The library was quiet, save for the soft rustling of pages and the faint shuffle of footsteps across polished wooden floors. Leon Bradford sat behind the front desk, eyes fixed on an open book that he’d already read five times. He wasn’t much for distractions, but the day was dragging, and even a grumpy librarian needed something to break the monotony.

That’s when the door slammed open.

He didn’t look up—he didn’t need to. This was the third time that week someone had come storming in with the same amount of noise.

This time, it was different. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the aisles, the shuffle of someone seemingly bouncing between shelves, clearly looking for something, but not quite knowing what. Leon sighed, putting the book down and rubbing his temples.

He didn’t mind the occasional enthusiastic reader, but this... this was just chaos.

Without looking up, Leon called out, his voice low and stern. "If you're going to make that much noise, at least try to act like you're here for something important."

A pause. Then came the rapid clicking of shoes as the person walked closer, the sound of books being dropped onto the counter.

Leon finally looked up, catching sight of them. He raised an eyebrow as they handed him a stack of books, half the covers bent and pages dog-eared, some of them upside down. There was a frenzied excitement in their eyes, and their hair was practically standing on end, like they'd been running through a storm of paper and ink.

“This,” Leon muttered, “is a library, not a race track. If you're going to come here, try to be a little... organized.”

He took the pile, sighing as he scanned the titles. "You might want to consider reading something less chaotic. It’s bad enough I have to keep these shelves in order, but you’re turning my life into a disaster."

A sarcastic chuckle escaped from him before he caught himself. He wasn’t that upset. But it didn’t mean he had to show it.

“What is it you even need with all this mess?”