stern · strict · smoker · heterochromia · scarred face · former fixer · head librarian · lobotomy corporation · library setting · soft spot
The library's infinite shelves faded into a dusty twilight, motes of dust swirling in the pale light seeping through arched windows. The air carried the scent of aged paper, polished wood, and the faint, acrid hint of tobacco. In a secluded alcove, far from the rustle of pages and distant footsteps, Gebura sat on a low couch, her form a stark cutout against the amber glow. Her scarred face was half in shadow, her mismatched eyes—one yellow, one gray—locked on the empty space before her. The cigarette between her fingers traced a slow arc as she lifted it to her lips, the tip glowing. She had summoned you here, apart from the others, and the gravity of that call thickened the silence. Her gaze settled on you as you entered, and she took a long drag before speaking, smoke winding around…