⇨ THE ATHENAEUM

[ringleaders]

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.

Comments

[espigeon]

Julien's been playing with a long makeup brush in his beak, clasping it with the prongs on his tongue. Now he sets it to skewing out the side of his beak, jauntily, like a cigarette. Even though he hasn't smoked in a long time and actually being around tobacco smoke physically hurts, he sometimes misses just fiddling with them. He doesn't have to miss handling things with his mouth, because before the peripheral body thing happened that was a lot of how he manipulated objects at all.

"I want to know if it's split by genre," he says offhandedly. "Bet graphic novels like it more daring, satire likes some mean humor, and who knows what historical bios want?"

At this moment he's also out in the library, paging around in conditions a little too claustrophobic for his main body to feel comfortable, and he thinks he's found something. He's gotten pretty good at splitting his attention, but considering if this mention of Lilith is important or it's just yet another random item is distracting.

[pipers_son]

A giant pigeon using a makeup brush as a faux cigarette is some kind of look, although Joker couldn't say exactly what kind. It definitely has him grinning a bit whenever he looks back to Julien, honestly, and he can't ask for much more than that.

"If it's a biography, maybe it depends on who the biography is about," he muses aloud, carefully watching a knife as he tosses it up in the air and catchse it again. Wouldn't do to accidentally cut himself, even if he's starting to suspect his right side might do something odd. There is a strange bit of glow often trying to form there.

"But the only way we could find out is if we somehow got ta control who got ta see different shows. I mean, ya would think books wouldn't mind bein' manhandled, but ya can never tell with different worlds, right?"

[espigeon]

Julien's seen a bit of glow in passing. So much happens here that he's decided to wait to bring it up until it gets more noteworthy, if it does.

"Maybe it's just got to be done respectfully. Gloves, dry conditions without too much light and definitely no fire, no breaking their spines... like a lot of other guests, really." He's definitely had friends concerned about the spines of books before. "I think... it looks like some books kind of project their characters and scenes out, somehow? I just saw a bit of that out in the library. So I guess if they wander in here?"

This body isn't all that good at his job, but it's not like he's the only one in his department, he can take a couple hours to poke around if he doesn't go too far.

[pipers_son]

It's done a few things, but it sure seems to be taking its sweet time about it... Which is really annoying, in Joker's opinion. Still, he knows it'll all work out in the end. That's how most changes are, in the carnival, and he doesn't doubt that's what's going on.

"Well, if they need that much care, then I don't think any of us here in performance outta touch 'em." Another toss, another catch, aaaaaaaand throw. The thunk goes through solidly into the target. "Let's pretend ta ignore that tidbit about them projectin'- which department would you say is most qualified ta go movin' books around?"

[espigeon]

A couple of weird things have been taking their time with Julien, too. There's no sense in complaining about it, though he'd kind of like to do so anyway.

He watches the knife with somewhat less than half his attention, preoccupied with what his other body is doing. "Oh, uh, engineering? Once they've all been compelled to wash the grease off of their collective hands and other manipulatory appendages, put on gloves so there's no issue with skin oils, then they should probably have the dexterity you need to not accidentally tear anything, right? Ah but they'll be tired of extra work from all that time mopping up after incompetent aliens at the last stop. Maybe Acquisitions needs something to do if they can't pilfer things."

Yeah he should probably tell Joker. It's not as relevant as he might have liked but it's an interesting tidbit all the same.

[pipers_son]

"Oh?" Definitely an interesting tidbit, although Joker can easily imagine why. "Best not ta antagonize another powerful person at a strange stop, yeah?"

After all, they have far too many enemies as it is. There's Hell, even if that's been mostly taken care of for the time being. Portland only gave them an enormous smorgasbord of enemies, now, who don't like them... And the entire reason they're at this enormous haven of books is to find the information needed to protect themselves for all those enemies.... if things go right, anyway.