libraryassistants: (Default)
Unfinished Library Mod & NPC Account ([personal profile] libraryassistants) wrote in [community profile] unfinishedlibrary2026-03-27 07:21 pm

so good night unto you all - LIBRARY RETURN

Who: The Editors, one and all
What: The fight is over, the pieces remain... and the Editors head back 'home'
When: Dawn of the Final Day Sunrise after the attack
Where: Leaving Montica, back to the Library
Content warnings: Please make sure to put CW in headers!

By the time morning comes around again, the fires are beginning to die down, thanks to the many efforts of the citizenry to keep them under control. The rebel vampires too have been largely dealt with. These two seemingly insurmountable obstacles were only possible thanks to a combination of factors: the Umbra not being as blind to their human servants as their opposition would have thought, defectors from the Orlocks who were able to counter-act some of their magic, the following Amalia gathered and deployed from Laurelthirst, some suspicious (though welcome) help from suspiciously new arrivals, and of course, House Guildulf throwing their own into the fray to ally with the vampires for this confrontation.

A unity the likes of which Montica has never truly seen.

As the sun rises, there are few left who are able to fight at all; the rebels are beaten, and even the forces built up by both the vampires and werewolves are exhausted or diminished, leaving no one able to take advantage. Citizens of both sides flee indoors, and the remaining rebels are forced to vanish into the woods once more, weakened and unable to strike again any time soon. But there are still repairs to be done, physically and otherwise. Will this unity last beyond tonight? Will young love and youthful hope prevail? Those are the questions that settle over a weary Montica, as light pours into the city once more.

And then, the world begins to fade, static taking over the senses, as the Editors return to the Library.

Welcome back, Editors

It looks much the same as they left it, though the makings of a masquerade are no longer arranged as finely, a few scorch marks here and there, and for some reason there’s some amazing optical illusions on the floor panelling that makes them look like actual manhole covers. Alas, no sewers lay beneath. It may still take Actors a bit of time to shake off the old-new memories, and for some reason the fluorescent lighting seems harsher on the skin than it has any right too. Good thing that the stacks cast long shadows.

The customary tea cart is set up in the Lobby again, and it seems some improvements have been made. The coffee still isn’t strong, but’s far more drinkable than it has been, and there’s an added decaf option now! The tea has still been overstepped, and the stale cookies have been replaced by scones that are hard as rocks, but clearly someone’s getting the message that there are improvements needed. Clearly the tea cart was the place to start.

If someone for some reason doesn’t want stale scones, there’s also a child sized food truck in the lobby, with a sign out front boasting a variety of tamales, including: black beans and cheese, birria, chicken, fire scorpion, man suffering to death via battle wound, and beef. Upon approach, what look like fuzzy puppets pop up to… take your order? They don’t say much, or rather, they make a single noise over and over that seems to be them communicating, but the tamales are good. Just… don’t try to look in the truck. They’ll screech, vanish, and then no tamales for you.

Meanwhile, the bulletin board has a cheerful sign decorated with colorful blocks, declaring: “Join us in the Children’s Area for Lego Club!” Upon locating the room in question, Editors will discover boxes among boxes of legos of various shapes and sizes. There are some ‘how to’ guides for various builds (including a ‘research space ship’ and a ‘vampire’s castle’), but also plenty of encouragement for people to make their own creations! Unlike normal creations, these will actually stick around for a while after they’re finished, and there’s a nice little table where people can display and share what they’ve made.

The Assistants, it seems, are nowhere to be seen: the ‘back in 5’ sign is still in place at the help desk. Still, even without their ‘helpful’ guidance, some facets of the Library may come more easily to some in the aftermath of Montica’s troubles.

[Due to the resolution of the Story, any skills tagged Archivist in the skill tree cost one less skill point (minimum of 1) until the next Story. This can stack with a normal Archivist bonus!]
aetherweaver: (rising fury)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-28 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
“… Those that live in the darker places may exist for a purpose, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push against it when needed. I think that there is a place for it… dark and light need to have a balance.”

This might not be a good metaphor for her, but he’s trying to understand.
codeswitchcraft: (Default)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-29 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
"And her worshippers are still foul, because they take what she does as playacting seriously," Siobhan says very firmly.
aetherweaver: (surprised)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-29 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
"Tch. Sometimes people don't know what is real from what is false." He sighs and rubs at his face with the back of his hand. "I love people, but not all of them are... the smartest."
codeswitchcraft: (Default)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-29 01:23 am (UTC)(link)
"Agreed. And the ones who would worship the Tyrant Queen rather than bribe her to ignore you are more foolish than most," Siobhan says firmly.
aetherweaver: (tilted up)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-29 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
He nods and looks down at the 'scrublands' he's made. He picks up some other pieces and starts making a wall of orange, jagged and rough. "... I'm sorry people are like that."
codeswitchcraft: (Default)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-29 01:33 am (UTC)(link)

"So am I," Siobhan says.

She regards the Jardine she's made to surround her Beauforte.

"I'm glad that if I had to be placed in a romance for the sake of a story it was with someone I see as a friend," she says.

aetherweaver: (eh?)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-29 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
"Same for me. I could have... ended up in a bad position." He scratches at his ear for a moment. "I don't know what I would have done if it was... someone I didn't really know."
codeswitchcraft: (Default)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-29 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't know either," Siobhan admits. "Have a much more awkward talk, I suppose? Since it would be with a stranger, I mean."
aetherweaver: (serious)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-29 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
He chuckles and nods. "Probably. It would not be a good situation, I think." He rubs at the side of his face. "It's not... something that would be an easy thing to navigate."
codeswitchcraft: (Default)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-29 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"No," Siobhan says. "How horrible to meet someone by thinking yourself to be their true love, only to find out after you come back to yourself that they're someone you know not at all and they have some other love."
aetherweaver: (turn away)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-29 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
He huffs a little bit. "Indeed. Not that you aren't lovely, but I would not presume to enter into a relationship with someone who has promised themselves to another without both of their consent." That's just flat-out rude in a way he never wants to be.
codeswitchcraft: (sad)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-30 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah," Siobhan says, feeling guilty because here she is taking Hikaru as her lover when she'd promised Edmund she would come back to him after the trip to the Lost Temple of Io. And she did mean to return the promise, because Hikaru would want to go back to Earth when travel between Earth and Mundus was possible once more, but in the mean time...

(She can never tell Nara'a about Edmund, not if she doesn't want him to think badly of Hikaru.)
aetherweaver: (upset)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-30 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
He pauses, feeling something screech in his head. "... I hit a nerve, didn't I? ... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -- ah..." Shut up, Nara'a...
codeswitchcraft: (Default)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-30 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
"It's fine," Siobhan says, hurriedly. "Truly. Do you think if you get that permission later it can all be made right?"
aetherweaver: (eh?)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-30 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
"... In theory. Usually it's best to ahead of time, but... look, I shouldn't tell you how your relationships should work. It's not as if I've had a stable one with anyone at any point." He scratches behind one ear.
codeswitchcraft: (Default)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-30 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
"Have you had any unstable ones?" Siobhan asks curiously.
aetherweaver: (uh oh)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-30 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
"I..." He colors slightly pink, the blush very visible on his pale skin. "A bit. Flings, I suppose. Many of them I left abruptly after they found out I was the Warrior of Light, or whatever heroic title that area was using for me."
codeswitchcraft: (Default)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-30 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah. I suppose it is hard to go to bed with someone who thinks you are a fabled hero," Siobhan says, thoughtfully. It hadn't so been hard to go to bed with Hikaru, but they had been friends before he'd realized she wasn't just another of her many imitators—cosplayers, the Players called them.
aetherweaver: (surprised)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-03-30 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
"It is, yes. ... I just wish to be Nara'a, not 'The Liberator of Ala Mhigo' or something of that nature." Even through everything, it's still him. He's changed, but he's also stayed the same.
codeswitchcraft: (smile)

[personal profile] codeswitchcraft 2026-03-30 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
"Perhaps you can be that here," Siobhan says, hopefully. "Nobody here knows of your deeds back home unless you tell us of them."