Search for traps and treasure

[aestrix]

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.

Comments

[pythbox]

"Don't worry," says the reading one, not looking up from his book. "If you hang around him long enough, you'll find lots of things to blame him for."

"Hey!" protests the talkative one, trying and failing to contain his giggles.

[aestrix]

"Is that supposed to be an incentive to hang around him?" laughs the girl.

[pythbox]

"Never a dull moment," says the reading one, smiling. He turns a page.

The talkative one continues to fight a losing battle against a gigglefit.

[aestrix]

"Ah. Dare I ask about previous adventures?"

[pythbox]

"Well, we probably shouldn't tell you," says the talkative one.

"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.

[aestrix]

...

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.

[pythbox]

The talkative one bites his lip and looks at the quieter one, who shrugs.

"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.

[aestrix]

The girl frowns.

"... My parents might be upset that I didn't tell you to shoo or alert them that you're here," she winces.

[pythbox]

"We could leave right away and then at least you wouldn't get in trouble?" suggests the talkative one, even more conflictedly.

[aestrix]

"I'm less worried about getting in trouble and more - they have good reasons for wanting me to do things? And it is kind of dangerous for me to stand here and talk to you instead of getting them. I messed up a bit," she sighs.

[pythbox]

"I guess that's technically true," the talkative one admits. "I'm just not thinking that way because I know I'm not dangerous."

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.

[aestrix]

"I could probably explain things. My parents are pretty understanding."

[pythbox]

"And what would your explanation be?" wonders the quieter one.

[aestrix]

"Uh. Probably - 'Hi mom, I made friends, they broke in to read our library but they seem nice, don't be mad?'"

[pythbox]

The talkative one giggles. "If it works and they're not mad does that mean we can come back and talk to you again? Because that would be cool!"

"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.

[aestrix]

"I mean, maybe? I'm not sure, I'd have to talk to them to know." Pause. "... It would be cool, though. But please don't break in again, that would probably actually upset them."

[pythbox]

The talkative one and the quieter one look at each other, and then the talkative one reaches out to nudge the shoulder of the reading one, who looks up from his book. There is some sort of short silent triplet conversation carried out mainly in glances and facial expressions.

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."

[aestrix]

She watches the silent triplet conversation with a large degree of curiosity.

"Well, good. Thank you," agrees the girl, just as serious.

[pythbox]

He smiles at her and bounces excitedly. "Do you think your parents will let us be friends and not be mad we broke into your library?"

[aestrix]

"Well," says a woman carrying a cup of tea. She steps into the library. "If your parents are okay with it, and you don't break in again, it's all right by me."

The girl blinks and shrinks a bit. "... Mom?"

"Hello, dear. Hello, assorted young hooligans," she says, sounding amused.

[pythbox]

The talkative one startles when the grownup walks in; even the reading one looks up sharply from his book.

The quieter one just says calmly, "Hello, Lady Larivias."

"We're sorry we broke into your library," the talkative one adds.

[aestrix]

The lady inclines her head to the quieter one.

"Thank you." Tea sip. "Might I ask who your parents are?"

[pythbox]

The reading triplet sighs and puts his book down and glances at the quiet triplet. The book vanishes. The three of them look at each other for a half-second Triplet Conference; then the talkative one turns to Lady Larivias and says, "Arrada Kastien and Kieriele Nasirah."

[aestrix]

She raises an eyebrow. "Ah, Fyndrihar's daughter, that's where she went, I'd been wondering. And if I go tell the both of them where you've been, what do you expect will happen...?"

(Her daughter is being very very quiet and sort of pretending that she is not at all there. Though she's listening intently.)

[pythbox]

"They'll tell us off for breaking into your library, and we'll say we promised not to do it again, and they'll say they're slightly disappointed but it could've been worse, and that'll be that," the talkative one predicts.

"Mother will want me to explain how I did the book," the quiet one predicts.

"Yeah, that too," the talkative one agrees, grinning.