⇨ THE SUMMER COURT

[ringleaders]

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.

Comments

[npcarnival]

The Rose Queen has been quiet for the last bit of conversation, mostly because she's been too cowed by being completely overruled to think of anything to yell at people. When Steven speaks to her and leaves, though, she snaps out of her daze and begins to panic again.

"Steven - wait!" she calls after him, walking forward and into the barrier once again. She pounds it with her fists. "Steven! Come back! Steven! I command... I... please! Don't leave me! Steven!"

She'll keep calling him for a while, even if no one responds to her. Eventually, though, her protestations will grow weak, and she will fall silent, slumping down to her knees.

[atouts]

That's... unexpected, to be honest! Childermass hadn't even considered that the Summer Queen might help him with that, although that the Rose Queen's tantrums has more to do with it happening than simple kindness makes it a very enjoyable irony.

He won't waste the Summer Queen's time with more words and instead just offers her a short bow before tugging on Lambert's arm to direct him back towards... well, wherever most of the carnival happens to be clustering up.

[whattaprick]

Lambert inhales sharply, looking at Childermass questioningly — but with the group dispersing, there’s one quick thing he has to say.

“If anyone from the Carnival wants to keep talking privately, I’ll be in that corner with a bottle of ale,” he calls. God, does he need that drink. “That includes you, Strange!”

Though with the magician already heading away to obviously sulk, and his last words — Lambert isn’t sure he’s in any mood to speak with them further anyway. With that, he’ll let Childermass tug him away.

[flashover]

It's kind of sad, actually -- how much the Rose Queen is begging. But her hold over Steven no longer mattered, and Childermass was free from his curse. Rin doesn't see why Strange is so mad about all this, everything seems to be coming up Carnival!

Seems like it might be time for a huddle, though, so Rin makes his way over to the side of the throne room as well.

[drrdrrdrr]

Despite her best efforts to be a reassuring weight on Steven's shoulders, Amethyst has been notably tense all this time, listening to everyone speak with increasing anxiety. When the Summer Queen makes her proclamation she relaxes a little, but it doesn't dispel the deep unease the Rose Queen is making her feel, or how that's compounded by her concern about Steven. She does squeeze him gently when he starts shaking, though.

"You tell 'em, Steven," she mutters as he turns to leave. He doesn't look back, but she does, when she hears the Rose Queen cry out; she swings her head round behind Steven's shoulders to glare, and flickers her tongue out in the Queen's direction. She's a snake, who's gonna know?