[Video]

[anothershirtruined]

 [The video opens on a small dark-haired woman in 1890 style clothing sitting in a chair by a window and reading.  It takes her a few moments and several pages before she notices the appearance of a new book on the table.  Setting her other book aside, she frowns severely as she picks up the open book.]

I had been quite certain I knew the appearance of every book in this household.  Even with how many father has collected over the years.  But this I do not recognize.  How ever could it have gotten here?

Comments

[video]

[crackpotcrocker]

Maybe it just magically appeared!

[video]

[anothershirtruined]

[Amelia would later refuse to admit that she let out a small shriek as she dropped the book to the floor.]

[video]

[crackpotcrocker]

... Let guess you dropped the book? My apologies. Didn't mean to startle you.

[video]

[anothershirtruined]

[She gingerly picks the book back up and looks into it.]

Good gad, sir! What is this book? It is as if a play had been placed into its pages.

text;

[carriesparasol]

That is a question many of us would enjoy the answer to, I assure you.

text;

[anothershirtruined]

Good heavens! What is this book?

text;

[carriesparasol]

An anomaly would be an accurate term for it.

Odd and impossible as it may sound, your book has been connected to an invisible network of people.

text;

[anothershirtruined]

Odd and impossible are excellent words for it. All the same, I cannot deny the evidence of my eyes and ears.

video;

[cravats]

The community has its ways and means, alas.

video;

[anothershirtruined]

The community?

And how is it possible for you to appear in this way?

video;

[cravats]

A wide-reaching network that allows us to speak to each other through highly unconventional means. I'm afraid that my capacity to describe it more accurately than that is limited- it doesn't seem to function according to any scientific rules I've ever encountered, which is very inconvenient.

I am Professor Randolph Lyall, by the by. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Re: video;

[anothershirtruined]

Likewise a pleasure, Professor. My name is Amelia Peabody.

It all seems very strange to my ears. But I have never been in the habit of denying what is evident to my eyes.

[antibadstuff]

Personally, I'm going with magic. First time I got here I was trying to read something and it just took over. You can probably figure out how to move it if it's a book you need, but if it's not I'd stick with it.

[anothershirtruined]

Good heavens. I am half convinced that this must be some sort of absurd dream. But I have never been given to that sort of fancy.

[antibadstuff]

Not a dream. Probably not the weirdest thing you'll ever see now that you've got access either.

Hi I'm Buffy.

[anothershirtruined]

Full name please, dear. It is rather improper to introduce oneself by only the first name.

My name is Amelia Peabody.

[Such an odd name for a young lady. And what on earth was she wearing?]

[makewayforroze]

The community is able to make it appear. The same happened for me. It's strange, isn't it?

[anothershirtruined]

Strange would be an accurate observation. I would have thought such things as moving images within a book could not be anything but the product of dreams and whimsy. But I have never been given to such flights of fancy.

[makewayforroze]

Then you're from a time before videos, too? My world doesn't have them either but they've been very useful.

[Video]

[chapter_behind]

[James may not look quite as respectable as he once did, but he's still clean and well-put together, even if he has been working on the Dutchman all day.]

It appears you've already had the usual welcome to the community, madam. Has anyone explained viruses to you?

[Video]

[anothershirtruined]

They have not, sir.

[Video]

[chapter_behind]

Wonderful.

In short, the community occasionally imposes a temporary reality on us that, in one way or another, forces us to collaborate with whatever scheme is at work. Some of these are relatively minor and light hearted; some can do serious harm to the members of the community and the worlds they live in.

And yes, I realize how unlikely this sounds.

[not_a_clotpole]

I wouldn't bother asking the people here, apparently out just happens and you're stuck with it.

With any luck it'll just stay in that one book, this community follows me from parchment to parchment!

[anothershirtruined]

Good heavens! I fancy that could become irritating very quickly.

[not_a_clotpole]

It is. And I find I don't even get good advice!

It's even worse when the images come to life! How would I ever explain that if someone saw it?