lostcarnival | ⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

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⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 119 - Day 126
Where: The Summerlands
What: Ignatius and Gild portal everyone to the Summerlands, with hopes of appealing to the Summer Maiden for help. Meanwhile, the carnival gets the chance to relax in luxury as only tentatively welcome guests. Here is the location write up from the last time the carnival visited. Since then, of course, some things have changed.
Warnings: Nothing in particular.

THE SUN RISES↴

After taking the time to rest, Ignatius and Gild will be able to pool together their energy to portal the carnival (and the airship) to the Summerlands. Those still in Polaris will be left to their own devices for the moment as Gild intends to ask for the Summerlands aid in relocating them, hopefully as soon as possible. With the effort the carnival put into sorting things out in there, however, they should be fine on their own for a little while, at least.

They will arrive in the flowery fields at the base of the mountains, and soon the Summer Fae will notice their presence. Since the last time they visited, however, the atmosphere has changed.

► YOUR ARRIVAL: As the Summer Fae discover the group's arrival, it will quickly become apparent that there is a tension present that wasn't there any of the other times the carnival has visited. The Summer Maiden comes to greet the group personally, with an entourage of armed Summer Fae. They are not at all aggressive unless provoked, but there is clearly a wariness that is new. They seem uncertain about Ignatius being here, and while Gild will be able to do a lot of the talking and smooth things over, the Summer Maiden will deflect having a serious conversation about affairs until the carnival has taken time to 'rest.' It's more likely that the Maiden needs a moment to think over this new information before dealing with it.

► SUMMER CITY: After the Summer Fae become aware of everyone's presence, and the initial uncertainties are accommodated, they will invite 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 it feels like more of a formality, and no one is obligated to take them up on it.

► SUMMER PEOPLE: The fae here will do their best to entertain these new visitors - but 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.

► FAMILIAR FACES: One very different thing about the Summerlands this go around is that there appears to be a small settlement built at the base of the mountains, filled entirely with the former residents of the Manor. Alyss and Reyna will explain that they set up a place to live down there with the Summer Fae's help, and that the fae seems to be trying to remain hands off except when they are needed. The Manor folk overall seem to be doing well, though there is some tension regarding their place in the Summerlands - they are clearly seen as refugees, and while the Summer Fae do their best to help them, the arrival of the carnival and the request for even more help with refugee aid seems to be making things awkward.

► OF THINGS TO COME: The Summer Maiden will remain distant for the first few days, but according to Gild and based on personal observation, it will seem that the news that the Ringmaster has been taken and the idea that even more desperate mortals are requesting to come here are putting her at significant ill ease. She's not rude or dismissive, but she seems reluctant to address the situation head on, though she has said that she will hold a meeting with the carnival later in the week to discuss everything in more detail. None of them seem particularly angry or resentful, but they seem to regard the carnival as an ill portent of things to come.

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Perhaps not finding out while at Polaris is for the best. It's not likely that she would have taken the most extreme option- namely finding some way to replace those eyes Again. But any solution related while within that place would not likely have been any good.

At all.

Carly's no fool. She takes a guess at why people are staring very quickly, to the point where she ends up breaking down at least once in the presence of whoever is staring. Conversations are awkward, short, and generally just end no better than they started.

So she's taken to just avoiding it at the best of times. By now of course she's found some clothes to wear beyond her cloak of shadows- the light spills out around her and through the fabric, giving the appearance of someone who's run out on a party rather than the stresses of various traumas.

She isn't so avoidant that she will ignore someone calling her though. So Carly turns her head and stands from where she was sitting on a simple stone, appearing perhaps a bit surprised. "...My time..?" she repeats almost blankly. "Eh..? ...What for..?"

"While we were in Polaris, I found out information about our trials. And, more specifically, your eyes."

He's taking the situation very carefully. Carly's obviously avoiding people, for whatever reason, and he's heard some gossip about that one carnival member who just started crying, poor thing. Strange realizes this might be a delicate situation and has enough tact not to go in, guns blazing, barging straight into bother Carly about her eyes. He's standing near her, hands at his side, as he continues talking.

"Of course, if now isn't a good time, I can always come back later."

She is indeed quiet- very quiet, and perhaps after this talk is over she'll thank him for the tact. But first, Carly perks up. The colours in her light and even flame brighten, a sudden yellow-orange taking over the otherwise subdued indigo. Her eyes- if he can even see behind their own shine- widen immensely. "No-" she starts, cutting herself only to continue on with just as much intensity in her voice. "...I... ...I need to hear about that! ...If there's anything that can help, or even tell me what I can't do..."

Even saying that much as her choking on her words of course. The idea that there can't be something done...it's terrifying. But even so-

"...I need to know. I don't think any time will be better with the way things are going now, either."

Hmm. About that. Because honestly, he didn't find anything that can help. He only found explanations of what happened, not how to fix it. Strange doesn't even bother schooling his expression: there's a blatantly apologetic frown on his face as he starts to talk.

"Unfortunately, the only thing I've found that could fix your eyes is to remove the problem entirely." A diplomatic way of saying yank 'em out. Strange just keeps talking, bulldozing into another point so that Carly can't dwell on that last point too long. "Our hypothesis was right. They did use samples from my eyes in the treatment of yours. Apparently, the Technicians were trying to imbue you with the Silver Mirror's aspect of revealing the truth."

It's a very 'tear the bandaid' sort of approach, that. Unfortunately tearing bandaids still means abrupt yelling in the best of times, and Carly yelps at that blunt remark- hands flying to her eyes almost protectively. "Remove-!?" She cries, shuddering as she slowly brings her hands back down over her mouth. She can't really be sure if seeing the truth would have been better. Would it...be akin to hallucinating over reality whenever a glamor was in place?

Thinking about it just hurts, and Carly swallows back a nervous sob that sort of awkwardly becomes a choke. Hands eventually leave the face altogether, but it doesn't help the panic.

"Th...the magic kind of light, right..? E..even with the void's touch, they thought that would work, h..huh..." She nervously questions, partly to distract herself. It doesn't work though. How could it, with 'the problem' still before them. "I..."

Carly falls back to her seat on the rock, her light near well white with the shock. "...I was already afraid of it being like this, forever...but it really is stuck that way, isn't it? ...Even if we had the silver mirror with us, it would..." ...Be impossible? Maybe. Maybe not.

She doesn't want to hedge bets on that kind of thing. "...I either have to go through..'that' again, or I can't take my old job when the Ringmaster is back... ....I wouldn't even be able to take the job I had at home!" She realizes with a choke.

Before she can wallow too much however, she takes a deep breath and looks back to Strange. "...It... ...It isn't the kind of news that feels better but...I did need to hear it. Sooner rathet than later," she adds softly. "So...thank you."

Strange waits, listening as Carly rambles and tries to work though her shock. He can't help but tense up a little, rubbing his wrist as Carly mentions the Silver Mirror. It's affecting his entire body, if the Silver Mirror could do anything for her, then he should be able to do it himself.

Except then, Strange just mentally throws some cold water over the thought. He can't do everything by himself. Remember that and don't make Carly any promises you can't keep.

"You're welcome," Strange responds, with a little nod, before going into more of a magical explanation. "Light and Darkness are relative terms. They can mean the physical concepts, but they can also mean truth and lies, clarity and muddling things up, and so on. I believe they wanted to make your eyes see the light as in seeing the truth, not literally only seeing light."

She misses that tension, however fortunate or unfortunate that may be. If anything she would likely be the sort to say 'what would be the harm in just trying?'

Given it's the face the answer would likely be a lot though. Numbly, Carly nods at the explanation. "...They seemed to feel it was a failure after all," she notes. "...Truth and deception... ...Hauuuhh... Even if I wanted to blame the void, just saying that tells me it can't have been that...no amount of truth twisting would make a different light..." It would have been so nice though, to have something to blame still.

She thinks, anyway. Perhaps she's better off letting go.

"...I just have to wonder.. ...what now, then...practice light magic? Train Nuna to be a second pair of eyes in the tent?" The last one comes out a more nervous joke than anything. It was the same joke she tried with Yuusei after all- those sorts of things get repeated in this kind of mood.

"...I can't even fight, again," she realizes. "...I had to guess for each arrow I shot..."

"There's a whole host of fae in the Summerlands," Strange explains, as he gives a vague gesture towards the buildings around them. "Perhaps one of their healers can come up with something. I'd happily give them a sample of my mirrors to experiment on if it would help with the process."

What would he do, mend the reflections in her eyes? He can't heal. He's never been able to heal. Strange just keeps reminding himself and keeps pointing out that this is someone else's problem, someone more equipped than him will come up with a solution, he can't do this by himself.

"...I don't know about you, but I get the impression they want as little to do with this stuff as possible..." She remarks with a frown. "Some of them think we shouldn't be here at all..! And by we, I mean anything touched by mirrors and roses..!" Carly adds.

But...even so. "...Do you think they might though?" She adds more quietly. "Be able to heal something caused by an object they don't properly know..?" It's an edge of hope, what comes through her voice. Only an edge, marred largely by fear.

"...If they only suggest what you did after all, I..."

Well if that happens she's truly screwed isn't she. At least if there's anything in this, she isn't expecting Strange to do any mending. ...Just expecting him to have an answer apparently.

The longer this conversation goes on, the more Strange is realizing that oh damn, Carly wants him to have a magical solution to fix all this, or at least a magical solution that might be a start. He doesn't know what he's doing! He's got no clue here!

Strange keeps his expression in a neutral frown as he thinks a little. "Some of them don't want us here. But we still have a few allies in the Summerlands. If you want to, I suggest you seek out a faerie named the Starlight. Her gift is prophecy. I doubt she'll be able to cure your eyes, but maybe she can tell you what comes next."

In a round-about, slightly hippy dippy way, of course. But Strange puts a lot of stock in prophecies and future-telling magic. He definitely believes that the Starlight could at least say something that might help Carly.

Less magical and more mundane, but he certainly has landed himself the unfortunate role of being the first friend with any calm advice to offer at all. Which, unfortuanately, means she wants to drain that well of info dry.

Passing her off to someone else was probably the best way to get out of it at all. Especially since she probably won't go back to him if it turns out the Starlight has nothing.

That said. "...The Starlight?" She repeats. "...alright," she decides, nodding. Pass off, success. "...what does she look like?"

And then Strange icly describes the Starlight to Carly.

"I've only met her once, so it's possible that her appearance has changed. But if you ask around, someone should point you in her direction. From what I've gathered, she has a reputation." Granted, it's as a slightly kooky prophecy teller, but that still counts as a reputation.

Look, it wouldn't be the first time she went to a slightly kooky seer.

It would, however, probably be the first time it went well. Maybe.

She's hoping it goes well. So quietly, Carly nods. And. "...Right. ...Strange?" she says after a moment, looking to him. "....Thank you. I..." There's a nervous laugh, a bit broken in sound. "...I'm definitely not fun to deal with like this, I'm pretty sure..! So... ...Thanks. Even a little advice is more than I had before."

Even if the advice is just shuffling her away to avoid trying to come up with 'real' advice. She can't tell anyway.

Strange laps up attention and praise like a sponge. When Carly thanks him, he first looks a little confused...before he gives her a gentle smile in return. He's not hiding the fact that he appreciates the thanks: his desire to respond to that by promising help and reassuring her that he'll find a way is butting up against the hard truth that you idiot, you can't do anything like that, this isn't your place.

"You're welcome," Strange says, with a little nod. "And you've had a horribly traumatic experience: it's perfectly fine to deal with it however you want." Says the man who deals with trauma by repressing it and throwing himself into magic. Do as he says, not as he does.

"I wish I could do more to help, but I can't heal and I don't want to chance working my reflection magic on your eyes." Mostly because they are Carly's literal eyes and he doesn't want to blind her. "Still, if you or the Starlight need anything, whether magic or samples, simply tell me."

Considering the quiet awkward laugh, she is quite empathetic to that...do as one says/not as one does, thing. She does blink, and stare as Strange offers his help and light apology as well though.

And coughs- "Ah-! Y...You didn't think I was trying to ask you to try healing, right?!" She sputters. "I mean...I barely started that sort of thing myself and I still can't do more than little things...I wouldn't ask you to swap techniques around for me like that..!!" It would be quite rude, she's certain! That aside.

Carly nods, and makes to find the Starlight. "Mn- I'll remember that though...who knows, right?" Maybe it'll end up a weird casting circle or some nonsense. Who knows.

"I didn't think you were asking about healing," Strange clarifies. "Not exactly. I thought you were asking me to help because of these." And he reaches up to lightly tap one of his mirror eyeballs: there's an odd little 'clink' as claw touches mirror.

"But the Silver Mirror...it's not like the Blue Rose, where Steven and Syrlya can work with it. I can't talk to it or draw upon it's power the way the others can."

Possibly because the actual Mirror itself is in a bunch of tiny pieces, but Strange doesn't know for certain. It's just hanging out in his body in a slightly creepy fashion, that Strange still isn't entirely sure what to think about.

"Ohhh...oh, no...that..." There's a sort of half laugh, half sniff- she is absolutely smiling however, which is a good sign. "That's... ...Strange- even if you had nothing to do with the mirror...with any mirror, really," she laughs, "...I would have asked the same thing."

....Also. "...Heh? Syrlya can talk to it...?! I...I mean I guess he's a plant but..." That's weird. Anyway. "...It makes sense that the mirror is just a Thing at least. ...probably better for both of us actually..." She remarks, looking over the other. She even still has one of those shards of mirror. Hooray.

"...now I just wonder what that 'red beast' will be like, since it's at least as smart as one probably..." She's getting a wee bit sidetracked here.

"If the carnival has any sense, we'll leave the Red Beast alone," Strange remarks, a little tone of disbelief in his voice. "The Ringmaster had no idea what she would do if she found the Miracles in the first place. Likewise, it's not like the Mirror or the Rose stopped the Courts from attacking her."

That network post, all those months back, was pretty much 'let's just find these things and hope it shakes off the Court.' A fat lot of good that did her, considering that she was dead and/or imprisoned at the moment.

"Finally, this one is sentient. It's silly going on a fool's errand for something that we barely know anything about and also have no idea what we're going to do with once we find it."

"That's if we even have to try to find it," Carly laments. "...With everything that's happened, it would be just our luck if it ran into us when we went to go save her..."

But then, that's just her thinking. In the grand scheme of 'bad things that could happen', it's relatively high on her list. Which of course means she has to worry about it happening. "..I guess we can hope though... ...I just hope it all calms down in the end. ...I still want to work with her, after all..."

She would like to not be constantly running for her life, thanks.

He can't help but laugh, a short slightly bitter laugh at Carly's statement. She's not wrong. The carnival does have shit luck half of the time, might as well plan for shit luck no matter what.

As for her point about working with the Ringmaster...

"I want to go home," Strange bluntly responds, with a little frown. "But it seems that won't be able to happen until we find her or Ignatius regains more of his power." And honestly, he's not sure what will happen first.

"Heh? ...Of course you do, you have a wife." Well at least Carly gets it. "But...here..." She manages a rather sad smile. "...I was already planning to sign on for good, after my next contract... ...working with the Ringmaster, even with all the bad, has brought me the happiest times in my life~! So..."

Hahhh. She shakes her head, refocusing. "Mmn- do you think it's more...understanding that power?" she wonders. "...He looks completely different now, compared to before- I don't know what everyone did, but that has to take a while to get used to..."

"Why not both?" Strange responds, like it's obvious. "He was severely wounded by the Mother of Invention even before his aspect change. It takes more than a few days to recover from complete and utter torture."

Though Strange is trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible, it's obvious from his expression that he's really pissed off about the fact that Ignatius was hurt so badly. He keeps trying to tell himself that there was nothing he could have done, but Strange is still beating himself up a little for not doing anything to begin with.

"That's...also a good point..." she weakly answers, grimacing.

Hoooboy.

They really can't avoid the reality here can they. "...We're not going to be at all ready by the time we leave...are we...."

"No," he simply responds. "But we've never been ready for anything these damn fae throw at us."

It's intensely annoying and a little disheartening. But...well, it is what it is. Strange hates it, but he can't really do anything about it.

"Eeeuuughh..." Well this all fell into a more typical sort of depression, didn't it.

What comes will come, she has to suppose- shaking her head, she sighs. "...We'll just have to take it as we always do then... ...Ah- I'm going to find The Starlight though," she determines, nodding. "...I'll see you later, alright?"

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kingsroads - 2018-12-05 02:23 (UTC) - Expand

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