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unfinishedooc2025-12-20 09:27 am
libraryassistants) wrote in unfinishedooc2025-12-20 09:27 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME #2
Welcome to the Library
Those who are new awake in the stacks.
You’re not sure when you fell asleep, and the memories of the last things you were doing are hazy at best. But now you’re here, and all you can see is books in every direction, the bookshelves teetering high enough above you to reach to the sky.
A helpful sign points you in the direction of the main circulation desk, and even if you try to ignore it and go in any other direction, the desk is where you will find yourself. A figure sits behind the desk, not even looking up as they sort through books and other media; they look, to your character, to be the exact picture of what they expect a Librarian to be.
Trying to ask the Librarian a question will get them shushed, but they’ll point down a hallway to the side, leading to a kitchenette and what appears to be a dorm room, where they’ll find they’re not alone in this strange place. But once they’ve looked away, when they look back, the Librarian is gone.
The Lobby
Those who are already familiar with the Library will see the Lobby change for the second time. It’s not paper plate UFOs and metal walls this time. Instead there are cheerful garlands strung about, and a stack of books shaped into a Christmas tree taking pride of place. The Help Desk is closed, the ‘Back in 5’ sign once again a bald-faced lie, but there is a menorah sat behind in the window, conveniently just out of reach of anyone who tries to get it. The candles are lit in a… somewhat sporadic fashion, the correct order but with no rhyme or reason to what ‘night’ is being represented. Either time is strange here, whoever’s in charge of it doesn’t know what day it is either, or they simply don’t care. Or some mix of the three.
Those two particular winter holidays are not the only ones represented either; characters will find a smattering of decorations or festive accessories from a great number of holidays, from their own worlds and beyond. There is what looks like a cabinet with instructions to pick your fortune from one of the many drawers. For some reason, there are a number of what looks like a child’s toy ponies placed on and around the cabinet. There are also some posters declaring in bold, decidedly upsetting typeset: “THE GOD-EMPEROR WISHES YOU A FESTIVE SANGUINALIA!” complete with a picture of a certain Library resident in all his feathered, shining glory. (The poster is not remotely shiny, but there are helpful accent lines to show that he should be shining.) And, for some reason, there is also a giant straw goat in the garden now, surrounded by festive strings of lights. Please do not set it on fire.
The Kitchens
It seems the decorations are not the only thing in the holiday spirit. The kitchens, usually bereft of anything but the most basic foodstuffs, are now full to the brim with a variety of holiday foods. There is always a tureen with hot mulled wine and a try of sweet pastries near by it, there’s ham and latkes in the fridge to be heated up, jelly doughnuts, moon cakes, pies, and an assortment of other delicious things. If your character would expect to find a certain thing within the stash, they do, regardless of how niche it may be. Christmas chili? Of course there’s christmas chili!
Oh, and that mulled wine isn’t the only alcohol around either- champagne, sake, hard cider… again, anything anyone might expect to find. Just try not to overdo it too much, alright? Everyone still has to sleep in the same room, and the Assistants aren’t going to show up to hold your hair back.
Crafts and More
What good are holidays without crafts? The Maker’s Space has been specially supplied with anything you might need to make your festive crafts- this includes everything you’d need for a gingerbread construction! (You’d think this would be in the kitchen, but don’t kid yourself- those things are not for eating.) There’s strips of colorful paper rings and instructions on how to make your own, little things of clay and paint and directions on how to craft your own dreidel, ’stained glass’ paper lanterns, and more. Oh, and glitter. Obviously there is a lot of glitter available.
There are also snow globe kits, mostly generic winter themes- trees, presents, and the like. Strangely enough, however, when they’re complete and shaken, they’ll show a memory from the person who shook it- a memory of a holiday, or snow, or generally something that invokes the feeling of the season- light, and hope, and togetherness. It’s fragmented, almost stop-motion in between the falling bits of ‘snow,’ but once it has settled the normal, basic scene inside returns.
Those who are new awake in the stacks.
You’re not sure when you fell asleep, and the memories of the last things you were doing are hazy at best. But now you’re here, and all you can see is books in every direction, the bookshelves teetering high enough above you to reach to the sky.
A helpful sign points you in the direction of the main circulation desk, and even if you try to ignore it and go in any other direction, the desk is where you will find yourself. A figure sits behind the desk, not even looking up as they sort through books and other media; they look, to your character, to be the exact picture of what they expect a Librarian to be.
Trying to ask the Librarian a question will get them shushed, but they’ll point down a hallway to the side, leading to a kitchenette and what appears to be a dorm room, where they’ll find they’re not alone in this strange place. But once they’ve looked away, when they look back, the Librarian is gone.
The Lobby
Those who are already familiar with the Library will see the Lobby change for the second time. It’s not paper plate UFOs and metal walls this time. Instead there are cheerful garlands strung about, and a stack of books shaped into a Christmas tree taking pride of place. The Help Desk is closed, the ‘Back in 5’ sign once again a bald-faced lie, but there is a menorah sat behind in the window, conveniently just out of reach of anyone who tries to get it. The candles are lit in a… somewhat sporadic fashion, the correct order but with no rhyme or reason to what ‘night’ is being represented. Either time is strange here, whoever’s in charge of it doesn’t know what day it is either, or they simply don’t care. Or some mix of the three.
Those two particular winter holidays are not the only ones represented either; characters will find a smattering of decorations or festive accessories from a great number of holidays, from their own worlds and beyond. There is what looks like a cabinet with instructions to pick your fortune from one of the many drawers. For some reason, there are a number of what looks like a child’s toy ponies placed on and around the cabinet. There are also some posters declaring in bold, decidedly upsetting typeset: “THE GOD-EMPEROR WISHES YOU A FESTIVE SANGUINALIA!” complete with a picture of a certain Library resident in all his feathered, shining glory. (The poster is not remotely shiny, but there are helpful accent lines to show that he should be shining.) And, for some reason, there is also a giant straw goat in the garden now, surrounded by festive strings of lights. Please do not set it on fire.
The Kitchens
It seems the decorations are not the only thing in the holiday spirit. The kitchens, usually bereft of anything but the most basic foodstuffs, are now full to the brim with a variety of holiday foods. There is always a tureen with hot mulled wine and a try of sweet pastries near by it, there’s ham and latkes in the fridge to be heated up, jelly doughnuts, moon cakes, pies, and an assortment of other delicious things. If your character would expect to find a certain thing within the stash, they do, regardless of how niche it may be. Christmas chili? Of course there’s christmas chili!
Oh, and that mulled wine isn’t the only alcohol around either- champagne, sake, hard cider… again, anything anyone might expect to find. Just try not to overdo it too much, alright? Everyone still has to sleep in the same room, and the Assistants aren’t going to show up to hold your hair back.
Crafts and More
What good are holidays without crafts? The Maker’s Space has been specially supplied with anything you might need to make your festive crafts- this includes everything you’d need for a gingerbread construction! (You’d think this would be in the kitchen, but don’t kid yourself- those things are not for eating.) There’s strips of colorful paper rings and instructions on how to make your own, little things of clay and paint and directions on how to craft your own dreidel, ’stained glass’ paper lanterns, and more. Oh, and glitter. Obviously there is a lot of glitter available.
There are also snow globe kits, mostly generic winter themes- trees, presents, and the like. Strangely enough, however, when they’re complete and shaken, they’ll show a memory from the person who shook it- a memory of a holiday, or snow, or generally something that invokes the feeling of the season- light, and hope, and togetherness. It’s fragmented, almost stop-motion in between the falling bits of ‘snow,’ but once it has settled the normal, basic scene inside returns.
no subject
It's a little violation of the law. A little rent in the Veil. But it's worth it -- had been worth it -- not to hear that name.] Try any of the rest on me, as you like.
[He flexes his own hand as the sweetmeat's plucked off of it by invisible force, following the tidbit's flight to its eventual doom. There were Courts out there with that gift but he'd never seen it in action much. Interesting.
"Haven't made a study of it" gets a twitch of his lips.] There goes one data point.
[If he'd been alive, he'd be glad she enjoyed them. It was nice, to have people who liked what you did.
But he's not alive, so -- ] No. Or -- truthfully -- I don't know. Can't taste them; I'm dead.
no subject
[She has the thought to pull that particular feather hard. But, by being jamjarred Hisako essentially is imprisoned in the same cell as a lot of major unknowns, not least of whom is this one. It reminds her of how it had felt, all that time ago, to be forced into the Divine Realms. She has no friends here but neither is she struggling with her body, her magic, and her grief for her old life, and this place is not as weird as the Divine Realms had been to her then. So that's a mixed bag.
Whatever else happens, she's got to keep her skin intact and that means don't yank too hard or too often. Don't make enemies, they'll assemble themselves. She can do this: she's done it before.]
Yeah, yeah, sure. You'll know I'm talking to you and not some pigeon or tragopan because I'll pull a few together at a time.
[Hisako tilts her head at the admission. I forgot about the sensing death and seeing spirits thing and that everyone hates necromancy but fortunately, Hisako always tries to underreact and act unconcerned. She's got bones from several minor gods (they're all fine) around her neck, proof that she can get used to anything.]
You do have that sort of a 'smell'. Been a bit, huh? Are you all dried out or what?
guess who's got two thumbs and ALSO regularly forgets her characters' powersets...
[The novelty of what she'd come up with every time they met would be a little something to look forward to.
He looks over at the plate of treats again. She might not be entirely human, but she seems to have found them tolerable, which means there's a good chance there's a demigod or two he's been paying tribute to that might also like them. He leans over to pick the plate up, and filches a covering for it from another of the bounteous offering of treats. This is his now.]
Dried out, embalmed, and anything that was going to rot has rotted. [Mostly. Keeping new rot from setting up shop was an ongoing task, but it wasn't any more onerous than keeping clean while alive.] Five years, more or less. Think I'd be used to nothing tasting like anything but, [a shrug,] didn't matter much while I belonged to Eyes.
[This is much more garrulous than he usually is with a stranger. Blame her having feathers, maybe, and feeling a little more like flock.]
no subject
Five years is no time at all. I was still trying to eat on the daily and whining about being hungry five years into this.
[Hisako finds some fault in the feathers about the wrist of one wing and preens them back into shape, which from her means licking them briskly. Keeping these clean and in good form takes up a lot of her time, though she's not going on a full on preening session in the company of unknowns.]
So is Eyes a god, a mage, what? Do I have to fret about that?
no subject
"Into this?" [he echoes.] Living? Or did you start as something else, too?
[The movement at the edge of his vision makes him glance back, assessing, as she starts preening. Interesting that her feathers should look like they'd make that a recipe for a mouthful of blood, but flex the same as his own.]
A Monarch. So: Both. The Assistants here have told me he won't be a problem. [A pause.] At least the worst part of him -- where he makes the dead his puppets.
no subject
[Hisako grimaces. She's heard a few suggestions that time doesn't pass quite the same in the Divine Realms but isn't sure if that's literally saying that a year there isn't the same length as a year in the Mortal Realms, or has to do with the more static nature of the realms of the gods. Regardless, a year passing doesn't feel like much at this point and she's long stopped tracking individual ones.]
Traveler's face and tits, it's been a minute. Four hundred years? Almost? I'd best ask my avocet if I ever see him again, he could find out.
[Not every feather edge is razor sharp, but preening would bloody her if she didn't know exactly how to do it.]
Monarchs where you're from get to be real full of themselves, don't they? Or is that not the same thing as being an emperor or whatever?
no subject
He'd come from an egg, himself, but all his own children were born live -- after what the shrikes had done to themselves, after the bargain they'd made to save their declining race. Strange, the themes Generation chose to preserve in His dreams, across worlds.
Though to speak of that much of it was to breach the Veil. He'll keep himself to,] Pity, that. I liked my egg.
[What he remembers of it. Far more than almost any human did the womb.
Regardless of their disparate circumstances of birth, four hundred years puts her respectably into adulthood by an elf's standards. Makes them peers.] Why'd you change?
[As for the Monarch ... ] They're not earthly powers any more, once they're on the Throne Above Thrones. Worldbound gods, instead, stretched out on the Spindle of the World to keep it turning.
[He shows his fangs in a humorless smile.]
Or that's how it should be. The King of Eyes decided he'd rather bring it all down instead.
no subject
I had a friend who thought I was dying and she panicked. It was funny. She tells it like it was a rational decision but that's to save face, she was scared shitless. So she turned me, and I haven't let her forget it.
[Sometimes that connection has been playful and affectionate, sometimes it's blameful and bitter. So it goes!]
Yeah? That's a song poured from many throats, that is. Though I expect they sing it different over your way.
[Hisako is from a good eighty years before Ozorne starts fucking around, finds out, and turns to Uusoae, but the Queen of Chaos seeks to upend the rest of existence and he can't have been her first major pawn.]
But you've left his tender-loving clutches?
no subject
As it is, the opposing head-tilt softens his smile to something that's a good facsimile of amusement. The gesture's likely not done for the same reason another elf would, but it's a statement all the same.]
She shouldn't. [Any life you saved became your responsibility, even if you did it in a fit of panic. How much more so if it stole that life from the world it had once belonged to.] Is it worth it?
[Rude, likely, but his sense of shame died with him, and curiosity remains a durable way to keep engaged with the world around him. And if he's sharing his own past ... ]
So long as I'm here. Don't know what happens if the Library chooses to return me. [Said casually. It should be frightening. (Down past the black hole that's replaced his heart, it is frightening.) But there's no telling that from his tone.]
Suppose I'll go back to being his. Or not, if he doesn't notice I've broken loose.
[Did it work that way? He has no experience with it. His own necromantic creations are just extensions of him; they don't get loose, and he's never had to corral one.]
no subject
Well, I suppose I did tell her I wanted it back when I was sixteen and crying my eyes out on her shoulder, so I can't complain. [Whatever this guy is, she's not sure it's something that understands that a teenager says when really upset doesn't necessarily reflect what they want the rest of the time, so she loads that line with sardonic amusement. Hisako has lots of answers to that question. It might be a rude one but Stormwings are often quite direct. She chuckles, with just a bit of malice.] As she's told me.
[Complicated relationship, sometimes bad.
He's got... an aura? a smell? that Hisako had thought was the dead thing, but maybe it's not. Or the dead part just does something to it. When he's talking so casually about being delivered back, though, she does pick up on something unctuous and very good pushing in there, like yeasted dough rising in a limited space. She shifts her weight, runs her tongue between teeth and upper lip.]
Is it worth it for you?