⇨ 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

[anti_nonsense]

"What kind of talents? Show me," Rita practically demands, folding her arms. She's acting bossy as always, but inwardly, she really hopes his talents don't involve some kind of necromancy, or curse-like magic... Friendly as this monster acts, those are still the first things to come to mind when looking at a walking skeleton.

It should be fine. It's like anything else: the more you understand about something, the less scary it is.

...Not that she's scared or anything.

[spaghettimonster]

Is this an interview for a talent show, or job, or something?? He already has a job, and will have to politely decline if it comes down to that... But there's nothing wrong with showing off first.

"Well, to start, I should show you the foundation of my attacks. The building block, on which so much else is built. Behold!"

He gestures a hand, and a couple of bones materialize near the ground beside him. They float steadily by, just above the ground, and keep going until they bump into a column back where the fae retreated.

"No skeleton's repertoire is complete without bones," he says, very self-satisfied.

[anti_nonsense]

Bones...?

Rita's eyes follow the conjured bones with a wide stare. There's a lot she doesn't understand about this... but at least it isn't nearly as creepy as it could be, coming from a skeleton. But unlike hypothetical necromancy, or Rita's destructive spells, or the productive magic of blastia, there doesn't seem to be a clear, practical purpose to floating bones.

"What do you use them for?" she asks after watching them for a bit.

[spaghettimonster]

Papyrus walks over to where the summoned bones are still existant, picking one up and considering its craftsmanship. A picturesque example.

"Well, they're bullets! I use them for all the usual things. Punching holes in cards, giving as guest gifts when I visit people's houses..." He walks back towards her as he talks, and taps it against his hand to show its solidity. The other two bones, left by the column, fade. "And they can go quite a bit faster! I only used a few, to show. Just bones can give someone a good pummeling, if it comes to a fight."

[anti_nonsense]

Though she's hesitant, Rita takes a few more steps closer, trying to get a better look at the bone... or, more specifically, at the magic composing it. She listens to his explanation as she does, but at the end of it, she lifts her gaze to stare at him with a dumbfounded expression.

"You use magic bones... as bullets... for cards and gifts?" Rita repeats slowly, not fully comprehending. "And that's... normal, where you're from?"

Because it sure doesn't sound normal to her.

[spaghettimonster]

"Pshh, no. Bones aren't very common! Most people's magic has more to do with them, and... whatever weapons they use?" He considers the question for a couple seconds.

"If the dogs could have made their own bones, surely they would have..."

It's so normal to him that he mostly thinks of those mundane spats.

[anti_nonsense]

It takes some effort to parse the useful information from the parts that sound like nonsense, but Rita attempts to do so. Most people's magic has to do with them? She tries to think of what that could mean in a practical sense.

"So you're saying that, rather than setting out to learn a certain type of magic, your magic is inevitably shaped by who or what you are?" Rita looks the skeleton up and down once more, studying him. "Maybe that's what I've been seeing..."

[spaghettimonster]

"Hmmm..." Papyrus considers the question. Claims of practiced expertise aside, he's just a layman (from another world). Not a scientist, or philosopher, or whatever else might study the whole theory behind magic. "I guess so? That sounds about right. As long as 'who you are' is also whether you practice!"