[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

[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.

[cahooted]

Haha yeah! ... Well, murderers do, generally, they... they do that. That's what they do.

[Right.]

I am so very glad to hear that.

[motherserpent]

...Ask a stupid question....

[Give her a second, you've made her giggle.]

[cahooted]

[Heh. Flynn ducks his head, grinning. Okay, she really doesn't seem very murdery, he thinks he's okay.]

Sorry. That's not what I meant. It just came to me.

[motherserpent]

[Just count your lucky stars you'll never have to meet her dad.]

So what do you do back in the real world? I'm guessing it proooobably begins with an 'L' and ends with an '-ibrarian.'

[cahooted]

[Now it's his turn to laugh and he clasps his hands together in mock shock.]

Wow, you were holding out on me. You must be a detective! Admit it, the whole line cook thing is just a cover.

[motherserpent]

[Oh gosh have the realest laughter; she's absolutely not faking it at all, nope, super real laughter over here.]

No, no, just a line cook. Never really amounted to anything, just ask my parents. Something something wasted potential something.

[cahooted]

[Congratulations, Tess. That totally doesn't bring a frown to his face because that sounded so real and genuine.

Okay, something is obviously up and Flynn searches her face but it doesn't tell him anything. Not for the first time he feels stumped, like he should know there is something that should just come to him by looking at her but doesn't, like he's missing a basic sense.

This stupid city, seriously.]

Oookay. ... Well, I guess your parents and mine would get along. My mother thinks all I do is "put books on shelves".

[motherserpent]

[Don't look at her like that, Flynn. Why is this so hard? She was this person she's describing just a couple years ago -- okay, a decade ago -- and she should remember how to act it. Gods walk among mortals unnoticed all the freaking time; it shouldn't be this hard.]

Is she wrong? I mean, not criticizing; we who enjoy taking books off of shelves salute you. I've just never been that organized.

[cahooted]

[He's used to his mother's jabs at his profession so he just laughs, unoffended.]

It's a little more than that. You don't just "throw food in a pan", do you?