parodeity | MONDAY AFTERNOON...ISH...

[Thanks to both of them being Sburb Ninjas^TM, they manage to quietly slip into the library without drawing attention to themselves. The nearest source of cover for them will be the receptionist's desk, which is tall enough to conceal them both while they're crouching.

Books are strewn across the floor as far as the eyes can see, large holes punctured through some of them. Now that they're inside, it's easy to see why the bookshelves are in a mess. It looks like something large smashed through them.

While they're there, the sound of legs skittering against the wooden floor can be heard coming from the other side of the library. Ten footsteps in quick succession, over and over. Occasionally, there's a squelch. From here, both of them may be able to see two sets of something large and pointy peeking out from over the bookshelves on the far end of the room.]

[ the receptionist's desk works. dave will want to check the drawers and the desk itself anyway, and will do so with the aforementioned ninja skills. he will also want to pick up a book to flip through to see if he can read any of it at all. hard to tell what with, you know, THINGS BEING GIBBERISH SOMETIMES.

he makes no move to leave cover yet, but in a bit he will kind of peer above the top of the desk to try to gauge if the Whatever is moving in a pattern. ]

[Very quietly:] If we can't identify a way to beat it, we leave through one of the windows and come back better armed. Agreed? [Because he won't leave alone, so either they're going to die together or they're going to live together.

For his part, he's using Ears to try to get a sense of whatever the thing is and how it moves. On the desk he's specifically looking for some kind of map or hint towards indexing. He wants to know where the science and/or local history sections might be.]

[The book Dave happens to pick up is a children's book. The contents are legible, at least. It tells the story of a young abomination's bedtime routine. As for the drawers and the desk, he'll be able to find an apple shaped paper weight, a wooden ruler, and some lined sheets of paper. On the desk itself is a list of books that have been checked out. The last date is in May, but the day itself has been smudged out.

Dirk himself will be able to find a small map of the library taped to the receptionist's desk, as quick reference for whoever used to be employed here. The science and math related subjects seem to be grouped next to each other, on the eastern side of the library. History to be in the middle shelves. They might have to dig through the mess if they want to find them, though.

The thing is still in the back of the library, but it's westbound. It doesn't seem like it has a pattern, but it's kind of just... chilling. The library is its home, and it hasn't picked up the presence of intruders.]

[ STOP NOT LETTING HIM SEE THE YEAR, YOU ASSHOLES!! for the record: he steals the ruler for some reason.

...

and the paper weight. anyway. dave will scan the rest of the books in their area to see what titles there are slash if there is anything more immediately useful?

to dirk, mostly inaudible and whispered directly to his ear: ] Maybe. I want to see the other floors. We'll just...try not to draw attention if we can avoid doin' it.

[ it's just like with bro. sometimes if you're quiet and fast enough, the inevitable beatdown doesn't come. (this is a lie. bro always catches you and then you probably break some bones. whatever.) ]

I ain't leavin' alone. [Quiet reminder.

But he quietly shows Dave the map so he can get a sense of it. WHICH PRESUMABLY WILL SHOW THEM WHERE THE STAIRS ARE? So they will... sneak that way I guess]

[The rest of the books are similarly written for kids, and similarly about eldritch abominations and devout followers getting down to questionable shenanigans. While they're looking at the map, they'll notice they receptionist's desk is pretty close to the children's book section. That might be the reason why.

There are stairs on both side of the library. According to the map, they'll take them to a reading area — which they can catch a glimpse of by looking up. There's a big ol' hole in the middle of the ceiling dividing the second floor and first floor, and it seems like whatever punctured it? Was going upwards.]

[ hmmm. that's encouraging. actually, though, dave wants to make a pitstop in...math and science? if the thing that is stomping is not too near there, while keeping close to the ground.

he wants to find something on the hp formula, if the library, like, has it. though he could...tell...dirk this mostly he just checks that he's clear to start and then will start. sneaking thataway? he's not going to go through every book, even if they have to dig, he'll just try to find something Likely. ]

[Dirk follows sneakily behind. SNEAKSNEAK. He is mindful of loose books and anything hanging precariously. He lets Dave lead but if he sees a better route to stay away from open areas, he may tap Dave and point to it. But probably Dave picks the best routes?

ninjas

Anyway yeah that's why he wanted math/science: possible stuff on the HP formula.]

[They can use the bookshelves between the receptionist's desk and the east wing of the library as cover. As long as they stay the heck away from the west wing, they... might be safe. And should they look in that direction them, they'll see something like humongous pincers between the bookshelves. The beast's movements seem to have ceased for now.

Nonetheless, Dirk is wise to be mindful of loose books and precariously hanging items.

Soon enough, they reach the area where the science books supposedly are. Everything's been knocked clean out of the shelf, heavy tomes and slim books alike laying on the ground. At a simple glance, they'll find titles like An Experiment with Time, Quantum Gravity, and General Relativity for Dummies.]

[ okay those three sound promising. dave will flip them open and skim to try to figure out which of them might be the most useful, leaving dirk to maybe search the other books lying around more closely?

granted, dirk is better at science than him probably but dave fakes it enough to at least kind of have an idea of what he wants. sort of.

it is useless to steal shit that isn't useful?

(he has a ruler and an apple paperweight.) ]

[Actually having more science knowledge than Dave only helps as far as he's looking for anomalous things like the Children's Cthulhubook there, things that speak of discordant levels of scientific awareness. What he's most interested in are things authored by a Phillips, preferably an Abigail Phillips, but also Philips Foundations things, etc etc.

He obviously still has ears on alert for Shuffly McSnapsnap the Monsterbeast.]

[An Experiment with Time talks about the possibility of there being more than past, present and future. Quantum Gravity seems to be an introductory type book to, well, the effects of gravity according to quantum mechanics. Finally, General Relativity for Dummies offers a very dumbed down explanation of how space and time interact with each other.

If Dirk digs deep enough, he'll find a book co-authored by several individuals. There's an A. Philips listed on the cover page. It's titled Understanding Our Place in the Cosmos: The Many Worlds Interpretation.

Shuffly McSnapsnap the Monsterbeast is busy making extremely worrying noises from the west wing, like it's... slurping on something? Ew. Next to them, one of the bookshelves is leaning precariously against the other. Try not to let it fall while you're digging around, boys.]

[ ok you have fun with that monsterbeast. for the record dave will definitely watch the precarious thing and make sure they don't overset it.

uh. fine these books seem okay so dave will take all three and wait for dirk to give an all clear before starting to head...east. towards the stairs. because west seems like a bad idea but he is still determined to go upwards. ]

[Yeah Dirk is not eager to mess with the delicately balanced bookcases. Dirk grabs the A. Philips book, and then quickly grabs an extra random book because look he no longer has a flashlight to throw.

Dave is apparently determined to climb stairs so. Fine. Guess Dirk has to do this.]

[The staircases are made out of aluminum. Rusty and hollow, every step they take will make a faint sound regardless of how quiet they may be. There is nothing that will provide them cover on the way up, should they proceed.

Make haste.]

[ unfortunate, but dave doesn't turn back. he'll be quick and try to find cover once they're up on the second floor, thanks to, you know, the faint noises.

it's probably bad he prefers the horrorterrors creeping around to bro's spector, even though that's what's following him up the stairs in a weird sideways manner. ]

[Hey. Fucking rude.

Also why is there no option to PARKOUR UP THE STAIRS BY BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS, HUH?????? LET THE STRIDERS PARKOUR!!!

Anyway yeah I guess it's time for the Striders to slam their speed stats and then dive for cover. Dirk slips his matchbook out of his pocket rather than his scalpel. Because that's safe in a library.]

[The slurping abruptly stops as they make their way up the stairs. Once there, they'll hear the distinctive sound of something large and slimy dragging itself off the floor.

On the second floor, they'll find the big ol' hole on the floor, looking very much like something smashed through the ground from below. There are no more bookshelves here, but there are at least a hundred cubicles, rectangular tables and desk chairs strewn around. Some of them are relatively intact, but others have been damaged by both time and the monster lurking below. Debris fills the room.

Noticeably, some of the windows on the second floor aren't boarded up. Instead, they reach all the way up to the ceiling, providing ample illumination to the room. There is a large chandelier hanging from above, though it's old and decrepit.]

[ dave shoots a glare at dirk for the matchbook which is more a frown than anything, with shades on. unless he sees anything worth looking at in the cubicles, he'll try to find a way to the third floor.

though staying quiet and ducking into a dark place sounds like a good plan he will take if the Thing makes it to floor two. failing that, he'll consider tossing the paperweight way in the opposite direction of the two of them to topple something...somewhere else.

THEFT WITH A PURPOSE no he literally just took it because it was an apple shaped item but that's a plan he will enact if it becomes prudent. ]

[Don't throw it? That's why Dirk brought a second book! And the reason he brought matches is also the reason he's making a quick scan for any fire detectors before he slips into a hiding place. Which, in answer to the frown, he points at. He is not trying to set the library on fire, okay.

Probably.

Mostly he's got a book to smash down something for a distraction (maybe) and/or to set on fire to set off the alarms to confuse whatever it is.

Anyway, in their sneaky hiding spot Dirk looks to Dave on direction of where to go next]

[There's nothing of interest in the cubicles, unless Dave's interested in discarded pencils, blank sheets of paper and a pair of glasses.

If there is a third floor, as could be plausible from looking at the building from outside, there isn't a handy dandy staircase that leads to it. That said, the second floor's ceiling is ridiculously tall — so that's likely to be the cause of the building's size. Some sprinklers are visible on the ceiling, but it's impossible to determine if they're functional or not.

They can probably get away with smashing one of the windows up here and climbing out, if push comes to shove.]

[ he steals the pair of glasses. because fuck you. otherwise if there's nothing that looks interesting he...

chooses to peer at the chandelier. how big is it. ]

[Do not swing off the chandelier, Dave!! Anyway Dirk mostly just wants to get Dave out alive.

Also himself. He guesses?

Dave though mostly. So he is attending to slimy slurpface the snipper's sounds.]

[Modestly big, and way up high on the ceiling. The only way to reach it is if they suddenly regained their godtier abilities, which.... yeah. This realm isn't so merciful.

Mr. Slurpface sounds like he's on the move.]

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