Quest 218

[primrosella]

Well, yesterday's curse was certainly...interesting, wasn't it? And quite odd, too, with all that talk of feeding and hacking at things and poking around frames, main or otherwise. I always rather wonder about curses like that, since they always seem to come with a whole new set of language and the people that are cursed with it always seem to know all the ins and outs of it, too. Do people really talk that way, I wonder, or is it all made up for the sake of the curse? I've certainly never heard anything quite like it, myself.

I have heard of the one we had before it, though--the one where everyone found themselves stealing horses or apples or the girdle of an Amazon queen. At least, I recognize something quite like it. We have stories of heroes in Daventry, and one of them is about a hero that had to perform ten labors as a sort of penance for something he'd done wrong, and then when he'd finished the ten he was told he had to do two more, because he'd had help with two of the first ten. So it ended up being twelve all told, and most everything I've heard about what happened that day seems to fit with the sorts of tasks he was asked to perform.

It's a good story. I've been reading a lot of them, actually, which is why I haven't been around on the Network as much lately; I have a bad habit of getting caught up in my books when I read, and then the next thing I know the hours have just flown by in what seems like an instant. I remember a long time ago, back when I first started working at the Library, my friends got me a little clock that I could set to keep time for me, so that I wouldn't get all caught up in the books in the Library and forget to eat or sleep from trying to read them all. I still have that little clock, too, even though most of those friends--

...Which reminds me, has anyone seen Duo lately? He has a habit of coming and going, so it's not that I'm worried yet exactly, but I haven't heard from him in a while and I'd like very much to know if anyone else has.

Er. Yes, but stories! I've nearly gotten all of my lines for the first act of Neil's play memorized, which hasn't been quite as easy as when I was Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, but that's only to be expected since I've been reading Shakespeare since I was a girl, and we only just discovered this play earlier this year. She's a funny girl, Gwendolen--that is, the girl I'm pretending to be. She's very frank and terribly particular and she decides that she's going to fall in love with someone by the name of Ernest, no matter who it is or what else there is about them, because she likes the name so much. I think it'll be fun trying to play her, even though she's not--at least, I do hope she's not--very much like me at all.

Mm, I can hardly believe it's almost autumn now. It was a terribly busy summer, and now it's September already, and that means October is next month again already. But there are plenty of good things about autumn, too, even if it's not one of my favorite months. There's apples for pie and cider, and all the leaves turning colors, and cool and pleasant evenings still light enough for walking.

And, of course, the fun of curling up under a blanket with a good book! I'd enjoy myself reading anytime, of course, but there's something particularly wonderful about snuggling in under a blanket to read. Or...or spending time with someone while you did. I think that must be wonderfully nice, too.

Comments

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

You're a bit ahead of me in memorizing your lines. I've still a bit more to go.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Well, I've been keeping myself busy with it the past few days, so I suppose it's only to be expected that all the extra practice must be helping. It's a shame it's not quite so easy as Shakespeare, though.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

And you only think Shakespeare is so simple because you've been reading him for so long.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Well, and in the same way, because we had him at home. But this time Neil and I were trying to pick out a more modern play, so that more people around here might be interested in joining it. I seem to recall a lot of people feeling rather daunted by the prospect of Shakespeare, last time.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

It's more modern, yes, though perhaps not so modern as the worlds some people come from. Still, yes, I remember a lot of people were rather daunted by the prospect of Shakespeare. So perhaps it is better.

[horrible-penny.livejournal.com]

That one curse was based on a story? That makes a lot more sense than Citywide kleptomania. I bet the story's better than watching it all happen in person, though.

When's this play? I'd love to come see it! And if you guys need any help, I wouldn't mind lending a hand.

Don't worry about this month, or this season, or anything after today.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Well, sort of. It's a bit of a repetitive story, I suppose, because the hero keeps being set to tasks, and he keeps going out and completing them. And most of them are just things like slaying monsters or capturing them and bringing them back, but a few of them are different, like cleaning out a set of very filthy stables or retrieving the girdle of an Amazon queen.

I don't know if we have a set date yet, but I think it'll be fairly soon! We're all working hard on our lines, and I think Neil is planning to start full rehearsals soon, too. But I'll be certain to let you know when we have one!

[horrible-penny.livejournal.com]

Girdle of an Amazon queen, huh? The City must've been okay with a pretty lose interpretation of the story. Is there anything about catching dogs in there, or stealing apple pies?

Thanks! Live shows are amazing--way better than television. And it'll be even better because you'll be brilliant.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Um...well, in a sense, yes. One of the tasks was to catch Cerberus, which was a sort of monstrous dog with three heads. And they weren't apple pies, but there was something about taking apples themselves, yes--golden ones, if I'm remembering it correctly.

Well, it's going to be very silly, I can tell you that! We've picked a wonderfully ridiculous one this time, so I'm sure it'll be a lively time for the whole audience.

[horrible-penny.livejournal.com]

I guess that makes as much sense as the girdle.

What's it about? Or should I try to avoid spoilers?

[no-defender.livejournal.com]

I have most of mine memorized, not that I have to learn as many as you. I keep wandering around muttering, "My metaphor was drawn from bees," so I must have looked a bit crazy these past few weeks.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Good, I'm sure Neil will be glad to hear it! The part about having your lines memorized, that is, not about people thinking you might've looked crazy.

[no-defender.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm used to looking a little bit crazy to other people--it means I'm working through a problem. So he should be glad, to the extent that it means I was trying very hard.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Oh? Do you have a habit of talking to yourself while you work it out, too?

[no-defender.livejournal.com]

A little. Sometimes there are hand gestures. I also think best when I'm outside and particularly when I'm walking around, so it all combines very problematically.

[wandbreaker]

I think I almost wish I had been cursed like that.

Are you spending time with a specific someone or is the entire Network going to be reduced to guessing?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Which one? The one about hacking at frames, or the serving out labors one?

Well, at the moment I'm spending it by myself, but I do like spending time with all sorts of people, you know.

[wandbreaker]

Hacking at frames. At least then I'd understand what everyone was going on about.

Some more than others.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, but I imagine it only would've lasted for the day. I was cursed with it yesterday and I couldn't tell you half of what I was talking about today, even if I tried.

That's only to be expected, isn't it?

[wandbreaker]

Well better than you asking what a cleaning frog is.

Well, naturally.

[had_not_lived]

Some of these curses, I just... don't even try to follow along.

What have you been reading?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Yesterday's was really rather something, wasn't it?

Oh, all sorts of things, really. Reading through our play made me think of going to the Library to see if I could find any other modern stories, and I found a book of short ones by a man named Hawthorne, so I've been looking through those. And plenty of fairy tales, of course, but that's the usual.

[had_not_lived]

It was fairly unintelligible. I'm glad I wasn't affected by it, I always feel strange after those, when I can't remember what anything I said meant.

Nathaniel Hawthorne?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I always wonder about those, too! I always think I know what I'm saying while I'm saying it, but then as soon as it's over I couldn't tell you a word of what it meant if I tried.

Er. I think so? The book just said "Hawthorne" on it in big gold letters. Did the one you're thinking of write a story about a man named Brown who takes a walk through a forest?

[had_not_lived]

I guess it has to be that way, if the curse is going to make any sense while it's going on, but... it's definitely strange.

Probably, though I'm not sure I've read that one.