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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Strange makes a little noise of acknowledgment in return. Yeah, he knows that putting all his eggs in one basket and all his focus on one person isn't healthy. But he knows enough about himself to know that focusing heavily on one person is the first in a long list of unhealthy decisions that Strange has made during his life.

"What now indeed," Strange remarks, with a little frown. "Ideally, I'd like us to go back to being friends. But that depends as much on what you want as what I want."

And then Strange pauses for a little, like he's waiting for Lambert to say something or comment on his statement.

“Well, that’s going to be a little difficult,” Lambert answers plainly, hooking his thumbs into the fabric looped around his waist.

He’ll let the pause linger, just to be an ass, before he breezily continues on. “Because as far as I’m concerned, we never stopped being friends.” He raises a brow at Strange, and goes on, “And like I said before ... we’re not the same people we used to be. Do we really want to go back to the kind of people who’d end up in this mess again?”

He jerks a thumb between him and Strange.

“I say we move on. Clean slate. Don’t forget how we fucked up, but actually do better.” He exhales. “It’s the only way we’re getting you home.”

Lambert being an ass works. As soon as he lets the pause linger, Strange's eyes widen a little in worry before he rolls his eyes at Lambert's next statement. However, he's smiling as he rolls his eyes. Ass.

"Moving on works well for me," he says with a nod. And then, Strange starts some gentle teasing that's also part gossip. "And a clean slate is the only way we're getting you to England as well. I talked with Childermass. He still wants to see England. He's just worried about the Void, the Courts, and all the rest."

Things that Strange should be worried about. Because Childermass was right: if he had any sense, he wouldn't be returning to England either. But he is so it's happening and sense, what common sense.

“At least half of those are things you should be worried about too, you know,” Lambert ribs back. “Don’t foist off all the worrying on Childermass, I’m not sure I want him going grey so early.”

Even if he’s already reached a respectable age by Regency era standards and grey wouldn’t be out of place. And even if it probably wouldn’t change Lambert’s feelings about him one bit if he woke up tomorrow with his hair completely turned to silver.

"There's no use worrying. None of us can plan for the Void, the Courts, the Miracles, and so on. All we should do is focus on strengthening up what we already have so that we can face whatever challenge is thrown in our way."

And that right there is one of the reasons why Childermass drinks. Strange's voice is very nonchalant as he talks. After all, it's not like any of them can just ask the Void or a shattered Mirror 'hey there, please don't start shit.' As far as Strange is concerned, they should do what makes them happy and then fight whatever battles come their way.

"Besides," Strange teases, "when I invite Ignatius to come and visit England, perhaps that counts enough as marking the territory for Summer."

If or when they ever get to England, Lambert quietly resolves to make sure they figure out a way to stay comfortably out of Strange’s immediate ability to barge in on them, or he really is going to drive Childermass to an early grave. Call it selfish, but Lambert has a sneaking suspicion Strange is a prophecy-touched cockroach who’ll live through anything as long as English magic’s got a use for him; Childermass might not be so lucky.

“Good luck convincing Childermass to see it that way,” he shrugs, wry. Though mentioning inviting Ignatius makes him snort. “And don’t even joke about it. Ignatius is one thing, but the Courts are still shit. If they actually decided to claim your world, they’d remake it.”

"But Ignatius is still Summer." At least, he thinks. Strange still isn't sure how Ignatius's entire new aspect will change things with regards to Ignatius and the Summer Court. That's a question he'll have to ask later. When he talks, Strange is pretty serious, though he's obviously trying to hide the worry in his voice.

"Childermass is right. With everything that happened to us, our world's become much more interesting than it was before. Add in the fact that England is now full of magicians: one of whom might attempt to summon someone as awful as the Rose Queen or the Count of Crows. It's safer for all of us if our world picks a side or allies with a fae and spares everyone the fighting."

And at least in Strange's mind, that side is the Summer Court. He's obviously a little hesitant about this decision. Making choices for all of English magic is one thing, making choices for an entire world is something different.

“You might actually want to check with Ignatius or Shimmer if that’s going to work, because I’m not sure ‘sparing’ is really what the fae do.” Lambert gives Strange a sidelong look, head tipped. He considers the fact that of all the magicians in England with a potential summoning problem, the biggest liability is the one right beside him, but no sense getting into that fight.

“The safest thing,” he says, looking towards the sky, “Is to cut right to the source. Get the Courts to stop thinking they’ve got to take over worlds to begin with.”

"The safest thing and yet the hardest. You're far too idealistic." Strange gives Lambert a small little smile as he shakes his head. "It takes drastic action to make an entire country shift it's way of being. For creatures so stuck in themselves as the fae are, it would probably take the most drastic of drastic actions for them to even consider not taking over worlds."

And considering the ruling fae they've dealt with so far...the Summer Maiden might be fine with not taking over worlds, as she seems like a little bit of a pushover, but then we've got the Summer Queen and the Winter Queen, two different people who Strange doubts will change just because someone gives a convincing speech or asks nicely.

“What, you think I’m suggesting the Queens just sit down for a cup of tea and a nice heart to heart and they’ll be friends again? As if.”

The tip of the witcher’s tail lashes, absently.

“Doesn’t feel right, leaving a job unfinished,” he says at last. “I want to find that third Miracle.”

When Lambert mentions the third Miracle, Strange's smile immediately turns into a small frown. Without thinking about it, he reaches over to cross his forearms over his chest, hand grabbing his arms as he does so.

"I think we should leave it alone. We don't even know what the hell we'd do with it if we find it. Besides, I don't want any of you to be changed like Steven and I have."

Sure, Carly and Syrlya have also been changed. But that was due to the Mother of Invention: Strange knows that there's just something fundamentally different about the way him and Steven have been changed in contrast to the other two.

“It’s not like the other Miracles,” Lambert muses. “At least not if you believe what we read about it. It has a mind ... which means it has memories. Memories that must go back all the way to the Queens who made it.”

He shrugs, absently. “Though even if I wanted to find it, it’s hard to figure out where to start. I asked the Gilded Mark about tracking it, but she says it’s just a title, and something that strong can hide itself if it wants to.”

"She doesn't need to track it," Strange explains, with a little shake of his head. "The Miracles are connected. When Steven and I were in Polaris, part of the Mother's tests on the two of us involved testing the connection between the two Miracles. I remember that feeling when they pressed on the connection between the two. If I perform enough magic and draw upon enough of the Mirror's power, it should be able to find me. Likewise, I might be able to find it."

The more Strange talks, the less he likes this idea. His expression shifts from a small frown to a bigger one as he draws his arms closer to himself. Learning about the Miracle by talking to people is one thing. Being bait is another.

“Damn. I wish I’d known more of the details before,” Lambert presses his knuckles against a temple, exhaling. “Was pretty obvious they were screwing you with the Mirror’s magic, but not that that’s what they were trying for. Would have looked a little harder for anything related to those experiments, or ones they might have planned to do ... but not much we can do about it now.”

He shrugs, wry. “With how these things work, you’d probably need both of the actual Miracles to look for the third, anyway. We’re still just changelings. It’s not the real thing.”

"As far as we know, the Silver Mirror is still shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces," Strange reminds Lambert. "At the moment, I might have more of the Mirror's magic than any actual Mirror fragment."

It's not like the Blue Rose which is sitting pretty in the moon. Strange has a feeling that the Ringmaster might have been collecting the shards, but he honestly has no idea how many she might have gotten before...all that happened. Which again, is a feeling he's not entirely sure how to deal with.

"Probably more like thousands," Lambert sighs, then snorts.

"Don't know if you've noticed, but you've gotten a lot better at imitating other people. Wonder if that's the Mirror too."

Strange has not noticed. As such, he frowns in confusion.

"I can honestly say I haven't thought about my ability to imitate people before this moment." A little pause before, "Is it really that noticeable?"

"Might not be the best person to ask for an objective opinion on that," Lambert demurs, but he grins shittily anyway.

"I've only seen you do it a few times, but I've also seen you trying to do an impression of someone else before you threw yourself into a fae artifact." He gestures at Strange.

"I don't know if it works with someone who isn't actually here, though."

Strange frowns, putting his hand to his chin in thought.

"What about this. I'll do two impressions, one of someone who is still with the carnival and one of someone who's left. You have to guess who they are and then rate them on which one's better."

He asks, knowing that Lambert is not an objective source. Still, he's here, he brought this up, he's gonna get roped into these shenanigans.

It's a dumb game to play, which mostly means Lambert's absolutely down for it.

"All right," he laughs, leaning back. "Let's see what you've got."

Let's see...Strange screws up his face in an expression of absolute boredom and annoyance before he starts talking. "I don't even want to be here. I hate the carnival, I hate everybody, I'm just going to glower and be unhelpful and be useless."

It's not the best impression and there's still a hint of his British accent but it's definitely Lapis. It's also not the nicest impression either, but Strange hates Lapis so that's to be expected. He breaks character, quickly adding in a "And now for the second one," before he pauses, mulls over what to say, then starts talking again.

"I hope you clods realize that it is entirely due to my incredible metallic powers and superior gem intellect that we managed to escape from this situation in the first place. You can thank me later."

This impression is a creepily accurate one of Peridot. Strange can't do anything to change the actual pitch of his voice, but he entirely loses his accent, parrots Peridot's vocal inflections, and mirrors her facial expression as well. Turns out that yes, the more time Strange spends with someone and the closer they are, the easier it is to impersonate them.

Now that is fucking uncanny right there. Lambert whistles lowly, leaning back slightly in his seat, and looks Strange over.

“Can you even hear yourself? That was like night and day.”

Strange frowns a little. He's not normally self-conscious, but he's certainly self-conscious about a thing that he didn't even know he could friggen do.

"So the Silver Mirror gave me a fun party trick as well as turning my insides to mirrors. How...useful?"

"Better a fun party trick than a shitty one," Lambert shrugs. "Slap it together with the right illusion and it could come in handy one day."

Strange nods...and then gets the idea of a really fun party trick almost instantly. That frown goes into a wide grin almost instantly as he looks over at Lambert with a blatant 'I want to cause some trouble' smile.

"Can I borrow that ring of yours? The one that lets you shift forms."

Edited 2018-12-18 18:49 (UTC)

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