central_librarylogs | The 9th Hour... (Phase 1: Sept-Oct Event)

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The 9th Hour... (Phase 1: Sept-Oct Event)

The cold presence is seeping in through the dark shadows. The darkness is reaching further, brushing the minds of the patrons and opening doors to dimensions that should not be open. Something wants in. But in the Central Library, there are ways to get through without crossing entirely… through your dreams. Among other things.

Pick one of the options below and make a post for other patrons to join you in the events. You may make up your own, but keep it matching the event at hand as the different phases of the event will progressively get worse.

1. Your dreams are getting dangerous, violent even. When you wake up, there are bruises and injuries that shouldn’t be there. What is going on? Why are your dreams becoming a reality little by little? And why is it getting so hard to wake up?

2. Things are shifting in the Library. The shadows are moving and the temperatures are starting to drop. There are cold spots that sometimes get colder and sometimes it feels like if you turn around, you’ll find someone right behind you.

3. The monsters are looking a bit more frantic and daring to come closer to the center of the Library where they normally will not tread. It seems you aren’t the only ones scared of the dark recesses any longer.

4. The Market is now a lovely little faire of the early Renaissance with all sorts of fresh grain, fruits and vegetables! It is a brilliant sight, but it seems the ominous plague masks they don still gives a foreboding feeling of the miasma that killed over two-thirds of the world’s population… Perhaps you shouldn’t wander very far.

5. New areas are now opened up. A blacksmith and workshop for the tinkers has been created. You might want to look or contribute... You might also want to stop in the new bath area. The large pool has a Grecian feel and all of the walls are made of crystalline glass where the stars are always shining with a different universe in constant succession.

6. Wild Card: Make up your own scenario. Just remember that all of the things above are happening. Things are getting foreboding and growing stronger by the day. Sleep will be a luxury you might not have… You may not see what’s coming, not yet. But you know it’s coming.

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Huh. She had to glance up to the roof as they ran, just for a moment. He was on the roofs? Interesting. She whispered behind him. "New York, America?" I mean, really, it could be like... new Yorkshire or something, so sometimes you have to clarify.

Ah, but as he said stop she came to a studder step stop behind him, then inched closer to peek around at what he was seeing. Her eyes looked over the people, all moving away from him, and what the man was looking at, though it was obscured on the other side of him.

"Not really chasing. Just a bit curious is all. There seemed like quite a few of them out at the moment. I've read about them in history and wanted to get a better look." That and she wanted to make sure this wasn't some weird cyberman take over or something. You never really know.

"They're keeping a wide birth around him and his subject, which means his subject must have the illness. Honestly, I'm surprised we haven't seen more dead in the streets."

"So those things are supposed to be in this era?" Casey asked, ignoring the other questions for now. "I heard mentions of a plague, which is what caught my ear." Keeping an eye on things too, voice low. All business for the moment, as his eyes scanned around for anywhere they might get a better look.

"The Black Plague." She said softly, head tilted a bit, but eyes watching the doctor. "The Black Death?" She said, as if asking if he had never heard of it before or not. "It was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. Took out a lot of Europe in the late 1340s to the early 1350's. I have a feeling that's the timeline we're at right now."

She frowned, watching him as he scanned the area, also watching past him to the doctor and the human he was looking over. Or she assumed it was human. "Honestly, this is not the best place for us to set up a Market in." The Library, that is.

"Oh yeah, that thing." Absent-minded, as Casey might've spotted something. Kind of wished he had Raph here with his actual proper ninja-training. Then what Clara'd said had sunk in, and he turned with wide eyes behind his mask. "Waitwaitwait...THAT one?" Ok, so his voice had gotten a little louder, somewhere between fear and excitement.

She gave him a dubious look as he seemed to brush off the swift history lesson. He's pretty young, isn't he? Oh, and then it seemed to hit him. A bit loudly.

"Yesss, that one." She said in a soft hiss, her hand trying to show him to lower his voice. Calm down. "The one that killed over twenty five million in barely five years. I suggest we be careful, and when we get back we go scrub down and make sure we aren't bringing anything back."

She noted that some people were staring at them now, as he had gotten loud enough to be taken notice, but not a lot of them really seemed to bother with them yet.

"It must just be starting here. Or there'd be a bigger body count around."

"How was it spread?" A deep breath in, and Casey moved back into the alley sitting down as it came flooding back. "Wait...Rats right? It was spread by the rats!" At least he'd lowered his voice.

Come on Casey, get a hold of yourself! You've faced worse than this! At least it's not mutagen...

A clear deep breath in and out, and he stood once more. "Ok, so who're those bird-figures? I don't remember hearing about them." More likely he hadn't paid attention to them...

When he asked how it was spread, but then answered it for himself she smiled like a proud teacher who just watched one of her students realize an answer. Not that she was picturing him as a student, but the fact that she wasn't working with a dimwit was nice.

"Fleas, technically. But they were carried around by the rats, so yes. Rats. Which I'd advice we keep our distance from if we see any." She watched him sit, take a moment, and stand again. She would say he was having a mild case of the panics.

Time Traveler Clara could understand, but she was also used to this kind of strange era problem. She moved closer, pausing to try to catch his eye. "Hey, don't worry. In the time I come from they have vaccines for this thing. We get back to the library, scrub down and get fresh cloths and we should be fine. These people didn't actually bathe and that helped to spread things too. Kay?"

She glanced back down the alley, stepping back enough to peek at the masked man. "As for them? Plague Doctors. Cities used to pay for them to treat those in town. They're generally doctors, medical practitioners or at least people posing as such. That suit? Thick, waxy sometimes. It's protective. The mask? Think of it as a gas mask. the nose is filled with scented materials like mint, cloves, myrrh, rose petals, or straw. To protect him from the bad air around the plague victims. It's like a filter, something your mask doesn't have. Nice mask, by the way."

Sorry kid, you're getting a history lesson and she doesn't even mean to do that to you!

"As long as they're not mutant rats? I can deal, ok?" Murmured, and an eyeroll with the comment about his mask. "Yeah, never got around to installing one of those. Been a bit busy." Really, it was going on his list for next project.

What if they encountered mutant mushrooms again? Casey'd have to make a note to tell Donnie too, even if the genius probably already had it figured out. "So why do they make 'em look like bird-monsters? Or was that to scare away the bad spirits?"

Didn't people in this time believe sickness was caused by spirits? He thought he remembered that, as he came and peeked around the alley at the scene. Worried about how much they both stuck out now...

"Don't care for rats?" She asked with a chuckle, peeking back to him with a smile. "What's with the mask anyhow?"

She realized he was kind of asking the same thing about the doctors. Her shoulder shrugged. "Some birds were thought of as symbols of hope. If you see them in white still, it was definitely a sign of hope. But after a while I think they ran along side the Grimm Reaper for a symbol of death. I don't think they were intentionally trying to be spooky. It's just easier to hold all those plants in the nose as a filter, maybe?"

She shrugged at that once again and stood with him to peek out at the scene. She didn't notice that there was a small group of men standing, rather pale looking, and talking to each other, looking their way. For them they are seeing a young woman watching a plague doctor... and Death hovering at her side. You know that can't be good.

Casey was scanning around, and then his eyes caught the group. Specifically the group pointing at them. "Oh man.." Murmured--it was the falling pizza-box all over again! Moving back, heading back into the alley as the shouts started. Angry shouts were never a good sign.

"Time to go back the way we came." Because it didn't take a genius to figure out they'd scared the natives.

She didn't move back as soon as he did, but saw the group pointing, yelling now. Her eyes went wider as she did duck back now, surprised looking. "There is NO reason to be pointing this way." She said with a huff. Like, seriously, they weren't doing anything...

But she was moving now, starting down the alley way she had come down. Damn, she wanted to talk to the doctor.

Give it a moment. She'll understand why shortly. For now, run.

"Doesn't matter, just keep going!" At least it was a twisty-turny-alley, as they wound their way back down. Here's hoping the natives didn't know a short-cut.

Leading the way as they rounded the corner, back into the open area Clara'd originally stopped in.

"Yep! Good idea!" She said for no reason at all as she was right on his heels, looking back to watch the group of angry men chasing after. Oh dear. As they came out into the open she skidded to a stop, looked left, looked right, then reached out to grab his shoulder to nod. There was a large walk way in this area, with three different places to go. On one hand there was a large group of people gathered in one place, talking among themselves. There was another plague doctor standing near a building, taking to two young men. And there was a mildly open path they could run through.

She hoped it wound back to the market. "WHY are they chasing us? We didn't do anything this time!" She said on a breath, ducking past a couple of people as she ran with the kid who... she still didn't know his name.

Glancing at him it might have hit her suddenly.

A bit late though, as the group of men from the alley way were now joined by a few others from where they came out.

"Ohmygosh! Your mask!" She reached out to bap him on the shoulder lightly as they ran. "You look like Death!" They needed to find a place to hide and remove that mask, bro. Either that or they needed to get back to the Market and through the portal.

Well duh, that was the idea!

Of course, maybe it wasn't quite so good an idea in this place and time... Casey was scanning around as they ran, and ignored the bop on the shoulder. "This way!" Tugging her around a corner, pulling out one of the hockey sticks as he went. If he remembered from his roof-hopping and following her, then around this corner should be

"Yes!" it was a straight corridor down before it lead to another twisty-turny-alley passageway. But this corridor was lined with debris. Abandoned carts with offal and rotting food, old straw, and not supported very well by the wooden beams either. "Go down there, head for the alley." They didn't have much time considering the group was on their heels.

He'd originally taken to the roofs because he'd avoided this street before.

As he tugged her into another alley way she meeped! Stumbling a bit but catching her footing to keep up. She could hear the mob behind her, and though she knows there are things they could DO to stop them she doesn't want to hurt these poor people! Running is easiest, right?

But this kid seemed excited about the mess they just turned down. She wrinkled her nose, hand coming to her face as she ran. Not stopping yet. When he told her to go down this way and head for the alley she turned a bit to look at him and the stick. "Wait, what are you going to do?!" Though, he might notice, she was still moving.

"Buy us some time." Letting her pull ahead, making sure she kept moving as Casey turned. Pulling out a hockey-puck with fire-cracker attached, as he turned back. "Find us a place to hide!"

Hoping she listened, as he waited. Judging angles, and then the mob was turning the corner. Casey smirked behind his mask, and let the exploding puck fly with a crack of the hockey stick. Ricocheting, landing about 2 feet from the the mob and by one of the rotten straw-stacks.

Waiting, waiting, and there! A loud bang as the puck exploded, catching the straw on fire and checking the mob's progress. Two more pucks--non exploding this time--flew with two more cracks of the hockey-stick. One striking a loose piece of wood jammed to keep a cart from tipping. The other striking a pile of something, knocking it over into the small growing fire.

Not that Casey waited around to find out if they were still pursuing. The angry shouts had turned more towards the fire, and putting it out. He'd bought them time as he sprinted down the alley after Clara.

She took off running faster as he said he was going to cause a distraction, and being one that DOES know how to take orders, when the time seems like a good time to do so, she found a place to drop and duck into, to hide.

There was the explosion, small as it was, and the fire started up. She ducked out enough to look, hand covering her mouth. Oh she hoped no one was hurt. She just barely saw him knock down carts and come running.

Something brushed her leg, causing her to look down at a rather large and greasy looking rat. Clara was, from time to time, a girly girl, jumping about a foot away and muffling a scream with a hand. She did a hop step jumping motion that clearly indicated that she was freaked out by the rat for all of a moment. And then started to move again, just as her Companion of Death caught up.

"Ooookay! I think I am done with the thirteen forties for now. It is time to GO." She said, not going to stop now. "Market place! My kingdom for a market place! Good shot by the way!"

"Do you remember the way back?" Casey kept his hockey stick out, kept running, and flipped up the mask. Normal face under it, dark brown eyes, black hair with a black bandanna holding it back, and a wicked looking bruise on his cheek.

Another twist, another turn, open street, and they were back at the main part of the market. A buzz of conversation around them, but not panicked by the spectre of death or chaos. Yet.

"I'm done playing Renn Faire, what about you?" Pausing to catch his breath, looking at his companion from the Library.

Edited 2015-09-28 08:20 (UTC)

"I think so!" She said, not stopping now. Not yet at least. She glanced back at the... aww, what a baby face. And that bruise too. Huh. But she glanced back at him as he tilted the mask back and shook her head. "Shouldn't be far now."

And as they came into view of it she let out a sigh, slowing down with him and leaning over her knees a moment to catch her breath as well.

"I'd say I'm pretty full up on this era now. I'm not too keen on the food here either. That was a really large rat back there and I think I want to burn these leggings." She stood right again and let out a huff.

"Portal's back there. I think we should go make use of it." She nodded her head back and ignored those who were chattering around them. Right now it didn't matter if anyone chased them. Home was just a hundred yards away.

"Best idea yet." Casey replied, finally replacing the hockey stick as he finished catching his breath. Rolling his shoulder a bit, clearly no worse the wear for his brush with chaos and an angry mob. "So yeah--we should be alright as long as we scrub clean and wash our gear, right?"

He had not forgotten they were in an era when the plague ran rampant. No longer running at least, but moving towards the portal at a determined pace.

She was moving now as well, headed for the portal area at a good pace, but not running now. She figures she can ask more about him when they were safe, but right now she just wanted to be absolutely clear of the mod they just ditched.

"That's the idea! People didn't bath as much in this era. Well, it's true!" She told a man who gave her a glare as he heard her. She shrugged, smiled and kept going. "there's a new bath house in the Library too it seems. That will help."

Casey ignored the glare; it wouldn't have been out of place in New York City, so it didn't trouble him. "A bath house? What like you see in anime?" Then again, if the Library could open a portal to the plague-era for a market, why not anywhere else?

It briefly occurred to Casey--oh god, what if it could open one to Dimension X? That would so not be what he needed right now. More Kraang. A little shudder, not prompted by the previous discussion, as they moved back towards the Library.

"You sound like you've been around a while." His head tilting, thinking for a moment. "British too, right? I'm from New York City, America, yes." He had been paying attention earlier. Just had other things on his mind.

She stuck her tongue out at the man as they passed, headed right for the portal they had come through earlier. She might come back, later, to try and talk to the doctors that wandered around, but she almost didn't want to now.

"I'm... not sure. Maybe? I only went past it. I haven't explored it yet." She gave a short shrug and paused at the portal that no one but them could see. She started to dust off her black leggings and skirt, just in case. double checking for specks of dirt or, yuck, fleas.

"I do a bit of traveling is all." She said with a cheeky grin. "I'm originally from Blackpool. Ah, yes, England." She forgets that most people don't know the areas. It's England or nothing, really.

As she stood right again she smirked, hand out to him. "Clara Oswald of England, two thousand and fifteen. Or I think it was..." Curious comment.

"Hope they have towels then..." Casey murmured, checking himself similarly. Shaking out his mask, his gloves, before taking her hand. "Casey Jones, New York City, 2015." There hints of challenge and playfulness in the hand-shake, which matches well with what Clara'd seen so far. "Only recently invited to save this great Library..."

A sigh, and he murmured to himself more than to her. "And man I really need to think of a way to make that sound bad-ass..."

She gave a firm shake and a single nod to him. "Good to know we're from the same year at least. I think I've been here about a month, give or take. I tend to have a hard time judging time anymore." She said with a chuckle and nod to the portal.

"Don't worry. Saving something important makes you a bad ass in general. Come on. Let's get back to something a bit more civilized." She said and started to back up... not letting go of his hand. Instead she tugged him forward to make him follow. Mostly, she didn't want him left behind.

Once back in the Library he'd find that she let go and was already inspecting her cloths again. This place needed a coin wash in it...

Edited 2015-09-29 02:55 (UTC)

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