[video]

[nobleminded]

[The image first shows an open book lying on a table. It seems to be open at the very back, though looking at the page on the left would show that it's full of text so it obviously was supposed to continue where the cover now is. Closer observation would show that several pages after that one were apparently ripped out.

It stays on this image for several moments, or at least what the person showing it thinks is long enough for said observations to be made. Finally, the screen does a very quick 180 to show a livid Elliot.]

WHO IS THE CRIMINAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?!

Library books are the property of EVERYONE WHO USES THAT LIBRARY! YOU CAN'T JUST TEAR OUT PAGES WHEREVER YOU SEE FIT! IT'S COMMON COURTESY!

ESPECIALLY NOT IN THE FINAL BOOK OF ONE OF THE GREATEST SERIES EVER WRITTEN!!!

Comments

[whatsupcroc]

Wow, they totally turned it into a choose your own adventure! Have you looked to see if there's another copy? Maybe on the media files?

[video]

[lambofcolumbia]

Oh that's horrible!

[That poor book. Elizabeth is stunned!]

[nobleminded]

A WHAT?! I only saw one copy of each of these in the library!

[video]

[nobleminded]

IT'S MORE THAN THAT! IT'S A HEINOUS BREACH OF ETHICS!

[whatsupcroc]

A choose your own adventure novel! Where you have to make choices or decide the ending all on your own! Think of it as an opportunity!

Mmm, well, have you ever looked in the digital library?

[nobleminded]

If you want to decide your own ending, you should just write your own book! There's no point in reading something if you choose everyone's fates yourself!

...The what library?

[video]

[lambofcolumbia]

Well, Yes. But...the important question is, can the book be fixed?

[whatsupcroc]

There sure is! Think of the excitement! Think of the bravery in making those decisions, without knowing where they go! It's like life, only fictional!

The digital library. Hahaha, that's so a no! Okay, okay, I can show you how to do that, after you're done yelling about the sacrilege. And really, whoever did that was being a jerk, for the record. It's just rude to steal endings away from people!

[video]

[nobleminded]

Unless the villain returns the pages, I doubt it!

[Despite his continuing anger, there's a bit of distraught tone added now.]

[video]

[lambofcolumbia]

[She's thoughtful for a moment.]

Does the library keep records of who borrows books? I haven't actually tried to take any with me yet but...it would make sense if they did.

[nobleminded]

[...Well he has always been an advocate for that, he's just not quite sure how that works in books just yet.] Of course people should make their own decisions! But if everyone did that in fiction, no one would agree on what happens!

[He's also not sure how you "do" going to a library, but that's not important right now.] Fine. They were more than a jerk! THEY NEED TO OWN UP TO THEIR CRIMES!

[video]

[nobleminded]

They might, but that may not be of any help as it is! They may have read it in the library. Or it could have been stolen and then vandalized before it was returned!

[video]

[lambofcolumbia]

Maybe, but it's a place to start!

[whatsupcroc]

Is that such a bad thing? Think of the variety! And people would agree over time.

Good luck catching them! I hope you figure it out, or at least that the rest of your books are okay!

[video]

[nobleminded]

That's true.

IT WOULD SAVE EVERYONE A LOT OF TIME IF THE PERPETRATOR JUST OWNED UP TO IT RIGHT NOW, THOUGH!

[Just in case people are listening to this conversation.]

[nobleminded]

It completely defeats the purpose of fiction, though! Why create a character if you're just going to leave the end of the story open?!

I got through all the other books in the series, it's just this one! THE LAST ONE!

[video]

[ainsophaured]

What?

[Who even does that to a book? They're practically innocent creatures. He actually looks disheartened to hear someone would do that. ]

They should have taken notes instead.

[whatsupcroc]

Because people might need to decide for themselves how that story ends. You don't think that's kind of daring, all on its own?

Hahah oh man, that really sucks! I'm sorry! We'll look for it in the digital library ASAP, okay?

Audio

[maddeninghatter]

[ Oh. Wow. He had.... actually forgotten about that.

Cue seventeen seconds of giggling: ]

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[video]

[lambofcolumbia]

...Do you really think they'd do that?

voice;

[retraced]

[And the winner of 'most useful thing that anyone will ask in the course of this entry' - ]

Is that...Holy Knight?

[- is not Gilbert.]

[video]

[nobleminded]

[Someone HORRIBLE, that's who!]

Exactly! It just makes me all the more curious about what was in the ending! Unless they were intentionally being cruel!

[nobleminded]

Maybe, but deciding for yourself on your own life and deciding on a story are two entirely different things!

YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY?! They'd better have it in this other library! I won't get to finish it any other way!

Audio

[nobleminded]

WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!

[video]

[nobleminded]

If they have any honor, they will!