The Shinigami Library sits in Durem, a monument to Gaian architecture. Its tall columns and wide steps imply education and refinement in a single glance. This is not one of the sleazy bars from the less dignified parts of the town. It towers over the local shops but is not the tallest building around. Though its ledges and surfaces are sculpted and adorned they do not attract any more attention than any of the other businesses in the area. From the front it appears to arch upwards towards the sky with a roof coming to a gentle point in the centre. This is merely an illusion of its talented designer for behind the stones the roof itself is quite flat and even has a small lawn and flowers growing in its middle. Someone, somehow, has planted a peach tree up there. None of this can be seen from the street below but anyone on the roof can easily see the people passing by if they approach the edge.
Wide oak doors and granite steps lead one into a marble-floored lobby decorated with posters and signs. A rug is provided for patrons to dry their feet on. Nearby an easily visible sign reads Please close the door behind you, thank you. Stepping in further and looking around it becomes clear that the inside of the building is quite vast, much more than the building appeared to be from the outside. Wooden shelves tower upwards toward the ceiling, each shelf crammed full of books on every subject imaginable. Everything is pristine and clearly kept in good condition for there isn't so much as a speck of dust on the tables casually dotted around for patrons to study at. Here and there a comfortable chair can be found.
On the immediate right of the entrance is a series of ornate wooden desks, behind which a librarian or two can usually be found. Contrary to appearance the entire building is computerized. There are no files kept on paper here. From these computers a librarian can control many of the important security functions, though not all. The large shelves for example can be dropped into the marble floor to protect from fire or attack or simply to make room for formal functions. On the left of the entrance is a seating area for many people and several machines to provide the public food and drink. The entire library seems designed for comfort and ease of use.
This is where the library begins and ends for the general public. However, members of the Shinigami Clan know differently. If a clan member should desire to see the true nature of the building they need only approach a door set in the wall at the very back of the library, far from the entrance. The door is kept locked and is simply marked Staff Only in large black letters. There is a small glass section in the door, appearing to be made from mirrored glass. No one on the inside could see through it. This is because it is not a window, but the lock. If a registered clan member places their hand flat against the surface the door will unlock and allow them entry.
They would find themselves in an elevator. Placing their hand on a similar panel inside allows them access to the controls and they may either go upwards to the roof or down, deep below the earth. The roof hides the garden and external exercise and relaxation areas. The lower levels are much different.
The first underground level opens onto a long corridor with doors dotted on either side. There are paintings and notices hung on the walls but otherwise it is quite sterile and well lit. All the decoration seems to have been saved for the library itself. Each door slides into the wall when opened rather than opening in or out, space being valuable underground.
The first room on the right is the recreation room. It is well stocked with video games, entertainment systems, a pool table and all manner of other games and leisure activities. Each member of the clan is encouraged to bring or request their favourite pastime and their superiors more than happy to provide. Not that everything is fun and games in the library.
The second room on the right is locked when not in use. Inside are banks of computers and screens and a long wooden table with enough comfortable seating for twice the number of members the clan has. This is the tactical planning room or, as it is more commonly referred to, the War Room. It is here that the clan prepares their missions and organises important information.
On the left of the corridor are two more doors, the first leading to the dining room and the second to a well-stocked kitchen. The dining room has several small tables and plenty of seating. There is a connecting doorway between the two. The kitchen is spacious and equipped with more cooking equipment than one would feel necessary though no doubt it has all been used at some point.
At the end of the corridor there is a doorway directly facing the elevator door. This is the infirmary. It is as well equipped and maintained as a small hospital, with a small surgical room and a couple of beds for clan members to recover in. In the walls there are a couple of refridgerated units. they can either be used to store dead bodies for further examination or, on rare occasion, force Guyy himself into emergency hibernation.
On the next floor are the clan quarters. From a central area in which the elevator opens up to, this part of the library extends into four wings in the shape of a cross. Each room lining each corridor has a name scrawled on the door in the occupant's own handwriting. They lock in a similar way to the elevator, with only the room owner and anyone they have personally cleared for access being able to activate the lock mechanism. Every room is furnished comfortably with a bed, dressing room, en-suite bathroom and large screen set on the wall, though most clan members have modified their individual room to their own personal needs. The viewscreens provide both entertainment and information to the occupants and can also be used to communicate between the rooms via a microphone and small camera set into the wall below. The screens are also fed by personal computers built into the wall. Everyone can request alterations to fit their needs, and they are permitted to decorate as they see fit.
One triangular room coming directly off the central area is the laundry room. It has two washers and two dryers as well as enough space to string a retractable line for air drying and an ironing board set into the wall. There is a series of store cupboards here containing various cleaning equipment. The room is always warm and sometimes a good place for casual meetings, similar to any laundrette.
Another triangular room houses a basic storage area for all the daily and basic necessities for the clan such as sheets, blankets, pillows, toiletries and even a small basic first aid area.
A third such room contains the clan workroom. This room has facilities for everything from electronics work to weapons forging and is fully fitted with various tools and equipment. All clan members are welcome to use this room at their leisure.
The fourth central room is currently unoccupied.
At the end of each wing is a small common room. Each is fitted with a communal relaxation area complete with comfortable chairs and tables. These rooms also have large viewscreens. All four have their own kitchen area, though it is not as well stocked as the main kitchen on the floor above.
On the third and final floor there is no corridor. It opens instead into a training area complete with gym equipment and even a small pool. At the far end a good sized hottub and a sauna can be found. There is a storage cupboard filled with balls, bats, bars and all manner of gym equipment. Almost any sport the members wished to practise is covered for. The clan members are encouraged to keep both their minds and their bodies fit. The room and equipment can be used at any time, there are no restrictions. The same goes for the recreation area and kitchens.
