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

[all_too_familiar]

Savril just grins.

[aestrix]

"Right. Okay."

[pythbox]

"Sure, let's see yours," says Tierval.

Serin finally manages to get ahold of himself.

(Orion, over there reading a book, looks amused.)

[all_too_familiar]

"This way," says Savril brightly.

Out of the library he goes, and to Lady Larivias's office.

"Hey mom! The little genius brigade figured out my terrible terrible misdeeds! They want to judge my work and find me wanting!"

[aestrix]

His mother opens the door.

"Ah," she says, deadpan. "Well at least now they can appreciate the irony."

She glances at Kavetnia before doing anything else, to judge how she's taking this information. ... Okay for now, but she'd like to have a talk with her while the boys geek out.

"I will appreciate discretion," she adds, opening a drawer and removing the false bottom and retrieving a smooth, flat stone. She tosses it to Savril. "If you wouldn't mind."

[pythbox]

"Of course," Tierval assures her seriously.

[aestrix]

"Thank you," she says. "Kavetnia, may I borrow you?"

Kavet nods, and smiles a little.

[all_too_familiar]

"Thanks mom."

He hands the rock to Tierval.

"Back to the library, so you can judge my work and find me wanting. And probably test it out."

[pythbox]

"Absolutely," says Tierval, studying the rock in fascination. "This thing's pretty neat."

He glances at Serin, and there is a very very brief Triplet Conference. (Orion is still back in the library with the bookpages.)

"Which doesn't mean he won't ruthlessly critique your mana expenditure," says Serin.

"I like efficiency!" says Tierval.

[all_too_familiar]

Savril cracks up.

"Sure, critique as you like. I can make a new version." Pause. "... This is actually version five, by the way, it took me ages to realize the illusion thing was a waste of mana. I think I just liked the idea of having a rock that could spit out illusions."

[pythbox]

Tierval giggles.

[all_too_familiar]

"Mom was of the opinion that if I was going to break into houses I should do it right. You know. Along with the general exasperation," he says conversationally. "And then she got annoyed with formatting and pompous writing styles, and it was a good idea to not have the books be written exactly like the ones I copied... So, long story short I dragged both of my parents into a life of crime. I regret nothing."

[pythbox]

"That's amazing," says Tierval.

Serin glances at him, and they exchange a Meaningful Look.

"...Can we help?" asks Tierval hopefully.

[all_too_familiar]

"I mean. Yes and no? Obviously you are excessively talented in magic, information gathering, and general sneakery, and probably would be better at it than I am, but there's a difference between going to go do a risky, possibly stupid thing myself, and then bringing other people along for it. So - yeah, feel free to help with brutally critiquing my form, helping me case places, and turning the rock-books into book-books or the like, but I can't in good conscience go, 'Yeah sure come along and be hooligans with me,' you know?" Pause. "Also I have met you, and I can only imagine what your parents are like, from what little I know I do not want to get on their bad side."

[pythbox]

Tierval snickers. Serin grins.

"Yeah, that's fair," says Tierval.

"What if our parents say we may?" wonders Serin.

"...Would they?"

"They might."

[all_too_familiar]

"If your parents say you may... we can give it a shot, I guess?" shrugs Savril.

[pythbox]

Tierval beams. Serin laughs quietly.

[all_too_familiar]

Savril wonders what sort of unstoppable horror he might have just unleashed upon the world.

...

Yep, that's some unstoppable horror he might have just unleashed upon the world.

Oh well. Nothing to be done for it now, let's get back to magic geekery.

[pythbox]

Tierval is very excited about the magic rock.

...Tierval has an amazing gift for magic analysis. He discusses the magic rock's characteristics casually, as though unraveling their intricacies took him no effort at all.

[all_too_familiar]

Well, that's incredibly impressive! Savril is perfectly happy to listen to Tierval analyzing the magic rock for a while, occasionally asking questions.

Is he going to be bothered by being outsmarted by a ten year old? Nah.

[pythbox]

Serin comments less frequently, but it's clear that he's following along. Where Tierval advocates heavily for efficiency and shortcuts, Serin is more likely to make suggestions about how to get the same result more elegantly, or issue reminders about relevant details.

[aestrix]

After a lot of magic talk, Kavetnia ambles into the library, carrying an orange tabby.

"Hi," she says.

[pythbox]

"Hi!" says Tierval.

Orion looks up from his book and smiles slightly at the cat. Serin gives no indication he has even noticed her enter the room; he is apparently still thinking about something someone said five minutes ago. He does that.

[aestrix]

She smiles back at Orion.

"Are you working on the library copying spell some more?" she wonders.

[pythbox]

"Yeah!" says Tierval. "It's fun."