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xp_logsEveryone winds up dealing with the library talking to them through a fictional character and delivering some uncomfortable truths in the process.
Topaz has a chat with Magdaleana Brooks.
Sorting books was nice. Mindless. Once Topaz found a rhythm, she could easily settle into it with her music playing while she sang along quietly. This was basically her natural habitat. Other than stopping every now and again to check the system she and Doug had cobbled together, she could just focus on the books.
"Things have gotten closer to the sun, and I've done things in small doses," she sang as she finished another shelf, stopping to check her notebook again. "So don't think that I'm pushing you away, when you're the one that I've kept closest..."
She flicked her fingers, mindlessly summoning books to start sorting themselves into piles. Cheating, perhaps, but this place was huge. What was she supposed to do?
"You don't move slow, taking steps in my direction..."
"Not Dewey Decimal, I think, rather not." The quiet voice was distinctly British, friendly in the same way a clerk or shopkeep would be - and somehow completely unsurprised by a cascade of self-sorting texts. "Not Library of Congress, not in this library, and rather too limited." A short, red-haired woman strode around a corner, plucking one of the books from the air, and ran a finger down the spine. "V-Lib? No, That wouldn't account for the otherworldly texts..."
"Huh?" Topaz looked up, pulling her earbuds out to stare at the woman. Her eyes zeroed straight in on the pointed ears. Fae. "Something a bit new, actually. My mate and I came up with it. It's not the most organized system, perhaps, but it's better than what the Ancient One and his blokes had. Which, as far as I can tell, was nothing. I'm open to suggestions, though." She assessed the woman for a moment before saying, "I'm Topaz, by the way."
"Magdaleana Brooks. I'd say I'd like to meet your mate too, but I'm being told he's a bit occupied at the moment." The redhead glanced off past the rows of shelves. "Since our time here is limited, I don't get to pick either of your brains much. Shame, really, I could use a better system. I've a library like this myself."
"Occupied." Topaz resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course. We come here to find a cure for his blood curse and he finds a way to get himself in trouble in the magical library." She spoke lightly enough, but her eyes had yet to actually drift away or go back to the books. "British librarian, huh? Bit on the nose, but okay."
"Quite. As British as you are, which is to say, I am and also I am more than that." The woman smiled at Topaz, and then put the book back into the air where it joined the stream of texts putting themselves away. "The parallels are altogether too similar, except where you turn down the garden path, I've turned up the cobbled hilly street." She paused. "Too hilly by far really, I do miss the cable cars."
"I think I'd rather avoid your path, if I'm quite honest." Polite, but also flat-toned. "Following the Fae tends to end poorly for the follower. Although I suppose you're just another extension of the library, aren't you?"
"This library, or my own?" Magdaleana said, with a wry expression. "I'm not rather sure I should say. Secrets have a cost, you know, and you might have a card for this library, but you do not for mine, and it would take, as you say, following the Fae to request one."
"As tempting as another magical library sounds," and it did sound tempting - hey, even she had her weaknesses, "I think I'll have to pass. This one is keeping me busy enough between the books and the different... people who keep appearing for conversations."
"The library chose me well then." Mags said, perching on the edge of a table and then unfurling a double pair of wings that were more dragonfly like than butterfly. They glittered gold and iridescent in the warm lighting and she let out a sigh of relief. "Responsible for a whole library and over-busy trying to keep it safe from people who do not respect it nearly enough?" She added, with a laugh. "They do keep us on our toes."
"I'm used to people not respecting it." Topaz rolled her eyes. "The library back home is attacked or destroyed two or three times a year. Used to kill Tab-" She stopped abruptly. She was getting a little too chatty with the library. Clearly she had been alone too long. "Never mind," she muttered, going back to her work.
"You are far too used to people not respecting you. Demand they produce library cards or deny them access." The fae librarian said with a firm nod. "You cannot stop forces of nature, but I am sure your friend would be honored if you protected things with as much ferocity as your expression says you wish you could."
That got a small smile and humorless laugh. "If I could. But it's not really my library. I just take care of it for..." She tilted her head, then shrugged. "I don't know. For my friend. Because I want to. No one would listen to me anyway."
"I rather doubt that. You've quite swayed this lot into doing a digital card catalogue." Mags pointed out. "Give it a chance, yeah?" For a moment her light British accent slipped down into Amanda's rough one. "You've got a library, friends what'll listen and the only thing standing between you and making it yours is, well, you."
Topaz frowned, looking over her shoulder at the woman, then to the book she was placing on the shelf. "So is this a 'you're your own worst enemy' talk?"
The nod Topaz received back was approving - and slightly glittery, as though the fae librarian was nodding with her wings and head. "One you've heard before, and one I'll give to more than you. It's the librarian's lot to be the most sensible person in the room." She smiled, sly and sensible at the same time. "You could walk out of here, tell your three friends to reshelve every book in this whole place, and they would hop to it. Even the one that taught you. They trust you, Topaz, and they are not stupid. If you cannot believe in yourself, believe in their belief in you."
She thought for a moment, sighed, placing the book on the shelf and turning to look at Mags. "So is this like, something I have to deal with today or can I take it home and work on it? Because I really don't want to be stuck here until I get over my self-worth issues at least enough to believe that others believe in me."
"It is a warning. Make yourself a priority, or it will be more than your one-eyed friend's ravens that plague you." Magdaleana said, voice echoing with more than her own magic. "Magic has its own price, you have given this library a gift, all of you, and this library owes you a favour for it. Find your worth."
"Priority, worth." It was one of the rare moments of Topaz sounding completely sincere. Magic has its own price. How many times had that simple fact screwed her over? "I can do that."
"See that you do." Mags paused. "I would also suggest not spending time as a fish but you seem to have learned that lesson yourself."
"Been there, done that, didn't even get a stupid t-shirt for it. But I appreciate the warning."
"Than I shall not have to revoke your library card." Mags said, with a firm nod. She hopped down off the table, and strode down one of the long aisles of bookshelves. "It is on the table, take care of it." She said, over her shoulder before turning the corner.
Topaz watched her go, then went to the table, surprised to find an actual card waiting for her with her legal name: Kiah Ashdown. "Hm." She laughed a little, twirling the card and putting it in her pocket. She hadn't really told anyone she had changed her legal name, because it didn't seem like a big deal. But seeing it on something besides her driver's license was a little surreal. "Cheers, Mags," she said to the air before getting back to work.
Topaz has a chat with Magdaleana Brooks.
Sorting books was nice. Mindless. Once Topaz found a rhythm, she could easily settle into it with her music playing while she sang along quietly. This was basically her natural habitat. Other than stopping every now and again to check the system she and Doug had cobbled together, she could just focus on the books.
"Things have gotten closer to the sun, and I've done things in small doses," she sang as she finished another shelf, stopping to check her notebook again. "So don't think that I'm pushing you away, when you're the one that I've kept closest..."
She flicked her fingers, mindlessly summoning books to start sorting themselves into piles. Cheating, perhaps, but this place was huge. What was she supposed to do?
"You don't move slow, taking steps in my direction..."
"Not Dewey Decimal, I think, rather not." The quiet voice was distinctly British, friendly in the same way a clerk or shopkeep would be - and somehow completely unsurprised by a cascade of self-sorting texts. "Not Library of Congress, not in this library, and rather too limited." A short, red-haired woman strode around a corner, plucking one of the books from the air, and ran a finger down the spine. "V-Lib? No, That wouldn't account for the otherworldly texts..."
"Huh?" Topaz looked up, pulling her earbuds out to stare at the woman. Her eyes zeroed straight in on the pointed ears. Fae. "Something a bit new, actually. My mate and I came up with it. It's not the most organized system, perhaps, but it's better than what the Ancient One and his blokes had. Which, as far as I can tell, was nothing. I'm open to suggestions, though." She assessed the woman for a moment before saying, "I'm Topaz, by the way."
"Magdaleana Brooks. I'd say I'd like to meet your mate too, but I'm being told he's a bit occupied at the moment." The redhead glanced off past the rows of shelves. "Since our time here is limited, I don't get to pick either of your brains much. Shame, really, I could use a better system. I've a library like this myself."
"Occupied." Topaz resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course. We come here to find a cure for his blood curse and he finds a way to get himself in trouble in the magical library." She spoke lightly enough, but her eyes had yet to actually drift away or go back to the books. "British librarian, huh? Bit on the nose, but okay."
"Quite. As British as you are, which is to say, I am and also I am more than that." The woman smiled at Topaz, and then put the book back into the air where it joined the stream of texts putting themselves away. "The parallels are altogether too similar, except where you turn down the garden path, I've turned up the cobbled hilly street." She paused. "Too hilly by far really, I do miss the cable cars."
"I think I'd rather avoid your path, if I'm quite honest." Polite, but also flat-toned. "Following the Fae tends to end poorly for the follower. Although I suppose you're just another extension of the library, aren't you?"
"This library, or my own?" Magdaleana said, with a wry expression. "I'm not rather sure I should say. Secrets have a cost, you know, and you might have a card for this library, but you do not for mine, and it would take, as you say, following the Fae to request one."
"As tempting as another magical library sounds," and it did sound tempting - hey, even she had her weaknesses, "I think I'll have to pass. This one is keeping me busy enough between the books and the different... people who keep appearing for conversations."
"The library chose me well then." Mags said, perching on the edge of a table and then unfurling a double pair of wings that were more dragonfly like than butterfly. They glittered gold and iridescent in the warm lighting and she let out a sigh of relief. "Responsible for a whole library and over-busy trying to keep it safe from people who do not respect it nearly enough?" She added, with a laugh. "They do keep us on our toes."
"I'm used to people not respecting it." Topaz rolled her eyes. "The library back home is attacked or destroyed two or three times a year. Used to kill Tab-" She stopped abruptly. She was getting a little too chatty with the library. Clearly she had been alone too long. "Never mind," she muttered, going back to her work.
"You are far too used to people not respecting you. Demand they produce library cards or deny them access." The fae librarian said with a firm nod. "You cannot stop forces of nature, but I am sure your friend would be honored if you protected things with as much ferocity as your expression says you wish you could."
That got a small smile and humorless laugh. "If I could. But it's not really my library. I just take care of it for..." She tilted her head, then shrugged. "I don't know. For my friend. Because I want to. No one would listen to me anyway."
"I rather doubt that. You've quite swayed this lot into doing a digital card catalogue." Mags pointed out. "Give it a chance, yeah?" For a moment her light British accent slipped down into Amanda's rough one. "You've got a library, friends what'll listen and the only thing standing between you and making it yours is, well, you."
Topaz frowned, looking over her shoulder at the woman, then to the book she was placing on the shelf. "So is this a 'you're your own worst enemy' talk?"
The nod Topaz received back was approving - and slightly glittery, as though the fae librarian was nodding with her wings and head. "One you've heard before, and one I'll give to more than you. It's the librarian's lot to be the most sensible person in the room." She smiled, sly and sensible at the same time. "You could walk out of here, tell your three friends to reshelve every book in this whole place, and they would hop to it. Even the one that taught you. They trust you, Topaz, and they are not stupid. If you cannot believe in yourself, believe in their belief in you."
She thought for a moment, sighed, placing the book on the shelf and turning to look at Mags. "So is this like, something I have to deal with today or can I take it home and work on it? Because I really don't want to be stuck here until I get over my self-worth issues at least enough to believe that others believe in me."
"It is a warning. Make yourself a priority, or it will be more than your one-eyed friend's ravens that plague you." Magdaleana said, voice echoing with more than her own magic. "Magic has its own price, you have given this library a gift, all of you, and this library owes you a favour for it. Find your worth."
"Priority, worth." It was one of the rare moments of Topaz sounding completely sincere. Magic has its own price. How many times had that simple fact screwed her over? "I can do that."
"See that you do." Mags paused. "I would also suggest not spending time as a fish but you seem to have learned that lesson yourself."
"Been there, done that, didn't even get a stupid t-shirt for it. But I appreciate the warning."
"Than I shall not have to revoke your library card." Mags said, with a firm nod. She hopped down off the table, and strode down one of the long aisles of bookshelves. "It is on the table, take care of it." She said, over her shoulder before turning the corner.
Topaz watched her go, then went to the table, surprised to find an actual card waiting for her with her legal name: Kiah Ashdown. "Hm." She laughed a little, twirling the card and putting it in her pocket. She hadn't really told anyone she had changed her legal name, because it didn't seem like a big deal. But seeing it on something besides her driver's license was a little surreal. "Cheers, Mags," she said to the air before getting back to work.
