Library [11/1], Evening

[agentthepaper]

Yomiko let herself into the library and left the door open as she collected a stack of books to read and went back to her office for some quality time with the books and some (carefully kept away from the books!) tea and leftover Halloween candy.

((For someone specific.))

Comments

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

"Of course," Aly replied with a grin once she was in 'inside voice' range. "Besides, I was at the cheerleading practice anyway."

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

Hamlet sighed in embarrassment. "So was I."

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

"It's good practice for fencing, I'd think. All the flexibility training," Aly replied, keeping a mostly straight face.

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

"And I supposed if that dog Laertes back home ever decides to attack me by doing a cartwheel, I can at least throw him fifteen feet in the air," he added.

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Aly laughed. "Or cartwheel out of his way. That's always an option."

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

"There's an idea. Who needs fencing when you could have a cartwheel duel to determine who's the better man."

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

"If you're going to be so very straightforward about it," Aly replied, rolling her eyes teasingly. "But where's the fun in out-duelling someone? Swords are so obvious."

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

"But it's also a statement of who has the better skill and training and strategy, to see who can prove victorious against a skilled adversary." He smiled a bit at his memories of previous fencing practices. "And a clean victory is immensely gratifying."

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Aly grinned sharply. "It is at that. I just prefer my victories without swords. Mainly because I don't use one very well."

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

He smiled back. "I suppose that would be how we differ."

He took the book out of his hands, and laid it down on a nearby table, giving it another look over. "This would be the book I found," he said to Aly. "Does anything in there look familiar at all to you?"

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure not just that," she replied with a wink.

Aly took the book from Hamlet and started flipping through the pages, concentrating on what she wanted to See.

"The book itself isn't magic," she said, slowly. "But..." she trailed off, looking more closely.

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

"But what?" he asked. It was usually never good when there was a 'but' involved.

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

She looked up at him, amused at the fatalism in his voice.

"It's not magic itself, but it's been touched by magic for a while. I can see the traces on it still rather strongly." She tilted her head, trying to make out actual spells or signs. "It almost feels like it's been soaked in it."

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

He stared at the book, trying to see look for the magic that Aly said was there, but failing at it. "Has it? I didn't see anything particularly out of the ordinary in the room where I found it." He paused. "Unless perhaps it was the room itself."

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

"That could be," Aly replied with a nod. "Normally if magic was worked on the book, it would be apparent. But this is different; it's just the traces somehow." She thought for a minute. "It could be the room itself. Or something strongly magical in the room - or in the room sometimes."

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

Hamlet thought that over, trying to grasp what his teacher was talking about. None of the things he imagined looked good.

"I've always thought there was something odd about that end of the hallway." He looked over at Aly. "That's where the disappearances started last year."

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Evie came in about then, and looked disturbed as she listened. "Disappearances?" She nodded to Aly, not recognizing her, but assuming she was a teacher. "Hello, Professor."

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Aly nodded back at Evie. "Hello."

"On the sixth floor, correct?" She replied to Hamlet. She glanced back at the book. "It could be something like that."

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

"That is is correct," he said. "Duo disappeared a few months ago, so now my pet and I are the only ones left living there, out of the dozen or so who moved in there September of last year."

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

"And you think there's something up there that's causing it?" Aly replied, curious. "It's definitely not something ordinary like they all missed home?"

She glanced back at the book. "You're hoping that Special Collections can help you translate it?"

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

"If they did simply miss home, they were very stealthy about it," he said. "It's as though they were there one day, and simply gone the next, without mentioning anything to anyone, and with all their belongings. It seems odd that so many people should do the exact same thing."

He motioned around at the book on the table, and the many references tomes in the special collections. "I'm hoping that something in here will tell me what I'm dealing with."

He looked back down at the table. "I don't want to be the next one to vanish," he added quietly.

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Evie hugged herself, and studied Hamlet, then the professor, getting the first faint notion of the dangers everyone constantly referred to. "And then, when you know-- what happens?" she asked hesitantly. "Does the school do something?" She looked at Aly hopefully.

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

"It definitely does, at that," Aly replied. "I wasn't aware there was such a pattern to the disappearances." At the words, there was the slightest tinge of annoyance in her voice. If she was here to do a job, she needed to be more observant.

She carefully scanned through the pages of the book again, looking for anything she had missed, any spell that was hidden within itself. "Once you get a basic translation, I'd perhaps take someone with a Gift for sensing evil beings or oddities back upstairs? Along with people to defend her. Maybe see what they can find." She touched Hamlet's arm for an instant. "You won't be. We'll be sure of that. If you need me, you know where I am."

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

Hamlet pulled down a book claiming to reference over 600 demon languages off the shelf, and gave both Aly and Evie a worried smile. "Thank you both for your help. And I'll certainly keep your advice in mind, professor."

He flipped open the book. "If I can ever figure out what this says."

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Aly smiled at the size of the book. "On that part? Better you than me. I'll see you on Tuesday if not before."

With a nod to Evie and Ms. Readman, she left.