fandomhigh | Library [10/08]

Sam had a stack of books that needed new check-out labels, and was going through them. Seriously, this was less boring to him than it sounds.

It would be boring to Claire. But Claire had other things on her mind, namely the fact that she'd read her evolution book so much she knew it back to front, and she wanted more info.

Which is why she found her way into the library this morning.

"Hey, you work here?"

Which just showed how often she cam to the library.

Sam glanced up, brought out of his labeling reverie, and smiled. "I do on Mondays, yeah," he said. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, do you have any books on evolution?" she asked, leaning on his desk. "Or, y'know, genetics and stuff?"

"Yeah, I'm sure we do. Is this for one of the science classes?"

"No," Claire said brightly. "Just for personal stuff.

"That's OK, right? I don't have to need it for a class to take a book out, do I?"

"Oh, no, that's totally okay," Sam said. "I just didn't know that was something you were into. That's pretty cool."

"Well, I wasn't until recently."

Claire smiled sheepishly, as if she'd just been caught out showing science nerd tendencies.

"It's interesting stuff though, right? Where we come form and all that."

"Very interesting," Sam replied, coming out from behind the desk to lead Claire to the right section of bookshelves. "I take it you're looking more for stuff on humans? As opposed to animals."

Claire followed closely, talking animatedly.

"Well, human mostly. But isn't it pretty much the same thing? Y'know, if animals evolve one thing, then there's nothing to stop humans evolving it as well?"

"Hmm, that's a good thought," Sam agreed. "We're not that different from animals in the great scheme of things. And it would be pretty cool to evolve some of the skills they have."

"Yeah, it would be."

Claire ran a finger along one of the bookshelves as she browsed the titles.

"Do you know much about biology?"

"Not a lot," Sam admitted. "I'm not much of a science person overall. But I understand the basics - DNA and genes and all that."

Re: Second Period [10/08]

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Re: Second Period [10/08]

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Re: Second Period [10/08]

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Re: Second Period [10/08]

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Rikku stopped in after her sex ed class, less bouncy than her usual. "Hiya," she said with a quick smile. "Do, uh, do you know anything about ... ghosts?"

"Hey Rikku," Sam said, and he couldn't help but laugh. "That's kind of like asking me if I know anything about walking. Which is to say, yeah, I do. Why do you ask?"

[Gah, I just saw this now. Sorry!]

"Really?" she said, perking up. "Uh. They're kinda ... it's different, where I'm from? Like, the Unsent that hang around usually go crazy and turn into fiends, so you have to Send them quickly, not, uh, help them figure out how to touch things and what they're supposed to be doing and, uh, I ..."

She dropped her voice and leaned in a little. "I ... saw someone this weekend."

"You did?" Sam asked. "The ghosts where I'm from...there's different kinds, really. Some ghosts are kind of like what you just described with the Unsent - they're vengeful, and crazy, and out to hurt people, and the only way to deal with them is to get rid of their bones, to send them on their way. But some ghosts are peaceful. Usually, those are the ghosts who stick around to watch over the people they care about, and I don't think they really have a reason to get dangerous then, if that makes sense."

Rikku nodded quickly. "It's ... he's ... he didn't know why he was still here. Like, his dad ... there was something wrong so he couldn't move on until ... until it was fixed? But he doesn't know if there's that or he's stuck or ..." She took a deep breath. "It's still him. He's still him, I mean? He's not ... crazy or evil. He's ... Sam? It ... it was Hamlet."

"Oh," Sam said quietly. "Oh wow. He...it's like he can't move on? Because of his dad, I mean. It's entirely possible that it really is still him, and that he's not crazy, like you said."

"He doesn't know if he can't move on or if he's just ... hanging around. I. I offered to ... get someone to Send him? If he needs it? Yunie could. M-my cousin, she ... she can do the Sending and make sure people, you know. But he might just be here, like, maybe there's a reason, and I don't know how to find out what it is." Rikku swallowed, hard, and nodded. "It ... it was him, like, he knew ... I mean, we talked. A-and we blew up a volcano. It wasn't someone who looked like him, I mean. It was him."

"There could be a reason he's here," Sam agreed. "You might need to find out how he died. If you know how he died, maybe you can figure out what's keeping him here."

"I ... I know that," she said softly. "He. He h-had to avenge his father, 'cause his uncle killed him. And there was ... a duel, with another guy who was a friend of his, but it was rigged, there was p-poison, on the blade." Deep breath. "He ... he exposed his uncle and killed him, but ... he died, too. And his friend, and his mom. B-but he was king, first. For like five minutes, but ... he ... avenged his dad. So his dad ... moved on. That's ... that's good, right?"

Sam frowned softly and came around next to Rikku, putting his arm around her in what he hoped would be a comforting gesture. "That is good," he assured her. "If he avenged his father, then he did exactly what he needed to do, and that's totally a good thing."

Rikku leaned against him, grateful for the touch. "Y-yeah. So. So that's not ... I m-mean, he's not ... stuck for the same reason, right? He already got the people that ..." She took a nervous breath. "So I'm not sure why, you know?"

"He knows he avenged his father, right? I mean, if it happened fast and maybe he didn't realize it..."

Re: Second Period [10/08]

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