Nina Lecerf

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</infobox> Nina Lecerf is a Librarian Animus. She is bound by Zed (with mutual consent) and spends her time working in the library of the Blue Heron Institute.

Personality

Her function is her passion and raison d'être. Regularly gives book recommendations<ref name=":5">The woman gave Snowdrop a careful once-over, studying her, then went to a bookshelf, bending down.

“Here.”

The book had a mouse in knight’s armor on the cover.  It was titled ‘The Mouse’s Roar’.

No pictures.  Snowdrop flipped through.

“No pictures,” the librarian woman echoed her thoughts.  “But you’ll like it.”
[...]
“I’ll put the kettle on.  Do you want treats?  Again, sticky hands-”

“My sticky hands will ruin the books.  Right.”

“Be careful.  You could read in the meantime.  Tell me your thoughts.  I’ve read most published works, but a new reader’s experiences are something special.” - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.x</ref> and can seemingly tell what book someone might have read.<ref name="7.ae2">“Of course,” she said, smiling.  “Do you read?”

“Some.”

“I think you have an inkling of something in you, where you got a book, perhaps Infinite Jest or something Umberto Eco, and where others wouldn’t read them, you saw it as a challenge to finish it when others wouldn’t.  And it spoke to you on some level.  You keep telling yourself you should dive into a work like that again, but you can never find the time.”

“Nope,” he said.

“No?  Perhaps you’re not there yet.”

“It was The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles.  Have you read it?”

She smiled.  “Yes.  Gosh.  It’s interesting.  Some deep themes to dive into.  Not an easy read for many.”

“Sure.  Some guy who goes looking for a cat and ends up hiding at the bottom of a well to escape the world.  There have to be themes, or it’s just really dumb.”

“Don’t run from what it made you feel and think.  It spoke to you, didn’t it?  We’d all be better off if we read more and took away lessons from what we read.” - Excerpt from Gone Ahead 7.a</ref> Cpnsequently she's read an indescribably large amount of books.<ref name=":5"/> This seems to be linked to the vicarious pleasure she gets from what people take away from books,<ref name=":5"/><ref name="7.ae2"/> and always reccomends engaging more with liturature.<ref name="8.6e2">“I feel… melancholy, leaving this behind.  Lame, I know, I’ll have mixed feelings about this school but this library won’t be mixed.”

“Always, when you leave unread books behind,” Nina answered.  She stroked the back of Verona’s head.  It felt like a big sister or mom thing, and that made Verona feel weird, because she’d never had much of either.

She could hear running in the hallway, and turned, “Bye.”

“We may see each other if Zed stops in to see you outside of summer,” Nina told her.

“Maybe.  That’d be neat.  I’ll have to find a good bookstore to show you.”

“You should be looking for good bookstores regardless.”

“True!” Verona called out, as she hurried off.  She smiled as Nina shushed her. - Excerpt from Vanishing Points 8.6</ref> Loves to help restore books and likely another way she feeds her self.<ref name=":2"/>

Has stereotypical librarian behaviors, such as shushing people<ref>“Shh,” Nina whispered, holding a finger to her lips.  She indicated the books. - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.5</ref><ref name="8.6e2"/> and a fondness for tea,<ref>“It’s good we have an electric kettle,” the librarian said.  “But I must be careful about the steam.  Even that can damage an old book.  Tea is a once-a-day treat for me, and I’m glad to have company.” - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.x</ref> and a draconian protectiveness of books coupled with ensuring a readers unrestricted access to them. She does appear credulous though.<ref name=":8"/>

If occupants of a library are stressed she may reflect this stress.<ref>The end of the hallway near all the storage rooms and stuff had students sitting in the hall.  As they walked by the library, Verona could see that students had taken up residence at tables, and there was a tension in there that was like what was in the hallway, if just a bit quieter.  The librarian Nina looked stressed, picking at her cuticles with her fingernails. - Excerpt from Cutting Class 6.6</ref>

Relationships

Any reader seems to get along with Nina.<ref>“Might be the last time I grab a book,” Verona told Nina, as she dropped off the books, wiping the cover of one clean with her hand.  “We’re expecting an email about some Others later, and we don’t know when we’re taking off with Zed, so I might try to cram something in.”

“I do love that you’re a reader,” Nina said.  “Do you want to stay for tea and a chat?  I want to ask what you’ve read and enjoy it vicariously.”

“Sorry,” Verona answered.

“Morning class?”

“Field trip to the Faerie.”

“I should pay more attention to the world outside.”

“Or live your best life and get us to fill you in.”

Nina smiled. - Excerpt from Vanishing Points 8.6</ref>

Zed

Was bound by Zed in a mutual deal to 'modernize' herself.<ref name:":3">“She’s bound, right?” Verona asked.  “You had to let her out, and you only did it for a short time.  Then she’s stuck again?”

“It was a mutual deal,” Zed said.  “I offered her access to a trove of material online, and to help her figure it out and adapt her.  After ten years, she can decide to abort or renew.”

“As a thingy of knowledge and whatever, is she even capable of saying no and ending the contract?” Lucy asked.  “Or does she have to take the option where she’s bound for longer?”
[...]
“Just so you know, Nina does have a choice,” Zed said.  “And she chose to be bound.”

“Okay,” Lucy said.  She didn’t flinch or anything.  “That’s good.” - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.4</ref> Seems fine with Zed as he is.<ref name=":1"/> Their relationship seems to be one of genuine friendship if nothing else.<ref name=lb/>

Snowdrop

Happy to help her find books, she likes as a new reader.<ref name=":5"/> It is unknown if Nina is aware that Snowdrop burned the BHI library.

Blue Heron Institute

Familiar to the teachers at the BHI<ref name=":2"/> and has worked with Alexander Belanger in reconstructing Ted Havens' past lives.<ref name="7.ae1"/>

Appearance

General old-fashioned librarian or student look, with glasses and hair tied back; exact style and time period is hard to pin down.<ref name=":2"/><ref name=":8">She was the librarian, if he remembered right.  Slim, her large glasses slipped a bit down her nose, slightly European fashion that was modest and hard to pin down.  Her black hair was in a ponytail that looked like it had been hastily pulled up, and she carried a stack of books.
[...]
“I [Kevin] want access.  The librarian needs permission before she’ll let me look at some books, and I’m wondering if there’s a way into Alexander’s office.  That was my original goal.  I thought stealing stuff that looked valuable could ruin his day and make Lawrence’s.  But the librarian just let slip that the old headmaster still has books he’s very protective of in there.”

“His place of power?  It’s harder to break into than you think.”
[...]
He let Shellie go ahead, and then walked lazily around the building, glancing now and then at the librarian, who was visible through the back window, oblivious to the world as she paged through a book so quickly it was hard to believe she was digesting any of it.  Here and there, she would take a sip of tea, pulling the books well away from the cup before she tipped it back, to keep them safe.
[...]
“You have your permission, sir,” the librarian said.

“There’s supposed to be something important in there.  I was told I’d know it when I saw it.”
[...]
“I can make the connection now.  I had to use what I’ve been learning about the digital landscape to organize it. If Ted has any problems the school can help with, there may be clues in there.  Ask me if you need help sorting through it.”

“Yes. Do you have permission to enter? I’d have to double check before I pulled anything out for you.”

“No need,” he said. He didn’t want to test whatever Shellie had done. “Thanks, and excuse me.” - Excerpt from Gone Ahead 7.a</ref> Lace is posible asscesory but nine seems to choose clothes that lets her blend in with library stacks.<ref>Nina approached, stopping a distance away, and then turned, holding her tea and saucer, apparently taking in the books in a very similar way.  Nina wore a vest over a top with a frilly collar that was fixed in place with a ribbon.  She also wore a knee-length corduroy skirt, platform heels with a marked patina to the leather that matched the tones and patina of her belt, had her hair tied back, and thick-rimmed glasses.

Not quite Verona’s style, but she took mental note, all the same.  If she had to grow up, there were worse cues to take than this distillation of librarian chic. - Excerpt from Vanishing Points 8.6</ref>

Abilities and Art

As a librarian animus she has a special relationship to information. She can rapidly search through vast stores of it, including reading through computer files<ref name=":1">{UNBOUND}

Hello Zoe.
>Hello Nina. It’s Zed now. Hello Zed.
I need some knowledge. I live for knowledge. :)
Pass phrase, said out loud. Past pass phrases included ‘Keep on Chooglin’, ‘Mama Tried Hardest’, and ‘Bancroft by the river’. I’m up against seven Others who resemble the seven dwarves. I’m thinking women related to the Snow White animation. He likes the ladies. Can I dig?
>Dig through my computer. Less than a minute left. On it~~
>If you need to intuit Ray’s way of thinking & speaking, check his emails to me. Usual rules about privacy.
& forgetting the personal details.
I don’t care about those anyhow
>20 seconds.
‘Doris Day was the last one singing’ - Out on a Limb bonus - SunnyDay Logs</ref> and helping to arrange them (thanks to her experiences with Zed). She can also read paper books strikingly quickly.<ref name=":8"/>

She seems to have a unparalleled gift for book recommendations,<ref name="7.ae2"/> matching people with books if needed.<ref name="Lone">“Being an Animus can be a lonely existence.  For a Librarian Animus, life is defined by the search for books, visits to bookstores, meeting people in a moment and giving them that one perfect book.”

“I wonder how that is for someone like John,” Lucy said.  “Moments of violence?  It feels like he’s moving away from what he is whenever he’s being social and nice.”

“I don’t know,” Zed replied.  “That’s not me disagreeing, it’s me not knowing. - Excerpt from False Moves 12.9</ref>

She is fond of restoring and replacing damaged books, as that is fundamental to her Self.<ref name=":2">“Hopefully the scales are even after your negotiation with Nicolette.  Speaking of libraries, is that our Nina Lecerf bumping around in that device of yours?” Mrs. Durocher asked Zed.

“She wants out.  If I may?”

Mrs. Durocher nodded.

Zed put the phone down, dialed a number, and stood back.

Avery stumbled a bit as paper slipped free of her bag and pocket.  Blank pages, some napkins, and stuff from other students found courses in a growing wind and found a common destination by traveling those courses.  They slapped against the air and found a three-dimensional human figure in the air.

Then, as if by a million colored pens drawing at once, features appeared on that form.  She stepped forward, dusting herself off.  Her hair was in a bun, she had a slight smile, and oversized glasses.  Her clothes looked like those of an old fashioned student, but they were hard to pin down from any movies Avery had seen of the olden days.
[...]
Alexander approached.  He smiled at the woman.  “Would you be interested in doing us a favor, Nina?  Restoring what you can, and binding new books to replace the ones you can’t?” The woman held both hands over her heart, and there was a faint paper sound, as if she had papers inside the breast of that suitcoat that was so fitted it could be a corset.  “May I?”
[...]
“She’s an Animus,” Zed said.  “A librarian in this case.  A conservator and collector of knowledge.  Her entire existence as an Other was and is books.  Visiting old bookstores, antique stores, auctions… sitting in libraries every night, making her own books or painstakingly copying tomes getting too old to be readable.” - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.4</ref> She can find information otherwise thought 'lost' if paid the necessary power.<ref name="7.ae1">

The librarian can at times uncover those works that have been lost.  The great unfinished works, the books of which no known copy survives.  This requires power and to these ends I’ve spent a fair share.  But retrieving the texts themselves from distant oblivion is not the full story, nor the full burden. [...] To crack open a text is to demand a rendering of these many connections and their implications, and penetration of those passive defenses, looking into those things which reality had thought safe. - Excerpt from Gone Ahead 7.a</ref> There are of course limits to her abilities, a courserary search on a group of Witch Hunters did not turn up any information.<ref>Zed replied.  “[...]Just going to ask Nina to identify our guys.  Going by names… Clint, Rocky, Gerald Haris, remind me?”

“Elise, Renfroe, Francis, Cleo Aleshire,” Lucy supplied.

“Getting use out of that earring,” Verona said.
[...]
“Nina’s looking… and nothing.  Scrubbed.”

“Scrubbed.  Just completely wiped away from the internet?”

“And apparently from news, microfiche records, police records,” Zed said, leaning back into his chair. - Excerpt from False Moves 12.9</ref>

Has control over paper, which she can wield as a weapon;<ref name=pb>Snowdrop froze.  She saw two eyes peering out from beneath a bookshelf.

The librarian strode over, bent down, and dragged the fairy thing out from beneath the shelf.

“I’ve warned you lot,” Nina said.  She drew a piece of lined paper from her sleeve and flicked it.  It went rigid, like a blade, and pressed against the side of the creature’s throat.  “Not in this library.  I won’t brook any disrespect of this space while I’m charged with it.”

She walked the thing to the door, then deposited it outside.  The eyes glowed at Snowdrop as the door swung closed.  Nina stopped the door at the last second, to keep it from banging closed.

“If there were more people in this part of the library, I’d be quieter,” the librarian confessed. - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.x</ref> when summoned her body seems to form out of nearby pieces of paper.<ref name=":2"/> As an animus she is at times both corporate and incorperate, allowing her to manifest physically or as a line of computer code.<ref name=lb>The fan on the old laptop was roaring now, the machine kicking to life.  Zed opened an application, then opened a separate window.  Blue text that didn’t fit the lines of code and the streams of ones and zeroes appeared on the screen.

“That’s Nina,” Zed noted.

“Our librarian?  Your librarian?  The librarian?” Verona asked.  “She didn’t stay at the school?”

“Yes, it is, and no, she didn’t.  She sticks with me.  Part of the terms we agreed to.  She didn’t want to be left behind,” Zed explained. - Excerpt from False Moves 12.9</ref>

Chronology

Before the Story

A librarian animus that operated for an unknown amount of time before the future Zed<ref name=":1"/> negotiated a binding to help Nina adapt to modern times.<ref name=":3"/>

Leaving a Mark

Nina took up residence at the BHI library, helping to restore it, after some unidentified-to-her arsonist burned the place.<ref name=":2"/> She unknowningly (?) helped that arsonist when she was being persued by brownies.<ref name=pb/>

Came with Zed to kennet when he helped the Kennet Trio and their allies deal with the run up to the carmine contest.<ref name=lb/>

Trivia

• Nina may have chosen her name from a character in The Real Life of Sebastian Knight who used the name "Nina Lecerf" as an alias while dealing with the protagonist.
• The name "Nina" has many meanings. In Russia, where the name is most popular, it is often a short form of the Hebrew name Anna, which means "grace". The surname Lecerf means "the deer" in French.

References

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