PHASE I [ 10 00 ] No matter how you feel about reading activities, you’re going to the library today. Whether you accepted that flier and its promise of 1000 credits if you came to experience the joys of reading, or you didn’t and one of the truancy bots grabbed you and dragged you there, kicking and screaming, the fact of the matter is that you’re going to the library. Today.
Now that you're here though, remember to please be quiet while in the library. The librarian will not appreciate it if you’re loud.
In fact, said librarian will gladly hunt you down if you’re loud. She hasn't had lunch yet and you look ever so tasty, after all. If you don't want to be eaten though, apologies and a hefty donation to the library will get her to back down. See how simple that was? And all you had to do was shut your piehole.
Also hey look, all of your friends are here too! You should go read with them. Quietly.
Welcome to the library.
PHASE II [ 1015 ] And once you’re in the library, well… you may feel drawn to a book. It can be any book. It may not even be the typical sort of book that you’d read. But you’re drawn to it, you pick it up, you read a few pages, and then something happens.
The effects may take hold slowly and worsen over time, or they may immediately grab you by the throat, but either way, you’re no longer acting quite like yourself.
And now that you’ve read a book, you’re allowed to leave the library without a fuss, book now safely in your arms along with your new CERES-issued library card app on your CereVice. The app is handy for things like seeing if a certain book is at the library or checked out, requesting for a specific title to be available, renewing books from the comfort of your home and checking on events happening weekly. (Tuesday Afternoon is the "Romance Lovers Book Club" and it seems to be personally recommended by Mosley himself! Wow!) Look at how handy that is! Of course, you can also try to escape through the windows without a book, but nobody will let you leave until you’ve at least checked out at least one.
Reading is good for you, kids.
PHASE III [ 100 ] Either way, you’ve escaped the library, right? You’re safe now, even if everyone around the city is acting totally strange. And, for a day or two, everything will just stay that way. Everything will probably be fine, right?
Wrong.
The third night after this disaster began, you’ll find yourself back in the library. You don’t know how you got there or why but you sure are here. One moment you were asleep in your bed, or reading like the night owl you are, and the next you’re in the middle of the library, wearing whatever you wear late at night. No judgment here, you rock those pikachu pajamas. You really do. ... Oh wait, you weren't wearing pikachu pajamas? Oops. You are now.
Anyway, the library is completely dark, and eerily quiet. But there are skitterings of creatures right outside of your field of vision, and no matter how you try, you can’t find a light switch. While nothing is jumping out at you immediately, this is also Cerealia. Who knows what’s lurking out there in the dark? Maybe you should take a swing and see what happens.
Of course, if you do get the zombie skeletons, you should feel bad about it; it seemed they were just trying to sort the books with a lot of enthusiasm. It's not their fault you were in their book-sorting way.
(Or... maybe it’s just your friends. It sure would be bad if you killed them. Please don’t kill them and get blood all over the books.)
PHASE IV [ 645 ] From the sun shining through the windows, it... seems to be morning. Yayyyy! You survived the night.
But you also made a mess. There are books everywhere, along with (re)dead zombie corpses, and they need to be sorted back into their proper places. You do know the system that Cerealia’s books are sorted by, right? Of course you do.
... What the heck is a Dewey Decimal System?
Well, either way you’d better get to work fast, because if the books aren’t sorted, you will be. If you inspect the corpses, you might notice that there's something off about them. That maybe they weren't there to attack you last night but to... clean up the library. And you stopped them, oh. So now it's your job to sort through this mess and if you don't, a certain giant metal claw will happily grab you and stuff you into a bookshelf regardless of whether or not your limbs fit.
(Also wow, rude, did the claw sort you onto the dinosaur erotica shelf?)
Either way, you can probably leave once the librarian gets here and forget this whole PR stunt ever happened. Thanks for reading with CERES!
BONUS [ xxxx ] So, remember those book clubs? It seems like they're not doing nearly as well as the library would hope (even with their sponsorship from Mosley!) so the library has decided to do something about that. Sometime during the next week, even if the effects of that book you checked out have worn off, you might be approached by some robots (holy shit are they huge too). They don't look friendly either. They'll have the official Cerealia Library logo on their chest and when they spot you they'll make a beeline right over, so you might want to run.
They're here to collect you and no matter how many times you try and outrun them, they'll just keep coming back. If you finally give in, don't mind the robot as it scoops you up (bridal style, naturally) and carries you straight to the library.
When you get there, everything's less threatening, of course. You'll be dropped right at the circle of chairs with everyone else (maybe you see a friend there too) and given a book to read. Is this... is this dinosaur erotica again? Of course it is. (Or maybe it's the robot western, the zombie noir? All these genres to choose from!)
And it seems like those robots aren't going to let you leave until you've given a detailed, thoughtful account of the main character's struggle either. They want to see tears.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
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phase ii YO.
Then he glances over and sees her, and slams on the breaks.
He would have stopped anyway, but the fact that she's a beautiful girl and has a quest to assign him makes stopping in front of her inevitable.
And then he just...sits there. On his bike. Staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights. Oh. Oh no, is he blushing? He's totally blushing, and he hasn't even said anything to her, yet.
Say something, idiot. ]
...H-hey, uh - [ He clears his throat, the complete picture of cool, except not even a little bit at all. ] So - wands, right? Wands.
Wands.
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Yes! Wands! And I need to find mine!
[ He is blushing. That's no concern of hers right now!!
Xion picks up her -- she hasn't got skirts. The, uh, hem of her Organization jacket and hurries her way closer to him. ]
You must help me! There's no one else I can turn to.
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He attempts that throat-clearing thing again, since it worked so well the first time. ]
O-of course I'll help you! Dipper Pines, Wizard Knight, at your service.
[ She seems really important. Like a queen. She's pretty enough to be one, right? So he should prooooobably dismount this bicycle and like, kneel or something. Okay.
Three...two...one...
Nope, still on the bike. ]
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[ Blinks those big baby blues of hers. ]
You must be strong, Dipper Pines. You'll have to prove to me your strength in battle should we come across any dragons. I'm in no state to fight them myself. I am Queen Xion, ruler of this realm.
[ .... he sure is still on that bike. She's starting to look a little impatient. ]
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Your majesty. [ After very carefully dismounting the bike at last - the last thing he needs to do right now is fall on his face and he knows it's just his luck to do that - he stoops to kneel before her. ] You were kind enough to help me with something before. It would be my honor to take on this quest for you.
[ ...Oh. Wait. Crap. ] Iiiiiii mean. Um. You helped me by, uh - giving me a purpose with this quest! Yeah. That's it, uh - [ He whirls around, grabbing one of the flower boucquets from his delivery basket, and holds it out for her. ]
Here! Th-these are for you!
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Ever seen a queen blush, Dipper?
Queen Xion blinks once or twice, her cheeks flushing pink. ]
You prepared flowers for your queen?
[ D-Don't sound so surprised! Xion gets control of herself and accepts them as graciously as she can, dipping her face low to smell the blooms with a bit of an embarrassed frown. Apparently Queen Xion is a bit of a tsundere. ]
Of course I did! Anyone should be flattered to receive a quest directly from their queen. I'll let your strangely specific and suspect remark pass as long as you help me, Sir Dipper. [ She stands straight again. ]
Shall we go?
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Somehow, high and mighty is easier to handle.
Though his heart is stilling hammering loudly for all to hear (or so he can only assume), he straightens with a notable effort to regain some composure. Or, rather, gain some composure that he didn't ever really have in the first place. ]
Y-yes, Your Highness! Let's not - tarry, oooooooor anything like that. [ ...Did he really just use the word "tarry"? ...Moving on.
Fortunately for Xion, her knight also happens to be an experienced investigator. ] Where did you last see your wand? Maybe we can start by retracing your footsteps.
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... ]
Maybe a dragon stole it and flew off with it! They're known to take valuable and magical treasures for their hordes.
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Sir Dipper! That must be it! A dragon must have stolen my wand!
[ She clutches her flowers to her chest, distressed. ]
Had I my magic, I could take them down in droves... but without it, I'm defenseless! That's if we ever find it... how can we possibly track the foul beast down?
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Welllllll, if you were a dragon inside this colony - [ because for SOME reason, he can't fathom the dragon flying over the walls ] - where would you go to nest?
[ He'd go somewhere tall, unapproachable...
His gaze lands on the CERES research tower. ]
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Xion steps up beside him, looking at his face, then follows his gaze.
The look that settles over her is grim. ]
This journey will be arduous. I...
[ She lowers her chin, looking down at the flowers he gave her. ]
... wouldn't have you risk your life for me.
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The tower definitely isn't the most welcoming place, but he has a job to do. ]
I can't rest knowing something so important to you has been lost. Will you let me do this for you?
[ As her loyal subject he's bound to do as she commands, but he'd feel like he was letting her down, anyway. ]
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Then she smiles, a little crookedly, something close to what a real smile on her would actually look like.
At least, before she remembers a queen should be Regal At All Times and corrects her posture and expression with a somewhat embarrassed ahem. ]
Yes. I will let you take on this quest for me, Sir Dipper. We'll go together, of course. I could hardly let you go alone. [ A deep breath, and she puts on a very serious businesslike face. ] Shall we go?
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Oh no, he's blushing again. ]
Then we must depart posthaste! [ This is probably the first and last time he will use the word "posthaste" in his life. ] Let's slay that dragon and get your wand back!
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And pointedly not noticing his blushing. But she will smile a little for him, a tiny warm thing. ]
Lead the way, brave sir knight.
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Right. Um - [ Glancing at the bike. ] Sooo, my steed can only fit one. Do you want to ride it? I don't mind walking alongside you.
[ It seemed only right that the queen should ride upon such a noble steed. ]
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I'm ... afraid I've never ridden a - [ a beat ] steed before. [ It's totally a noble steed and not a bike! ] My royal tutors were lacking in certain areas. ... we could just walk together.
[ Translation: she doesn't know how to ride a bike. Mysteriously, she could absolutely skateboard if you happened to put her on one, though she'd swear up and down she didn't know how. ]
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If you're sure. [ He didn't mind walking and leading the so-called steed, though even through his fantasy delusions he realizes that wouldn't exactly work so well.
So, hoofing it it is. ]
Alright, then! Let's go! Onward, to glory! [ He starts walking, pulling out his foam sword with his declaration. He doesn't bother to lock up the bike, or anything. It's fine. Probably. ]
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To glory, and the safety of the kingdom.
[ Xion glances sideways at him, her eyes searching her face, then looks up at the sky. She clasps her hands behind her back. She clears her throat very loudly. ]
Thank-- um! Thank you.
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Oh. Yeah, don't mention it. I mean, what good are wizard knights for if not recovering stolen wands from vicious dragons?