Journal the Sixth

[theabjectauthor]

Jane, I would filter to you, but it seems to be of very little use, so I shall instead apologize for any lack of tact, and ask if you would care to meet me in the lobby for a walk and leave your journal behind.

[he has a feeling she might need the company of someone who will not judge her for the shape of her baked goods or whether or not she is related to people. he only heard some of it, and it was all very confusing, but one does not need to comprehend a situation to understand how distressing it must be for someone else.]


As for the rest of you, since I am quite certain you can all hear me? I have a few words of advice:

Learn to speak in code.

I would be willing to give pointers for anyone particularly interested - or there are several useful books on the subject in the library. You would find them on the second floor, in the east wing, under the Dewey Decimal heading 416 - which is, for some reason, in our library, next to several books on the subject of basejumping.

I wish you the best of luck in safeguarding your secrets - unless, of course, they are being kept for nefarious reasons, in which case, sir or madam, shame upon you.

Comments

Dictated to Action?

[cyan_maid]

[Oh Mr. Snicket, it is much more confusing than Jane can even fathom. The fact that you reached out to her at all is some kind of miracle of kindness.]

I-

...I'll be down as soon as I can.

[It takes her some time, but she'll be coming down the stairs into the lobby, looking for you every few steps. She looks exhausted.]

Perfect. :D

[theabjectauthor]

[and he's waiting with his coat on, and two travel thermoses]

Hello, Jane. ... You look exhausted. [he holds out one of the thermoses] I hope that you do not mind tea: this is African honeybush with orange. An acquaintance of mine used to drink it on trying afternoons...

[cyan_maid]

I didn't really sleep much last night. [Embarrassment can do that to a girl.]

I don't mind tea at all. Thank you so much. [She'll take it gratefully and open it to take a look.] It smells nice. Do you mind if I take a sip?

[theabjectauthor]

Of course I don't - that thermos is yours. I did, after all, bring two. [it's a pleasant color, almost orange, and smells sweet without being cloying - he thought it appropriate for someone who enjoyed baking]

Dictated

[tapshoetomove]

I'd like to hear some pointers!

[Luke's not going to comment on the broken filter thing, but speaking in code? That sounds awesome.]

I mean, if you don't mind, sir.

[theabjectauthor]

Hello, again, Luke. I don't mind at all. But I would hate to be redundant: are there any codes you already know?

Written.

[jimfromit]

[Because somebody loves being a smarty pants.]

23-8-5-14 25-15-21 19-1-25 3-15-4-5 4-15 25-15-21 13-5-1-14 12-9-11-5 20-8-9-19?

OOC: He's using this cipher.

Sorry this took so long, I love this so much though <3

[theabjectauthor]

20-8-1-20 9-19 16-18-5-3-9-19-5-12-25 23-8-1-20 9 13-5-1-14, 19-9-18. 23-5-12-12 19-1-9-4. 1-18-5 25-15-21 1 19-20-21-4-5-14-20 15-6 3-9-16-8-5-18-19, 20-8-3-14?

It's all good!

[jimfromit]

1 19-20-21-4-5-14-20? 9 13 13-15-18-5 15-6 1 13-1-19-20-5-18 18-5-1-12-12-25 23-15-18-4-19 3-1-14 2-5 19-15 2-15-18-9-14-7 15-14 20-8-5-9-18 15-23-14 18-5-1-12-12-25 1 3-15-4-5 15-18 20-23-15 8-5-12-16-19 16-21-20 1 2-9-20 13-15-18-5 13-25-19-20-5-18-25 2-5-8-9-14-4 20-8-5-13.

YAY. best thread.

[theabjectauthor]

9 23-15-21-12-4 14-15-20 7-15 19-15 6-1-18 1-19 20-15 19-1-25 20-8-1-20 23-15-18-4-19 1-18-5 2-15-18-9-14-7, 19-9-18 - 7-9-22-5-14 1 16-18-15-16-5-18 20-8-5-19-1-21-18-21-19 1-14-4 19-15-13-5 3-18-5-1-20-9-22-5 1-16-16-12-9-3-1-20-9-15-14, 15-14-5 3-1-14 4-15 1-12-12 13-1-14-14-5-18 15-6 20-8-9-14-7-19 23-9-20-8 20-8-5-13. 20-8-15-21-7-8 9 19-21-16-16-15-19-5 9 4-15-14 20 8-1-22-5 20-15 20-5-12-12 25-15-21 20-8-1-20 3-15-4-5-19 1-18-5 14-15-20 10-21-19-20 6-15-18 14-21-13-2-5-18-19.

[courageous_wit]

Mr. Snicket, it may interest you to know that the current situation we're facing has happened once before.

What are your thoughts on this?

[theabjectauthor]

Foremost, distress. .... How long ago did it occur?

[courageous_wit]

It was years ago. I wasn't here when it happened.

[theabjectauthor]

I suspect the records would be in those older journals that you told me about after my arrival, then?

[workaphilic]

[dryly:]

Won't be very good codes if they all use the same books on the subject.

HOW DID I MISS THIS TAG AAAAH I AM SORRY PI

[theabjectauthor]

Well, that's when one has to get inventive and create their own.

[by the way, he's kind of swapping codes with your mortal enemy.]

</3

[workaphilic]

[bro stop that's how you get semtex ruining your pool day]

Assuming most residents even have the capacity to be inventive in the first place.

;_;

[theabjectauthor]

[oh like he knows that]

Your faith in your fellow residents is as uplifting as ever. What are you up to, lately? I haven't heard from you in a while.

[ensorceler]

You can be quite resourceful.

[theabjectauthor]

I am glad that you think so.... It was part of my training, after all.

[ensorceler]

Training...? For what sort of craft?

[theabjectauthor]

Oh, all sorts. I went to a private school which [trained people to be polite and well read and vaguely talented in a ridiculous variety of skills so that they could help uphold politeness and general Decency] specialized in extensive cross-education.

[legacydeck]

People are far too quick to trust secrets to paper, I find. Particularly given that nobody here knows how the spell protecting their words works - or doesn't, in this instance.

[theabjectauthor]

Spell or no, extra layers of code are often a safe practice. I use them quite frequently with sensitive messages, myself.

[legacydeck]

It's fairly typical practice among mages - usually each mage will create their own cipher for their notes, as well as their own encryption spells.