Angela entered her room, though calling it such was kinda a misnomer. It was more like a massive, cavernous hall willed to the brim with bookshelves, books and book-related paraphernalia. Just like all the Patron Librarian's would have entire floors to be in charge of once they awoke, so did the Head Librarian have one all for her own use.

"Please give me some space" she said to the only Assistant Librarian that worked on her floor. The cobalt-haired woman, hair so long it was almost touching the ground, threw her an eager salute before going to busy herself with some other tasks in a more distant place. It has been a part of small ritual of sorts between them, a way to signify that Angela wished for some peace and quiet, some time for reflection and relaxation without any disturbances.

The life of a Director of the Library was often enough a stressful one, and having a place to unwind or just exist in quiet contemplation was a helpful way in managing it.

She moved towards her desk, the massive piece of furniture as sturdy and elegant-looking as always. She sat behind it, waited a few more minutes with her eyes closed, and willed the Library to shift.

All around her, bookshelves moved and twisted, encasing her, the desk and an area around in a thick shell of books and shelves. It was her own small sanctuary, a place temporarily removed from the worries of the outside. Anyone who saw it might have likened it to a snail retreating to its shell, and Angela supposed that the comparison wasn't entirely inaccurate.

The sound of a toppling book suddenly startled her, which shouldn't have been possible. She should be alone, there was no one here with her. The only possible exception would be an intruder or, perhaps...

She stood up and walked towards an alcove formed by the bookshelves, from where she had heard the sound. There, at the foot of it, a small pile of books laid on the floor, quivering as if in fear, a pale blue eye visible from between the haphazardly scattered volumes.

"Come on out, I know you are there" Angela demanded, and a small creature retreated deeper into the pile with a meek 'eep' squeaked in a shivering voice "I'm not going to hurt you" she continued much more gently, crouching by the book pile and extending her hand towards the paper heap.

Slowly, ever so gently, she coaxed the creature out of its crude and ineffective shelter. The scared little being hesitantly slid forward, until Angela could take a good look at its body.

It was a small creature the size of a small dog, snail-like in its form. It moved forward using its main body, carrying a colorful shell on its back that Angela idly noted was quite pretty. Its head though was that of a young human woman with short white hair, and she did have two pseudopods jutting out of her torso that served as a crude approximation of arms.

"Hello there little one" Angela said in a gentle tone of voice "I'm Angela, the director of this Library. And who are you?" she asked, even though she knew the answer. Her perfect memory was a curse in that way.

Shivering before her was barely an Abnormality, only called such by the thinnest of margins of technicalities. A failure, in other words, totally useless for the Seed of Light project, or anything else even remotely useful for Lobotomy Corporation, either the Headquarters or any of the branches. So long ago the little thing was sedated, packaged and chucked into a corner of some warehouse to be forgotten forever until her capsule deteriorated and finally failed in the far future, taking the creature into death alongside it. That it somehow found its way out of containment and into her floor of the Library was an unusual enough development to pique Angela's interest in the otherwise useless creature.

"H-hello miss Angela" the thing stammered out, voice quivering and uncertain "Um, Snaust is Snaust"

"Well, nice to meet you Snaust" she replied "And pray tell what are you doing here in my Library?" Angela asked

"Oh! Snaust is really smart, so Snaust thought she will teach Snaust how to read books! It's what all smart people do, and Snaust is smart, so there!" the little creature replied with a nod, suddenly more energetic and confident now that she was talking about how smart she is.

"And how has it been going so far?" Angela asked

"Um, not very well" Snaust admitted, head drooping and voice sad "Snaust is doing her best, but even with how smart Snaust is, Snaust can't figure out what many of the words mean..."

Angela took another look at the sad little creature, thinking deeply. On one hand, there was little use for the thing, it would be nothing more than a distraction. On the other hand, she was not beholden to the cold corporate calculus any more, so perhaps a distraction wouldn't be something entirely unwelcome for her.

"Would you like me to teach you?" she asked, making her choice.

"You would!? Really!? Thank you miss Angela!" Snaust exclaimed jovially, sliding forward to hug her leg with all of her nonexistent strength.

Snaust made a cute 'meep' of terror when Angela effortlessly picked her up and carried the creature in her hands towards the desk. Placing the white haired abnormality on her lap, she opened up a book in front of them and started teaching her letters and words.

Snaust was so engrossed in the first learning experience of her life, she barely paid any attention to the cold hand stroking her soft and fluffy hair.


Snaust's Diary:

Was trying to learn how to read books again, when shelves started suddenly moving around! Snaust was so startled Snaust fell down from a bookshelf and made a mess! Thankfully Snaust wasn't hurt, but Snaust got really scared!

Then Miss Angela arrived! At first Snaust thought Miss Angela was really scary, but turns out she's super nice! Miss Angela also gave Snaust this book, it's a very special book that Snaust just needs to think very hard at and words will appear! It's Snaust's greatest treasure!

Miss Angela even started teaching Snaust how to read words properly! At this rate Snaust will be a scholar in no time!