3-At the Library

[chippedcup]

[Filtered to Rumpelstiltskin]
So where were you hiding all last week? I didn't see you at all. Too busy sulking? [It wouldn't have surprised her.]

[She was in the library today with her Quilava, who thankfully really didn't give off flames anymore. She picked a book from the shelves, bringing it to a table and sitting down. And then she made the mistake of opening it. Over the journal, you can hear the loud whoosh of water, the cry of a gull, the creak of a ship, and now everybody's journal is probably leaking salt water through Belle's. Then the book is unceremoniously slammed shut. And then she's dictating through the journal:]

...I wouldn't open any books today. Or possibly for the next week.

[She's currently in the library, sopping wet, with a very disgruntled, wet Quilava. Come bother?]

Comments

[youhavebeenflynned]

What...?

[Harry shakes the water out of his journal before he replies.]

You alright, love?

[chippedcup]

Fine. Just really, really wet. [She's wringing out her hair, or trying to.]

[youhavebeenflynned]

What happened? Fell into the duck pond?

[chippedcup]

No. I opened a book about pirates in the library and I got the entire ocean.

[youhavebeenflynned]

That... has never happened to me before. That's odd.

[chippedcup]

It stopped once I shut the book, but I would be careful of opening any books this week. That's the usual length of these things, isn't it?

[youhavebeenflynned]

Well, that's a relief. I'll steer clear from the library. [Which isn't such a change as he usually don't spend any time in there.]

Yeah, I guess they last that long. I'm hardly the one to ask though as I haven't been here as long as some other people.

[chippedcup]

Well, I've only been here for a few weeks. [Almost a month now.] I have to admit, there is a bit of a learning curve.

[youhavebeenflynned]

Yeah it is. It doesn't help that the castle doe all kind of crazy stuff now and then.

I've been here for about 3 months now.

[chippedcup]

Like last week. That was very strange. [She hasn't expected that.]

As far as I've heard, three months isn't actually that long.

[youhavebeenflynned]

It was apparently a world change. It happens from time to time I've gathered.

Yeah I have met people who has been here 3 or 5 years.

[chippedcup]

I suppose it's always different worlds too.

I also met someone on my first day that had been here for five years. The Castle must like them.

[youhavebeenflynned]

I guess. [Shrugs.] Some people said they had been in the Pokémon world before though.

Depends on how you look at it. Like them as wanting to keep them from their own worlds for forever? That's a strange way of showing that you like someone. [Smirks.]

[chippedcup]

Huh. [Well, that destroys her theory.]

I know. But I suppose you could say it likes us all the same, even if it's good or bad.

[youhavebeenflynned]

Guess you got a point there.

Belle, Dictated

[deal_with_it]

Sulking? On the contrary, dearie. I'm rather enjoying myself.

Rumpel

[chippedcup]

I'm glad you are, because I'm not right now. [By now the water is probably seeping through to him via journal.]

filtered forever :3

[deal_with_it]

[There's a hesitation.]

Oh? What has you so...

[Oh, water. He's taken a bit by surprise.]

...wet?

[chippedcup]

The books in the library seem to have come alive. And I opened one on pirates. [He can probably imagine what happened.]

can turn into action?

[deal_with_it]

Funny, that.

most definitely

[chippedcup]

That's because it didn't happen to you, is the only reason it's funny. [She's scowling at her journal, hoping it'll reach him wherever he is.]

[deal_with_it]

[It's not too long before he's standing behind her. Right behind her.]

If you keep making that face, it will get stuck that way, dearie.

[chippedcup]

[He startles her, and she almost backhands him as she whirls around to face him.] Don't do that!

[deal_with_it]

[He's clearly amused. And holding a towel, he's not giving it to her yet, though.]

...Want this?

[chippedcup]

[She gives him a look of annoyance.] And what am I going to have to do to get it?

[deal_with_it]

[He flings the towel over his shoulder and walks back and forth with it, looking thoughtful, holding a finger to his chin.]

Well, let's see... you already have to do most of the things I ask you to.

[He finds a chair, sits in it with his legs crossed.]

Perhaps you have a suggestion?

[chippedcup]

[She puts her hands on her hips. She can play this game with him.] Like what? Obviously you have something in mind, or else you wouldn't be saying it.

I think that's Rump for 'I was trying to be nice, dammit.'

[deal_with_it]

[Now he looks a tad annoyed.]

You know, you really should be taking advantage of this opportunity. I rarely let the other party decide their part in our deals.

Well, this is Belle for 'be nicer.'

[chippedcup]

You know, I don't need that towel. I can just get my own. [She will literally wish up a towel from the Castle just to prove that point.]

well played. :| obviously he's not so good at 'nice.'

[deal_with_it]

...I see.

[Well, it was obvious he wasn't expecting that. He knew about the wishing, but perhaps it hadn't sunk in how powerful it could be.]

she just needs to train him.

[chippedcup]

[She knows she has him beat.] So, you could be nice and just give me the towel, or I could just get another towel.

[deal_with_it]

[It takes him a moment of thought, frowning, before he snaps his fingers and leaves, looking a bit miffed about the whole thing... the towel is still draped on the chair he was sitting in, however. He just forgot it, though. He wasn't listening to what she said or anything.]

[chippedcup]

[She laughs at him, and goes over to get the towel.] Thank you!

[longaevus]

A wise word of warning. [ She'll be towelling her journal, and herself, now ]

[chippedcup]

Sorry if I got you wet. I was not expecting that. [She's completely drenched, if it makes her feel any better.]

[longaevus]

It's quite alright. The mysteries of the castle do take some adjusting to.

[chippedcup]

I can imagine so. I wasn't expecting last week, certainly. People told me that strange things happen here, but... I didn't think that strange.

[longaevus]

I certainly hadn't expected this one either; there are some things, even with knowing that strange occurrences do happen, that you can't predict.

[chippedcup]

That's very true. I think this place likes to surprise us, to get reactions.

[longaevus]

There certainly is no shortage of those, either. With each event that occurs brings a reaction, and a myriad of them.

[chippedcup]

Exactly. Maybe it feeds on them. And the people who don't have the right reactions, it gets rid of them.

[longaevus]

It is one theory, although many of the events here receive multiple reactions yet few individuals leave following them.

[chippedcup]

Hm. Then maybe it likes the ones it keeps. Or just likes the conflict.

[longaevus]

Conflict would no doubt be the better way of putting it - it certainly manages to cause plenty of it, even indirectly.