TLC - Tender Library Care Errand Finished

Open To Interactions

Most students would no doubt be spending their Saturday sleeping in and spending time with friends. Maybe enjoying the nice weather. Maybe a few unfortunate ones would be stuck in detention, cleaning some forgotten corner of the castle as penance for their crimes. A small fraction might be spending time in the library, which was his plan, of course. Even if he hadn’t signed up for the errand Finley-sensei had put up, he would still have been hiding in its vastness, tucked in a corner with a book or five.

Pushing open the door and slipping into the most hallowed halls of Hagwarts - at least to him - he glanced around in search of Finley-senpai, spotting her - and the other students who had already gathered for the errand. He noted that several tables had been pushed together to accommodate them and he found himself mildly surprised to see how many students had signed up. Books were piled up at convenient spots and Kazuo ran his hands along the spines of one stack with a fond smile. There was something about books, an affection for them he couldn’t explain simply. It was a complex mixture of connections and meanings, a love borne from stories read to him at his mother’s knee, of late-night discussions with his father, about wandering the clan’s library, surrounded by centuries of history, of so much knowledge.

As he approached the table, he gave Finley-sensei a polite bow. “Thank you for hosting this errand, Finley-sensei. It seems like a very interesting and useful thing to learn. I look forward to your instruction.” Ever the polite and formal child in the presence of adults, even moreso with the LIbrarian. After all, he knew she shared a love of books and was the guardian of the place. If any adult in this school deserved his respect, it was her. Also, getting on her bad side could end in banishment and that was a thought worse than death. He’d rather have to face a hag in the dungeon than ever hear Finley-senpai utter words of banishment from the library.

He took the topmost book from the stack and settled into an empty seat, turning his focus toward his fellow students. A soft mew came from his hood, a small furry face appearing as it peered over his shoulder, kitten-sized paws gripping the soft cloth of his hoodie. His newly acquired companion gazed curiously at the scene, mirroring Kazuo’s gaze as it swept around the table.

A pretty older girl who had an air of gothic elegance to her. He recognized her from the Beckett gala though they hadn’t interacted.

The Japanese girl who had joined his club, Suzuki. He gave her a polite smile and a nod in greeting.

Opeila Winters, someone he had grown familiar with of late. He paused his silent study of the other students to give her a grin. “Opeila-chan, hello!” He greeted her.

The next to catch his eye was Henry. He gave the older boy a slight smirk, eyes narrowing. “Knight.”

Another girl he didn’t know, though the pretty gray cat on her shoulder earned a slight smile from Kazuo.

Then Lucia and Aspen, Housemates he knew only in passing.

Seven in total so far, with still more due to come if the number of chairs actually marked attendance. A quick count brought the total to twenty. Twenty students had signed up? A bit surprising. It was hardly the kind of errand that was full of fun and games, in fact, it would take a bit of dedicated focus and patience. Interesting. He opened the book he had taken, noting the way the cover had begun to pull away from the binding, a few pages threatening to detach themselves. A book that had seen much use and today he would be helping restore it so that it could continue to be useful. Yes, this errand would take effort but it would also be very rewarding.

Outfit

Reducio

Interacting with: @Opeila Winters @Henry Knight @ Kage Suzuki
Wordcount:660/1000

After wiping down the cover of the book in her hands, Suzuki was done fixing it. She put the newly restored book down beside her, and scanned it before moving on.
She hadn't been able to doo much about the weird scratch marks on the cover, but she'd patched up the rips in the leather, and fixed the cracked spine. Hopefully people would respect it more from now on.

Just then, some black haired dude walked in and took a seat. Squinting, Suzuki recognized him as the Japanese guy who was in charge of the Asian Society thing. Huh. So a lot of people had signed up for this.

Looking through the pile of worn books, Suzuki fished out another one, astronomy as well, by the looks of it. It was even more worn than the last one; the front cover was barely attached to the spine, and the spine was just a small stick covered in leather. Grabbing more supplies, Suzuki sat down again, and started working.

Luckily, there weren't any scratch marks on this. The pages seemed a little worn, but less so than the first book's. She wondered how the cover had gotten so detached.
The books Suzuki usually spent her time around back in London were pretty new; they'd come from Muggle bookstores, and of course, all books in bookstores were new. She'd never actually read any Japanese books in Japan; she was only three then.
Rubbing her eyes a little, Suzuki yawned.
She really had to fix her crappy sleep schedule. But then again, she could sleep in a little more since it was break.
However, she'd been finding it really hard to sleep lately, and she didn't really know the reason. It didn't bother her though- it happened all the time. Who the hell needed stupid sleep?

WC: 882/1000

────── ☆ ───────

@Kage Suzuki

[font=times new roman]L[/font]oosely clutching her school bag, Scarlett entered the library. She wasn't one to spend much time in the old, dusty place, but ever since she had proved the new librarian to be rather nice and friendly, she generally had a more positive impression. Scarlett knew many people who would gladly spend all of their time engrossed in books, practically living in the library - apart from their necessary food breaks - but she was not among them. She was a free spirit, a wanderer, one who enjoyed the great outdoors and preferred not to be cooped up in some stuffy old room filled with so-called precious knowledge-

But she had signed up for the Tender Library Care errand anyway, because she was just that caring and considerate. As well as this, Scarlett worked using a 'do-one-get-one' system. If someone did something nice for her, she did something nice to them in return. If someone did something bad to her, she would do something equally bad in return. Miss Finley had helped her with her Herbology books and now Scarlett would return the favour by helping her with her own books.

Sparta was doing her own independent-cat thing, though Scarlett noticed a few pets in the library as she entered. Her eyes scanned the participants - so far, there was an older girl with gold eyes, a girl with short brown hair, Opeila from the trip into that weird room, Henry, a Slytherin firstie she didn't know, Lucia, and two Asian Hufflepuffs who were both firsties as well. They were all in their groups, doing their things, repairing whatever books they chose. Scarlett waved to Miss Finley as she walked towards the tables. "Hello, Miss Finley," said Scarlett in greeting with a little smile that was mostly sincere, but had some of that mischief that was always in her grin.

She approached the girl with short brown hair after acknowledging everyone she knew, either with a wave, a nod or something else. Opeila, the Slytherin girl and the Hufflepuff girl seemed to be sitting together, the older girl did her own book work and so did the Hufflepuff boy, and Lucia was rather confused about Henry's cat Loki. Though Scarlett liked to think of herself as a don't-care type person, in reality, she was really rather aware of things, taking things in and even thinking about them. She sat with the girl with the short hair and grey eyes because she felt like it - yes - but also because she wanted Lucia and Henry to meet without her being super loud and interrupting, and she didn't feel like sitting with anyone else, and Opeila and the other girls seemed to already be having a conversation, and Scarlett did have a great sense of social astuteness.

"Hello," said Scarlett simply to the girl. To be honest, the girl gave off a fiercer vibe than everyone else in the library, and Scarlett loved a challenge. "Do you have any idea how to repair a book?"

She turned to the table and selected a rather tattered one, noticing some handy equipment laid out. Now to figure out how to use the equipment.

────── ☆ ───────

word count | 524/1000

Interacting: @Scarlett Aden

Despite that problem about the sleep schedule, Suzuki was in an okay mood. So when the redhead approached her, she didn't get too pissed off. Still rebinding the torn book in her hands, Suzuki looked up.

"Hello, do you have any idea how to repair a book?"

Suzuki had had past experience mending books- she'd spent a lot of time at the library back in London, and when you stay in a place like that, no doubt you'll learn how to mend books. And this activity was with Muggle supplies, which was perfect.

"Yeah." Suzuki thought about how to explain it. "Tape is used to hold together things and fix rips. The thread is for rebinding, like if the cover has been nearly ripped off. You use the tape to hold it in place while you stick it back together. Glue is for gluing covers and spines back on. It's not that hard, but you do have to be careful."

It was probably more than she'd ever talked, in her life. Suzuki finished attaching the cover back on, and used a little glue and tape to finish the job. She flipped through the pages, looking for any ripped up ones. On the occasion she did find a ripped page, she taped back together.
Using a little more glue to fix a few extra cracks in the spine, Suzuki gave the book a once over and put it on top of the first book she'd fixed.

She took another book from the pile, and wondered what these books went through. You're supposed to read a book, not rip it apart. Grabbing more glue and tape, Suzuki started patching up that one. She opened the book and peered at a page. A potions book. Interesting, but not as interesting as astronomy. Suzuki half wanted to open the first book she'd fixed, the one about astronomy, and read that while fixing books, but she stopped herself from. She hadn't even finished 'Magical Theory' yet- Suzuki didn't like reading two books at once. Usually that resulted in neither book being finished. No, she'd finish 'Magical Theory' first. She was almost finished, anyways.

WC: 1,248/1000

~Open to Interactions~

Paige didn't like to read. There was no use hiding it, no use covering it. One would figure it out the moment Paige attempted to read a book. The look of frustration, the sighs, the mumbles. The rubbing of the temples. It wasn't exactly a very hard mystery, either. But the library itself? It was okay. It was quiet in there, a nice place to think. But when Paige saw something for Library care, Paige was caught. It seemed interesting enough, as long as she didn't have to read the books she would be fixing. She also just wanted to be of help, it was a good feeling when you help others. Just because Paige didn't enjoy reading doesn't mean everyone else shouldn't read!

When she entered the library, she gave a look around and walked over to a group of students holding ruined books. She assumed this was where she needed to be and caught a bit of a girl's response to a question. The girl was saying how you fix books. Paige smiled at the librarian and picked up a few books. She also overheard someone saying their name was Opeila, and Paige thought about where she heard that name. Oh well, maybe it would come later.

She looked around. She smiled over at her friend, [ @Henry Knight ] and nodded to a few people. She recognized a boy from the Hufflepuff common room, [ @Kazuo Shimada ] She gave him a polite wave. She didn't know who she wanted to talk to, there were so many people. It was kind of hard to join conversations once they already started. And Paige began to wish she came earlier. That way people would talk to her, maybe, or she would talk to them without feeling like she was intruding.

But oh well. She finally walked over to a table and began to search for ripped pages in books.

Word count: 323/1000

Closed To Interactions Besides From Lucia Fox
Interacting: @Lucia Fox
Mentioning: @Scarlett Aden|@Paige Grant|@Kazou Shimada
Languages:_{English | French | Italian | Arabic | Russian}
Outfit

Aspen offered the younger-looking girl, Anja, a smile. Anja starts talking to her cat, making Aspen feel a bit put off that she did not bring Mèo, did not even consider it.

Anja than asks if Aspen has a pet of her own and the Hufflepuff's face lights up at that question. Mèo has been her companion these past few months and she just loves talking to and about him. "Yeah, I do. His name is Mèo. I did not bring him with me though, but little Rusalka," Aspen scratches the feline's chin, "Is very adorable."

Aspen takes a book and feels a hole in the binding. Taking some special tape, she carefully covers the hole, fixing the book before moving onto the next one.

Sending a wave to the other girl, Opeila, before she gets pulled away, Aspen looks back over at Anja. "Have you ever..." Summers takes a moment, searching for the right words, "Have you ever done this book binding stuff before? I have not but it is kind of relaxing."

As she waits, Aspen takes a moment to look at the girl sitting across from her. She is very pretty, with long brownish-black hair and sharp features, counter to Aspen's softer ones.

Banner Juniper Yu
416/1000

Open to Interactions!

Interacting with: @Paige Grant

Lillian knew the library better than she knew her own dorm; every nook, every cranny, where the best books could be found, where you could sit undisturbed: if you could name it, Lillian could find it. She loved the silence and warmth of the library, the crisp smell of parchment that wafted through it, and most of all, the books. Ravenclaws to libraries were like moths to a flame; it was natural that Lillian would spend all her time there.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the corridors.

It had taken Lillian ten minutes (a very generous approximation), at the least, to make her way to the library from the Charms classroom. The room was already full when she entered; the table was lined with children, old books in their hands, and equipment all about the place. Lillian made her way around as quietly as she could, walking to the table stacked with books.

There were quite a few Slytherins that she had never seen before, and a couple of Gryffindors. There were several Hufflepuffs, some of whom she recognized; oh, great. No Ravenclaws.

Lillian combed through the selection of books. She wasn't very sure what she was supposed to be doing, and the librarian, a very nice woman whom she had seen quite often, directed her to the proper adhesives. The girl picked up her equipment and found a book titled Arcane Magic. It was large, and its pages stuck out, frail and disconnected. Its cover was faded, but beautifully lettered, and its spine was decorated with stars. Its binding was loose and falling apart, but it was too enticing not to take.

Just as she was about to walk away, Lillian saw a Hufflepuff girl, first year, that she recognized (Paige, she thought).

"Hello," she said to the curly-haired girl. They had never talked to each other before, but she had seen her from across rooms and whatever else. "I'm Lillian. Uh, have you done this before?"

Word Count: 336/1000

─────── ☆ Everly Charlton ☆ ───────

April 17th, 2021.
@Scarlett Aden | @Kage Suzuki
omg scarlett I finally spelled your name right please forgive me
#b76e79

Everly was a nervous wreck.

Really, she was before any big - well, not so big - social event. This time she brought Tzahala, curled up in her arms, but while Tzahala provided some sort of comfort to the girl, she was still doubtful. Entering the serene area she was relieved to find that she at least recognized some people. Not as many as she had imagined were there, at least not yet. There were several people she'd seen before, maybe once or twice - from the train ride at the start of the year, passing by in the halls, or sometimes maybe in other places. Everly also spotted the librarian - Everly had never really talked to her before, but she seemed intriguing. Everly kept her head down mostly, offering a small smile every so often.

This errand seemed intriguing, at least to the little girl. She had never really thought about spells that could be used to fix books, much less specified just for that purpose, but she supposed there had to be a spell for everything, even something like this. Excited, she'd been one of the first to sign up, especially after learning there were limited spots. She couldn't pass up an opportunity like this, could she?

Everly noticed the tattered books and the equipment spread out, taking a moment to examine them. She would assume that there was a Muggle way of doing it - manually - but she also wondered how such a spell worked. Do you have to know what it looked like before in order to cast it, or is it something like reparifors - simply undoing the magic, or harm, done to the book?

There was time for theory later.

Everly quickly found someone to talk to - a Gryffindor she recognized from the train ride. The girl seemed okay, so far, so Everly figured why not talk to her?

She seemed to be talking to another first year Gryffindor, one that Everly had no memory of interacting with. Perhaps Everly had seen her a few times before, in classes or the dorm, but that interaction was faint. Being the rude person she was, she plopped down beside them, Tzahala now purring contently in her arms. "Hi there," she said, her lips quirked in a small smile. "Mind if I butt in?"

Everly let out a small sigh as she examined one of the torn books, running her fingers lightly over the spine. She could barely read the cover. Everly couldn't say she had a slightest clue of what to do, so she took a look at what the other students were doing. Shrugging, Everly turned to the girl and the other girl [scarlett and kage lol i'm bad at this I know]. "So, what do I do?"

word count | 448/1000
552 left to go!

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