Entry tags:
Search for traps and treasure
There is a library.
It is actually an excellent example of one: it has books on history and philosophy and astronomy and science and languages and even a little modest section for storybooks, tucked in a corner against the wall. These books are all easy to pick up off the shelves and read, like ordinary libraries.
The books on magic, on the other hand, are behind locked and spelled glass, with their position signatures scrambled and constantly shifting so they can't be teleported away, each one built to set off a silent alarm that'll alert the owner if touched, and to turn completely blank if opened without permission. And then burst into flames if someone tries to force it to show what it's hiding or tampered with in the wrong sort of way.
Just another day in Kystle. Stealing peeks from books in a mage's library is not recommended for the casual reader.
It is actually an excellent example of one: it has books on history and philosophy and astronomy and science and languages and even a little modest section for storybooks, tucked in a corner against the wall. These books are all easy to pick up off the shelves and read, like ordinary libraries.
The books on magic, on the other hand, are behind locked and spelled glass, with their position signatures scrambled and constantly shifting so they can't be teleported away, each one built to set off a silent alarm that'll alert the owner if touched, and to turn completely blank if opened without permission. And then burst into flames if someone tries to force it to show what it's hiding or tampered with in the wrong sort of way.
Just another day in Kystle. Stealing peeks from books in a mage's library is not recommended for the casual reader.

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"Hey!" protests the talkative one, trying and failing to contain his giggles.
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The talkative one continues to fight a losing battle against a gigglefit.
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"Unless she wanted to come on adventures with us," the quieter one suggests.
The talkative one lights up excitedly, then deflates half a second later. "Nah, we can't," he sighs.
"Mm," says the quieter one, acknowledging without quite agreeing.
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Okay she might not even want to go on adventures, but just being told she flat out can't is another thing entirely.
"Why can't I?" she wonders, just a hint of challenge in her voice.
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"It's... kind of complicated," says the talkative one.
"Could be summarized as, 'our parents will be upset'," says the quieter one. "But then, our parents are already going to be upset that we broke into someone's library."
"Not if we don't get caught," says the talkative one.
"They will know," says the quieter one.
"What, are they looking?"
The quieter one half-smiles. "No, I just know them."
"Fair point," the talkative one concedes. He looks conflicted.
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"... My parents might be upset that I didn't tell you to shoo or alert them that you're here," she winces.
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The quieter one snorts. The talkative one rolls his eyes and gives him a gentle brotherly shove in the shoulder. "You know what I meant. I'm not, like, going to hurt anybody."
"I'm not going to get to finish this book, am I," says the reading one.
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"Technically we could come back whether we're allowed to or not," says the quieter one.
"Yeah but - it's different breaking into somebody's house after you've met them," says the more talkative one.
"Really? Why?" wonders the quieter one.
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Then the talkative one turns to the girl and says solemnly, "We promise not to break in again unless it's really actually important and not just for fun or because we feel like reading your books."
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"Well, good. Thank you," agrees the girl, just as serious.
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The girl blinks and shrinks a bit. "... Mom?"
"Hello, dear. Hello, assorted young hooligans," she says, sounding amused.
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The quieter one just says calmly, "Hello, Lady Larivias."
"We're sorry we broke into your library," the talkative one adds.
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"Thank you." Tea sip. "Might I ask who your parents are?"
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(Her daughter is being very very quiet and sort of pretending that she is not at all there. Though she's listening intently.)
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"Mother will want me to explain how I did the book," the quiet one predicts.
"Yeah, that too," the talkative one agrees, grinning.
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