lostcarnival | ⇨ THE SUMMER COURT

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⇨ THE SUMMER COURT

Who: Everyone in the Summer Maiden's entourage.
When: Day 129 - Day 131 (Subjectively experienced as only one day.)
Where: The Summer Court
What: The Summer Maiden returns to the Summer Court for the first time in eons, leading a posse of carnival workers and Summer Fae. The Summer Queen has initiated a peaceful Elysium for discussions to take place, with dozens of the Court in attendance, but the true tone of the negotiations has yet to be unearthed.
Warnings: Fae being bitches.

SUNSET OF AN ERA↴

The phase shift takes few minutes to complete, when it's time. The Summer Maiden gathers everyone together - her guard of Summerland Fae, and her carnival wards - and activates the spell to bring them to the Summer Court. It's been planned with the Summer Queen, she says, and they should have her cooperation. Nothing has been settled in terms of negotiations, but at the very least, the Queen was not willing to shut down the opportunity to see her daughter for the first time eons, along with her lesser children, Ignatius and Gild.

The Summer Maiden has recommended that everyone dress formally and conduct themselves with respect, but she is not forcing anyone to do so. It simply seems like the best way to make an impression.

When they arrive in the Summer Court, they are in a courtyard. The Maiden's light magic fades and they will see themselves in a garden of alien trees, with golden towers rising up around them in all directions. Two Summer Court fae are waiting for them at an ornate gate, but it isn't until the Summer Maiden has claimed her role as an adjudicator or the present Elysium that she breaks the barrier surrounding her party. She tells everyone that it is safe to go forth but to be cautious. There is no way of knowing what direction negotiations will take.

The guard leads them in, and they will find themselves in a spacious and life-filled throne room, with massive trees that function and supporting pillars and the throne itself. A variety of True Fae that the carnival has never seen before are scattered around the room, waiting with a thick air of tension. As the Summer Maiden leads them in, she will announce herself to the Queen, and claim all those present as under her protection.

The introductions are brief, and after the Maiden is done, the Queen will ask to speak with her privately. There is a clear nervousness beneath the Queen's veneer of control. As the Maiden joins her at the throne to speak about personal matters, everyone else is free to explore the throne room and mingle - if they dare.

► STICKING OUT: There are some notable reactions going on as the Maiden's entourage arrives. In general, the Court Fae respond strongly to Ignatius's presence - both the fact that he's turned up as an ally to the Maiden, and his curious magical transformation. Ignatius, for his part, holds back and tries to keep to himself, looking like he's trying to hide a significant amount of stress. To the Gilded Mark, there is a particular note of resentment, which she mostly seems to ignore and focuses on staying close to the carnival folk. The Starlight, the Whirling Rainbow, and a few other Summerland Fae have come along, and they all hold back as the Summer Maiden discusses things with the Queen privately. In general, the Court Fae eye the carnival with a mixture of curiousity and disgust.

► TOUGH CROWD: There are dozens of Summer Court Fae here that no one will have seen before. They mill about the room as if this is an uncomfortable formal engagement, eyeing up the Maiden's entourage an gossiping with one another. The opinions they hold of the situation vary wildly - some seem more of the attitude that the Court would be better off if the Summer Maiden were to die and be replaced, where others are openly optimistic and excited about the potential of reparations being made. You are free to make up/NPC any of these fae as long as they aren't doing anything radical, like trying to break the Elysium. Some of them will treat the visitors as threats, while others may even attempt to ask them questions about the situation.

► ACCOMMODATIONS: There is food and drink provided while negotiations endure. Normally you may want to be cautious about accepting this kind of thing, but given that it's part of Elysium, they are obligated to not harm any of those present. So, if you want, you will be able to enjoy faerie ales and other luxury foods that have the capability of being distractingly tantalizing to mortals with low self control. If you need some space, you are free to go back out to the courtyard where you arrived. There are few fae out there, but it is still covered by the Elysium. Take some time to settle in - this could take a while, and there's sure to be drama before it's over. Later on, there will be public discussion.

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Beau, still trailing along in the group that accompanied the Rose Queen into the Throne room, glances at the others who haven't drifted off. For all people have been hissing at Strange to stop saying things he can't back up and stop making promises he can't keep, his reckless approach is getting results.

What the hell. In for a copper, in for a gold.

"Like he's saying. If you want someone to blame for your troubles, it's not some ragtag group of... changelings?" Beau tilts her head, thinking. "Is that the word? Yeah, changelings, who showed up like... a couple years ago. Your troubles - and your enemies - go back a lot longer than that. So how about we don't make any hasty choices, make sure we have all the facts before rushing into anything."

She shrugs, pointedly nonchalant. "I mean, it's been how long? You might as well do it right, at this point."

Yuya frowns as he watches the Rose Queen crack with more vulnerability than he's ever seen her. He feels a pang of sympathy for her, looking so lost, but... she isn't someone he even knows how to approach, right now. Especially when the person she hurt so much is hiding because of everything.

When Strange goes on, Yuya's face scrunches in distaste. But he shakes his head and puts aside his feelings on needling her vulnerability. He pulls out of Gongenzaka's grip to approach the Rose Queen and Ignatius. Some things need to be cleared first.

"The Mother of Invention didn't change Ignatius. That was Creation." The Mother of Invention tried, sure, but his new domain and powers and everything was very much Creation's doing. Is it worse than simply being Winter's abuse?

"And we only took the Rose, and the Silver Mirror to protect ourselves. From the Courts, and the fae after us. We've been scared of you." He looks straight at the Rose Queen, though it wouldn't be wrong to say they were afraid of Ignatius once, too.

He wrings his hands together, his attention turning to the Summer Queen and Maiden for a moment. "The Ringmaster didn't want to start a fight. She doesn't want a war. She just wanted to take the carnival places and keep us safe. She didn't need them for any other reason! And all of us, we're not just here to save her and leave--we're here because we want to change things between us and the fae. Between the Courts! There has to be a better way than... all of this, right?"

It's a good thing that Amethyst has her tail on Steven's shoulder, because for a moment it feels like he's edging forward, like he wants to do something. Say something. Anything. Tears have started rolling down his cheeks, an empathic reaction to the Rose Queen's misery. He can't help but sense it in her. Despite everything, they're still connected, and the tears flow like a force outside his body, as they had with Blue Diamond.

He stops himself, leaning against the trunk of the tree so that he's clinging to it with his arms, sinking down as the feelings overwhelm him. He just... wants things to be right between them, somehow. He doesn't know if it's even possible.

He can't seem to make himself stop caring.

Peridot's running through a weird gauntlet of emotions herself, though she's luckily without the hefty mom related baggage which plagues Steven. For her part, she's quickly growing more angry than scared; where she was shivering against the tree a few minutes ago, she's now digging into the bark with her claws, fur bristling while she grinds her teeth. She's irritated with Strange for a laundry list of reasons, she's irritated with everyone else for giving up so much information so freely... She's ESPECIALLY irritated with the Queen and the Maiden for not intervening like a pair of leaders should--

"I can think of numerous treasured belongings that I would be willing to give up right this second just to be able to go over there and bite her REALLY HARD without consequences," she growls, unswayed by the fae's tears. She hasn't noticed the way Steven is taking this, just yet.

Amethyst extends some more of her tail around Steven's shoulders for a snake hug. (Snug.)

"Per," she mutters, jostling Peridot's claws further up the length of her body. "Not like I don't agree with you or nothin', but shhh."

Rita, still standing close to Ignatius, shrinks back a step when the Rose Queen marches over to get right up in the other fae's face. For a brief, strange moment, she actually feels pity for that horrible woman.

Yuya beats her to clarifying the situation about Ignatius (and throws in a whole feel-good speech while he's at it), so Rita ends up holding her tongue and straightening her posture as she remains standing at Ignatius's side, catching Lambert's glance and answering only with a small frown.

Yuuya doesn't need someone to speak for him. Gongenzaka follows at a slight distance, but he carries an air of more distant support, not moving to invade the other's space, take the other's shoulder again, or anything similar. Marishi, even, moves slightly despite not really needing to.

It is hard not to feel a moment of pity. But it is easy to remind themselves, of what actions the Rose Queen took to make them call Creation itself for intervention. So Gongenzaka's eyes are filled with nothing but ice, as he looks toward the fae.

It does not take long before he forces himself to instead look to Yuuya, to let the other's speech bring some warmth and hope back to mind.

It's not entirely clear what sets off the reaction, but it might have been Yuya's impassioned plea. Regardless, it's now that the Summer Queen stands up from her throne, shifting her long misty dress as she slowly makes her way down the steps. The Summer Maiden looks relieved as she does, having been waiting for the Queen to take control of her own court since this problem started escalating.

"Rose Queen," she says with a level voice that is reminiscent of the Maiden's, "that is enough. You are speaking to members of the Maiden's court, and this is a negotiation for peace."

The Rose Queen wheels on the Summer Queen, apparently fearless of even her while in the throes of her madness.

"Creation?" she yells, both at the Summer Queen and at no one in particular. "Creation blessed this... this child?" She points at Ignatius. "After everything I've done..."

"Stop this," the Summer Queen says, and with it, her voice carries an odd sense of authority to everyone who hears it, no matter their opinion of the Courts. "I've humoured you until now, but this cannot go on. There are more important things at stake."

The Summer Queen's eyes scan the room, falling on Childermass and Steven, where they remain out of the Rose Queen's sight.

"Those in hiding... I would ask that you show yourselves," she says.

Peridot glances at Steven with uncertainty, an odd grimace on her face. She really doesn't like the thought of him stepping out in sight of the Rose Queen, but if the Summer Queen is asking them, then. They probably don't have much of a choice...?

She drops down off the tree and onto Steven's head, perching in his hair. If he decides to head out, she'll just go with him.

Steven seems unsure - this is something he's been bitten by, before. He looks up at Peridot uncertainly as she lands on his head, and then, most pointedly, over at Childermass. He looks like he's asking permission.

He really doesn't want to screw things up again, but what alternative is there? The Queen is asking something of them, and they're all here because they want to be able to cooperate, right?

While Steven may be waiting on Childermass, Lambert’s not about to. The Summer Queen has spoken up, finally, and he exhales softly, some small tension in him unwinding despite the pointed request.

He steps away from where he’s been standing, holding himself poised and alert for trouble, to cross the room and stand at Childermass’s side. More out of cheek than expecting Childermass will actually take it, he offers the magician his arm, murmuring quietly.

“She never said you had to do it alone.” For good measure, he winks.

Edited 2019-01-06 04:10 (UTC)

Amethyst grimaces (snake grimaces) (snimaces) at this proposition, but she eases the rest of herself over Steven's shoulders, and gives them a gentle squeeze. She says, quietly: "We gotcha, dude."

Rin will join the Steven defense squad! Unfortunately, he is not a small cute animal. Or uh... fortunately?

"The Summer Queen won't let her hurt you, I just know it."

Lambert's sudden presence at his side does, admittedly, keep Childermass from settling on his initial reaction of doing nothing in response to the Summer Queen's request besides staring back at her like an insolent little shit. While he does know there is no real option here besides revealing himself, it's... an unwanted thing, just as the Rose Queen's own arrival was.

He looks from one Queen to the other, though his attention lands squarely over on the witcher next to him in the end. He doesn't look amused by the offered arm. He'll does take it, however, if only to surprise Lambert but mostly because he feels he'll run without something, someone, to ground him.

Just because he rarely shows how he's feeling plainly doesn't mean he isn't still scared of the Rose Queen. He already learned once that an Elysium wasn't truly enough to protect him.

But yeah, he takes that arm, taking a moment to murmur back, "...you may not want this attention..." to Lambert before he turns to face the court and raise his voice, this time addressing the Rose Queen directly.

"I am right here, Rose Queen, and surprised that you missed me in the first place. Surely I don't match the color scheme of this Court."

Strange turns to watch as Lambert walks back to Childermass. Lambert with Childermass, Yuya with Gongenzaka, what looks to be at least a few people and animals standing by Steven...and Strange standing by himself.

Well. That's to be expected. There's a small frown on his face before he shoves it down and turns towards the Summer Queen. Not entirely sure what to do, he gives her a small bow before speaking in a carefully level tone,

"The spell also effects me, your highness. I do not know the limitations of the magic but rest assured, it is not a conscious choice if I suddenly vanish from the Rose Queen's sight."

It’s a surprise, but Lambert won’t let it throw him off long, putting his hand over the magician’s now on his arm and squeezing them gently.

“Me? Next to you, they won’t even notice,” he responds jokingly, before he falls quiet, cocking his head as Childermass then Strange speaks, then letting his attention wander the room further before his eyes land on Steven and his entourage.

Assuming any of them are even paying attention right now, the witcher raises his brow and inclines his head, a silent, questioning Well, are you going to stay there forever? If Steven can’t handle dealing with her with his friends and the protection of the Summer Queen and Maiden and the faith of his friends behind him, he supposes, he’ll never be able to. It’s just that Lambert can’t promise his own protection is enough — it never was before.

As soon as he sees that Childermass is going forward, Steven will be soon to follow. He nods his head to the people going with him, resting his hand on Amethyst's snake tail and tentatively pulling away from the cover of the tree that's been protecting him.

Steven looks back at Lambert as he checks on him with a small gesture of acknowledgment. He follows after the two of them until they are all lined up before the Summer Queen.

"I'm here," he says, not nearly as boldly as Childermass, but with his own kind of determination. He looks at the Rose Queen from the side of his eye, not saying anything to her directly. He's in anticipation of what she'll do, but he trusts the Summer Queen's offer. If they can't trust even this, how will things ever work?

There's nothing Yuya can add now, waiting for the Summer Queen's jurisdiction. But there's hope as she talks the Rose Queen down, and as Childermass and Steven come out into view he offers both of them a wide smile and a thumbs up.

If anything, they're here for them too.

Being there for the others is the most they can do, after all. He gives a nod in Steven's direction as the boy reveals himself, but beyond that his eyes and Marishi's eyes as well are upon the fae before them.

Now they wait for what comes next, after all.

The moment that Childermass and Steven enter her sights, the Rose Queen's urges are obvious. When Childermass first arrives, her expression is merely venomous, but when Steven appears she takes on a whole new air of desperation.

Regardless of the Summer Queen's words, she starts to move towards Steven. That's put to an end, though, when the Summer Queen raises an arm and the Rose Queen runs face first into some kind of glowing barrier.

"These are the faeblood, then," the Summer Queen says. "The ones created by the magic of the colony." She takes a few moments to look both Steven and Childermass over carefully, like she is trying to understand what went into creating them. Then, she just looks at Steven. "And this is the one you call your son."

"Steven!" the Rose Queen cries out, despite the barrier in her way. "Steven, listen to me - I demand it -" But before she can finish, the barrier flares brightly and she's knocked back several feet, obviously stunned by the sheer brightness.

"Can you not hear me?" the Summer Queen scolds. "The Maiden has laid claim to these, and offered them the protection of her Court. If our Courts are to be one, we must do the same. Your selfish desires cannot take precedent."

"My selfish desires?" the Rose Queen quarrels, clutching her face with her hands. "You would sacrifice everything the Summer Court has built just so that your 'daughter' would give you the time of day! Our wants are not different - how dare you speak with such hypocrisy!"

"Perhaps," the Summer Queen says, her voice softening. "...But perhaps it is selfishness that has kept us apart."

Steven can't help but flinch when the Rose Queen comes at him, fear bubbling over when it sounds like she might try to take control of him again - but, it doesn't happen. The Summer Queen stops her and for what feels like the first time in his life, there is an opportunity where he could speak - to squeeze in a precious few words that she can't just immediately choke out of him.

His fists clench, and Amethyst will feel his shoulders tense. Though they were never far away, tears begin to prickle his eyes again.

"You know what?" Steven says, as loudly as he can bear. "I wanted to know you! The whole time I was growing up, I remember asking dad about you, about what you were like - wondering... wondering if I'd get to meet you someday! But ever since I did, everything has been worse."

"All you had to do was be nice to us and you could have had everything you wanted! Why don't you get that?" The tears start to break free, and he looks away from her, trying to keep himself under control. "All I wanted was to have a mom."

Yuya doesn't swoop in to comfort Steven mostly because he's already crowded. It's a little weird to here that explanation when he has a harder time remembering Portland before that month (but that just might be too many memories and pre-existing soul damage jumbling around). Still, his expression slips into raw sympathy as he weeps for what he wanted to have, too.

Yuya bites his lip, moving to step a little more in front of the Rose Queen--not enough to block her view of Steven or Childermass like that time, but at least enough to make him more obvious when he speaks to her again.

"Haven't you ever wondered what Steven wanted? He's not like the Rose. He's not a possession, and you can't own him. He's a person! And--" His face twists briefly in frustration. "And doesn't mean anything to you that... that you hurt him so much that meeting you did make everything worse?"

It's funny how reflective that is of the Fae's relationship to everything--everyone else. Doesn't it mean anything that after meeting, everything got worse? To look at the path in front of you and realize how much you're destroying, hurtling on the same entitled selfishness?

Perhaps, there, the Rose Queen isn't so wrong after all.

There’s something distinctly uncomfortable about the Rose Queen’s behavior that takes Lambert a long moment to put his finger on — desperation stripped naked of artifice, too raw to care about attempting to conceal it. She’s almost as feral as the the Rose she was meant to guard and protect, and he wonders if it was the duty that came first and the similarity after, or if it’s part of the nature of her domain.

But domains can be changed. He looks to Ignatius again, wondering what he makes of all this spectacle, and the way the Summer Queen seems to be handling things.

“You’re scared, aren’t you?” he says loudly, adding his voice onto Yuya’s. “Scared that if you let him go, if you don’t control everything he does, that you’ll lose him, or he’ll change. But that’s not how it works. Things aren’t meant to stay the same forever. I mean,” he frowns, pursing his lips. He’s really reaching out on a limb here, not being either a philosopher or sufficiently intoxicated, but he’ll give it a shot anyway, his fingers tightening on Childermass’s hand. “Just look at the Courts, right? Summer and Winter, wood and rot, light and shadow ... even Maidens become Queens and Crones. Even the fae can change.”

There's a lot of projecting here, from all sides. Strange can't help but look a little confused at Lambert's 'afraid of change' remark. Sure that might be it. Or maybe she's just possessive? Isn't that the simple answer?

"There is a way for the two of you to get to know each other better and work through this," Strange idly remarks, as he looks over at Steven. He turns his attention back to the Rose Queen. "If you come with us, there will be plenty of time to talk in the Wyldlands."

And instantly after he says this, Strange just mentally prepares himself for the rest of the carnival to try and shoot him down. But he's not looking in their direction: his attention is focused squarely on the Rose Queen.

Everyone trying to reason with the Rose Queen, it makes no sense to Childermass.

"And invite her to abuse Steven further?" He can't help but wrinkle his nose in disdain as he looks between all the various speakers. "You may as well go back in time and invite the Prince along as well if you all really want to offer third or fourth chances to monsters."

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