lostcarnival | ⇨ THE ATHENAEUM

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⇨ 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.

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He nods, "What's that one?"

He asks, trying to see what Susan's grabbing at. Did something about it catch his interest? Or was he just grabbing without thought.

He shrugs again as he opens it to a random page and starts to read aloud (although a bit slowly and occasionally stumbling on a longer word).

"'She didn't know why the human was in their forest again, after she attacked him before. Didn't he know that elves didn't like his kind? But still, Il...,'" he trails off there for a moment before offering the book to Lauren, pointing at the word "Illora".

"What's this word?"

He shifts over to take a look, eyes widening for a moment as they see the name he's found difficult.

"It's... Illora." he says, a sense of hushed awe filling his voice. It might not have been the Illora he thought of, but still, to find her name in a random book out of all the hundreds present. He scans the rest of the page, eyes widening further, and his fingers flex as he fights the urge to take it from his brother.

"Keep reading."

He sees the look on Lauren's face, the way he answers him, and he frowns a little but nods anyway. He's sure Lauren will explain it later.

"'But still, Illora was in-tri-gued. She knew that humans were only destroying nature and she should hate them, but this man kept returning, kept leaving food out. She was thinking about him when he turned to her hiding spot and smiled before leaving again, and she was only more confused. Was he coming to see her?'"

Susan finishes the page before looking back to Lauren with a look of curiosity.

His fingers twitch again, and so he asks, before he rips the book from his brother without thought.

"Susan, can I see this book, just for a moment." he asks, suddenly feeling anxious. It was surely impossible that this was about the person he thought.

He nods, letting Lauren take it. Instead of taking a new book though he watches Lauren's face as he reads, to see if he can tell what his brother is feeling or thinking.

He's, for some reason, nervous as he takes the book, eyes scanning quickly over the page. His surprise from before returns, showing on his expression as he reads, before quickly turning a page, and then another. Astonished, his jaw drops, and for a moment he is truly speechless as he looks back to Susan.

Susan doesn't know what this is. He doesn't know.

"Susan..." He starts, and then stops, mystified.

"This is. Illora is... It's Nana's name." he finally says, hardly hearing himself say the words outloud.

Susan is only more curious as Lauren keeps looking, his astonishment clear on his face. But then Lauren is looking back to him and finally explains, and his own eyes widen as he realizes what that means.

"It's a book about... Our parents?"

He shakes his head, still not quite believing it himself.

"If it isn't, it's about a human and elf man and woman with their names"

That was too much of a coincidence to just be chance, wasn't it? He thumbs through the book, quickly looking for anything else familiar. When he sees the name of their old village times seems to stop, if only for a second. He looks to Susan, still shocked an unable to comprehend what he's seeing.

Susan watches him again, and when Lauren looks to him he leans in to look at the book. Of course he doesn't remember the name of their village, so it's meaningless to him, but from context...

"Lauren?"

"It's..." He starts, voice trailing off. "It's the name of our village."

They place he'd called home for all his early life. This book knew about his parents, and about their home. Suddenly he grimaces, looking hurt.

"This isn't possible, is it?"

"Well... This place is magic, right? So... I guess, it is possible." Even if it's unlikely. Out of all the books here, what were the chances that he'd pick that one up?

Lauren looks at the book again. Who could have even written it? There was no way it was possible. Suddenly he hands the book back to Susan. It wasn't true. There was no way for a book like this to exist, and that it would be found here by them was even more absurd. It could not be real. His eyes glance back to the book, now in Susan's hands. And yet...

Susan takes the book back, looking down at it before back to Lauren. He isn't sure what his brother is thinking, but he doesn't ask yet either. It seems he needs some time to process. But now that the book is in his hands again, he opens it to another random page to read a little until Lauren speaks up.

He just wishes there were pictures.

Lauren turns abruptly, heading back towards the table he'd been stacking books on before and collapsing into one of the chairs.

Susan pauses in the book and follows Lauren over to the table and sits next to him.

"Are you okay...?"

He shakes his head, not even looking to Susan as he answers.

He scoots his chair closer to Lauren so he can lean on him a little.

"It's only a book... Magic can be weird, so, it's nothing bad."

He doesn't say anything to that for a moment.

"It feels like a bad joke." he says finally, voice quiet. He looks to Susan, "Like a mean trick."

He nods a little, but doesn't move from his spot against Lauren.

"I don't think it is, though. I mean... It could be. But there's too many things right, aren't there?"

He shakes his head. He wants to believe Susan. Afterall, who would go through all this trouble for such a terrible lie. Still, he couldn't let himself believe it. They had so little of their parents left. Susan's bracelet was their Mothers, Lauren of course had his memories. This book wasn't even something his parents had owned, but it was about them. Their story.

"We can't even take it with us." he says, voice shaking

"...We could copy it? Like write the story down ourselves." After a minute he smiles up at him.

"Or, I could use my camera! We can take pictures of the whole story that way."

Something ugly rises up at the suggestion. If it's about Nana and Father it should belong to them and no one else. He recognizes the irrational feeling for what it is and takes a breath to push it aside. He forces a smile.

"Good idea. Would you get it?"

Of course he wants it, too. He wants this book about their parents, the family he doesn't remember, but the way this place works he doesn't think he can have it. Pictures are the next best thing.

"I already have it!" And he just has to dig in his pocket a moment before he pulls out the device and offers it to his brother.

Lauren nods, surprised to see Susan pull the device from his pocket. Really he'd been hoping for a moment to collect himself, but maybe it's better if Susan stays here with him.

He turns to face the book, breathing deeply.

"From the beginning?"

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