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Realistic or Modern ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
- Thread starter chamomile
- Start date
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- Tags
- lgbtq magical urban fantasy
chamomile
frond-shaped
GINNY NOVIK
energy witch / outfit / location: the library
Here's the thing about keeping secrets: Ginny's no good at them. The only reason regulars hasn't found out she's a witch was because she made a point not to fraternise with them. It complicated things.
Two weeks after attending her uncle's funeral, she got a package outside her door delivered to her by the lawyer who read out the will. Yes, the rest of her uncle's tome collection will arrive from London soon and she may actually look smarter than she let on with piles of old books on her shelf, but this one got the express treatment.
The note it came with read:
Ginny wouldn't know say even if she did. The Tome of the Ancients was in her possession and she's been pacing in her room, with it in hand.
It's not explicitly said on the note but if none of her family members knew Garrell had this in his collection, he probably wanted to keep it that way. It was too dangerous for a mere student like her, yet it was a sweet gesture. She'd still have to cross-reference it though, just to see if it was reliable after all.
She walked straight into Elspeth just as she rushed out of her room.
"Ginny, jesus, calm down." She braced her shoulders and let her go just as quickly. "What'd you get?"
She maneuvered around her, throwing on a jacket and haphazardly shoving her feet into her sneakers. "A book, from my uncle."
"The one who died?"
"Yeah."
Another thing about keeping secrets is her best friend slash roommate never really asks.
Elspeth's gaze was steady, sitting back onto her makeshift study dining table near the door and watching her tie her shoelaces. It was disconcerting, but usual. "If you're going to the library, you'll have better luck at the one on Mulberry Street."
"Why? A study party happening?"
"Something's planned at campus todayโ no, I don't know what," she said. "They've got better books on tomes too."
Ginny frowned, tapped the toe to make sure it fit and readied a hand on the door. "I'll take your word for it."
"Oh, you always do," Elspeth waved her off. "Have fun."
Ginny has never been to any New York Public Library, and now that she's here it occurred to her that it was full of regulars. She glanced around nervously and approached the front desk. There was a librarian on duty, a young woman slightly shorter than her with a bronze aura she hadn't noticed was a little too metallic.
She probably should've practiced her question on the way here. Hopefully whatever code she made up makes sense.
"Hey, um," Ginny leaned in, all too aware of her accent in her throat sticking out like a sore thumb. "Do you have, in your databaseโ I'm looking for the, special textbooksโ Like the stuff, don't people ask for the stuff? Wait, shitโ uh... H.P. Lovecraft?"
Aced it.
Here's the thing about keeping secrets: Ginny's no good at them. The only reason regulars hasn't found out she's a witch was because she made a point not to fraternise with them. It complicated things.
Two weeks after attending her uncle's funeral, she got a package outside her door delivered to her by the lawyer who read out the will. Yes, the rest of her uncle's tome collection will arrive from London soon and she may actually look smarter than she let on with piles of old books on her shelf, but this one got the express treatment.
The note it came with read:
I know you're working on that thesis for Magic Theory. Given the possibility I died while you're still in college, I hope this helps most out of all the tomes I left you but don't look too closely.
Please don't tell your parents, they'd kill me. More than I already am, of course.
โ Love from the grave, Uncle Garrell
Ginny wouldn't know say even if she did. The Tome of the Ancients was in her possession and she's been pacing in her room, with it in hand.
It's not explicitly said on the note but if none of her family members knew Garrell had this in his collection, he probably wanted to keep it that way. It was too dangerous for a mere student like her, yet it was a sweet gesture. She'd still have to cross-reference it though, just to see if it was reliable after all.
She walked straight into Elspeth just as she rushed out of her room.
"Ginny, jesus, calm down." She braced her shoulders and let her go just as quickly. "What'd you get?"
She maneuvered around her, throwing on a jacket and haphazardly shoving her feet into her sneakers. "A book, from my uncle."
"The one who died?"
"Yeah."
Another thing about keeping secrets is her best friend slash roommate never really asks.
Elspeth's gaze was steady, sitting back onto her makeshift study dining table near the door and watching her tie her shoelaces. It was disconcerting, but usual. "If you're going to the library, you'll have better luck at the one on Mulberry Street."
"Why? A study party happening?"
"Something's planned at campus todayโ no, I don't know what," she said. "They've got better books on tomes too."
Ginny frowned, tapped the toe to make sure it fit and readied a hand on the door. "I'll take your word for it."
"Oh, you always do," Elspeth waved her off. "Have fun."
Ginny has never been to any New York Public Library, and now that she's here it occurred to her that it was full of regulars. She glanced around nervously and approached the front desk. There was a librarian on duty, a young woman slightly shorter than her with a bronze aura she hadn't noticed was a little too metallic.
She probably should've practiced her question on the way here. Hopefully whatever code she made up makes sense.
"Hey, um," Ginny leaned in, all too aware of her accent in her throat sticking out like a sore thumb. "Do you have, in your databaseโ I'm looking for the, special textbooksโ Like the stuff, don't people ask for the stuff? Wait, shitโ uh... H.P. Lovecraft?"
Aced it.
seishin
๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
fallen angel / outfit / location: the library
In all honesty, Mavis rather wished that she had stayed home instead of coming into work today. She was practically falling asleep at the desk as it was and that was really no way to be treating the job, especially when the library seemed abnormally busy for a day like today. She couldnโt begin to hazard a guess as to why, all she knew was that it was making her life far more difficult than it needed to be, especially since sheโd been placed on actually dealing with the desk for once. Normally, Mavis just shelved books and put things away, which worked perfectly fine for her because she disliked interacting with people any more than was absolutely necessary. Humans especially had a tendency to chatter on inanely about whatever it was that was going on in their lives despite the fact that Mavis couldnโt possibly be any less interested in what it was that they were doing. That never stopped any of them from prattling on though, and she was forced to do nothing but sit there and listen as they talked while she tried to disengage as quickly as possible and send them on their way. It was never quick enough. Which was why she usually stuck to the back.
It really probably would have been in her best interest to have stayed at home today anyway with the way her body was aching and sore. Mavis had spent the better part of the night awake and hunting down demons, slicing them to pieces as she found them and stopping them in their tract from whatever it was they were here on Earth to do. There had been so many of them recently and Mavis couldnโt figure out why for the life of her. It had been slowly building up like this for a few weeks, and at first she had thought it was just the normal surge of demons that happened occasionally, but it hadnโt stopped. Theyโd just kept on coming.
Mavis had been running scenario after scenario in her head as she tried to pin down what could possibly be causing this. Yet, no matter how much she poked around, she wasnโt able to find an answer. Her normal channels of information had been surprisingly closed-lipped. Whether that was because they didnโt actually have any information or because they were trying to hide something from her was still a question though and it was one she wanted to try and figure out as soon as possible. Mavis couldnโt allow these demons to be running around the city like they were. Too many innocent people were getting hurt because of it.
She really needed to find some way to gather information about what was happening. That would have been a better way to spend her day instead of being cooped up here and dealing with the many foolish humans that passed through who couldnโt seem to figure out for the life of them how to read the shelves and therefore had to come and ask Mavis for help with finding a book every five minutes. It was so exhausting and she just wanted to go back to her apartment and actually get some sleep after last nightโs escapade.
At least there finally came a lull in people where Mavis was able to take a small break, hiding behind the desk while she flipped aimlessly through a book. Unfortunately, the break didnโt last long, as her sweet peace was interrupted by a young woman approaching the desk and asking for help. Upon looking up, Mavis quickly sensed that the woman was a witch. The angel wasnโt able to do anything as sophisticated as reading the auras of other people, like a necromancer that she knew, but after so many years of being alive, sheโd learned how to pick up on knowing what a creature was at a quick glance.
Holding back a slight sigh, she set her book down and pushed herself up to her feet. โI assume you want the more selective works we have about Lovecraft?โ she asked in a monotone voice, walking around the desk and gesturing for the witch to follow after her. The whole reason Mavis worked at this library was because there was a whole hidden section to it that carried information on the more magical side of the world. Ancient tomes, anthropologies, theses, just about anything one could want to know about the magical world.
Leading the witch toward the back, Mavis slipped between a few bookcases and, upon reaching the wall, reached out and traced a rune symbol across it with her finger. There was a faint glow as the outline of a door appeared and she pushed it open before leading the witch into the hidden part of the library. Once the door had shut behind them, Mavis turned her attention back to the witch.
โSo, is there anything in particular about Lovecraft that youโre seeking, or would you like me to just direct you to the section we have on him?โ
In all honesty, Mavis rather wished that she had stayed home instead of coming into work today. She was practically falling asleep at the desk as it was and that was really no way to be treating the job, especially when the library seemed abnormally busy for a day like today. She couldnโt begin to hazard a guess as to why, all she knew was that it was making her life far more difficult than it needed to be, especially since sheโd been placed on actually dealing with the desk for once. Normally, Mavis just shelved books and put things away, which worked perfectly fine for her because she disliked interacting with people any more than was absolutely necessary. Humans especially had a tendency to chatter on inanely about whatever it was that was going on in their lives despite the fact that Mavis couldnโt possibly be any less interested in what it was that they were doing. That never stopped any of them from prattling on though, and she was forced to do nothing but sit there and listen as they talked while she tried to disengage as quickly as possible and send them on their way. It was never quick enough. Which was why she usually stuck to the back.
It really probably would have been in her best interest to have stayed at home today anyway with the way her body was aching and sore. Mavis had spent the better part of the night awake and hunting down demons, slicing them to pieces as she found them and stopping them in their tract from whatever it was they were here on Earth to do. There had been so many of them recently and Mavis couldnโt figure out why for the life of her. It had been slowly building up like this for a few weeks, and at first she had thought it was just the normal surge of demons that happened occasionally, but it hadnโt stopped. Theyโd just kept on coming.
Mavis had been running scenario after scenario in her head as she tried to pin down what could possibly be causing this. Yet, no matter how much she poked around, she wasnโt able to find an answer. Her normal channels of information had been surprisingly closed-lipped. Whether that was because they didnโt actually have any information or because they were trying to hide something from her was still a question though and it was one she wanted to try and figure out as soon as possible. Mavis couldnโt allow these demons to be running around the city like they were. Too many innocent people were getting hurt because of it.
She really needed to find some way to gather information about what was happening. That would have been a better way to spend her day instead of being cooped up here and dealing with the many foolish humans that passed through who couldnโt seem to figure out for the life of them how to read the shelves and therefore had to come and ask Mavis for help with finding a book every five minutes. It was so exhausting and she just wanted to go back to her apartment and actually get some sleep after last nightโs escapade.
At least there finally came a lull in people where Mavis was able to take a small break, hiding behind the desk while she flipped aimlessly through a book. Unfortunately, the break didnโt last long, as her sweet peace was interrupted by a young woman approaching the desk and asking for help. Upon looking up, Mavis quickly sensed that the woman was a witch. The angel wasnโt able to do anything as sophisticated as reading the auras of other people, like a necromancer that she knew, but after so many years of being alive, sheโd learned how to pick up on knowing what a creature was at a quick glance.
Holding back a slight sigh, she set her book down and pushed herself up to her feet. โI assume you want the more selective works we have about Lovecraft?โ she asked in a monotone voice, walking around the desk and gesturing for the witch to follow after her. The whole reason Mavis worked at this library was because there was a whole hidden section to it that carried information on the more magical side of the world. Ancient tomes, anthropologies, theses, just about anything one could want to know about the magical world.
Leading the witch toward the back, Mavis slipped between a few bookcases and, upon reaching the wall, reached out and traced a rune symbol across it with her finger. There was a faint glow as the outline of a door appeared and she pushed it open before leading the witch into the hidden part of the library. Once the door had shut behind them, Mavis turned her attention back to the witch.
โSo, is there anything in particular about Lovecraft that youโre seeking, or would you like me to just direct you to the section we have on him?โ
chamomile
frond-shaped
GINNY NOVIK
energy witch / outfit / location: the library's special section
"I assume you want the more selective works we have about Lovecraft?"
Surprisingly enough, her discreet ramble was correctly interpreted as the librarian led her through the desolate back shelves, no regular student in sight but an entryway marked by runes. She's so much better at this than Ginny was.
The new space was littered with relatively quiet magical students, the atmosphere absolutely tingling with energy. She clutched the satchel with her tome a little more protectively.
โSo, is there anything in particular about Lovecraft that youโre seeking, or would you like me to just direct you to the section we have on him?โ
There's that aura again, Ginny took a good look at her face, squinted. She can't quite put a finger on it.
Whatever question she had was literally answered as the glamour dissipated into wings. Wings belonging to an angel and she didn't have much time to gawk, just hadn't met one in person.
"Okay, you're gonna have to bear with me because I forgot what they're called butโ" Ginny explained the books she was looking for, two in particular. A book about tomes, deciphering them and details about their credibility as well as the quintessential Lovecraftian textbook of the established mythos.
"Theses, am I right?"
"I assume you want the more selective works we have about Lovecraft?"
Surprisingly enough, her discreet ramble was correctly interpreted as the librarian led her through the desolate back shelves, no regular student in sight but an entryway marked by runes. She's so much better at this than Ginny was.
The new space was littered with relatively quiet magical students, the atmosphere absolutely tingling with energy. She clutched the satchel with her tome a little more protectively.
โSo, is there anything in particular about Lovecraft that youโre seeking, or would you like me to just direct you to the section we have on him?โ
There's that aura again, Ginny took a good look at her face, squinted. She can't quite put a finger on it.
Whatever question she had was literally answered as the glamour dissipated into wings. Wings belonging to an angel and she didn't have much time to gawk, just hadn't met one in person.
"Okay, you're gonna have to bear with me because I forgot what they're called butโ" Ginny explained the books she was looking for, two in particular. A book about tomes, deciphering them and details about their credibility as well as the quintessential Lovecraftian textbook of the established mythos.
"Theses, am I right?"
Last edited:
seishin
๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
Upon their entrance to the hidden portion of the library, the air around Mavisโ back shimmered before it seemed like an invisible curtain melted away to reveal a pair of ashen wings casually folded against her back. Before sheโd Fallen, sheโd been able to hold a glamor to cover them on her own. Now, she was forced to use a charm given to her by a witch friend. Normally, she kept the wings hidden while she moved about, but when she was back in this section of the library, it hardly mattered if anyone saw her wings. They were all magical creatures back here. The gray color of her feathers marked her as a Fallen, however, which often made people want to steer clear of her. A lot of the supernatural didnโt trust the angels and Mavis, despite having been banished from Heaven, was no exception to that. But it was more comfortable to have her wings out. The charm that kept her wings hidden wasโฆstifling.
Mavis was forced to bite back a groan at the way the woman spoke. It was so horribly annoying when people didnโt know what they were searching for. And it seemed like the witch wanted help in finding what she didnโt even know she wanted. Still, she managed to keep her annoyance off her face, listening to what the witch said about the books she wanted before coming to a decision about the books that would likely help her. Gesturing for the witch to follow after her, Mavis began leading her through the shelves of books to the Lovecraftian section.
She only shrugged when the witch said something about theses. โI wouldnโt know. I never had to write a thesis. Didnโt exactly go to school.โ Mavis jerked a thumb at her back, half-spreading one of her wings before folding it back against her. An angel had no need to go to a human school, after all.
It wasnโt much longer before they arrived at the section that contained all the books about Lovecraft. Mavis mumbled to herself as she ran her finger along the spin of the books before she found the textbook about Lovecraftian mythos. She pulled it out and handed it over to the witch before she began searching for something that could be used to decipher tomes. Finally, she found it and turned around to hand it over to the witch as well.
โThose should both be what youโre looking for. That book about deciphering tomes should have work on how to translate most of the ancient languages and runes and there might be, like, a chapter on Angelic and Demonic. But I doubt youโll need either of those since most tomes donโt incorporate them.โ Sometimes, Angelic and Demonic runes were incorporated into human magic in order to make it far more powerful but such spells were rare and highly dangerous. Books that explained any runes of the Angelic or Demonic sort were few and far between as well. If this woman was just working on a thesis for school, it was doubtful sheโd need something of that caliber.
Mavis was forced to bite back a groan at the way the woman spoke. It was so horribly annoying when people didnโt know what they were searching for. And it seemed like the witch wanted help in finding what she didnโt even know she wanted. Still, she managed to keep her annoyance off her face, listening to what the witch said about the books she wanted before coming to a decision about the books that would likely help her. Gesturing for the witch to follow after her, Mavis began leading her through the shelves of books to the Lovecraftian section.
She only shrugged when the witch said something about theses. โI wouldnโt know. I never had to write a thesis. Didnโt exactly go to school.โ Mavis jerked a thumb at her back, half-spreading one of her wings before folding it back against her. An angel had no need to go to a human school, after all.
It wasnโt much longer before they arrived at the section that contained all the books about Lovecraft. Mavis mumbled to herself as she ran her finger along the spin of the books before she found the textbook about Lovecraftian mythos. She pulled it out and handed it over to the witch before she began searching for something that could be used to decipher tomes. Finally, she found it and turned around to hand it over to the witch as well.
โThose should both be what youโre looking for. That book about deciphering tomes should have work on how to translate most of the ancient languages and runes and there might be, like, a chapter on Angelic and Demonic. But I doubt youโll need either of those since most tomes donโt incorporate them.โ Sometimes, Angelic and Demonic runes were incorporated into human magic in order to make it far more powerful but such spells were rare and highly dangerous. Books that explained any runes of the Angelic or Demonic sort were few and far between as well. If this woman was just working on a thesis for school, it was doubtful sheโd need something of that caliber.
chamomile
frond-shaped
GINNY NOVIK
energy witch / outfit / location: the library's special section
The angel shrugged. โI wouldnโt know. I never had to write a thesis. Didnโt exactly go to school.โ
Right. Ginny was tempted to follow up with an explanation and the outline of her ideas, because an immortal angel is a perfect reviewer for that kind of stuff but ultimately decided against it.
As the librarian scans the shelves for the right texts, she followed carefully in suit, tilting her head just so she could read the titles on the spines. On the ones that have them anyway.
She was handed two decently sized books about the same thickness as her own tome with ornate well-kept covers. She carefully cradled them in her arms.
โThose should both be what youโre looking for. That book about deciphering tomes should have work on how to translate most of the ancient languages and runes and there might be, like, a chapter on Angelic and Demonic. But I doubt youโll need either of those since most tomes donโt incorporate them.โ
Ginny can't help but feel the angel was underestimating her a little. Heartbreaking, sure, but it was reasonable. What's twenty years to someone who's a hundred? A thousand? She couldn't make a good guess to her age even if she tried.
"You're right," she chirped, guileless. Thanks her for her time. "I'll look for you if I need anymore help?"
She wouldn't. Not really. But it's the sentiment that matters.
Ginny wandered off to find an obscure seat to study her material, away from prying eyes. She ended up choosing a cubicle on the far corner of the common area, and hoped no one bothered enough to look over.
The angel shrugged. โI wouldnโt know. I never had to write a thesis. Didnโt exactly go to school.โ
Right. Ginny was tempted to follow up with an explanation and the outline of her ideas, because an immortal angel is a perfect reviewer for that kind of stuff but ultimately decided against it.
As the librarian scans the shelves for the right texts, she followed carefully in suit, tilting her head just so she could read the titles on the spines. On the ones that have them anyway.
She was handed two decently sized books about the same thickness as her own tome with ornate well-kept covers. She carefully cradled them in her arms.
โThose should both be what youโre looking for. That book about deciphering tomes should have work on how to translate most of the ancient languages and runes and there might be, like, a chapter on Angelic and Demonic. But I doubt youโll need either of those since most tomes donโt incorporate them.โ
Ginny can't help but feel the angel was underestimating her a little. Heartbreaking, sure, but it was reasonable. What's twenty years to someone who's a hundred? A thousand? She couldn't make a good guess to her age even if she tried.
"You're right," she chirped, guileless. Thanks her for her time. "I'll look for you if I need anymore help?"
She wouldn't. Not really. But it's the sentiment that matters.
Ginny wandered off to find an obscure seat to study her material, away from prying eyes. She ended up choosing a cubicle on the far corner of the common area, and hoped no one bothered enough to look over.
seishin
๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
โSure, just come find me if you need more help,โ Mavis drawled in a bored tone before leaving the woman to her own devices.
Turning on her heel, she made her way back toward the front of the library, leaving the hidden section to go back toward the front desk. The rest of the day passed in idle boredom, but Mavis was more than a little grateful when someone else came to take over the front desk so she was able to disappear among the shelves again. That was where she spent the rest of the day, combing through the books, putting them back in the right places, and occasionally picking one out to flip through herself. There was still an annoying number of people milling about for whatever reason, but she dodged them as best she could to stick to herself.
When the day finally ended and the library began to close, Mavis was very ready to get back to her apartment. Her body was still sore no matter how much she stretched it out and there were a good number of bruises that were scattered across her from her escapades last night. What she really wanted to do was go back home and collapse into bed, but she knew that she needed to at least do a flyover of the city to ensure that there werenโt any humans in immediate danger from any demons. She really needed to look into why there were so many popping up all of a sudden.
As the library closed, she made her way outside, hugging her jacket against her in an effort to ward off the chill. Mavis figured that she should probably swing by Hazelโs apartment before she went back to see if there was anything pressing that was likely to happen tonight. If there wasnโt, then Mavis was not going to do anything. Or so she told herself. She knew it was good to take breaks lest she overwork herself, but too often, she found herself preferring to working overtime than just sitting around and doing nothing. That let her mind wander too much.
She walked down the streets, happening to glance up at the sky. It was a surprisingly clear night and, despite the light pollution, she was able to make out some of the stars glittering up there. A slight smile traced her lips. Glancing around, Mavis slipped into a nearby alley before she shook her wings out and leaped into the air, soaring up to the top of the nearest building. She perched up there, allowing the wind to toy with her hair as she gazed at the sky. Even though the city around her was still alive and moving, there was a certain peace and quietude that came with just looking up at whatever stars she could see.
If only such peace could last for more than a few minutes.
Turning on her heel, she made her way back toward the front of the library, leaving the hidden section to go back toward the front desk. The rest of the day passed in idle boredom, but Mavis was more than a little grateful when someone else came to take over the front desk so she was able to disappear among the shelves again. That was where she spent the rest of the day, combing through the books, putting them back in the right places, and occasionally picking one out to flip through herself. There was still an annoying number of people milling about for whatever reason, but she dodged them as best she could to stick to herself.
When the day finally ended and the library began to close, Mavis was very ready to get back to her apartment. Her body was still sore no matter how much she stretched it out and there were a good number of bruises that were scattered across her from her escapades last night. What she really wanted to do was go back home and collapse into bed, but she knew that she needed to at least do a flyover of the city to ensure that there werenโt any humans in immediate danger from any demons. She really needed to look into why there were so many popping up all of a sudden.
As the library closed, she made her way outside, hugging her jacket against her in an effort to ward off the chill. Mavis figured that she should probably swing by Hazelโs apartment before she went back to see if there was anything pressing that was likely to happen tonight. If there wasnโt, then Mavis was not going to do anything. Or so she told herself. She knew it was good to take breaks lest she overwork herself, but too often, she found herself preferring to working overtime than just sitting around and doing nothing. That let her mind wander too much.
She walked down the streets, happening to glance up at the sky. It was a surprisingly clear night and, despite the light pollution, she was able to make out some of the stars glittering up there. A slight smile traced her lips. Glancing around, Mavis slipped into a nearby alley before she shook her wings out and leaped into the air, soaring up to the top of the nearest building. She perched up there, allowing the wind to toy with her hair as she gazed at the sky. Even though the city around her was still alive and moving, there was a certain peace and quietude that came with just looking up at whatever stars she could see.
If only such peace could last for more than a few minutes.
