lostcarnival | ⇨ THE ATHENAEUM

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⇨ THE ATHENAEUM

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 47 - Day 58 ish
Where: The Athenaeum
What: The carnival arrives at book world. First week, they'll be performing for magical manifestations of book characters. Second week, it's time to hunt (for books, in the library.) Around Day 58 some stuff will occur.
Warnings: Reading is mandatory.

FAERIE TALES↴

Though the carnival will be performing for its guests in the first week, they are welcome to search the Athenaeum while they are off duty during that time. The manifestations of story characters will be out in full force during performance week, with animals, people, objects, and even locations growing out from various tales. Most are distracting at worst, and will be curious to check out the carnival. Some, however, can be as dangerous as they were in their stories of origin. You know what to do.

► IT'S TIME TO ROLEPLAY: The best way to deal with book ghosts is to follow their narrative to its logical conclusion - turn the tables, work the story so it ends in your favour! Naturalistic and narratively satisfying plotting will have the manifestations following your lead. However, push too hard and introduce too many plot holes, inconsistencies, or illogical plot twists, and they will reject your reality utterly, becoming quite aggressive in the process. You can also use your natural abilities and powers to fight them in a traditional sense, but in the Ringmaster's experience, it's best to fight reality benders by bending reality right back at them. If you aren't careful, it's possible to be dragged fully into a story's reality, and then things get really messed up.

► IT'S ALSO TIME TO READ: The carnival came here for a purpose, and that purpose is to research. Specifically, the Ringmaster is looking for information on the Queen's Miracles - the set of ancient fae artifacts that the Blue Rose is one of. The carnival needs these artifacts to defend itself, but nobody knows where they've been for thousands of years. That's what the books are for. However, nothing is stopping you from pursuing knowledge for personal reasons. The halls are open to your perusal, and only your heart can guide you to the book you truly seek. Check the plot post to see what's allowed, and sign up to find plot info or other important game information below.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mnn! Naturally, if you need a lift, miss, I, the man Gongenzaka, shall be happy to oblige.

[Unsurprisingly, the very way Gongenzaka speaks is working for the setting. As they carry on, Gongenzaka looks ahead, ears perked for anything that could come upon them. After all, it's a fetch-quest tale, and none of those have ever been without hurdles.] Hmm...no doubt simply climbing the tower from the outside would be... ....'ill advised'...

[He can't really say it wouldn't be allowed at all, without breaking a few fourth walls there-]

Oh, would you do that? You're so sweet. [The bunny will gladly take Gon's lift, letting her keep up with them easier.

Yuya, meanwhile, snickers.] Were you thinking of walking up it? You know, that might work.

[That's the idea, isn't it? To take control of this story. Yuya is not against spidermaning up the wall.]

Auh-! It is only proper, after all..!! [Now then, he'll lift her on and let her sit comfy on the leaves...

...And turn to face Yuuya again as they carry on, ears flicking back.] Mnnn...indeed, it came to mind...however, given our circumstance, I, the man Gongenzaka, am hesitant to think so directly...

...A tale such as this would not expect such a motion, after all.

Did you read ahead? [Yuya raises a brow. The bunny stays silent, because this conversation just took a turn to 'confusing' for her.] Walking up a wall isn't normal, that's not thinking directly at all!

[Well, it's not thinking directly when you don't live in a fairy carnival. All the rules get a little weird, there.

Anyway, as they continue down the forest they'll find a badger in overalls, sitting in front of a bush and looking awfully forlorn. True to the script (or at least, what's in his head as a script), Yuya goes to approach.]

Mnh- C-Certainly not..! [he protests.] I, the man Gongenzaka, have not read the tale at all..!

...it is merely that...my own 'immediate thought' does not seem very...beneficial, [he mutters, practically pouting a bit. As it is, he'll wait for the badger and Yuuya to have their conversation.]

[Yuya can question Gongenzaka about that later, but for now they have another friend to acquire.] Hey, what's wrong?

[The badger sighs.] That wretched demon cursed me so all my burrows fill with mud! He says he won't lift it unless he gets the magician's eyeglass.

[Yuya grins wide.] Well, that's what we're going to get. If you help us, he can lift your curse too!

It's not use. The demon's a trickster, and he'll find any reason not to break the curse after he gets the eyeglass!

Hmn! Such appears to be the trend! [Gongenzaka huffs, finding himself somehow thinking of a certain red-headed menace from home.

But as it is.] If that is the case, then we shall simply need to keep the eyeglass until we are able to guarantee his word; in the meantime, it would be wise to move as one.

[No doubt the rabbit is waving to the badger from her ride, to that end.]

[Yuya nods. The badger doesn't look convinced, but...] You're not going to get rid of that curse by sitting here, are you?

Oh, all right! But I don't expect anything good out of this. [He grumbles, but gets up to join them on their quest. Yuya, pleased, gestures them all forward to continue on.

He quickly falls in step beside Gongenzaka, though.] It sounds like he's tricked a lot of people before.

[Ahhh. He has to shake his own head as the badger joins, continuing along at Yuuya's side.] Aah, so it would seem. More than likely, we will be forced to trick the 'trickster', if he is as they say...

[Yuya rubs his chin, humming thoughtfully.] Maybe it'd help if we knew what was so special about the eyeglass. We just know who owned it and it's probably magic, right?

[In the distance, they can probably see the tower coming into view between the trees.] Maybe we can challenge him to a game--uh. [His expression withers.] Not a hurtful game.

Aaah, perhaps.

I, the man Gongenzaka, would almost wonder if we're being 'fooled' into a heist, [he mutters, not feeling themselves truly 'fooled' at all suffice to say.] A non-harmful game should be easy enough however! ...If we know of where it will take place, at least...

[There's the tower after all. So.] Hmmm.

...We should perhaps make certain no one is inside, first...

I think that's going to be on us to figure out. [Yuya kind of misses just solving problems like these with his dueling.

He looks up as they approach the base of the tower. It's white, thin, covered in ivy with a few small windows and a door. Otherwise, it's pretty unassuming. Yuya decides to check for anyone living inside it like any reasonable person would: approaching the door and knocking.] Hello?

[Nothing happens for a minute. And then two. So Yuya just tries to open it.

It's unlocked.] Hellooo? It's dark in here.

Hmmmm...I, the man Gongenzaka, do not mind this, but...

[...Well it'd be nice to know what they have to work with, really. Gongenzaka's ears twitch as he looks the building over, trying to listen or smell for any other presences. Peering ahead at least, he has a slight advantage over Yuuya.] Mm, quite...though I, the man Gongenzaka, can still make out a fair bit.

[One would hope, with eyes glowing like that, GON.]

[The building sounds eerily quiet. Yuya squints, as if that's going to help him see in the darkness.

Well, seems empty, so he's going to push the door the rest of the way open and waltz right inside. It's covered in enough dust to be long abandoned, a desk visible on the lower floor and some chairs and a bookshelf. And starting in the back a long, thin wood staricase spiraling up and up to the very top of the tower, to the only other floor.

The bunny clings tighter to Gongenzaka in fright.] I-if it's this easy to get in, then someone probably already has the eyeglass!

[That is a risk... or would be, if not for the fact they were in a story and this is following a script. So Yuya just flashes her a reassuring grin.] We won't know until we look ourselves, right? There's probably something else here, so keep your eyes open.

[As if Yuya doesn't have the worst eyesight for this of all four of them.]

Edited 2018-05-03 04:54 (UTC)

Do not fear, [Gongenzaka assures the animals on his back.] Should anything occur, I, the man Gongenzaka, shall make certain that you are safe!

[gon what about you]

Hmmm...that aside, there does not seem to be anyone at This floor... ...perhaps some magic to test the road ahead, is necessary after all...

Do we have any magic for that? [They're not exactly the biggest magicians in the carnival. Either way, since the bottom floor seems pretty empty, and this is a story...]

It's probably at the top of the tower. [He points up before approaching the staircase. As this is not a big tower, the staircase isn't very wide either... and Yuya looks skeptically at Gongenzaka's large form, not sure if he's going to fit.]

[YUUYA....] .........I, the man Gongenzaka, am only going to be searching out for if there is anyone lying in wait after all...

One would presume they have a spirit of some kind, would they not?

[But also...Hrm. He looks at the stairwell.] ....Ah...

...This...could be a problem....

Maybe? [Yuya shrugs, not the soul expert here. He glances between Gongenzaka and the staircase again.]

Guess you have to walk up the wall anyway. [His expression twists wryly before he takes a couple steps up the stairs. Both the bunny and the badger look a little apprehensive about that, so he waves to them.] You can take the stairs if you want!

[Technically, Gon could too, it just might be precarious.]

Hmmm.... [He's not super sure about the wall either, because it means leaving Everyone Inside...] I, the man Gongenzaka, shall attempt the stairs-it will be just as simple to keep footing there, as out upon the wall, after all.

[But that said-he closes his eyes, if only to focus for a moment. Do books even have souls?? This is probably Super Weird and might even fail due to it being outside book rules.]

If you want. [Yuya would totally have taken the wall.

Either way he continues up the stairs. The bunny and the badger carefully slide off Gongenzaka seemss follow him up, which leaves Gon to take up the rear.

His spirit sensing won't find anything, certainly.]

[On the plus side, they have a wall of a defense behind them. On the downside, they now have a whole wall behind them, or...something. Regardless.

He takes his 'empty sense' as a 'safe'.] Hmm! ...At the least, I, the man Gongenzaka, do not...Sense anything...

[He'll be anxiously sniffing as they head up these stairs though. Hrm.]

[And so the four of them creep up the stairs. That whole affair is uneventful, and the upper floor (that thankfully has enough space for Gongenzaka to fit through, barely) appears to be another study. There's a desk with a book on it, a chair covered under a sheet, a bookshelf with only one book on it, and some maps in frames along the walls. There's a locked chest in the corner. In place of a bed is a couch with a blanket neatly folded, though everything's under a bit of dust. No one's been here for a while, it seems.

Yuya glances around, approaching the chest first and kneeling to observe it.]

I guess--[He sneezes.] I guess the magician hasn't been here in a while...

Hmm... [There is a pause, as Gongenzaka squeezes through and starts sniffing around-a cloud of dust launches into his nose, and he immediately gives a thunderous sneeze.]

HFf-CH! HMNH!

KHF! Huh! ... ...That is certainly what it appears... ...So then, where would one find the lens...

[Their animal friends jump as the sound, startled. Yuya is significantly less phased, trying to open the chest. It's locked, of course.]

Uh, I guess just look around? [He shakes the chest, glancing around.] Maybe there's a key somewhere...

Hmmm... Saah, I, the man Gongenzaka, shall do my best... [Though, he does look toward the lock briefly, squinting at it. He wonders if...

...No, no, he will search diligently for this key, even if it means lifting up shelving units to check under them.

Which he is doing by the way. Lifting stuff.]

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when ur first thoughts are now just weird to everyone-

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