The Lamentable Library Log

[theabjectauthor]

Who: The Ghost Of Lemony Snicket ... AND YOU
What: Certainly not any productive studying, sorry if that's what you came to do...
When: Throughout the weekend
Where: Hogwarts' library, of course!
Rating: U for Unsuitable For Anyone, Ever. Also: Unfortunate.

The children's author E.B. White once wrote in a letter to the children of the town of Troy: "A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your questions answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people — people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book".

Unfortunately for the library of Hogwarts, there is one person who is hiding between the stacks of its books, and he has, most assuredly, not managed to stay alive. Anyone who has forgone the weekend trip down to Hogsmeade, or was somehow unable to attend, and finds themselves in the library for any reason or another today, will find themselves not entirely alone.

You may be reading, you may simply be sitting at one of the window seats staring wistfully out and wishing you could be elsewhere ... but somewhere nearby, you may catch the sound of someone weeping.

Or, perhaps, as you're wandering the stacks and attempt to pick a book off the shelf, it refuses to budge, and another book floats out to hover beside you, instead.

Whatever the circumstance, the Library Ghost is with you.

Comments

[schrodingersghost]

[There was only one reason Danny ever came to visit the library. Because the ghost there was so fun to bother.

Once he could find him, that is. Right now the ghost was searching through the library for the library ghost.]

[theabjectauthor]

[Lemony was currently lurking around the Magical History section, rearranging the biographies. some prankster had taken the books and made a pile of every subject with an even remotely lewd-sounding name, and the spirit looked thoroughly affronted as he slid the books back into place]

[schrodingersghost]

Hey, Lemony! Long time no see!

[Danny cheerfully runs right through the nearest shelf.]

[theabjectauthor]

Seeing me is entirely unnecessary, Danny, being that we are both incorporeal in nature. Even so, I appreciate the sentiment. Are you still going to be hosting your party?

[schrodingersghost]

Yep! I think half the castle is coming!

Are you still planning on showing up?

[xss]

It's that weeping that catches Chihiro's attention as she's trying to study. She can't just ignore it though. Being sensitive herself makes her feel bad when other people are crying and makes her want to help them.

So, once she's sure that is weeping she's hearing, she picks up her notebooks and goes in search of the source of it all.

"Hello...? Is everything all right...?"

[theabjectauthor]

[as Chihiro turned a corner, she'd see a yearbook floating quietly over one of the window seats - the outline of a figure fading in and out with the sound of the sobbing]

[xss]

[Oh so it's one of the ghosts again? They scared her at first, but after a day or so she'd gotten pretty used to them.

But ahh, it's not good if he's sad... :<

She keeps approaching the floating yearbook]

Um... excuse me...

[theabjectauthor]

[the library ghost fades into sight. he's pale, even for a ghost, and there are dark circles under his eyes, as if he had not slept much in life. there's a spectral handkerchief clutched in his other hand, and he wipes away his phantom tears]

I'm sorry, miss, have I disturbed you...?

[xss]

Ah-! No you haven't! I was just...worried about you...

Is everything all right, Mr. Ghost...?

[pastina]

It's really not a surprise that, while he should have been in some class or another, Italy has found himself in the wrong place entirely. He really has no idea about the concept of school, seeing as he's never gone to one.

Still, libraries are interesting, and the one here is so very big! He's a little nervous at how easily he's become lost, but that's okay, because look at all the books! Maybe there was a storybook, and magic storybooks have to be interesting, right? Since he's too short to reach anything higher than the first two shelves, that's where he focuses his attention. The book with the glittery gold letters on the spine looks good!

Italy grabs with both hands and tugs, but the book - won't - move!

"Uuuugh! Why aren't you moving, Mister Book? I want to read you!!"

[theabjectauthor]

[have a disembodied voice over your shoulder]

Oh, you don't want to read that one, most of the endings are far, far too depressing.

[pastina]

He breathes in sharply, and looks around with wide eyes. "W-Who said that? Who's there?"

[theabjectauthor]

"I did," Lemony replies, appearing slowly at Italy's side. "My name is Lemony Snicket, and I am the library's resident spectre. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but the feeling is so rarely mutual. I'm sorry to have frightened you."

[pastina]

It's good that Lemony appeared slowly, because a quick pop would have been even scarier. As it is, Italy is barely keeping himself together already. Ghosts are frightening! But this one seems to be not so bad. He really should try to be brave!

Italy takes a deep breath. "N-n-n-nice to, t-to meet you..."

[theabjectauthor]

"That's very kind of you. ... You were looking for a book of fairy tales, were you not? I could help you to find one with more pleasant stories in it, if you like."

[pastina]

He nods slowly. "Yes...yes! I, I'd like to read magic peoples' fairy tales, I've only seen ones with magic people in them, not written for magic people!"

[strangewonders]

With no classes to teach (not that he was very good at actually teaching, granted)Howl had nowhere better to be than the library. Socializing was something he enjoyed, but he hadn't grown up surrounded by magic the way most of his colleagues had, and so he'd never really felt like he fit in properly.

That was okay. He liked books. And books liked him. Usually, anyway. The volume he was attempting to extract from the shelves at this exact moment, however, seemed rather determined to stay right where it was despite his best efforts.

He scowled and shook a chastising finger at it. "Don't make me fetch a crowbar. I will, you know."

[theabjectauthor]

Oh, but Professor, why would you ever want to read that book? It's so dreary and dismal ...

[if Howl feels as though he's lived in this world all his life, he'll have known Lemony from his own school years ... the Library ghost has a penchant for trying to deter people from reading the books he doesn't approve of. whoops. it's said that the only way to get him to stop playing literary keep-away is to get him talking about his past ... ... and even then, that's not really the best idea, either]

[strangewonders]

Maybe I feel like reading something dreary. It can't all be happy endings...

[Although he's already mostly given up on the idea. Ah, well. He's not above arguing with a ghost, anyway.]

[theabjectauthor]

Well, no, but.... Life is terrible enough, don't you suppose? All those horrible curses and Death Eaters and dangerous creatures..... There is a very pleasant copy of The Littlest House Elf, that I could procure for you.

[strangewonders]

[Howl makes a face at that suggestion]

The Littlest House Elf is just about the most dreary thing I can think of.

[youfallback]

[Carolina is once again in the library. Between practices, she's usually here with her nose in a book, studying to be the best goddamn wizard around mostly to get her father's attention. This night, she's got a few hours of studying planned, so she's got her books cracked and a long piece of parchment to get started. Clearly, it's the perfect time to bother her Mr. Ghost!]

[theabjectauthor]

.... [there's a sigh from somewhere nearby]

I do hope you're not studying anything too unpleasant.

[youfallback]

[Carolina glances around, more than a little startled by the sudden sigh. Considering whether or not to answer the ethereal voice which could just be her finally cracking under the pressure of being the best wizard there ever was, she decides to go with answering.]

Arithmancy.

[theabjectauthor]

A place for everything, and everything in its place.... [he shimmers into view nearby]. Some may find it tedious, but it is still important, and far less apt to make people upset than, say, the history of Azkaban.

[silentrunning]

[Chell's in the library, sitting in a window seat with a book, tucked in nicely and comfortably when she does in fact hear someone weeping... Or at least she thinks...that's what it is. So she lays down the book, open next to her, and speaks up.]

H-hello?

[theabjectauthor]

....[the weeping stops, and he slowly fades into view, wiping his eyes hastily with an equally ghostly handkerchief]. Hello....

[silentrunning]

[She looks over at him.]

Are you all right? You sound rather lonely. Can I help?