"Ancient Essyrian Religious Translations, Niahi Wood Legends, Histories of the Fell Volumes 8 and 9, Maps of Historical Sites in Connloath, and Apprenticeships for Serenian Mages..."
The woman paused from the list of books she had been sifting through at the book check in counter, "Serenian Mages?" Artemis made a face, flipping the book over in her hand. "This isn't a historical book. What on earth is it doing in my section?" Sighing, she flipped the book over, gave a shake of her head and made her way to the opposing side of the library. Magics and the likes were a rare topic to begin with, the book in hand having barely been touched as she slipped it back onto the book shelf and made her way back to her small office and proceeded to review the books on hand. Once that task was complete, she put them away, placing them in order and fixing a few lose and misplaced books along the way. She found herself stopping by a certain section of the library when one gruesome book had been staring back at her. It always gave her nightmares when she had to tend to this book. It was leather, and old, with the most hideous picture of a vampire etched into the front of it and was tilted 'Creatures of the Night.' Flinching, she moved to push the book back into the shelf, but was afraid to really touch it, and ended up removing her shoe when nobody was looking, and used it to push the book back into place.
There. All better.
She moved to walk away, but paused, double checked to ensure it was in place, as well as any other books in the paranormal and supernatural myth section of the library, before moving on.
Keeping the library tidy was something Artemis Longfellow always prided herself with. She worked there nearly 7 days a week, and easily over 12 hours a day to keep the place running smoothly. She had been there for nearly a decade, having started young helping out cleaning the shelves and eventually made her way to an assistant, and now as the one of the librarians herself (though the title was a bit unofficial, and she has been trying to press the promotion for a while, it seemed Mr. Jacrick, the head librarian, always skirted over the matter, so while she was going through a pile of scrolls deposited on her desk earlier that day, she noticed Jacrick was alone in his office.
Juggling the scrolls a bit, she made quick work to put them away, slinking them into their triangular holdings in the tall shelves before slinking over into his office and peering in.
"Hello, Jacrick!" Artemis said with a pleasantly forced smile, hands gripping on the door frame.
But Jacrick was used to such a smile as he turned around and gave a look at her, before sighing ad furrowing his brows.
"Yes, Miss Longfellow? What is it that I can assist you with today?" he said, glancing over his spectacles.
Artemis pressed her lips together, feeling a faint flutter of confidence within her as she took a few steps forward, but still barely entered the room.
"I saw you were not busy with staff or students, so I figured I'd stop by to see if-"
Jacrick, raising his brows (as he knew where this was going), turned around with a grumbling groan, shook his head before wilting back within his desk.
"To see if you had considered my proposal. I've been here for nearly a decade and-"
"And what, Artemis?" Jacrick interrupted. "What is it? You are a very dedicated worker, I understand that, but you must realize you haven't got an education to back such a position. You should be happy where you are at. As an assistant librarian at the most prestigious and largest library in all of Ulthyn! Such a title is not normally honored to someone of such meager upbringings, you must understand that, Miss Longfellow, and besides, the funding has been cut on the library so we'll have to be reducing your pay come next week." he added with a nonplused sigh. "Now, is that what you came in here to hear?"
Artemis could say nothing, she merely looked at him, pale and stunned.
"No, I didn't think so," the man sighed with a shake of his head as he leaned back in his chair. "But chin up old girl, you'll see the brighter side of things. I'm sure with another decade in here, your pay will increase after it has returned to normal and well, things will just be as they always have been when the economy was brighter. Now, is there something else that I can assist you with, Miss Longfellow, or where you coming in here specifically for that?" he said, raising his brow.
Artemis's jaw had been hanging open, eyes wide like a frightened deer's. It was the last thing she expected to hear. She would never become a real librarian.. she would be forced to remain in her position, organizing, coding and cataloging books and scrolls, helping customers, but never, ever becoming an over seer, a true 'titled' librarian. And it was because she was poor. It was because she had not come from any sort of money. Being smart, dedicated, lucky, and a good worker seemed hardly to add up to anything.
But... at least she still had her job. Though what was she to do about a pay cut?
Finally, she set her lips together into a frown, staring at Jacrick as he looked back at her.
"Well?" he asked, expectantly.
Her lips flattened.
"Well?" he then repeated.
"Thank you, for the update, Mr. Jacrick."s he said, lowering her head, defeatedly. "I'm sorry to hear about the funding issue."
Jacrick nodded and his eyes went back to his work. He sighed.
"Yes, well things like this can not be helped."
"Yes, I suppose you are right."
Having found herself in a new spell of melancholy, Artemis dragged herself back to her station, a small, corner office with an open desk for guests to place their book returns. She paused just before it as she noticed another huge pile of books and scrolls added to her once cleared desk. Staring over at the clock, she didn't bother sighing when she noticed it was nearly 9 o'clock. It looked like another late night for her. The library would be closing soon, and the doorman was making the announcement for the last call as he shouted out the door, then inside, his voice echoing across the tall ceilings and carrying through the library like a flood.
But all of that faded away to grey, like the sun which had set for the day, and even the faint sounds of rain that began to patter at the tall windows inside her office. But she had work to do. She had to get past the fact she'd be stuck here another decade before anything better might happen, and just keep her chin up. At least she had a job. But she was now taking a pay cut that was to be realized as early as next month! How would this do for their mother's medicine? For their food? She'd have to pick up a second job. She'd have to figure out something lest she and her entire family be kicked out into the streets.
Sniffing back her tears, she became automated with her work. She shouldn't cry, she couldn't. Now was not the place. She had to remain strong. She could cry and sob and wallow at home, but not infront of her mother. No, afte rshe told her mother things were ok. She'd at least give her another day She'd have to figure out how to present it to all of them, especially her brother Arrick.
Gods.. at least she wasn't working in the mines like he. She frowned at the thought. What if she would have to now? THat was something she'd have to figure out after she realized how much her pay would be cut come next month's end.
Artemis was troubled, and was so focused on everything but her work, so as she scooped up a pile of scrolls and began to head towards the book shelves in the southern hall of the library, she hadn't notice the final calls of the doorman, pressing all the guests in the library to make their final selections and be out.
It was five minutes to nine.
She moved like dead weight, not too swiftly, not to fast, but still, moving with a dreaded purpose, like a machine, so She also hadn't noticed the man standing right in front of her, probably minding his own business and making his final scroll selections... until she bumped into him.
The pile of scrolls she had been carrying were so tall, it blinded her, towering over her head, so when she felt herself bump into something, she let out a noise, a faint cry of alarm as the tower of scrolls went down, toppling down on top of their heads and then to a heap onto the ground, breaking off a few corners of brittle paper here and there, while a few loosely bond strings came undone, and unraveled a few of the precious documents about at their feet, leaving the woman standing there, too stunned to speak or move while the broken shards of paper fluttered down around them like snow.
