public channel; day 52

[atouts]

"With the power of the Silver Mirror, the Nephalem Lilith was able to create a realm according to their desires - a realm where the Beasts could devise the Soul that would lead them, and build a perfect world. While the rest of the multiverse spiraled into Chaos, Lilith aspired towards Perfection."

[ It had taken a bit to scour the book for any other bit of information once he'd gotten it back from one of the stupidest book specters he had to misfortune of running into but now that he has, here he is, reading the first bit over the radio.

Following that, he adds, asking, ]

Has anyone else found something regarding a mirror? I believe this may be one of the miracles but confirmation would be nice to have.

[ ooc, feel free to threadjack as needed ]

Comments

[moonfang]

Well, one of ya better hurry up. I've been sitting here tryin' to come up with a story good enough to trade with the Curator!! .... As it turns out, I ain't that creative. I'm afraid if I set the damn thing down, I might not find it again.

[whattaprick]

Where are you?

[ Wait, stupid fucking question. The Library's fucking huge. ]

Never mind. I'll just keep yelling until I hear you yelling back.

[ And thus the stupidest game of Marco Polo was born. ]

[atouts]

[ asshole #3 taps back in ]

Or we can leave it to the Ringmaster and just let her cram up inside of yet another moon for all I care.

[moonfang]

By the books. The books that are by the other books! LIKE EVERYTHING HERE!

[dumb, loud Marco Polo. It's a good thing there's no actual enforcers of "BE QUIET IN THE LIBRARY" here.

Or are there...???

Zangetsu's dumb rabbit ear twitches as he hears someone calling his name. He stands up and flares his energy just enough to send up a small pillar-like blip of red and black] OIIII! Over here!!

[whattaprick]

I don't have a death wish, I just know my death odds. Besides, I've got insurance now, so you shouldn't have any complaints there.

You heard Rita, didn't you? Sounds like a recipe for screwing us to me. What are we going to do, make the Rose Queen look into it and 'bend her heart' so she suddenly decides we're her best friends?

[ Because you know, they are supposed to be using this shit for the Carnival, and not at all for whatever self-serving purpose Strange might possibly have in mind, right? ]

> action from here on out

[whattaprick]

[ The books beside books, beside all the other books...

It'll take a few (and no vengeful library ghosts are showing up to swat Lambert down... yet) but yeah, Lambert does here Zangetsu's voice eventually.

Only problem is, he's about three floors up, squinting down where he is from a balcony randomly jutting out into a large, atrium-like area. ]

You coming up here or not? [ He calls, waving. Because you know, like hell he's jumping. ]

[kingsroads]

Can't you yell at me after I finish yelling at Lambert?

[ said with mild exasperation. ]

ACTION!

[moonfang]

[Everything here is just books, books, books! And the occasional spirit. But it didn't make for good landmarks, especially when the books were completely arbitrarily organized.

His ears twitch again. The voice and Lambert's reiatsu are closer, now... Ah. Up.]

Ah? How did ya get up there?! [probably some of those stairs made of actual books. Or, like, non-euclidian geometry. Who knows] Hold yer horses. [Zangetsu grasps the portfolio he found the drawing in, then crouches, and springs from the floor to a stack of books, then a taller stack of books, and so on, until he reaches the balcony.

... And sends a few of the stacks toppling in the process.]

Oops.

[kingsroads]

If your insurance is the same as mine, then at the rate you're going, you'll use it within a month.

[ Since Lambert KEEPS ALMOST DYING. And consider this: Strange is selfish and is putting himself first. ]

There's no way we'd even let the Rose Queen see the Mirror once we obtain it. We should use it to help ourselves instead of trying to go on the offensive.

[worldlyafflictions]

Sure thing, Boss! Be there in like, ten minutes.

[Probably takes a little longer than that, but he'll get there eventually.]

[atouts]

No.

[ what did he even expect ]

[kingsroads]

[ he should have expected this. ]

Well go on, get it over with.

[whattaprick]

Surviving decades fighting monsters says otherwise, but whatever makes you feel better.

You won't make another contract to definitely get rid of your curse but you're perfectly fine using an artifact you know nothing about to maybe break your curse?

[ Look, his main complaint here is that Strange's risk assessment skills are shit. ]

[sunflowerfields]

...Not even someone like that CY-Ren?

[Because that would've solved a lot of their problems.]

[anti_nonsense]

[There's an annoyed groan at that.]

Maybe if someone was on the verge of destroying the whole multiverse, yeah.

Still, CY-Ren's problem wasn't Darkness... it was the Void's hold over her. I really don't know what would've happened if her heart was turned to Light. Maybe it would've solved everything. Or maybe she would've stayed on that stupid path anyway.

[kingsroads]

And how exactly did your experience fighting monsters help against the Prince?

[ answer: it didn't. ]

I have my reasons for not wanting to make another contract. I don't expect you to understand them, but they do exist. And we know enough about the Mirror that I'd say it's worth a shot.

[anti_nonsense]

They went back to being ordinary beasts... [There's actually a hint of pity in Rita's voice. Could their intelligence really be lost so easily? It's tragic, in a way.]

I wonder if there's some way we can help them.

[atouts]

I believe I've said most of what I wished to, though you plan on ignoring any who advise you against it anyway. [ He should really be used to that by now. ] Is there nothing that will change your mind?

[atouts]

So it would seem.

[ And he turns back to the book, pages rustling over the radio. He reads, ]

"They could no longer bear the destruction of their works, and laboured to seize control of the realm. However, they were no match for their Maker in strength. Despite having the sympathy of a fraction of the Architects, the Furies were stripped of their Will and their Innocence, cast into the barrens beyond the garden. The Furies would rise many times, and each time they would be struck down, the Maker creating new Beasts in their places, without the Wisdom of their progenitors."

[ And that's it, that's all the Curator wrote (here, anyway). ]

Ms. Tanyuu seems to have uncovered what happens after this, though only relating to one of the Architects.

[anti_nonsense]

The 'Serpent', right? I was listening. She sounds like a potential ally.

I have to wonder what this 'Flame of Inspiration' is, though... Maybe it's a magic artifact of some kind?

[whattaprick]

It bought time for someone smarter to figure shit out, didn’t it? Isn’t that what matters?

Fine. Guess I’ll just have to beat you to it.

[kingsroads]

If we find a better solution, I'll simply use that. But at the moment, we haven't found any.

[atouts]

We do have a better solution. Ask the Ringmaster.

[kingsroads]

I already told you, I'm not taking on another contract.

[atouts]

Maybe she'll do it simply because she likes you. [ Or not. Who knows. ] Though I find it strange that you refuse to let a faerie help you but you will meddle with a creature of faeries in the attempt. What happened to returning to the abbey? To you and Mr. Norrell being able to figure it out all on your own?