Journal the Seventh

[theabjectauthor]

[morning finds Lemony at his favorite spot in the library - a window seat with a view of the town, where the sun is bright but indirect. there's a small table off to his side, set with tea and some assorted pastries, a neatly constructed breakfast sandwich, and - of course - plenty of napkins. a stack of books sits to his other side, and on top, he's perched his journal. something about the quality of the light and the feeling of the moment almost makes him reach for his handkerchief ... and then he realizes that it is a good sort of melancholy. picking up his pen, he writes:]

To My Fellow Residents,

Over the past few days, I spent my time quietly observing what Paradisa wrought upon us: and while I could say much on the symbolism of age, the origins of the game of Bingo, and the perils of ingesting too many gelatin-based foodstuffs, I will not belabor you all with redundancy, a phrase which here means that many of you are likely discussing such topics amongst yourselves already.

Instead, I would be more interested to know how many of you possess the following traits, value the pursuant virtues, or have proficiency or curiosity in regards to the skills listed below:

☐ Curiosity
☐ Diligence
☐ Intelligence
☐ Courageousness
☐ Enthusiasm
☐ Versatility

☐ Punctuality
☐ Realism
☐ Respect
☐ Good Manners
☐ Integrity
☐ Stewardship

☐ Observation
☐ Codes
☐ Theatre
☐ Fire-fighting
☐ Lion taming
☐ (or really any sort of animal training)
☐ Self-defense
☐ Musicianship
☐ Artistry
☐ Mountaineering
☐ Cartography
☐ Inventing
☐ Rhetoric
☐ Biting
☐ Disguise
☐ Bibliophilia
☐ Herpetology
☐ Philately
☐ List-making

If the thought of placing an emphatic check or 'x' in several of the above boxes makes your fingers itch with anticipation, please speak with me, or come and join me in the library for a continental breakfast. After all, the world is quiet here. I hope to hear from you.

Very Fastidiously Drafted,

Comments

[kungfuwitch]

I've never visited the gallery, though I've seen it a few times. It does look like an interesting place.

[She smiles]

You're very welcome. I'm glad to see more people creating things here.

[theabjectauthor]

As am I. ... Though, I should think you're more curious about the list than my other endeavors, at the moment...?

[he'll pour her a cup of tea]

[kungfuwitch]

[She accepts it with a nod of thanks]

Thank you. Yes you can definitely say you piqued my curiosity.

[theabjectauthor]

Hmm. Would you prefer a straight answer to the situation, or an anecdote? I would be equally pleased to provide you with either.

[kungfuwitch]

[She smiles warmly]

Since you're such a wonderful storyteller I'd love to hear your anecdote.

[theabjectauthor]

Very well, then. [once she's settled, he begins:]

When I was very young, I was recruited to a special institution, something that I suppose you might find akin to a private school. I did not know it for several years, but it was the same school my parents had attended. It was located high up in the crests of the formidable yet fascinating Mortmain Mountains, and in its sprawling chalets, bugalows, caves, and tunnels, I spent my formative years learning of the world and what lay without.

[kungfuwitch]

[Phoebe listens attentively, sipping her tea as she waits for him to continue.]

[theabjectauthor]

All the faculty and students studied a wide variety of topics and interests - but they all shared one common goal: to share their knowledge and to fight the fires of the world, both literal and metaphorical. For quite some time, we all went about our work and our studies in relative success and happiness ... until the schism.

[kungfuwitch]

[Phoebe tilts her head slightly, curious. That school sounds very very familiar... the only thing it's missing is the magic. And if the "schism" means what she thinks it does it might hit even closer to home...]

The schism?

[theabjectauthor]

Yes. [it takes him a moment to find the words, even though it is a story he knows all too well. compressing something you have lived through into an anecdote is difficult enough when it is something pleasant, but when it is something terrible, it is akin to trying to push down the trash in a barrel with several holes, a faulty bag, and nothing to cover your hands with - or no room to use your foot, as some people with no regard for their footwear or trouser hems do]

No one knows precisely how it began, because it began slowly and quietly, the way that a seam unravels, or an egg rots, or mime with intentions of treachery slips unnoticed into a crowded plaza, but some of the faculty and students began to prefer starting the fires to stopping them. And by the time the rest of us smelled the smoke, so to speak, it was too late: the green houses, all the quiet places were burning.

[kungfuwitch]

[One of her hands flies to her mouth. She had no idea he'd gone through something so... so... horrible. And it really was eerie how similar things were to when Gideon ran Magic School.]

That's horrible! Oh Lemony I'm so sorry.