⇨ 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

[hippocarnival]

[Definitely up to no good. But the leader doesn't pay his men any more mind as they fill the glasses again. Off to the side, though, the fourth bandit is hovering suspiciously over the bottle.

Anyway, the leader only makes it two more glasses before he fumbles and topples backwards. The other bandits are stunned, for a moment, staring at Childermass in shock that he's so, comparatively, unaffected.]

Y... ye still have to beat the rest of us! [The two bandits drag their leader out of the way before one of them sits across from Childermass. There's still some confidence despite his apprehension, that surely Childermass can't get through two of them.

So the glasses are filled again, with normal alcohol.]

[atouts]

[ Glass full once more, Childermass just picks his up and smiles at the remaining bandits from over the rim before drinking it. Normal alcohol or not, what the specters don't realize they're dealing with is a bit of magic. It isn't one directly from the magician but rather one he wears under all those layers of clothing. Just a little something from Atlantis... and endlessly useful in that it absorbs any poison, even one as ambiguous as alcohol is.

Whether it'll be picking up something beyond that sooner than later, he doesn't actually know, though he's keeping that fourth bandit in the corner of his eye. ]

[hippocarnival]

[For all their suspicious whispering, the fourth bandit is actually pretty good at stealth. Childermass never actually sees him tamper with the alcohol further, while he engages in the second drinking competition.

But yes, about halfway through when the second bandit is teetering about, Childermass' drink is spiked with poison. The only visual indication is, if he's observant enough, something clear carefully held against the bottle and behind his hand poured into the other bandit's drink. Something to inhibit the effects of his own drink.

There's a glint of anticipation in his eyes as he pulls back, watching Childermass.]

[atouts]

[ He can anticipate all he wants but what he actually gets is bound to disappoint. Rather than Childermass, say, dying horribly of poison, he... finishes his drink. He doesn't bother making it apparent he knows something is very likely up or even calling the bandit out on it.

He just finishes, poison and all, and holds the glass out expectedly for the next round. ]

[hippocarnival]

[There's a long pause as the bandit pours the alcohol slowly, watching Childermass, waiting... and then nothing happens. He stops, staring as he doesn't keel over from the poison or the liquor and, in fact, looks exactly as unaffected as when they started.

He drops the bottle, and it hits the table before flipping over into the grass.] Wh--what are ye?!

[atouts]

[ There's a lot of ways he could answer that.

Truthfully, in several different ways, or he could just make something up. Truthfully has the downside of the bandit still holding onto Yuya possibly stabbing him, so— Childermass sets his glass down very slowly, very precisely, and leans across the crate towards the startled bandit still sitting there with him. ]

Sir, I am the most powerful sorcerer of this land. Losing this little contest is the only out you and your friend over there has of escaping here without being turned into rats for the rest of your lives.

[hippocarnival]

[The tension is the air is almost tangible.

The bandits aren't so bold as to stand up against a sorcerer. They scramble immediately, one grabbing for their leader while the other dashes to collect their things.] We don't want yer gold! C'mon, Bart, let's run!

['Bart', who was previously restraining Yuya, just forcibly shoves him over as he runs to catch up with the bandits, and in a whirlwind the bandits and their props disappear as the book returns to it's dormant state.

Yuya's face down on the ground, but only for a second before he's pushing himself up and rubbing his nose.] Thanks.

[atouts]

[ The bandits flee and everything they set out vanishes with them, meaning whatever Childermass had been sitting on at the crate for the contest goes, too. Unexpected, it leaves the magician landing on the floor with a startled oof, putting a decided end to any dignified way to wrap up winning and chasing the specters off.

Oh well.

He'll live.

Not that he won't roll his eyes over the whole thing and then turn to look back at Yuya. ]

Not a problem. Are you alright, Mr. Sakaki?

[hippocarnival]

Yeah, I'm fine. [He rises to his feet and dusts himself off. He goes to retrieve the book, keeping it firmly closed as he sticks it randomly on the shelf.] Has this been happening a lot to you too?

[It's making trying to find information difficult when he keeps getting wrapped up in stories.]

[atouts]

I've yet to run afoul of bandits besides these, but yes. I had a spate of princesses that demanded I escort them back to their kingdoms.

[ AKA their books. Anyway, he'll get back to his feet as well. ]

This one was somewhat more fun, I must admit.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya snorts, turning around with his back to the books once he puts it away. He smiles when Childermass calls it 'fun'.] You really scared them... did you know you weren't going to get drunk?

[At least, Yuya assumes he didn't. Book spirit alcohol is probably too pretend to do anything.]

and then I lost the notif for this and spent a few days wondering 'was this ever tagged'

[atouts]

As they should be. I'm terrifying.

[ Words which have no seriousness behind them, but the rest, well, he shrugs. ]

And no, I did not. Whether a living person can get drunk or poisoned by something out of a book, we may never know, seeing how I wasn't going to get drunk regardless.

Whoops

[hippocarnival]

[That's the reason Yuya figured he wouldn't, so hearing that it's something else entirely.] Eh? You can't get drunk? Is that a magic thing?

[atouts]

Not a spell of my own, but yes. An artifact I picked up from our stop in Atlantis quite some time ago. It blocks out toxins from food and drink.

[ aka he's a cheating cheater. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya looks him over, as if he's going to spot said artifact. But it's probably something subtle to not tip people off.] That's still really useful! You don't have to worry about food poisoning.

[That's like, the most mundane benefit from an anti-toxin necklace.] Um, how's your search going?

[atouts]

In more ways than one.

[ But he won't bring up the manor and avoiding that poisoning, because the manor was terrible. His search, however... well, he shrugs and looks around them at all the books in their shelves. ]

As for that, I've yet to find anything useful. There have been specters and the occasional fabrication on my own past adventures but nothing on the Miracles. [ That said, he turns the question back on Yuya, attention returning to him. ] What about yours? Bandits aside.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya shakes his head.] Nothing. I feel like I don't even know what I'm looking for.

[Which is... true. He doesn't know anything about the Blue Rose, really, wasn't very attentive to the Ringmaster's call about it, and the other two are a total enigma even with that context.

This is beyond needle in a haystack. It's more like a needle in a desert.] Everyone knew about the Blue Rose before we took it, right?

[atouts]

No.

[ Because Childermass is that one guy who actually keeps things to himself when requested to, so. Though there's more to it than that. ]

Only I knew at the beginning. I did not share what I knew until after the first Hunt and even then it was only to Lambert and his nightrunners.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya shakes his head.] No, I mean... did the Fae know the Blue Rose was real, and who had it?

[It did stay among the Fae, after all.] Because we don't even know what the other two look like, even the Ringmaster.

[atouts]

Ah. That. [ Well, that one is easy enough to answer. ] They did. It was one of their Miracles, after all. I imagine some of the younger ones may not think the Miracles are real, but enough must still be alive who have witnessed them...

[ Damn things seem to live through everything and forever, which is a real pain for the rest of the universe right now. ]

And they did know the Prince had it before, but he used its power to keep them at bay.