⇨ 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]

[ That's when you steal the balloon and ride it anyway, Yuya! Still, even Lambert would admit that might be pushing their luck. He's lying on his back on the bench, but since his legs are too long, he's got them propped up on the edge of the basket, just a few inches over from a now-immobile branch. ]

That's what you get for chasing after unicorns. [ Does he still think burning their way out is still an option? Absolutely. But he'll sit on that for now until it looks like the others won't be arriving... ]

[hippocarnival]

You didn't argue. [In fact, he flew the balloon for them! He's definitely not taking the entire blame for this.

There's no point in arguing about the way the balloon ride went south, though. So Yuya changes the topci to what he hopes is a more agreeable discussion.]

Have you seen John--er, Childermass since we got back?

[whattaprick]

[ Yuya couldn't possibly have chosen a topic less likely to help Lambert relax, because the name alone is enough to make him scowl. ]

Yeah. Why?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya shrugs.] Just wondering. You were both hurt really badly getting out of that ritual.

[The bloody, nearly dead kind of hurt really badly. He sure remembers how he felt seeing his best friend in that state.]

[whattaprick]

[ Lambert looks up at the canopy of branches above them, frowning. ]

We'll live. [ Well, Yuya didn't see what he did to himself to recover after, so it's not technically lying. It was touch and go there for a bit, but why bother bringing it up? He survived, and that's what's important. ]

Could ask the same thing about you. That sounded pretty painful. [ He doesn't remember much about the ritual, but he does remember there was screaming. ]

[hippocarnival]

Uh, well... it was. [There's no hiding that.] But I wasn't dying. [Probably? It's not like he's had a soul doctor to talk to.] You almost did.

[He slides down against the basket with a frown. When he thinks about it, the feeling of their bloody, barely breathing chests is still too fresh in his mind.] He's important to you, right?

[whattaprick]

No witcher's ever died in his bed. [ Lambert shrugs. ] Not that I've got a deathwish-- [ Whatever the present situation might indicate to the contrary. ] --but it just comes with the territory.

[ Never mind that he wasn't exactly in his right mind while all that was happening, either... either way, the brush with death doesn't seem to bother him as Yuya's next question, which makes him roll his eyes and fold his arms behind his head. ]

I like annoying him. Does that count?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya gives Lambert a scrutinizing look, but it's more for his blase comments on dying than the one about Childermass. He's probably not going to get anywhere debating death with the Nightrider.]

I mean, you're friends, right? [Friends can definitely tease each other, but he's pretty sure you have to be close to nearly die to save them. Yuya's not judging that, though--he's not in any position to.] I assumed you were pretty close. At least... there.

[Portland Yuya had been more isolated. He can't imagine believing he was friends with someone and then stopping, suddenly, when their memories returned.]

[whattaprick]

[ For some reason, those words just make Lambert scowl harder. ]

That wasn't really us. Strange is the closest thing to a friend I have here, and I spent most of that month wanting to punch him.

[ Or actually punching him. But Childermass doesn't really seem like the type of person who does close, and neither is Lambert. If there's any clearer proof of that, it's obvious in the way the magician's made himself scarce rather than seeking him out -- Lambert's not an idiot. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya blinks rapidly at that. He sits up straighter, looking at Lambert with more innocent confusion than judgement.]

But... we were really there for some of it. At least from when we started remembering. I forgot my best friend too, and made new ones. But even if it was while we couldn't remember ourselves, I still think that friendship was real.

[He can't imagine them going through the things they did and then just... not caring as much. About Strange, or Rita, or Tamaki. His identity was a little weird, but the most recent memories were absolutely his.]

[whattaprick]

Yeah? Well, this might be a difficult concept to wrap your head around, but not everyone thinks like you.

[ Lambert's tone is sharp and bitter, cynical in a way his Portland self could never quite touch. He's tired, he's stuck in a tree waiting to be rescued instead of rescuing his own goddamn self, and now he has to listen to this on top of it all. ]

Just drop it, all right?

[hippocarnival]

[That, at least, does get Yuya to quickly drop it. His shoulders raise and his eyes dart around to any place besides Lambert as he mumbles an apology.] Sorry.

[He fiddles absently with the volume of the radio, but it's still silent. Yuya goes silent, too.]

[whattaprick]

[ If Yuya was expecting an apology in kind, he can stop waiting: he's not going to get one out of Lambert anytime soon, possibly ever. The Nightrider's expression remains stormy, but its his tail that betrays his ill mood most of all, slapping against the bottom of the basket and making it shudder underfoot. Luckily, at least, the tree isn't reacting to it.

After a few minutes, though, he'll break the silence, and though his voice is still taut with anger at least it's also more even. ]

Who healed me, back then? [ He knows what injuries generally feel like, and something that severe shouldn't have let him return to consciousness so quickly, much less summon the energy to punch someone hard enough to knock them out. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya doesn't expect any apology, but he also doesn't meet Lambert's eyes again. The tail-slapping anger makes it very clear the level of shame he's supposed to be feeling for prodding Lambert, however accidentally.]

It was Steven. [Steven... he hopes he's doing all right. Poor kid probably went through as much trouble, being the Summer Court's catalyst (Yuya definitely still thinks he's younger).]

[whattaprick]

[ The funny thing is that Lambert isn't usually used to anyone feeling shame about the way they treat him, ever. It makes the anger just feel petty and unjustified, and while Lambert's not typically one to care about that either, it will at least keep him from working himself up to saying anything else sharp and cruel.

Mentioning Steven makes him look puzzled for a moment, but then he shrugs, just ... accepting that fact. He doesn't want to know if Steven actually spit on him or not to revive him; the outcome was the same anyway, so why dwell on the details? Though there is one he wants to ask about: ]

The weapon that ran you and Peridot through -- what was that? Did it come with us? [ Because seriously, what the hell was that. Lambert still isn't entirely hip to how the ritual got screwed up there. ]

[hippocarnival]

The Hand of God? It was Miss Pru's weapon, something holy. She's the angel who was leading our attempt to break the Severing. [The angel's attempt anyway, but when it came down to "angel" versus "winter court" most of the carnival very soundly picked the first side. Most of the carnival.

He furrows his brow as he makes a genuine attempt to remember, but it's useless.] But I don't know what happened to it, you'd have to ask Yugo. I think I passed out as soon as we got back.

[whattaprick]

The Hand of-- [ All right, that's ridiculous enough to make Lambert snort loudly, hands coming away from behind his head to rest on his stomach while he has a good ol' chortle at Pru's expense. ]

Wow, they sure didn't care about subtlety with a name like that, did they?

[hippocarnival]

It's... fitting? [Yuya wasn't really asking questions at the time. He's honestly not sure what else to call it besides, well, blatant symbolism.] I don't think she was a very subtle person.

[whattaprick]

Maybe we should get you and Peridot matching shirts. [ Lambert says, shutting his eyes and smirking up at the sky. That's one thing to be grateful about for Portland, it's only given him more fodder to make awful jokes. ]

How about 'I Survived Getting Fisted By the Hand of God'? Nice ring to it.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya finally turns to Lambert at that, clearly not understanding the reference.] Getting... what? You mean punched? But we got stabbed...

[None of these things are remotely in the same field. How terrible of an adult are you going to be, Lambert.]

[whattaprick]

[ Not terrible enough to explain it to a kid like Yuya, at least, though the smirk will remain. Peridot probably wouldn't get it either. That's why it's funny in the first place. ]

Just a joke. [ He says, breezily. Good thing the Carnival doesn't have internet, huh? He lifts a hand off his stomach, waving it around vaguely. ]

There wasn't a whole lot of blood for being stabbed. What was supposed to happen?

[hippocarnival]

But I don't get it--[He huffs. Obviously it's not a good joke.]

There wasn't supposed to be any blood during that part. [If there was Yugo did something very wrong and they'd all be stuck in Portland.] It went through our souls, not our bodies.

[whattaprick]

[ That doesn't actually make anything better, Yuya. Lambert sobers up again, thinking that over. ]

When the Ringmaster comes back, you ought to have her take a look at that. Your soul, I mean. [ Hopefully since she's herself and not a creepy beast she won't be liplocking with Yuya to figure that out, but you never do know. ]

[hippocarnival]

... Can she do that? [Yuya was just going to brace for the damage and hope for the best. Not the first time his soul's been mutilated and he's not dead yet, after all.] See that much of my soul.

[whattaprick]

Yeah. That's how the Beast could tell I wasn't from that world originally-- because she could look at my soul. [ Lambert's fingers drum against his stomach. He still doesn't like the idea that any magic was ever powerful enough to alter a faerie's memories ... and she never did seem to figure out who she was, did she? Maybe it was so much more effective on supernatural beings because they were the original target of the spell. ]