⇨ 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

[kingsroads]

"Perfectly understandable," Strange says, with a little nod. After all, considering Childermass's faebloodness, who knows what might happen if he meddles with the book. He was always the better safe than sorry sort, Strange understands Childermass's worry.

"After all, one spell might be harmless, but I've no idea about the others."

[atouts]

"And I wouldn't expect any spell book that the Count would keep to be a treasure trove of kind spells," Childermass adds with a small grimace. Interesting as the book itself is, that it was owned by the Count before, that only makes him all the less willing to handle it.

[kingsroads]

Strange shakes his head. Truth be told, he doesn't know enough about the Count to make a judgement on the fae (and part of him thinks that this is just Childermass's dislike of the man over anything else) but this isn't a battle he's going to fight right now.

"I wonder if Miss Nagisa will ever be able to read that book. It sounds like the only way she'd be able to do so is find a Winter Fae fluent in the language. And, while I'm sure that the Winter Court would have some faeries sympathetic to the cause as the Starlight is for Summer Court...the likelihood we'd actually meet one is slim to none."

Which, based on Strange's small little frown, he's got obvious mixed feelings about.

[atouts]

"You won't find any like the Starlight among the Winter Court," Childermass is quick and very vehement to the punch on disagreeing there. He scowls just at the thought. "The Summer Court is bad enough but the Winter one simply has no morals, no emotions. No good ones, at least. You would actually need some ounce of kindness to care about what a mortal does."

His dislike of the Count really does color his opinion of the entire court but, considering their other examples are Frost, the Winter Queen and the Mother of Invention, there isn't a lot there to counter him with. They're all terrible.

[kingsroads]

As Childermass scowls, Strange's frown shifts to something a little more contemplative. He's only just begun asking around, seeing if any of the Summer Court knew about the Mirror...but he's already getting a small idea that general consensus is to go ask Winter.

He's smart enough not to outright say that Childermass is painting all the fae with the same brush just because of his bad experiences, but Strange will poke at that feeling a little.

"Well that's a shame. After all, I'll eventually have to ask one of them for more information about the Silver Mirror." He frowns, thinking it over. "Frost would be the easiest to summon, but there's no guarantee he'd tell me what I'd want."

[atouts]

"He would just twist every word," Childermass says, giving Strange a reproachful look at even suggesting such a thing. "Considering how long the Mirror has been missing, I doubt anyone except the old Winter Queen had any idea and you won't be summoning her anytime soon."

Or ever, considering how very dead she is.

"You aren't really going to start summoning Winter fae, are you? Again?"

[kingsroads]

"Perhaps I am," Strange responds, trying his hardest to keep his tone as neutral and as calm as possible. "I need to find out more about the Silver Mirror. They're my best chance of doing so."

Of course, Strange knows that he's got to do so much research to find the best fae to summon before he goes and summons them. He's learned his lesson, just randomly trying to summon one and hoping for the best won't work.

[atouts]

Childermass is quiet for a moment, just looking at Strange, considering him and the rest of this neverending mess. Ultimately, what can he say?

"You're not wrong," he admits. "You may not get your answers in the Summerlands." Because he won't. The Winter Queen kept the Mirror, not Summer. "Though you must remember that both Queens made the Miracles. The closest you have to that right now would be the Maiden."

Assuming he hasn't asked her yet. He certainly doesn't know. Regardless, he's still leaving the bench behind and rising to his feet.

"But do what you will. I already told you, I can't find it in myself to care anymore about what you do. All I ask if you not drag anyone else into it."

[kingsroads]

There's something about Childermass's statement that just rankles Strange. It's as if he's a wild animal, best left to his own devices, and not an actual person.

"You are my friend," Strange says, trying to conceal the annoyance in his tone. "And I trust your judgement. If you do not want me to do something, then outright say it. No scolding, no withering glares, none of this passive aggressive 'I cannot care about what you do, Mister Strange.' Just say it."

For the brief period where he mimics Childermass, Strange's voice swaps to a dead-on, pitch perfect imitation of Childermass, seamlessly swapping into the other man's accent before going back to his own voice. Strange sure as hell hasn't noticed he can do that.

[atouts]

And the problem with mimicking him that exactly doesn't inspire wonder but a flash of anger. It's far too easy to assume Strange is making fun of him and that's exactly what Childermass does.

"You claim to be my friend but spend all your time arguing, disagreeing, and now mocking me? No, Mr. Strange," he says, body and tone alike having gone stiff, holding back the immediate urge to close the distance and finally deck the other magician. "We are not friends. I had thought we could be and I have tried, over and over, to be one to you, but it was a foolish hope."

[kingsroads]

Strange just looks downright confused at Childermass saying he's mocking him. His mirroring is something unintentional, something that Strange won't even realize he unconsciously does until Lambert points it out to him later. He won't focus on the mocking point right now because honestly, he's not so sure what Childermass means by that, but he can certainly argue back on the others.

"I spend my time arguing and disagreeing with everyone! Half of my conversations with Lambert or Norrell end with us arguing and yet I'd still consider those two some of my dearest friends. And I know that I have been a difficult person to tolerate as of late, but I am trying to be better."

[atouts]

"Lambert and Norrell are as quarrelsome as you are," Childermass points out harshly. "They may find amusement in the same never-ending quest for a hill to die on, but I do not. You refused to respect me as a supervisor yet claim you will as a friend. While it is clear supervisors do not matter anymore, you seem to think there are two different versions of me to respect. There is not. There never was. You made it clear you found me lacking then and I have no reason to believe that has or will ever change. So no. We are not friends and you do not actually want my advice."

That's a lot to say on one angry breath of air — flushed grey rather than red with anger thanks to the delightful faerie change of shadows for blood — but he does it and then he's turning to leave.

[kingsroads]

"Why should I respect a system that doesn't respect me?" Strange yells at Childermass's returning back. It's less that Strange finds Childermass lacking, more that as soon as he got shifted for what he views as completely arbitrary reasons, his faith in the whole supervisor system kind of tanked.

His hair flares up with anger as Strange tightly clenches his fists.

"The Ringmaster didn't care about you or your department, she only pawned me off on you because she knew you would keep me alive!"

[atouts]

"Because that would be the worst thing ever, wouldn't it? How dare anyone want to keep Jonathan Strange alive! It's an absolute crime!" Childermass calls back, voice cold and dripping with sarcasm. He turns around briefly, even though he'll keep on going, albeit slower since he's walking backwards now.

He gestures to his own head with a flourish of his hands.

"You may want to go put that out! You'll burn the gardens down, Mr. Strange!"

And then he's turning away again, only this time it involves walking straight into the shadows and vanishing from sight. He's left Strange behind, to his own devices as well as to figuring out how to get back to the dinner party all on his own.