Log:Talks Within the Library

Talks Within the Library
So, bookstore boss--you think you have time you can carve out of your day-to-day to help a Librarian with working to bolster this library into being something greater than it currently is?
Participants Librarian Fletcher and Custodian Kip	26 September, 2017 The Librarian asks help from a Custodian on a request from the Queen.
Location Stoneheart - The Library
The library is a picture of both austere beauty and long neglect, opalescent white crystals glowing with soft inner light -- beneath layers of dust, or smaller crystals budding off to fill the space. It looks as though it used to be larger, but spears of crystal have long since grown through the shelves and racks of books which once existed here. Most are gone, or too decayed to be read.       It's clear that some effort has been made to put at least the section nearest the entrance into some form of order, though as yet, the Custodians haven't collected nearly enough to fill it. There is ample room to grow.        While it's not as endless or as dark or as lonely as the library that Kip spent so much time in, it's still about the closest he can get. So when he enters, a sort of relief washes over him and his body language relaxes without him even seeming to be aware of it. His glowy eyes brighten slightly and a smile tugs at his expression. "Hello?" he calls out in his quiet whispery voice as he peers inside looking for the Librarian.       A young girl is sitting and humming to herself. She has a rawness around her neck that can be seen beyond her black coat that has seen better days. She is petting a cat that looks more like a thing trying to be a cat and kinda, sorta getting it. Both sit near a collection of dusty and barely readable books. Both turn to you. Two sets of eyes hold their gaze on you. "Aaron," The young girl calls out through a strange voice that sounds like a reverse echo. Coming from a dark hall near the back is a tall and lithe figure. The ghostly man walks down the hall, accompanied by the twisted shadows, fallen leaves, and haunted wails that fade in and out at random times; all that makeup Aaron's mantle of Autumn. "Yes," he says to his sister, then when he sees Kip, he understands why he was called. "Custodian Kip!" His voice is quiet but still pronounced. "It's been some time since our paths crossed. How are you?" "If he's busy, I can come back," Kip is trying to mumble to her as the person called arrives. He turns toward Aaron, a hand reaching up toward the back of his neck to absently rub there almost nervously. He smiles though it wavers just a touch as the Autumn mantle washes over him. Kip has no mantle so there's no buffer, allowing Aaron's own aura to rub right up against him, clutching toward him like long skeletal fingertips. Yay for Autumn, right? "I was talking to As-- uh, the Queen? Custodian-Elect? I'm not even sure what to call her now. But at our last catch up meeting, she mentioned we had some outstanding books and I should see about getting some back for you. So-- I'm uhm, here to see... you know, if you need help retrieving some." Aaron does not seem to realize or remember that Kip has no mantle, so when it takes over the immediate space between them, it causes only a faint pause. Aaron looks to Kip. To the immediate space. Then he gestures to a seat. "Please, sit. Join me for some tea?" Indeed there is a glass French press that contains several herbs and fruits to create a loose tea blend. "I tend to go with the most recent appointment, that of Queen. Though you could also refer to her still as Custodian-Elect--as we both know we mean one in the same person." He doesn't wait for a reply but pours both cups all the same. The smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples fill the air around the table. "So you wish to help me with some retrieval of books? Excellent!" He looks around a moment, mind wandering through the library. "I've come to realize more and more that I could definitely use more than my own hands with this project." "The project of book retrieval?" Kip asks as he glances over to the seat and then settles himself into it. "And thank you," he adds as he reaches out to take the cup of tea, sliding it closer but not drinking it quite yet. His eyes are on Aaron, watching him as he looks around the library. "Or with... cleaning up in here? I mean not that it's dirty. I didn't mean-- I do like to clean. Organize. Especially with books and things." The last part is almost stammered out quickly in his usual semi-nervous way. Ahh, gotta love social anxiety with a healthy dose of OCD. So instead of talking more, he raises his tea and blows across it gently to help cool it a little. Aaron considers as he takes up his own cup with his lithe fingers. "Consider the library as a space for a moment. My assessment still shows that this place, for all intentions, is one that has long been seen or used. Perhaps a reflection of decades of absence. Granted, this might be due to the Freehold being still newly established--but the eyes reveal a space that is still not quite usable or adequate. It's one of the goals of mine to have the library be a place that is readily used and have an ample supply of resources within it." He glanced about, taking a moment to sip his tea. "So the help I seem to need is with both the physical space, as well as the contents within." He points to one of the books on the table. "I've attempted to go through some of these books--but even with a set of Lexicon Lenses, the words are too far gone on the old pages to glean anything tangible." "Are you sure?" Kip asks, having taken a tentative sip but finding it still too warm for comfortable consumption. But he holds the cup in his hands. "I spent a lot of time doing just that. Reading things that are hard to read. Though I suppose if you have special lenses for it, maybe I won't be able to see anything more." For the briefest of moments, he's less the all-too-willing-to-help-out-and-please-people and more someone who is actually engaged in the conversation. He even leans in a little at his shoulders. "Listen to me, like I'd be better at any of this than you. You've done great." Aaron's attention is focused back to you as you talk. It's clear by the way he just looks at you. His eyes focus on you in such intensity, that he doesn't even blink. Or move for that matter. He then offers a smile that comes slowly, then blossoms on his face. The smile is toothy, in that you see the rows of perfect and finely pointed teeth. A smile that reminds someone of the cat from Alice's Wonderland. Or the Joker. Or both. It might even be considered a tough unnerving in the right perspective. "You do that a lot, don't you? Doubt yourself; second guess your own self and your skills, I mean." "What? No. I--" Yes, Kip, you do exactly that. "I uh, I mean I just didn't mean to say that you weren't better at it than me. I just-- if I can help I'm happy to." He does that nervous thing again where he pushes his hair out of his face, just to have it fall back in over his eyes. He jerks a little at something and withdraws his phone from his pocket to glance at it, but puts it right back into the pocket. "Sorry. Forgot it was on vibrate. Kinda startled me." "Custodian Kip," his voice taking on a more serious tone, he leans in a bit. Eyes looking directly into yours when he speaks. "There are a few things that you will come to understand with me in time. When I am given a task, a duty to serve--I do so to the best of my ability, and I become engrossed in it. To the point that it can be seen as unhealthy. This is both a good quality and a bad one. It prevents me from asking for help. Not because I think I'm the best--but because I do not like to fail. I do not like to let people down. I do not like to feel I fucked things up." Each word is given its own time in the air, each sentence given its due. "The second is that if someone feels like they can do something better than me, then I'm all for letting that person excel in whatever that area is. I would prefer a project put in the hands of great people, then fumbled around by multiple hands unsure they can do the job. Knowledge can be a dangerous thing in the wrong hands. Both the possessor and the acquisition of."       He leans back slowly. "I'm new to this post. My ego is not fragile enough to not admit that all of this is still new. I've had other positions that are different than this--but similar as well. But this position, in this freehold, with you all, is all still new. If I make a mistake, if I screw things up, then I want someone to tell me. As well as have the fortitude to make recommendations for improvements. Do--" he pauses a moment when the phone vibrates. "Do you need to get that?" he asks with a slight smile returning to his face. At the last question, Kip quickly shakes his head. The lightning that lazily zaps around him in shades of green and blue focuses around his head for a moment as if he's blushing. "No," he says quickly. "I mean, no. It wasn't important. Just a text. I can answer it later. It just-- surprised me." He smiles almost shyly. "And I would never presume to tell you or anyone else how to do their jobs. I haven't even been on the job, so to speak, yet so I don't know if I'd even do anything differently. But I-- I get it. The not wanting to fuck up, especially when others are counting on you. Especially when they're counting on you for something this important and big. Something that can impact everyone else. I kind of feel that way lately now that I have people working at the store. It's not just me now. It's them that I have to worry about, too. If I fail, I fail them, not just myself. It's... it can be a little scary. Overwhelming. And I worry about it all the time." Aaron listens and smiles a bit more. "So you know have employees that you've got to pay? People call you boss?" He settles back. "I was running two medical clinics and the face of a few charities and other projects back home. Trust me when I say I understand how unnerving that can be. All eyes looking at you to make and call the shots. Overwhelming to say the least." He looks around a bit more. "So, bookstore boss--you think you have time you can carve out of your day-to-day to help a Librarian with working to bolster this library into being something greater than it currently is?" Kip would probably swoon or something if he had /that/ much responsibility. At least for now, the shop is more than enough for him! At least as far as that level of things goes. He does perk up a bit at helping out, though. "Of course. I-- honestly, it's what I did the uh, the entire time I was... you know. Organize, sort, file, clean, go find things that we needed. I guess that's why the Spring Queen suggested the whole Custodian route to me in the first place. And if I can help everyone out by doing something here, I'm more than happy to. Just tell me what you need me to do. I think if I felt more useful, I'd probably feel a bit... better about being part of it all. Right now I feel like I'm flailing. Adrift. No tether. Which sounds probably kind of dumb." Aaron shakes his head. "It's not dumb at all. You, as a Custodian, have a role to play and a duty to serve within the Freehold. One that I, as the Librarian, have failed to help with." He sets his cup down a moment, "I am in need of someone to assist me in documenting the recent string of murders that have occurred of late. A string of thirteen to be exact. Her Custodial Majesty had asked me to look into it--given a few skill sets I possess." He looks to you, "care to join me in the investigation?" "You haven't," Kip mentions. "Failed, I mean. You've been busy. I know. Her Custodial Majesty, as you so eloquently put it, said as much. That you've been busy. Which is fine. Just let me know how I can be of help. Especially-- wait, thirteen murders? There's been mention of some in the news, but... I guess I was just assuming it was something... mundane I suppose. Do you think it's somehow related to /us/? And how can I help? I'm more than happy to. document things. Maybe whatever skills you have are things I can maybe learn. Be of more help in the future or something, too. Just-- I'm not very good dealing with seeing dead bodies. Or at least the one I saw when I was with Logan, I kind of almost puked. On his shoes. You can imagine that wouldn't have gone over well if I had. He's particular about his clothing." Aaron chuckles a bit. "Okay. So dealing with dead bodies is not something we will have you do. But yes, there have been thirteen deaths. I assume they were murders--for reasons given the sheer number of dead bodies, and the number. Seems loosely occultic in nature. I could use an additional set of eyes and ears and notes when it comes to this. I don't know if it specifically pertains to /us/, but when the Queen asks you to look into something--you assume that it's for good reason. Which is what we will do." The brain is already in motion. Gears spin behind Kip's glowy eyes. "Occultic in nature? Like maybe are we talking some sort of ritual or some sort of... quota?" he muses quietly, more to himself than anything. Like he's starting to put things together. "I was-- I don't know if this is related. I was out hiking and I guess someone-- the weird girl with the tea shop and the funny eyes? Well she was there and she found some sort of snakeskin and I think it was like... unusually big. Everyone was talking about it. Near where a body was found. I didn't think much of it but-- well, like I said, might be nothing." Aaron raises an eyebrow and leans in. "I'm sorry? Snakeskin? Girl with funny eyes?" He takes a moment to pour himself another cup of tea--but first offers to refill your cup first. "Talk to me about this girl with the eyes and tea shop. Who is she? What tea shop?" "The tea shop in town," Kip mentions. "Uh-- Seventh something. It's a few blocks down from my shop. Girl owns it who has eyes like mine. Well not like /mine/, just-- they're different colors I mean. She's not one of us. At least not that I can tell. She's definitely... unusual though. Says she's a witch. You haven't been to the tea shop? Oh, you have to go. They have these crepes... anyway, it's good. The girl who runs the place is the one who was there. I can't remember her name. Something Arthurian. Anyway, she found a snakeskin. They shed, you know. It was huge." He shakes his head as he peers into the cup that he has to finish. It's only half gone. "No thanks. I'm still working on mine. I got distracted." Aaron considers aloud. "The only person that had a name remotely Arthurian, that I knew, was a young woman by the name of Morgaine LaVey..." he is quite a moment, then shrugs. "I guess it's a sign I need to find another tea house to attend." He looks over to you. "Crepes you say? Any flavor particular you liked?" He then goes to another point. "So you saw this girl on your hike? You hike? Interesting. But you say you saw this girl with the funny eyes on your hike--with a snakeskin? How big was it? Like Amazonian Anaconda big, or horror-film-worthy in length?" "Avalon!" Kip blurts out. "That was her name. And yeah, crepes. They're good. So far I've liked all the ones I've tried. And uhm-- I think they said it was like six feet? I think long. I... well honestly I didn't look at the skin. It sounded creepy and I didn't think it was important at the time. Sorry. But I can always go by and ask her about it. On the down low, I mean. Or maybe-- I hate to say it. CB Alexander was there with Franklyn. So he might know something, too." He winces a bit. "I'll ask him if you want. I mean one of the last times I saw him I kind of punched him in the face, but we can let bygones be bygones." Aaron blinks. "You...punched...someone? CB? The guy who runs the bookstore that Mina works in? What for, if you don't mind me asking." Kip coughs softly and does that nervous thing again where he rubs the back of his neck. "Uh-- well... he... He was with Mina, but then someone told me that he was cheating on her and a minute later he walked in and I was a bit... pissed off. So I slugged him. And he said it wasn't true. Then later I found out it /was/ true. So I kinda almost sort of... punched him again," he mumbles. Because yeah, Kip looks like the type to go around punching people. He probably seems like he'd pass out just from raising his voice. "I was mad. I'm not-- that's not how I usually react. But it was Mina and I knew how much that would hurt her and I got a little... protective. Because we're friends." Aaron nods slowly. "Friends. Yes." He takes a sip of tea. "So things with you and CB are...shakey? I ask because I'd rather that you ask someone for more information that you will not get into a physical altercation with. Or maybe I'll stop on by Avalon's tea house and chat with her a bit. But in any case, you say that there was a large snake skin near a body? One of the thirteen bodies, or a completely different one?" "I'm not sure," is Kip's murmured response about the last question. He looks thoughtful for a moment and pauses to take a long drink of his tea, almost draining the rest of it. "But if you want to talk to Avalon you can, or I can go by. At least I'll have seen her before so I'll have a way to ask without it being... suspicious. And about CB... I won't fight him. I'm done being angry, I think. But I'm an adult. I can talk business with him without smashing his face into the counter-- wait, why did you say it like that? About me and Mina being friends? We are." Aaron nods. "Perhaps you're right. Better to not seem too sketch when talking about strange things. Keep me posted and let me know if there is anything I can assist you with." When asked about his earlier statement, he shakes his head. "say what like that? I simply agreed with your earlier statement. You and she are friends, yes." Wait, is that a look of guilt? No. Kip wouldn't have any reason for that. Like he said, they're just friends. "Sorry, I just-- lots of people think something else, but I'm dating Paige. I guess I just... I'm sorry. I just get a little defensive I guess. I shouldn't. No reason to. Anyway, of course, I'll keep you posted. Anything, in particular, I should be asking about? Like specifics that might help you out?" Aaron nods. "Anything will be useful. I'm kinda starting with nothing to go on--so anything is better than nothing, yes?" He offers up a light smile. "And you have right to be defensive, Kip. As I was thinking to myself that it could be seen, at least, to some degree, that you like Mina more than just friends. Nothing wrong with it. But I've been friends with her Majesty for a long while--and I've never struck any guy she's been with. It takes a deeper level of emotion to want to lay a hand on another person--even for a friendship." He shrugs, "but I might be overthinking things. I tend to do that," says the semi-retired-slash-non-licensed clinical psychologist "Well, maybe I'm just a hot head who likes to hit people," Kip mumbles. Because that's clearly the case! He does say it in the way that might imply someone called him that or something, though. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. They're done. He hurt her, she got over it. No more problems. Besides, I have more important things to talk to him about than if he's screwing around with his new girlfriend or something. I'll find out what I can from him and from Avalon and come back when I have something. How's that? And in the meantime, if you can think of any overdue books you want me to go after, I'll do that next."