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.

Threaded | Flat

Below are prompts with specific investigation-based hooks. Some prompts may go up as hooks for specific characters, who may reply as they see fit, but if you find something you'd like to investigate, please make a post here explaining what your character is doing to find out info. All investigation threads will be done in summary form as opposed to going tag by tag.

DON'T BE VAGUE. If you are having your character investigate something, you must explain what your character is specifically doing to find out information. Don't just say "I investigate the Twelve." You have to be more specific, by saying what your character is doing, such as "My character is going to ask the Honorables that brought everyone in who the Twelve are." The more specific you are, the better info you will get in return.

You can also confront NPCs by this method, and you'll get summary posts in return explaining how the situation will unfold based on your actions. You can also ask OOC questions here, since there's no locations post this time.

slightly standoffish weirdo, open
Wearing Ignatius's cape and colors might have been a bad idea. Still, he's going to support the fae, so that's what he's doing. Strange is wearing the most formal thing he could find in orange or red, which ends up being this suit with plenty of useless ruffles. It contrasts horribly with his slightly military style cape but hey, what can you do.

Strange is on his best behavior throughout the evening: chatting with fae, acting deferential as hell, speaking only when spoken to, and so on and so forth. He knows the magnitude of the situation, even if he's not entirely sure other carnival members do. And noticeably? He's staying the hell away from other carnival members. It's a continuation of the last few days in the Summerlands, where Strange also kept to himself.

But, occasionally there's no fae willing or wanting to talk to him. And so, Strange wallflowers it up, taking a sip from some ale that looks remarkably untouched despite the fact that Strange has held that glass for a while now. Any carnival member who approaches gets a little nod. Strange's face is a carefully controlled neutral, though the awkward hesitation before speaking says wonders about his emotional state.

"I wish we weren't confined to the throne room," he admits, with a little frown. He casts his gaze out to the rest of the fae, scanning them over as if he's looking for something. "I doubt many mortals ever visit the Summer Court itself. I want to explore the palace."

dubious ideas, closed to rita
At some point, Strange delicately leaves the conversation he's in and makes a beeline to Rita. She seems to be the only exception to his tendency of wallflowering it up and deliberately staying away from other carnival members.

"Miss Mordio," Strange says, with a little nod, still keeping himself the picture of politeness even though really, it's Rita, there's been plenty of times he's been not as formal to her. "May I have a word? I've been mulling things over the past few days, and I've a few theories that I'd like to bounce off of you."

Because of course the best place to talk magic is in the Summer Court throne room while they're all being eyed up like freaks at a circus attraction. To his credit, Strange is pretty aware that this isn't the best time, but he's not budging from Rita's side, even though his eyes continue to scan the crowds.

wildcard
wildcard it up! Strange isn't really seeking out any carnival members for chit-chat, but he can always be yanked away from a conversation, accosted at the drink table, etc.

Amethyst is mainly here to try to do whatever she can to make sure Steven doesn't run afoul of the Rose Queen, but the possibility she might show up (or, worse, Nightshade -- which she knows is dumb, to think Nightshade is worse, but, well...) is putting her on edge. Fortunately, lavish food is an adequate distraction; she's kind of anticipating some of it will do stuff, but Elysium means it's fine. Sure, some of it might end up having non-harmful side-effects, but when has Amethyst ever let the possibility of some wacky nonsense happening to her stop her from pouring hors-d'oeuvres directly into her mouth?

Literally never, is when.

The disgusted glances from the members of the Summer Court aren't discouraging her either. She's keeping an eye on proceedings, but currently she's propped up on her tail where the food is at, trying to fit as many of some kind of small fancy pastry into her stomach mouth at the same time as she can. If the Court Fae are going to look at her like she's gross, then she's going to act gross.

► Remember Your Manners
After speaking up in support of this whole talking with the Summer Queen plan, Papyrus can't in good conscience stay behind. Not just as a show of support, but in case he can find words to touch another fae's heart, and make this venture go even more successfully. So he accepts the formal wear offered by some of the Summerlands crafters, thin flowing robes of orange and yellow that match his crystals, and does his best to recall the instructions for surviving the Prince. Don't piss anyone off, dress formally and move gracefully enough not to draw negative attention, be polite, don't mock anyone, and... subdue his whole demeanor, as few fae would like him for who he is. Seems doable enough. It's an important mission, and he's taking it seriously.

But it's not easy to feel confident, once they're there. The relatively hasty plan leaves them acknowledged as under the Maiden's protection, yes, but also leaves them milling about in the middle of this group of watchful fae - who are variously fascinated and disgusted by the carnival's presence - while the Summer Maiden goes almost immediately to talk privately with the Summer Queen. Papyrus flounders a bit with the rules of etiquette, at this point. Are they supposed to talk, when it's the Maiden and Queen calling the shots? Are they supposed to make a show of trust by accepting the food and drink, or abstain to show they're not easily tricked?

He loiters by the food tables, preoccupied by the conundrum, and glances at anyone from the carnival who stops by. "Should we... eat? To be polite? I don't know if the Prince was a good guide for this..."

► Warming Up The Crowd
After a while, his bones are trousled enough. Between watching their watchers and talking with friends, he gets through the nervewracked feeling - enough to go forth and initiate some conversations. And he begins with the fae who already seem well-disposed to the Summer Maiden and curious about the carnival folks, figuring they'll be open to talking with one of the carnival and sharing their hopes with him. Who knows, maybe this Elysium will also turn out like the City Hall, with people weighing in with their own thoughts. And if not... it still wouldn't hurt to have a few friends among the Summer Court.

If that goes well, Papyrus may just throw caution - and the Ringmaster's advice - to the wind... and go to try talking with some of the less friendly fae. Carefully.

► Wildcard
Have other ideas? Toss them at me, the skeleton is nervous and not quite what he's doing here and needs to socialize.

Lambert doesn’t want to be here. He’s made that clear, where he stands personally, but now that it’s come to it, he’s standing with the rest of the Carnival with an easy confidence borne entirely of bravado, feigning comfort in his own skin. Unlike the Summerlands, he’s taken off the ribbons and wrappings he was using to disguise the alterations to his horns and tail; the lights of the Court shine off the jagged lines of exposed metal shaped like bone, glowing faintly with the gold threaded through them. He’s chosen a close-fitting, dark red suit with as military a cut as he could find in the Summerlands, trimmed in black and embroidered in gold that catches the light when he moves. The sword sheathed at his hip completes the look, though its plain sheath seems out of place.

He interacts with the fae casually, if not occasionally outright challenging, listening in on conversations and interjecting his unsolicited opinion when something catches his attention. More often than not, he’s holding a glass of faerie ale in hand, though it’s hard to track if he’s drinking it or pressing it on others.

He won’t miss, though, how other members of their entourage seem less sure of themselves. Which means when he catches them hanging out alone, he’ll come up to them casually, voice dropping to a murmur:

“You could try looking a little livelier. We aren’t at a funeral, you know.”

Wildcard

Got something else in mind? Hit him up.

Edited 2018-12-30 04:52 (UTC)

at least there's something to drink

Childermass is definitely someone who doesn't have to worry about self-control around all this damn faerie food and drink, so, once he knows the Elysium covers any problem that may cause on top of actual, physical harm, you had better damn well believe he's taking a mug of ale. Considering he's boring enough to still be wearing his anti-toxin necklace — one of the most useful trinkets he's picked up, he really does think — it's not as if he can get drunk, anyhow.

So he lingers near the wall next to all the food and drink, dressed up in the clothing he picked up from the Summerlands. Dressed in cold colors like blue and black, he already stands out as Winter-aligned, but apart from some idle gossip about how long anyone from Winter has been in the Summer Court, he is thankfully ignored.

Ignored by the fae, anyway, and glad of it. He's just skulking over there, drinking and picking at food while watching the Summer Court faeries. Elysium or no, he doesn't trust them.

courtyard

Eventually, he'll take his drinking and sulking away and out to the courtyard. There's only so much staring at fae he can handle these days and he'll switch to investigating the alien trees out there, though he knows better than to touch anything.

[FOR YUUYA]

[He is silent for the most part as they come in- most of them are, waiting with baited breath to see what occurs. As they were requested, Gongenzaka dressed as nicely as he can manage; wearing the same outfit he wore on his date with Yuuya in fact, Marishi at his side partly garbed in a similar sash. They wait, and wait in silence-

And then the Summer Maiden and the Summer Queen go off to speak alone, leaving them to the Elysium.]

It seems we are to wait then, [He remarks, turning to Yuuya with a nod.] ...Yuuya. ...How do you feel?

[OTA | Good Food]

[While they're left to wait, Gongenzaka and Marishi both have their ears perked and open, listening for everything around them. Marishi in particular is somewhere else in the room, likely milling about as casually as able. Gongenzaka for his part, knows that he can't simply ignore food forever- for all he knows, that in itself would be rude!

...He's avoiding the drinks however, what with how Shabon went. Best not to risk that.

He's through half of something that looks like it could be a persimmon (but is far better, honestly), when he notices someone next to him.] Well...

..We are perhaps off to a...somewhat better start, than expected... [He remarks, ear occasionally flicking toward the fae nearby.]

[OTA | Bad News]

[He isn't entirely sure how much time passes between when he voiced his cautious optimism, but just as he's about to start a conversation with someone else, Marishi comes trotting back. He already knows what she's about to say, what she's about to correct- but rather than cut the daemon off, he lets her speak anyway.]

Bad news, [She hums, looking just a little anxious.] Things...might not be as 'sunny' as we thought they were even now... ...They don't seem to be the least bit aware of the Winter Court's involvement with the Huntsman.

...If they were, they certainly aren't giving the impression that they care... [She adds, frowning. Granted, with when they captured Ignatius perhaps they should have expected it.

Ignatius had been unsure that the Huntsman would take his deal after all, but he certainly hadn't known about the Winter Court's involvement.]

The negotiations will have been going on for a while already when a familiar fae arrives without fanfare. She hadn't been anywhere in sight up till now, but as the Summer Maiden continues to speak privately with the Queen - and now a small group of other fae - the Rose Queen will surface from the earth of the courtyard outside.

She rises above the dirt, long curled tresses of white hair emerging pristine, a pair of sabers strapped to her back. She is not currently holding them, but she looks like she might on a moment's notice.

She is not doing anything but staring ahead with furious red eyes for the moment - it's your chance to act.

The rules of Elysium, as has been explained to them, don’t permit the casting of spells on another without their consent — but choosing to subject yourself to a spell is another matter. As such, Lambert will, as promised, be in the indicated corner with the silencing spell up around him, holding a bottle of wine swiped off a table. No glasses in sight, so either be ready to drink from the bottle or bring your own for a refill.

The area of sound isolated around him is about ten feet in diameter, which is plenty of room for a handful of people until anyone with extra limbs gets in there — but he’s gotten better at holding it for longer at a time. To anyone outside the spell’s range, as he’ll have briefly explained, no sound is audible from the participants inside, and there’s no visible indicator of its presence.

Once they’re in, Lambert’s going to get straight to the point.

“Well, if any of you have something to say, get it out now,” he says blandly, working on getting the cork out of the bottle and offering it to whoever is nearest. “I can’t keep this up forever, and better here than out there.”

Edited (god i forgot to english) 2019-01-07 04:13 (UTC)

( possible cw: blood because that's what happens when the creepy contract quill is involved. )

After spending a solid chunk of time in the courtyard, by himself, just kind of blatantly rebuffing anyone who tried to talk to him, Strange makes his way back to the main room. The top button or two of his shirt are undone, he's got a folded piece of paper in his left hand and his contract quill in his right, and some fabric wrapped around one of his wrists.

There's a pause where Strange looks a little lost, hesitant, and woozy before he steels his resolve, taking a deep breath before pushing further into the room, walking forward and looking around as if he's trying to find someone or something.

Edited 2019-01-07 05:51 (UTC)

Yuya's done his best to ignore the staring fae and, probably other carnival members as he sulks away from Strange. He pushes a chair back against the wall so he can sit, his trembling slowly subsiding. His ears are still burning with anger an humiliation, though, and after a second he just buries his face in his hands with a sigh.

He knows, he really needs to calm down. He doesn't even look the Maiden and the Queen's way, afraid of the admonishment that might await making such a scene.

Not too much longer after the Rose Queen's interruption, but long enough that people can get in their arguments and discussion, the Maiden and Queen will conclude their talk. They stand at the foot of the throne together, regarding the rest of the assembly and silently demanding their attention.

"The Summer Maiden and I have spoken long of days past and days still ahead. We have concluded that there is the hope for the two splintered halves of the Summer Court to reunite - but it is not without compromises. Before any changes can be made, we first must rise to meet our mutual enemy... the Huntsman of the Wyld and the Winter Queen herself."

"This is no small movement," the Queen goes on, above the murmurings of the crowd. "To declare all out war on the Huntsman, and by proxy the Winter Court, could shake the very foundations of Arcadia, and the multiverse with it. As such, I am not prepared to act upon these warnings without full witness testimony, and the understanding of the Court. As so it is you, Wyld Kin, that I ask for the truth. What is worth the upheaval of our civilization?"

She spreads her hands to the assembled carnival folk, the High Fae of the Summer Court watching at her sides.

"Speak before us now."

[OOC: Much like the Summerlands Council, multiple threads can be branched off of this starting one, with people delivering testimonies and arguments the court. You can reply to add to other people threads, and NPCs will respond as well.]

Threaded | Flat

⇨ INVESTIGATIONS

Jonathan Strange | ota!

AMETHYST | ota