[Club]Library Club

[Oath]

The library was a place that Ardelia was quite familiar with. Last year she made frequent trips here to check out various books, usually at least a couple every week. As soon as the first day of class was over, she quickly made her way to the small library tucked away in a corner of the campus. Reaching the door, she opened it up and timidly asked: "Is this the meeting place for the Library club?"

She then looked around the room to see if she recognized any faces before stepping in and looking around a bit more.

[Mysticsage]

Ardelia walked around from the entrance for a moment no one was at the checkout desk and everything seemed quite. That was until a loud yell and crash of books could be heard.

?OW ow wow, Pamela your so stupid,? the light feminine voice said. Glancing down one of the few isles. You can see a somewhat tall and wispy girl with long platinum blonde hair sitting in a pile of books rubbing her head.  She was Pamela Ibis another sophomore from another class. You had met her in the library plenty of times. People joked that the eternal airhead would sleep there if she could.

?Hey move it, ? came a deep voice from behind you A boy looking like a giant in comparison was holding a large box almost obscuring his view. James Hale, He would hang out with Noel every now and again and was known for getting ranged into others plans a little to easily.  Glancing down at Ardelia with his green eyes playing of his olive skin and darker hair. He was also known as a bit of a troublemaker because of his size and his nature. Getting into bad situations enough times had gotten him used to street fighting.

Of course Pamela being who she is had absolutely no clue about any of this your sure and had wrangled him into joining the library without much trouble.

?Are you gonna move or what short fry?? he said eyebrow raised quizzically. 

[Oath]

Hearing the rather rude guy behind her more or less whining, Ardelia decided to move out of his way without even looking at him or speaking a word, and made her way over to the familiar girl covered in books.

"You need some help there Pamela?" Ardelia started to move some of the books back to their proper places before Pamela could even respond, but she was glad to see someone else that spent a lot of time in the library had decided to join the club, though she was still confused about their purpose.

After putting an armful of books back, she decided to see if Pamela had any information.
"So, Pamela do you know what we are going to be doing as the Library Club? I'm not really to sure myself..."

[Mysticsage]

Pamela still rubbing her head slightly as she stood smiled warmly at Ardelia. "Oh, Lia!, so you joined as well" Pamela quickly hugged the smaller girl warmly. After an awkward second of which Pamela was oblivious of she relented and led the way back to the reception desk.

"Based of this letter that was left here. We're sort of the librarians ordering and organizing the books, and helping others find what they need."

"Since I'll be here in lunch anyway I'll be behind the reception desk when i have free time." She was smilinng broadly mostly to herself as she mused about all the time that she would be spending with the books.

James came back now box free at that moment "I put the books where you wanted Pamela."

Snapping out of her dream state Pamela smiled broadly "Thanks so much Jamie! I couldn't have don it without you!"

"I only just carried the big stuff" James whispered as he blushed slightly as he joined in on the conversation "I can't believe who ever is running this school decided to put kids in charge of the library isn't there child labor laws against this kind of stuff?"

"Think of all the alone time you get with all the books though!" Pamela practically  squeeled. James huffed while crossing his arms. The library was really more like a large shed then anything else and not many people actually came in to begin with. Dust and cobwebs were on everything and some of the books were known to be in shreds simply lying on the shelves.

"Although looking at this place it is no wonder they fired whoever was working here before."

"

[Oath]

Looking at James and Pamela, Ardelia wondered if they were the only members of the club or not. At least their duty seemed to be easy enough. As Pamela let go, Ardelia looked up at the taller girl. "So, are we the only members or is there a fourth?" Mostly ignoring the other topics of the conversation, she looked around to see if there were some cleaning supplies. At the very least, finding a rag, Ardelia starts to dust off the bookshelves.

"Well, at any rate they didn't do a good job of taking care of this place, so now it falls to us to make it nice. It's sad to see how poorly these books have been treated." Making her way around the shelves, Ardelia dusts as much as she can, thinking about how they need to get the library in order before anyone can come and check out books. Even if nobody showed up, having to spend a bunch of time in a dirty room was not something that Ardelia was particularly interested in.

[Mysticsage]

"The letter said their was only going to be three of us." mused Pamela a little disappointingly as she and James went back to their own cleaning. This job would take an extremely long time. The shelves and walls had water damage, the books smelled slightly of page rot. Pamela seemed immune to the long exposure, but you and James seemed to be fairing a bit worse. He had to step outside several times in an attempt to get a breath of fresh air, while Pamela simply hummed a little song as she went cleaning the books treating each one like a new born. Having to grab yet another rag from the small back room you leaned against a wall.

In the process the wall gave way to your weight and your arm went right through the rotted wood. Looking around, neither Pamela nor James were around. Out of the corner of your eye you think you see a butterfly from within the hole. Curiosity taking over you peek inside and find an old boiler pipe someone had boarded over who knows when. There was also no telling where the pipe led, however that was not important. Inside the pipe were wedged three decrepit books barely balanced against the walls. If one of them were to move the others would surely be gone, and if you didn't act fast they all would be.

All three books were so worn their titles were gone completely, however you could make out in the dim light that one was pink with gold leafing, one was black with white swirls and one a leather brown.

[Oath]

Only the three of them? Well, at least Pamela is pleasant and James seems to be tolerable. As she was cleaning, Ardelia leaned against the wall to take a short break. "Wow, there sure is a lot more to clean than it originally looked like..." her voice wasn't very loud, as she just kind of mumbled to herself. She thought she heard a creaking or cracking sound and decided that it was just her imagination. A few moments later, the wall gave away and she found herself arm deep in rotten wood. Good thing Pamela or James didn't see that, i'd never hear the end of it... Looking into the hole, the three books caught her eye. "Oh... wow these all look so delicate." Looking at the books, she could tell that they had seen better days and perhaps would break apart at any moment, but she knew she had to at least try to save one.

The pink book with gold leafing stood out the most, and she instinctively reached for it trying to angle it in such a way that she could take it out of the hole without further damaging it. Gently brushing the cover, Ardelia proceeds to take the book to an area with a bit better lighting to see if any of the faded text on the cover can be read.

[Mysticsage]

As you remove the book from its perilous perch quickly you see the other two books drop and you can hear them distantly fall to pieces as they go. To that end you can feel that the book in your hands is in a horrible state. It feels like if it was handled the least bit harshly it would fall apart in your hands.

Cradling the book against your chest you move to one of the few worktables far in the corner of the library. It feels surprisingly warm in your hands you realize maybe it is due to the fact that it was in that vent. Placing the book down you realize that both James and Pamela are still nowhere around. Looking at the book in this new light you realize just how bad the damage truly is. What remained of the gold leaf was either attached to you hands or sprinkled like dust on the table. Any semblance of writing of any kind was completely warn away by time no author or discerning quality whatsoever to tell you of its origin. You now can see that the book is actually locked with a warn lether strap and silver clasp keeping the contents of the bokk sealed from you.

Looking at the pages you can tell that trying to force the book open will damage the pages inside to greatly making the book useless. You cannot even attempt to fix the book without undoing the lock. Locking at the key hole it does not look like any normal key would do the job. The hole is to narrow and long to be able to attempt to pick it. However something does not allow you to give up something is drawing you to holding the book and not let go. You?ll find the key you have too.


?Everything Okay Ardelia, you look pale do you need some air?? you jump and hide the book behind your back for some reason not wanting to show it to anyone till you?ve had a chance to look inside.

[Oath]

[spoiler]http://youtube.com/v/7hlxDDtyDwc&loop=1&autoplay=1[/spoiler]

The idea of only being able to save one of the unusual books was a bit upsetting to her, but saving one instead of none was at least a better choice. The book felt oddly warm, was it really just because it was sitting in the vent, or was it something about the book itself? The way it was made seemed odd, but Ardelia could not remember if the vent was actually quite warm or not. That would require further examination.

Looking at the book, a silver clasp blocking access to the contents that seemed to require a key which is currently in an unknown location. It might be safe to assume that the key is somewhere in this library... At least cleaning it is a good excuse to look for an odd key, and the key must surely be odd because this keyhole is unlike any I have ever seen.

Suddenly Pamela called out to her, it wasn't something that should be particularly scary but it caused Ardelia to jump in this instance. Quickly turning around she looked at Pamela, carefully setting the book down on the table behind her as she begins to speak.
"Oh, yeah everything is fine. Still a bit overwhelmed by the whole situation though. I mean, we both love books but i'm sure neither of us imagined being in charge of the school library. That is something that is usually left to the hired help, but I guess since everyone needs to be in clubs now they freed up the spots to give the students more options? I just hope we live up to their expectations, you know?"

Waiting for Pamela to go back out of sight, and making sure that James is nowhere to be seen as well, Ardelia searches for a drawer to put the book in for safe keeping while she looks for the key. After storing it away, she heads back over to the hole in the wall to examine the vent a bit more closely, checking to see how warm it actually is, and reaching in, feeling around for anything that feels like it could be a key, or a loose metal object.

[Mysticsage]

"Yeah I know how you feel, but I have confidence in us" [/b]said Pamela with enthusiasm. "Just make sure that you don't overwork yourself okay Lia? the three of us are meant to help each other out." [/b]

With that Pamela went back to her cleaning and then you can hear her and James talking in the front of the library leaving you free to search for the key. As you go back to the vent you find that it doesn't feel particularly warm or cold. Also no other pieces of anything stick out within or around the vent. The key was nowhere insight, and glancing at the sky slowly turning orange through a window you were going to run out of time fast. You will have to find the key another time, but the question is what to do with the book. Do you leave it here in the library or take it with you. Sneaking it out in your book bag wouldn't be to hard but you would have to be careful not to let the book get damaged further.

[Oath]

[spoiler]http://youtube.com/v/v8rCg1e3LGg&autoplay=1[/spoiler]
After feeling around the vent area and not finding a key, Ardelia seemed a bit discouraged. It's starting to get late and I have no clue where to start in looking for this key... I could leave the book here, but that would make me feel uneasy. Perhaps at home I can at least learn a bit more about it. And the vent didn't seem to be too warm, did the heat already dissipate or is the book somehow very good at retaining heat?

She continued to clean a bit, to see if a little more could be done to make the place look presentable, while thinking about possibilities. What would be the best way for me to take the book home? It would definitely fit in my bag but its in such bad condition that I might not want to let it just tumble around in my bag on the way home. I'll be riding the bus so I should keep that much in mind too. I brought a light jacket today, though its not very chilly since I know my parents will nag at me for not taking it with me "just in case" So that is also an option. If I wrap it in the jacket, at least it would be secure and not making contact with other objects. I think I will just do that.

Ardelia carefully took the book out of the drawer that she had stowed it in prior, and wrapped it carefully in her jacket before putting it in her bag. She cleaned a bit more before going towards the front of the library, bag in hand.

"Pamela, James, I think I am going to head home for the night. You guys should probably do the same, its starting to get late. I'll see you tomorrow! Best not to let our parents worry too much after the first day of school, and I've got to catch the bus."

With that, Ardelia left the library in a leisurely fashion and sped up to a fast walk as she got into the hallway. She wasn't completely sure what time it was so she might end up waiting at the bus stop anyways, but it was worth getting there without needing to run. Any rash actions risked damaging the book, and she had an intense desire to see what was inside. Maybe she would end up asking Noel or Issac what  they thought a key for this kind of lock would be, But she would figure that out later. First, she had to get home.

[Mysticsage]

As you quickly move down the hallway you hear someone calling out from behind you stopping you see Pamela rounding a corner fast.

"Lia!- You forgot this!" She huffed as she bent over from running. In her hand looked like a necklace on a golden chain. The weird thing was hanging from that chain was a small intricately carved sword and scabbard.

"I found this in the library just as you were leaving, you must have dropped it I'm glad I was able to catch you!" Pamela smiled broadly. The only problem was that you did not own and or wear any such necklace. However, before you could protest she clasped the trinket in your hand.

"Anyway I'm gonna go back and finish everything up in the library have a safe trip home." she waved before she was gone around the corner leaving you alone to yourself. looking at the clock in the hall you'll end up missing the bus if you don't hurry and be forced to walk home. If only everything was that simple as you saw another blue butterfly at the entrance floating down a distant hall.

[Oath]

[spoiler]http://youtube.com/v/Fa1Iev4yiJ0&autoplay=1[/spoiler]

Ardelia looked at Pamela and blinked. She wasn't sure that the necklace was hers, it didn't look familiar, but if Pamela insisted and came all this way it would be rude to turn her away. For now she could just take it and try to locate the owner proper on her own later.
"Thanks Pamela! Just make sure not to work too hard, it's getting late and if you stay too long your family might get worried. I'll see you tomorrow."
Smiling, Ardelia waved to Pamela as she turned back towards the library.

Looking down the hall, Ardelia saw another blue butterfly. I think I saw one of those near the book... so maybe this one will help me unlock it. Though there is also this necklace that Pamela just gave me, Perhaps this could be a key as well. It looks like it might be about the right shape. I suppose if I am going to tamper with this book I should do it in a secluded location so going down this hall might not be such a bad idea. Before she could second guess her decision, Ardelia went off down the hall to see what types of rooms were around. Hoping to find something private that she could try the necklace on the book, to see if it was indeed the right shape to unlock it. It might mean that she needed to walk home, but it was probably better to take care of this stuff at school rather than risk damaging the book even more than it already is. She had to know what was inside.

[Mysticsage]

Once you get home and close the front door you rush to your room out of breath exhausted and shaking. Slumping to the floor you cannot believe way you just had witnessed. Was it all just one big hallucination? Perhaps the fumes from cleaning the library had effected you more then you thought. It could not have been anything else. You knew what you saw however to be true deep down even if at the surface you wanted to believe it to be a lie.

Clutching your jacket to your chest for dear life you attempt to push the memories of what had happened earlier out of your mind.  Shakily standing you put the bundle on your night stand and leave it there. You do not return to your bedroom and the book until after dinner. The normalcy of eating dinner with Noel helped calm you down a lot. There was a logical explanation for what happened and you were just letting your imagination run wild. You get ready for bed and snuggle in before the bundle catches your eye again. Perhaps attempting to open the book now that you have the time and give what is inside a read would be a nice idea.

[Oath]

[spoiler]http://youtube.com/v/DmrwupKxhd4&autoplay=1[/spoiler]

Climbing out of bed, Ardelia sat down at her desk. She was thankful that Noel had been normal, Even Renna had seemed more pleasant than normal. It helped ease the stress of a crazy day. Now, however it was time to see what was inside of this book that she had so carefully guarded and brought home. Procuring the necklace from a pocket on her jacket, Ardelia turned on her desk lamp. It'd be kinda hard to unlock this and be careful with the book if I was just fiddling around in the dark... Taking the necklace, she examined it more closely. She hadn't had time to do so before. There was a sword and a scabbard. Hm... Would these two go together and then go into the book? It seems like the scabbard is the right size to fit the lock, but maybe the sword lets it turn?

She tried to put the two together, and if they fit she would then go on to put them into the lock of the book slowly, as to not damage it further. When it reached the point that was fully in the lock, she would attempt to turn it both counter clockwise, and clockwise slowly to unlock the mechanism and gently handle the pages of the book to see what was inside.