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The After Hours

Started by visualspice, June 18, 2017, 07:38:41 PM

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visualspice

OOC: Tags to @Skwint !




The day had been long, like each one before. The week had been long, like last week was. The month had been endless, feeling like a year, and years turned into decades into days into a haze. How long had she been working here? Too long to remember, but it was work she rather liked. Even if her fingers got dirty from the ink on the scroll and bound book pages, she always held a fondness for the scents and quirks of the library.

She wasn't a woman educated by noble standards, but had learned to read well enough on her own to get into a simply cataloging position at the library. It was perhaps because she was so persistent (and annoyingly so) that she had even gotten in in the first place, and now it was hard to get rid of Miss Artemis Longfellow, even now, when she was months into a depression of revenue and a pay cut where she worked at nearly half the salary she had before.

But she tried not to let that get to her. A job was a job, and during these times of war, she wasn't going to complain when many had suffered many losses elsewhere with the lives of men or with bad crops from the too hot summer.

This was one such summer day, where the air was sticky and hot and unforgiving, and one where even those who hated water prayed for rain. Tonight it seemed those prayers would be answered, for as the library was closing, the rains had began. The rumbling purr of thunder was a welcome sound, and the thrum of rain helped keep the other wise unnatural quiet of the large and vacant after hours library a bit more sane.

And Artemis liked the sound of rain, even as it was pounding on the ceiling over head. She had been climbing the ladders and putting away the volumes of Essyrni histories ( a period of the kings, reigns one thru the eleventh of the first Kings) when she noticed how dusty the tops of books shelves had become.

"Oh, this'll never do." She fished for the kerchief around her neck and undid it with one hand,t he other bracing herself against the heavy ladder that laid against the tall shelving as she shook the kerchief out and reached around and began to wipe the dust away. By now, she was several hours into her night shift when she noticed something moving between a break in the books.

She paused briefly and took a step down to have a better look see, but when she noticed there was some strange man on the other side, it startled her so much that she jerked back with a gasp, banging her head off the bottom of the shelf above her and forcing her to stumbling into the books below. And it didn't take much to dislodge the books from their position, as Artemis caught herself against the shelf and watched in horror as a pair of history books flapped down in a furry of pages towards the poor unfortunate soul below.

Fearful it might be her boss in whom she just may have hit over the head with a pair of history books, she jerked back from the book shelf out of fear, and out of sight, a hand sealing over her lip as her dark eyes were froze open in terror. Ansgar's name!? What should she do!?

Not wanting her boss to have to come around the other side to find her and climb up the ladder and throttle her himself, she knew she had to take responsibility, and was rushing down the ladder, blathering out all sorts of apologies as she rounded the aisle and came to the other side- only to come to a sudden stop with her mouth open and eyes wide in confusion to see it wasn't her boss there after hours- but a completely stranger. A stranger she hadn't noticed was even there after hours. A stranger who looked every bit a stranger that a stranger could be. A stranger that screamed danger. He was terrifying. Like one of those creatures from a horror book. And was one who made her scream.
CHECK OUT MY LATEST SITE EVENT!
The Never King- a king erased from history because of his dabblings in dark magic (among other things...) suddenly because a present day problem when an unlikely group of adventurers 'awakens' him from the grave. You can read more about the event on the plotting page here and information page here!

I ran the Connlaothian civil war. For more info, check out it's page here. The war has now turned into a 'Cold War' with it's plotting page found here. It's no longer a huge site wide event but the scars are there.

My currently active characters:
Grand Duke Calent Allarrick // Aella Coleridge // Blaith Harmond // Kella Harmond  // Hope Allarrick // Krah Mordeth // Mehtwald Allaen // Zannrick Austengarde // Katahnia Harmond // Jinai Rinstgate  // Leif Arrant // Dekka Blade  // Kentamin Dhelsbar  // Dahnny Quills  // Victoria Armani  // Ohna Waitsmith  // Jarrett L'isson  // Trest Arristaire  // Clayton "Jack-in-the-Box" Wilson // Cullen  //  Vels // Shay // Killian  // Fluke  // Mellesta // Danning // Petrin // Gavriella // Dornsley // Miersck // Aelith // Iyla // Angel // Ellarrah // Persea Ah'nikh // Phone // Jace // Ne'friss // Opus Dey // Lord Amalin // Ehvren // Narophne // Edward // Dehzrehn // Chase Vander // Valeska // Jayo //Layana // Rezvek // Red Sun // Harmanaija // Mirajah // Liana // Oska //Hay-gee // Beatrice // Ninn // Dao'bachpa //Pao'orha // Mae'leena // Davishire // Davina// Gemla // Hyathia //Thethysis // Urd // Missendria // Ina-herit // Feni'tat // Phen // Evelyn // Kell // Striker // Ithica // Connor // Vlint // The Gambler // Lord Aegis // Thomas // Quince // Althea // Vaeyna // Ihlsepar Asawa'eht // Krazxick // Djchastese // Katoma // Na'o // Moonlight // Bluesong //Caollette // Artemis // Arrick // Evetta //Jackal // Winston //Lenny // Anphis // Hebara //Ibra // Dre'hn // Veride // Arthund // Kao

Skwint

After waiting all day in the sweltering heat, now was the time. It was an hour after the library had closed its doors, which was ample time for any stagglers to have cleared out. Black Skull slipped in through one of the windows and began his search through the extensive collection of books the library housed. After a fair amount of perusing he came across what he was looking for: books on magic. Surely the answer he sought would be here. The library of Uthlyn held the most extensive collection of books in the known world. And so, the browsing began.

No. No. Nope. No this one. Wrong kind of magic. This one was in some strange language. Are these even actual words?

As his search brought only increasing levels of frustration, a sudden noise caught his attention. What could that have been? Surely the library was empty at this time of night. And the noise sounded like it came from above.

He looked up just in time to see a pair of books quickly descending upon his position. Instinctively raising his arm to protect himself he managed to shield himself from one of the books, but he was still hit by a comprehensive study on Serenian politics and nobilty. The impact of the kamikaze hardcover knocked him back into the shelf behind him causing another shower of books.

Then somebody screamed.

Black Skull honed in on the source and wasted no time in closing the distance between himself and the young woman. He clamped his hand over her mourh and shoved her against the nearest bookcase, pinning her up against it with the remaining stump of his left arm across her chest and sending yet more books to the floor.

"This is how it's gonna work," he began. "First, you're not going to scream again, or I will silence you more permanently. You're also going to stay right here where I can see you so that I know you're not going off to call ant guards. I didn't come here to hurt you. Let's keep it that way. Got it?"

visualspice

One second she was frozen in place not knowing what to do, and the next- she suffered the same fate, wincing as she was shoved against the nearest tall book shelf so hard she felt each sharp book's spine trying to wedge itself into her back. And she was smelling something salty, the sweat upon his hand, and feeling it's warmth and grease dampen around her mouth.

And then he spoke, and the fear that once near whited her vision brought her back to reality as she noted his eyes, a sight that made her shiver, not just because they looked like ice, but made her feel as though they might be made of it. And from it, his words were nearly lost to her, but the threat was not as she numbly nodded her head and trembled.

Would she even dare do anything the contrary? Artemis was no fool, but she also was no hero, and was prone to scare easily and suffer from social contradictions. But this was a whole other game all together, and had she been able to focus over her own fear, (which in itself, was suffocating enough, and more fear through adrenaline alone kept her from fainting), she might have noticed something was severally off about his face (be it the mask or lack there of). But as it was in the moment, she was a prisoner of her own fear- and the man's aggression, and simply remained pinned where she was- and frightened as all hell.
CHECK OUT MY LATEST SITE EVENT!
The Never King- a king erased from history because of his dabblings in dark magic (among other things...) suddenly because a present day problem when an unlikely group of adventurers 'awakens' him from the grave. You can read more about the event on the plotting page here and information page here!

I ran the Connlaothian civil war. For more info, check out it's page here. The war has now turned into a 'Cold War' with it's plotting page found here. It's no longer a huge site wide event but the scars are there.

My currently active characters:
Grand Duke Calent Allarrick // Aella Coleridge // Blaith Harmond // Kella Harmond  // Hope Allarrick // Krah Mordeth // Mehtwald Allaen // Zannrick Austengarde // Katahnia Harmond // Jinai Rinstgate  // Leif Arrant // Dekka Blade  // Kentamin Dhelsbar  // Dahnny Quills  // Victoria Armani  // Ohna Waitsmith  // Jarrett L'isson  // Trest Arristaire  // Clayton "Jack-in-the-Box" Wilson // Cullen  //  Vels // Shay // Killian  // Fluke  // Mellesta // Danning // Petrin // Gavriella // Dornsley // Miersck // Aelith // Iyla // Angel // Ellarrah // Persea Ah'nikh // Phone // Jace // Ne'friss // Opus Dey // Lord Amalin // Ehvren // Narophne // Edward // Dehzrehn // Chase Vander // Valeska // Jayo //Layana // Rezvek // Red Sun // Harmanaija // Mirajah // Liana // Oska //Hay-gee // Beatrice // Ninn // Dao'bachpa //Pao'orha // Mae'leena // Davishire // Davina// Gemla // Hyathia //Thethysis // Urd // Missendria // Ina-herit // Feni'tat // Phen // Evelyn // Kell // Striker // Ithica // Connor // Vlint // The Gambler // Lord Aegis // Thomas // Quince // Althea // Vaeyna // Ihlsepar Asawa'eht // Krazxick // Djchastese // Katoma // Na'o // Moonlight // Bluesong //Caollette // Artemis // Arrick // Evetta //Jackal // Winston //Lenny // Anphis // Hebara //Ibra // Dre'hn // Veride // Arthund // Kao

Skwint

Whoever this woman was, Black Skull could tell he had frightened her beyond all recognition. Still, her nod confirmed that she was not so afraid as to not have understood him. With many books still to look through he didn't wish to waste any more time. He released from the shelf and took a step back. He stared her down until he was convinced that she wouldn't try anything and then returned to the bookshelf. This time around, however, his searching was laced with occasional glances in Artemis' direction to make sure she was behaving. Soon enough his frustration continued to mount as he still couldn't find what he was looking for. And now having to babysit some random woman made it even more time consuming. Why was she even in the library this late anyway?

visualspice

The moment he stepped away she breathed, lungs aching after being held for so long. And she was trembling,  but too fearful to even speak. Moments passed before she had the ability to even look his way,  but when he glanced at her, eyes sharp beneath his mask,  she couldn't help but gasp.

Her eyes were wide as she clasped a hand over her mouth,  fearfully staring at his haunting mask and wondering if he'd been wearing it all along.
CHECK OUT MY LATEST SITE EVENT!
The Never King- a king erased from history because of his dabblings in dark magic (among other things...) suddenly because a present day problem when an unlikely group of adventurers 'awakens' him from the grave. You can read more about the event on the plotting page here and information page here!

I ran the Connlaothian civil war. For more info, check out it's page here. The war has now turned into a 'Cold War' with it's plotting page found here. It's no longer a huge site wide event but the scars are there.

My currently active characters:
Grand Duke Calent Allarrick // Aella Coleridge // Blaith Harmond // Kella Harmond  // Hope Allarrick // Krah Mordeth // Mehtwald Allaen // Zannrick Austengarde // Katahnia Harmond // Jinai Rinstgate  // Leif Arrant // Dekka Blade  // Kentamin Dhelsbar  // Dahnny Quills  // Victoria Armani  // Ohna Waitsmith  // Jarrett L'isson  // Trest Arristaire  // Clayton "Jack-in-the-Box" Wilson // Cullen  //  Vels // Shay // Killian  // Fluke  // Mellesta // Danning // Petrin // Gavriella // Dornsley // Miersck // Aelith // Iyla // Angel // Ellarrah // Persea Ah'nikh // Phone // Jace // Ne'friss // Opus Dey // Lord Amalin // Ehvren // Narophne // Edward // Dehzrehn // Chase Vander // Valeska // Jayo //Layana // Rezvek // Red Sun // Harmanaija // Mirajah // Liana // Oska //Hay-gee // Beatrice // Ninn // Dao'bachpa //Pao'orha // Mae'leena // Davishire // Davina// Gemla // Hyathia //Thethysis // Urd // Missendria // Ina-herit // Feni'tat // Phen // Evelyn // Kell // Striker // Ithica // Connor // Vlint // The Gambler // Lord Aegis // Thomas // Quince // Althea // Vaeyna // Ihlsepar Asawa'eht // Krazxick // Djchastese // Katoma // Na'o // Moonlight // Bluesong //Caollette // Artemis // Arrick // Evetta //Jackal // Winston //Lenny // Anphis // Hebara //Ibra // Dre'hn // Veride // Arthund // Kao

Skwint

Black Skull didn't feel like he was any closer to his answer than when he started. Then his thoughts drifted back to the woman. Perhaps this inconvenience could be turned into something more useful.

"How familiar are you with the books here," he asked.

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