#i've imagined cross-canon interactions with characters before (especially when they stopped sharing the same worlds)

[rubiatinctorum]

I often like to imagine my characters talking together. It entertains me, such as when I'd imagine characters guessing what the price of a grocery order would be when I worked as a cashier.

ME: Okay everyone, what does it look like this one will be?

A PROFESSOR: (shrugging) $277.60

HIS ASSISTANT (planned for a book I never did write; the extent of his existence was confined, then, to their grocery games): I think it's going to be closer to $163.45

(I scan the groceries. The grocery total comes to $250.09.)

ASSISTANT: You win this round again.

PROFESSOR: I suppose I'm not half bad at this.

But after years, last night I stumbled upon a new scenario while trying to fall asleep. I was testing new pillows, which did not happen to be comfortable compared to my usual ones.

In this scenario, each of the protagonists of their respective books were sitting at a table having a meeting. The protagonist of the upcoming book, let's call her 9 (because she's in the 9th book) was being welcomed into the committee as the new discussion leader, a role she would take over from 8, who had served her time for nearly three years. (In return, 7 gave 8 the task of keeping the minutes for the meetings, which I think 8 preferred a lot more).

(9 takes the highest seat at the table, and asks what concerns the other protagonists, responsible for managing their respective book casts, have brought this week)

1: (presenting a slideshow) S and Z are fighting in public. It's going to ruin our reputation. What should I do?

(the slideshow changes to a new slide, depicting a crashing stocks graph in a big red arrow line.)

9: Now taking suggestions on behalf of 1's inquiry.

3: (Raises his hand)

9: Yes?

3: Let them duke it out. One of them will eventually win, then the fighting will stop.

9: No.

6: I second that motion.

4: Conflict of interest.

9: What?

(Whispers of 'oh bless her heart' and 'she really is new here' flow across the table)

7: 6 is 3's daughter.

2: Then why are either of them answering? 3 is, after all, 1's grandson.

(9 looks at 3, then at 1, confused at how the youngest member of the committee even has a grandson.)

9: Any other suggestions?

2: How bad is it? You might have to shut down operations for a while.

1: Shutting down operations is not an option. Only you could do that more than once, 2.

5: Ride it out until the problem blows over?

8: Have you tried talking to them?

1: -_- what do you think.

9: Just keep them to themselves for a while. I'll see what I can do about the (gestures at the stocks graph). Anything else?

(1 returns to her seat. 8 rises.)

8: [Supporting cast member vampire] keeps biting people.

2: (Recalling when she shared a story with him pre-novel era and experienced his bites firsthand) Oh, he would.