⇨ 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

[anti_nonsense]

"That so? Guess I should be glad I've avoided the bards, out of that equation." Because having people write songs about you sounds awful. Rita enjoys a fair amount of fame in her world, but she's glad she hasn't had to deal with that. Or any dumb nicknames.

"But, you know... if I didn't know better, I'd say you sound a little jealous."

[whattaprick]

Reflexively, Lambert scowls.

“Jealous? Of getting my name trumpeted all over the Northern Realms so that people expect me to solve all their problems for them? No thanks.” He shakes his head, grimacing ... though he will relent.

“The fights might be more exciting than chasing down the ring of another murdered bride or drowners in a swamp, but I could leave the rest.” The witcher snorts. “And I’m already getting my fill of excitement here.”

[anti_nonsense]

"Excitement, huh..." Rita murmurs, rolling her eyes. That's not the word she'd use for all the crap they've been through at the carnival... or for fighting in general. But this talk of Lambert and his home life reminds her of something.

"That's right... you said before that you don't necessarily plan on going back." If Lambert doesn't remember saying that to Rita, it's because he didn't. She did happen to be there when he told Childermass he'd follow him across worlds, though.

[whattaprick]

It’s clear enough Lambert wasn’t expecting the conversation to turn this way, brow furrowing in confusion for a moment before he understands what Rita’s getting at. He flushes a little, but doesn’t avert his gaze, raising his chin slightly in an effort to convey stubborn defiance.

“I have promises to keep back home first.” He pauses. “After that ... maybe.”

[anti_nonsense]

It's not often that Rita sees Lambert flustered over something like this. Usually it's the other way around (not that she'd admit it)... which means she doesn't feel the slightest bit bad about making him uncomfortable.

"That so? Didn't sound like a maybe when you were pouring your heart out back on that rooftop in Wismuth," she comments with a sideways glance.

[whattaprick]

Lambert narrows his eyes at Rita right back. He can’t exactly deny it, but it doesn’t exactly sit right with him to let that pass without comment, either.

“I would’ve said anything if it got him back,” he says. “Wouldn’t you have done the same?”

The pointed way he raises a brow at her implies that he’s not thinking of Childermass.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita narrows her eyes, her face turning ever-so-slightly pink. She knows damn well who he's thinking of. She can't even deny it, either.

If something like that happened to 9S...

"I wouldn't say anything I didn't mean," she retorts, bristling.

[whattaprick]

“And I think you’re smart enough to know that just saying something doesn’t mean it’s going to work out that way,” Lambert snorts, crossing his arms, ears and tail flicking, before he looks away.

“I’ll probably have to make another contract. If the next year’s anything like this one’s been, it might not be up to me.”

He isn’t a daydreaming maid, with romantic notions of the sort of work it’s going to take to make it happen. He can hope, and he can do his best to survive, but that’s all.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita averts her gaze, too. Of course she knows that... but if there's one thing Rita's good at, it's finding solutions to seemingly impossible problems, and being completely confident in her ability to do so. Then again, that's precisely the sort of thing a contract with the Ringmaster could go towards...

She scoffs. "Another year of this? Good luck. I can't wait to jump ship, get back to living my life..." Rita's not being entirely honest, of course. She also hasn't considered the possibility of 9S signing on for a second contract, instead of joining her as soon as he can.

The mention of contracts brings another question to mind, however. "...What'd you sign up for, anyway?" she asks, her gaze drifting back to face Lambert.

[whattaprick]

That gets her a smirk. “You sound just like him.”

That’s not exactly true of course, but the conviction that they need to return to their own world and attend to business left unfinished sooner rather than later... Rita is almost exactly like Childermass in that respect. The question is unexpected, though, and Lambert pauses, but it’s not like it’s a secret. It’s just that so few people have actually asked, and it’s a sufficient distraction for teasing her about just how serious she is about not wanting another year to fool around with 9S.

“I signed up to kill the man who killed my best friend,” he says, finally. In the light of everything that’s happened since, it’s a remarkably small, petty reason, and the wry twist of his expression says he’s more than aware of it.

[anti_nonsense]

Like him? Like who?

Rita answers that comment with a confused look, narrows down the possibilities in her head... then figures it probably isn't worth following up on, especially once he answers her question about his contract. His best friend was killed? That's a hell of a motivation, but at the same time...

"You don't really strike me as someone who'd have a lot of trouble killing one guy," she says, perhaps bluntly.

[whattaprick]

“No,” Lambert agrees, not in the least offended by the bluntness. It isn’t like she’s wrong, technically speaking.

“But even I can’t kill someone I can’t find. He disappeared, nobody knew where he went. Been tracking him for months when I ended up at the Carnival ... and a year for a guaranteed shot at that son of a bitch didn’t seem like a bad idea at the time.”