TEST DRIVE MEME #2

[libraryassistants]

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.

Comments

[birdchasingecho]

She returns the bow, carefully. "Likewise. You, uh, Tokyo?"

She says it a little bit relaxed, but in fact is watching Sumire carefully.

[shakenit]

"Yes. Kichijoji, more precisely." And Mei is... not, if her accent's anything to go by, but Sumire's not interested in judging her over it.

[birdchasingecho]

"Mm. Wish I could've taken the trip out sometime, but between entrance exams and everything else, just didn't have the energy." There was an old statue there, but now's not the time to reminisce about school days. "Still, that means that whatever's goin' on here, it's not just under the university library."

[shakenit]

"Probably not, no. And... admittedly, I don't know a lot about home's flavor of weird stuff yet, but I don't think it's that, either."

For one thing, her clothes would have changed. Wouldn't they? Or is there some other condition for that to happen?

[birdchasingecho]

"Oh? Your home's got a flavor of weird stuff?" Mei's Osaka has all the flavors of weird stuff, but she's not going to say that juuuust yet.

[shakenit]

"Well, my friends helped me kick a goblin version of my therapist out of a physical manifestation of my mental state, so... safe to say something's been going on, yeah."

Icon name relevant

[birdchasingecho]

"... That seems to be goin' around," Mei admitted. "I was lookin' for information about a shadow creature that's wearin' my face. Got ambushed by some kind of oni instead."

[shakenit]

"That sounds... unpleasant. In my case, if I was following the explanations right, Dr. Maruki's - well. He's not fine, but the goblin version of him was just what my mind saw him as, not actually a part of him himself."

(He's so damn far from fine it's not even funny, but Sumire only has about half the picture there.)

[birdchasingecho]

"Good to hear. I didn't really get an explanation of the place I was. Figured this was the same one, before I met ya." She pauses. "... Listen, kid, why don't I make you some food, see what we've got?"

[shakenit]

"Oh, um - I'd be happy to do the cooking if it's necessary. But that's probably good idea. It's been a while since lunch."

[birdchasingecho]

She laughs. "Don't sweat it, kid. I been having to make meals for people most of high school."

To the kitchen! For...

Well, for food at any rate. Justice is a long way off for both of these women.

[shakenit]

"It'd really be no trouble. I like cooking." It's one thing she knows for sure she's very good at.

[birdchasingecho]

Mei slowly recognizes that she's not going to budge on helping out with the food. Rather than turn this into a problem that doesn't need to be one...

"... How's about this then: You help me out with prep and cleanup, and we both share a meal," Mei offers.

[shakenit]

"Deal," Sumire says. She can work with that!

[birdchasingecho]

"Let's get started, then. I'm pretty sure I saw a kitchen this way..."

~ ~ ~

The problem with holiday food, especially winter holiday food, is that it's not the healthiest by most accounts. Mei has, however, managed to scrounge a new years' vegetable bowl and some satsuma oranges, as well as a day-old unfinished bucket of KFC and a family side of rice. "... Guess at least someone's gettin' by, eh? Let's see what we can make..."

[shakenit]

"...Stir-fry, maybe?" It'd incorporate most of what's there, at least. Maybe not the oranges.

[birdchasingecho]

"Maybe," Mei conceded. She'd been thinking about a don, so they weren't that far apart in their thoughts. "See if you can find some oil while I break down the chicken."

[shakenit]

Sumire nods, and sets to searching the pantry.

"There's sesame oil, peanut oil, and... sunflower seed oil?" she reports back. "I'm not sure which would clash the least with the stuff the chicken's already been fried in."

[birdchasingecho]

"those three, huh...?" She ponders. "Sesame's right out..."

"Sunflower's the one with the least taste, usually, but I don't recall which one KFC uses."

[shakenit]

"Possibly not any of them. If sunflower has the least taste, maybe we should stick with that one?"

[birdchasingecho]

"Sounds good t' me." She finishes breaking down the chicken and carefully sets aside the bones, flicking on the burner under the skillet she found. "Hot oil's best..."

[shakenit]

Sumire nods and sets the oil to heating without hesitation. From that alone, it's clear she wasn't exaggerating when she said she knows her way around a kitchen.

[birdchasingecho]

"So, howd'ya come to learn to cook?" she asks, making conversation as she cuts quickly and precisely.

[shakenit]

"Oh, um. My sister and I got into gymnastics at an early age. As we got older, I got curious about how to put good meals together, especially with both of us so active."

They both got at least a little into cooking, but Sumire was always better at it.

[birdchasingecho]

"Oh. Yeah, I did archery in primary and middle school. Switched over to judo in high school." The smile doesn't quite reach her eyes as she reminisces about judo club. "It was me and a few others on a team. We got to nationals all three years I was there."