fandomhigh | Library, Wednesday, All Day

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Library, Wednesday, All Day

Sholeh was in a staring contest with the books today. It probably sounded stupid (her sisters agreed it was very stupid), but she just knew the books were up to something. They kept rustling around whenever she wasn't looking at them directly. It was both eerie and pretty irritating.

So she'd just keep watching. Watching and waiting. For the other book to drop.

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For some reason, the back copies of old magazines from the 50's seem to be displaying themselves across the tables. Huh.

Edited 2012-12-05 15:27 (UTC)

Hello!

Gonna get to use this icon for reals soon!

Ulrik was as of yet untouched by Fandom's latest madness, but he did have sandwiches from the cafe and Christmas cookies from JGOB in tow.

"Greetings, oh favourite keeper of knowledge," he declared with a grin, depositing the aforementioned goodies on the desk.

Sholeh stopped eying the books to turn a happy grin towards Ulrik. "Greetings, oh favorite bringer of foodstuffs!" she replied. "How've you been? Missed you around here. My lunches just haven't been the same without you."

"My apologies," Ulrik said, a little sheepish. "I've been somewhat distracted as of late with news from home."

"Good news, I hope," Sholeh said earnestly, putting her sandwich down to look at at him in worry. "Or, at least, not too troubling news?"

"Depends upon your perspective, I suppose," Ulrik said. "Nothing that concerns my immediate family, but the Emperor of the USE," who also happened to be his future father-in-law, "is planning to go to war with Bavaria."

Sholeh winced that that. "War? And...it's not something that can be avoided? I thought war was supposed to be what happened when there was absolutely no other choice."

OH SHOLEH. YOU INNOCENT, NAIVE THING, YOU.

"War's been something of a constant presence across Europe for some time now," Ulrik admitted. "The Americans arrived in the midst of what in most timelines eventually came to be termed 'The 30 Years War'. Their arrival altered things significantly, of course, but it also made many rulers very angry."

"A war that lasted for thirty years?" Sholeh wasn't entirely sure she could grasp that. "Did all the children of that first generation just pick up and keep fighting when their fathers died off? How was there a third generation if everyone was off killing one another?"

"Well... have you a map of Europe?" Ulrik asked. It was a library, so he was assuming there ought to be one around somewhere.

Because, yes, he'd made sure to read up extensively on the subject, both with what history (... was it still history if it hadn't happened yet, thus making it unlikely to happen now that people knew what had happened? Time travel made his head ache sometimes) books were available back down-time and the much more extensive collection here in Fandom.

Sholeh nodded, heading over to the atlas section. "Lots," she said, beckoning him to follow her. "In lots of different versions and timelines and different time periods, too. We can probably find one that you're looking for if we poke around a bit."

"One from about 1620 would be best, if you have any that go back that far," Ulrik said, following obediently.

"It's Fandom library," Sholeh said with a shrug. "If the books can move around on their own--" and she whirled about to see if any of them were doing just that. Some of the magazines were rustling, but that could have been an air current or something. Blast them, sneaky things.

"If they can do that, I can't be surprised if they have any kind of book you can ask for. The trick is finding it."

"I wonder if that includes maps from my own time, after the Americans arrived and altered the timeline," Ulrik mused. "But for now, a map from this timeline should do."

Sholeh nodded and got to work trying to find a suitable map. In the end, she managed to come up with one from 1615 that apparently came from a closer version of Earth (http://www.temeraire.org/novels/), save for the existence of dragons and another from what Sholeh assumed was this timeline, only from 1650. "Will these work?" she asked.

"Those'll do quite nicely," Ulrik nodded, spreading them out on a table. "This first map is from a few years before the war began, and the second is from shortly after peace was declared," he explained. "You see how large an area it encompasses? Not every nation or city-state that was involved was so for the duration of the entire war. The bulk of Denmark's involvement, for example, was really only for a relatively short period of time- from 1624 to 1629. Additonally, many of the armies were not fighting because it was a cause they believed in. They were fighting because they were mercenaries, and the pay was- well, the pay wasn't good, but it was decent."

"But still, surely five years was long enough for your father to realize that war was a terrible idea. Why is he agitating for it again?" She looked intently down at the maps again, finger slowly tracing the marked borders. "Why was Denmark involved the last time?"

"The war's origins were rooted in religion," Ulrik explained. "Denmark is a Protestant nation," not that that meant anything to Sholeh, unless she'd been doing some reading on Earth religion. "And my father was concerned that the Catholic forces were growing too strong. When the Americans arrived it was much the same story. Now, of course, though he is still sovereign of Denmark, he is bound by treaty to lend support to the Emperor of the USE should he so wish it. I do not know if we will be directly involved," he admitted. "But I suspect that will be the case."

"Oh," Sholeh said, face falling. "I understand how that can be a problem."

People had been killing the Tryad for religious reasons for centuries now. It was almost enough to shake the belief in the Mother. Almost.

"Why does it matter what one person believes? I've never understood why people care so much about it. It doesn't matter to me who believes what."

"I've never been especially religious myself," Ulrik admitted. "I think it's mostly just an easy way to control people, telling them they ought to fear what is different. And then the logical extension is that what is different is inferior, and only you can set those poor souls on the right path by showing them the way..." he shrugged, and then flashed a grin her way. "Me, I think a world where everyone thought the same would be terribly boring, don't you?"

"Exactly," Sholeh said, brightening again. "If everyone was the same, then what would there be to learn about? We'd all go around having the same thoughts and the same interests and everything would be terribly boring. I like different! Different is interesting!"

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Library, Wednesday, All Day

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