⇨ THE SUMMERLANDS

[ringleaders]

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.

Comments

Ginko | OTA

[dontpokethat]

A - Fields

This is… probably pretty predictable from some of those who already know Ginko well. The weather is nice, and there’s plenty of open space, and he’s goddamn tired.

So here he is, lying on his back in the fields at the base of the mountain, apparently asleep or at least dozing. His ear twitches slightly at the sound of someone approaching, but he doesn’t move or open his eyes.

He’s fine, really. Just… sleeping in a field in broad daylight.

B - Dinner

As much as he appreciates the help of the Summer Fae, the change in atmosphere is… uncomfortable. Understandable, he supposes, but uncomfortable. He’s not sure how welcome efforts to socialize with them would be, so, during dinners, he sticks near people he recognizes.

He finishes a mouthful of food before mumbling wryly, half to himself and half to his neighbor, “At least we haven’t ended up going hungry yet.”

C - Wildcard

(( OOC: Ginko is gonna be all around the city’s public spaces, so go ahead and hit him up if you want to do something else! If you want to clear something first or make a plan, message me on the game discord or omixgirl10 ! ))

A

[fourthscribe]

Predictable, indeed. Tanyuu smiles when she spots where Ginko has laid out, and circles herself around him before lying down next to him with her chin resting on crossed arms.

"It will be nice if we ever get back to the old kind of chaos. I'm actually starting to miss the crunch time before performances."

[dontpokethat]

Tanyuu's voice is enough to wake him up more, though, as always, it seems to take a bit for his brain to catch up to his senses. He scrubs at his good eye with the heel of his palm and nods, half-registering her words. "Mmb. Yeah."

A moment later, though, he catches up enough to add, "Definitely seemed better than... this. Though I guess some of you guys would know that better than me, huh."

Sure, there was the matter of making sure that the animals' enclosures were as presentable as possible, and fixing any damage in the barn to make sure none of them would manage to break free when there were guests around - but he's pretty sure that didn't compare to what the wardrobe staff and performers had to deal with.

[fourthscribe]

"A little bit," she agrees with a chuckle. "Not that you don't have your own brand of chaos to manage, but sometimes..."

She trails off, silent for a few moments.

"Do you want to stay, after this contract?"

[dontpokethat]

"...I'm not sure."

Until recently, that would have been easy to answer. The Carnival was getting to be a more dangerous place to live, sure - but it was worth it. He knew his role here, he could fill it comfortably. He was always around people he cared about.

But things are only getting worse. And he doesn't know where the limit is.

"I don't know that I can keep up with... the way things have been. But it's hard to imagine leaving." Ginko opens his eye and looks over at Tanyuu. "What about you?"

[fourthscribe]

"...much the same." Her ears droop low, and she turns her head slightly toward Ginko. "I want to believe that with the Miracles this will all be over, but...I don't know that I can trust that. But I don't want to leave our family behind, either."

That's the real sticking point, honestly. Being in the Carnival has given Ginko a chance he could never have otherwise. A place to truly call home, to rest and know that he would be safe. She knows on some level he's been ready to leave again if it came to it, but...

[dontpokethat]

Ginko goes quiet for a few more seconds, his gaze drifting to the sky as he considers that.

"If... you feel that things have gotten too dangerous, I don't want you to feel like you have to stay for my sake. And I suspect the others would say the same."

[fourthscribe]

"And leave you all to face this alone? I don't think so!" The end of her tail swishes against the grass. "I've had my fill of being alone, Ginko. I...I won't leave you behind. Not for anything."

The brief sour look on her face clears, and she smiles impishly. "Besides, someone has to stay around to keep an eye on you and Joker."

[dontpokethat]

He's a little startled, honestly by the force behind her reply - but it doesn't take him more than a moment to realize he shouldn't be. "Can't argue with that reasoning, I guess. I don't... want you to think that I want you gone, or anything like that, so. Thanks."

Then he snorts, and his tail thumps against the ground. "Oh, come on, we don't need a chaperone!"

[fourthscribe]

"I know you don't. You're just worried for me, I know that."

She laughs, antennae twitching merrily, and she pokes his side. "Oh, don't you? It might not be the same type of trouble, but the both of you can find plenty of it."

[dontpokethat]

"Hey, it's not like we try. Or... it's not like I try. And Joker is working on it, I think."

An absolutely stellar defense, he knows.

"I'm keeping an eye on him, is the point."

[fourthscribe]

Ironclad logic right there, who could dispute it?

"And then who keeps an eye on you? Two silly men trying to wrangle each other at the same time isn't the best idea."

[dontpokethat]

"We're not silly. I'm not, anyway." Is he pouting? He might be pouting a little. "Things just happen."

[fourthscribe]

"You are definitely silly. And yes, things can simply happen, but both of you have...hm, interesting ways of reacting to things."

[dontpokethat]

"I'm not!" Rude!!! "And what's that supposed to mean?"

B

[lmpatientdefense]

"Free clothes, free food... Yeah, this place is great."

It's just been a day or two, but the change from their last location is a significant relief. Maybe the Carnival isn't entirely out of its depths, if they have allies like this to lean back on.

Beau bites at her food, chews it and swallows a little more quickly than polite, then leans over and speaks in an undertone. "You waiting for the other shoe to drop, too?"

[dontpokethat]

Ginko snorts quietly. "Oh, absolutely. Just waiting for the shadow, at this point." After a moment, he adds, "If it's going to happen, I'm guessing it'll be about when we try to talk to the Summer Maiden."

[impatientdefense]

"That's pretty specific timing." Beau prods some of her food with a knife, cutting some vegetables into pieces and quirking an eyebrow. Still in a low voice, she asks, "is that because you think someone's waiting to sabotage the meeting, or just because that'd be the worst timing? Long enough we're starting to relax, starting to make plans again, and then... wham?"

[dontpokethat]

"Because we're asking a lot here." He drums his fingers against the table, momentarily distracted from eating.

"The fae here already seem on-edge, compared to the last time we were here. We've already dropped off one set of refugees, we're bringing another, and now we're going to be trying to pull them into a larger conflict. I don't know if they'll drive us out violently; that doesn't seem to be their style. But, I wouldn't be surprised if they made us leave, one way or another. There's only going to be so much they're willing to put up with before our presence is more trouble than it's worth."

Someone clearly has some thoughts on this. And worries. A lot of those.

[impatientdefense]

"Huh. You think the locals might be the problem." Given the topic, she's glad they've been talking in a low voice. She takes a bite to make it seem like they're talking casually, about casual subjects, and buy a little time to think.

"...I can't imagine they're on-edge for running low on resources. No matter how many refugees you guys brought before, they've got so much clothes and food to spare they're practically throwing things at us." She skewers another clump of the food in question.

"But, I'm not saying you're wrong. People who feel backed into corners... They tend to punch whoever's near them, faster than they punch whoever pressured them in. If these guys aren't all dedicated to looking out for their fellow refugees, it might not take much for them to get stressed."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko nods slightly in agreement. "There's no way resources would be the issue. But these people value their peace; what we're going to be asking of them won't exactly be in line with that."

Which, you know, Ginko kind of gets being bothered by. He wouldn't be thrilled, either, if someone was asking him to get involved in some kind of fae war.

Unfortunately, nobody did ask him. ...Beyond, you know, the opportunities to leave the carnival after his first or second contract, but listen he didn't know this was where he would end up.

"Exactly." He sighs and pushes a hand through his hair, which probably doesn't work great for looking super calm and casual. Though... maybe it does, seeing as how he just basically always looks tired and stressed-out, anyway. "So, for now, I guess we lay low and take the chance to rest until we get punched."

[impatientdefense]

That all scans. The Summerlands seems the sort of place that maybe appreciates when people fight on their behalf, buts get awkward at the reminder of fighting - maybe out of a little fear that the fighters will turn on them. Making clothes and having food is probably the fae equivalent of buying them beers.

Ginko doesn't seem especially concerned about it all, though it's hard to say; since he always seems a little on edge, it does sort of give him a poker face. It'd take a lot more careful observation to figure out his tells.

"Yeah, I guess so." She chews thoughtfully, then admits, "the thing I can't relax about is... How do we leave? It takes one of those big fae to leave, right? Since like, this whole world is this place, we can't just... go lay low somewhere else, if they do take issue with us being here."

[dontpokethat]

"That's the big problem, yeah." He glances over at Beau. "When it comes down to it, we may have to depend on those two that joined up to help us out. Ignatius and the Gilded Mark."

Which he's... not thrilled about, frankly. They seem alright, as fae go, but... they're not the Ringmaster. He's not sure just how much can be expected of them.

[lmpatientdefense]

"Hmm... It did seem like neither of them's really with these guys. If something happens, they'll be heading out, too..." She glances back, then off in the direction of the nearest Summerlands fae. "We should stick a little close to them, then? Especially since they offered their protection, and all."

These ancient powerful beings might not appreciate getting crowded by a bunch of nervous carnies, when they're finally resting comfortably back in something that passes for civilization. But they did make some kind of magical promise. That might mean something. Doesn't mean it does, but, it might.

[dontpokethat]

"Probably. But I don't want to bother them too much." Yeah, he's thinking something similar there. "Anyway, if things do go south here, we should have time to notice and react - especially if I'm right about it happening when we ask for help."

He'd probably be less willing to base so much of this around Assuming He's Right if it weren't for the fact that this is, somehow, the closest to being within his field of experience they've been in a while. Maybe he should add "anticipating the behavior of tense locals who fear that their community's peaceful lifestyle is being threatened" to his list of professional skills.