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“What’s the organization like?” I turned the page to read a story about the looksmaxxing mermaid. Once again, not a Grimm fairy tale…

“Think of a library like a coven. Members of this library use this facility as a homing beacon. I have a key to my library as well.” She tugged at the chain around her neck. “Gives us a focal point. Then there’re state libraries, regional libraries, and headquarters in Nebraska.”

“Why Nebraska?” I frowned. Seemed like a terrible place for that sort of thing.

“Isolation. They keep the prisoners and really weird shit in those libraries.” She snorted. “They’ve got a copy of the literal Necronomicon there. Human flesh and all.”

I shuddered. “What’s it like?”

“Paul is cool.” She turned another page, eyebrows rising. “The dude the cover is made of. He’s sentient. Nice guy, nasty Tourette’s, though. His tic is your cause of death.”

“Remind me not to see it.”

“Nah, it’s not that bad. I found it comforting.” She stayed on that page, eyes roving in one spot as if rereading a paragraph.

“Is it rude if I ask?” I turned over the form instructed on the inside cover and jotted some notes about an old woman who lived in an affordable and unstylish ethylene-vinyl acetate foam holy clog.

“Probably, but since when do archivists have manners? I don’t say this lightly, nor with any disrespect, but the neurodiversity of our kind spans so wide that we just develop no filter over time.” She flicked away from that page she was on, almost grudgingly. But she didn’t answer me.

A scuttle and scuffle across the library preceded a hiss and thwack. Seeing as it was coming from the zoology section…Zeke had a handle of it. He wasn’t screaming, at least.

“I thought I was rather neurotypical.” I frowned and glanced up in self-assessment.

She raised an imperious brow and wiggled the book at me. “Weirdooooo.”

“Hey, you like the same stuff.” I shook a finger at her and went back to my paperwork before taking another long chug just to keep the thirst and headache at bay, finding my can empty far too soon.

“That’s like your third one in an hour,” she said, snorting.

“I know, and I have to pee so bad.” I rose to excuse myself and sauntered off, finding the old-fashioned washroom. The toilet in there was so old, it had a pull chain—but still worked serviceably.

As I returned, I passed Zeke, hair disheveled and scuffed up but largely fine. “You good?”

He nodded. “Hyenas are assholes.”

I had no perspective, but I just gave him a little kiss and a pat to the head.

“I think I’m going to dive in a little bit and get my hair done if you don’t mind.” He waved a folded-up magazine at me, one tailored to hair with texture. He couldn’t bring things out, but he could get his hair done—which confused me to no end.

“Go for it. I’ll be working with Jess. I’m learning so much.” I beamed, and Zeke leaned in to give me a little kiss. “You packed a lunch for me, right?”

I nodded. “And Jess.”

“Mooch.” He huffed and waved before departing.

As I thought about food, my stomach soured, and the concept of tuna salad sounded horrid. I’d probably pick at my crackers and skip lunch all together.

I returned to my desk and flopped into my seat with a resounding huff that earned a glance from Jess as she sat my book down. “Zeke say something mean?”

“Huh?” I glanced over before rubbing at my eyes and yawning. I wanted nothing more than to be in bed.

“I dunno, you look like he said something nasty.”

“Nah, I just was thinking about lunch and tuna salad sounded great this morning, but man, I’m just not feeling it anymore.” I inspected my lunch bag and sighed miserably as I realized I’d run out of them.

“Wanna go buy some more fizzies?” She gave me a mischievous grin before waving one of my books at me.

I pursed my lips and hummed. “Okay. Fine.” That book had fun snacks mentioned in it.