Fear becomes a Librarian

Fear waddled into the library, looking a bit confused as he stared at all of the big words. He heard that you could get a job here but… he wasn’t too sure about it because of the amount of words he couldn’t read. He waddled up to the counter, a lazy keke sat there, and opened one eye at Fear. “Do you want to check something out?” It asked, putting a book away. Fear blinked “check… out? What does keke mean by check out?” He asked, tilting his head. The keke starred, “you want to borrow a book or not?” They asked again. “Borrow?? Book??” Fear was so confused. “I-I wanted to have job! But… fear no understand book…” he said sadly. The keke sighed and opened a small gate, allowing fear inside. “Here, I’ll show you. Just, be careful okay?” They said, slithering into the back room. Fear followed behind, looking around at the books and the blank library cards. “What are these?”

“Library cards, they are used to give people their books. They use the card to take a book out, I’ll show you how to scan out a book.” The keke said, they slithered up to the front desk and took out a large book, there were codes on the sides and a lot of eraser marks. Fear sparkled as the keke explained how to use it. “For your first day, I’ll be watching you as you work, but if you need anything just call for me. But not too loud, people are reading and like their quiet.” The keke takes out his book again and curls up on a table, he began reading. Fear blinked, looking st the stamp and then the stack of blank library cards. “... okay. Fear has this. No worries.” He said softly. He watched people walk back and forth, until his first customer walked up, dropping a stack of books in front of him “I’d like to check all of these out!” they chirped happily. Fear looked intimidated by the stack. “R-right… does you have libraby card?” the wistul asked, putting out a hand to take it. “Yep! Here you go!” they hand over there card, Fear looked it over before looking through the book. Everything looked good. “Mhm… mhm… yeah. Okay! I shall stamp em! Please give back next… two week! Yeah, two week than overdue!” the wistul said as he flipped through the books and stamped them, then wrote down in the book to the side what was checked out. “Okay! Have good time of sun!” He chirps, waving them goodbye. Once they leave, he stares taping the desk

“E-excuse me… sir…”

“Hm?” Fear perked up, staring at the spyglass mix. Fear blinked. He had never seen a mix before. He looked a bit… cryptic. “Well, welcome to library. I Fear! Am new librarian! In training. What do need?” Fear tilted his head, slightly confused.
Mesmer twiddled their thumbs, “m-m… I want to check out some… b-books. I-I hope that’s okay fear! I-I have my c-c-card h-here-” they take out a small card, putting their stack of books on  the counter. It’s a big stack. Fear blinks in surprise at it.
“Is… this all? keke? It large.”
“Y-yes! I am sure!” 

Fear looked at it again, then started stamping out the books and writing them down. “Right. They checked out now! Return in two week, or overdue.” Fear said before sliding the pile back over to mix.

Mesmer sparkled. “T-thank you mister! Have a good day!”

Fear waves them goodbye and then watches. Well, what now fear? He watched everybody move around. After a bit he pulled out a small picture book and started reading. Well. rather he was looking. He had no idea how to read keke yet. Sure, he knew how to read wistul and fish keke. But not common keke. He just stared at the odd pictures. The book was obviously meant for a hatchling or an infant. But Fear had an odd fascination with it, seeing how the keke was afraid of growing up and upgrading too much to the point where xis parents wouldn’t recognize xim. Fear, of course, didn’t know what the actual translation was. He was just interested in looking at the pictures. His tail tapped the leg of the stood as he looked through it. Until somebody cleared their throat. Fear looked over the book. There was a more sophisticated keke in front of him now. Seemingly offended by how Fear was reading a book. In front of him. Of course Fear just tilted his head. “Mmm? Does keke need help?”
“Yes, as it is I do” eir said. “Where is the science section. I have a study to conduct.”

Fear tapped his chin, thinking for a moment. “Mmm… I believe they would that direction. Take right after picture book, go towards cart with microscope, and there science! They have lot of word… but picture too!” Fear wagged his tail, happy that he could help.
Eir face looked confused. But awkwardly shuffled and followed Fear’s direction. Thankfully, Fear had gotten the right area. Through some kind of stroke of luck.

Fear continued watching for a few more seconds before continuing back to his own personal book. The Keke that was watching over Fear smiled a bit. He was doing well for a wistul that didn’t know a single word. They didn’t even speak snakekey correctly, but it was obvious that the wistul was doing his best.

As the sun dipped under the horizon, one last snakekey entered.

“Sorry but we’re closing up soon” said the owner of the library, making Fear snap out of his trance.
“Oh, no worries i won’t be long. I didn’t want it to be crowded… Can I check out a book?”
“Sedna?” Fear put the picture book down with the stack of picture books he had looked through already. “What is you doing here? What is Yonma planning?”
The owner blinked in confusion.
Sedna, the black, white, and orange zenith, blinked. “Oh. Fear. s-sorry, Yonma wanted some books about rocks… he wants to make a home. I don’t trust him if you ask me… But what can I do? He’s my only friend.”
“You work here! With us!”
“N-now wait a moment here! Shouldn’t you be asking me!?” the owner cried out, feeling a bit offended and left out.
“Oh! Yeah! Can Senda please work? He is nice!”
“No… no it’s fine Fear” Sedna said, smiling softly. “Yonma would become suspicious of me.”
“Oh…” Fear said, his ears lowering.
The owner looked sadly at Fear, patting the wistul on the back. It felt the need to cheer up the hard working wistul.
Sedna shifted nervously. “About… that book…”
“Right! Right! Go get card and book! A-and… i’ll stamp it. Then close, right?”
The keke nodded. “Right. Go ahead Sedna”
And with that, Sedna slithered off and came back with the book, Fear stamped it and watched Sedna leave.
After that, the owner gave fear a ABC book to borrow until he learned how to write properly. It was one of the owner’s personal copies Fear could figure it out with his kids, right?
Definitely. Fear waved it goodbye while holding the book in his claws. He was going to do his best next time too!