⇨ 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

[periphrasing]

"I'm really starting to hate this stupid library!" the bat snarls in complaint at the crow. The condiment trails are handy, at least; she's just going to focus on following that while she shouts some follow-up questions at the Acquisitioner. "How did he even get that book away from you in the first place!?"

[atouts]

Childermass, who is literally a bird right now, can only craaaaw angrily as he picks up the pace and flies past Peridot. Craw, craw, gemhugger. Yeah, he can't talk while shapeshifted.

Regardless, the man they're chasing makes a few garishly marked turned and ends up landing on a stack of what appear to be giant-sized books. Yes, giant-sized, as in as big as a door. Why and how these exist, they'll never know, because the Curator probably hasn't bothered marking any of that down and is terrible at answering questions. So! Anyway, that's where the man with the olive helmet lands, on a veritable tower of — if the cover is any indication — romance novels for large mythical beasts (there are a lot of dragons on that top one).

"What's this? Did Chiropeteraman turn into a bat for real?!" He watches them fly in, though once realizing the color of the bat, laughs. "Wait! Oh no, they've gotten it all mixed around! I see my Bamboozle-flavored Ketchup has ruined your magic trick!"

It... hasn't. It was really just normal ketchup.

[periphrasing]

This is something that Peridot did not realize about crow-dermass, and she's confused as hell when he just screeches in response. Right then, she'll just have to get the story from him later, once they give this guy what for.

She pulls up short when the villain stops, fluttering in place a good height in front and above him while she listens to him monologue. "This is like something out of one of Steven's stupid illogical comic books," she complains, knowing better than to expect a response from Childermass. Of course, as soon as the words are out of her mouth, that's when she finally connects the dots.

"...We need to act like comic book heroes if we're going to fight this clod and get that book back," she groans to the crow.

[atouts]

Childermass does one fly-by as a crow, in one big circle around the tower of books and the comic book villain, and then comes back around to land on the floor. He shifts back to normal in a flicker of shadows, human and, to the surprise of no one whatsoever, scowling up at him.

"Act like..." Act like what? Scowl redirected to Peridot as he turns to look up at her, if only because he doesn't get it. "And just how do we act like that? I have no idea what Steven reads, Peridot."

[periphrasing]

The bat makes a frustrated sound. "We have to act incredibly hammy and make big speeches about protecting freedom and justice and other vaguely described virtues such as that! I guess?! I don't know how else to explain it," Peridot complains. "We could try beating him up like normal but the narrative may start working against us if we do that!"

[atouts]

That sounds terrible but Peridot has a point. Childermass doesn't take more than a few seconds to dwell on it, then, since she says she doesn't know how to explain it, eyes her and then nods.

"Very well. You start and I will follow your lead." Or try to. Sorry, Peridot, time to see some impromptu gem improv. Chop, chop. "Since you're the one who's read them before..."

If she can't tell, she can probably show instead.

[periphrasing]

Peridot has probably read one (1) comic book herself, ever. Anything else she's heard about them comes from overhearing Steven and Connie talk about them, so. She's just going to have to fake it until she makes it.

"Stars, okay let's see," she starts out mumbling to herself, casting about for an idea until she comes up with something she can shout at the specter. "Um... UNHAND THAT BOOK, VILLAIN! Or. Uh. Taste the flames of my justice!"

She's trying, okay.

[atouts]

Still better than Childermass's big fat zero, which means Childermass is going to stand back and watch a tiny green bat screech about justice at a ghost from a book.

It's... actually, it doesn't seem all that different from Wismuth, now that he thinks of it. Only all the things he would yell were, while equally stupid, geared towards being an evil bastard. How does he turn that experience around to being the good guy? He was only a Guardian for a half hour at most.

Meanwhile, the man in the olive helmet just laughs and mocks Peridot, "Oh no, a rodent is going to fight me! I'm shaking in my boots! Gahahaha!" And promptly aims his mustard gun at her. Watch out, Peridot, because that's spicy brown he's shooting!

[periphrasing]

The bat squeaks and narrowly dodges the stream of mustard being shot in her direction. Well... If this is a comic book story they're dealing with, then nonviolence is hardly going to be an option. It's time to go on the offensive.

"Bats aren't RODENTS!" she shouts back, the last word punctuated with a surge of speed. She rockets down towards him, and at the last moment, changes shape back to her regular self so that she's falling towards the specter with claws at the ready.

[atouts]

That only makes the specter laugh more, right up until there's an angry gem in his face. When Peridot shifts back to her normal gremlinly self, he lets out a high-pitched shriek of surprise and recoils, pulling his guns up. It's for naught because now there's a Peridot with claws on him. It leads to some wild flailing way up there, on top of those giant books.

Meanwhile, Childermass just... watches. Not for long, but it's an amusing sight to behold, so it's worth taking a few seconds to admire. Overall, shifting back to normal at the last second is a trick he's done himself and it's always a good one. Of course, the amusement ends when the specter (and Peridot) go struggling right off the edge of the book tower.

"Ah." That's less good. What would a hero do? A comic book hero? Or, more like, what would a Guardian do? He doesn't have a spell for it but he does have the story, though how that works is up in the air. "I... use... my net spell?"

Does he have to say it out loud? Probably, though he'll try again, this time with a little more gusto and with him acting like he's pulling something out of his coat and directing it dramatically towards where they're falling.

"Net spell! Catch them!"

And then there was a net, popping into existence as if shot there by some kind of net-shooting spider (or more like a net gun, but Childermass doesn't know that's a comic book thing to begin with). It's strung between the massive books and the nearest shelves.