fandomhigh | Just outside of Special Collections and beyond [Wednesday late afternoon]

Belle couldn't believe it had taken her this long to think of this. She blamed the exhaustion clouding her brain, but a possible answer was looming there at the other end of her library.

Of course they hadn't found anything, out here where the books she understood lived. But why would they? These books dealt were normal, and while they spoke of otherworldly things, Belle knew where the dangerous material was kept.

So she'd emerged from her office (nearly tripping over Gabrielle's gift (and her heart melted a little at the thoughtfulness, but this wasn't the time), tying her hair back and looking more awake than she had in a week. She stopped by the circulation desk to tell Gabrielle to keep things under control here as she moved towards Special Collections and stopped at the edge of the entrance in.

She wasn't stupid enough to go in alone, but she also hardly wanted to drag anyone else in. So she cast a glance around, hesitating. She'd only pause a minute, but she needed to see if there was anyone else she could or would take with her. The idea of bringing in students caused her to pause a fair amount.

[for our intrepid team, and ~~please hold for~~ OCD is up, even if lj bloooows.]

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For those who need to find an excuse to be here.

As the group carefully made their way into the depths of Special Collections, it seemed as though there was nothing here but books. Particularly musty, old, moldering books. The occasional one might snap, or growl, but there wasn't anything that literally or figuratively seemed to jump out.

As the group moved deeper into Special Collections, around them, a forest grew, and grew, and grew until the ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around, and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for ~~Max~~ our explorers.

It's kind of the only way to go, at this point, since the way the researchers came seems to be blocked by vines, now.

It's okay. We'll only be on it for a minute, rather than the canonical "weeks and almost over a year."

As the group's boat approached the shore (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qRy7i8Xa2g4/TA441fYOibI/AAAAAAAAPh0/7J2rBXmdDwM/s1600/Maurice+Sendak+-+Where+The+Wild+Things+Are_Page_23.jpg), the land showed its inhabitants -- wild things. They roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.

Have fun with that.

It really doesn't matter if you weren't interested in going to a party and want to go back to your research. The wild things have demanded a wild rumpus (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qRy7i8Xa2g4/TA44an36x8I/AAAAAAAAPhM/H96Y-xmeZjY/s1600/Maurice+Sendak+-+Where+The+Wild+Things+Are_Page_28.jpg), which means there's going to be a lot of crazy dancing and hanging from trees and roaring for awhile.

Eventually, though, even wild things grow tired, and as the last wild thing settled down to sleep, the Fandomites might have noticed their opportunity to sneak back through the forest, towards a flickering that might have been the candlelight of a lantern.

And we're lost. The walls have shifted, the way out seems impossible, and the lanterns on the walls are all that are left to guide the poor Fandomites.

The flickering of lanterns eventually gave way to the brightness of the actual library, and the group might have been able to see their way out.

Without any answers. But at least they got a wild rumpus, okay?

Why, yes, I did drag out my copy of Where the Wild Things Are just so I could quote it directly. Shut up, I love this book.

Also, this would have been easier if LJ DIDN'T SUCK.

As they left Special Collections, Belle spotted something a little bit away from the group; a bit of black, almost like smoke but somehow like tar, trying to eat away at a few books. After an admirable attempt, though, it melted away, blinking out of existence itself.

She paused, processing that. Special Collections ate the Nothing. She was sure that was what she had just seen.

She could process it away from this dangerous place, though, and her mind was full as she reentered the library proper.

... EeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeSENDAK.

If there were people gathering outside Special Collections, Jen would notice and want to know what was up because, well, Special Collections.

She got ~~a conveniently self-modded~~ Gabrielle to look after her computer and research materials and headed over, asking in a sleep-gritty voice, "Have we got a lead, or is this a last-resort thing?"

"Special Collections is never a first resort," Parker said, grimacing at the doorway. In an undertone, she muttered to the doorway: "So. We meet again, my adversary. Mua. Ha. Ha."

"I was afraid of that," Jen muttered, raising an eyebrow at Parker. "Sounds like someone's got a history with this place."

"I don't know what else to do," Belle replied quietly, glancing at the two girls. They both looked about her age or close enough to it that she couldn't turn them away. Students would be another story. She'd at least try.

"Insane sexist monks, mazes, friends looking for porn meeting dragons, genies that give you pedicures whether you want them or not..." Parker cracked her neck. "And then there's the books."

"Unstable former interim principals," Jen added. Oh, she'd heard that story. "No wonder you need a high-level security clearance to get in there."

. . . that's not what they call it in a school library, Jen, but still.

"The worse your reason for going in there, the more it messes with you," Parker agreed. "Shelving was always an adventure. It might not be too rough on us this time, but I'm taking in dragon-hide gloves anyway. Some of the books are poisonous or magic." She shot Jen a glance. "But. There could be something that can help."

"No, no, you've got the right idea," Parker said. "I'm Parker, by the way. I was a library aide for a year and a half." She grimaced, tapping one boot heel. "Damnit. I wish Zero was here."

Edited 2011-12-07 17:28 (UTC)

Chloe saw the group gathering and it didn't take her long to figure out where they were going. That would be why she shut the book she was going through, grabbed her messenger bag and went over to join them.

"It's getting too bad out there to not explore an option we've got," Jen said, grimacing sympathetically; Belle looked about like she felt, or maybe worse. "I'm in, if we're going."

"That seems to be the rule with restricted-access places," Jen answered with a nod. "And I'd rather go in there than leave some well-meaning but unprepared freshman to do it."

Marshall had had absolutely no luck with books... so seeing a group of people gathering, he wandered over to see if there was something else he could help with.

"What's in there?" he asked, looking at the door. "Anything else that could help? I'm coming up dry out here."

Since he'd ~~handwavily and otherwise~~ been spending nearly every day in the library for weeks now, Wesley was starting to find that he was running low on sections to go through. Today, his search for something useful brought him to the stacks just outside of Special Collections. And then people seemed to be gathering there, so...

"Are we...?" he guessed, nodding toward the entrance.

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Just outside of Special Collections and beyond [Wednesday late afternoon]

Gather [SC]

Into Darker Depths [SC]

But then a forest grew... [SC]

Land of the Wild Things: Take the boat [SC]

Land of the Wild Things: Um, there they are, on the bank. [SC[

Land of the Wild Things: Wild Rumpus [SC]

Land of the Wild Things: Time for bed [SC]

Back in Special Collections...[SC]

And we're out! [SC]

OOC [SC]

Re: And we're out! [SC]

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