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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Strange brightens up a little at the mention of Segundus and Honeyfoot. "I didn't know they had a school," he muses. Though, considering how Norrell barely accepted the existence of a second magician, it's probably more along the lines of Mr. Segundus and Mr. Honeyfoot will have a school.

"I suspect Flora Greysteel will join your ranks sooner rather than later. She's a talented young Englishwoman who I met when I was in Venice." But it's Childermass's remarks about the military that turn Strange's smile to a bit of a frown. God bless whatever poor soul the military did end up recruiting. Based on the people he knew home and the people he knew in the carnival, Strange was beginning to think that on the whole, magicians made poor soldiers.

"If whoever's in charge does mention the idea of an army magician, a reminder of all the roads I made, the fires I put out, and the forests I tried to move should be enough to dissuade any glory seekers." Because seriously, military life is like 25% battles, 75% sitting around and waiting.

"They always had plans for one," Childermass says with a shrug. "Only Mr. Norrell sent me along to discourage them from it, before. I have no inclination to do so again."

Since no one is going to order him to go off and bully magicians, theoretical or not, ever again. It's somewhat of a relief, along with the idea that someone else is willing to keep an eye on who's learning magic to some extent. He doubts everyone will end up there. Anyway, he'll nod some when Strange mentions Flora Greysteel, as if he's not entirely unaware of who that is (and he isn't; that the Greysteels had contact with the man in Venice wasn't exactly some secret knowledge).

With the military, though, the very idea of an army magician, he adds, "Could be there's enough who want to try to do what you did. They aren't going to succeed but it won't stop them from joining up with it in mind. I am more wary of it, though, as it'll only be a matter of time before they find one who is more willing to kill than you ever were."

Strange frowns, looking away for a moment. It's not a bad thing to not want to kill someone...even if he's already killed more than he wanted just be being in the carnival. But it's also not a secret that Wellington probably would have liked a more cutthroat magician.

"Magic shouldn't be used for things like that," Strange sighs, knowing full well that he used magic to help do a murder or two. "I'm certain the army will understand what magic can or cannot do. Wellington's damn trees should tell them that much. But magic should be more than just bullets and sabers."

What that more is, Strange is still trying to figure out.

"An opinion I hope all the new magicians will agree with." Not that Childermass ever sounds hopeful, but there are a few facts to support most may, in fact, do so. "At the very least, those falling on Mr. Norrell's side of magic aren't like to go to war. He would never have set foot on a battlefield himself."

That other side, however, well. Strange had jumped at that chance to get out there and show off, hadn't he? Pointless to bring it up, which means Childermass moves on. Literally. He shrugs away from the bookshelf, cigarette and all, and turns a random direction down the aisle to start walking.

"But since guessing at it is all we have right now, I would not dwell on any of it. We have bigger worries."

Like finding Miracles, breaking curses. There's a long laundry list of things to do that don't include England at all.

"We do," he responds, as Strange starts to follow Childermass down said random bookshelf. Naturally, he assumes that Childermass is heading down this bookshelf for a reason. Strange just doesn't realize that reason might be as simple as 'it's something to do'.

"After all, we have a mirror to obtain." Why no, Strange still hasn't given up his idea of him getting the mirror and using it. Why would he?

"I've been looking for information on it here but keep coming up short. There are plenty of stories about mirrors, just not as many about the one we need."

"We do..."

And yes, Childermass knows. Someone picking a fight over that again isn't very appealing now and he realizes it won't make any difference for it, something he's finally learned after repeated attempts and failures. So, rather than drive Strange off with an inevitable shouting match (likely one-sided, but still), he just keeps on... walking.

There's really no goal to it. He won't say as much and let the other magician realize that in his own time, even if he does keep an eye on book titles as he passes by.

"I'm still not sure what to make of where it's supposedly being kept."

An Eden, but for animals? Really?

Based on Strange's sigh, he's not sure what to make of where it's being kept wither. He trails behind Childermass, gesturing and talking with his hands as they continue talking about the mirror.

"I've got a terrible feeling that I know how we're going to get the mirror." After all, you can't have a carnival of vaguely humanoid people show up at a realm of intelligent beasts without someone raising an eyebrow or two. If they want stealth and they want to steal this mirror from Lilith, they're probably going to be fuzzy and furry. It only makes sense.

"Hopefully I'll be something with arms this time. Did you get caught up in the game nonsense when we were back in the Mainframe? It turned me into a box with legs."

No, Strange has no idea why the hell that's a thing either.

The same thought is exactly what has him just as uncertain. They've been plenty of other things before now, so why not animals?

"No, I did not. I have no interest in visiting digital worlds, to be quite honest," Childermass answers that first, although he would have found Strange as a chattering box with legs somewhat amusing. Too bad worlds like that have been ruined enough for him to simply stay put. That said, he's quick enough to follow it up with, "And you could end up as a seal. How about that?"

Still no arms, but flippers. Mostly he's thinking of Siobahn, considering a seal was what Strange's soul had settled on.

Strange is also thinking of Siobhan, and can't help but smile a little at the thought. He missed her sometimes, even if the more practical side of him realized that dealing with a hundreds of pounds seal would be an absolute nightmare in certain regards.

"If I was a seal, I could still find a way to cast spells. It's ending up as a snake or a fish that has me worried."

Strange is confident in his ability to bullshit and change the magic so that he can make it work if he doesn't have thumbs. He's not as confident in his ability to make the magic work if he doesn't have fingers.

"I don't think I'd mind being a bird, though. You and Lambert can fly while I'm stuck here on the ground."

"I'm not sure Lambert flies so much as falls convincingly," Childermass can't help but poke some fun at that, though truth be told he hasn't seen much of Lambert's dragon form. Seems to be he's always whipping it out at fights that Childermass isn't around for.

Still, Strange isn't wrong, now that he actually takes a moment to consider it.

"Being able to fly does have its uses, though, that much is true..."

It's also fun, as previously exhibited when he crashed the other magician's show via annoying spell-slinging crow.

"I don't think I would like to be stuck as a crow for all of Eden, however. Wings aren't as good as having actual hands."

"Depends on how long we're stuck in Eden," Strange points out. "I wouldn't mind being a bird for a few days or so."

It's just anything longer than a week where he's a bit more tentative and hesitant to not have access to his fingers. Of course, this opens up all sorts of other questions and Strange frowns a little as he thinks.

"Of course, it also depends on what sort of bird I'd be. I wouldn't be a crow and I'm certainly not presumptuous enough to say I'd be a raven." Even though he did summon the Raven King that one time, Strange doesn't entirely feel comfortable definitively saying that yes, he'd be a raven. He frowns in thought. "Maybe I'd be a hawk?"

This is apparently a matter of great importance, as Strange gets a little lost in thought as he mulls over what bird he'd be.

What kind of bird would Strange be? What kind? Childermass only has to take a handful of seconds to even dwell on it before an answer appears. Honestly, Strange should have expected an answer like this, although he may have expected it more from someone like Lambert than he would from someone like Childermass.

So there's only a pause to mull it over before he takes a drag off his cigarette, breathes the smoke back out, and says very solemnly, "A cock."

Which is to say a rooster but that isn't as funny. There's enough reasoning for it, though. A rooster is loud, generally considered to have a temper, not to mention the entire term 'cocky' fits the other magician extremely well. Of all the birds in the world, that is the one Childermass will settle on. It absolutely helps that he gets to call Strange a cock with it only marginally being an insult.

Edited 2018-06-02 21:44 (UTC)

...well then. Strange is completely skipping over the bird symbolism as he's fairly certain that Childermass is only offering up that suggestion because it's a combination bird and insult. He gives the other man a bit of a disgruntled look because really, Childermass, not funny.

Granted, if he said it to someone who wasn't him, it'd be a bit funny. But Strange isn't exactly the best at making fun of himself.

"A falcon," Strange corrects Childermass. Obviously he's going to be an impressive, majestic bird of prey, not a common barnyard bird! People eat roosters!

Childermass gives an incredibly not innocent shrug at that look. He thinks it fits perfectly, okay? A falcon, though. Fine. He'll ask.

"Why a falcon?"

Edited 2018-06-05 04:46 (UTC)

"Because they're majestic!" Which is probably the worst thing Strange could say to defend his choice. I picked this bird because it's awesome and I think it fits me, who is also awesome.

"Besides, I'm the Duke of Wellington's magician and the Ringmaster's mercenary. I need something a bit more lethal than a common chicken."

"You may want to try catching an angry rooster before you write them off entirely," Childermass replies with the conviction of someone who has undoubtedly been on the wrong side of chicken theft at least once in his life. "They're vicious little things when they want to be..."

Though definitely not as majestic as a falcon, he will give Strange that.

"They're certainly stubborn bastards," Strange grimaces, as he gets war flashbacks to that spell he was working on all those months ago which made multiple swarms of chickens. But dealing with a magical chicken that you can easily dispell is different from dealing with a flesh and blood chicken that you have to actually pick up.

"A bit stupid, though. If I'm to be a bird, it's got to have a brain." And he gives Childermass a look that plainly states any commentary from the peanut gallery about the fact that Strange is an idiot won't be appreciated.

Yeah, whatever, fine, he'll just raise his eyebrows at that look from Strange and smoke instead of adding his two extremely unwelcome cents on the matter. The man really does have a way of setting himself up for these jokes, he really does. Though now that Strange has settled on his preferred bird, it's hard not to wonder—

"Well, you're more than welcome to be the one with feathers this time. Maybe I'll just be a dog or something akin to that, for a change of pace."

Like they even have any control of it, assuming it's even a thing.

Strange knows they'll have zero control of it. Still, it's fun to talk hypotheticals and what-ifs, even if it most likely never happens. He frowns a little, picturing Childermass as a dog. In all likelihood, he'd be this big black hunting or retriever sort of dog...which means that Strange briefly entertains the idea of Childermass as a lap dog.

It's amusing as hell and he can't help but smile a little.

"Speaking from experience, being a cat is overrated. Jumping was nice, but I was far too small to do most things."

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⇨ THE ATHENAEUM

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