[Open]

[hippocarnival]

Who: Yuya & everyone
When: Day 146-152
Where: Around the Carnival & Summerlands
What: Recovery, new changes, and continued antics while the carnival has a nice, long break.
Warnings: None, probably?

[Handstands]
[Yuya's in significantly better health than when they first arrived. He can still feel the residual pain and his stamina is rebuilding, but he's much more lively than before. He also realizes he needs to rebuild his strength, so even if he can't perform yet he's at least practicing so that he'll be ready to bounce back into action as soon as he's cleared.

He's taking his exercise outside the tents so the rest of the performers have plenty of room, and instead can be found tending to his errands around the carnival... on his hands. Just walking on his hands, knees bent for better balance as he navigates from the trailers to the cookhouse for lunch.] Excuse me! Coming through!


[Shadow]
[His shadow has been acting up since he returned. At first he was sure it was just a trick of his mind, but the long it goes on, the more chances he has to see that it is, in fact, just moving on its own sometimes. Okay, that's weird, but he just tries to ignore it. Only it doesn't end there, and by the second week it's taken on a different shape entirely. That's not uncommon, he's been assured, but when he finds it morphed into someone a little broader, taller (older), with hair that spikes up... it's unsettling.

He knows who it looks like. He's standing, shoulders tense as he glares at his own shadow. In the middle of the walkway.]


[Summerlands]
[Yuya's come to accept the Summer people. They're certainly not at domineering, volatile, or frightening as the rest of the Summer Court, and plenty of veterans--not the mention the Ringmaster seem to trust them wholly. So he's navigated deeper into the city, to one of the miracle gardens hidden behind pillars and wisteria.

It's a very small, circular garden, flush and green with scattered flowers. The greatest concentration of them, currently, is around Yuya--who's sitting down with dried fruit to snack on, looking serene.

It's easy to tell what's going on, because as soon as anyone steps in with a positive feeling flowers will start to sprout near them. The better they feel the bigger, brighter, more beautiful the flowers become. They smell wonderful, and something about that scent will bring good memories more easily to the front of their mind--no doubt generating more good feelings and more flowers. It's cyclical.]


[Wildcard]
[???]

Comments

summerlands

[anti_nonsense]

[Rita still hasn't grown to fully trust the Summer fae, but she's come to accept, at least, that they aren't her enemies right now. She takes some time to explore the Summerlands; while she's still cautious around the people, she does want to try and learn more about them and their world.

It's by complete chance that she comes across the garden, and she looks as if she's about to turn and walk away after a quick glance, but the sight of someone she knows makes her pause instead of continuing on.]

Didn't think I'd run into you out here. [She gives the flowers surrounding him a curious look.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya opens an eye to peer at Rita, offering her a wave.] Rita! I've been visiting a lot... not this garden, the whole Summerlands. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it's really nice here.

[He holds out the bag of dried fruit in offering, but he doesn't get up from his spot.]

[anti_nonsense]

You're awfully carefree. [Rita sighs, but she goes ahead and approaches him, taking a small handful of the offered fruit. She's still pretty unsure about this place... but she is curious about it.] What else have you seen around here?

[hippocarnival]

Besides the air balloons? [Because he knows she already knows about the air balloons.] I've met a lot of Fae. They really just seem to spend all day playing and dancing.

[Must be nice to live in that peaceful and idyllic of a world.] There's a lot of meadows and forest too, and a lake. But I haven't been around much of the city.

[anti_nonsense]

[Chewing on a piece of dried fruit, Rita sits down on the ground across from Yuya, shoving at her wings to keep them from getting caught under herself. She listens as she does.]

That so...? Well, so long as you're not getting stuck in any more trees, I guess. [She pops another piece of fruit into her mouth.] I haven't really seen much of the area, myself. [She glances away awkwardly. Yep... she's still not all that comfortable with the Summer Court.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya frowns, causing some of the flowers to shrink back.] It wasn't even a tree! It was a fae shaped like a tree.

[It was a tree. Yuya's not surprised she's been avoiding the area, though--he remembers her conflict with the Summer Court in Portland very well.] I've had this spot to myself until you showed up.

[So if she doesn't like the Fae, it's a nice place to relax where they don't seem to come in and out.]

[anti_nonsense]

[Yuya's defense brings a flicker of humor to Rita's eyes, but she'll leave it at that for now.]

Really...? I suppose that's not so bad, then. [Rita gives their surroundings a new, appraising look.] Could be a nice place to sit and read. I finally got my hands on some books I hadn't read before.

[Rita isn't the most abundant source of positivity, but there is some slight sprouting happening near her.]

shadows!

[kingsroads]

[ Strange, to his great annoyance, is barefoot. By now he's realized that he can turn parts of his body into smoke, which is very interesting and he'd certainly enjoy practicing with...if he could just keep his damn feet from vanishing every time he got distracted. This is his second pair of shoes he's lost somewhere in the carnival and it's getting to be a bit ridiculous.

So, he's on a shoe quest, walking through the carnival on his very solid and not at all smokey (but now terribly dirty) feet. He's looking at the ground as well, likewise not paying attention to anyone nearby.

As such, Strange just straight up runs into Yuya. It's not much of an impact, just Strange walking straight into Yuya's back, realizing he ran into something, and then realizing that something was a someone. ]

Oh! Terribly sorry Yuya, I didn't see you there. [ He didn't see him there in the middle of the walkway, staring at...the ground? ] What are you looking at?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya hardly even registers Strange colliding into him beyond a soft grunt, so wrapped up in his apparent staring contest. His shadow, however, wags its finger at Strange for being so careless.]

Him. [He says it tersely, until it catches up to him whose voice that is--and then he quickly spins on his heels and takes a step back, embarrassed.] Ah, Mr. Strange!

[kingsroads]

[ Strange might be an eccentric magician with no sense of boundaries, but he's not an idiot. He notices the shadow wagging a finger and quickly picks up on a few of the more obvious differences between Yuya and the shadow as well--most notably the hair. ]

You seem distracted, [ says the man distracted enough to run into Yuya in the first place. ] Let me guess: this has something to do with one of the carnival changes?

[ But just to be safe, Strange hones in on that magical sense of his, staring at Yuya for a moment or two. He's not detecting any magic cast on Yuya outside of the normal fae magic that surrounds everybody because of their position at the carnival. A change sounds like the most logical explanation. ]

[hippocarnival]

[It definitely doesn't feel any different than any other change might--merely a result of the carnival's exposure, but Yuya's expression only sours at that explanation.]

I don't know, is it? [Is there any limit to the carnival's changes? Are not even their shadows sacred?] I don't like its attitude. Is there a way to get rid of changes any faster?

[The shadow puts its hands in its hips.]

[kingsroads]

I don't think so, [ Strange admits, as he looks down at Yuya's shadow. He doesn't like it's attitude? Well, it certainly seemed like a sassy shadow. But it was just that. A shadow. What could a shadow do in the first place? ]

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, it's a shadow. If you don't want to look at it, simply stay somewhere sunny.

[hippocarnival]

[The shadow doesn't like hearing that, waving its hands like it's trying to tell Strange to stop. And that is an obvious, if not practical solution. It's not like he can just sit under a light 24/7.

There's at least a small quirk of a smile, though, through the orneriness.] Too bad I can't do that all the time. I'll just have to get used to it.

[Though, now that he considers it--] Have you had any changes since returning to the carnival?

handstands

[cawnviction]

[Whoa there! Crow gets out of Yuya's way in a hurry.]

What's got you in a hurry? And why the hands? [A grin.] Are feet too good for you?

[Crow resists the urge to poke Yuya so he falls over. All it'd take is one friendly jab in the ribs...

Compared to the last time they met, Crow's in much better spirits than the last time they met, an easy smile on his face and the tension eased from his body.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya stops, trying to crane his neck to look at Crow from his position--it's not working, but at least he recognizes that voice.]

Feet are too easy to walk on. [If that makes any sense.] I'm practicing!

[cawnviction]

[Too easy to walk on!? Crow crouches down to speak with Yuya at eye level... sort of.]

That ain't usually a problem, y'know.

[A mischievous grin crawls across Crow's face.]

'Sides, now you can't stop me from doing this!

[With an outstretched finger, Crow moves to poke Yuya in the forehead. Whoops. Guess he didn't tamp down on that urge to topple Yuya well enough.]

[hippocarnival]

Hey! [He's right, though, there's absolutely nothingYuya can do about that. All he can manage is to pout at Crow from his awkward, upside down position.] I said I'm practicing. Just because we're not doing a big show here doesn't mean I can take it easy!

[He's nothing if not dedicated to his audience. The vitrol behind his words is dampened, though. He can tell Crow's in a better mood now. That's good.] Anyway, what's up with you?

[cawnviction]

[Oh? He's a performer, huh?

At least Crow lays off on the poking, though he does stay crouched down to speak with Yuya.]

Not much. Found Peridot. You weren't kidding when you said she's green.

[He also found Jack, but...]

[hippocarnival]

I dunno if it's normal for her or not. [The being green thing. It could just be a weird carnival change.

He perks up.] That's good! I guess you're getting used to things quickly?

SH AD OW

[soft_focus]

[OH THAT SURE IS A SHADOW. Not quite a familiar one in the truest sense...but enough that she can take a guess too. But that begs the question of who the owner of the shadow is! It can't be ANGRY Zarc right? This shadow isn't really...moving, it's just kind of there. So...Happy Zarc? Or-

Reira turns the corner, a small sparrow now perched upon her head as if her hair is a lovely little nest. The summer fae, fortunately, have taken enough shine to make sure she's not wearing the same shirt and shorts all week, but as it is-the girl blinks.

And looks at Yuuya. And then his shadow.

And then at Yuuya.

This is quite Bizarre. Also-] ....why are you upset at your shadow...?

[hippocarnival]

[If anything, Yuya can be thankful that his shadow shouldn't be recognizable to anyone but himself and Yugo. So he doesn't worry when he hears Reira's voice, instead putting his hands on his hips while he scowls at it.]

It's developed an attitude problem. [The shadow shrugs, as if that's not its fault. Yuya lets out a sigh and turns around to her.] Anyway, it--

[He stops and squints.] Uh, are you wearing a dress...?

[soft_focus]

....It just looks different. [Hi shadow! You seem okay. Anyway, apparently Yuuya finds her clothes more important for whatever reason, so.]

...The faeries said I shouldn't wear my shirt more than one day, [she replies, blinking.] ...But I only had my shirt, so they said to wear this instead.

[There is a pause, and-] ....They said it looked good with my hair, so it's supposed to be nice I think.

peep! [...says the sparrow.]

[hippocarnival]

[As if that's stopping Yuya from gluing himself to his usual orange shirt and cargo pants. But he washes them!!] Eh, but did they know you're a boy...?

[Then again, maybe that doesn't matter? The Summer Fae, while nice people, are near impossible for Yuya to tell apart. Maybe there's been a bunch of male fae wearing dresses and he just didn't notice?

Well, whatever, it's just a dress. He reaches a finger out to her sparrow friend.] Actually, was your hair always that long? I didn't think you were hiding that under your hat.

[soft_focus]

[The sparrow just peeps a few times, its cold dead feathers fluffed into a cute ball. Reira however, blinks. Boy??? What's he talking about huh??] ...My hair just grew and got this long, [she answers, staring. No one really bothered cutting it, ever.] ...So I used a hat to keep it from getting stuck in things.

[Also.]

...They didn't ask, but... ....I'm not a boy either...

[hippocarnival]

Maybe you can--[Yuya stops just before he manages to actually touch the dead bird.

Wait.] You're not what?