The Crimson Carnival Chapter I: Librarian Duties

--- Gregory Fischer ---

(Well, isn’t that inviting…) His face twisted into what could charitably be called a grin as he looked at what was either a fantasy or horror novel cover.

Deciding to stall on that particular gamble, he instead turned his attention back towards Briar and asked her, “So, how is this supposed to work exactly? I just open the book and…”

“And the library’s magic will drop you off at whatever location Mr. Peabody has scouted out.” Briar smiled, practically bouncing in place. “Just like in your interview!”

On that note he wondered, “How much of my interview is going to be applicable here? We talked about the broad strokes the other day but we didn’t really get into the details of it.”

“Well, I designed the interview to cover the broad strokes of everything. Didn’t I?” Briar frowned thoughtfully before counting off on her fingers. “First the book takes you somewhere with a story. Then once you find a compatible story, you start proofreading it during which you can make small Edits as needed, based on the available Ink. Wyou feel you’re done, you can then read the story synopsis aloud to send your draft to the library. At which point we’ll bring you back here to discuss things!”

“That… was all covered…” (I guess…) “But I’d still like to… clarify a few details. Just to make sure everything works out right.” (And I don’t end up in a fight with another doppelganger.)

“Sure, ask away!” His new boss told him as she flopped back into a chair and crossed one leg over the other. “After all, it's a good boss's job to help their employees however they can!”

He kept his instinctive (Bullshit.) to himself given how he was pretty sure that the naive girl was trying her best here. (She just has no idea what she’s doing. Which is why I’m here I guess…)

“Right, so the other day we talked about how ‘Stories’ are the conceptual containers of an existence. A recording of something upon the… Akashic Records, I think?” At the very least that was what he’d gotten from the extremely technical conversation that assured him that practicals aside his theory was complete and utter shit outside of his affinities for smoke and fire. “Now how am I supposed to know if a story I hear is an actual Story?”

Briar let out a laugh like he’d said something particularly foolish. “Well, every story is a Story silly~”

“Okay…” He drawled out, already reaching for his cigarettes as he instead tried, “How do I know it’s a story you’re actually going to want for the library?”

“That’s easy, I want all the stories!” Briar happily smiled as she spun in her chair.

“All the stories?” He repeated skeptically.

“All the stories.” The head librarian nodded.

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his patience even as he sarcastically asked, “So if I were to pick up some random bar story?”

“I’d love to hear it.” Briar assured him, the side of her mouth twitching. “Especially if they’re funny.”

His eyes narrowed as he took a hit of his smoke and realized, “You’re messing with me.”

“A little bit.” Briar admitted, pinching her fingers together before more seriously explaining that. “While all stories really are Stories, the conceptual weight and in turn value of every story is different. Just by going out the library will passively collect any smaller stories, histories, or rumors that occur near you via the connection to your personal book.”

“But I’m guessing that that isn’t what you’re actually after?” He pressed, hoping to get a serious answer.

The Head Librarian made a so-so gesture. “While you could just passively collect those, and I’d be content… It’ll take a lot of them to do anything for the Library. Stories with a greater conceptual weight however… Well there’s a lot of things we can do with those.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Okay, and how do I know how much conceptual weight a story has?” He frowned, because that was the question he’d been trying to ask for a good minute now.

“Your Book will record any stories you start following, the more ‘Acts’ a story has the greater it’s conceptual weight and the more work you’ll have to put into recording it’s container for the library.” Briar answered, before raising a finger. “Though as promised, I can use some of that story power to unlock new chapters for your book. With the power being based on the story you collect! I tried to show you that by giving you new ones as you went through your own story, but since I spent most of it on making your Volume there wasn’t much left over for that.”

“Makes sense…” (Stories are power. Stronger stories equal more power, but take more work. And more power of course equals more magic.) Or that’s how he’d understood it the first time around.

“So… any other questions?” Briar checked as he took a moment to think and smoke.

(Yeah,) He still had a few, but he was pretty sure if they got into another talk about magical theory they’d get nothing else done, just like the day of his interview. (Better to focus until the job is done for now.)

“Anything you can tell me about wherever this place is taking me?” He asked, tapping the book cover.

Briar tilted her head. “Um, a circus… with something dangerous? I think. I didn’t really get the best look around when we solidified the connection between there and the library. You’d have to ask Mr. Peabody for more details since he’s the one who actually scouted it out.”

He glanced at the dog happily panting away and got the distinct feeling that wasn’t going to help him in the slightest.

“Speaking of, since this is going to be your first time in the field why don’t you take him with you?” Briar suggested.

“Is that… a good idea?” He didn’t have much experience with animals. (Outside of burning the Chem and Anima mutated ones at least.) Something he felt his new boss would not like.

“Of course, even if he doesn’t really do collections, he’s still good at what he does do.” Briar assured him. “If you have trouble finding a Story on your own he can lead you to one, or at the very least help you with any stories you find on your own. Given how you two will be working together it’ll be good for you both to build a rapport now.”

He gave the dog another look before shaking his head. “Sure, but if he wanders off on his own I’m not going to go looking for him.”

As was he was going to have his hands full doing his actual job, let alone babysitting a dog.

“He’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.” Briar shrugged before giving Mr. Peabody a look. “Still, you should stay with Gregory in case he needs help. No going off to find an adventure for yourself, okay?”

The dog of course didn’t answer, and he was more focused on putting his cigarette out with his hand and tossing the spent butt back into his pack.

“Well, I guess this is it.” He sighed, looking down at the book with a crimson cover.

“Oh, before you go don’t forget to pick one of your Volumes to bring with you.” Briar told him. “We’ve only got enough power to keep one of them active right now, so you’ll have to pick between your ‘Ashes of War’ and ‘The Black Briar Librarian’. You’re free to bring Ashes of War if that’s what you feel safer with, but the Librarian books all resonate when near each other. Meaning you’ll be able to borrow some of Mr. Peabody’s power if you bring that one with you.”

“I’ll consider it.” He told her, not actually sure if he wanted to use the dog’s power. (But it can’t hurt to entertain her a bit, unless…) “Is this something I can change whenever or only while I’m here?”

“Only here.” Briar grimaced before hastily adding. “For now!”

He opened his book up and pulled up ‘Volumes Collected’ before once more looking at the two ‘Volumes’ that he’d read on the day of his interview. Figuring that a review wouldn’t hurt given how in and out of it he’d been by the end of both his ‘Proofreading’ and Briar’s lecture.

(“The Black Briar Librarian (Volume I)

-Enhance Mind Resistance (+).

-Black Briar Librarian: This soul is a member of the [Black Briar Library].”)

There was a lot more to it than just that, for the first volume but it was what he could make out through the eldritch script that continued to creep and crawl across the page rendering most of the page illegible when it wasn’t rending his mind.

All he could tell for sure between Briar’s explanation and the book’s text is that as a member of the Black Briar Library, he’d gain some kind of power from working with Mr. Peabody. A power that he couldn’t define even as he could see the answer written on the edge of his vision.

He closed his eyes for a moment, waiting for the script that wasn’t really there to fade before taking a calming breath and reading the other volume at his disposal. The one that whether because it was innate to him, or because of the trial he’d gone through to unknowingly acquire it provided far more details for him in what he could make out while causing far less stress.

(“The Ashes Of War (Volume I)

-Smoldering Ashes: Costs I Fantasy Page- Quick Read. Search your Returned Library for a Melee or Fire Page and add it back to your hand.

-Rekindling Ashes: When triggering Smoldering Ashes to draw a Melee or Fire Page, you can Consume III Stacks of Heat per Cost to immediately play it for Damage*II.”)

He still didn’t understand what all of that meant, even with Briar’s attempt at an explanation a few days prior, but the fact that he understood a larger part of the Volume’s eldritch secrets was reassuring in a way that the former Volume wasn’t.

“So which one are you taking with you?” Briar asked her curiosity clear as she watched him with a gaze he swore could almost swear was reading him as if he were a book.