⇨ 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

[whattaprick]

"My imagination isn't that good," Lambert answers direly. They're in a realm bursting with books from stories all over the multiverse; who the hell knows what could happen? Lambert doesn't even know where to begin with a contingency plan, and burning things down seems probably out of the question.

"My bet's on one of the bookworms opening something they shouldn't or trying to steal something they just can't live without. You can probably guess the usual suspects."

[stillwinningthehardway]

Burning things down would get out of control very fast, and then librarians would hate them. Scout remembers Master Jocasta, if they're all like that then that would be a poor idea indeed. She doesn't recall if the old master even had a lightsaber but the things she could do with a look and a cutting word... well, the faux-fearful phrase was she didn't need a blade. At the end she had, but if she'd had one or not it wouldn't have saved her.

Yeah Scout really doesn't like being preoccupied with memories here.

"We're permitted to take images or copy things down, but that's so much more effort." She rolls her eyes. "Maybe there are self aware, evil books and they'll trap someone in long stories and we'll have to go dig them out?"

It sounds ridiculous, so far she hasn't encountered anything like that book-monster in the menagerie let alone something intelligent, but Scout knows about sort of similar things happening with holocrons. It could happen.

[whattaprick]

"Depending on what book they get stuck in and who gets stuck, that might be more like paradise." They need better coworkers. Ones that aren't huge nerds. Lambert finishes scanning the titles on the shelf he's at, and moves to the next, and sighs. These aren't even remotely related, except in some obscure way he has no idea how to access. Maybe 'all books with the same third word' or something equally unfathomable.

"You gonna try writing any stories of your own for this place? I heard they take trades."

[stillwinningthehardway]

"Ugh. Maybe." She wouldn't be surprised.

Studious as Scout is she's still accustomed to an actual organization system, ideally with a central index explaining what is where. This is like if someone took the trash bins from several worlds' libraries, shook them up together, and shelved them without looking. And then added reality-altering magic. She wouldn't have thought she'd dislike a library, but here she is.

"Well. I know how to write reports, but not stories, and I'm not sure I've found anything I'd want to keep." The one describing the Room of a Thousand Fountains - no, that wouldn't do. "Especially if they kept those effects."

[whattaprick]

“Have you seen some of the stories around here?” Lambert shakes his head, frowning in disgust or exasperation or maybe both. “Pretty sure you could do better than most.”

[stillwinningthehardway]

"I should've known. You can flatter, but just if it means making it backhanded." Scout tries quirking an eyebrow, an expression she's seen on other people looking sophisticated and superior. On her face it more looks like she's confused. "Maybe if you gave me a topic and an unreasonable deadline? It's been a while, but I was always better at writing when I was under pressure."

Not that he's got the authority to bring that kind of pressure to bear. It's not like missing an assignment or two in the Temple would really have gotten her kicked to the Service Corps anyway, probably, but her subconscious had been convinced. "I could say I'd do better than you would, but that just makes me sound even worse, I've seen you writing."

[whattaprick]

"Wouldn't want anyone's head getting too big," Lambert responds, cheerfully. The man hangs out with Jonathan Strange voluntarily on a regular basis; pricking egos is as easy as breathing by now, but that's also just something about how Lambert is, constantly needling the rest of the world like it's done him a personal affront.

The topic of what to write about, though, has the witcher pursing his lips -- but he doesn't get much of a chance to think it over before Scout makes a comment like that and he laughs, raising a brow right back at her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" He asks in mock-offense.

[stillwinningthehardway]

Damn. He doesn't look sophisticated with an eyebrow raise, he looks like, well, an asshole, but it's smoother than how she does it.

"You furrow your brow and show your tongue when you're writing anything," she informs him, remembering the mushi muteness episode, when she'd been unusually talkative for some reason. Scout may be exaggerating. Those are the classic silly signs of someone concentrating hard on a fiddly task. "It's adorable."

[whattaprick]

"Should I take that as a compliment, or an insult?" Lambert snorts. "It's trickier with claws. I didn't realize you were paying that much attention."

Writing, writing. What makes a good story? Lambert doesn't really know, considering he's no bard, but even he knows the things the Carnival has been through must make a decent enough book.