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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//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.//

"And much of it will confuse me terribly," Faramir guessed. "I might be beginning to see a pattern."

//There's a lot to pick up on,// Jono noted, vaguely bemused. //But it really does all boil down to th'fact that there's always more.//

"Such if the faith of all mortals," Faramir agreed with a chuckle. "The more we learn, the more we realise how little we do know."

No, Faramir didn't think he was being too philosophical for a Sunday. He didn't even know it was Sunday.

Jono liked it better the way he said it.

Plonkers. The entire bloody world is surrounded by naffin' plonkers.

... But it was pretty much the same thing.

//Is there anything else I can help you with, Faramir?//

Faramir would find that there was some difference between the two.

"No," he said with a shake of his head, reaching to pick up the book and CD player. "You have been of a great help already. I thank you."

//Yer welcome, then. And if any of it gives you any trouble, I work at th'Groovy Tunes in town on Tuesdays. Stop by then and I'll see what I can do.//

Re: Talk to Jono!

thinkbetterofme.livejournal.com - 2010-08-29 17:25 (UTC) - Expand

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