fandomhigh | Library is open (12/7/05)

A stone molding on the fountain gave way under Rory's hand.

And the floor beneath them suddenly dropped away--

--to deposit them on another floor, this one stone, with candles on the wall.

More shelves, with haphazard manuscripts and scrolls on every level, surrounded them.

*scrambles to her feet*

...Well. This is new.

*yells at ceiling* Very cute!

"Ow." Parker rubbed her legs, and staggered upright. "NOT funny!" she called upward, imitating Zero.

Rory frowned. "Okay, that's exciting," she said, dusting herself off. "Any way for us to maybe climb out? Or do you guys see stairs?" She squinted. "My eyesight's not that great in this light."

Angela spins around, inspecting the space. "Sometimes it does stuff if you just ask," Angela asks hopefully. "Library? COuld you show us how to get back where we were?"

A couple candles lost their illumination on the walls.

A few others, to the left, got brighter.

"Um. To the left then!" Rory said, trying to sound braver than she felt. "I wonder if we should take a candle with us. In case, y'know?"

"Unless Zero has a flashlight in that backpack, I'd say yes," Parker said, looking around, then checking one of the scrolls, very carefully unrolling it. "Cardenio? Okay, by... W. Shakespeare." She blinked. "Right."

Sorry, no, I figured if it went dark I'd be too busy runnin' to dig it out.

To the left they went, past several more ornately carved wooden bookcases, and several locked boxes painted with Christian religious symbols. Finally, they came to a large stone arch, and an open, empty room filled with tilted desks, and high stools. On the other, far side of the room, a staircase was carved into the wall.

"This looks like an old scribes' room, or something," Rory mused, holding up the candle she'd snagged. "I'm not touching anything this time." She pointed at the stairs. "Shall we?"

"Looks like the way up, if not out." Parker glanced around, then shook her head. "Inks, gold, vellum-- I think you're right about the scribes."

Before they could reach the stairs, someone coughed behind them. It was a self-important cough, more of a "A-HEM" than anything else.

"What, may I ask, are you young women doing in our monastery?"

Rory spun around, flailing her candle in front of her. "We're sorry!" she cried.

A monk stepped out of the shadows-- tall, with gold hair cut in a tonsure, and arms crossed over his dark brown robe. He might have been handsome, if the blue eyes weren't quite so cold, and the expression so forbidding.

"Women-- especially prostitutes-- are not allowed inside the grounds," he said, walking closer, and studying their faces intently. "I am at a loss as to how you arrived, however. Your names?"

*Zero, who had been getting ready to be very polite to the monk, suddenly gives an outraged squawk.*

Prostitutes?! Look here, you grindin'--

Rory kept her candle in front of her.

"Lorelai Gilmore III," she said, trying to sound important. "And we're not prostitutes. We're students."

"Hey, watch it," Parker snapped. "What the hell is your problem?"

"There are no 'students' here, and your dress is highly inappropriate," he said coldly. "I am Brother Kalas. As the person in charge of the scriptorium this week, I have the responsibility to make sure it is protected from interlopers. Do *not* attempt to leave." He glared at them a moment, then turned away. "I shall fetch Brother Paul, and you will be dealt with."

*Zero waits until the monk is gone.*

Okay, leaving now, yes?

"Oh hell yes," Parker agreed, striding for the staircase. "I can't believe he thought we'd stay put."

Holy men are a touch naive sometimes. But quickly, because that one was a right creepy bastard.

"Um, he said not to go..." Rory frowned. "It might be worse if we try to, rather and stay here and talk our way out."

*grabs Rory's arm and starts dragging*

No, no, no. Common rule of being stuck in the Middle Ages or Special Collections. If a creepy monk tells you t'stay somewhere, you don' do it.

"Okay," Rory sighed, allowing herself to be dragged. "I mean, maybe he had a bad day."

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Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay

Re: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - Broadcast okay