[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

[hippocarnival]

Really? [He looks from the nails up at Strange. His clothes were a little odd, now that he thought about it.] Where are you from? I don't think I ever asked.

[kingsroads]

I'm from Shropshire--it's a relatively small town in England. [ And Strange can't help but smile a little bit because he's got a feeling this will be the next question Yuya asks. ]

Though, I've found the 'when' is just as important to specify. For a number of people here, I'm from around two hundred years in their past.

[hippocarnival]

Oh, I know where England is. [No idea about Shropshire though, what a funny name. He smiles, but he's quickly surprised as Strange identifies himself from the past.

Well, he does dress pretty old.] What year was it when you found the carnival?

[kingsroads]

1816, [ Strange answers. The fact that he's from a lot of people's pasts has certainly stuck with Strange, especially since the first place he got thrown into when arriving at the carnival was the 1990s.

Though huh, he doesn't know anything about Yuya's world either. ]

Where are you from, out of curiosity?

[hippocarnival]

Whoa, that really is two hundred years ago! [It makes him think, he doesn't really know what anyone's home worlds are like. Maybe that's something he should start asking more about?]

I'm from Maiami City, Japan. [It sounds like Strange is from earth, but now he just doesn't even know if their earths are the same.]

[kingsroads]

I haven't heard of Maiami City, but I've certainly heard of Japan. [ Even if Strange's knowledge of Japan isn't entirely the best because something something isolationist period something something we've got most of our problems in Europe right now because of Napoleon. ]

I suppose that means our worlds are at least somewhat similar. Do you have magic where you're from?

[ because of course that's what Strange asks about first. ]

[hippocarnival]

[He's about to deny it, but then he remembers Lambert catching on anyway, and Strange was a real accomplished mage--if Lambert could sense that magic, who says strange couldn't?

He thumbs at his pendulum.] Not magic like yours. I don't really understand it, and most people wouldn't believe it exists. But it's there.

[Pseuo-science holograms and Arc V aside, there's no other way he knows to interpret his existence but magic.]

[kingsroads]

[ The thing about Strange's third eye is that he can only identify magic that he recognizes. Whatever magic Yuya has? Strange didn't know existed in the first place. Of course, this makes him all the more eager to find out just what Yuya's magic is and just how precisely it works. ]

I could help you understand it, if you want. Granted, I've no idea about how the structures of magic work in your world but aside from the Ringmaster, I'd say that I'm the most knowledgeable magician the carnival has.

[ and certainly the most modest. ]

[hippocarnival]

I... don't know if I can even do any of it anymore. [He was Zarc, but not the part of Zarc that had that power. Ever since that darkness was removed, he hasn't felt... anything. Any magic in him now is probably residual and dormant, nothing active.

He rubs the back of his head.] I appreciate it, Mr. Strange, but I probably can't even tell you enough to get started! I don't even remember half of it.

[kingsroads]

[ He's not going to prod about not remembering things. Half of Strange's bad decisions in Portland could be traced back to 'drastic measures to try and remember things' so if Yuya says he doesn't remember half of his magic, then Strange is going to let that part lie.

Or, at least, he's going to mostly let it lie. ]

Well, if you ever do remember more or you find out you can do it, feel free to bother me. I'll be happy to help in any way I can.

[hippocarnival]

Thanks. [He doesn't expect anything to come of that and, truthfully, he's not sure he ever wants to be able to do those things again... not with what they cost. But it's the thought that counts. It's good to know Strange's willingness to help Yuya hasn't changed.

And there's more enjoyable topics that Yuya's memory loss anyway.] What was the manicure for?

[He doesn't say 'that's the kind of thing my mom does', but he sure does think it.]

[kingsroads]

For relaxing, of course! I had a lovely conversation with this fae that owns a spa. I helped her out with a little bit of renovation and she let me have a few spa treatments in return--I dragged Lambert along, by the way, so if he seemed more relaxed these past few days then you're welcome.

[ Have fun picturing that amazingly dumb mental image of Lambert at a spa.

He's in a good humor about the whole thing, despite the fact that the spa itself was pretty damn ridiculous--mostly because it was relaxing as well. Strange was perfectly willing to overlook weird things like 'nail polish' or 'saunas' if it meant he could take it easy for a while. ]

Truth be told, I think she enjoyed shoving me through those treatments just as much as I enjoyed going through them. After all, I doubt she often gets new customers.

[hippocarnival]

I guess dimensional travel isn't really common, huh? [Lambert's let slip he and Strange are buddies, so that's really just improving this mental image of the two of them on their spa date together.]

I haven't seen him since we crashed the balloon... but he probably needed it. [Though really, they all needed to relax.]

[kingsroads]

He definitely needed it, [ Strange adds in. Granted, everybody needed to rest after Portland, but he'd imagine one needed more rest if they got possessed. ] You probably need it as well. I'm certain that if I help out with a few more things around the spa, I can coax out a few spa treatments for you. Only if you want me to, of course.

[ But, at least in Strange's mind, Yuya also needs to relax. He remembers you running around a few days after you got your soul stabbed, take it easy buddy. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Never.]

Really? [He stretches his hands behind his head, considering that.] I think I'm good without a manicure... but the other stuff might be nice.

[Like the sauna.] But we also have a hot spring at the carnival, right?

[kingsroads]

The hot spring can't exfoliate your feet.

[ Fun fact: Strange doesn't entirely remember what exfoliating your feet means, but he's pretty sure that was the bit that involved the pumice stone. Or maybe it was the bit with the fish. He's not that certain. ]

Though, I suppose it would be the next best thing. I wonder if there's any way to mimic those treatments with what we have on hand at the carnival?

[hippocarnival]

I'm not the one worried about my feet. [He gives Strange a pointed look.]

Some of the really nice Onsens have that same stuff, but wouldn't you still need someone to operate it? [Where are they gonna get the people to clean the facility, or certified massage therapists?]

[kingsroads]

[ And here is where Yuya learns that Strange might know a bit about Japan but certainly doesn't know a LOT about Japan. ]

I assume an onsen is like a hot spring?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya knows, probably, about as little as England, in all fairness. But he can find it on a map??

So to that he nods.] It is a hot spring, but usually it has a resort built around it. They're supposed to be good for your health so a lot of people take vacations there.

[Also because it's relaxing, just like a spa. With less manicures.]

[kingsroads]

That sounds wonderful, [ Strange can't help but admit. Because it does! He's already on team hot spring as is, a hot spring with an added resort? Hell yeah, that's awesome. ]

After the next inevitable crisis, we should petition the Ringmaster to have us stop there.

[ Because, at least in Strange's mind, there's totally going to be a crisis of sorts eventually, whether it's due to the Portland fae or due to a different world entirely. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya frowns.] You know, it's hard to be excited about it when you're just expecting something bad to happen first.

[kingsroads]

But something bad will most likely happen first, [ Strange can't help but remark. ] The carnival has a habit of attracting trouble. And--

[ Strange pauses for a moment, idly rubbing his wrist. He should tell Yuya his worries, even if part of Strange is afraid Yuya will just dismiss them as paranoia. Yuya's already been through so much thanks to the ritual, he doesn't want to see the kid hurt again. ]

And I don't think we've seen the last of the Rose Queen and her lot.

[hippocarnival]

... I know. [His gaze drifts down, because Strange is just voicing a fear that's been on Yuya's mind since landing in the Summerlands... because this means the Portland Fae, these Fae, the Ringmaster... they all share some sort of connection. And if the Court is anything like Academia they're sure to keep coming until they're stopped. Or they get what they want.]

But--[His attention snaps back up.] I don't know if it's strong enough, but remember that spell I learned to keep the Rose Queen's magic out of the Sanctuary? I can still do it. Maybe we can at least keep them out of the carnival. If the Ringmaster isn't already doing that, anyway.

[He's rather he assured that the Ringmaster has this place defended, truthfully.]

[kingsroads]

It can't hurt, [ Strange admits, with a little nod. He's not entirely sure how well the spell would work in the first place...but it did keep the Rose Queen out of the Sanctuary, didn't it? Maybe that meant it was more powerful than Strange realized. ]

The carnival's threshold has been penetrated by magic before, so I'm certain the Ringmaster would at least hear you out if you suggested we cast that barrier spell as well.

[ Because yeah, 'we', Strange is definitely helping Yuya out now. ]

[hippocarnival]

[The more people, the better the spell works. So Yuya smiles a bit at Strange's implied offering of help. He's glad, this time, it's because they're on the same side--and not because he's side-stepping his allegiances.]

I have a couple other things to ask her about anyway, so I'll talk to her when she's feeling better. I don't plan to just watch the carnival get targeted by them.