Cram Week [Player Plot]

[tiredcharmer]

Who: The Heroes of Light
When: January 15-22
Where: The Great McGard Library
What: The hunt for Alexander's Temple takes an unexpected turn into college cramming territory.
Warnings/Notes: The combat threads will go up as soon as the introduction as finished, as that should wrap up fairly quickly.

Comments

[bleating_heart]

Asriel isn't feeling any kind of a tingling, though. Rather he's feeling deadened nerves. He's been staring at books and shelves for hours. Tyzias' groan of exasperation is contagious, and he lets out one of his own, bumping his head against the wall repeatedly to keep himself awake.

Bonk. Bonk.

His horns leave small impressions in the shelves.

[cureofmanyworlds]

Nozomi?

Sorry, she's passed out asleep. Can someone wake her up, please? This is embarrassing.

[acapriciousreaper]

Even Kuja's saintlike patience is being tested, here. "Why. Why in the name of anyone's gods is this place so damned massive. How is anybody supposed to find anything? It makes no sense!"

[bladeofconquest]

Corrin's been doing her best to keep researching, but the hours have dragged on, she's found nothing of note so far, and while she's trying to soldier on by skimming yet another huge tome, the words are running together in a blurr and she finds herself having to re-read the same page two or three times before she's actually able to absorb the contents.

Blearily, she looks over next to Nozomi passed out in the seat next to her. Corrin pokes her shoulder lightly. "Nozomi...Nozomi, c'mon, you have to stay awake." She says.

[whirluendo_of_puns]

While the others are starting their search, Patches slips away from the group for a bit to visit Ramuh's shrine. He could technically summon the Eidolon anywhere, but that would... probably be too noisy for a library.

Maybe Ramuh will be in a good mood and actually give them some advice on where to look. Can't hurt to try, right?

[tiredcharmer]

Ramuh appears in a cacophony of thunder and lightning, looking down on Patches imperiously. "What do you seek, young summoner?" he asks, beard, robes, and hair flowing in a strong wind.

[whirluendo_of_puns]

"Good day, oh wise one! We're searching for the Temple of Alexander. I know the trials are ours to face and all that, but might we at least ask you where we can find a book called The Tantarian?"

[tiredcharmer]

"The Tantarian?" Ramuh scowls, stroking his beard. Apparently Uendo's struck a nerve. "That blasted thing... it probably doesn't want to be found. Look for it in the dustiest, most unpleasant-looking corridor that you can find."

[whirluendo_of_puns]

"Ohhh, I see! Thank you very much!" Patches gives a deep bow and is halfway out of the room before the first part of the advice sinks in.

"Um, wait. It doesn't want to be found?"

[tiredcharmer]

Aaaaaaand Ramuh is gone.

But when Patches returns to the library, the crackle of static electricity draws his attention to a particularly dusty set of shelves...

[old_stoneface]

It wasn't a very good day. Vimes felt next to useless in situations like this. There was nobody to chase, and while he'd spent enough time in the care of Dame Slightly to become familiar enough with the written word to be able to read without his lips moving (a major achievement for a young lad from Cockbill Street and, for that matter, an officer of the Watch), he had exactly zero truck with libraries. There wasn't even a friendly orange furball to gently pick you up by the collar and put you down going the other way if you turned down an aisle you weren't supposed to.

"It's a long story," he added, to Corrin. "The short version being, technically I taught me everything I know. Tell you about it over coffee?" Funny thing, that. All of a sudden he had a craving for a boiled egg. Would the local greasy spoon know what he was talking about if he asked for egg and soldiers? Probably not.

He turned, as Uendo returned. "What's going on, then?"

[neverbeamemory]

Couldn't have expected anything less really; eidolons being as significant as they undoubtedly were in regards to the lore of this World. As daunting as this needle-in-a-haystack mission was turning out to be, Sephiroth rather calmly started to explore once they arrived in the village-sized archive. He wasn't about to start pouring through the books closest to where they arrived after all; that'd likely be covered by others, so he went quite significantly deeper before he turned his attention to the spines that he could read while he slowly proceeded along a shelf.

Even with great care only to pick tomes that logic suggested might bear some relevance to the illusive Tantarian, several hours later Sephiroth's found a desk to set up at; a tower of books forming on the end of it as he'd gone through them, before searching out another to look through. The irritation came somewhat in waves, though eventually leveled out into a solid determination to find something.

He's been here before after all; pouring through tome after tome in search of answers.

[littlemhigan]

Castor appears to have build a fort of discarded books around herself, somewhere in a quiet, dark corner. To her credit, she seems to actively be trying to read from each one before they get added to The Walls, but she's not the best reader, and seems to actively grow frustrated with every book that isn't the one being sought.

Eventually she emerges, and sticks her face out into the aisles. "Any luck?" she stage-whispers to whoever is closest.

[topgun_textiles]

Kanji was taking a handkerchief from his pocket and tying it around the bottom half of his face.

"I ain't leavin' with a pound of dust in my lungs. I'm gonna clean these damn shelves as I go through 'em."

Bring it on, dusty part of the library. Smelled like static around here, that's for sure. But this was their only clue. But why was Kanji cleaning as he was searching...?

[songbird_slayer]

"Heeheehee... cram session..." Now where did these books come from, tucked between the occasional tome?

But at least she knew how zoras made shark-babies. That's a thing.

The book would find itself on the wayside soon enough, though, as she dusts off another cover and starts picking through it. She's halfway through her selection now.

[einspine]

Papyrus could be doing many things right about now, but Maddie's reading's piqued his curiosity enough for him to glimpse over her shoulder, and...

Promptly blush. Oh dear

"W-WOWIE... THAT MUST BE. VERY ENLIGHTENING, NYEH HEH..." Maybe he shouldn't have pried. Stuff like that is... very personal. Even if biologically fascinating. "SO! WHAT'S NEXT ON THE READING AGENDA?"

This was certainly taking a while, though. When would they finally see progress? Well, at least the books made a welcome distraction.

[whirluendo_of_puns]

Patches returns to the others and raises his voice to get their attention.

"Good news, everyone! Looks like The Tantarian likes the dustiest, nastiest hiding spots! But uh, just so you know... I'm about 96% sure the book's going to be haunted."

...And then he's distracted by the crackle of static near where Kanji is cleaning up. Could it be Ramuh trying to show them the way?

"Oho? What have we got over here?"

sorry this took so long

[tiredcharmer]

Should the party investigate the row of shelves, they'll find it long, winding, and extraordinarily dusty--it's difficult not to choke on the air as they delve deeper within. Furthermore, the books grow both more sparse and ancient as they continue, until after two minutes of walking through eerily empty shelves, they come across it: the Tantarian.

no worries m8

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja follows when Uendo points out that particular aisle, reasoning that Eidolons quite likely know what they're talking about.

The air is tense. The shelves being empty- that shouldn't be, should it? And of course, when he comes level with the ancient tome in question he has to pause, something he can't quite put his finger on tugging at his recollection. Where has he heard the name 'Tantarian' before? It seems like something he heard once and forgot about, somehow... "Well, this is it..."

[pishirogane]

"The Tantarian", huh?

Well, it was likely going to be like the other times before going to get the previous summons...

"Is everyone ready to press forward? Satisfied with equipped jobs and loaded ammunition in certain cases?"

[topgun_textiles]

Whoof. At least he didn't shock himself too much. But there it was, the book they'd been directed to find. But the way Kuja hesitated, and the way Naoto seemed to warn everyone was enough to put him on edge. He raised a hand to his glasses and muttered a command for a job change.

In a flash, he'd decided to equip the Paladin asterisk, give it one last go before he stored it away for a time. His hand went to the greatsword at his back, grasping the hilt. He nodded to the group.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

[songbird_slayer]

"Ditto." The staff was planted in the ground and she leaned against it, donned and just a little dusty in her White Mage gear.

"But do remind me to fetch a library card for this establishment after. I never realized how desperate I was for a source of fresh stories!"

[chatwithdeath]

While Madhuri had a staff ready, Naomi had a hand on her large Chemist bag. The top rose slightly, letting a fluffy head peek out and chirp that all too familiar 'kupo!'.

"If someone thinks they'll need some extra potions, ethers, or other items, now's the time to ask."

[legalcy]

It's too dusty. Minimus feels a small, unpleasant charge travel through his frame at the sight of shelves that had not been maintained for months on end. He wasn't an employee. It was not his job to perform the work of the employees. He had no wiping rag.

...He gripped the sides of his iMog Slate. Mogsuan looks on worryingly and tapped his leg. "Kupo," he said apologetically.

Minimus squinted at the book set so tightly in its shelf. Somehow important despite its placement designed to be overlooked. He supposed that was meant to be poetic in some manner. "Enough. One of us check for any traps and carefully remove the item."

Later one, he'd have a word with the library establishment, ask that it seek more staff members to clean the aisles.

[bladeofconquest]

The closer they get to the Tantarian, the more unsettling the library becomes. Once they're back they're really going to have to warn the staff about this area; it looks like it's in desperate need of maintenance. And, of course, the haunted book; they'll need to do something about that.

Corrin likewise has donned her Nohr Noble attire, and Shadow Yato is in her hand. "Ready as I'll ever be." She nods. "As long as we've got each other's backs, we'll be fine."