Fantasy Behind the Seal - RP Page

[Wyll]

Narrator
Location: Lasalle Library
Interactions/Mentions: Bookie ( Wyll )​

---

The stained glass skylight refracted the suns rays in gentle hues, painting the walls of the Lasalle Library with brilliant light. A cool wind blew through the large space as a gentle breeze from outside danced its way in through the windows and around the library, starting on the highest floor - the fourth floor - and slowly floating down, cooling the entire library. There was no music playing but the rhythm and buzz of people talking and moving around filled the air. Despite it being a library, it couldn't be said to be particularly quiet. Patrons were free to mill about, talking with friends about books they'd picked up and ones they were interested in reading. Casual conversation floating through the air and bringing life to the library. However, together with these casual conversations, floated whispers of secrets.

Within the library, assassins and spies passed information, secrets, and plans, right in the faces of the civilians and some of the librarians who were none-the-wiser. Notes left in books and returned to the shelf only to be picked up mere moments later by someone else; the idle tapping of one's foot to pass across morse code; subtle gestures passed from one side of the room to the other. It was all one intricate dance that only those who had been taught to look for it could see.

And, of course, there was one whose eyes always saw. Perched in the far corner of the highest floor, sitting behind his desk and watching the entire library with his sapphire eyes...Bookie. Nothing happened in the library that he didn't see, no conversation that he didn't hear, no secret that he didn't know. He was the one person that everyone in the library, whether behind The Seal or not, knew to respect and, in some cases, adore. All assassins and spies that walked into the building would immediately look to him and give a quick nod of acknowledgement out of respect for his position. To the regular civilian, they wouldn't know to send a greeting his way because, even if they looked right at him, they would see nothing due to the fact that his corner was perpetually covered by the shade such that it was nigh impossible to see him if you didn't know he was there. With the member of operatives behind The Seal increasing and changing so rapidly, this was one way that they were able to identify each other. anybody that knew to greet Bookie belonged.

It was also custom for members to go to the center table and ask one of the librarians there for today's recommendations. All that was was a piece of paper with five books on it. Those books were the recommendations. However, each one of those books was also the codename of on of the operatives working behind the veil. All members knew what book represented them and if they saw their book in the recommendations, they were to report to Bookie for assignment. Today, however, there were no missions. So the books listed on the recommendation sheet weren't assigned to anybody and were just books that Bookie felt would be a fun read for people.


For that reason, there was an easy atmosphere all over the library. After all, today was one of the few days where there was nothing happening behind The Seal and members could enjoy their day.

 

[Evie Maiden Of Apples]

Elysia: Royal on the Run
Location: Lasalle Library
Mentions: Bookie ( Wyll )

It was truly unheard of for a royal to run away from their kingdom, their duties, especially of their own free will. Elysia had tried to be careful when she sneaked out of her palace, away from her family, her advisors, her decoy taking up the mantle to pose as her for as long as possible. Sadly, it was all found out far too soon and Elysia's heart broke when she learned of her decoy's death. The last thing she wanted was bloodshed, especially on her account, and she vowed to avenge her friend very soon. For now, she had to keep looking for those who were tied to a seal. The same seal seen on letters to nobility before their untimely demise. With the way her parents the king and queen of Aethe ran things that practically punished the common folk, not to mention her betrothed being an absolutely cruel man himself, Elysia had enough of such a careless class system and wanted some way for it all to end.

In disguise as a peasant and wearing a hooded robe to conceal much of her face, she at last made it to the library in Lasalle after an arduous journey of avoiding the guards who were surely searching for her to bring her back home. So far she was lucky, but she didn't want to push that luck too far. With two of her handmaidens and best friends on either side of her, she made her way into the library to have a look around. Perhaps this place would have answers as to how she could find that secret group of people at opposed the royals? She needed their help, desperately, and she headed over to the center of the library in the hopes of finding the man who owned the place, a man only known as Bookie.​

 

[Graceling]

Calix
Location: Lasalle Library
Mentions: Bookie ( Wyll ), Elysia ( Evie Maiden Of Apples )

The elf was, without sugarcoating it, restless. Calm days were never easy for him; Calix had no real sense of self unless he achieved results during his missions. So being given free reign to enjoy himself was something he was still unused to. Not that he was incapable of relaxing but even if he was sleeping the man was always on guard, waiting for a blade to the throat. It was how he had been trained and how he survived this long.

He did have to admit that finding things out about himself was interesting. For example, he was oddly fond of romance stories. The hero, who triumphed despite all adversity to be with the one he loved, was moving to him. Of course, it could also be nauseating but that depended on the writing. Calix got amusement out of it regardless, so he could not fault anyone but himself for that. But for his favorite genre, it was poetry. The weaving of words into an intricate tapestry, with brilliant colors mingling with somber tones and all interwoven in a beautiful array, was something he would never tire of.

Calix was finishing another book, a more heroic tale with knights and mythical beasts, when his ears twitched slightly and his eyes briefly raised from his book to look at the girl who had just entered the room. Her clothes spoke of the peasantry, but his yellow eyes saw much more than that. Her gait spoke of taught grace and elegance, something that no lower-class citizenry would be capable of. No, this had been ingrained into the woman since her first steps as a toddler. Not only that, but she was taking care to hide her face, the women who were with her were a step behind and unknowingly gave her away. They kept an acceptable social distance one would expect them to do when with a noble lady. All this he took in with the first few strides she made into the library from his seat at the far left of the library on the second floor, his expression undisturbed and placid. One would not suspect him of people watching unless they were trained to spot such things. He then looks in Bookie's direction, curious as to what the man would do.​

 

[adropofdew-]

Meera
Location: Lasalle Library
Mentions: Elysia ( Evie Maiden Of Apples ), Calix ( Graceling ), Bookie ( Wyll )
​

The bird had such ethereal feathers, that Meera couldn’t help but to gawk at. Almost a rainbow hue, with piercing black eyes. The black bird was looking towards the sun, magnificently posed. She traced her finger around the drawing, wishing the bird was real. She thought of Kip, the bird that would appear on her shoulder from time to time. Usually it was only to deliver a message, but sometimes it would rest on her shoulder out of leisure. She could almost feel its legs there, a faint phantom sense.

Meera flipped the page, continuing the story of the bird. It had been an epic journey, spanning across lifetimes where the bird was gifted with eternal life. He liked to watch the lives of humans, but they were strange creatures. Some were kind, some were...not so much. He’d watch them from birth to death, occasionally pondering his own existence. What would it feel like to die? He would never really know. And the gift of eternal life started to not feel like a gift after all.

A thump shifted Meera’s attention. A thick book hit her head, falling to the floor. She rubbed the spot, her expression nonchalant. A patron came scrambling towards her. She must've accidentally let one of the books fall off the shelf. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” she screamed, which caught the attention of one of the librarians. “I didn’t see you there.” The girl picked up her book, bowing and apologizing again before running off. Meera had been nestled in a quiet corner of the library, sitting leisurely as she always had. She was small, dressed in all black, meant to not stand out. Most civilians didn't even notice her, her quiet footfalls a contributing factor. And her aura. Her aura, as explained by others, was nearly "non-existent." Meera took that as a compliment. And now, perhaps it was time to find a new spot. She surveyed the crowd, noting the patrons and some individuals that didn’t exactly look like regular civilians. Maybe she should find a spot on the highest floor, overlooking all, like Bookie was. She looked up towards the ceiling, basking in the sun rays, her eyes wide and blank.

 

[Aura-Slash]

Emilia
Indirect Mentions: Wyll , adropofdew- , Graceling ​

---

Emilia was a librarian at Lasalle Library, hired a few days ago. Today was her first full day on the job. She noticed a few shady individuals, some covered with hoods, and felt a bit suspicious about their presence in the area. She noticed a few of them talking as well, and while she wasn't necessarily fond of a lot of chatter in the library, this was her first day, so she had to get a feel for the library before taking on an authoritative role. But, the feelings of suspicion and even a bit of fear clouded her mind. Was there.... something rather secretive going on here?

For now, to clear her thoughts and slight fears, she decided to scan the library's layout. Emilia had a good memory—perhaps a memory that could be described as near-photographic. She had obtained this from her family's previous library, where she, even as a child, memorized the layout of almost every single book there. It was so good that Emilia immediately knew the answer when a customer asked where a certain book was. She scanned multiple subjects, from fiction to science to many fields of knowledge, and immediately recognized one corner to be related to some sort of learning-based area. She certainly had a long way to go on that goal.

And she aimed to have that same memory. However, it would certainly be hard to obtain. This library was about fifty percent bigger than her family's library, and it even had multiple floors, more than the family's two. Emilia sighed a bit, but she focused on the task she had assigned herself at hand. She also scanned for anyone who needed assistance - though she did feel a bit ashamed that she probably couldn't answer their questions as quickly as she used to.

 

[Wyll]

Bookie
Mentions: Calix ( Graceling ), Meera ( adropofdew- ), Elysia ( Evie Maiden Of Apples )
Interactions: Emilia ( Aura-Slash )​

---

Bookie watched the easy dance of the library quietly, enjoying his refreshing cup of tea as his gaze moved across the room. This library was his domain, he could see all and hear all. It was his duty to make sure that everything ran smoothly. After all, with so many powerful and dangerous people gathered in one space, the library was always walking the razor's edge and was a breath away from tumbling into chaos. Bookie was the one holding all that together and, in his mind, there wasn't a more noble job in the kingdom he'd rather be doing.

Suddenly, there was an intruder in his domain. Immediately, the calm and peaceful air in the library became electric, not tense, per se, more...noisy. Not the kind of noise where people were talking or shouting, but almost like the air was all of a sudden filled with white noise. Of course, the civilians didn't sense anything; to them, not a thing had changed. However, a tingle went down the spine of every spy and assassin within the library. After all, Calix wasn't the only one that noticed the gait and mannerisms of this stranger. However, it seems like the first people to notice were the spies. After all, it was their job to know what was happening around and who was who. And not only had they heard of the runaway royal, but they also recognised the handmaidens.

He caught Calix's gaze and raised a hand, telling him to watch and wait. Meanwhile, most of the other spies and assassins slowly faded away. Most wouldn't notice it, but the library slowly got less busy, much like the carbonation popping off the top of a freshly-poured cup of ale. Before long, barely any spies or assassins were left in the library. However, Bookie caught Dagin's eyes, who was watching the royal with deathly intensity. After the royal asked for Bookie, Dagin looked toward Bookie and Bookie gave him a nod, giving Dagin permission to approach the royal on his behalf.

After all, Bookie had something else to take care of. Another source of white noise. A new librarian whose curiosity meant Bookie would need to be a little proactive with her. He faded into the shadows and reappeared within the book aisles near the new librarian. He slowly walked out, popping up right in front of the librarian, as if he had just been strolling through the aisles. "Oh, pardon me, young lady. Difficult to see around the corners of these shelves, it is. If I'm not mistaken, you are my new librarian?"

Dagin Wreath
Mentions: Emilia ( Aura-Slash )
Interactions: Elysia ( Evie Maiden Of Apples )
​

---

Dagin had his eyes fixed on a map, mentally charting routes. It wasn't exactly uncommon to find him doing this as he believed that it never hurt to be too prepared. He'd been caught in enough surprise attacks to know that knowing a place like the back of one's hand could come in handy. However, this time, he wasn't doing it for the sake of an assassination or even because he was commissioned to. He was planning his next trip outside the kingdom. He didn't know when he'd be able to go or even if he'd be allowed, but if he was, he wanted to have a plan.

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine and he tore his eyes from the page. Nothing had happened yet, but only a couple second later, Elysia walked in and his eyes narrowed on her. His clairvoyance allowed him sense things before they happened but also gave him a form of sixth sense. With that, he wasn't sensing any hostility from the lady but he still didn't trust her. After all, it wasn't common to see a royal in a place full of people that killed royals and nobles. In fact, part of him was surprised that someone hadn't gotten nervous and cut her walk short.

He didn't take his eyes off her until he felt another pair of eyes on him. Without needing to look, he knew it was Bookie; he'd felt the old man's gaze enough times to be able to sense it even in his sleep. When Bookie nodded toward the royal, Dagin raised a brow, unsure what Bookie's plan was. However, he was the boss and Dagin had learned not to question the boss. He sighs and rises to his feet, making a beeline toward the lady.

The librarian, who - at first - was unsure how to respond when a random person asked for Bookie by name, saw Dagin approaching and nodded in understanding, stepping back as Dagin walked up, getting between Elysia and the librarian, who simply went back to filing papers.

"Our Bookie is not here at the moment," he began, his voice warm, yet deep and earthy. "However, I'm sure between us here we can help you find your way to whatever you need, or pass along any messages you might have for him." He wore a smile, calm and confident - welcoming even. It wasn't that he all of a sudden trusted her, but he needed her to trust him and so he needed her to let her guard down. And that was one thing Dagin knew how to do well. "So, friend, how may we be of assistance?" he asked, his amethyst eyes intently capturing her facial features, watching for any tells.

 

[Evie Maiden Of Apples]

Elysia: Royal on the Run
Location: Lasalle Library
Mentions: Bookie ( Wyll Calix Graceling Meera adropofdew- Emilia Aura-Slash )
Interactions: Dagin ( Wyll )

Elysia couldn't quite explain it, but she suddenly felt hidden eyes watching her from...somewhere, or other. Though she couldn't see from where or from who, it still put her on edge. But, she remained calm and collected, she had a mission in mind and she needed those of The Seal to help her fulfill it. She and her handmaidens were under the guise of sisters from a poor family visiting the library for the very first time in their lives, although to be fair the latter of that statement was very true as none of them had set foot here before. When the princess asked for Bookie, the librarian seemed to withdraw from her, but another man addressed Elysia instead.

She lifted her head a bit, violet eyes meeting amethyst, and she smiled softly to him. She had nothing to hide, she had always been truthful...well, until recently, of course. She didn't want her parents to find her and drag her back home, to a marriage she didn't want to be part of. She nodded to Dagin, "Greetings, and thank you for your help. I've been told to seek him out for a very specific purpose. I...I need his help, you see." She murmured to the man, "Well, more so...I seek the help of those who call themselves The Seal. Do you know of it?" Her handmaidens stood on either side of her, ready to defend their princess if need be, but remaining calm and friendly on the outside.​

 

[Graceling]

Calix
Location: Lasalle Library
Mentions: Bookie ( Wyll ), Elysia ( Evie Maiden Of Apples ), adropofdew-

Well, this was certainly going to be interesting. The elf sighs a bit as he notes Bookie's gesture and shuts his book, getting to his feet and going to return it to the shelves. Briefly, his ear twitches at the sound of someone foolishly yelling within a library of all places and Calix's yellow eyes would look in the direction it came from, zeroing in on the girl who had the book dropped on her head. It was odd; she seemed to almost blend in with the scenery to the extent that even while looking at her Calix felt his attention wanting to wander elsewhere. Perhaps it was some form of illusory magic to keep the user from danger. In any case, it was nothing more than brief curiosity that made him observe her for a moment before his attention returned to the girl and servants who had just entered.

Given his heritage and skill set, it was fairly easy to tell what Dagin and the girl were discussing. That and there was only one real reason someone like that would be in here in the first place. An assignment. Calix goes to get his next book, all the while splitting his attention split between browsing titles and Dagin's handling of the matter. If needed then Calix would also step in but Dagin was much more adept at people handling than he was, so he was fine not being involved in this aspect at least. The elf finds his next book, a series of poems, and leans against the railing to read, his pale blonde hair falling over one shoulder and curtaining his face.​

 

[adropofdew-]

Meera
Location: Lasalle Library
Mentions: Elysia ( Evie Maiden Of Apples ), Dagin ( Wyll )
​

Meera watched the scene with mild interest. She didn't necessarily sense any ill intent from the mysterious woman, more importantly anything against the Seal. But she'd been wrong before. Having only been in the organization for a couple weeks, she was still new to the entire scene. Dagin intervening would get the job done, whatever that may lead to. Meera didn’t trust herself to soften or de-escalate any situation. But trying would prove to be interesting, no doubt.

After a moment, she returned to her book, though half of her attention lingered on the conversation ahead. She flipped through some pages, feeling a faint hint of sleepiness in her eyes. They slightly lowered. She hadn’t really slept well last night, courtesy of her recurring nightmares. But she couldn’t just fall asleep in the library, even though the idea did sound appealing. What kind of spy would fall asleep in such a situation anyway?

 

[Aura-Slash]

Emilia
Interactions: Bookie, Wyll ​

---

The brunette woman librarian noticed an old man walk up to her, and she immediately recognized who it was, not because she had fully seen the man but rather from descriptions she had heard of him. It was the head librarian, Bookie, and he asked Emilia if she was the new librarian.

"Ja, I'm the new librarian here," Emilia nodded, speaking with her slight German accent, bowing respectfully at the man for a second before extending her hand for a handshake.

"My name's Emilia. It's a pleasure to meet you. If I'm not mistaken, you're the head librarian, Bookie, right?" Emilia asked the old man, man, confirming whether or not

"I must admit, zee atmosphere here, well, is certainly a bit interesting," Emilia said, a bit concerned. She noticed a lot of suspicious figures, and she had to admit she was a bit afraid.

 

[Wyll]

Bookie
Mentions: Calix( Graceling ), Meera ( adropofdew- )
Interactions: Emilia ( Aura-Slash ​

---

Bookie smiled and gave her a firm shake. His hand would be warm to touch and a tingling feeling - very much like the feeling of having pop rocks in your mouth - would sizzle between his palm and hers. Nothing suspicious, dangerous or even harmful; the best way to explain it would be to say that it was the magical energy radiating from him and, to a large extent, wasn't something he could control.

When he took his hand back from the handshake, he clasped them behind his back and regarded her kindly. A small laugh escaped him when she talked about the atmosphere in the library, perfectly understanding her discomfort. However, he was also cautiously impressed at how observant she was. "Aye, 'interesting' is certainly a word for it. The library itself can be intimidating to some. But, as can be expected of such a large library, we get all sorts passing through here. However, never let that scare you. I can personally guarantee that nowhere in the kingdom, not even the royal palaces, are as safe as this library. I have made sure of that myself. You have nothing to fear within these walls." He spoke with a level of confidence that confirmed that what he was saying was more fact than opinion and it was clear that he took pride in that accomplishment, the tiniest hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

Of course, he could have gone the other option - the easier option - of just telling her what the atmosphere she sensed was and where it was coming from. But he needed to make sure that he and the entire organiaation could trust her. An exceptional amount of trust was put in the librarians and, honestly, if there was any weakness in the organisation, it would be in the librarians. Bookie couldn't afford to jeopardise the safety of all the spies, assassins and librarians under his care by exposing the secrets of the library to everyone. In fact, there were librarians that had been here for months now that didn't know the secret of the library. It also worked really well because all their codes were covered in regular library interactions. His plan was to watch her and see for herself whether she could be trusted with smaller secrets and if he was comfortable with her, he would slowly start telling her more things.

"For now, I would love if you could help me out with a couple tasks." He nodded his head toward Calix. "From what I hear, he's being charged with the murder of a girl that looked much like yourself actually. I've been commissioned to determine whether he is guilty or not. Could you fetch him for me? You have my word that no harm will come to you." He wanted to watch how she would interact with Calix and how she would interact with others now that she had been told just a sliver of the truth. "On your way, give this list of books to that young lady there." He took out a piece of paper and gestured toward Meera.

Two Countries at War
Never Go to War Without a Shield
We Meet at Dawn
To Keep the Peace

The paper had been lightly folded once, such that the actual list of books was inside the fold and one would need to open up the fold to see the books. Yet another test. The books themselves were nothing suspicious - at least to Emilia. They were simply books about war history. Still, Bookie wanted to know if she'd take a peek at the books, after all, it wouldn't be very hard to do given that the fold was rather weak. For Meera, however, the list of books had a slightly deeper meaning. As a new recruit, she was still going through her orientation and this was testing her understanding of some of the code they used within the library.

Dagin Wreath
Mentions: Bookie ( Wyll )
Interactions: Elysia ( Evie Maiden Of Apples )​

---

He directed her to walk with him as they went to a quieter corner of the library. As they walked, he noticed that all his colleagues had all of a sudden disappeared and he found it amusing. He looked back up to where Bookie would be but couldn't find him there. It seemed like he'd gone to attend to something else. He'd have to handle this carefully. This was an inquiry he was used to and so the response was second-nature to him at this point. However, this was the first time that someone had specifically asked for Bookie in response to. "The Seal, you say? By all that is good, why would anybody want to deliberately seek out a group that is known for killing?" He stood up a little taller, watching her cautiously, as if wary of her. In truth, he was wary of her because he was worried that Bookie had been compromised. But he was able to sell it as being scared of her because the name of The Seal would strike fear in the heart of any normal person.

"I don't know what is going on, but I would recommend you stay away from The Seal. The guards treat anyone that is suspected of being affiliated with them as traitors. That's a dangerous party to b mixed up in, friend. As for Bookie, we don't have much information on that group in the library here, so I'm not sure he can be of much help to you. The only information we have on them would be news clippings and articles that might as well be fiction." He didn't want her to leave though. If Bookie was compromised, he'd need to find out where the possible leak could have come from.

"I must know though, where did you hear that Bookie would be able to help you? He's been my mentor for the longest of times and I'm scared to think of him being associated with such a notorious group." His voice was much softer now, appealing to the side of her that could hopefully relate with being concerned for and/or about a friend. "Please, if you know something happening with him, tell me. I would hate to see him get in trouble with the guards."

 

[Evie Maiden Of Apples]

Elysia: Royal on the Run
Location: Lasalle Library
Mentions: Bookie ( Wyll
Interactions: Dagin ( Wyll )

"But that's exactly why I'm--" Elysia was cut off when one of her handmaidens took her hand gently to stop her from continuing. They didn't know this man, they didn't know his intent. The runaway princess had to be careful in choosing her words, the poor sweet naive thing she was. She sighed, and shook her head. "I don't want Bookie to get into trouble, especially with the guards. They've caused enough harm already towards good and decent folk."

She sighed, "I couldn't see the face of the person who directed me here to speak with Bookie, but they did have a deeper cadence to their voice. When I approached to get a better look at them, they ran off down the alleyway beside the pub I had been in here in town. But, he told me that Bookie here in the library held a lot of wisdom and would surely point me in the right direction of the group. I know they're dangerous, but...I've risked so much to come here and speak with him."

Again, another handmaiden gently put her hand on Elysia's shoulder to signal her to stop talking. The princess tried her best to relay what she needed to this man, but this was starting to feel like walking on eggshells. She couldn't afford to be caught and turned in, not now. She smiled to the man apologetically. "Perhaps I have come to the wrong place, after all. I'm sorry, I must go, please excuse me good sir." Fighting back the urge to curtsy, she and her handmaidens turned around and headed for the entrance. It seemed the princess had returned to square one.​