i'm looking for an easy thing [ OPEN MINGLE ]

[hyperlit]

Who: Anyone and everyone! Who wants to look at books?
What: BOOKVALANCHE
When: Let's say from the 25th and onward for simplicity
Where: The Storyteller's Temple, in addition to the library that's finally getting some much-needed attention
Warnings: Mark anything that comes up!



The library is finally getting some renovations! Between some new bookshelves (hope someone here is good at hauling) and a veritable cascade of all sorts of books and supplies, an awful lot needs to be transferred from the Temple to the heretofore unused library, and any help anyone has to offer is much appreciated!

But, of course, there's also so very much to go through for your own perusal. Just look at all this! Coloring books, puzzle books, stories of all sorts, comic books, fashion magazines, all sorts of survival texts...you name it.

This all needs to be put away and stored in those neat little waterproofing book protectors - shelves need to be moved, supplies need to be secured, and someone should probably take inventory. But also...there's a lot of fresh new reading material on an island that previously had none.

Isn't that worth looking over?

Comments

Legion | OTA

[forwearemany]

(In many ways, Legion is far from the stereotypical robot, but one way in which they're exactly as imagined in science fiction is strength.

Able to carry more than just about any organic, without any of the strain, they are assisting in the transportation and arrangement of both furniture and books.

They're capable of carrying an entire bookshelf on their own if necessary, though they won't refuse help if offered.)

[hyperlit]

[A few days after things start to come together, the Drifter sends Legion a short message via Farspeech Stone. It's nothing special. It's just an alert that, should Legion wish it, the Drifter is ready to begin compiling information in a consolidated space within the library.]

[They also venture their current location - which is, unsurprisingly, said library.]

[savedbyasong]

Shion turns up to help. He is not that great at hauling huge bookshelves around but that doesn't stop him trying anyways. He goes slowly and carefully, trying not to damage them.

The books are easier to move and he helps the efforts of putting them on the shelves, taking time to use the protective covers that had been provided. He is easily distracted though, around books and there are a few times that opening the cover to attach the covers resulted in him turning to the first page, and then the second.

He usually forced himself back to work after a moment, but he hasn't read books in over a year. It was something he missed, a lot.

Which meant more often than not he needed to be poked to get back to work.

[forwearemany]

(Though their greatest and most efficient use is in transporting heavier loads, they also assist in shelving the books when necessary.

They see that another helper has become distracted. Perhaps they can snap him out of it.)

Greetings.

Asgore | ota

[journalname]

[Asgore shows up to the library just as promised. Though he had some book requests, he doesn't make any effort to actually find those books once he's here. He just gets to work.

He's strong enough to lift and move the shelves on his own. Once those are in place, though, he seems perfectly happy to just sit and methodically slide books and magazines into their little plastic protectors. It's a way to fill an afternoon.]

[forwearemany]

(Legion is also strong enough to lift shelves on their own, and thus they'll probably be working transporting shelves, or any other heavy loads that might be in need of transport, alongside Asgore.

They aren't hugely talkative, but they'll at least say hi.)

Greetings.

tim wright | ota | i'll match your formatting

[postictal]

[Tim's not good for much, but he's gotten good at hauling shit. So he's spending most of his time trying to move the bookshelves. He'll probably need some help - he might be a sturdy dude, but transport of those shelves are at least a two-person job, even with the mana pool linking them from Denny to the temple for ease.]

[If you feel like helping him with moving these shelves, he could probably use a hand.]

[In the library properly, Tim sure isn't doing a lot of time actually reading. He seems to be devoting most of his time and effort into putting things on shelves, as if this is some kind of shop that he's stocking. It feels more natural than sitting down to read anything in particular.]

[He seems to be insistent on keeping himself preoccupied.]

[Wonder what's eating at him?]

[technicallytechnically]

[Jester has done some help with the heavy lifting, here and there—she may have even been a helping hand for Tim earlier, though honestly, she probably would stand out in his memory more than he would in hers. She's sturdy, herself, and is even stronger than she looks, and she likes helping people as much as she likes making their lives harder.

It's a balance, and it's all for the Traveler. It makes perfect sense if you're one of his, you know?

So, while Tim is now doing a lot of stocking, Jester appears to now be "helping" by rearranging the books he's already placed on shelves in new, less organized locations. She crosses paths with him a few times as she works on making the library's stock as inscrutable as possible, and she's also flipped through a book that caught her eye every once in a while as she works.

Eventually, she strikes up conversation, in her strongly accented lilting voice.]

Hey, Mr. Stocker Guy, do you know if like, any of the books here have, you know...

[And here she starts doing something odd with her eyebrows.]

...romance in them? You know, I have some books from home, but I can't keep reading the same two or three books over and over again, even if they are really really good, so you know, something like Tusk Love, or The Salty Sea, have you seen anything like that?

[...Apparently, she's switched to being a customer in the midst of masquerading as help.]

[heroondecku]

Head's up!

[The cheerful warning is the only notice Tim gets before the bookshelf he's currently hauling suddenly becomes a lot lighter. If he turns around to see what's going on, he'll find himself face to face with a smiling Izuku with what looks like green electricity crackling across his skin. He's mostly been hauling things solo, and Tim might have seen him carrying bookshelves on one shoulder like they're a sack of flour earlier, but he can't help switching gears the moment he spots anyone who looks like they need a hand.

Congrats on the Helper, Tim. He's glued to you for hauling now.]

Where's this one going?

the drifter | ota | i'll match your format!

[hyperlit]

[Despite putting in the initial request, the Drifter doesn't seem to be doing much work in terms of organization or moving or arranging or even enjoying the plethora of stories that have been added to the cause. Instead, they're spending most of their time at the library's sole desk, working at the large sheets of mapping paper with copious amounts of ink and concentration.]

[Every now and then, they glance up at their sprite, bobbing at their shoulder, and it chirps softly before projecting a geometric sprawl of a map of some sort.]

[They're making maps. Maps of every island they've been to thus far, translating them from their sprite's HUD to ink and paper, for public use, at long last.]

[About time.]

[shiritai]

[ B o o k s.

Of course Violet's right here. You'd think that being trapped on an island in the middle of nowhere would be a good excuse to take a break from her studies, but really, she's just been feeling kind of guilty that she's been falling behind like she has.

She's in the middle of carrying a big ol' stack of books off to find somewhere quiet to read when she catches sight of Drifter and comes to a stop.

She can't see what they're doing from where she is (and she's not rude enough to get all in their personal space) but it certainly looks as if it might be useful. Loathe as she is to interrupt someone busy, Violet still can't stop herself from speaking up – ]

Excuse me... would it be alright if I was to interrupt for a moment?

[forwearemany]

(The Drifter is the one who coordinated the efforts to acquire the library building. They are the one who gathered the requests of fellow islanders and relayed them to the storyteller.

Though they do not wish to cause disruption, eventually they approach the desk at which they are working.)

Drifter. Thank you.

[lesbeau]

[At first, Beau thinks about the library and then thinks she'd kind of rather die. It's not that she hates libraries- it's what they represent, who runs them that leaves a bad taste in her mouth. But whoever had set this up (which she doesn't have confirmation of, but a decent guess) had seemed nice enough, and she should know where she stands with this place before it becomes a popular spot she doesn't have a good reason to avoid.

Beau enters with her shoulders hiked up, slouched down with her hands in her pockets as she surveys the place, and only notices the Drifter after she's completed her first pass. It's not enough to make her grin, but she looks a little bit less like a shady teenager about to torch the place.]

Hey. This yours?

Starflight | OTA | Will match format

[petrifiedshadow]

Starflight was itching to get his claws on some of the books, and couldn't wait to see what kind of information he could learn from them. He'd been inspecting titles as he packed them up and was keeping track of which ones to read first. But the sooner they got them moved, the sooner he could read them.

He slid two packages into the doorway ahead of him: his knapsack filled with as many books as he could fit in it, and the blanket he had been given knotted into a makeshift bag. He had been extremely careful transporting both. Starflight shoved his head in door after them, and as much of his shoulders as would fit, blocking most of the entrance.

"I brought more books! If you can unload them I can go get more."

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter has yet to meet a dragon. Their instinct is to interpret a massive, scaly, winged creature as a threat, and their hand flies to their blade's handle by instinct - but only for half a minute.]

[Then he speaks, and their hand slowly slides away. They straighten, slowly, and regard Starflight with their head to one side, before dipping their head in a careful nod.]

can fly?

[heroondecku]

[Izuku had just turned to head back for another bookshelf when Starflight's head popped through the door. It was close and unexpected enough to get a startled yelp out of him. At this point, though, he's probably getting used to this happening at the cottage, and he recovers quickly enough.

In fact, once he notices just how far in Starflight's wedged himself, he can't help laughing a bit.]

On it!

[With a crackle of One for All he hauls the book-bundles up, one in each arm, and jogs them over to the nearest table - though not before giving Starflight an unpowered teasing poke in the shoulder (more of a barely-there shove, really, because scales).] We really need to find a better way to handle doors.

Héctor | OTA

[vagabone]

[Heavy lifting is right out. No one wants a goober dropping things, especially when 'things' might include pieces of himself. But! Everything else, he's very much down for. Sorting, slipping protectors on, actually putting shelves together--sure!

Of course, willpower can only last so long, and eventually he's going to flop down somewhere clean and out of the way to actually read. He'd grabbed something almost at random and gotten fairly lucky. Something for young adults, something about a boy stranded in the wilderness... well, he can't say it's boring as far as kid's books go!]

kravitz | ota

[deathfindsaway]

[Kravitz hasn't especially been one for libraries. It's not a knock on their usefulness or practicality, he just didn't get out much when it comes to public structures before the island. That doesn't mean he doesn't like reading though, and it feeds into a conversation he had many months ago now. There must be records, something to figure out the resources they have, and hopefully the people they have and their skills. And if Kravitz is good at anything, it's being an over-glorified secretary.

He helps out when shelves are coming in, able to lift them telekinetically into place, but his real skill is organization. He's taken one of the blank notebooks and helpfully labelled it "Inventory" and is walking around, writing down names of books and materials, starting in on a rudimentary catalog. As he works, he'll mentally lift books up to him to take a look and then slot them back in place, hands writing away as his magic does the heavier lifting.

If he hears someone arrive, he'll idly mention out to space.]

Hello, welcome, do you need something-- if you're here to lend a hand, we're quite busy.

[catpiper]

[Well, she's certainly not here to help in any meaningful way. The books are just whatever, honestly. She carelessly flips through the copies, tossing the ones with way, way too many words aside and looking for more colorful images behind every cover. Different kids books catch her eye here and there, empty coloring book pages pique her interest, and they all go into a neater, separate pile that isn't very sturdy. It doesn't surprise her when he mistakes the tumble of these colorful books as someone entering the library. No, she doesn't need anything and is probably 99% of the reason he needs a hand.

She pushes the pile to the side with her foot, pulling out The Rainbow Fish with her toes when she catches sight of the shiny, sparkling cover.]

I cleaned this part.

[She did not.]

I think this one's about Lobstar's family. Have you read this thing?

[cacoethes_mori]

[Hearing Foster arrive is a feat approximately as impressive as locating the sky relative to the ocean--there is very little capacity for secrecy in hoofsteps, although that isn't to say there's no room for it. But there's no concealing Foster's presence anyway.

He rises up off all sixes to all fours, his expression shifting from a crease-browed scepticism to a frown of deep disapproval in the seconds before he spots Kravitz, matching voice to face, and... hesitates.

He briefly considers leaving, now, removing his unwanted presence before the transgression of his existence can be recognised. The desire to do what Kravitz would undoubtedly prefer (and to spare himself the event otherwise) clashes directly with the urge to do the exact opposite--the compulsive desire for recognition, mutually exchanged, the point of being acknowledged for what he is.]

Oh, you don't want my help.

[barberian]

Um...

(Oh, it's Kravitz. Yasha had been directed to him for help with where to put what she is currently holding in both her arms: a rather huge bookshelf. At least she doesn't seem to be struggling with it? She hefts it up a little in her arms, and waits for him to finish what he's doing before she speaks again.)

Where do you want this?

Ammy | OTA

[mamaterasu]

[There certainly are a lot of books to be found today, and as Ammy looks about the stranger of the items, she's curiously nosing through a few of those delightful coloring books available. The pictures therein are a bit simple, but then again...it's rather obvious these are for a younger audience. It's cute, and she's a bit tickled to try her own hand at painting a few of these ready-made drawings.

Those other things - a storybook with mainly blocked pictures and text? ...That's bizarre, but she's engrossed in no time at all with the dynamic colors, poses, and pictures. Ammy lays down, nosing the pages to turn them, reading a comic book quietly as her tail slaps against the ground. Every so often, as her eyes scan the pages, she'll growl or bark in excitement when something happens, rolling over and then quickly going back to reading.

This is so cool!! It's like a better detailed and excited picture scroll! She should have thought of asking for something like this, too!]

whoops its me again

[barberian]

(One day Yasha is going to make a little list of all the strangely human things she has caught this wolf doing and right at the top of it will be this: reading a book.

She double takes on her way past. She is helping to carry a bookshelf over, hefting it easily in both her arms, but pauses as she spots the wolf lying on the ground with a book open in front of her, turning pages with her nose. Like it's a perfectly normal thing to be doing. Which is it, if you are not a wolf? Yasha keeps walking but only so she can drop the shelf off and come back to look again.

She's still reading. She's progressed too, she's not even on the same page as she was before. Yasha watches her tail hit the ground enthusiastically a couple times, then comes to take a seat on the ground beside her.)

What are you reading?

Zidane Tribal | OTA | Will match!

[atailoftwoworlds]

[Curious about the library, Zidane decides to turn up to help. It's something to do and besides, he's interested to see if there are any adventure books or any plays. Maybe the Storyteller brought some in from other people's worlds?

Unfortunately, as Zidane searches through and stacks books, he discovers there's no such luck. There are plenty of handy books and some puzzle books and those are neat but alas, not many story books. Apart from that kid's book he found.

As he stares at one of the puzzle books while trying to put them in the correct order, he frowns. And then an idea occurs to him.] Hmm.....ya know, I wonder if I could have a shot at writing plays myself?

Ginko | OTA

[onegreeneye]

As much as Ginko would like to get right into looking at those new books, he knows he should... probably actually make himself useful. So he's gotten to work, moving shelves and supplies into place with intent focus.

...Mostly, anyway. As relieved as he is to have one more thing available to put his focus into, Ginko can't keep to one activity forever; now and then, he can by found sitting aside somewhere, flipping through a book, usually something informational. He'll make sure to get it right into a protector when he's done.

[barberian]

That's fine, but he's taken a seat to read his book precisely where Yasha means to put the shelf she has hoisted over her shoulder. It isn't heavy or anything, but it is the last one and she's looking forward to having a little thumb through the books before she leaves, so...

She clears her throat.

"Excuse me. I need to put this down."