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

[scienceofthearcane]

Nightowl

Viktor wasn't a fan of dormitories and had trouble sleeping with a group of people around. It wasn't as though he was sleeping all that often anyway, since his sleep had become interrupted by nightmares. So late at night, when others would be asleep, Viktor could be found in the kitchenette with a cup of tea and poring over books from the library that contained either energy or magic research, or both, from worlds that were not his own. As he had noticed before, some books had text that would disappear into the paper the further one got into the end of the book, and those were often a life story. The ones containing research on both magic and energy often had the equations written out, and they would not disappear as one came to the end of that book. However, he was always careful to keep his cup of tea from splashing on any of the books. Since he barely ate anything before even coming to the library, there was no worry about nonexistent crumbs getting on them.

Secret Garden

It had taken trying the same door that he had found a few different times before, Viktor was able to locate the community garden again. He resolved to himself that he must find a way to make sure the door opened onto the garden. Surely it was an unstable magical nexus so that each time opening the door was like rolling dice.

"Everyone should be able to enjoy this garden every time they open that door. Even if it is raining when they do."

After he moved to sit down on a stone bench, he closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Like a cat curling up in a sunbeam.

((OOC: I wanted to do something a bit different than the TDM prompts, but if you want to continue those threads or have a wildcard idea for here hmu at Angelcide))

Night Owl

[aetherweaver]

Nara'a is awake at night a lot of the time - being a Keeper of the Moon tribe is useful for that. He has a book in his hand as he enters the kitchenette and cranes his neck to look at what he's reading.

"Maybe this one will help?" He holds up a book that has a magical circle on the cover. "I was going to read through it, but maybe this one's of interest, too?"

[scienceofthearcane]

Viktor is trying to puzzle his way through a book that is speaking of "anbaric power" and something called dust, though it was not the sort of dust that builds up on unused surfaces, flowing freely between the worlds. So far, he's found few analogues that he understands to be simply a different word for the same effect that he is familiar with. Looking up at Nara'a and the book he holds up, Viktor picks up a little bit.

"I'll admit that it is more difficult than I imagined to look at what other worlds would consider magic. Even if I understand the language the tome is written in, there are a few bits of vocabulary that trip me up until I read a bit further."

[aetherweaver]

"That's true - I've looked through a few tomes, myself. This one seems to be either from my world or a world very much like it, considering it's using aether as its basis." He sets the book down and sits across from Viktor.

"But I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to magic, so I'm not surprised that I've found a relevant book already." He chuckles and shakes his head. "All of the stars and shards I've been to in my universe also use aether, so it's strange to think of a world that doesn't."

[scienceofthearcane]

Viktor has a small smile as he looks at Nara'a.

"I've spent most of my adult life researching magic, so I would probably be considered a nerd, too. But hearing about aether would be a new one on me, too."

He shook his head in mild wonder and took a small sip of his tea.

"I am finding that I'm a novice when it comes to magic that bridges worlds."

Dawntrail Spoilers

[aetherweaver]

"Magic that bridges worlds..." There's a slight flicker of worry in his eyes. "That's dangerous magic. I know of an object that can do just that, though it's difficult to control. And the consequences of doing so can be devastating. Otherwise, the magic to bring someone in body from one world to another is very costly."

He drums his fingers on the book, thinking. "Which makes the fact that we've all been brought here all the more disturbing."

[scienceofthearcane]

Viktor doesn't realize it yet, but he knows of a magical object that can do that as well. But the consequences of using that object have been horrible so far that Viktor wants nothing more to do with it.

"Actually, that could lend more credence to my theory that this is at least partially a natural nexus. I think it's been added onto with the dormitories and such, but since the sort of magic required to bring someone from another world into this one is so costly, bringing in many people from many different worlds would make those costs incalculable."

[aetherweaver]

"A natural nexus, yes..." That does make sense. "It would reduce the cost considerably if the aether flowed naturally to a point." Though that begs the question of 'why them'? Hm.

He nods along and taps a claw against the book's spine. "Added on to is a good way to put it, though that begs the question of why those facilities and not others? Did they add it on when people started showing up? And if they did, who is the 'they' that could add it so quickly?"

[scienceofthearcane]

"An even more provocative question would be, were the facilities here before anyone that we recognize had been? But better yet, why are they here at all? The question of who made them is tied to the question of what our purpose in the library, in general, would be."

Viktor shook his head a little in wonder.

"There are so many more questions than answers given to explain our presence here."

night owl!

[starandhope]

Mina had difficulty sleeping, herself. For one thing, the co-ed sleeping arrangements were very off-putting for her. While she was happy to share a room and even a bed with another woman (and in fact had many times with Lucy when they were girls), she couldn't set aside the impropriety of sharing space with men not her husband. And then when she tried to sleep, she was plagued with worry, and disconcerting dreams.

So when she arrived in the kitchen, dressing gown over her nightdress, hair down around her shoulders, she was only a little surprised to find someone already there.

"Good evening," she said politely. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I've still got a few sandwiches from earlier, if you're hungry."

He looked like he could stand to put on a few pounds.

[scienceofthearcane]

Well, she is not wrong, considering Viktor looks more like a scarecrow with the way that his clothes hang off of him these days. He had also only made the nighttime allowance of shedding his work vest, so that he was only wearing the long-sleeved brown shirt that was beneath it.

"Oh. No, thank you. And you are not interrupting anything. "

Viktor shrugged a little bit and attempted to smile to try to be less off-putting.

"I'm just not very good at sleeping in a crowded room."

[starandhope]

“And I am not accustomed to sharing sleeping quarters with men who are not my husband,” Mina says with a slight twist of her lips. She disapproves, needless to say.

But overcoming her disapproval is her concern for this young man. He looks - well, not unlike Lucy at the height of her illness. Wan, anemic, and generally very unhealthy.

“I don’t mean to pry,” she says after a moment, “but are you certain you don’t want anything to eat? You look a bit drawn, and - well, the mind works best when the body is adequately cared-for.”

Usually she is far too polite to comment on someone’s appearance, but he reminds her so much of Lucy that she feels she must say something.

[scienceofthearcane]

It's reflexive for Viktor to want to say no, thank you. He's always been very insistent that he needs no help with anything, which includes making food for himself. But one of the hardest things about his illness getting progressively worse is admitting that now he really does need help from others.

"Well...if these sandwiches are already made, then I will try to eat one."

Viktor had no appetite, but even he understood that he needed to keep eating things in order to keep up what little strength his body had left.

[starandhope]

That is a relief, at least.

“I always make far more food than I can eat myself,” Mina says, cheerily plating up some more of the cucumber sandwiches she made earlier in the day.

“May I ask what it is you’re reading?”

[scienceofthearcane]

Viktor did accept the plate from her when she returned and closed the book that he had been reading before replacing it with the sandwich.

"It speaks of the magic of another world. I have been researching magic for most of my adult life, but I find that I am a novice when it comes to magic that operates between many worlds."

[starandhope]

“That seems a daunting task,” Mina says mildly. “Then again, I’d only just learned that the supernatural exists in my world when I was brought here, so it all seems very overwhelming to me.”

[scienceofthearcane]

Viktor at least had table manners enough not to speak until his mouth was empty.

"Where I am from, magic is not supernatural. It is as natural a part of the world as an ocean or a forest would be. Perhaps for yours, it's not a matter of supernatural either? But rather a natural phenomenon that you did not notice until recently."

secret garden

[closeness]

There's somebody already here. Maybe Finn's been lucky. Or maybe it's all about perspective. Either way, he finds that he stumbles upon the garden more often than not, drawn into the sunlight and feeling far more at ease. Though he does need to eat food like any ol' human, sunlight recharges his body and soul in many ways and he's happy to get some of it here.

He's fast asleep in some tall grass, hardly visible in his green sweater except perhaps the tops of his shoes. Eventually, he does stir just as Viktor enters the space, propping himself up on his elbows with his head tilted curiously.

"Isn't it fun to look for it, though?" he asks even if he hadn't actually been addressed.

[scienceofthearcane]

Viktor hadn't actually expected anyone to answer and opened his eyes to look for the source of the voice. When he found it he gave a little shrug, both hands still holding his crutch balanced between his knees.

"I didn't think the purpose of the garden was to be fun? I thought it was just supposed to be restful."

[closeness]

Finn shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck as he moves to sit firmly on his rear, pulling his long legs closer to his body and folding them pretzel style.

“I think it is! But I really like gardening and tending to all the plants. It has many purposes, honestly. Some of them enjoy being a place of solace for humans,” he adds, nodding sagely.

[scienceofthearcane]

Well, that answered whether or not this person was human. He certainly looked human? But Viktor knew better than most that looks could be deceiving.

"Has it bothered you to be in a place without a reliable way of access to a garden?"

Viktor had a suspicion and wanted to test it before he ended up saying something offensive

[closeness]

“Huh? Oh, I mean… a little bit. I suppose,” Finn mused out loud. It was not often in his nature to express any sort of discomfort, especially since Finn preferred to be adaptable, but he was certainly learning. “I do feel better in sunlight… but then again, don’t most people?”

He would be the first person to prescribe a walk outside to anyone feeling sad, bad, or mad. It was not something that always got a positive response from his boyfriend, especially at his most stressed.

[scienceofthearcane]

"A place of solace for humans is one. But what are some of the other reasons that you would tend to a garden that isn't your own?"

It did bring up the question of who tended to this garden at the library?

sorry for the delay! work happened :(

[closeness]

Finn looks absolutely puzzled by the question, tilting his head to one side in his typical Samoyed-like way. "Because I'd want to take care of plants, especially those I thought weren't doing well? Being fed?" Why wouldn't he want to tend to another garden, even in passing?

And if no one seems to reveal themselves as a caretaker, then he might just step up and assume that position without being asked.

Sorry for mine, life happened orz

[scienceofthearcane]

Well, they had that caretaker part in common. Viktor may not be capable of doing much, but he has always been fond of plants.

"A lot of people wouldn't do it if it wasn't their garden to begin with. I like being here, though it's a small bit of evidence that there is a world beyond the library. I just wish that using the door would reliably take you to the garden. "