Library, Wednesday

[era_two_triangle]

It was always the quiet weeks in the library that Peridot didn't trust. At least when the books were doing something strange, she knew what they were up to, after all. But when things were quiet like this, it was possible that they were up to anything.

Aaaanythiiiiing.

So if she spent a good portion of her shift just popping around shelves into the aisles and shouting, "I caught you," at the books, well, she thought she was justified, anyway.

And sooner or later, she would actually catch them at something. Right?

No?

Well. She tried.

Comments

[heromaniac]

"AUGH! I didn't do it!" Momoko jumped, dropping Comic Sans in Cosmic Hands in surprise as the... person? popped into view and shouted at her. She was an alumni! She was allowed in the library, wasn't she?

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot paused. And blinked. And tilted her head and squinted at the human and then the book on the floor.

"Well, now you did," she pointed out, making her way over to pick the book up and check it over for damage.

[heromaniac]

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to. You scared me." She took a breath to relax herself and smiled. "Are you the librarian?"

[era_two_triangle]

"I'm one of the assistants," Peridot replied, shaking her head and holding the book back up for the human to take. "I was trying to catch the books in the act. They've been too quiet today."

[heromaniac]

Momoko took back the book. "Ah thank you. So you're a student, then? Sorry. I haven't been in here for a while, so I don't know who's who anymore." Not that she'd ever spent much time in the library...

"So the books have been quiet? Do they still move around and plot mean tricks?"

[era_two_triangle]

"A student, yes," Peridot agreed, even though the notion of it seemed to amuse her slightly. "And yes, they do still move around. Last week they were following me all around the library. They wouldn't stop until I read them."

They had been children's books. It had been adorable. Peridot was missing that context, somewhat.

[heromaniac]

Momoko chuckled. "Aww. I'm sure that must have been annoying for you, but it's still kind of sweet. They were probably just lonely; books aren't really very popular anymore."

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot hesitated at that new revelation and looked around the library.

"They aren't?"

Okay, now she was vaguely horrified. They were so useful!

[heromaniac]

Uh oh. Had she broken a newbie?!

"Well, uhm. You know. We have the internet? And lots of books are digital now. You can download them on your phones or tablets and read them and not have to worry about hurting an actual book! Some don't even get printed at all, back in my world. They're created online and stay there; no book at all."

Which totally was not the best way to read manga or comics, Momoko was here to tell you.

[era_two_triangle]

"Oh, that's the way it is on Homeworld too," Peridot noted. "Well. It's all computerized. I only just discovered books like this on Earth, and they're amazing! Sure they're not space efficient, exactly, but they don't require any manner of energy input and the data inside of them never gets corrupted. What's not to love?"

Peridot wasn't super inclined to break. She was mostly just super inclined to share her opinions.

[heromaniac]

"They can get corrupted if you spill juice on them," Momoko pointed out, experienced in that pain. "But I totally agree with you. And also there are lots of books that have never been converted or recorded. Especially older books or books that people don't care about or think are too boring. But they have lots of information in them!"

Like a certain book on ancient handwriting and printing of alien cultures through time and space.

[era_two_triangle]

Peridot would be all over that book, honestly.

"But... why would I spill juice on a book?"

That seemed needlessly destructive, really.

[heromaniac]

"Well, maaaaybe because you were reading and just getting to the really good part and your super dorky but totally awesome boyfriend thinks he's funnier than he is and decides to sneak up behind you and make you jump and knock over your juice by accident?" Momoko was totally making that up, yep. And she was also totally looking you in the eye, yep.

Yeeeep.

[era_two_triangle]

"Well, there's your problem, then," Peridot decided.

No, she wasn't going to specify if the problem was the boyfriend, the juice, or some combination of the two.