"Well, that's gotta be the libraraiieeeeeee!"

SPLAT, goes the slimegirl as she crashes into the ground again!

"Realistically, I should probably do any actual research on aerodynamics rather than winging it off of - oh mmfhhmmhhfmmm, mmm, busy thinking right now, sorry buddy, you can have fun in a minute or two if I'm still here - half-remembered textbooks and instinct, huh?"

"That does seem advisable.  Now, be a good girl, open your mind, focus upon making that portal to the entrance you're thinking of right now for me, won't you?  There you go, just like that, you're doing very well...mmm, a little to the left, good girl.  You're doing so well, darling."

Somehow, this works better than either of them trying to do magic by themselves.

Not that they can't, but it's still better for them.  Partially because it's hot, but mostly because it's efficient.

Long portals to places they can't currently see require quite a lot of power and finesse.  Myria's tapped for one, while Ophelia provides the other - though, really, it's less clear-cut than that metaphor strictly implies.

Still, the portal opens, and...

The gaggle of Myrias run to the library, pressing themselves up against the stone like it's a lover's caress!  "Non-fleshy structures!  Oh how I've missed you!  ...are you a mimic?  You're legally obligated to tell me if you're a mimic, or it's entrapment.  Which is not how any of that body of law actually works in the first place, let alone that we're so extraterritorial to the nation it's from that it's not even funny, but frankly, I'm cracking silly jokes left and right in case someone actually recognizes them, more than for their intrinsic humor value.  ...I should make a portal gun!"

And then she knocks.  "Hello!  I heard you're a functioning library!  I come bearing as many books as you can get out of my head, and I've read a lot of books!  Also so, so much fanfiction, I know some libraries store games and some had started doing makerspacey stuff last I...oh.  Oh no.  ...Breakdown later, books now.  And going inside?"

The door opens, and a woman wearing light brown robes stands at the door. She lets them in to a sort of antechamber or coatroom. She's seen some weird things in her more than three hundred years of life, but this is definitely up there. She lets the...strangely connected yet also discrete slimegirls enter into the room. Her face does not belie her surprise, though. Her next speech is clearly rehearsed.

"Welcome to the Library of Certu. I am Beatrix Castell, the head librarian. I believe you've seen the sign outside. Do you bear any weapons? Weapons are not allowed in the library, and have to be stowed here in the antechamber until you leave."

She gestures to a large cabinet with racks, with a glass front. There's a strange shimmer in the glass that hints at it being enchanted with protective magic.

"Alternatively, we can keep weapons in the library's armory. In the case your weapons are a part of your body, or are otherwise undetachable, we require that they be retracted, deactivated, or otherwise nullified in some way. Thank you for your cooperation. After you have stowed away your weapons, or if you don't have any, we will examine you as a final precaution."

She pauses for a second.

"Er, one last thing. We require slimepeople to wear boots and gloves in the library. I know that many slimepeople do not actually leave slime trails, but a few have done so in the library's history, and it's very inconvenient for us. I hope you do not mind." She smiles slightly.

She opens a drawer and reveals ten pairs of gloves and ten pairs of rain boots made of thin black semi-rubbery material. 

She smiles widely. "Yes, the Library of Certu is a mimic. At the very least, he used to be one. I heard earlier that you had books to trade? That's great! We're always looking to expand our collection. The Library does not really deal with gems or regular currency. Instead, we trade in services, books, information, favors, and items. Was there a specific reason why you came here? We don't get many visitors, since the Library is so remote."

The antechamber floor is tiled in granite, and the cabinets and doors are made of dark varnished wood. It looks like a cozy library you might find in a large wealthy city.

At least, it looks that way. 

The same sign is posted inside the antechamber, although it does not have the repeating speaker this time. The narrow room has the main entrance on one end, and the entrance to the library proper on the other. Opposite the large glass windowed cabinet for weapons, the whole other wall is covered with various wooden cabinets and drawers with metal handles.

The whole place is flawless – one would not know this to be mimic-made unless one had truesight.

"It was the closest library to where I first was aware of existing in this world as opposed to any others I may or may not have previously existed in!  Don't have any weapons, besides my brain, that I'm aware of having, at least!  And, Ophelia, if you wouldn't mind..."

There are now boots and gloves on the slime girls?

"Sorry, but I don't really...Something would be wrong, wearing those instead of these, y'know?  Not anywhere near as comfy..."

"Oh, I did not realize you had living clothing! Yes, that would work just as well. Please take note of these library rules while we examine you."

She points to another sign with more detailed rules. She's quite sure the visitors can read, but she always just reads out the sign regardless. While she's doing that, a dozen eyestalks snake out of a hole that suddenly appeared in the wall, and are now looking Myria and Ophelia up and down. They don't touch them, however.

Rules of the Library of Certu

1.) No fighting is permitted in the library. No weapons are permitted in the library. Do not steal things from other patrons of the library. Penalty: Expulsion for the aggressor.

2.) Do not make noise or talk loudly in the study or library sections. Penalty: Timeout.

3.) Do not enter sections of the library marked "No Entry" without authorization. Penalty: Timeout, or Expulsion.

4.) Do not damage the books or the library infrastructure. Penalty: Expulsion, or fine consisting of services or items roughly equal to the value of destroyed items.

5.) If permitted to loan books, return books on time. Penalty for tardiness: Fine consisting of services or items proportional to lateness and value of books.

6.) Eating and drinking anything other than plain water is only permitted in the Lobby, Entertainment and Meeting Rooms, and the Bedrooms. Penalty: Confiscation of items.

7.) Only use the Emergency Call button if there is an emergency. Penalty: Timeout, or Expulsion.

"Do you affirm that you will follow these rules for so long as you are at the library? I should clarify that by 'Timeout', I mean that you'll be made to spend time in Certu's tentacle pit for a while until you calm down. If you need more clarification on what the rules mean, please ask me. It seems as though you've been to a library before, but many visitors we have have not. Also, are you literate? If not, we offer free reading and writing lessons for one language of your choice." She also points to a map of the library and a description of the rooms.

The eyestalks retract and look at Beatrix for a moment. She nods.

"The examination has concluded. Welcome to the Library of Certu." She opens the door for them.

The door opens into an atrium with bookshelves. There doesn't seem to be anyone in the library aside from them. The left has a sign reading "Entertainment Room", the right has "Study Room" and "General Section A". The general theme of dark varnished wood and delicate wrought ironwork continues. Magical lights with switches supplement the pinkish light streaming in from the windows. There are stairs leading to the mezzanines and upper levels, as well as a staircase in a quieter corner leading to the basement.

"If you need help, there are buttons where you can call for me beside the light switches. It might take a while for me to get to you, though, so be patient. There will also be a larger covered button next to it, but that is for emergency purposes only. Do not misuse it."

eeeeeeeeee books and knowledge this is a library!

"I have been to libraries before yes mmhmm, though not exactly in this form and certainly not any exactly like this!  ...say, how are you handling - oh I have so many questions about so many things - oh and of course I'll follow the rules honestly allowing even water near the books spooks me even with the potential for protective magic, do you have anything like that, actually, if not I think that once I've sorted out all the enchanting knowledge that got dumped into my brain somehow - there's so much of it and I don't know why it's all so disorganized when I have a brain computer - that I'd like to help make some for you two, it seems the right sort of thing to do i-m-o - excuse me, in my opinion; -- mmphll!?"

Once Myria has recovered from the surprise gag, she's much less a runaway filterless train of thought, but that doesn't mean she's stopped thinking things.  So as the gaggle spread out and start sampling the books!, one peels off and heads wherever Beatrice is going.

"I know any things about the science of book preservation, actually, and I don't know how much you do; I'd certainly like to help with anything like that, if you're interested in comparing notes.  And I'd like to stay here longer-term, at least somewhat, if you've any staff openings?  I haven't worked for a library before, but I'm certainly willing to learn the trade.  ...wonder if you have printing presses, or if state of the art is more 'throw magic at the problem'...what was Gutenberg's thing anyway, it wasn't just the moveable type, it was that it was specific metals...ugh, there was lead I'm pretty sure.  Lead's a horrible little gremlin of a metal; it's all nice and pliant and then it fucks up - well, at the very least human - brain development, maybe even grown brains, in a way that's not reversible by anything short of magic...well, assuming I know anything, which is...I would, but realistically, I hardly have sources that can be independently confirmed unless there's other isekais about, and even then who knows if that's still true here...and it's not actually something testable if you have even a smidgen of research ethics...enough about lead's suckiness, I think; I'd like to hear your story, if you wouldn't mind?  What brought this about?  And my compliments on the architecture, it's really very pretty."

Beatrix leads the way into the library as Myria talks. The door closes behind them automatically.

"Yes, we have protective magic. I worked as a rune binder before working at the library, and I place enchantments on books that protect them from water, fire, and acid damage. However, these are not permanent, and I must refresh them every few years or so, so I place them only on particularly important or valuable books."

She is not fazed by the sudden gag! She's seen weirder in the Fringe.

"Er, what do you mean by brain computers? I've heard of computing devices before, but not ones put in brains. Perhaps a topic for another time."

She makes a grand sweeping gesture at all the books in the atrium.

"I'd love that. Book preservation is something we are very interested in. We know the basics. Certu regulates the temperature and humidity in the whole library, which has the advantage of making it comfortable for me too. He also ensures we don't get any bug infestations that might ruin the books. Yes, we have a printing press in my workshop, but we rarely use it.

Certu can make better copies. He can precisely inject his ink into sheets of extruded cellulose he makes, which is capable of copying out diagrams and pictures too. But only black-and-white – he can't make ink in any color other than shades of black. Also, it takes energy from him to do that, so we don't do it often. This is why we charge a cost for copying and printing services. Being able to print color pictures or have a better and more efficient printing press would be great. And no, the printing press does not have lead in it. I personally don't know the exact specifics of lead poisoning, but I do know that it stunts growth and causes brain issues if it gets into your body."

She sits down at the tables in the middle of the atrium. Unlike the study rooms, it's permitted to talk loudly here.

"As for you working here, I would be open to it, but not...immediately. I've been tracking the number of visitors who have been going to the library. It has always been a low number, but there has been a small but steady increase over the years. It would be good to have some help, even though it's not strictly necessary. The issue is that we prefer that the information we have be available to all. But I also know that there is much information that could be dangerous. A further issue is that dangerous information is also useful information. Information necessarily increases your ability to alter the world to your liking, for good, or for ill. Neither I nor Certu want to...be indirectly responsible for something very bad happening if a particular secret happened to fall into the wrong hands. But at the same time, it is really not up to us to decide what things ought to be known and not known.

It's a very difficult moral dilemma, and any compromise between those two values of ours is supremely dissatisfying. Still, we have to make it. Making you an employee would mean letting you walk unsupervised in the 'special' sections of the library, including the library's armory. You wouldn't be a very good employee otherwise. We've only met for ten minutes, and I'd need to get to know you for a lot longer for us to be comfortable with being in those areas freely. You are free to stay and potentially help out in other ways, though, such as with research. Renting a bedroom is free for the first five days.

It is very pretty, thank you. I had a hand in designing what it would look like. I met Certu as an adventurer in the Pink. At the time, he had captured me. I asked him to leave my books alone. It turns out that he didn't know what books were. I told him, and taught him how to read after he asked me to. He fell in love with them after that. He started out as a chest mimic, but we settled down here after a while. I used Earth Magic to shape the library's foundations and walls, and he would fill it in. We've been here for more than three hundred years. What about you? You said something about isekai-s, what are those?"

"...Hm, do I know formulae for ink...c'mon, brain, CMYK, any day now...and oh!  You have computing!  Yay!  And yes of course you don't give full access on the spot, but maybe I could help with the public sections on a trial basis?"

Okay now there are more Myrias in the conversation; there's one muttering about  - "...wait, why not just enchant the rooms?  Shouldn't be too hard to - wait, hm, no, wait, maybe... okay I'm going to need paper and pencil to rough this out if I'm gonna - and - is rune etching supposed to be especially hard, actually, because apparently I can do it -", one nodding sagely at the safe-distribution-of-knowledge problem, "Yeah, I get it; there was a whole series of - I suppose you don't yet have television, probably, but wait you do have computers, anyway if the concept of watching an audiovisual record of fictional events is too foreign, imagine scrying a play and you won't be far off - anyway, Star Trek, a television series, had this concept of the Prime Directive, which is basically 'don't do uplift, no meddling with non-peers civilizations either to help or harm' - actually, can I telepathy that whole concept at you, it might be easier, even though it's really just refreshing to talk with my voice again -", another one is suddenly stricken by (politely quiet) panic in the middle of the library floor because infohazards!  AAAAAAH! until she's calmed down by Ophelia...and then has another panic when she realizes that she has any idea how she might try to make some, gods, why?!

That one is portaled out and replaced by another Myria, this one noticeably more armored than the rest of the gaggle, who also sets about finding pencil and paper and the existing state of the field of memetics and trying to rule out the existence of basilisks properly.  "Frankly, I'd hit the emergency button, but clearly your world has not already exploded so it can wait until I've done the research, but I need to rule out the existence of several classes of danger, so I might need books on especially mind magic and cross-school interactions with runes...ugh.  Please don't have antimemes.  I do not want to be Marion Wheeler.  It'd suck."

Yet another Myria is quite happy to ramble about the isekai genre of fiction, as well as the quite clearly proven World of Fiction multiverse theory, even if she can't quite place where this world is from it's just too itself to have not also been someone's worldbuilding exercise somewhere...

And Ophelia is investigating fashion.

There are suddenly a lot of people! It's getting a little difficult for her to keep track of all the threads of conversation, but she does her best. But first, paper. She goes to a nearby drawer and there's sheets of paper and pens for them. Or, more precisely, extruded cellulose sheets and pens with tentacle ink.

"You can do rune etching? Wow!" She audibly gasps.

"I didn't get up to that level. You need...decades of study for that. I'm surprised you can do it. Er, you can't enchant the rooms. The enchantment places a...film of protective energy over the sheets and bindings. Putting the enchantment in the rooms would protect the rooms...but not the books themselves. Certu is able to shield me and the books from external threats. If there was something that could penetrate the walls and attack the room with acid or fire, we would have bigger problems.

I don't know what television is, but I do know of recorded video and audio. We have those in the library. Video and audio pieces can be recorded on scrying mirrors and orbs using magic. And yes, I don't mind telepathy. I had...assumed that you would be uncomfortable with it. It's one of the reasons Certu has me talk to people rather than him speak directly into your minds. Most people are not tentaclepeople and don't have any experience with people talking directly into their minds. They get very upset."

She doesn't understand a lot of the terms Myria is saying, but that's fine. She's worked with many excitable people like her in the past.

"I can get mind magic and cross-school magic books for you, although the more advanced mind magic books are in the special sections. Mind magic lets you, well, alter minds, so we're reluctant to let just anyone learn about those. What's an antimeme? It sounds...dangerous?"

She listens to the other Myria talk about multiverses and fiction.

"Huh. So, if I understand correctly, we are living in a fictional universe, and there are others like it? I don't think you're lying, but...I'd need proof of that before I accept it. Is it even falsifiable or empirically testable?"

"I mean, on a certain level, my very existence is evidence, because I'm here and as far as I know from a world where this sort of thing isn't, and if there's anyone else reporting similar experiences...that's certainly evidence of something, if not necessarily the broader implications? 

"...I have had the capability to do rune etching dumped into my head probably by a goddess and it itches."

Other Myriae are currently having a magic brainstorming huddle!  Somehow, talking to herself works for this when 'herself' is an alternate body, and she is so confused, but human neurology is just like that sometimes.

And Beatrix gets the concepts of [The Prime Directive (and its associated morality debates)], [isekai/portal fantasy], [a system in which library-marked books are tracked and protected from contact with damaging forces], [The SCP Foundation (fictional organization), memetic hazards, cognitohazards, antimemes], and [DANGEROUS INFORMATION: a theoretical process that produces propagating effects in pleasure-capable carriers by combining the idea of meta-spells/spell fractal self-similarity, mind and flesh magic, Living Clothes pleasure-to-power conversion, and rune binding-or-etching-or-something] gently (if with a very significant overtone of worrystress) deposited in her head!  "...Telepathy's really convenient and I don't get why so many people would have their default response be 'freak out' when it's a thing that's known to exist, but then again... I suppose any given person might process telepathy intelligently, but people, in the immortal words of agent K, 'are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it'.  I just bet you have personal experience with that unfortunate adage.  My condolences."

"My apologies, but I'd need direct observation of you transporting yourself from your origin world to here or of transporting something from there to here to believe you're from another world. Right now, I'm simply thinking of you as someplace very far away, but still within this universe. I am...loath to accept a revelation as great as this on word alone. I hope you understand."

She blinks several times as she receives the information. It's gentle, but it's also a lot.

"My opinion on the Prime Directive is that people ought to have access to technology which might improve their lives. It's the same reason why Certu gives out reading lessons for free.

The isekai thing seems like a very interesting fiction book premise, but again, I would like to have evidence for this before I accept this as a fact which is true in my world.

Huh. I don't know that such things are a thing. It's possible to use mind magic to render someone insane, but I've never heard of like...a painting or picture that causes that just by observing it. That is horrifying.

I don't understand that thing you just sent. Is it schematics for a...generator? Torture device?

True, but people speaking into your mind is something you can also do with mind magic, and mind magic being done to you is dangerous. I've had the experience to know the slight differences between the sensations evoked by the two, but most people don't. It's not quite as irrational as you might think." Her tone is motherly, but not condescending.

"In a sense, this is at least the same overarching universe-group anyway, if I'm here, so that's not even wrong. ...If the gods talk to people, maybe we could ask?

"It's...bits of knowledge loosely strung together that I'm hoping don't make - oh, dear gods, parasites exist.  Fuck, fuckfuckfuck, fuck.  And creatures with native spellcasting!  ...aaaaaaaaaah.  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.  Okay.  Panic done.  ...I think that if this falls apart anywhere, it's in fiddly flesh magic quality control and the question of whether you can make meta-entads.  ...Magic-item making-or-affecting magic items, I mean."

"...Can't you tell when people are spellcasting at you, or?"

Ophelia rocks the designated Panicking Myria (out browsing in the library, but now curled up into a ball) back and forth, helping her self-soothe, but even she has limits, and "my technically-mistress has just discovered a way to create horrors" is not something she can solve with her abilities; it's unlikely anyone could, she thinks.

"Yes, there are many parasites in the world. Did you encounter any while walking through the Fringe or the Sallow? I or Certu could help you remove them if they're causing you issues.

You usually can, since most spells have a visible component. A fireball is easy to spot. But if the spell doesn't have such a component, or is of a form deliberately meant to deceive like illusion magic or mind magic, then it would require training and focus."

Beatrix is alarmed at Myria's panic, but fortunately does not see the other rocking Myria. Otherwise, she'd be panicked too, for potentially doing that to a guest.

"No, no, it's not - specific parasites, it's the idea of parasites.  And what they're already known to do.  Because that puts options for creating all-too-comprehensible horrors on the table, and I do not like that.  It's not a pleasant thought to think, that someone could create...Demon Worms, but exponential."

"Yes, well, I agree that parasites are generally bad, but...you're sort of framing the issue like there's something we can do about it. I don't think there's any way for them to be all exterminated unless all the magical scholars and every leader from the Red Queen to the Auran Emperor decided to do that. And even then, the Wicked Mother wouldn't allow that – she's the goddess of parasites."

She's a librarian and wizard, not a therapist. She has no idea if this is what she should be saying.

"You can't kill an idea, anyway, and the idea is the dangerous part of my problem, here.  It'd require someone far too dedicated, but eventually, any infinitesimally probable thing happens, so now I need to figure out how to inoculate people against having their bodies turned into vectors of attack against everyone they so much as happen to pass by..."

"Huh. If you progress in your research, then let me know." She doesn't understand what the slimegirl is so worried about, but it's unwise to just dismiss things just because they seem strange.

She stands up, pushing the chair back in.

"Do you want to set up in one of the bedrooms? If you need food, I can get you some, but all we have here is fungi to eat. We have a herbarium, but it does not have the capacity to grow crops or vegetables. I can also point you in the direction of where the nonrestricted mind magic and magical theory spellbooks are. We have a lot of those! I'm a wizard, after all."

"I'd appreciate that; I've been working mostly on instinct this entire time.  Getting a grounding in magic as it's practiced by anyone other than me should probably help with everything.  ....you know, I don't actually know if each of my cores needs individual nutriment yet?  I should probably figure that out, actually, that's pretty important...Also I can maybe make some stuff to expand the herbarium into a proper garden; it's not something I've done before but I know the general theory of hydroponic gardens and I think it should be easier than dirt-based farming to actually install that here..."

Beatrix talks as she leads the way to the bedrooms on the second floor.

"Ah, magic tutoring will require pay of some sort. We accept information as payment though, and it seems like you know a lot." Even though she kind of has to sort through it. Like a messy library, hah.

"There's fungi to eat in the Entertainment Room. Alternatively, you can go to the basement pit and have Certu feed you if that's more your thing. We...do actually have something similar to hydroponics in the herbarium. Certu manages the nutrient solution to be suitable for plants rather than animals. The limiting factor is his energy and resources, really. It takes energy for Certu to expand – he used to be a chest mimic before – and then maintain that form indefinitely. It also puts a cost on his consciousness. The other reason he has me talk to people is because he has to shard his consciousness into a hundred little pieces to manage everything. It takes more energy to focus enough of them in one place to be able to talk."

One of the bedroom door opens and she gives Myria a mundane key. The bedroom has two queen-sized beds, a bathroom, and a small table with chairs. Most of the stuff is wooden or metallic. It has the same aesthetic as the outside.

"Hm. I've had Certu join two of the bedrooms together so you have enough space, although there's only two beds, which wouldn't be enough for you. Do you want me to bring extra mattresses?"

"Oh, goodness, please don't go to the trouble, no, I'll sleep with myself."  She giggles at the double meaning.  "And maybe a couple of me will help out Certu with the power problem sometimes, ifyaknowwhatImean."  Wink wink fingerguns oh no - huh, where'd her social anxiety go?  "But yes, information for information sounds like the sort of trade I quite like!  It leaves both parties richer for it, after all!"

She nods, and laughs too. "Yes, he usually just has me around. It would be good for him. If you want magic tutoring, either me or Certu can give it, depending on what you want tutoring in. What runenodes do you have? I should say that we can only tutor you if you already have them implanted. We don't make runenode scrolls here."

"I think the most likely answer is approximately 'yes', but I have no way of actually knowing for sure whether my instinct is correct, there?  I've yet to meet a magic I haven't recognized, though."

"Er, 'yes'? What do you mean?" Beatrix uses mind magic to examine whether Myria has runenodes. Fortunately, she also has sex magic, so the invasive sensation would feel nice rather than awful. She would normally ask for permission to do something like this first, but it seems like Myria would appreciate knowing that...

she has all the runenodes???????

What kind of soul does she have where you could just...have all of them? She recognizes the shapes from her studies. Her jaw is on the floor.

Ophelia reaches out with the light touch of a velvet glove, and gently closes Beatrix's mouth.  "Do ask before touching, mmhmm?  It's polite, with human-acculturated folk, which Myria here is."  (Her voice is - Myria's, but reflected through a sexy mirror; where Myria radiates innocent exuberance, Ophelia insteads exudes powerful confidence.)

Myria, meanwhile, shivers a bit because that did feel nice even though technically Beatrix should have asked, sees and feels Ophelia attempting to reboot her, and shrugs helplessly.  "A god did it?"  There's so much Myria.  A hundred cores running a hundred lightning-fast threads of thought, plus some to spare, leaves plenty of room for a few dozen pieces of specialty hardware like runenodes.

"My sincerest apologies. You're correct. I shouldn't have done that. It's just that...I was very curious. That is just...I have never seen such a soul with that many runenodes. How are you alive? I'll need to check with some of the implantation theory books. There were parts of you that I failed to even recognize. Which is quite a shock, you know, for a being as old as me. Usually I can identify things quickly."

She sits on the chair beside the desk for a moment to compose herself.

"I'll have to check in with Certu whether he feels the same way, but for myself, I would happily tutor you to the best of my ability in any of my magical specialties if you permit me to examine you more thoroughly at regular occasions. Would that be a fair price for you? My initial specialties are earth magic and rune binding (and by extension, rune magic), but I also know mind magic, sex magic, scrying, utility, attack, and protect magic. Oh, and illusion magic. I used to help Certu with his shapeshifting via illusions, but that was a long, long time ago. He doesn't need it now."

"I'll of course show you the results of whatever experiments or examinations I conduct, after I finish collating the data. And I promise that I will not do things to you that I believe might cause permanent harm, and that I'll take many steps to reduce the chances of that. I will also inform you beforehand of the exact process of each experiment, with the option for you to suggest alternatives or modifications if some part of it does not appeal to you. Do you have truesight? It's a very rare ability, but I might as well ask. You can use it to verify my sincerity."

"I think that that's what this button does, it's hooked up to visual and the HUD...whoa, that's trippy.  I don't think I necessarily needed that assurance, but that you thought of it...does you credit.  Sure, it's a deal.  I'm looking forward to progressing the cause of reason, really.  And - how am I alive?"  Shrug?  "A god did it?"

"Well, runenodes take up space in a person's soul, and a soul can only stretch so much to accommodate them. There are ways of making the soul more malleable, but at a certain point, there is no way to add another without causing irreversible damage through too much stretching. It makes sense that a god would be able to do it, since they are very experienced with handling souls, although if we're able to crack how they might do so..."

She rests her chin on her hand, and considers the implications. The limiting factor for most people seeking to become spellcasters is the cost of the runenodes themselves, but she knows of many people who are rich and are looking for ways to be able to accommodate more runenodes into themselves. 

She holds one of Myria's hand with both of hers, and looks her in the eye.

"You should understand that you are a very powerful – although you may not have realized that power fully yet – and frankly valuable person, and there are many factions in this world who would go to great lengths to acquire you and study you. I won't force you to do anything, of course, that goes against our values. If you choose to leave, that's fine with us. It would represent...a great boon to the library, and perhaps to yourself, if we are able to study you. If you do want to go your own way, then I advise you to learn how to utilize Protect Magic and perhaps Air Magic to ensure you can run away or shield yourself from anything that might want to get a hold of you."

Annnnd Myria is blushing.  Why is she blushing this is not the correct social situation to blush in.  This isn't romantic at all, Myria's hindbrain!

"I mean.  I kind of intend to do a little bit of both?  Not all of me is here in the first place...but I'm glad that the first, human civilization, that I met, was you two.  Because no, I had no idea just how bullshit I was, even if I had some idea that most people are not anywhere near as likely to be, well, me.  I tend to try to be good at chasing things down and I think that the goddess who did this took that into account when she..." Oh, that's definitely the expression of someone remembering a Very Good Time they had, "formed me into, this shape, because if I can learn all the magic I am obviously going to try to, it's magic, and magic is all kinds of bullshit, y'know?  It's - generation ex nihilo!  And it gets to be extra fun because of how you power that, and - we had so much technology, where I'm from, but not a single speck of magic known, and...it's a wonder, and a blessing, and a gift, and if I can share that with others someday, I want, I want to share as much of that wonder as I can.  And I'm almost certain that my social scripts are all tangled up, but...apparently I want to kiss you?  Not, with, expectations, but...to sincerely express gratitude?"

"Technology! You can really do it all, it seems. Certu especially would love to be able to learn various technologies from you, especially ones that would help running the library easier. And no, I don't mind it if you kiss me." She smiles widely. Myria is oddly charming, in her own way. She's very...sincere and candid.

"Yes, magic is great. We teach literacy, but in the far future, we thought about making runenodes available for everyone too. Definitely Vin, for the utility magic. That's more like a distant dream, though. Crafting runenode scrolls is very expensive and time consuming."

Then Beatrix gets a kiss!  The kiss is - sweet, and alive, and also full of magical energy like she's somehow made of the same fluid that Clear Hearts make, how is she not blazingly brilliant to mage-sight under normal circumstances, (it's Ophelia), and achingly tender, as if Myria has found a shining thing that is beautiful and true and is oh so hesitant to do anything that might dare break it or break this pure moment that she is right now streaming directly into her archives in bit-exhaustive detail because this moment is important, as she's holding Beatrix close...

And, after a timeless time that Certu might estimate as about a minute of Myria just...sensually, but somehow still chastely in a way that would be very uncharacteristic for anyone naturally of a tentacle-y species, kissing and cuddling, the moment passes, and Myria's bodies resume idly browsing the stacks, and the Myria who is speaking to Beatrix thinks about runenode implantation scrolls.

"You know, where I'm from, the reaction to something annoyingly time-consuming and fiddly is automation.  I wonder how much of that can be done by magic for magic, and not even in an extensive physical footprint because, magic!, ?  I think if you want mass runenode implantation, that's where you start, because nothing artisanal works to supply societal-scale demand, and if there's the concept of factories and labor-saving as a field here, it's not yet in your books; I think it's probably quite possible to - shift the burden of thinking about so much of what he's doing off of Certu, free him up to pay more attention to being-a-library, instead of having so many shards of attention focused on things that're fiddly only in their mechanics rather than the amount of actual thought needed; how attentionally-involved is he in day-to-day - environment maintenance, exempli gratia keeping the gardens appropriately-watered, for example?  ...Say, do you not have magic for plants?  I don't think I have that as a rune but I have - an instinct that moves the same way as I could do - fire, or water, or air, that seems to point in a plant-feeling direction - there's a couple other weird things like that actually, I swear there's one for sugar except that's not quite - if candy is an archetypical element I'm going to be so bemused - anyway how do you normally do magic, so far I've just been sort of - threading my will through the runes that feel right, then methodizing them, focusing mostly on - constructs and portals and I'm doing a little bit of practice with water and flesh and air as elements just on account of, environmental conditions, but I almost feel like that's, hard mode?  At least for human minds which, I still sorta count myself amongst?  I sort of 'cheat', the way I've been casting so far, by using brain-compute to make reflexes out of solutions-I-found-once and consider things at hyperspeed.  So I imagine there's an easier method but I don't think I'm going to figure out how to wiggle my hands around the right way just by wild mass guessing?"

She feels the intense rush of magical energy flow through her, and she almost topples in the chair were it not for Myria holding her. She was definitely not expecting that! She leans into the caresses, and halfway through, she runs her hands down Myria's forearms. It takes her two minutes to compose herself into a state that can process information coherently. Even then, her voice is breathless.

"Making runenode scrolls requires making very precise, often microscopic, etchings of runes. Such precision is not found on any machine in our world. I can assure you of that, because if there were, the inventor would have enough money to buy the whole continent. I have also tried to find ways to automate what Certu does, but he prefers that things be organic, or be made of organic-like materials. It's unpleasant for him to integrate with large machines which are made of metal. Wood is better, and something like chitin is best, although those materials do not have the best characteristics to be used in machines.

Sadly, no, there is no runenode to manipulate plants directly, although you can get close with water magic, since plants love water. Sugar and candy are not runenodes, no. I wish they were.

Usually, people cast spells by uttering the runenodes they want to invoke, and the manner in which the mana derived from them should be manipulated. They also use particular gestures to guide the mana where it needs to go. Tentaclepeople who are incapable of speech substitute with more complex gesturing, which is easier for them on account of having tentacles.

That's actually extremely difficult, by the way. It takes an expert spellcaster to be able to cast spells without gesturing or speaking, and often times only the weak or simple spells they can do like that. I can do many spells still and silent, but I've had three hundred years of practice."

"...Microscopic precision...What we need, is lathes.  Lathes that build lathes that build lathes that then etch runes, I remember reading someone upteching to precision work that way...or maybe just sufficiently precise construct enchantments...I was thinking of making basically fleshy bundles of instincts for Certu to occasionally check in on, yes, rather than mechanisms; gotta know the client..."

A couple of the Myrias in the study room are already starting to test the fidelity of their construct magic,

, and it is Ophelia that they tap as a resource on minds and on fleshcrafting, because she knows so much more on the down-to-instinct level that they need to design limbic systems that can, nonetheless, do magic and complex craftswork...

...Myria's ~skin, the surface membrane that's...probably Ophelia, actually, because Beatrix can be certain she'd notice if she was touching Myria, is...surprisingly, textured, to the touch?  It's still a squishy gel, but it's shaped, in a way that provides just a bit of friction against surface contact, a small bit of cling if she pulls her hands away.  (The Myria in the room with her certainly doesn't want the cuddling to stop if Beatrix wants it to continue, either, but she's less...found-an-oasis-in-the-desert...about the touchy-feely-ness she's doing.)

"Yes, I have no expertise in working with organic machines. Certu would likely prefer those. If you want to talk with him, you can go to the consultation room in Basement 1. It's easier for him to talk to people there."

She feels the oddly-sticky-but-not-sticky surface on Myria. That must be her living clothing. She doesn't initiate the touching...but she also doesn't resist it. It feels good.

"Now that I think about it, I should probably have introduced myself to you. Not to you, Myria, but your living clothing. They are sapient, yes?" 

"I am indeed," purrs the voice that spoke earlier.  "A pleasure to officially meet you, Beatrix, for all that in most ways of looking at it, it is not inaccurate to say that you've been introduced to me already, albeit not vice-versa.  You may call me Ophelia; it is, once again, a pleasure.  You're...kind."

"Nice to meet you, Ophelia. Of course, as a representative of the library, it behooves me to be polite. Despite your form and connection to Myria, you are still a sapient entity and worthy of consideration." She smiles widely, which kind of ruins the professional vibe she was going for.

She stands back up. "I usually have lunch at this time, so I must go for now. Do you have something planned for the afternoon?" Her body language implies she means 'you' in the plural sense.

"I can tutor you in my magical specialties, take you to meet and talk to Certu in the basement, or unlock the workshop for you so we can experiment on the possibility of organic machines, or something else entirely." She wanted to just ask what her planned schedule was, but what came out made it sound like she's asking her for a date.

"Those of us present here are mostly here to learn whatever we can be taught, dear Beatrix; we would like to prioritize learning of magic, but have no strong preferences otherwise save that we likely should speak to Certu about what he prefers in minions."

"...When it comes to long-term planning that's mostly her job.  Ooh, what are you - oh, right, fungus with some herbs for flavor.  ...Or possibly tentacle."

Myria then realizes what she just said, and blushes just a bit.

"That whole thing is probably not ever going to get any less itself, no matter how many years go by, is it?  I mean.  You'd know, I presume?"

"Hm, he doesn't really do the...minion thing. He has employees, but you can stop working for him when you want. I can too, but we have a close relationship, so I'm not going to. And yes, that's pretty much what I have for lunch most days."

She blushes too, and angles her face away a little.

"Nope. Still the same. Tentacles are tentacles."

She leaves for an hour to go eat, and then knocks on the door to Myria's room afterward.

("'Minions' was a hyperbolic overstatement, anyway; if there's something sapient involved we've done something wrong.")

The faint buzzing sound audible through the door stops, and there's an indistinct agreeable noise that could be "in a minute!"; a few minutes later, Myria's able to open said door, blushing just a bit.

She waits patiently for the door to open.

"Hello again, Myria, Beatrix. Certu said he's ready to talk to you now. If you're ready, we can go down to the basement to meet with him."

"That seems quite reasonable," comes Ophelia's voice from a still-wobbly Myria's lips.  "I've done what work I can without that input already, as has Myria."

She leads them down two flights of stairs to a room in the basement. She opens it, and it's a wide open space that's pink and fleshy. The moment the door opens, however, chairs appear in a U-shape, with a box in the 'center'. The center has a mouth.

The mouth speaks!

"Hello, Myria and Ophelia. I would normally communicate by telepathy since you are fine with it, but this is easier if there are multiple people. I only have to speak once. Beatrix has told me about your plans. I would love to talk more with you about organic machines, or magic tutoring. Which one would you like to discuss first?"

Ophelia - it is clearly Ophelia operating this body, just from the way she moves, it's a strikingly controlled, poiseful set of motions, contrasted against Myria's almost-cartoonish springy exuberance - sits that body in one chair; another Myria turns up from somewhere to seat herself as well.

"I think the organic machines go first because that would impact availability-for-tutoring?  And we can already do any magic, anyway?  Whereas organic machines aren't something you'd be able to do yourself?  I'm guessing you don't have flesh or blood magic, because I would have turned to 'create bundles of instincts' were I in your position with the magic I have."

"I do have flesh and blood magic. I use it on Beatrix to prevent her from aging. However, I admit that I haven't done much experimentation on it. The thought simply hadn't occurred to me before now, but now that you mention it, it makes total sense. I have always associated that form of magic as being about enhancement to sapient beings, when really, I should treat it as an organic equivalent to metal magic. And yes, it would make it easier for me to tutor you if I need to spend less...thought managing things, although it is not a strict requirement. I've tutored others before in this state. 

Beatrix told me you have all the runenodes available to you, does that apply to flesh and blood magic too? Do you know how to use it? If you don't, then I can tutor you in it. It's harder to practice with it, since it requires something alive, but we can work on thoughtless lumps of flesh to start."

"Yes and not-anywhere-near-well-enough respectively, though Ophelia has greater intuition for it just based on...intangible and unquantifiable vibes."  (And probably something about her character archetype supporting it, Myria doesn't say.)

"Neither of us have cast a flesh magic spell before."

Beatrix leaves her chair and then moves to a far corner, where she sits instead. A chair materializes for her.

"...I'm reasonably certain that there's enough - implanted procedural memory - that we aren't going to somehow give anyone all the cancers just on accident by casting.  If that's something worrying anyone."

Certu also moves his speaker-mouth-tower.

"I would normally have tutoring be done in the magic workshop, but for flesh magic, it's easier to do it here. I'll produce some flesh for us to work with. Give me a moment."

Slowly, a cube of pinkish slightly wriggling flesh starts to rise from the fleshy floor. The whole process takes a minute.

"There we go. This cube of flesh is separate from my body, so I cannot work it directly. We'll start with basic shaping. The sensations are similar to working with other materials – I assume you've used other elemental magics before – although flesh is harder. It moves unpredictably, at least at first. After you work with it for a while, you get intuition for where it's supposed to wriggle.

Cancer isn't an issue. You would need remarkably fine control, or do something requiring that and fail, in order to give someone cancer. The riskier part is moving flesh in a way it's not supposed to, and ripping apart organs or something. This is what makes flesh magic harder than other forms of magic. You necessarily must work with something alive. It's fortunate that I can remove lumps of flesh from myself, though. There's no risk to myself in the case you harm this cube."

He creates several meter long tentacles from the speaker tower.

"I'm more familiar with the tentacleperson way of casting, which involves no words and only gesturing. However, I'll teach you the humanoid form, which assumes you only have two limbs available for casting, and are able to speak. The rune for blood is Vol, and the rune for flesh is Lem. Let's begin by practicing making the cube grow and shrink. Beatrix told me that you've been casting spells based on pure mana control! That is very impressive. It's much easier if you chant while doing it, though, and for flesh magic, it's best to make things as easy and safe as possible."

His tentacles make a whipping motion, and he says "Volchirr lemhin." The cube grows with a squishing sound.

"Hin is the mode for growing. It is one of the two modes native to flesh magic. If you have mana control, which I believe you do, you can adjust the way it grows. Volchirr lemhin." The tentacles make a different motion, and a smaller secondary cube appears on the top of the first cube.

"Pes is the mode for withering. Volchirr lempes." The cube disappears, and a divot appears in the first cube.

"Try playing with the cube to get a feel for it. Actually, can Ophelia cast magic as well? If she can, I can create another cube for her to work with."

"I am capable of casting independently, but we shall save that sort of practice until we can reliably cast together."

"We'll begin whenever you're ready, Myria, which is now."  (There is something stirring inside her...)

And Myria spreads all four of her arms wide like she's a conductor, closes her eyes (for entirely psychosomatic reasons), and intones the magic words, as Certu commanded: "Volchirr lemhin."

And so the flesh grows; it in fact grows more tall than long, and Myria even manages to smooth out the existing divot, with a very tense handwiggle.  She thinks that's pretty good, really.

"Volchirr lempes," on the other hand, she has a much more deft hand with, even starting out; then again, it's almost always easier to destroy than create.  She's not incredibly surprised, there.

"What's the list of known runenode command words, anyway?"

"I advise not closing your eyes when you cast, since you ought to see what you're doing. For a first try, it is very good work! Usually, it takes more time for people not to either do nothing or destroy the cube entirely."

He pauses for a minute, and there's a sound of rustling or moving in the walls. The floor in front of Myria splits open, and out comes a tentacle holding a thin book.

"This book has a list of all the modes I am aware of, and what their effects are. Flesh magic is less reliant on modes, however, and more on pure mana control. Biology is complex, and even if you were able to find the correct combination of modes to use for a specific effect, you still need lots of mana control to work on someone alive without harming them. Or in your case, working on an intricate organic machine. Elemental magics are often used in combat. In that case, quick casting is of vital importance. Flesh magic, at least flesh magic used to enhance, is never used in combat. You have lots of time. What you need in that case is patience."

He pauses for another minute.

"Let's try sculpting something more complex to train your control." He pauses for a few seconds, and Beatrix nods. It seems that they talked to each other via telepathy.

"How about you try sculpting this cube into the shape of Beatrix's face and head? Like a bust. No need to figure out color or texture at this time, just shape."

Beatrix's chair moves slowly closer to where Myria is.

"Mmhmm..."

(The whatever-Ophelia's-doing intensifies at this point.)

"...wonder if inducing pluripotence...speculate later, focus now..."

"vol chirr lem hin lo, vol chirr lem pes," the syllables spill forth one by one, and Myria-and-Ophelia set to their work with a passion.

"Sadly, I must return to sorting books. I'll leave you here with Beatrix. I'll return in about half an hour to check on your work, and also to examine your work."

The speaker tower sinks into the floor and disappears.

Beatrix looks intently at the fleshy sculpture. She doesn't have high hopes that she'll be depicted very well. This is Ophelia and Myria's first time doing flesh magic. But still, she's curious as to how it would end up.

It might be their first time doing flesh magic, but it's not their first time doing 3D modeling, and while it takes them a few passes, that sure is a fleshy rendition of Beatrix!  Myria mutters something about 'uncanny valley' when she decides they're done.

It looks surprisingly accurate! The form is correct, although the texture and color isn't.

"That looks really good. I didn't expect you to learn this quickly. Have you done sculpting before? Not necessarily with flesh, just...in general."

"In general, yes, something like."

Certu's speaker tower returns a few minutes later.

"Excellent work! You really do seem to have great mana control. I usually reserve this lesson till later, but it seems like you could benefit from it. We'll have to stop after that."

He spawns a book concerning the human integumentary system via opening an orifice in the floor, and sets the book on a small table he created beside Myria. He turns it to a page describing human hair follicles.

"Let's try adding hair to your sculpture. Shaping flesh is the easy part, but to do anything complex, you have to understand what you're doing. If you want to master flesh magic, you'll have to do lots of biology reading. You're not going to be able to see the individual hair follicles you're making unless you have a microscope, but you still need to understand their form and function in order to grow them from flesh via mana control. Volchirr lemhin will only get you so far.

Let's try it without a microscope this time, going only by pure mana control and feel. Volchirr lemhin can be used to accelerate the growth of the hair follicles so that they can produce hair. You can't control the hair directly since it is neither flesh nor blood, but you can manage it by altering the base of the follicle. That's the only part that's alive."

"Ooh, keratin.  Alright, let's see..."

This is going to be kind of complicated!

"How would you go about - speciating is the wrong word but it's also the most right one - inducing the cellular structure to actually be follicular?  I have any thoughts and I'm thinking about how to pursue them, but surely there are ways I'd overlook, that I do not want to overlook."

"The important part is to visualize the follicles in your mind, and then visualize where they're supposed to go. That should work in this case. It's easier if the flesh you're working with supports the structure you're visualizing natively. This is derived from my flesh, so it should be easier. It would be more difficult if you, say, wanted to grow a tentacle on a human. Humans don't natively have tentacles, so you would have to have better mana control and knowledge of biology to do that. In this case, it's more of...telling the flesh to grow into the tissues you want. It is similar to...stem cells, are you familiar with those? They are tissues in the body which are able to morph into any other type of tissue, but of course, they can only turn into tissues that the organism natively supports. Human stem cells can't turn into tentacles without artificial intervention."

He draws a tinier cube of his own, and tries to demonstrate. His tentacles wriggle a few inches away from the cube, and frizzy red hair starts to sprout from it, a centimeter per second.

"I think growing any hair would be a great accomplishment at this level. Controlling the color and texture we can do some other time."

"Yes, I'm aware of stem cells, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on that from my going-on about pluripotence - ...also, that 'can't natively support' is doing a lot of heavy lifting, there.  I wonder how much you could do just by tweaking expression in biological legacy code...to say nothing of - oh, but that's definitely doing additional non-native work, Crispr-CAS9 isn't even...do I know how to make that, I wonder...c'mon, alchemy, this is your field.  Have the - yes!  But there's also the same theoretical process that produced mitochondria and, I believe, chloroplasts, to consider as somewhat viable...anyway.  Not getting distracted.  Hair follicles.  Now how do I arrange the words for this spell...Well.  Probably multiple spells, actually.  One to knock back the biological clock a bit, one to grow the result in the direction of my devising...

"I read somewhere, once, that hair color and follicle density were interrelated, which is just a bit absurd but I cannot yet put the lie to it; probably a function of evolution being a hacker rather than any fundamental causative factor, though, because individual strands of hair have definitive colors.

"Anyway.  I can think about what I'm doing all day; only thing that'll tell me whether I'm right or wrong, though, is actually trying it."

"Hmm."

"Volchirr lemtrith, volchirr lemhin."

She's really getting tired of violating the programming maxim of not repeating herself, but that comes later.

Mend the cells to brand-new condition, and then make them grow, according to - she doesn't have a blueprint.

Frak.  Alright she'll try it live, but she's not quite expecting pushing out the pattern of follicle shapes to work...

And it does not.

"Hm."

"Let's try that again, perhaps..."

"...No, darling, allow me to interject.  You're too focused, on the wrong things.  Don't fret about the chemical and genetic expression.  Hold the concept in your mind, instead.  Volchirr lemhin."

And with Ophelia fucking with her head (quite literally, in fact) so that Myria will get through the process instead of choking and dissipating her work into unproductive lines of worry, Myria does indeed cause the bust to grow silky light-brown hair from freshly grown follicles.  "Your hair's pretty, Beatrix."

"Thank you! This is really good..." She touches the hair on the statue with her right hand, and compares it to the texture of her own hair, which she's feeling with her left hand.

"It's very accurate. I'm impressed." The pink fleshy Beatrix statue is still pink and fleshy, but it now has great hair.

"Great! I noticed that the two of you were helping each other. That's good. That's a big advantage you have. I'll have to end the lesson now, but you're free to play with the flesh statue as much as you want, still. Don't take the statue out of the room, though, or it will start decomposing. We'd rather save it for the next lesson."

The speaker tower sinks into the floor.

"...I am so tempted to see if I can get it to not-decompose outside of this room, out of spite for the petty laws of 'reality' that're getting in my way, but, that's asking for hubris-induced suffering and I'm not going to succeed by going all Sparky; I'm not Agatha Heterodyne.  ...Does literature around here have hubristic mad scientists, archetypally?"

"Not hubristic mad scientists. Not much fiction about those, sadly. Lots and lots of fiction about hubristic mad wizards, though. We tend to prefer trading for nonfiction over fiction books at the library, but we do have some fiction. About a fourth of our collection is. Stories which feature that trope prominently...tend to not be very good. To me, at least. I prefer hubristic but sane characters."

"Well.  To quote the lady herself, sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from SCIENCE!!!," and she pauses - "...Yes, the emphatically pronounced exclamation points are part of the original quote.  I think she's a grander example of the type because the point of her world is that there's not just her doing all sorts of mad wizardry; there's a whole world of Sparks doing Sparky stuff and leaving inscrutable gubbins lying around to be doomsday weapons later.  Also it was very artistic."

"...You'd probably quite like Leareth, but there's no way I can reconstruct his books because I only know he exists through cultural osmosis.  ...Damn, and now I might never know."

She laughs. 

"Now I want to read your world's fiction. Or perhaps your own, if you've written any. I've been working with books my whole life, but I actually haven't published anything. A little ironic, isn't it? And not for lack of time: I'm more than three hundred years old. I might publish a treatise on earth magic – that's the magic I have the most notes of. I suppose writing just isn't for me. The most I've written were papers on magical theory."

She tilts her head off to the side slightly. She had been passing over some of Myria's references, but this one stood out to her.

"In what way is Leareth like me?" Her tone is purely curious, not accusatory. 

"I have written so many abandoned first chapters.  ...I think I might actually be able to pull off dredging entire books-I've-read out of my memory with enough sorts of magic thrown at the problem?  And the brain-computer.  We'll see.  I certainly intend to try, at least!"

"It's not that Leareth is necessarily like you, as much as - you wanted a sane wizard with hubris out the wazoo?  Leareth is the man who wages a 2,000-year campaign to build a god because the other gods suck, and even without the protagonist of that series happening to him, he might've succeeded."

She adjusts her hair.

"Wow, yeah, that is hubristic. Although I personally don't really see hubris as bad. Is it really hubris if you can deliver? The people here certainly haven't, though. I've read about people who tried to become gods – the sources are of varying credibility – but none have succeeded to my knowledge."

"Honestly, 'is it hubris if you can deliver' is a very good question for which my answer is 'I dunno'!  ...Huh, becoming a god is a thing people can do?  Or, rather, try, I suppose?"

"Yes, try. None of them have succeeded to my knowledge, after all. A new god appearing on the scene seems like something that people would take note of quickly. Many of the current gods have a form in the sky. Some people use astronomy and astrology to try to commune with them, but that is not without risk. I've studied how to do it in theory, and know how to use the observatory for that, but I've never done performed a communion. 

Neither Certu or I have much connection with the gods. Virtually all of them oppose at least one other in some form, and we'd rather not get involved in that. The both of us are master spellcasters and have magic weapons in the armory, but in the end we're only two mortals. 

I occasionally pray to the Wizened Void when I hit a roadblock in research or have to puzzle out a difficult conundrum. I worshipped Him back before my time in the library. I tend to pray less these days, though."

"Ooh, yes, do please tell me about the practical theology."

There's a visible change in her face and expression as she switches into 'librarian explaining' mode.

"'Normal' people usually pray to whichever god has domain over what they want to do. If they're farming, they'll pray to the Bountiful Lady for a good harvest. People seeking luck in finding a spouse pray to the Doting Lover that they might find true love. A merchant wanting to make lots of money might pray to the Avarice King. The gods rarely intervene in such mundane matters, but it's good to...pay 'respect' to the god that has domain over what you're going to do, in the same way one might ask for permission before entering someone's house.

For people who are particularly aligned with a god's principles and potentially have something to offer them in return, such as if they're powerful and their service would be significant, the god might present them with boons as well as empower them with various mutations. They also might do this to very devout worshippers.

As for you, I think that the Wizened Void would love to meet you, since you have the ability to cast any magic, and are passionate about magic. In fact...he might have intervened to get you here, if you're really from another world. I haven't heard of any person doing that, but if there's anyone who could do that, it would be the gods."

"Would you mind telling me the known gods, then?  I know there was someone...pink, feminine, and kind, involved, stretched thin as she was, but I'm not sure if that was the only god involved in my reincarnation, or if there was someone else who originally selected me, for example."

She crosses her legs.

"Alright. The gods are usually sorted into the Old Gods and the New Gods. The Old Gods are less interventionist, but when They intervene, it's something big and significant. The New Gods are the reverse. They tend to commune more with their followers and enact minor miracles. I'll describe the Old Gods first. I'll give a quick summary of each. I can get you a theology textbook later.

The Wild Empress has domain over animals and monsters, and She prefers beastmen and dragons and the like. Also humans. She's about surving and overcoming others, but also raising others to grow in strength to succeed you. Her boons and granted mutations evoke animal characteristics. She opposes the Strict Master.

You'd probably hate the Wicked Mother. She's the patron deity of parasites: part of Her tenets is that you ought to take parasites into your body. I think I told you about her earlier. She also favors many tentacled creatures. Her boons and granted mutations are about raping people. Yes, I'm serious. She opposes the Bountiful Lady."

She chuckles a little, and adds, "See, I told you they hate each other. When I say a god opposes another, you should take that as being true in the reverse direction as well."

"Anyway, continuing.

The Strict Master is all about slavery and obedience. To Him, slaves ought to be obedient to their masters, and that masters ought to be strict to their slaves. Very hierarchical. His boons and granted mutations are about causing fear, and power dynamics and bondage.

The Starving Lord has poison, growth and warfare in His domain. He favors plant creatures. He's like the Wild Empress but plant-y. His boons and granted mutations are about growth and bodily resistance, and also being plantlike. He opposes the Corrupt Maid.

The Deep Prophet is like the Wizened Void, but more cruel. He teaches never to do things for free. He favors sea creatures and those with mind-affecting powers. As you can expect, He opposes the Wizened Void. It's funny how both of the gods whose domain is knowledge are associated with the deep sea. His boons and granted powers are water themed, and also give you a portion of His knowledge.

The Avarice King is about selfishness and cannibalism. Many of his followers are cannibals. They say they grow stronger when they eat others, that they acquire a portion of the power of those they eat. I believe that's one of His boons. His granted mutations help you eat others, such as being able to open your mouth very wide to consume someone whole. He opposes the Charity Queen.

The Arrogant Star is concerned about remaining pure and uncorrupted. He and His followers are very smug about it. He's also the patron deity of the Aurum Empire, where they call him First Father. He has his own established church there and everything: the Church of the Golden Eye. His boons give you greatly increased resistance to mundane and magical effects, and his granted mutations concern both cleanliness and resilience."

She takes a moment before continuing.

"On to the New Gods. The Fair Queen is, as the name suggests, fair. Don't lie, don't cheat, don't steal. Oh, and She hates the undead. She has similar boons to the Arrogant Star, who She opposes, although one of Her boons is about being able to interact with ethereal entities as though they were corporeal. She likes elves.

The Corrupt Maid is about being polite and disciplined. Really very maid-like indeed. One of Her boons is fetish sense, where you can see what fetishes someone has if you touch them for a while." She smiles incredulously. "Would love to meet someone with that ability and ask them for fetish statistics, ha. She likes smiles and gazers, and her granted mutations reflect that.

The Doting Lover I've told you about already. He, and to some extent His wife too, is the god of family and marriage, and of self-sacrifice for them if necessary. His boons are love related – I remember that one of them ties the fate of both spouses together. He prefers demons, and grants mutations related to sex.

The Bountiful Lady is the goddess of medicine, growth, and plants. With that kind of domain sharing, you'd think she'd oppose the Starving Lord, but nope! She opposes the Wicked Mother. Maybe that's because the Wicked Mother's animals eat Her plants. Anyway, she's quite pacifist and is an environmentalist. Her boons and granted mutations concern being talented in growing plants, as well as plant-related traits. As you might expect, she favors plant and fungus creatures.

The Curious Oracle is concerned with dreams and sleep. One of Her tenets say to get enough sleep every night. One of Her boons is related to that, where She might visit you in a dream to give advice. She favors cephalopods, fairies, and jellyfish.

The Charity Queen is about being generous and charitable. Not surprising. She emphasizes always being of value to others and helping them out, which may involve sex too, which explains her granted mutations. She loves changelings. Her most famous boon is resurrection. A person who has that will be restored to mortal life if they die, although I understand that there's some sort of cooldown period between resurrections.

The Wizened Void doesn't prefer any creatures. He's concerned with magic and knowledge. You fit his tenets best, I think. He's against hubris, though, and emphasizes the smallness of each individual person compared to the vast cosmos. His famous boon increases someone's mana regeneration so much to the extent that they start to leak it. Oh, to have that mutation..." She sighs.

"That's all of them! I might have missed some things about some of them, so I should really get you that theology book."

"Goodness, that does sound interesting.  ...Why that boon, or mutation, or - why want that specifically?  ...And how do you know if you have one, actually?"

"I think that's one of those things where you just...know? I believe that in many cases the god in question may also send a vision or something of the sort to clue you in, but that's not guaranteed."

"Well, here's hoping; I wouldn't know how much of my capacity is simply from what I'm made of versus what I may have been given.  A lot of how I am is presently a mystery even to myself, for some reason.  Like whoever started writing the documentation gave up halfway through.  ...I don't blame them; I'm clearly quite a lot of stuff in a trenchcoat.  Still, it's somewhat annoying, y'know?"

(A different Myria has filed into the room and is diligently working on the problem of printing while she and Beatrix talk, and considers an interesting sidestep of the problem of pigment production - not that she's not working on that.  What if you use hair, and weave it into the shapes of letters and illustrations inset into the paper?  Or just...make pages of hair-cloth by that mechanism?  She has to figure out flesh-plausible methods of weaving, but...hair has things like colors, and she's almost sure that there's fancy colors available, despite not directly observing such yet, because this world absolutely has anime hair as a thing.  She'd put money on it.)

(Another Myria is investigating chameleons' chromatophores on the other side of the cube, and attempting to fleshcraft up chromatophores in general.  She knows they exist, which might plausibly be the hard part!)

...And a different Myria has shown up, because she has magic questions for Beatrix!

"So, you do the wards around here; would you mind showing me the schematics?  I have an idea."

"Yes, I sympathize with the struggle of not knowing exactly what you are. I –  sorry," She gets distracted by the Myria attempting to make chromatophores.

"Certu can make chromatophores: that's how he was able to make all of the furniture here different colors. But we haven't been able to make colorfast pigments that would last on paper. I tried using earth magic to experiment with colored minerals, but many of them are toxic and since Certu doesn't have earth magic, it wouldn't be a good idea for him to try creating ink with that. Our current system for color printing is to use scrying magic to construct a picture, then separate out the different colors of the picture. Then, I use earth magic to carve stone blocks corresponding to each color, and then apply color to each one and press the paper against them.

This works, but it's very time consuming to do the carving. And it can only replicate flat color pictures that have no blending – it can't replicate gradients at all. It works great for things like graphs and diagrams, especially for geometry texts, but illustrations more complex than that have to be hand painted."

"Ah, the book wards. Sure, I can get them for you."

She leaves for about five minutes and returns with a booklet held together by a paperclip.

The schematics show a system where thin plates of stone are attached to the corners of the book's covers, as well as a long thin one on the spine. There's a long appendix detailing the runes to be etched and in what combination in what places, and approximately how long it would last. Assuming normal conditions, the rune bindings would last around nine months until it runs out of magic and needs to be recharged. Sooner, if the book is kept under worse conditions – more magic is expended if the enchantment needs to protect against more damage.

A clever part of the design is that there's a small rectangle attached to the spine plate that's colored green. It is separate and is bound to the spine plate only by magic – once the rune binding expires, the rectangle drops off, allowing the librarian to see which enchanted books have lost their enchantment just by looking.

"Yeah, I'm approaching this from first principles with a bunch of random chemistry shoved in my head.  And alchemy too, probably, but I trust the chemistry more," says chromatophore Myria.  "Thankfully, I know food-safe dyes exist, and so does dot-matrix printing, though reimplementing old devices in new mediums is usually not the best way to go about things..."

"Though I'm going to be working on doing interesting things with hair, because if this world doesn't have an absurd variety of hair colors I will eat my nonexistent hat; there are probably reasons nobody makes cloth books, though I don't know what they'd be, really.  ...Still, if I can get it to be pigment-related instead of microstructural, morpho blue," she says like it's a curse and then remembers that butterflies' wings being blue because of nanoscale structure is pretty cool actually, "which, that's a an example of a really cool way of coloring things that is nonetheless unhelpful because it involves the wavelength of blue light being fourhundredsomething nanometers, rather than any pigment, and also positive evidence for possibly bioprinting scrolls of Chirr, actually; anyway we'd have hopefully bio-safe pigments...or we could just dissolve the underlying keratin if I'm feeling like I want to make something especially janky..."

"Anyway, book bindings!  ...Hmm...Ooh, that adhesion is neat.  Could do a whole lot with that trick...  And you have paperclips!  Ooh, do you have - probably not by the name I'd want to use for it, though.  Damn.  Duct tape's pretty good stuff, for an entirely material substance.  But I doubt you've needed to invent it ever, even if it's the sort of stuff that can almost do anything.  ...though I wonder if I have synthetic fabrics in my archive at all..."