"Putting aside the fact that I'm talking to a pushy elf that believes a being's form is their only measure of worth..." the Cat snarked, lashing his tail angrily. Oh... this one could be difficult. Another being who saw importance in similarities to the humanoid form. Why anyone would assume such a structure was the most useful was beyond the Cat's comprehension. Felines were a sleeker, more useful form.
Black fur bristled at the mere thought of the more dangerous books being opened by just anyone without thought of the possible consequences. "I am one of the rightful owners of these books." The Library was the Head Librarian's domain but the Cat was his equal in most things, including being guardian of what resided in the volumes stored within their home. "Negotiations would also include the Head Librarian."
The growl eased and the Cat's fur smoothed as he considered the elf's logic. Perhaps in some worlds it would make sense but the Library had its own set of rules that must be followed. Canting his head to one side, he couldn't help being amused by the idea of time. Such things did not matter in the Library. Time was relative in ways that most beings could not comprehend, especially in this place.
With a languid swish of his tail, the Cat turned and studied the shelves. "If you insist that you must be given access to the books, then I will allow you to study one of my choosing to see how you treat our collection." Selecting the correct book, he jumped onto the shelf, pleased that one from Non-Fiction had been left in this area. Pawing the book closer to the edge of the shelf, he gently butted his head against the cover until it fell open.
The air around it suddenly felt moist, like ocean spray had suddenly surrounded the bookcase. Stepping away from volume, the Cat climbed to one of the higher shelves, lightly shaking salt water from his whiskers. Then, something began to slip from the pages. Tentacles slithered out, reaching out of the book toward open air, feeling around at whatever was nearby with suckered limbs, the squid curious about the new environment that it had been given access to. "Remember that books are sacred here and so are what resides inside. Neither can be damaged."
no subject
Black fur bristled at the mere thought of the more dangerous books being opened by just anyone without thought of the possible consequences. "I am one of the rightful owners of these books." The Library was the Head Librarian's domain but the Cat was his equal in most things, including being guardian of what resided in the volumes stored within their home. "Negotiations would also include the Head Librarian."
The growl eased and the Cat's fur smoothed as he considered the elf's logic. Perhaps in some worlds it would make sense but the Library had its own set of rules that must be followed. Canting his head to one side, he couldn't help being amused by the idea of time. Such things did not matter in the Library. Time was relative in ways that most beings could not comprehend, especially in this place.
With a languid swish of his tail, the Cat turned and studied the shelves. "If you insist that you must be given access to the books, then I will allow you to study one of my choosing to see how you treat our collection." Selecting the correct book, he jumped onto the shelf, pleased that one from Non-Fiction had been left in this area. Pawing the book closer to the edge of the shelf, he gently butted his head against the cover until it fell open.
The air around it suddenly felt moist, like ocean spray had suddenly surrounded the bookcase. Stepping away from volume, the Cat climbed to one of the higher shelves, lightly shaking salt water from his whiskers. Then, something began to slip from the pages. Tentacles slithered out, reaching out of the book toward open air, feeling around at whatever was nearby with suckered limbs, the squid curious about the new environment that it had been given access to. "Remember that books are sacred here and so are what resides inside. Neither can be damaged."