⇨ 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

[control_freak]

It's... been a while since Foster's seen or heard from Tanyuu.

She doesn't get the warmest welcome.

In fact, he all but outright ignores her, smoothing soil with his ursine paws and deepening the grooves of the carved symbols as he works. All but, that is, because he does stop, just for a second, to look at her over his shoulder.

Then he turns back to what he's doing without a word, shoulders hunched.

[fourthscribe]

She's not exactly...surprised by the cold response. The two of them aren't on the friendliest terms, and Tanyuu isn't really inclined to challenge that. But she is curious as to what he's up to, so she simply slithers around to a slightly better vantage point, though still giving Foster plenty of space.

Hope you don't mind an audience, buddy.

[control_freak]

He.... does mind, actually.

This audience specifically.

He continues with what he's doing, though, working diligently under the warm sun of the fae realm's clear summer sky.

But he can't tolerate her presence for much longer. He feel her there--every inch of his skin, every dying cell of his rotting brain prickling with needletip awareness.

He turns, distress marked clearly on his face--moreso even than anger.

"What do you want."

[fourthscribe]

Well isn't that just too dang-diddly bad.

Her expression remains even and cool, her antennae only twitching slightly when he turns to look at her. For all that Foster's grand scheme had been two months ago (one of which had been such a jumbled mess that it felt more like three) she still hasn't forgotten what he did to Ginko--what he tried to do to all of them out of some strange need to...

...to punish himself? She doesn't know anymore, and she has to remind herself that she doesn't want to.

"I want to see what this spellwork is that you're up to. It doesn't look like what was done back--before."

[control_freak]

Foster just stares at her, giving Tanyuu a blatantly aggrieved looks.

"Before......." He isn't following her reasoning at all. This isn't uncommon, for Foster and... anyone, honestly, but it's stressing him out right now especially. Tanyuu occupies a tier of mistrust well above (or perhaps below?) even total strangers, which is to say that he assumes somewhat irrationally that her intention is to either sabotage or persecute him in some way.

He assumes this entirely because, as he perceives it, he entirely deserves it, and therefore that would be the most reasonable motive to ascribe her.

"Before... what?"

[fourthscribe]

"Portland."

She says it shortly, clipped--the less said about that place the better. It's not something she wants to dwell on much. Her curiosity of the supernatural is a much better subject to pursue overall.

"The symbols you're using are similar to spells I saw crafted there, but I can tell you're not using them in the same manner."