Careful of the stacks - LIBRARY LOG

[libraryassistants]

Who: EVERYONE!
What: A bunch of Editors walk into a library...
When: October 31st - November 13
Where: The Unfinished Library
Content warnings: Please add them as needed in the comment titles!

Welcome to the Library, Editors.

As the new residents drop into the Library, they are bound to have questions. Unfortunately it seems no one (except perhaps someone on the phone) appears to have any answers. But there is a nice little cart with a carafe of too weak coffee, a pot of too strong tea, assorted creams and sugar packets, and what appear to be leftover boxed shortbread cookies. There’s a sign inviting people to help themselves but reminding them not to take any food or drinks into the stacks, or touch any of the books with their grubby cookie hands. But aside from this little display and the nametags they’re all given, which do reappear whenever removed for the first week (where do they keep coming from?), the Editors are more or less left alone.

The Library is eternal, or at least it seems that way, unbothered by its new inhabitants. It certainly does not seem like this is anything unusual within its operation. Are there other sections of the Library with Editors, tucked into a different part of the stacks? Have there been Editors here before, and the ones here are simply a replacement? It’s impossible to say, just that the Library seems quite prepared for them. The refrigerators are stocked with appropriate (if generic) foodstuffs, any tantrums in front of the circulation desk are completely ignored, and attempts to set the Library on fire fizzle out before anything can even catch.

However, after a few days, some of the scenery in the Library seems to be changing. Little singing bowls and white noise makers pop up on various shelves and counters, yoga mats appear tucked under the bunk beds (plenty for everyone, somehow), and some of the rooms have started playing relaxing, meditative music over unseen speakers. More confusingly, there are also small UFOs hanging by string from the lower ceilings of the contained rooms, which on closer reflection are revealed to simply be two paper plates glued together and painted silver. In the beginning they’re quite sparse, but by the end of the second week they are everywhere and impossible to ignore.

At the start of the second week, there is a possible hint as to why, for at least part of it. On the table by the circulation desk there is a sign: “This Week’s Recommended Reading: Invasion of the Body Snatchers!” Next to it, there is a sign up sheet: a waitlist to check-out the ‘reading.’ (There is no explanation or apology for it actually being a movie.)

[ooc note: The Library prompts from the TDM can be considered canon to the game. Remember any of the locations listed in the setting are fair game. Have fun!]

Comments

Charles Rowland | Dead Boy Detectives | OTA

[hellandbackpack]

Investigation (About a week or so in)

"Right! First impressions- not bad. Bit grand for a library though. Think someone's compensatin' for somethin' here?"

The commentary echoed through the aisles of books, followed soon enough by Charles, wandering the stacks, a ratty notebook in hand, a pen that looked like it had been stolen from a reception desk poked through the wire spiral, the little chain still on the end swinging lightly as he walked. The page was empty other than a few doodles in the margins, and at the moment, the teen seemed like he'd forgotten it was in his hand. Trailing almost absently between shelves, occasionally pressing his free hand to the back of a shelf to see if it'd pass through or not- some did, some didn't, and it seemed there was little logic to it. Occasionally plucking down a book to flip through, noting what was missing in it. This, he wrote down, on the off chance that there was maybe a pattern to what books were found here, or what information was missing.

"Bloke in charge of shelvin' wasn't interested in order- unless bakin' the perfect souffle has somethin' to do with the American Revolution that is," His tone was more idle, considering. No one was in the space with him, so he was more speaking to himself than anything in that cheery sort of manner that was perfect for banishing silence. The cookbook once logged, was pushed back into place while he plucked down another book that looked vaguely familiar- one he was sure he'd seen on Edwin's shelves back in the office before. Flipping it open, seeing gaps where either paragraphs or images were missing, but- "Aramaic. Another fancy language I don't speak or read. Eh, S'probably fine, yeah? Definitely not history or cookery..."

Regardless, he copied the title and author as closely as he could manage into his notebook. Pushing it back onto the shelf before he wandered on. Plenty of books he didn't recognize, but if they weren't from home there was no way to tell where they fit in the potential pattern. Better to start with the familiar ones. Gaze skipping up, tracing the lines of shelves up to the domed roof above, before pausing at one of the crossing aisles, glancing one way then the other.

"Right! Which way do we-" A faint hitch, a pause as he blinks, realizes, a shake of his head along with a thin little huff at himself. "Which way do I go... you'd say left. Just to be contrary."

The comment hung in the air a moment, Charles unable to help the way he paused as if waiting to hear a retort of some sort, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting to see someone else right there with him. Something uncertain bleeding into the set of his shoulders as he lets out a soft little 'oh!' at finding the space empty.

"Keep... stoppin' to let you catch up. Mad, isn't it? Should probably quit talkin' to myself, yeah? Folk'll think I've gone barmy..."

The silence he fell into after that, pensive and uneasy? Was definitely out of character for Charles, anyone who'd spent even five minutes around him before would know that for a fact. And even if they didn't, it was clear something was off here.


Hello, Tech Support?

Charles was peering at the sign-up sheet consideringly, a considering hum slipping from him as he tapped the pen idly against the page. Glancing up at whoever came near, possibly to sign up themselves, he flashed them a smile. "They didn't make a book version of this did they? Cause if it's a movie, I might have some trouble watchin' it!"

Ghosts and tech not getting along and all. This could... be a problem? "Right shame, supposed to be a classic, yeah? Was way too young to see it when it came out. Would be fun to see what all the fuss was on about."


Wildcard
((Want to do something else? Feel free to poke me either at atomic_kiwi, or  Atomic_Kiwi and we can plot something!))

[starandhope]

Charles may be talking to himself, but he's not alone in his exploration of the stacks. In fact, rounding the corner, here comes Mina, pausing only to scribble a note in her journal with a small pencil she found in the maker space. Pencil is easier when she's exploring like this; she'll sit down later and write everything out in pen when she's got a proper desk in front of her.

"Oh! I'm sorry for interrupting. I hope I didn't scare off your companion," she says politely to the young man when she spots him. "I don't believe we've met yet. I'm Mina Harker." She offers her hand for him to shake.

[hellandbackpack]

"Hm? Nah, s'just me," Replied easily, though there was a bit of an uncertain tightness to the edges of a smile that looked like it normally came bright and easy for the teen. "Not quite used to it yet is all, yeah?"

He's more than willing to accept her hand to shake, grasp death-cold, at odds with the cheery demeanor of him. "Charles Rowland, of the Dead Boy Detectives. Don’t worry, I’m mostly harmless.”

[starandhope]

Mostly harmless? She raises an eyebrow rather eloquently at that statement, but she's far too polite to prod further. At least, for the moment.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'd ask if you're missing someone, but that seems a silly question, given the situation. We all are, no doubt," she says instead. She is just going to assume the "dead" part of "Dead Boys" is a metaphor, or something. Regardless of how cold he is.

[hellandbackpack]

He's an absolute angel, Mina! Never done a thing wrong in his life!

"Yeah this seems pretty unsettlin' all around. You haven't seen him around have you?" Maybe- this place was so large it could be that they just hadn't run into each other yet. The idea that he was here alone... "He's just a bit taller than me, green eyes, brown hair; real posh sort, dresses smart yeah? Grey suit, knee socks, brown coat, think it's wool? Bowtie- always tease him about it but he refuses to give it up."

Investigation

[curzed]

Charles acts and speaks as if he expects someone to be there. A friend, a sibling, a lover - he can't guess, but it's very clear from every action, every word, that the boy is one half of a pair, and the other half is absent.

The giant angel Charles spoke with early in the week, bright, kind and friendly, has a brother. Has nineteen brothers, in fact, but only one of them is also in the library, and unfortunately isn't anywhere near as pleasant to be around. Sanguinius' warmth and genuine caring for others is often reassuring, drew people to him like a beacon. Konrad Curze's presence on the other hand is as if someone turned darkness and moonlight into a man, woke it up and taught it to kill.

To the right and not the left this mysterious someone would have suggested, Curze is utterly still, but the scent of old death and blood lingers even if he'd cleaned up a little. It's not pleasant.

Left is the better option.

"Where is your other half, I wonder? You keep looking."

[hellandbackpack]

Charles is that dog that needs to be adopted with their bonded bestie, only someone ignored the sign.

And coming face to face with this new stranger? He's honestly pretty glad that ghosts don't have a sense of smell. Something about this guy just makes him think he'd not be very pleasant to be around long otherwise. And he doesn't immediately equate him to the giant not!angel he met earlier just yet.

"Blimey you're a biggun- Whoever's doin' the recruitin' missed a trick looks like, left him back in Port Townsend," Charles couldn't help but worry- would he be alright without his other half? What Esther came after them for revenge, and he wasn't there to defend Edwin? "Weird bein' alone this time, yeah?"

[curzed]

Charles is one of the few who don't get to deal with the smell. It's for the best. "Where is Port Townsend?"

It's almost kind. Almost pleasant. But there's something in the innocuous question that might raise a few unconscious red flags. Nothing is said about his size, and his smile is thin and brief. "I'm used to being on my own, but ... clearly you are not." Someone's left behind.

Wherever Townsend is. "Perhaps they are around here, somewhere amidst the books."

[hellandbackpack]

"S'over in the States, Washington. Not sure if that's a place where you're from though."

Charles can't help but huff at the very accurate observation. "It's right strange, mate! Haven't been alone like this more than maybe an hour or two here and there for... oh goin' on over thirty years now at least."

So no, definitely not used to it. He hummed faintly, considering the idea but shaking his head. "Likely not. We've both got spirit stones, and Edwin'dve definitely tracked me down by now if he was here."

Investigation

[monstrous_bride]

"Too late," she casually says, from her position leaning against one of the ends of the shelves, a book in her hand, which she casually tosses aside. She wouldn't usually do that - books you respect, but it's a part of her experimentation here. Who reshelves the books?

In fact, if he looks down the parallel shelf she'd been walking, he'll see she's done this several times. And what he can't see is she's purposely reshelved some in different places. Just to see if there's any sort of underlying order she can't guess at.

"Now the thing that bothers me," she says, "they could have made this grander. Think the Hapsburg Library in Vienna - they clearly have the wealth or the power. Yet all we get are some shitty sandwiches and piss they call coffee? It's either a performance of modesty taken to the absurd or we're being controlled by Eastern European Communists."

She sighs. "The reason I permanently left the Balkans in the first place, I might add - bunch of fucking assholes. Well, that and after '45 things were just shitty all over. But if they could pull something like this off? It's exactly what a group like the Stasi would do."

[hellandbackpack]

"Well there's my respectability out the window then." Charles hasn't been purposefully misshelving books, but he hasn't been especially paying mind to where he jammed them back onto the shelves, but he has to respect the level of chaos that it looks like she's inflicting on the place.

Edwin would've scoffed at the treatment of the books, likely had some strident sort of comment about it, and the lack of either just squeezed uncomfortably in Charles' chest. So he'd instead leap onto her considerations as a distraction from that, brows lifting consideringly.

"So y'think Reds are orchestratin' this whole thing?" He crossed his arms, a grimace crossing his face. "Hard to say, I'm still not crossin' Fae nonsense off the possible roster, but I could see a bunch of wankers like the Stasi tryin' this sod if they had the juice for it."

I saw the chance to make my favourite kind of joke and went for it.

[monstrous_bride]

"Well, the Communists and the Fae are two very different things. One of them is made up of ancient, duplicitous autocrats who adhere to rigid rules and exact horrible punishment for disobedience. And the other one is the Fae."

In other words, no real difference at all to her mind. And her admission that, from the stories she'd heard, it's entirely possible.

"But it just reminds me of it. Setting up as cheaply as possible in the grand old bones of Europe, you know? Living inside its skin."

She shrugs.

"Or I'm full of shit and it's an elaborate show for some reason I haven't figured out."

I love that for us

[hellandbackpack]

Charles can't help the bark of laughter that slips from him at the comparison, grinning sharply. "The Fae are way better hosts too."

The idea of some group like the Stasi, any sort of secret police anywhere having the sort of power that was implied by this place... it made Charles distinctly uneasy and he shook his head.

"Could be, but implications there are less than great. I'm gonna hold out hope it's somethin' else we haven't realized yet if it's all the same."

tech support has arrived. sort of.

[angel_of_baal]

"Why might you struggle to watch the hololith?" Hololith, movie, whatever. "Are you blind?" It's a serious question. This was the same young man who had run smack into a wall before. The evidence is mounting....

[hellandbackpack]

"Nah, nothin' like that, just..." A faint shrug and a gesture with a hand. "Ghosts and tech don't usually mix. Like... our electrostatic field tends to brick it if we're around it too long. Older stuff is generally alright, got a record player back at the office that works fine, but anything with circuitry and the like is just right out."

[angel_of_baal]

Well, that's a lot of words he's not entirely sure what they mean. SO he'll just nod, as if he understands. He's not stupid, but his entire aim is war, and his understanding of technology is that everything that Charles just talked about is the province of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

"Perhaps you need to have a Tech Priest evaluate these devices." Or ground yourself or something. Look, he's reaching into knowledge he doesn't really have.

[hellandbackpack]

"What's a Tech Priest?" Charles is just gonna jot his name down anyways- he was curious to see what the workaround they had would be, if any. If they had some way to make things ghost-friendly that told him something about their employer/captors. If they didn't, that also told him something.

"Don't think we have those back home."

Investigation

[scienceofthearcane]

Viktor had only caught the tail end of what Charles was saying, but it absolutely sounded like he was talking to someone specific. He emerged from the stacks directly across from the four-way meeting of Isles.

"I don't know what "barmy" means, but I would say that since this is a library, you shouldn't be thinking out loud."

Viktor was dying of a slow and wasting terminal illness, and he looked like he was about one step away from the grave. Given that, it is probably no surprise that he is talking to a ghost.

"However, I have been trying to map this place without success. I don't suppose you were setting directions with your notebook were you?"

[hellandbackpack]

"Maybe, but then I've never been good at the whole 'quiet' thing." Charles was a bit sheepish at being caught, but not enough to rethink his tactics.

This guy though... if they were back home and chatting, Charles would wonder if he wasn't long for this world, ill as he looked. Here though, it seemed like everyone could see him so far. So not quite as alarming for the stranger.

"Dunno that mappin'll help. Things move. Perimeter walls too I'm guessin' from my own ramblings."

Investigating

[ice_rose]

Scarlet, despite what some people might think, is actually quite good at being subtle. After all, she'd subtly loathed her fiance for ten years before he'd broken things off and she'd clobbered him, the new fiance, and everyone in the room. But today, that means waiting while he goes through his dialog before stepping lightly to join up and begin walking besides him before she speaks.

"Forgive me," she says with a dip of her head, "but it sounded as if you might be seeing what you can find by investigating this place. Would you care for assistance?" A small dip of her head. "Or at least company?"

[hellandbackpack]

Charles hadn't been expecting company- it was still a bit odd to him that he was so easily seen and noticed by others, so the stranger speaking up earns a quiet, surprised huff from him, but a smile all the same as he grins at her.

"Got it in one! And I wouldn't say no to a second set of eyes on it, absolutely!" Cheerfully, he offered a hand to shake. "Charles Rowland, of the Dead Boy Detectives. Nice to meet you!"

[ice_rose]

She will take it delicately, but Charles will notice that even if she doesn't use anything more than the most polite amount of pressure, the grip is quite solid. She nods.

"Scarlet El Vandimion of the Kingdom of Pallistan." A small smile. "My brother is the head of the Crown Investigatory Office but I'm familiar with some of the niceties."

She says, like she doesn't go on secret missions with the prince and isn't in fact a vital part of the country's security concerns.

"What is your plan, Charles? I should like to assist."

[aetherialshackles]

[He knows he's nearby someone else when the library starts to get... too small for him. Suddenly he's towering over the place, chairs get far too small to hold any part of him and only the tome he's still holding between his hands is... well, 'his size'. The man, roughly three times the size of a 'normal person', kneels by the other's side once they're in range, fully aware the library is growing at least a bit to accomodate him and it's probably equally uncomfortable for the other man.

That comment about 'talking to himself? coming in too late, at least Erich only seems to address the first one.]

I'm not sure, things look rather small from my point of view.

[Especially people. He IS at least kneeling down to be a bit more on the other's level.]

TO the left you'll find a whole array of books about kids being lured inside house made of glucose and carbs based foods. Talking of 'sweet temptations', am I right?

[hellandbackpack]

[The shift in the scale of things is slow to start, but definitely noticeable after a moment. Charles notices quickly enough that he has to reach a little higher to reshelve a book he'd plucked down to investigate, that the aisles are getting longer, wider. The teen isn't sure what to make of it, but so much of the place was already clearly malleable, he couldn't figure out yet if this was something that was supposed to happen or not.

The huge stranger joining him definitely explained it though, the ghost teen letting out a startled huff of noise as he was, despite that kneeling, looking up at the man.]

Cor, but you're tall, [A beat, a considering tilt of his head.] Or I'm just small! Could go either way in a weird place like this, yeah?

[The joke though? That earns a chuckle from him, brows lifting.] S'a classic for a reason I guess. Witches really like their candy houses sometimes, it's a whole thing. Big fad in the nineties, was a right mess though for obvious reasons.

[aetherialshackles]

[The library is not without its charms, is it? Things are now awkwardly sized for both of them and as soon as Erich puts down his book it shrinks down to fit the current setting. the man lets out a small chuckle looking at the stranger before offering a gentle shrug.]

I used to be on the short size by my people's standards, actually, still most of the current, ah, residents? They seem to be more on your size so I suppose I'm the tall one in this instance.

[A small hum leaves his lips.]

I see. It seems rather inconvenient to build houses with candy, it's hardly waterproof material, but I do suppose anyone with enough magicks would be able to at least keep it together for... a storm or two? I can imagine what a mess it was thought.