smash_logs | A LIBRARY LOG: The log I have owed for half a year.

Who: YOU.
What: ARE IN THE LIBRARY.
When: A log for the month of January.
Warnings: SHHHHHHHHH IT'S A LIBRARY.

You approach a building. It is covered in ivy, and does not seem all that impressive on the outside.

YOU ENTER.

The scent of books hits you palpably in the face.

By choice or not, you have crossed the threshold into the library. It is time to be quiet, or that ghostly pale, little red-eyed girl that stared at you as you entered will set you on fire. At least, that's what you believe she could probably do. Seems like it.

You quickly realize that this building has three and a half stories. All of them are full of books and strange little corners and cubbies and arm chairs that mysteriously seem to move every so often when the weird pale girl is not at the front desk.

You quickly realize that you are SO LOST.

Should you desire to learn of this strange buildings interior in GREAT DETAIL, you may do so here. However this probably won't help you become UNLOST. Neither will this CONVENIENT LIST OF BOOK CATEGORIES.

But don't panic!!! THE PALE GIRL WILL HELP YOU. OR PERHAPS THE STRANGE METAL BALL. Or is it a ginger. No one is ever really sure these days. But they are the librarian and library assisstant, respectively, and they will do what they can to either help you or get you EVEN MORE LOST. It depends on who you get. God rest your soul.

OTHER THINGS OF NOTE:
❀ Vianca, the librarian, sits upon a great many books stacked on her roller chair while she is at the front desk. You should ask her to do something just so you can see the spectacle that is climbing down. When she is not climbing up and down the books or taking care of things in the shelves, you can usually find her ere reading. This month she has started to plow through all things art and art history related, hooray.

✿ Wheatley, the assisstant, is currently having human issues and has created a nest of sweaters and blankets underneath the desk at Vianca's feet. You probably shouldn't ask to pet him. ~~But why would you.~~ When you can't hear him, he is probably... not there. Because otherwise you know he is there. Don't worry about finding him, he'll find you.

❀ The Library is for everyone.

✿ The Library's hours vary nowadays, but you can reliably find it open between 8-6 daily. Sometimes you can find it open as early as 6 am, and as late as 11.

---

[Hello this is an OPEN LOG. It is here for whatever business you might have in the library in the month of January. You may leave open threads, or have closed threads that you have plans for. It is all good here~

- Please mark your threads OPEN or CLOSED. If OPEN, one or both library employees might drop in. If you'd like someone specific, just leave a note! If CLOSED, you may still request a library person should you need one. Just let us know!

- Prose and action threads are both readily accepted and encouraged ♥]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Luckily for Ai, now was one of the times where Vianca was at her desk, going over a few lists. She had glanced up at the sound of the main doors, as she usually did, and was not entirely surprised to see Ai.

At first her thoughts were pleased ones, as there was never a time that she did not enjoy her sister's company. They were not to last. The worry set in quickly as she noticed her sister's tears, and Vianca was already scrambling off her tower of books to meet her.

It did not take her long to realize what was missing. All too quickly the memories of her own missing petals came rushing back and for a moment the smaller Pikmin felt that she would be quite ill. She pushed the feeling back, thankful for once that her expression would not be one to scare Ai.

Wasting no time with questions, she took Ai's hand and led her to the office behind the desk, away from any library patrons' eyes.

For once, Ai didn't have anything to say to her sister. No sing-song cooing of her sister's name or chipper greeting. Just a panicked expression and teary eyes. She couldn't think of anything to say until her sister had led her into the office.

Ai was very rarely in the library's office. It was small, but comfortable enough for the two young girls. Once Vianca had shut the door behind them, Ai started to cry a little louder. Words still failed her; she couldn't think in full sentences and the only noise she could seem to manage was a tiny Pikmin-like squeak.

Was she going to be okay? Will it grow back? Will it stop hurting?

"It hurts," she blurted out, finally finding a simple enough phrase to express herself with.

Vianca silently led her sister to the comfortable chair that was in the room. Taking a seat was encouraged, both to help calm the purple Pikmin and to allow the white one a better look at... that. She actually did not want to look at it at all. In the small space of the room, the sickeningly sweet smell of the sap was that much easier to identify.

On the inside, Vianca's thoughts were rushing wildly. Things had not been good in the city. Every day since the news had taken a turn for the worse, she had walked with a bit more haste in her step. Looked around her a bit more. Been a bit more terrified. Not again. Not again. Don't let it happen again. Looking at her sister now, she was only overcome with the horrified thought that they were back and they had sunk their fangs into her sister and she had not been there to stop it. She was sick and she was sorry and-

The small girl squeezed Ai's hands with her own, then moved hers up to gently cradle Ai's face.

"It will be okay. I am sorry. It's all right."

It took an unnecessary amount of effort for Ai to remember how to sit. Her legs wobbled as she bent her knees and slowly took a seat on the only chair in the room. Vianca's hands around her own felt nice and Ai sort of wished she hadn't let go.

To have her sister's hands against her cheeks, though, was just as good. Ai was more conscious of the stains her tears had left before, and of the tears that were still pooled at her eyelashes. She wanted to be even smaller. It would have been nicer- more comforting- to have her entire self held in between Vianca's palms.

At that moment, she wanted to be a Pikmin again. Not a human. She missed her bud. She missed her leaf. Anything would have been better than the slick sap matting her hair in the spot where something should have been. She was scared to try to turn back into a Pikmin, though. Afraid that she'd be unable to breathe, that she would choke, and not have the energy to change back before she became a ghost.

Vianca said it would be okay. Vianca knew everything, so that had to be true. For some reason, it hurt a little to hear her sister apologize for something that wasn't her fault.

"Is it going to grow back?" she asked. The tears that had threatened to fall finally rolled down her cheeks and splashed against Vianca's fingers. Something had to grow back; that was the only way it would be okay.

Vianca pushed herself up on to her toes so that she could more easily rest her forehead against Ai's.

"Yes," she told her. As far as Vianca was aware, she was telling the truth. It had to be true. It just needed a little boost, clearly. Hers had grown back, even if she didn't deserve it. That meant Ai's definitely would. It had to. "It will."

Vianca's words made Ai want to cry even harder. She couldn't quite understand why- tears were confusing- but she did. She wasn't going to suffocate, though; she wouldn't have to leave her sister! Ai squeaked again, looking at her sister's eyes. Blurry through her tears, but also from being so close to her.

Still, she wasn't completely, 100% relieved.

"How?"

Her eyes drooped slightly, pale lashes obscuring the red. This was the part that she was not entirely certain of. How hers had went... she had been unconscious for most of it, and she could not remember what had actually happened. Had she been a person? Had she been a pikmin? She had been a pikmin when she awoke, but her leaf had already...

"I think you need to switch back for a moment."

Ai's eyes widened slightly.

"... What if I can't breathe?" she asked, looking terrified all over again. Vianca must have been right. Vianca was never wrong. But... what if she was wrong just this once? Her lungs felt tiny, as if she couldn't fill them up no matter how deeply she breathed. Quietly, her lips wibbling rather pathetically, "I'm scared..."

"It is all right to be scared," Vianca murmured softly. "It is frightening."

She continued to hold her sister's face, nodding slightly. "But it does not have to be. You are in control of you. If you cannot breathe, just think of being a person again. I will hold you."

I will hold you.

Ai held in her breath, considering the idea for a moment. Vianca was smart. Vianca wouldn't make her do anything that would hurt her, because that's not what a leader would do. Right?

"Okay..."

She wanted to be small, sitting comfortably in her sister's palm. The pain where her leaf had once been stung more when she squeezed her eyes shut and... Pop!

Within just a few moments, Ai's leaf was back. Smaller and more delicate, but certainly there again. The small Pikmin gently tugged at her stem, showed herself her own leaf, then waved it at her sister. All while squeaking rather wildly.

A LIBRARY LOG: The log I have owed for half a year.

[its me. I am.]

[i think 3 days is sooner than a month though.]

[nonsense]

[i'm pretty sure that is how time works yes]

[who plays the time god here I think it is me]

[yeah well.....]

[YEAH]

[ha not anymore and now i'm one week slow again.]

[whatevaaaa]

[how about two weeks slow now]

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