[network] @librarian; Evening 309; video/text [open]

[cahooted]

[Flynn would actually prefer to keep this text only but his disdain for touchscreen applications and his love for talking out loud get in the way, as per usual.]

So I hope everybody is doing okay, in a more or less okayish manner or some variety thereof. We had a bit of a difficult time lately with the memory twists and confusion and, you know, usual side dish of general horribleness going around. I'm just gonna assume that the demand for distraction is high and I am happy to announce that there have been some new additions to the library, especially our somewhat scarce fiction section.

Hello to all our newcomers, too. You have already received the important guides and information at this point, I'm sure. For those of you I haven't had a chance to speak with yet, my name is Flynn Carsen and I'd like to add some of the more leisure-oriented material to your reading list – but please, put a particular emphasis on your immediate survival, thank you.

As you will soon realize the evenings after lockdown can get long and tedious and there is not much going around in terms of entertainment, so: There is a joint effort to compile an e-library of reading material people have found during their travels or have brought with them into the city.

[He switches to text at this point, if only for convenience's sake.]

You can access the current collection here.

Among our newest additions are:

• A story about a seagull. Very post-modern, very disjointed symbolism. For fans of Ulysses, House of Leaves and Dadaism, not necessarily in that order.
• A novel about two rivals, seeking the fountain of youth to claim immortality and infamy. Predictable but fun.
• A story about a haunted house coming alive. Might hit a little close to home in this deathtrap of a city but the writing's of decent quality. Don't read when you're traveling alone.
• A bunch of manuscripts from an unknown Norfinbury author. Particularly happy about this one. There's even some screenplays in the mix. Some are already up, more will be added over the next couple of days.
• A billiard magazine. Lots of pictures. A little depressing, the rooms are very nice. Good for a cry if you miss spacious lounges, velvet couches, scotch tumblers or being rich.

I'm also happy to announce an original tale by our very own Hans Christian Andersen about a [cannibalistic animal murder mystery] badger.

As per usual, stay safe and warm and and try not to die.

Comments

@clowncutie92; video

[clowngirl]

Ohmygosh! I almost forgot! I found this sports magazine awhile back! It's no Sports Illustrated, but it ain't half bad. [She holds it up for him to catch a glimpse.]

video

[cahooted]

Hey Harley. Looks great, can you send it over? I'm sure a lot of people would be interested in that.

[Admittedly, he's not one of them but there's bound to be some sports freaks in the city. He guesses. They tend to be everywhere.]

video -> text

[clowngirl]

You betcha!

[She's forgotten to take pictures of about half of it, so the file doesn't come until later when she's had the opportunity to finish up. By this time, she just switches to text.]

better than billiards if you ask me. i didn't even KNOW they made magazines for pool.

[Attached: A sports magazine]

text

[cahooted]

Thank you for your generous contribution. A plaque of honor will be implemented asap on a park bench of your choice.

Not really a sports fan, I'll admit. Do you do the whole cheering at a team thing?

@beyonce | audio | private

[thewarningafter]

I forgot I'd finished photographing this. For your esteemed collection --

[The reason for this message being private will become clear when Stephen sends over the files for He Came by Night, an erotic novel about a were-werewolf.]

private

[cahooted]

[Stephen has no idea how much Flynn appreciates the switch to private. Or maybe he does.]

How could I forget after you advertised it so vividly.

[He came by night, seriously?]

I wonder what that's all about. Whenever censorship is involved – and I find the noticeable lack of reading materials definitely a form of it – lewd material is usually one of the first things to go.

private

[thewarningafter]

[See, Flynn, it's a double entendre....]

Think about the purpose behind any censorship here. I don't think anyone but the cultists cares about our morals, and what's more useless than lycanthropic erotica?

@curiouschloride | video

[motherserpent]

Nope, no more immediate survival. I'm going to lock myself in the next shelter and read all of these.

[Once again she's had to make sure RGBV was out of view before turning on video -- but it's worth it to at least pretend to have a face to face talk. Anyway, the poor thing's been wanting to spend all his time huddled under her coat for warmth, so it's not that hard to arrange him where she wants him.]

It's really that hard to find books here? I thought this was an entire town where, you know, people lived once upon a time.

video

[cahooted]

So long as you don't get cabin fever over it, I'd feel horrible if that happened.

[Hello, new person. Flynn beams when the collection gets such a positive response and props his chin up on his hand, eyeing her curiously.]

Unfortunately it is. So hard in fact that it's most likely deliberate.

perma-video

[motherserpent]

That's just cruel. It's not enough that they're trying to make us eat Funyuns and HoHos, they take away the books, too?

[Clearly the most pressing problems they're facing.]

I'm Tess. I got here yesterday.

@carcinoGeneticist; text

[quadrangle]

I HAVE TWO MORE.

[And attached, Flynn will find digital copies of a comedic autobiography about someone who claims to have been part of a foreign prince's secret harem and an LGBT romance with serious themes. You're welcome.]

video

[cahooted]

[Oh hey, angry troll, how u been.]

Thanks. I'll add them to the list as soon as possible.

You doing okay? What are you up to these days?

text

[quadrangle]

[What is this weird friendliness, he doesn't know how to handle it. There may be a pause.]

DYING AND REVIVING MAINLY. AND TRYING TO GET ROSE SETTLED IN SINCE SHE JUST GOT HERE.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?

@godsend, text

[termineur]

[ Flynn will get an attachment first, of whatever is left of Activating Evolution he had to send over. ]

Finally got this done. I'm going to try and archive the network posts in a reasonably organized manner now- we'll see if that actually happens or if everything is too confusing.

So how exciting is it to get an original story from Andersen? I can't wait to read it. Have you read the fountain of youth book yet?

video

[cahooted]

Thank you! I was looking forward to that, that's definitely next on my list.

[He thinks he remembers having read it in their fake future but the memory is blurry and faded and Flynn hasn't retained any of the book – which makes him all the more curios.]

Hah, you got me – yes, it's very exciting. It's great to have all these big names adding to the collection and see it grow. I know it's not contributing to getting us out of here but it's still nice to build something, you know?

And yeah, the fountain is a fun read, light adventure material. I mean, it's not Shakespeare but definitely nice if you just want to unwind a little.

video

[termineur]

[ He switches to video too, just following suit. He's smiling as he turns it on. ]

Hey, you never know- if it's keeping some of the explorers from getting too down, it actually might be helping out with getting us out of here. That's part of the reason we just hit the grocery store- we really need things to keep our morale up. Be it pie or books. I think it's great.

[ He's personally been devouring nearly every book in the library and loving that they're available. ]

I usually do like textbooks more, but right now I'm really hankering some light reading. Looking forward to it. The manuscripts too, honestly. Didn't know there'd been a writer in town.

But are you sure the horror story about a house that comes alive isn't the thing that should have House of Leaves next to it? Seems like kind of its thing.

[ And yeah, he won't be reading anything with that attachment, not unless he gets way more desperate for books than he is now. ]

@tentacleTherapist; text

[knitpick]

Your descriptions could be more specific.
My dear brother generously gifted me a piece of literature and I can't even tell if it's already included in your collection.

video

[cahooted]

Oh. I thought they were quite specific, how do you mean?

[He tilts his head.]

What is it about? I should be able to tell if it's already in the collection.

permatext

[knitpick]

It's a romance novel.
I'm not sure whether you would have categorized this as involving "aliens" or if it would have been a category of its own.
And beyond that, your current system implies there can only be one book in the category in question.
Even if this would be an alien romance by your definition, it could still be an entirely different work than the one you already have in your collection since, in my experience, humans have the imagination to produce a great many stories on the subject.
I assume this will be enough for you to identify it if you already have it, but I do encourage you to rethink your system to avoid such confusion in the future.

[And, oh so helpfully, she sends a picture of the cover.]

@bluestar // video

[dousedflame]

What's this Twoleg obsession with putting symbols on things and 'reading' them? The nights are for sleeping - it would be a waste to do anything else if you're going to be traveling.

[A pause.]

I'm not saying I disapprove, I'm just very confused.

video

[cahooted]

It's one of our ways to share stories and knowledge. Putting it in writing makes it possible for us to preserve it and read things that sometimes have been written hundreds of years ago.

Don't you guys do that, share tales of bravery or, uh... feats that renowned warriors have accomplished?

[dousedflame]

[She takes a moment to think that over.]

We have legends, and old stories to tell our kits. Sometimes our elders will talk about their own accomplishments when they were warriors - but we don't really keep those stories. We only retell stories that explain old things - like how cats came to the forest, or why the sun rises. Nothing we couldn't remember on our own.

[The concept of straying from verbal storytelling is just so alien to her... Twolegs are wild.]

@lilmonix3 | video

[thesystemisdown]

Oh my gosh, this is really helpful! Thank you for doing this. Plus-

[She beams, bringing up first one, then a second book into the camera view.]

I've got a couple of additions for you! I was actually at a bookstore earlier, but unfortunately I won't be able to go back for a while since I'm headed in a different direction.

video

[cahooted]

[Her smile is contagious and Flynn immediately returns it; even more so when he sees the books in her possession.]

Oh hey, thanks! That's very kind of you. I don't think we've met, are you... Did you just arrive?

[thesystemisdown]

I did! I only just got here this morning.