Open!

[element_wizard]

Alec has been quietly busy.

Bopping in and out of places within time and between.

To do what?

He's found an unused shop of his own and has been renovating it.

For a given value of renovate.

There's junk all over the place. Odds, ends, odd ends, things and whatsits, lots of books, shiny objects and everything else.

Come check it out

Comments

[watsonyourmind]

Well, that doesn't seem to make much sense. Watson takes a look. They're pretty, at least? She doesn't wear much jewelry, but there are a couple that appeal to her.

"They're the other rings of power, or other rings that control rings of power? What are rings of power, anyway?"

[element_wizard]

"The Other One Ring of Power. Capital letters, there. And how to explain this. Um. Every write fan fiction?"

Hello and welcome to this conversation taking an odd turn.

[watsonyourmind]

"I've read a bit," Watson admitted. She didn't spend a whole lot of time online, as a general rule, but after her injury, when she was holed up in bed healing, she had discovered all number of timewasters on the Internet. Including fanfiction.net. That was an interesting experience.

[element_wizard]

Ah, the pit of voles. Alec knows you well.

"And I'm sure, then, you've read those stories about the girl who finds herself in this world that belongs to her FAVORITE book, television show, movie etc and she's able to beat up the guy who's been a warrior for longer than she's been a live and she's got all those MAGICAL powers that really shouldn't exist...?"

[watsonyourmind]

"The girl who always has a suspiciously similar name to the author?" She laughs. "I thought about writing one of those once, but I think I missed the window."

[element_wizard]

"Yes. Or names like Angelique Melyda Darcy Nightstar." Somehow he manages to say that with a straight face. "A lot of these belong to them. I collected them after I killed their owners."

Alec says that completely conversationally.

[watsonyourmind]

Jane cannot take that entirely in stride. She looks quite shocked, in fact.

"What?"

[element_wizard]

And Alec runs over the conversation he just had in his mind.

Oh.

Right.

"No. No. It's all right. They're really parasitic life forms that would completely destroy the integrity of the world if they were allowed to live."

[watsonyourmind]

She looks unsure.

"Seriously? The integrity of the world?"

[element_wizard]

"I'll give you an example. What's your favorite ... tv show or movie or book?"

[watsonyourmind]

She thinks about it a moment. She's a big fan of classic novels, 80s movies, and 90s sitcoms.

"A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway," she answers. It's her favorite right now, anyway. Usually whatever she's rereading this week takes the top spot.

[element_wizard]

"I don't know what that is..." He frowns and then holds up his finger in a waiting gesture. A most peculiar expression crosses his face the sort someone gets when they're trying to figure something out and there's a soft blurring around him.

It lasts for all of a few seconds, but definitely noticeable.

"Okay. Got the gist. Can you imagine what would happen if Henry and Catherine didn't get together but instead he got together with some teenage girl who wasn't a nurse but instead a doctor and not only that but a captain in the Army as well and actually helps Henry escape from the torturing people and then have lots of babies together while Catherine is just some evil shrew?"

[watsonyourmind]

Jane blinked. And rubbed at one eye. She still has a hard time accepting magic, even when it's right in front of her. So maybe her eyes were just blurry.

"Doesn't sound very Hemingway," she said with some distaste.

[element_wizard]

Maybe they were just blurry.

"Exactly. And that's what I take care of. I keep those things out of Hemingway."

[watsonyourmind]

"But he wrote that book... ages ago. He's dead now. How is anyone going to retroactively slip new words into a classic novel? Do you time travel?"

Jane found herself oddly fascinated with the idea.

[element_wizard]

"Words are powerful. Words effect the world around us. They create ideas and somewhere out there the book that Hemingway wrote is real with the characters as flesh and blood as you and I are. And the words these people write can effect those worlds."

Then.

"Yes, I can travel through time but that's got nothing to do with the whole parasite thing."

[watsonyourmind]

"Wow," she said, considering, and then after a moment, she smiled a little. "No one better get ahold of my 'book' then. Shirley will end up going over a cliff or something and I'll have a new BFF."

[element_wizard]

There's a very brief blank look on Alec's face before he continues with, "Nah. You two would just really be lovers. Lots of sex."

[watsonyourmind]

Awkward.

"You really could quit doing that."

[element_wizard]

He does manage to look ashamed.

"Sorry. I forget people get weirded out by that."

[watsonyourmind]

She gives him a look. "No kidding."

This could be an awkward silence, but let's push through.

"So you have tons of stuff like this just lying around, huh? Is there a knife who does art critique?"

[element_wizard]

MOVING ON!

"Gods! No. One talking thing is enough. But I do have a pen that glows in the presence of bad art."

[watsonyourmind]

"I'm beginning to think that this junkshop should be called the Hall of Insults or something," she said, half-sincere.

[element_wizard]

"Considering I collect random stuff that no one wants? Possible. But if you want something nice, I have a cloak that lets you turn into a raven."

[watsonyourmind]

That sounded cool, but...

"How do you turn back?"

She's a bit skeptical.