⇨ 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

[kingsroads]

"If she really was our friend, she would have told us about the Courts earlier," Strange points out. "And I know it was her right to do so and I know that it's a well-established fact by now that I do not do well with secrecy, but we wouldn't have been in this mess if we knew from the beginning."

Granted, they would be in an entirely different mess. But maybe it would be a mess with less kidnapping and blunt mental trauma. If they knew that everyone viewed the Ringmaster as a traitor to the point of outright kidnapping her, how different would all this be?

Also granted, this might be Strange's big ol'issues with people keeping secrets at the wheel.

"You're right, though. There isn't an alternative to getting her back."

[periphrasing]

"She may have just convinced herself somehow that it was the right thing to do at the time. Or that the information just wasn't relevant to share," Peridot suggests somewhat sadly. "Honestly, for a while? It really wasn't. I've been with the carnival a lot longer than you have. My whole first year working for her, we didn't run into a single other fae! Maybe she just got so used to keeping it a secret, she didn't know how to handle things, once it became clear the truth needed to come out."

Peridot pauses to exhale, pursing her lips in thought. She shrugs. "I don't know. I just think people can still be your friends, even if they lie to you. I don't know about you, but she's done a lot for me. I never would have learned all this magic, or met you or Lambert, or seen all the incredible things that I've seen out there in the multiverse, if it hadn't been for her."

[kingsroads]

"I suppose we should just overlook all the torture?" It's a joke! Not a very good one, but based on Strange's weak smile, it is obviously a joke.

"I think she's done more for you than for me," Strange admits. After all, aside from her breaking his curse, his contract has been a total bust. Sure, he's leaving this place with new magic and new experiences, but he's also leaving it after being touched by a Miracle and with mirrors for arm bones...neither of which, Strange is just now realizing, were technically her fault.

Shit. He might have to rethink some things.

"Still, you're right: I wouldn't have met you without her. So that has to count for something." And Strange reaches over to try and give Peridot an embarrassing pat on the head.

[periphrasing]

The joke definitely goes right over her head, because she's having a hard time recalling the Ringmaster ever having deliberately tortured someone? But the conversation moves on, so she just kind of cocks her head in confusion before deciding to just let it go.

Besides, Strange is reaching over now and-- oh stars, what the hell is he doing?

Peridot doesn't try to duck the hand, but her ears twitch down out of the way and she makes some sort of horrible disgruntled noise as Strange pats her, like a cat that's kind of just barely tolerating being touched.

"Why do people always do that to me?" she complains once he's done. "Is it because of my height? Nobody ever touched my head like that when I still wore limb enhancers!"

Of course, she didn't have. Friends? At any point when she was still wearing limb enhancers? But whatever. She feels like if she did, she still wouldn't have gotten weird head pats from anyone.

[kingsroads]

"It's definitely because of your height," Strange explains, in a matter of fact tone. "People find short things endearing and, as you may have noticed, you're rather short."

And, though he's not pointing out the obvious, people might not be able to reach her head if she's wearing limb enhancers...whatever the hell those things are.

[periphrasing]

"I am not short," Peridot growls defensively. "I am exactly the height that I was designed to be to maintain the perfect ratio between the amount of resources used in my creation and my ability to perform my assigned function back on Homeworld."

She pauses.

"...Plus the extra inch that I gained when my legs changed after we came back from Eden," she adds, standing on one foot to lift up the other and frown at it thoughtfully.

[kingsroads]

"That exact height might be perfect for Homeworld but, unfortunately for you, you're stuck here with a bunch of humans." There's a pause while Strange stops his teasing and amends, "Or at least, a bunch of people who used to be humans."

Strange honestly has no idea if some of them count as human anymore, what with Miracles, the Void, Creation, and all these other fae things shoved into them.

[periphrasing]

"'Short' implies some kind of deficiency in height," Peridot argues stubbornly, crossing her arms. "I am not short. I am exactly the height that I need to be."

[kingsroads]

"But you're smaller than most of us," Strange counters, with a grin that implies he's being a shit to be a shit. "Ergo, you're short."

[periphrasing]

Peridot makes another horrible frustrated noise, and stomps one foot multiple times in rapid succession, letting all her aggression out on the floor instead of on Strange's arm, with her teeth.

[kingsroads]

Strange continues to grin, trying his hardest not to laugh at Peridot's little hissy fit.

"The sooner you accept this, the easier your life would be."

[periphrasing]

"I am going to find Amethyst, and then I will fuse with her, and then Turquoise will pat YOU on the head. Then you'll see how it feels!" she threatens with a scowl.

[kingsroads]

"Amethyst is shorter than me as well," Strange points out, with a shit-eating grin. Having only seen Turquoise in various chaotic battle situations, he's not entirely sure of the fusion's height. Still, that's not going to stop him from teasing Peridot.

"Maybe the two of you combined will actually be as tall as I am!"

[periphrasing]

"She's WAY taller than you are!" Peridot snaps. "If I weren't concerned that it was prohibited as a sign of aggression, I would go find Amethyst right now and show you!"

This is absolutely the reason why she forced herself to get over her aversion to fusion: So she has a way of spitefully doing all the things that her minimal height usually prohibits her from doing, in the form of an eight foot tall amalgamation of herself and Amethyst.

[kingsroads]

Strange shrugs, a teasing smirk of a smile still plastered on his face. Way taller, sure Jan, he's still not so sure about that.

"You'll just have to show me later. Because I'm certain turning into your much powerful form is an act of aggression."

[periphrasing]

"Fusion doesn't have to be an act of aggression," she sneers in a way that's very much counter-intuitive to that point. "You'll see. When you least expect it, you'll see."