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unfinishedooc2025-12-20 09:27 am
libraryassistants) wrote in unfinishedooc2025-12-20 09:27 am
Entry tags:
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.
Audrey | Look Outside | New Player
[Faced with a new place and none of her companions, Audrey doesn't know what's dangerous here, but she knows what she looks like and doesn't want trouble, or to scare anyone. She moves around in her monster form when she doesn't think anyone will see, but at any sound or motion - and she does have very keen eyesight, it comes with having this many gigantic eyes - she turtles up and within a second or two almost completely resembles a vending machine. A model old enough that not only is there no option for a credit card but no option for bills, and the various drinks with their unrecognizable brands on their illuminated push buttons are a dollar each. One of the six options is just "Advice".
If you examine her closely, you can tell there's something up. Her coin receptacle gapes and shrinks with slow, regular breaths; she's faintly warm; the scratched and battered red 'paint' has a texture and give not unlike leather, there are huge, retracted fangs inside of her delivery slot, there's an odd watchful quality to her selection buttons and the raised blue bubble pattern. More exotic senses will make it much more obvious: this is a living creature within and wrapped around the shell of a vending machine.
She may, if you don't say or do anything first, drop an empty silvery can down into her delivery slot and endeavor to bounce it out onto the floor. Written on it in what looks like black marker:]
Hello, I'm Audrey! The machine, not the can. Something tells me we're not in Montreal... ^_^;
lobby
[She's parked here in vending machine form, facing some form of decor. This Advice can is already sitting out, upright, where it can be picked up.]
That's weird. It was October when the Visitor arrived. I guess it's more time stuff? If it can get dilated it can get contracted?
Welcome - Not bringing him but I gotta.
Sam could have sworn this was the third floor, and his apartment.
Instead, another damn distortion has elongated this place into a strangely sterile, infinite library full of incomplete - possibly half remembered? - Manuscripts.
He’s tired, he’s hungry, he needs a shower. And boy howdy is he so not looking forward to fighting or talking down some poor librarian merged into a body horror card catalogue, or whatever. But this may as well happen so he has his pistol in one hand and a cleaver in the other. Just in case.
And then he spies a friend.
He feels strangely great about that.]
Looney for your thoughts, eh, Audrey? I could have sworn this was the way back to my apartment this morning.
thank you! also great to see a sam regardless lol
She drops a can and retracts her teeth to make it easier to retrieve.]
Sam! I think this place is looping like the first floor. Maybe it's a booklover's apartment but it's so clean and quiet.
It might be a while before I can restock. If you give these back maybe [she's drawn a 'recycle' symbol]
I haven't played since before the drop with Audrey lol but I've seen videos on the Tubes
[He's honestly quite relieved to see a familiar face, even if it's a very strange one. He knows well enough that looks can be deceiving.]
Some fellow came to my apartment with a pizza meant for somewhere he couldn't find, not that I could blame him. Tipped him, of course, had the cash to spare after clearing Joel's apartment and doing what I could for his poor brother. - Have you met Joel?
Point is, if you're feeling peckish I hope you like mushrooms and olives.
she's so cute!
Who's delivering pizza at a time like this?! Is there a business in the apartment I never heard about?
[it wouldn't shock her if so, apparently despite living in the same building for fifteen years there's a lot she's missed about the place.]
Of course I know Joel. You seem hungrier than me don't worry about it.
[I have come up with a reason for why she can heal with food but it's only half as effective as with the other party members and it's "she has a beaky esophagus-mouth that's perfect for taking and spitting coins and can detach from her coinslot to bite at things in her maw, but like a parrot it's tough to get things into a swallowing condition".]
Re: she's so cute!
[And he's going to gather up and deposit all of the empty cans in the slot, along with two other empties for good measure.]
He was a fan of the juice boxes, by the way. They didn't go to waste. Thought you'd like to know that. Also a fan of the orange soda, so no need to restock it on Joel's account.
[And as long as he's here, he'll feed the machine. A two dollar coin goes in, and after some thought, he punches in a cola and some Advice.]
So what have you figured out about this place? Any open windows I should worry about? Monsters? Innocents? Allies? Use as many cans as you need, I've got some change.
no subject
She closes the hard translucent plastic 'eyelids' that protect those particular eyes when poked and dispenses Sam's cola and however many Advice cans.]
It's OK, after you got my case unlocked I was able to rearrange things so I don't need every can paid for. I can even shoot them at people!
[Not that she's refusing the coins. They taste as awful as ever but are easy to eat and sustaining.]
It's very quiet. I don't think all the people are human but they're mostly weirdly pretty.
[As opposed to apartment denizens, who even when human tend to have a haggard aspect, wild hair, etc. The end of the world introduces a lot of new stresses and makes it harder to spare the effort to look nice.]
I saw some skylights but nothing's happened under them. They might not be real windows. It's very easy to get to this one big round desk. There's also a lobby with all these holiday decorations. Most of the people are around there.
I've been kind of avoiding people. I haven't found a way out yet.
Welcome
[Tilts her head, as something occurs to her. A servant's eye for detail notices most of the relevant ones before Audrey is able to dispense a can.]
[Well now.]
How's business? You gettin' by?
thanks!
Another can drops. The 'can catcher' is her tongue, more or less, and she's able to flex it just so and have the can bounce out without it being too obvious that she's doing something or that this is kind of a mouth.]
Business isn't great, but that's all right, I'm not sure how to restock here! What's your name?
Re: thanks!
[The way she means it, "Bird-hunters' Plum" is the meaning, but "Torioi Mei" is clearly how she says it.]
[She bows politely. You see all kinds of people around the Nishinomiya crater, so it's hard to flap her with looks alone.]
I find myself in your care, then...?
no subject
Mei scrutinizing the drink buttons or those blue bubbles too long makes them shift, suddenly. They're eyes under translucent closed eyelids that disguise their nature, and Audrey gets flustered about sustained eye contact and looks away.
Another can, though this time when she tries to bounce it out she gets the angle wrong and instead of sailing out the opening it just clatters against an internal surface and rolls back down to the bottom of the 'can catcher'. Normally she'd just let someone reach in and grab these but at the moment she's worried about both looking gross and someone realizing she could bite their hand off and thinking she might actually do that. She'll try again in a second and manage this time.]
Nice to meet you! But I'm not sure what you mean. 'In my care'?
no subject
... You need these to communicate. Is there somewhere I can...?
no subject
Oh, sorry!
If you just leave them stacked close by, I'll pick them up when no one's looking. I think I can clean them off and reuse them... I hope so, anyway. Not sure when I'll find more. ^_^;
[It's giving her some anxiety. Audrey could, in theory, write on something else, in that little pocket within her case where her hands ended up, but she doesn't know about network books yet.]
no subject
[She pauses. She has some questions, but none she can particularly ask right now. Not without brushing against the edges of her own problems.]
Would you like some rubbing alcohol, as well? I think I might be able to find something of the sort.
no subject
She flicks the largest eye up and down, like a nod. There's not really much of substance she could have said with words. 'Please' or 'if you want to' or 'I'm not sure if it would help but it's worth a shot' are implied, aren't they? She certainly doesn't want to say that she hates not having a voice. It wouldn't help anything.]
no subject
[It does take her a little, of walking through the stacks, of finding break room first aid kits, but she does, after a meandering route likely including talking to most of the people around the Library, produce a bottle of isopropyl alcohol, and returns.]
uncomplete first aid kits...
no subject
The empty cans are lined up in an uneven row. They look a little different... the writing on the bare aluminum has blurred and smeared, diluting to a reddish brown. Whatever interior solvent she's found has some effect on her ink, apparently, but isn't enough to clear it right off.
She opens the inner lids of those four round blue eyes again.]
Hi again. Everything's unfinished here? Like, the floor even?
no subject
[She sets down the bottle of rubbing alcohol.]