[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

@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.

perma-video

[cahooted]

Isn't it just? And all the snacks seem to have raisins in them, what is up with that?

[He relates 100%. He also really doesn't like raisins. It is a travesty, all of it.]

Nice to meet you, Tess. I'm Flynn. I mean, I said that up there, but, you know. ... Hi.

[motherserpent]

At least raisins used to be real fruit. You can't say that for most of this stuff.

Hi, Flynn. Nice to meet you.

[cahooted]

With a big emphasis on 'used to be' and whatever they are now is made of children's tears, broken promises and sadness.

[Not that he's being dramatic about it or anything.]

So what do you do, Tess? Are you a chemist?

[motherserpent]

[She laughs. And here she's felt picky about their options.]

Hm? Oh, uh. Sort of. It's more of a hobby. Most of my work's been as a line cook.

[cahooted]

[A little complaining is good for the soul.]

I just hope you're not using your chloride for that.

[motherserpent]

Especially not the curious kind.

It's a trivial name for curium trichloride -- curium, curious. It's...really radioactive, but at least it sounds cute.

[cahooted]

Well, perfectly understandable, radioactivity needs a little cuteness in its life.

... Wait, you don't actually work with radioactive material in your chemist hobby box, do you?

[motherserpent]

I wish I'd had those kinds of resources. Except for how it'd probably make it harder to find people who'd let me couch surf....

[cahooted]

I mean, you wouldn't have to bring them...

[motherserpent]

What, I'm supposed to just leave all my stuff behind every time I move to a new town?

[cahooted]

I always thought couch surfing was more of a short term traveling kind of thing...

[To be honest, he doesn't have a lot of experience with couch surfing. Or moving.

Or carrying around radioactive material but hey, to each their own.]

[motherserpent]

I move a lot and it's a good way to keep costs down when I'm trying somewhere new.

[cahooted]

Do line cooks have to move a lot? Do you change kitchens often?

[motherserpent]

More like the other way around. I like going new places and if you can cook, you can usually find some kind of work.

[cahooted]

I guess they're always in high demand, yes. Hey, let me know when you find a way to make something decent out of the stuff we scavenge around here. That, uh, goes beyond "warm it up".

[Someone may or may not be very much of a take-out guy when he's working.]

[motherserpent]

[She has to laugh at that.]

Guess I've got a job to do even here, huh?

[cahooted]

Potentially? [He grins.]

People trade for all sorts of stuff around here. Peter traded with the music from his zune. Some cooking hacks might be worth something, who knows?

[motherserpent]

Well, first off I'm going to need some equipment. I may be amazing, but I can't do much without any kind of tools.

[She just won't mention the kitchen knife she already found. She hopes it'll only need to be used for its proper purpose.]

[cahooted]

Yeah, I guess cooking utensils are kind of rare around here. I have this frying pan. Which has been more than useful, actually? Though I mainly heat up water in it.

But I'll keep my eyes open if you want.

[motherserpent]

Man, I'd kill for a frying pan.

[Except in a place like this, with warnings about murderers on the guide --]

--I don't mean that literally!

[cahooted]

[Flynn's eyebrows shoot up and he hugs his arms across his chest, indicating that he just had the same train of thought.]

Good! Uh, that's, that's good. Killing for a frying pan, how silly would that be!

[Cue fake laugh. It's not like he was worried there. Because he wasn't.]

[motherserpent]

Yeah -- that would be just, uh. Just the dumbest. Who goes around killing people?

[Her laugh is a little less fake than his.]

Seriously though I'm not going to kill you.