Hello hello everyone, and welcome to the Poetry, Historical Fiction, and Script collaborative story for this session of SWC! Before contributing, please read this entire post which includes rules and guidelines. The next post will include our story’s beginning.

How does it work?
I've started us off with the start of a story! And Sun will be posting the next part, but after that, anyone is free to contribute to it, you don't need permission! You do, however, need to read this entire first post, as it has the rules and will make sure this goes as smoothly as possible!

How do I contribute?
First, you make sure no one's “reserved” the next part - go to the last page of this forum and check if the last post is someone “reserving” the next bit of the story. Additionally, if they have but the post is over 10 hours old, you can reserve anyway.
Then you make a post in the forum reserving the next part yourself. This is so other people know not to make the next part while you're working on it.
Then you write the next part, and post it in a separate post. You need to make a new post so everyone gets a notification and knows the story's open again!

How much do I have to write?
You can write up to 2000 words! Please don't go above 2000, as we want to give other people a chance to contribute. There's no lower limit for word count, but you need to try for a paragraph, and a couple sentences is the bare minimum. We want to emphasise quality over quantity, but any less writing and it wouldn't be fair to give you the in-cabin rewards

What do I have to write?
You can write anything, and you don't need to ask permission to make things happen!

What are the rules?
- Let's keep the story in 3rd person (e.g. “she did this”, “they did this” instead of “I did this”) to avoid confusion
- Keep it scratch-safe!
- Let's make sure it stays present tense! (except for flashbacks of course)
- Let's do our best to keep the consistency! This means reading pre-existing posts before making yours, so you don't accidentally erase any character traits or memories. Let's also keep characters' names and stuff the same
- For the sake of simplicity, let’s keep to the one perspective. No split point-of-view :))
- Have fun!

Anything else?
Yes! Anyone from Poetry, Hi-Fi, and Script can contribute, so if you are in any other cabin please don’t reserve parts. Feel free to spectate though!
Additionally, please don't quote posts. Just make a new post, you don't have to “quote” the previous one or starting one. If there's an issue (say, a consistency issue) with someone's contribution, talk to them about it on their profile.

Thank you Kat for the inspiration and much of the rules list from the Sci-Fi/Hi-Fi collab story in March 2021.

And here’s the story’s start!

Astrid Wither knows, with the bone-set certainty only librarians possess, her end will not meet her today. Even out of breath, even running far faster than any academic should ever expect to, even as she topples shelf upon shelf to destroy her path through the labyrinthine stacks, she is certain that her pursuers won’t reach her.

But doesn’t it feel grand, she thinks with a grin, just to feel my blood flowing again? Nothing like a troupe of thieves to get the adrenaline pumping!

To be honest, not that honesty is a value Astrid puts much stock in, she can’t remember the last time she had this much fun. Calliope won’t like that—they won’t like any of this—but what even is the point of preventing thieves from reaching the heart of the Enduring Library if you can’t have a good time doing it? Not that the Head Scribe would understand; Calliope always prefers following the rules to their extreme above simply living a little.

And that’s why Astrid hasn’t actually spoken with her older sibling since the two were promoted from lowly pages to true librarians. That and—

“There she is! Don’t let the little scriv out of your sights!”

At the rough sound of the thief’s voice and the commencing thumps of approaching footsteps, Astrid grits her teeth and narrows her eyes, then stops at the base of a grand marble column. Turning to face her pursuers, she drops her determined grimace in favor of an expression edging on uncertain.

“Now, now, I’m certain this was just a misunderstanding,” she begins, channeling the fear many of her colleagues would have in her position, as the thieves circle her. But Astrid Wither is not afraid, not now, not of these common thieves. She is certain this will all turn out in her favor.

Reserving for after Sun's part ^^ I'm excited!!!! (but I'll wait for the next) (this is how it works, right?)

The thieves are somehow so in sync with one another that their feet stomp together in a slow, ominous beat as they circle around Astrid. It echoes through the now-in-shambles Library, thrums through the very foundations of the building Astrid has come to hold so dear. I wonder if anyone heard that, the librarian muses idly, almost tilting her head before she remembers she is putting on an act. Not that there's usually anyone here at this late hour.

“Misunderstanding?” The lead thief appears to be the one in the center of circle, hissing their words out through grit teeth. “Oh no little scriv, everything seems to be exactly in order.” Though their grin is not visible through the black mask over their face, Astrid can see it in their eyes as they leer. “You are going to take us into the Heart, to the original copy of Homer's Odyssey, and then you will show us out with no bumps or troubles or secret calls to the Order of Bibliotaphs. I don't seem to see any misunderstandings in that, do you?”

“O—Oh, no…” It is painful for the librarian to have to put on such a pathetic act such as this, but this is what she has to do. This is how she wins. (No matter how many times she has to remind herself of that.) Instead, Astrid forces herself to focus, mind racing. How do they know about the Order of Bibliotaphs? Why are they after Homer specifically?

“So shall we be on our way?” The lead thief intones softly, revealing a shining blade from under their cloak.

“Yes, of course,” Astrid replies just as softly. (She knows this Library like the back of her hand, better than the home she never loved and a world that didn't care—)

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” The thief tilts their head the same way Astrid wanted to, and even though she doesn't know why, it irks her to no end.

"This." She grits her teeth and kicks back at the button at the base of the column.

not sure if I can reserve yet but in the case that I can - reserving for after readingCat11's part ^^

I don't know when to reserve, but I'd reserve after Fae's part ^^

Reserving after Iris- Hopefully I can do that ;w;

reserving after rosybeth!

And then the world went purple with smoke. Astrid, having trained in secret for this, dropped to the floor and silently reached for a lever on the floor. Loud music blared from hidden loudspeakers. Oops, Astrid thought. Wrong lever. She didn't, however, turn the music off, thinking it would serve to discombobulate the thieves even more. As she bobbed her head to “Faded” by Alan Walker, she pulled a lever on the floor, making the already stumbling would-be robbers leaning on the walls to be punched in the face. She was feeling smug and accomplished when she felt someone’s warm breath on her back.

“Remember, you’re not the only one who knows the Library’s tricks.”

Astrid froze as the leader picked her up by the shirt collar and sneered at her. “Little maggot. It’s a shame you're guarding this place. We sure could use a bit of your spunk in our ring. Our family.” Then they dropped her and flipped the lever to clear the air of toxins.

168 words XD I totally forgot to follow the conversation whoops -_-" so here is a (surprisingly) not-as-late-as-you'd-think reply >w<
It looks so small D':

Reserving after wilde-gray, very excited!!!

Hello <3 My part ^^

right, right, all according to plan.. though indeed, the robbers were more than she had accounted for. She still had options, though perhaps they know of these too?.. doubt spread like a veil, clouding her thoughts.

“Hello little girl,” the thief tapped her between the eyes, “anyone home?”

“Here’s what your going to do,” drawled another, “your going to get up, and lead us to the heart, and let us take the book, sound ok?” Patronising as it was, Astrid endured it with a placid face. All part of the act..

A third seemed determined to add his worth too, “And don’t you be trying to lead us the wrong way, ‘cause we know!”

Alas! Unfortunately for you it was not the plan. No, I will be leading you there, though perhaps, you will not like what you see. Though again, doubt tricked though - the library seemed to be failing her today. If I’ve ever desperately needed help, now would be the time.

She had been told, of course, as all had when they became librarian, how in times of need, the library would shift, to help, in whatever library fashion it could. Much like the room of requirement – she remember she had laughed upon being told, scored the very idea – and yet it was, though much more real. Though today, the library seemed to take a side against her, almost as if it is helping them..? For they knew all it’s tricks, perhaps even the way to the heart itself. If so, then what use am I? a bait, a decoy?

reserving after Thistlepaw1 <3

Reserving after charliesunset

not sure if i can do this lol <33 buttt, reserving after @.purvitekriwal

ack this is late because i somehow managed to unfollow this thread vgbhnb

I love the enthusiasm! :DD However, because long lists of reservations can be somewhat hard to follow, I’d rather keep it to just one person reserving at a time. It’s been over ten hours, so anyone is open to reserve now.

reserving after Coco_animator

Wait if the next person hasn’t posted and their thing is over ten hours old, can I do the next part?

Thistlepaw1 wrote:

Wait if the next person hasn’t posted and their thing is over ten hours old, can I do the next part?

yep!

The thieves repeated their question, but Astrid’s mind was far away from the moment. She subtly slipped her hand onto a nearby bookshelf and took a deep breath.
What should I do?
She didn’t know what she was expecting to happen- secret passageways, more levers, toxic gas for thieves. Just anything.
The thief lifted her up and snarled at her. “I’m tired of asking.”
At that moment, she remembered about the book display of the heaviest dictionary in the world. She had to find a way to use it to her advantage.
“Your breath stinks.” she said, and kneed him in the nuts. He groaned and dropped her, and she fled once again, glad of her athletics training in school. She knew they would follow her as she rounded multiple bookshelves. Then it came into view: the dictionary. It was her favourite book in the whole library, with a purple velvet cover and golden bindings, hung. by four wires from the ceiling. She scrabbled up and slipped a knife from her thigh and started sawing the first wire. She could hear the thieves’ shouts from below as they found her and stood in the perfect position. The first wire snapped and the book tilted violently to one side. Astrid scrabbled for grip and clambered to the next wire. The thieves had gone awfully quiet…
Just as the second wire snapped, the book tilted again just in time to dodge a book that sailed past her head. She saw the thieves readying to throw more. It made her blood boil as she leapt onto the third wire. The book should be heavy enough to make the last one snap on the way down. The third wire snapped and the last one groaned. Her calculations were correct.
“NOBODY THROWS THE BOOKS IN MY LIBRARY!” she screamed, hoping to be menacing as the last wire snapped and the dictionary began tumbling, bringing Astrid with it.

Blackness swirled in and out of Astrid’s vision.
A dense fog clouded her mind and lulled her into a state of oblivion. She closed her eyes, grateful to not be hanging from the ceiling anymore. Pages caressed her fingers and reassured her that everything would be okay, everything would turn out okay.
Then a swinging light hanging in her mind flickered on and sent sparks of fiery yellow panic fluttering about Astrid’s brain. She jolted up, her head whipping as she scanned the library. The thieves seemed to be gone, or hidden behind the bookshelves. If she was in any immediate danger, they would have captured her already. But something, something that had felt wrong from the moment she collapsed onto the maroon rug, finally reached her.
The sparks electrocuted her mind, and she held her ringing head in her hands. Where her fingers touched her forehead, sirens sang.
The shelves in the library were twisted and topsy-turvy, like a fantasy city.
The books were arranged in bizarre patterns, some stacked intricately in sculptures that would have been stunning if she wasn’t so completely terrified.
Tears bloomed like invisible flowers in her eyes.
She thought she’d known her library better than anyone else in the world. But no—these thieves knew something she didn’t. And now they had taken control.