⇨ 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

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's expression twists wryly, moving like he's going to stuff his hands in his pockets--until he remembers he doesn't have any on his pants anymore, and then just awkwardly flails his hands for a moment.

"It's not I don't think it's bad. Invading worlds, kidnapping people, tearing their lives apart. It's horrible, but... I know people can do bad things without being bad people, and I haven't even met most of the fae."

Maybe most of them are really like Ignatius. Maybe they'd stop if their Queen's discouraged it, maybe if the Summer Court didn't think they had to compete with the Winter Court they just wouldn't bother.

"And I think... I'd want to give anyone a second chance. I don't think we can move forward if we're constantly fighting and hating each other." He looks back up at Ignatius, with a smile. "It's hurt a lot, and I'm terrified. But I'd still choose to work together to change it if I could."

The Courts are a much bigger battle than Academia, but it's a similar idea. And Yuya doesn't deserve to revoke forgiveness from anyone who actually wants it.

[npcarnival]

"A sense of inevitability fuels a lot of it," Ignatius muses, not very surprised by what Yuya says, based on what he knows of the child. "If the Courts don't take control, someone else will. That mortals will do the same things to each other, even if we leave them be. It's not as if I never understood that it was cruel, before now..."

The feeling that evil would happen regardless, that it was simply the way the world was... that had shaped his outlook from a young age. That, and it had never seemed to be his job to decide these things.

"Perhaps we are driven by pessimism, as a species. We assume the worst, so we might as well be the worst. All we have ever known is conflict."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's gaze drifts further and further down, until it's stuck to the ground as Ignatius speaks. It's a shameful knife to his heart, and he chews his lip as he wars with himself about what he should say and what he wants to say. Maybe hiding it is unfair, especially if he's going to claim to understand it at all.

"I... get it." Yuya takes a deep breath, steeling himself. "I felt that way once, too. I thought people were just--violent and selfish anyway, so it... it didn't matter if I hurt them. I thought they deserved it, anyway."

He turns his face away, reflexively, twisting his hands around the strap of his bag. "But that's not true. Sure, some people are really that cruel, but not most of them. Not even a lot of them. And we fight to stop that in each other, too. Even if it's bad now, we can make the world a better place that way."