⇨ 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

[betheman]

"AAAAAUUUH-!!" He can barely see the other, but suffice to say with all the shouting it is very easy to hear each other.

At any rate, he charges- poorly, but he charges. "You could eat with this body as well, could you not!? Do not take such advantage of my hands..!" JUST BECAUSE HE COULD HOLD A WHOLE CAKE IN ONE HAND...

[moonfang]

"I could, but what fun would that be? You're gonna have the WORST stomachache! Hahahahah!!"

NOMF. The rest of the bitten cake goes into his mouth and is swallowed in a single gulp.

"If you want your body back, you're going to have to take it!"

[betheman]

"NNNHHH-! This is not the time to cause me to be bedridden! And I, the man Gongenzaka, could barely determine how to even use this..!" he exclaims with a frustrated gesture.

He is gesturing at all of 'him'. 'Zangetsu'. The. THE GIGAI.

"Relinquish what is mine..!" rabbit ghost say No

[moonfang]

"Oh come on! It hasn't been that long since ya had only two legs," Zangetsu says with a grin that splits Gongenzaka's face. Then he stands on his hindmost legs and actually manages to balance.

So very tol.

[betheman]

"NNNHHHHH..." He's about ready to pull out his hair. Your hair. Whatever.

Instead he gives a rather frustrated yell and charges, aiming to get around and grab at the back. HE WILL CLIMB YOU LIKE A HORRIBLE TREE AND CUT YOU DOWN TO SIZE MARK HIS WORDS,

[moonfang]

Don't you dare pull out his beautiful hair!

Well, thankfully for Gon, a large taur standing on its hindlegs is not very stable, and when he tackles Zangetsu at full force, he goes toppling over.

"GYAAAAHHH--!!"

Crash.

The impact partially knocks Zangetsu out of Gon's body, his true spirit body hanging out of the taur-body like a weird video game clipping error. Spirits tend to hang on better to bodies that fit them, as it turns out. He seems stunned by the impact, at least, giving Gon a chance to extract him completely.

[betheman]

He is!

And now he's pulling his own, arguably- with a jolt, they both fall over, and as he spies Zangetsu's spirit clipping out he sucks in a breath. Now- Now is his chance!

Focusing, he leaves the gigai to re-enter his body. "HN! YOUR GAMES ARE OVER, ZANGETSU..!"

[moonfang]

The gigai flops over, its eyes going blank and empty as it loses its soul.

But Zangetsu isn't giving up so easily! He recovers, trying to pull himself back into Gon's body at the same time that Gon is trying to get back in.

"I'm not DONE YET!!"

For a moment, the briefest of moments, they're both in the same body. It's a strange sensation, like being on a crowded subway train.

Then it's over, and Zangetsu is forcibly ejected by the synergy of a soul with its true body, and he lands on his face in the grass.

[betheman]

"YOU ARE DONE NOW..!" he roars, and just in time- that's about when Zangetsu gets booted.

At that point, Gongenzaka groans- geeze, Zangetsu, how many cakes did you eat!? He's going to be nursing that stomach ache for a while....

He can ignore it for now though. Long enough to get himself standing anyway, and frown at the ghost himself. "Hnnn....you have your own body, do you not? There is no need to possess, or attempt continued possession, is there..?" he insists, frowning. "You should have simply left, immediately, for that matter....it was cramped..."

He can't believe he's saying this about his own body, geeze...

[moonfang]

Zangetsu stands up and dusts off his shihakushou with a few good pats and sweeps with his hands. He doesn't seem any worse for wear, unfortunately.

He ate like. Two and a half whole cakes. He's not sorry.

"Hehehe! Well, I stole it because I thought it would be fun -- and I was right! Ta be honest... I wasn't sure it would work."

He walks past Gon and picks up his gigai, putting it into a sitting position, but doesn't go back in just yet. Then he puts his hands on his hips and hums thoughtfully.

"... Yer right, though. For a minute there, we were both in yer body..."

[betheman]

"...So then naturally, when it succeeded, you could not help yourself..." he frowns rather heavily, but the expression lightens as Zangetsu continues. After all...

"Mn- that is not usual..?"

[moonfang]

Zangetsu shrugs and gives a grin that... probably counts as "sheepish" for him. He can control his own actions, and he will! ... when it matters. But when it comes to silliness, he just goes with it.

"Mm-hm. Usually, if you try and force two souls into one body, one pops out. I wonder if it's just cause yer big?"

[betheman]

Dude-

"...I, the man Gongenzaka, do not believe that is how spirits work." But man, that sure is weird. "Nonetheless, we were clearly both there- enough that I, the man Gongenzaka, was able to speak to you!"

[moonfang]

He shrugs, making a face. He doesn't know! It MIGHT be! But then he puts his hand to his mouth, clearly thinking.

Then he does a weird little hopping dance as he gets an idea, and the idea makes him excited.

"Gon! Gon! I know I just took yer body out for a joyride and all, but... can I try something?"

[betheman]

Hnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

"....Provide one good reason why the answer should be 'yes'."

[moonfang]

Zangetsu almost says Because I said so and because it would be cool, but Gon is his friend. He owes him a little more than that.

"Because, I think... if I can share your body with you, I might be able to share some of my abilities, too!"

[betheman]

"....."

Alright he admits that's a pretty decent reason to try it. Zangetsu is a power house- if they could combine forces, they could very likely lay serious hurt on something fighting them. Or, simply defend that much easier. So....

"...If I, the man Gongenzaka, suspect anything is amiss, you will leave my body without question, understand?" he eventually says.

[moonfang]

He nods. "I promise. And if it feels too weird, just... soul flex a little. It should push me out. Your body is your domain, after all, and your soul is strong."

Zangetsu approaches and places his hand on Gon's chest. He frowns as it interacts like physical matter. But then, he focuses, and his hand passes though.

And he sort of... awkwardly falls in.

At first, there's that same feeling of tightness as Zangetsu's spirit form tries to maintain its shape. But then, he seems to dissipate, settling in as an obvious and somewhat distracting presence in Gon's mind.

The differences are immediate -- black leaks into Gon's vision as his eyes change color, and there's a powerful pang around the hole in his chest. But there's also a surge of power, raw and primal.

'Woah.'

A voice directly in Gon's mind!

[betheman]

Gongenzaka waits, patiently to see what occurs. And then rather suddenly there is that feeling of something clenching down on...well. Everything. It's that hole that feels it most- and, perhaps, his spirit itself.

...But he's still there. And Gon's eyes widen with that realization.

"AUH-"

... 'Zangetsu!?' He's going to try just speaking into his mind for now, but holy shit,

[moonfang]

Gongenzaka's spoken voice will have the same reverberation as it did when Zangetsu was using his vocal chords... but the intonation is all Gon, this time.

It's... strange, for Zangetsu. Gon doesn't really have an inner world like Ichigo, so he feels sort of like he's floating in space with vague connections to Gon's body and senses. He can see the outside world perfectly well, at least.

'This is REAL weird... but I think it worked? Hey. Run forward for me. I wanna try somethin' else!'

[betheman]

"Hnn..!" Give him a moment, he's stretching a bit- gotta get properly accustomed to all of this... "One moment, I, the man Gongenzaka, must properly prepare..."

A few quick stretches and... "Alright..! I, the man Gongenzaka, shall charge now..!"

Running time..!

[moonfang]

Zangetsu focuses on the body he's in, on the spiritual energy around them. It's probably not possible to use Sonído right off the bat, not without possibly injuring Gon's soul. But flash step should be safe enough. He collects the necessary reishi, taking partial control of Gon's legs, and--

FWISH--!

They dash forward, as if teleporting, about 6 feet.

It might be enough to cause Gon to lose his balance, though...

[betheman]

It SURE AS HECK IS-

"MNFG-" That's the most graceful faceplant ever.

Not.

His back legs are going clear into the air and possibly mostly over his head. Nice.

[moonfang]

-- And that whole process is enough to, once again, shake Zangetsu loose. He goes flying out of Gon's body, taking the power and the pain and the creepy eyes with him.

This time, he skids on his back. But, he quickly sits up with a "WOO!!!"

"it worked!! I can't believe that worked!"

[betheman]

Slowly, the rest of Gon meets the ground.

"Nnnhhhhggggguuuu..." Ow.

"Indeed...it certainly...did, Zangetsu..."

He can't be too upset, he sort of agreed to that.