire dog as his Pokemon of choice."

Peridot you have barely ever said more than two words to the guy before today.

Edited 2017-08-17 05:44 (UTC)

"I didn't think so, either," Lambert smirks. No doubt about it, Childermass and his dog are an odd pair, although with the Arcanine's evolution, it seems the pet has taken after his owner -- the creamy feathers mixed in among his fur seeming to indicate that workers aren't the only ones potentially affected by fae magic.

"He's been training Baker, but as far as I can tell he mostly spoils him rotten." It's funny watching a huge horse and an equally huge dog playing, but that's what they're doing all right -- Baker dashing ahead and Pig ... well, kicking up mud that he dodges out of the way of.

Given what little Peridot knows about Childermass, and the fact that basically everything that she DOES know is thanks to Portland, she definitely assumed he would've had a murkrow or... some other sort of bird, at least. It does not cross her mind that this train of thought may be kind of changeling-racist.

"Huh," is all Peridot says to that. She tears her gaze away from the frolicking Pokemon and glances sidelong at Lambert, frowning thoughtfully. "So... You already had an established acquaintanceship with him prior to the whole Portland debacle? How's that working out for you now?"

Sorry, DID YOU THINK YOU COULD AVOID THIS TOPIC FOREVER, LAMBERT? At the very least, there's nothing antagonistic or implied by the question. Just good old fashioned curiosity, delivered Peridot style: Cut straight to the point.

To be fair, no one could ever have guessed Childermass would pick a dog, of all things. Lambert isn't even really sure why he did.

When she turns that question on him, though, Lambert can't help flinching reflexively -- some lingering touch of embarrassment, which is a decidedly foreign feeling for a man who usually has none -- which in turn immediately elicits a scowl. As much as he'd like to shove it behind him, the man he was in Portland still finds odd ways to crop up.

Retribution, however, is swift and decisive, his expression schooling itself into lazy indifference and a shitty, shitty smile.

"Dunno. How well is it working out for you and Lapis? Has she figured out how to do more than put a hand up your shirt?"

Peridot makes a choking noise, and her face turns almost completely teal, the tuft of fur on the end of her tail puffed out like the bristles of a bottle brush before Lambert even finishes asking the question.

She exhales at a loud snort.

"Well, seeing as she's been completely avoiding discussing the topic since the return to the carnival, I'd say it's going pretty decidedly not well," the gem says with false brightness and ends on a growl, stabbing a claw into the dirt and twisting it around. "Do you have any idea how annoying that is to deal with? When we SHARE A TRAILER?"

Stab. Stab. Stab.

Come to think of it, since they're both supervisors, isn't Peridot's trailer technically pretty easy for him to see wherever he's at? Lambert makes an absentminded mental note that if he's really bored, he might keep a better eye on the comings and goings there to see if he can get a glimpse of anything else that might make decent blackmail to menace Peridot with. It's gratifying to see that she's still just as easy to fluster as he remembers, only even more hilariously so, since she's puffing up like a spooked cat.

So he just laughs. Because Peridot looks ridiculous, and this situation is ridiculous, and the fact that they even have to deal with any of this at all is ridiculous.

"Sounds shitty," he offers, once he's gotten over snickering at Peridot's expense, though the smirking remains. He can't really fault Lapis' strategy; that's how he's been dealing with things himself, and it's getting easier the farther he can push Portland out of his mind.

It shouldn't be too hard for him to remember which trailer is hers, if he puts his mind to it. He's been inside it, after all, and in addition to all the other weird eclectic shit she and Lapis have altered the exterior with, it's the only trailer in the grove that has the real skeleton of a long dead mermaid impaled with a magical sword propped up outside it. AND ANYWAY, good luck with that blackmail, buddy. By and large, Peridot rarely feels any shame for the weird shit that goes on in and around her trailer... even if a lot of the activities are very decidedly strange.

She's certainly feeling shame right now though! At least until Lambert stops laughing and makes that comment. Then it's almost comical how quickly she's assuaged. She stops stabbing and glances back over at him.

"It is. 'Shitty'."

Peridot stops stabbing the ground, groans dramatically, and flops backwards into the dirt spread-eagle. "Emotions are for clods," she growls. "More often than not they're a hindrance, and life would be SO MUCH EASIER if people would just ADDRESS THE PROBLEM DIRECTLY when their feelings start causing problems instead of dancing around the issue! I mean, it's the most efficient way to deal with the problem! Why can't we all just come to this mutual agreement!?!"

Maybe it's just a Blue Court thing. They sure don't brook this kind of garbage in Yellow Court, she knows THAT for sure.

Edited 2017-08-18 13:16 (UTC)

What Peridot means when she says 'clods' and what Lambert pictures in his head may not be the same thing, but based on the tone of voice she says it in, he's more or less inclined to agree with that part. He's not exactly in a position to flop into the dirt himself, but she seems to be on to something with that, so he shrugs and gets down there to join her, though he remains sitting instead of lying down.

The rest of it, he's less sure about. Feelings sound fake, Peridot.

"Has that ever actually worked for you?"

When Lambert sits, Pumpkin jumps out of his arms and waddles over to Peridot to take advantage of her prone position, and starts licking her hands, whining softly.

"Of course it has!" Peridot abruptly sits up a little to snap at him, with the kind of conviction that makes it sound like the possibility of it ever not working is utterly unthinkable to her. "I mean, that's basically how Lapis and I became friends in the first place. Sure, there was some tension there after the whole interrogation thing, but we talked it out and now we're like, best friends!"

With nothing to do with his hands, Lambert plants them on the dirt behind him, turning his face up to the sun. He has no idea what a talking rock's idea of interpersonal relationships is like, but this all sounds super suspect.

However, deflecting the focus of the conversation on Peridot's problems seems like an excellent strategy for ignoring his own, so he's going to keep at it.

"You met at an interrogation?" He can't help waggling his brows at that. "So that's what does it for you, huh? Guess you two are freakier than I realized."

Edited 2017-08-20 19:30 (UTC)

Lambert is quickly becoming an expert at getting her to change colors. The teal shaded flush in her cheeks intensifies.

"It wasn't like that!" Peridot splutters. "And I fail to see how an interrogation could 'do it' for someone, anyway! It makes no sense!"

Edited 2017-08-20 22:42 (UTC)

"Really?" Lambert drawls, slow and drawn out. "You can't see the appeal? Having someone in a position where you're in control, and you both know the only way for them to get out is your mercy or them giving the answers you want to hear, and they've got all kinds of ways to make you talk..."

He pauses, reconsiders what he knows of Peridot and Lapis thus far, and deftly changes tracks. "Or, you know, the other way around."

Yeah, now that he thinks about it, doesn't Lapis make a much more natural fit for wicked interrogator than "Can't Keep Her Cool to Literally Save Her Life" Peridot?

The gem just continues to gape at him, her mouth floundering open and shut. She's mostly just outraged, but there's an embarrassing part of her that's also intrigued? Like, really, there's a certain merit to his words, she can kind of see what he's getting at but-- No! No, right?

Now is not the time or place to be contemplating this, she scolds herself for even daring to devote the mere half a second of her time to the thought. Blast it, Lambert...

"Okay it really wasn't like that," Peridot insists exasperatedly. "You are operating under the very false assumption that gems romancing and consorting with one another is a thing that we normally do, which. It isn't. We're not organics, we're not equipped by default for mating or whatever it is you humans happen to like to call it."

Edited 2017-08-22 18:24 (UTC)

"Then correct my assumptions," Lambert grins. The more rope Peridot gives him, the more he has to hang her with, and he'd like to know exactly how much more he can find out about this whole 'gem' biology thing and how many more colors he can see her turn.

"Does that mean you could be equipped if you wanted to?"

Edited 2017-08-25 15:31 (UTC)

Peridot is going to fall for it hook line and sinker, because hey, talking about this stuff doesn't even remotely embarrass her, as long as they're talking about it in broad terms, and not talking about it in a way that applies to herself directly. If anything, she's more just vaguely irritated to have to explain this all over again, because she has definitely had similar conversations with other workers at the carnival before now.

"Correct," the gem confirms, sighing resignedly and propping herself up on her palms. "Because our physical forms are mostly made up of hard light, most gems can naturally alter their shape however they please to. Like... Amethyst, for example, gives herself a digestive system because she loves to ingest human garbage. Lapis uses her ability to try and hide the changes the carnival's magic has wrought on her base form..." Peridot scowls lightly, shrugging again. "Personally, I think it's a huge waste of their energy and time."

Although, while she hates to admit it, Amethyst's eating habits have kind of grown on to become a point of strangely charming hilarity for Peridot. Even if it is still gross.

Stars. She misses her... For a brief, subtle moment, the engineer's ears droop sadly as her thoughts linger on her absent friend.

Sensing her owner's shift in mood, Pumpkin wriggles in her arms and whines softly, pawing at the engineer before throwing a beseeching, confused look Lambert's way. The trouble with being a gourd is that you just aren't a good shape for comforting.

There are a lot of ways for Lambert to respond to that -- most of them lewd -- but Pumpkin's alertness picks up something he otherwise would have glossed over completely, giving him pause. But only a little bit of a pause, enough to change what he was going to say, but not get rid of the desire to give her shit anyway

Which means, shortly, Peridot's going to find a hand resting heavily on her head, shamelessly sinking through the soft, fluffy mass of it. Lambert doesn't pet her, exactly, but the suggestion of it is definitely there.

"I dunno," Lambert drawls. "This doesn't feel so hard to me." And then, promptly, he scrubs his fingers and palm into her hair to muss it vigorously.

Edited 2017-08-26 03:37 (UTC)

In her infinite talent, Peridot somehow manages to make a distressed sound that is both nasally and guttural at the same time which, persists for the duration of the mussing. The gesture catches her by surprise enough that she freezes up at first, but then she's flapping her hands at his hand with an indignant snarl, trying to shoo him off.

"You know what I meant," she huffs, scowling at the other supervisor and running her claws through her hair to try and tidy it back up. It's weird, though... annoying as the gesture was, it also isn't entirely unwelcome? It's almost... comforting, in a way that Peridot really needed.

Not that she's going to tell Lambert that, because she doesn't want to encourage him.

"I actually don't," Lambert laughs at her indignation, ruffling her hair once more for good measure before he withdraws his hand from batting reach (not that he has to go far, since someone has pretty stubby limbs). The visible signs of irritation are encouragement enough for someone like Lambert to remember to try and do it again at the earliest opportunity, but for now he's curious.

"What's hard light, and how are you made of it?" Lambert is pretty sure this is going to result in the nerdiest lecture of all time, but hey, maybe he'll get something useful out of it. A little more knowledge about non-human biology never hurts, in case he ever has to take someone out.

The gem scoffs and shoots him another dirty look, this time relenting and leaving her hair as is. She'd be more annoyed, but the opportunity to lecture a bit is sufficiently distracting enough.

"Hard light is exactly what it sounds like. How it works is a bit difficult to explain to someone who isn't at least a little familiar with the concept, but... For you, I'll make an effort," Peridot sniffs, putting on like 1), none of that teasing just now ever happened, and 2), she's doing Lambert a huge favor by answering his question.

"As you know, typical light is made up of a sort of intangible particle known as photons. The light that gems produce--" and she points a claw at the stone set into her forehead-- "is different. It can solidify and take on shape and mass, allowing us to create the physical forms that we use to interact with the world around us. The advantage that gives us over organic creatures, who are made up of different kinds of cells rather than photons, is incredibly significant. It means that with the right output of energy and enough concentration, most gems can temporarily alter the projection of their forms however they please."

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⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

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Time to BULLSHIT SOME SCIENCE