Astrophobia

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[Jonathan Crane, PhD, scans the Plane with bespectacled eyes in his very nice suit. To all appearances, the Plane has just won itself a new university professor]

Acrophobia would hardly be an irrational fear at present. Indeed, it would be very [takes a step] very [another step] practical. This is possibly one of the very few instances in a normal individual’s life where siderophobia might be considered rational as well. And so they would cease to be phobias.

Incongruous but coherent structure... far too lucid to be any breed of hallucination or dream. The idea of it being true space is out of the question, of course.

[picks up a discarded hat, examining it] The two most likely options are thus illusion or reality. I wonder which it is. [sets the hat down again and carries on his way]

Comments

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

Well, there's the Thomas Bowdler Library, but I've got a bookshelf in my room. And I bet Doughy would let me borrow his if I needed it.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[Crane knows who Thomas Bowdler is and he is not a fan.]

Mr Puppington, you know how to bring things from your home to this place, correct?

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

Uh-huh. [With that, he picks his kickball back up.] I brought this with me.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Could you bring me a bookshelf? I want to experiment.

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

Mhm! I'll get mine. I was just playing in the yard, so I'll be a few minutes! [And Orel disappears, and like he said, he disappears for a few minutes before returning with his bookshelf, which... as you might guess, has multiple copies of the Bible, along with a few other books.] I wasn't sure if I could have taken my stuff out or not first, but if you need them gone, I can bring them back.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[Crane's face says how much he loves the Bible. As in he doesn't like it at all]

No, it's good that they're here. First, we need to remove all of them to see if anything happens.

[Carefully, because Bible or not, a book is a book, Crane starts to remove the books from Orel's bookshelf and set them down on the Plane floor.]

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

[Orel says nothing about the expression, but watches intently.] Like... them being replaced? I know the kitchen has things come back; it's pretty neat.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Exactly like that. If it works for food and drink, then why not for that which nourishes the mind? And the only way to find out is to try.

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

Hmm. [He thinks for a few moments, staring at the shelves.] What if it won't restock unless you aren't looking?

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Then we should try looking away to see.

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

Okay! [And as such, Orel just immediately turns away from the book shelf, and begins playing with the button on his shirt cuff.]

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[Jonathan is not an 11-year-old boy, but he does turn away too, mentally giving his health status a one-over - he has decided he should probably be going back to Arkham soon, because he is getting tired - and then he turns around]

Hm, that didn't work. I wonder... food and drink are both consumed and so, in some way, destroyed. So perhaps that is a requirement? We won't do that to these books, but in a few days, I'll bring us a few books that the world can afford to lose for our experiment.

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

[Orel turns around after Crane, and puts his hands on his hips, his brow furrowed in deep, little boy contemplation.] It's worth a try. I mean, if nobody'll miss the books, then there's no harm, right?

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Precisely. They'll be easily replaceable books and I will buy them myself.

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

[He then grins and nods.] Great! ...Uhm, where should we meet up then? In a few days, I mean. When you have everything.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

When you see a large library appear on the Plane, you'll have found me.

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

Okay! I'll keep an eye out for it, sir.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Good.

You may call me Professor Crane, by the way.

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

Professor Crane it is! [He continues grinning, because oooh, professor. That's a fancy title, you know.] And you don't have to call me Mr. Puppington if you don't want to. That's my dad. Orel is just fine.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

Orel, then. I wouldn't want you to start thinking you're your father.

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

[Orel laughs.] I wanna be like him someday though. He's the best dad ever.

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[judging purely from the books Orel owns, Crane avidly disagrees]

[oh, and he hates fathers as a rule anyway]

You'll get over it. Now, for these books.

[Crane starts putting them back in place]

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

[Orel only looks confused for a moment before assisting Crane in putting them back. He has nothing to say at the moment, but he is loudly humming a catchy tune.]

[handfulofstraw.livejournal.com]

[Crane has developed very strong abilities to tune out other people's humming (and whistling, and screaming, and--) so it doesn't actually bother him as he sets the rest of the books away]

[iamachurch.livejournal.com]

[He nods.] There! I'll bring it back now, since we don't need it anymore, 'kay?