⇨ 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]

"The tub is a safe space without equal," Peridot replies, utterly monotone. So that means 'no', apparently.

[drrdrrdrr]

"Huh," says Amethyst, and then, "OK." She's quiet for a while longer, frowning slightly at the bathtub wall opposite.

"Hey, uh..." She turns her face so she's speaking into Peridot's hair, muffling herself a little, "I'm glad you made it back OK."

[periphrasing]

Peridot pauses, and then drapes her tail over Amethyst's hip, huddling closer.

"Yeah. Me too," she says quietly.

A little pink hand reaches down from just out of frame. It places a summer squash in Amethyst's hair.

[drrdrrdrr]

Amethyst... blinks.

"Oh," she says. She reaches up to take the squash. "Uh, thanks?" She glances down at Peridot. "Yo... is it OK if I eat this in front of Pumpkin?"

[periphrasing]

"Mmm... if it's not another pumpkin it's fine," Peridot says veeerrryy slowly. "Fleshy does it... All the time..."

Pumpkin looks kind of dubious about this, but. It's up to you, Amethyst.

[drrdrrdrr]

She glances sidelong at Pumpkin.

"Ahh... I'll save it for later," she says after a moment or two of gourd eye contact, and puts the squash back in her hair.

[periphrasing]

"Suit yourselfff..." the engineer sighs. Meanwhile, Fleshy is eating one of the other squashes as she sits on the edge of the tub. Just. Pierces it's squash hide with her horrible sharp tongue, and starts slurping the guts out.

[drrdrrdrr]

Amethyst... attempts to disregard Fleshy.

She doesn't want to bring up the whole fae situation again, but...

Grimacing a little, she says, "Hey, uh... if the same fae took Lapis and Jasper... d'you think there's any chance they might... y'know...."

[periphrasing]

Peridot doesn't quite catch on right away. Blame the exhaustion For that. She looks up, blinking slowly...

"Nyeh? They might...?" she starts to say, ponderous and quizzical. Before the question is even out of her mouth, it hits her, and her eyes shoot open wide, and she suddenly grips Amethyst tighter, very probably digging her claws into the other gem a bit. Sorry about that, buddy.

"No... No, Lapis would never-- She hates Jasper, she would NEVER--"

It sounds more like she's trying to convince herself of this assertion, rather than reassuring Amethyst.

[drrdrrdrr]

"Oof -- I mean, yeah, obviously, but, y'know..."

[periphrasing]

"...It probably wouldn't hurt to warn the Nightrunners and the rest of your comrades over in security about it," Peridot tries to finish for her, sounding dismayed. Pumpkin whines sympathetically and huddles closer against her back.

"You should probably be the one to do it. You fought... them... like that, after all. I don't even know what it looks like."

[drrdrrdrr]

"It's... pretty janked," says Amethyst, with immense restraint. "She's kinda... got four legs except they're all arms? So it's real hard to knock her over. And she's huge. We pretty much only just managed to take her down as Alexandrite, and Alexandrite is, like... four of us."