⇨ 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

[puddingemote]

He can't exactly argue that the Ringmaster can't always, actually; it wasn't like the Ringmaster had done much when he himself was kidnapped, and it'd ended in one of his best friends nearly getting shot. No one had come charging in to save him that time, but the agents had him hidden away well. If they'd known where he was, they would have tried... at least, Tamaki hopes so.

"Rini-san... I don't know how much she cares." He says it honestly, frowning a bit. "I think... she means well, but... she's too relaxed. And so things like that happen.

"But when people were taken by the vampires, and when Massichi was part of the ritual... everyone helped. Everyone banded together. Right?"

[anti_nonsense]

"Uh... Rini-san?" Rita gives him a weird look. A name for the Ringmaster...? She doesn't really get it. "And... Massichi?" Is that someone at the carnival? She doesn't remember anyone like that being involved in the ritual.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Whatever went on involving vampires, at least, is definitely something that happened before Rita came, she's pretty sure.

[puddingemote]

"Ehhh..." Tamaki sighs, deciding to give up on trying to explain this in his usual way. Some people just don't get it. "The Ringmaster, and Childermass... He was the guy who was all..."

Tamaki does his best impression of Childermass hanging from the ice pillar. Unfortunately it looks less dramatic and more silly than the actual event, but then, Childermass had the advantage of bleeding.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita just gives him a wide-eyed, blank stare at his impression. Is that actually supposed to be...? Bewildered, she stammers out, "Wh, what are you..." The gesture is recognizable, if a completely bizarre way to communicate it. She has no idea how to respond, and it takes a moment to find her words.

"I mean--I know Childermass. He's my roommate. I just didn't..." She raises an eyebrow, suddenly realizing something. "Do you have a name like that for everybody?"

[puddingemote]

"Yeah." Tamaki drops his arms and shrugs. He's always given people nicknames; it's just normal.

After a moment, his expression changes to confusion. "Eh, wait... That old man is rooming with you, though?"

Doesn't that seem kind of weird? Isn't Rita a young girl? Did the Ringmaster decide this or what?

"Is he a pervert?"

[anti_nonsense]

The question takes Rita by surprise, but... not that much. Honestly, the thought crossed her mind too. It is pretty weird for a teenage girl to share a room with an old man, and she was a bit suspicious of him early on.

She shakes her head in a definitive gesture. "Hell no. He'd be dead by now if he was."

Rita isn't joking.

[puddingemote]

He can't help but think that Rita is probably around the age of his younger sister; he'd kill a man who tried to live with her like that. Or at least, he likes to say he would; at the very least, he'd probably punch the guy.

But Rita seems like she can handle herself, at least she sounds confident that she can, so Tamaki just nods.

"Okay. I guess you can take care of it."

[anti_nonsense]

"Of course I can," Rita smugly affirms. It's part of why she learned combat magic to begin with: so she could handle any situation without needing anyone to protect her.

"What's your name, anyway?" She's seen him around a few times now, so it's probably about time she bothered learning it.

[puddingemote]

She sounds sure enough of herself that Tamaki is convinced. It's not like there aren't people who could take care of Childermass if he did do something, anyway.

"Tamaki," he answers. "What's yours?"

He can't remember if he's ever learned hers, either.

[anti_nonsense]

"Rita," she replies. "Rita Mordio. I'm a researcher." That's the job she takes pride in, anyway, but it's not exactly a recognized position in their little troupe. So after a pause, she adds, practically mumbling, "...and I do lighting and special effects, at the carnival."

Wait... he said Tamaki, right? She's heard that name before. It was...

...oh yeah. Something about ghosts, back in Portland. That nonsense. "You, uh... know Lambert and Yuya, right? I think they mentioned you."

[puddingemote]

"Yeah. Yuu-chan is my roommate!"

He sounds pretty happy about it, even if he and Yuya aren't particularly close. Tamaki does consider him a friend, however.

"And Lam-san is my friend."

So obviously they would mention him, right?

[anti_nonsense]

More nicknames. What a freak.

But... not as freakish as Rita imagined him being. She's tempted to ask about the whole ghost thing... but, no, ghosts don't exist and they never did, so it's stupid to even entertain the idea. Why bother asking about something she already knows the answer to? Right, it's pointless.

"You're different than I thought you'd be," she ends up saying, vaguely.

[puddingemote]

"I am...?"

Tamaki looks down at himself, like he expects something different about himself to be visibly apparent. But no, he's the same as always.

"Why? ...Did they say something weird?"

He frowns, folding his arms. Just what have Yuya and Lambert been saying about him?