lostcarnival | ⇨ 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

"I'm not so worried about that," Strange preens, with an 'I know something you don't know' shithead sort of expression. And then, because this man literally cannot stay quiet for more than five minutes and literally cannot keep a secret, Strange launches right into his theory about the miracles.

"I've got a theory: I think one of the miracles might be a mirror." Which for Jonathan 'my specialty is reflection magic' Strange is like the pastry chef making it to the dessert round in a cooking competition: he's got this and firmly believes that he's got this.

"Mirrors?" Yuya cranes his head back and stares at Strange, suddenly interested. Not because he cares that much about the miracles, but because that's the information they're even here for. And if this is proving fruitful...

"How do you know? Did you find something?" Obviously he found something, but Yuya's trying to get a real answer!

"I did. I found a scrap of information about a mirror created by the Winter and Summer Queens. It has the power to remove darkness from one's heart, whatever that means." Strange doesn't know what it means, just that the existence of a mirror that could remove darkness is a glimmer of hope for the magician currently cursed to eternal darkness back in his world.

"The Winter Queen once had it, but it went missing. I've no idea where the mirror is now."

"The power to remove darkness..." Yuya's brow furrows as he repeats it. "Maybe it's purifying? Like to a soul."

That seems like the most obvious interpretation to him, anyway. If it is a miracle smd they want it, then it's probably fot the best it isn't in the Winter Queen's hands anymore.

He sits back in his seat, looking to the shelves. "So we should look for stuff about magic mirrors, right? Did it say anything else?"

"Not really," Strange admits. There's a brief period where he rifles through his notes to reread the brief fragment of text he copied down. Winter Queen and Summer Queen, she didn't have it anymore, cut the darkness from someone's heart...all things he told Yuya already but nothing else that's too interesting.

"But yes, stuff about magic mirrors. Preferably magic mirrors once owned by the Winter Queen, but I don't know how specific these things can be."

"I can do that." Sure, magic mirrors, that's more of a direction than he had before at any rate (how many versions of snow white of he going to find). He's not sure how a soul-purifying mirror is supposed to protect the carnival, though. Well, he can think of a way but he's not sure if he'd wish splintered second identities on anyone or if it'd actually help in the long run.

He's really hoping the mirror just does something else, something simple. Like lasers.

But he won't find them just sitting here, so with that he starts to get up from his seat. "If I find anything I'll let you know!"

Whereas Strange is hoping the mirror does exactly what it purports to do. Mirror removes darkness, Strange is cursed under a tower of darkness, there's one handy dandy curse removal solution there that doesn't involve a fae contract!

"I'd appreciate that," said with a nod as Yuya gets up from the seat. "By the way, is there anything I should pay attention to for you?"

Yuya pauses, shifting on his feet as he deliberates something.

"Um... if you find that story about the demon again, could you bring it to me?" He's not sure what he'd do with it yet, but on the other hand he's pretty sure he doesn't want it floating around the library where he doesn't know where it is and anyone can find it. Maybe if Strange could find it once, he could find it again.

It really says something when Jonathan Strange, a man who isn't subtle in the slightest and has trouble picking up on tiny nuances, hears Yuya's request and thinks wait a moment, something's fishy about that. Because why would he want to hear about that demon story again? Yuya said so himself, it could be from any Japan. So why would he want to read it?

Strange gives Yuya a quizzical frown, one that plainly conveys he's not buying what Yuya's selling. "If you say so," Strange responds, "though I doubt it would be easy to find again. This place doesn't have any form of classification."

Yuya can read that obviously skeptical expression, but as long as Strange isn't actually calling him out on it, he's going to consider it successful. He's not expecting Strange to look any further into it if Yuya himself isn't offering the information, so the questioning ends there.

"Yeah, I noticed." He laughs lightly as he waves his hand to dismiss that. "Thanks, Mr. Strange!"

And if he's not stopped, he'll turn to return to perusing the shelves. At least he has a direction this time, so he feels a little less aimless trying to find something important.

⇨ THE ATHENAEUM

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