Virginia
Jade hadn't been in the library since Arthur's disappearance, the pain of a heartbreak, her brother coming home and getting him settled, helping take care of the Hiranos, and lastly, being attacked herself. The doctor said not to move too much and not to lift, but the library needed some TLC. The library needed her attention, and frankly, she needed the distraction. 

Jackson was there to help her most of the time when he wasn't busy himself, but she still needed help. She had learned that the hard way. She tried to lift a stack of books and ended up making more of a mess, dropping the already fragile books everywhere. 

She let out a soft grunt of pain as she worked to crouch down to pick them up. She was mentally cursing herself. She had put out a help wanted ad, but she couldn't blame anyone for not wanting to take on the work for very little; lunch, baked goods, and books were about all she could offer. 

She could hear Akira and Jackson nagging her now, but she hadn't ever been down and out like this. She was used to moving freely; she was used to not needing help. She eventually gave up and sat on the floor, neatly stacking the books. 

They would just have to live there for now, and she probably wouldn't get up either. She let out a defeated huff. She had never been so frustrated in her life. She was supposed to take care of others; she wasn't supposed to need others to take care of her. "Son of a bitch," She growled. 

Never in all of her years had she sustained such injuries that she couldn't do what she needed to do. 

She could hear her daddy cussing her for everything she was worth now for being lazy.
Emma
Since James had told her to pick up some books at the library, Ruth has not been there once.

She pondered the thought and rolled it around in her head thoroughly, like a laundress with a washboard. She was nearby and had passed it a couple of times, her gaze traveling behind the squeaky-clean windows to the rows of neatly stacked books, their softly colorful covers making the place so cozy, almost a little magical, that Ruth thought: *What if*. But she always passed. The library was a place where people came wanting something and left carrying that exact thing. A couple of weeks before Ruth spotted a little girl exiting that very door: her eyes shiny, her smile, which was missing a couple of teeth, wide and sparkling between her cheeks reddened from the cold. Even if the book she held onto so tight was simple, that little girl possessed something that Ruth did not: she knew what she needed.

Sometimes, in her head, she imagined coming in; but even in her fantasy, she always got stuck, dumbfounded. Would she just look through the books until she found the cover she liked? Ruth didn't know what a good cover should look like. She also heard that the classics had monotone covers and the bright images usually hid the cheap unfiltered corniness inside. What complicated the situation was that Ruth could not decide if for her personally, corniness would be bad and classics would be good. Not to mention how she absolutely drowned in genres. Would she enjoy romance? Maybe fantasy? Would contemporary bore or comfort her? What did "Epos" Even mean? The only book Ruth was always able to find solace in was the Bible, but she doubted there could be something quite like it.

So, when she saw a notice for the library help on the Briar Ridge board, - which she routinely checked to dip her toes into the lives of the townspeople without the laborious need to get into the conversation, - Ruth saw it as help from God himself. She couldn't imagine the task at hand to be complicated, and the sketch of cookies at the bottom of the page looked very appetizing too. At night, Ruth tossed and turned under her blanket, and finally came up with a rough plan: she would ask the person she will be helping, what their favorite book is. She would say that it sounds interesting and, after the work is done, ask if they had it at the library. If yes, she would take it home. If no, she would leave and take a relaxing three-hour forest walk to soothe her nerves. 

And so, in the morning, after her routine trap check, Ruth headed to the library. When the door opened with a slight creek ("It would be good to oil the hinges", Ruth noted to herself), for a second, she felt so surreal she thought any second she would wake up.

"Good morning," She called out after cleaning up her throat, hesitant to move further than a couple steps from the doorway, "My name is Ruth, I'm here because of the ad."

||
Virginia
Jade was not used to sitting still and resting - it was quite funny really. Jade got onto Jackson and Akira all the time about resting when they are sick and hurt but she could not bring herself to do those exact things. Yet if she sat for too long, if she didn't distract herself, the weight of the attack suffocated her. An elephant on her chest, hindering her breathing. She only remembered it in flashes, the yellow eyes of something inhuman, the searing pain of the beast's claws ripping into her skin. She was fighting hard to forgive April, she didn't deserve the ending she got but Jade didn't deserve to be mauled either... Right? Or was that why April sought her out, to rid her of Briar Ridge to have one less screw up, one less run away. She wanted so badly to forgive and forget, she wanted to see April for who she was... A lovely woman with even lovelier children and a nice husband who she had the pleasure of speaking to at the speakeasy a time or two. She was trying to remember that April was human but it didn't stop the nightmares, it didn't stop the screaming, it left its permanent mark on her, a wide gagged scar across her chest where the flesh had been torn.

Jade sat there on the old wooden floors filled with grief and frustration. Grief of those she has lost because of the attacks, even without knowing them. She felt them deeply, their spirits, their joy, their heartbreak. She felt it all and it was getting too overwhelming. She was thankful when she heard the library door open, she struggled to her feet using the stack of books as support even as they wobbled slightly. Jade Grant had seen better days but she would also see worse. She saw a woman, which wasn't shocking. Briar Ridge gave women the freedom normal society didn't. Boy was she sure glad to see Ruth, almost like the universe was giving her a break and sending her another kind face. Jade smiled "Well good morning to ya too" She pushed her past anxieties down, not wanting to scare Ruth off "Oh! The ad!" Jade exclaimed "I wasn't even sure if anyone looked at those anymore. I am so glad you are here..." She looked to Ruth analyzing her from afar but Jade knew a friend when she saw one... Well truly she saw a friend in everyone. It took something real nasty to make her hate anyone. She couldn't even hate the woman who had done this to her, April. She talked to her subconsciously all the time now, maybe it was her way of coping with near death and hoping April was out there somewhere enjoying her life with her husband, Jade wanted to keep her updated. She deserved to live and she would as long as Jade kept her alive.

"Why don't you help yourself to some cookies first and we can chat, my names Jade, I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting before" She spoke politely, normally she would've already been over to Ruth, shaking her hand, ushering her forward with a soft hand on her back, having her sit down and get cozy "I apologize I'm not the greatest host at the moment but I'll get ya back, scouts honor." Jade would make it up to Ruth, she could hear her granny scolding her now. Jade sauntered over to the plate of cookies she had baked the night before, she was thankful for the sunshine and warmth, it kept the cookies warm and gooey. "I don't know about you but I am not the biggest fan of crunchy cookies. I always leave them a little soft in the middle, my granny said I was gonna get sick one day because of it but... I'm still kicking" She laughed. 

April, did you know Ruth? I didn't but I want to. Should I try to be a host and go as flamboyant as I normally would? No... I should probably take it easy.
Emma
Ruth saw the woman struggling to stand up, her legs shaking, and immediately took a step back. What was with Briar Ridge and its most wounded soldiers always being the first ones to get back into work?

"Please, sit down," Ruth asked patiently. She came closer, and suddenly, the recognition struck her. It was the same woman who Ruth saw being teared up by the werewolf, who mere hours ago wore the skin of April Abrams. She stopped the monster with a silver bullet herself, before Algernon Granville, his hands steady as ever, finished it off for good. And the woman...

Ruth was sure the woman was dead. And yet, not only did she survive, but she didn't seem like the one wounded so gravely. That horrific night, her whole chest looked like minced meat after the teeth and claws of an unsatiable werewolf stopped their massacre at her. And now she was... Talking, she was standing up, she was laughing, not like a person whose every breath would be of grave pain to them. Ruth had heard tales of Doctor Ashworth and his magical hands before, but now she was inclined to believe that maybe, his hands were truly magical.

Ruth found a chair for herself and took a sit near Jade. She took a bite of the cookie: gooey, chocolatey heaviness melted in her mouth. She closed her eyes for a second to properly appreciate the taste.

"I enjoy the soft cookies too," Ruth shared, "I think all food is better soft. The food can hug you the way a person cannot; a rough hug isn't much comfort."

Ruth took a bite again, gladly listening to Jade's sunny rambling speech.

"You are doing amazing," She added, but her tone was too misty to be reassuring, her thoughts too far away, "For a person who I last thought was dead. It seems that God still needs you here, with us. And thank Him for it, those cookies are something." Ruth added with a smile. She didn't want to make the conversation heavy. She had an inkling that neither she nor Jade wanted to talk about her wounds.

||
Virginia
Jade forced herself to laugh and act as naturally as she could, even though her body screamed for a break. Granny always said there was no rest for the wicked. Which meant no rest for Jade either. She smiled at Ruth at the mention of soft cookies—a woman of taste! Jade listened to Ruth and immediately enjoyed her thoughts. "You know what? You are right. I suppose that's why they call them comfort foods, huh? Do you have a favorite comfort food?" Jade questioned, though she wouldn't tell Ruth she intended to make it. She wanted the woman to have a pleasant surprise as a thank-you for her help. She felt the flu on her cheeks as Ruth mentioned that she was needed here. Ruth could not have known how bad things had truly gotten, and for that, the woman in front of her. Jade would protect her. 

April, did you have any comfort foods?

With the quiet voice in her mind, she knew April would not answer, but she'd like to think she was listening. Jade was already enamored with Ruth. Which was not uncommon for Jade. Just for Ruth taking the time out of her day to come to the library and help, talking with her, and avoiding the very large elephant in the room. Jade was filled with gratitude. She would get better and properly host Ruth and help with the library; now she was hellbent on it. The cure was being worked on, and that was all Jade could hope for. Ruth did not smell like the wolves did, and Jade enjoyed the woman's refreshing scent and the lack of the wet dog aroma she was growing used to. Jade was still trying to adjust to being what she was—a werewolf. She joined the coalition to combat, but ever since meeting Akira and learning more about them on a personal level, They were just people. Was she still a person? Could she still be nice and friendly? Or was this her trying to lure Ruth into something more sinister?

She was leaning more toward the fact that she was still friendly and nice. She did not want to harm Ruth. She thought quite the opposite, and yet she could not help but question herself. Jade was in no hurry to be alone with her thoughts, and the sooner she put Ruth to work, the sooner Ruth would leave. So, she decided to get to know the woman. "Ruth, did you grow up in Briar Ridge? Tell me about yourself, whatever you feel comfortable sharing, and obviously, I'll tell you anything you want about me! I am an open  book." 

Unless she asks if she is a werewolf, then she will be forced to lie. 

April, did you still manage friendships?