(no subject)

[kepthimhuman]

Who: Neal Cassidy and you
What: Arrival in the library
When: Today
Where: Main hall of the library
Warning: None at the moment

Save us. The words echo in his ears as he regains awareness. Saving people is Emma's job. She even saved the Lost Boys when none of them thought they needed saving. Is that who's appealing to anyone who's listening now? The curse is sending everyone back to where they came from. What does that mean for the Lost Boys? Can he save them now?

He opens his eyes to look around him. This is definitely not right. It's not the Enchanted Forest, which is where the curse was supposed to send him. It sent him here alone, too. None of the others are here. Did something go wrong with it? This looks like a library. It could be Storybrooke's library, but the town was supposed to be erased by the curse being removed.

So just where is he?

He sits up slowly, looking around him. He doesn't even see anyone else here.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" His words echo around him in the open space.

Comments

I will not apologize for this idiot...

[wanna_bash_heads]

It's not too long before some other sounds break the silence after the question. Faint at first, it sounds like something sliding along the floor and something else...rolling? Coming clearer and closer, and echoes of someone humming.

Then a sharp crack of wood hitting some kind of solid object. Which--along with the echo--ricochets off some shelves towards Neal's direction. An ice hockey puck?

[kepthimhuman]

He ducks instinctively when he hears something solid ricocheting in the darkness around him, and throws his arms over his head to protect it. "What the hell?"

[wanna_bash_heads]

"Wait...someone's actually there this time?" That, is a voice; older teenage male, faint New York accent. Echoing back, before the newcomer turns the corner.

Interesting silhouette, and more clear when Casey comes actually closer into what light there is. Blocker's pad on one hand, hockey mitt on the other, light padding, and the goalie-stick and baseball bat sticking up behind him from the gear on his back. Fortunately, the mask is up, under the hood, so easily seen it's a human teenager. On roller-blades.

"Huh, last few times I was this way no one was here." Skating closer easily, then stepping carefully; somehow the roller-blades flipped back on a mechanism, to rest behind his shins. "Didn't hit ya with the puck, did I?"

[kepthimhuman]

"There's someone actually here." Apparently he hadn't been loud enough earlier when he tried to find out if anyone was here. "You didn't hit me." So there's that at least. "There must not be people in here very often."

[wanna_bash_heads]

"It's a big place, lots of hallways and corridors." Casey replied to the 'not a lot of people'. Not that he'd seen a 'lot' of people--less than 20, or so he guessed. Reassured he hadn't hit the other man, he's now looking around for the puck. Ammo conservation good.

"Any idea where my puck went? Sorry if I startled you." He doesn't seem all that sorry, Neal.

[kepthimhuman]

"So it's easy to get lost in then." Which means even if there are people here other than the two of them, it might be awhile until he sees them.

"It came from this direction, so I assume it kept on going in that direction."

[wanna_bash_heads]

"Sorta yes, sorta no." Casey replied, ever so helpfully as he moved to peer in the direction the other indicated. "Some areas are closed off, as we're working on cleaning them and making 'em safe."

[kepthimhuman]

"Keeping them safe from what?" Did he just exchange one threat for another?

[wanna_bash_heads]

Darn, no sign of the puck. Oh well, not that surprising. Casey turned to give his attention back to the other. Replacing the hockey-stick in the sheath at his back, he gave an easy grin. "Guess you just arrived huh? Welcome to the Library. It's a big place, and not your ordinary library either. All the books and stuff here? Magic and special, and doorways to other worlds."

Shrugging, entirely casual. "At least as far as I understood. One of the Librarians could explain it better, probably the Cat. Do you remember anything from right before you woke up?" Casey does have a point with his questioning, really.

I'll give you the Cat so Neal can have the welcome speech

[enlightenedfeline]

The Cat sat in the shadows, studying their newest patron. Another human but this one might be more receptive to the idea of a being who talked and wore a feline shape. The thought caused him to stretch languidly before padding toward Neal. It would be nice to have another being in the Library that didn't think he was 'just a cat' but he wasn't expecting too much. Most humans he had met seemed to think a cat couldn't be sentient and if it was, it was the result of some magic trick instead of true intellect.

Humming thoughtfully, the Cat hopped onto a shelf so he'd be closer to Neal's eye level. "I'm here. Welcome to the Library."

[kepthimhuman]

He's still the sort to consider it magic that an animal can talk, but at least he's not surprised by the existence of magic. He pretty much expects it by now. He is a bit surprised at being addressed by a cat though; even being aware of magic, he wasn't expecting a talking cat.

"The Library? What Library?"

[enlightenedfeline]

"The Library. It is connected to your reality but not in the way that you would expect." Slinking closer, he tipped his head to once side, considering Neal thoughtfully. "The Library protects the knowledge of all realities, all worlds. The Head Librarian asked beings from many different worlds to help us protect this place. You were one of the ones who accepted his invitation."

[kepthimhuman]

"The invitation?" He rubs the back of his head. There are worse things he could be expected to do here than protect people, he supposes, but it would have been better if he'd known he was coming here. "I don't remember an invitation."

[enlightenedfeline]

"Do you remember hearing someone ask you to 'save us' or a voice requesting help?" The Cat wove between a few books, careful not to disturb any of the volumes. "That was your invitation. Only those who agreed to help are brought to the Library. We do not kidnap people or bring them here against their will. If you are here, then some part of you wished to help protector the Library or your world."

[kepthimhuman]

"My world?" He knows there are threats there, and he knows about traveling from one world to another, but it's no less disorienting anytime it happens. Protecting any world does sound like something he'd agree to, even if he can't remember doing it. "Protect them from what?"

[enlightenedfeline]

"Yes, your world. The reality that you normally exist in. There are many of them. Each of them are accessible to the Library and its Librarians."

That was an easier topic than the potential dangers to the Library. His ears dropped for a moment before he sat down and wrapped his tail around his paws. "The Library is vast. Greater than most sentient minds can comprehend. Sometimes things from one world slip into another or chaos creeps into the Library. The areas that are in disrepair or filled with shadows that don't seem normal... those things corrupt our work and risk the worlds we tend."

[kepthimhuman]

"I know what my world is." He was just confused and trying to clarify.

"So we're supposed to protect this place from those threats?"

[dulcet_cellist]

Sebastian leaned over the railing and looked towards the voice. He had a bucket of clean rags and a bucket of dirty rags and was wearing one of the hoodies he'd bought when he'd first met Alec. He hadn't paid much attention to Yosemite then, but he was wishing he could go back and sit in the forest. Clear his head after the very strange nightmares he'd shared with Alec and Amery. He wondered how Amery was doing now and whether or not he should go see what this person was looking for.

Picking up the buckets he made his way back down to the main hall and searched for the person.

"Hello?"

[kepthimhuman]

"Hello?" He heard someone, but he can't see them yet through the darkness. "I'm over here. Where are you?"

[dulcet_cellist]

Sebastian came around a bookshelf and stopped. He didn't recognize this person. Not that he knew everyone here, but he had the feeling this person may have just arrived.

"Have you spoken to the Cat yet?" He asked, curious if this person had been given the welcome speech yet.

[kepthimhuman]

"Unless there's more than one cat that can talk," and strangely enough he wouldn't doubt it if there were, "then yes, I have."

[dulcet_cellist]

Sebastian was glad to hear that. He didn't want to be the first person to have to explain everything. He wasn't very good at it. Casey hadn't gotten a very good explanation, if he remembered correctly.

"I've only met one. But we did rescue talking animals once. Bambi and thumper and the others. Forest animals." He clarified quickly. "The Cat explained things to you then?"

Please say yes. He could try and answer questions or explain about certain things if he needed to. But the complex parts were harder for him to articulate.

[kepthimhuman]

"I know who Bambi is. I never heard of anyone rescuing him though." He's seen the movie, and it makes sense to him that if some characters are real (which he knows they are) that others are as well. Even if those others are talking animals.

"It did. We're supposed to protect this place."

[dulcet_cellist]

"They sort of escaped through a portal...it's a long story."

Sebastian is relieved to hear that and smiled, feeling less awkward. "And help rebuild it. If we can. There are places which really aren't safe."

And then, as if suddenly remembering, he walked up to the man and held out his hand, "I'm Sebastian."

[kepthimhuman]

"It wouldn't be the first time something like that happened." Just maybe the first time it was animals who did it.

He takes the hand and shakes it. "Neal."