In a perfect world, there would be no people whatsoever. It isn't any kind of falter, nor is it any way to antagonize the many people on this weird plane of existence. It is simply fact. In a perfect library, no people would be present whatsoever. People are loud, they are noisy, they are insufferable at times. Yet, despite that, the function has grown to need the people anyways. Locations adapting to people and their selfish actions truly is a commendable action. This is seen most commonly when the library takes in a person in dire need. When Maria Jonesque came into the library on that fateful day with the one who was never there, that was seen perfectly.
Maria. That was her name. When she was originally dragged in by the man with no face, the librarians looked her up and down and nearly cast her out. Her state was immaculate; she had begun losing her skin to the black void created by the grasp of a fallen city. Beyond that, it was evident she came from the prisons created by man to contain the wonders of this world. Why they did this was unknown to the librarians, though the speculated it to be rather simply, really. They simply chopped it down to fearing things they cannot understand. Despite all that, the library allowed Maria into its depths.
When she awoke within those depths created by the imagination of the librarians, she was afraid, yet she refused to show it, even to herself. No matter the occasion, she was still there, surrounded by "freaks", at least to how she saw it. A faceless creature, a six-legged octarian, and a crustacean to boot. What she saw as freaks may not have been strange to them, yet it was strange to her. The world works like that in a way; your viewpoint pushes how you see the ideas created by others. That's what fogged her vision; the simple creation of things she was trained to believe was incorrect, it trained her.
At first, she suspected foul play. Something had to be going on here. As she pondered the ideas which crossed her mind, she noticed some of the books nearby were familiar to her. Forgotten tomes created by the jailors themself. She recognized the faint writing on them, yet she did not touch. She knew one thing: she was unwelcome. The librarians gave her shifty glasses at all times. The Pages would not take their eyes off of her. As she wandered through following the man with no face, she recognized that she wasn't let in willingly. It was likely through the work of the man she knew nothing of that she was able to make it into the library. She stayed close to him.
Despite the eyes, she persevered further. She pushed towards the areas where she was allowed, stayed with the man who refused to exist no matter what and refused to give into the library.
The library didn't care for her. They held no grudge nor ill intent towards the women, yet they did not give her welcoming eyes. They allowed her to befriend the library. She was allowed to walk within the depths so long as she did no harm. The Pages only gazed upon her due to curiosity. The librarians were worried for newcomers as they always were. She was welcome.
But she did not know.
As she stared into the eyes of the beholder and gazed into the heart of the library, she was afraid. She did not feel the coldness of the empty man beside her, for she was to cold herself. As the clock struck, she heard the clings of the wonderer's bell. She had arrived. She was ready for an exchange.
"Vanessa." Her voice rang sturdy as she spoke.
"Maria." The feminine voice behind her aura created a mystique of wonder. What this meant to Maria was unclear, but it stood out within her mind for quite some time before she chose to speak once more.
"Let's cut the pleasantries. I don't know why I'm here; I'm stuck with this- this thing." Vanessa motioned towards the man who was faceless. He moved his eyes across the room awkwardly, making motions towards visible discomfort with the term.
"I just- I just need to get out of this place. Fast."
Her demeanor was strange, it piqued then faltered. As she spoke, the words on her tongue tingled the air, electrifying her own aura.
She just needed to get out of the library. At least, that's what she thought.
"Let me think."
The room shriveled up as she stood there in deep thought. An exchange was required, yet she did not know what to charge Maria. In the end, only one thought crossed her mind.
"Give me the creature. It is the only option."
At first, Maria nearly accepted without hesitation. However, something stopped her. As she turned around and gazed into the eyes of the man who needn't be named, she saw a pair of eyes beyond that empty shell. A mind within that empty head. A life within the man who refused to think. A heart within the man with nothing at all.
She took a deep breath, then replied.
"A firm decline."