fandomhigh | Library [08/29]

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Library [08/29]

Jonothon had been in desperate need of the familiar today, and waking up this morning to realize that the person who was sleeping in Jak's bed was most definitely not Jak had been jolt enough to spur him into actually getting to his feet of his own accord, pulling on his cleanest dirty clothing, and making his way down to the library today for his shift.

That he was now moving through the stacks like a man possessed, looking over the course calendar for the semester and setting out displays of books that he thought other students might find topical to each and every class... That was something else. Now that he'd immersed himself in the familiar, he was hell-bent on not letting himself think too hard about why he'd needed it so badly.

The library was open, and was possibly almost too ready to face students new and old.

[The library, it is open.]

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//We... might.// Jono glanced over his shoulder at Faramir, trying not to look as helpless in the face of so many words he didn't recognize as he felt. //I'm not certain if we have any Tengwar-to-Roman alphabet books floating about, mind.//

It seemed like the sort of thing that was perhaps a little too reality twisting to Jono to make sense. Even here on Fandom Island.

He pushed his way through the stacks regardless. He was a man on a mission, now, and Faramir was not leaving this library without something in his hand that would help teach him how to read.

//... I don't suppose you've ever heard of a CD player before?//

"I have not," Faramir said, following after Jono. His eyes kept scanning the books around them, hoping that a familiar script would draw his attention.

It was somewhat disappointing, finding that even the Elvish tongue was unknown here. They had left such a mark on Gondor and it was a daunting thought that the Eldar had not been here.

//I'll let you borrow mine, then. I keep one around for music, on slow days.//

Jono paused in front of a stack of language-to-language dictionaries, and he would have been frowning in thought if only he had been able. After a moment of that, he shook his head and pressed onward.

//I don't want you to think I'm somehow insulting yer intelligence, mate. But you know th'language already. What you need is some sort of phonics program, to teach you how to read what you can already speak.//

Half of what Jonothon was saying made very little sense to him. He glanced at the books Jonothon had only moments ago been looking at, but they made even less sense and so he was once more trailing after him.

"You are not insulting me," he assured him. "It is a strange thing to not be able to read a language that you know." He paused. "What exactly is a CD player?"

//It... makes noises. Sometimes, music, sometimes talking. It would probably be easier for you to work with, once I show you how, than me just throwing you a children's picture book and letting you muddle yer way through.//

And less insulting, for that matter.

Not too far down the same aisle, Jonothon found what he was looking for. And, he was pleased to note, there weren't just programs on the shelves to teach children how to read using pictures of apples and zebras. There were adult lessons, as well, designed for people who, like Faramir, had grown up speaking the language, but who had never had the opportunity to learn how to read it.

He loved this library.

For an instant, Faramir wondered about the music of this world, but that was not why he was here. There were other matters more important to him now.

"It could tell me what I am reading?" he guessed.

//In a way,// Jono agreed. //It works something like a book, that way. You can put a new one in, but th'words on a page aren't any more likely to change than th'sounds that it'll play for you to hear.//

Because Jono liked nipping things like new students talking to electronic devices right in the bud, because he was a spoilsport that way.

//If we find you th'right program, it should come with a workbook, and also a CD that'll dictate how to work yer way through it. And if you have any trouble at all, I'm usually in on Sundays, and we can find you something else that'll work.//

If he sounded a little proud of himself at the moment, that would be because this was sort of like his first real accomplishment since getting out of bed yesterday.

"So it is like a book in sound?" Faramir asked, trying to understand exactly. This world seemed to have invented many curious devices, but so far Faramir had all found them clever and useful.

"Thank you for your kind offer."

//Like a book in sound,// Jonothon agreed, pleased that Faramir had grasped that part of his explanation. He pulled one of the lessons from the shelf, looking it over for a moment before reaching for another. He wasn't a teacher, not by any means, but he'd be damned if there were two different courses and he ended up sending Faramir away with the inferior one.

After taking some time to scrutinize both, Jono settled on the first one that he'd grabbed, and he held it out to Faramir.

//Let's take this to th'front and show you how to make it work shall we?//

"That might be best," Faramir agreed, accepting the book from Jonothon. He couldn't resist opening it and running his fingers over the strange script. He recognised the signs that he been on the paper they had given him the previous day.

"Does it happen often that someone comes here and finds himself incapable of reading or even speaking the language?"

//Occasionally,// Jonothon allowed. //My last roommate couldn't read English, either. And, when he first showed up, he couldn't speak anything at all. He understood what people were saying well enough, though. That helped.//

There was a pang, again. Jonothon missed Jak already. Jonothon missed a lot of people already.

"Then I shall count myself lucky that at least I am capable of making myself understood," Faramir closed the book and started towards what he guessed Jono would consider the front. "Even if some of the expressions used do puzzle me sometimes."

//You'll get used to those quickly enough,// Jonothon offered, making his way to the desk and disappearing behind it for a moment to scrounge about for his portable CD player. //It's to be expected, going from one culture to the next.//

Really, now. How many other students in the school even knew what 'plonker' meant?

There was a brief battle between boy and technology while he grappled with the disc that was inside, looking for the case, and then finally the thing was set down on the counter for Faramir to look at. //You'll be needing this.//

Faramir watched curiously as the small device opened up and Jonothon took something out of it. It was at least bigger than the phone he'd seen yesterday, but it still seemed too small to be able to do what Jon had said.

"It won't inconvenience you if I borrow it?" he checked.

//Not at all,// Jonothon replied, shaking his head a bit as he opened the course package and pulled out the CD that came with it. //I have a few.//

... So sue him, he was an audiophile in the worst way.

//Just bring it all back here when yer done. I'll write a note when you check out th'course, saying that I gave you permission to keep it as long as you feel you need.//

He figured he could get away with that, Fandom being what it was. And even if he couldn't... Well, he wasn't really in the mood to care.

"I can take this with me?" Faramir asked with a bit of surprise. Taking books from the Archives in Minas Tirith would have had him in. "You will not get in trouble for it?"

Jonothon shook his head.

//It's a library, mate. Loaning out books is what we do. I'll fill out a card for you, take down some information, and you'll be good to go. Under the understanding that it all comes back, and in th'same shape it was in when you took it.//

"You will have everything back exactly as I have received them," Faramir promised and he did keep his word.

Still, he looked down at the strange device again. He hoped he didn't damage it.

Edited 2010-08-29 15:44 (UTC)

Jonothon really wasn't worried about the CD player. He had more than his fair share of them, and he ran the music shop in town. Getting more would not be a challenge.

He glanced between Faramir and the CD player, and then gave him a quick explanation on how to change CDs, on the buttons and the volume controls, and, of course, how to plug the thing in.

//Th'player, you can even keep,// he replied. //It tunes into th'radio as well, if you're feeling ambitious. Any questions?//

It took an instant before the question filtered through his mind. It was a jumble of skip and play and forward, and he tried to make it all fit so he'd still remember when he tried later.

"Thank you. You are very generous," Faramir said once more, grateful for the aide. "I am certain I'll have many more questions later, but for now I believe I know what to do."

He hesitated. "What is radio?"

//Th'same as a CD but with no disc and you can't control what it plays.//

There was a pause, and then Jono pointed at the button to switch functions on the CD player. //Different button, is all.//

That seemed like the easiest way to go about it.

Easiest, but not quite as fulfilling of an answer and Faramir's curiosity went far.

"What sort of things does it play then?" he asked.

//Music,// Jono replied, immediately. And then, a little shamefaced, he added, //And news. Predictions for the weather. Things like that. Somebody elsewhere picks what it plays, and when you turn on th'radio, that's what you'll hear.//

"That sounds interesting, I will have to try to listen to it later," Faramir decided. "I wonder if this world's music would be very different from my own. Somehow I'm guessing it will be."

Jono looked Faramir over, once, and then gave a somewhat decisive nod.

He wondered what the other boy would make of the alternative station that he usually had it tuned to, but he wasn't going to be the one to say anything about it.

//It usually is. There's a good deal of variety, though.//

Library [08/29]

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