fandomhigh | The Library

Entry tags:

library

The Library - Monday

Barry had spent most of Sunday evening either working on equipment for Reno's class or trying to find out how to open a portal to Ander's dimension.

In fact he was still trying to figure out a way to get that dimension open. He was even going so far as to look at some of the magical textbooks on portals he found on a dusty shelf to see if he could glean any information on it as well.

He was also doing his best to ignore the etiquette books which had now teamed up with the self-help books in an effort to make Barry more polite and a nicer person.

"You can get back on the fucking shelves yourself," he snarled at the stack. "I'm fucking busy."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Who will be here all day. Except when he isn't.

And if he seems extra grouchy today it's because he has a reason.

"Oh," Kathy said, pausing in the doorway of the library. "Sorry. Umm, if this is a bad time, I can catch up with you later? Sorry."

Uncertainty colored every line of her posture. She and Barry hadn't really talked since she'd visited him in the warehouse when she'd asked about Rapture, so between that and the weekend, Kathy was tempted to flee at the first sign that she was being a bother.

Oh, and apologize at the drop of a hat.

Barry gave her a confused look. "What the fuck are you apologizing for?"

Was he really that scary? Truthfully he was more like a grouchy foul-mouthed teddy bear.

Except having nothing to do with Seth MacFarlane.

"C'mon in. I'm just working on some fucking portal thing for Anders."

And everyone was all the better for the lack of Seth MacFarlane, honestly.

"For interrupting," Kathy said. "You sounded really annoyed at being bothered, so I thought I would apologize."

Look, you try spending the weekend with her family and not start apologizing for the least transgressions. Okay, not you specifically, Barry. That kind of thing could only end in tears, trouble, and probably a few missing memories.

"I didn't even say anything and you apologized twice," Barry said dubiously. "Seriously, do you apologize to muggers if they are having a bad day?"

"You said you were f-ing busy just as I walked in," Kathy said, blinking at him. "I thought you were talking to me."

There was no one else in the library, after all. And none of the books had ever bothered her.

"Sor--" She swallowed down that apology for misunderstanding him. She had a feeling it just wouldn't go over well.

Also, she was going to ignore his question about muggers. Because it was ignore it, or give the answer of 'well, sometimes.'

"Can we start over, maybe? With just a hi?"

"Oh. I was talking to the books."

Barry had the good grace to look ashamed for the misunderstanding.

"So. Hi Kathy! How was your fucking weekend?"

Maaaaybe this was why he had so many etiquette books bothering him all the time. Not sayin', just sayin'.

"Mine was...well..." She laughed, though it sounded bitter more than anything else. "I'm still here, though there was a little while where that was up in the air. My sister pretty much jumped on a grenade for me, which is why I'm here at all, but it means she's in a ridiculous amount of trouble at home and it's all my fault. Also I humiliated myself on stage because of a gremlin bite, I spent the weekend lying to my family, and I'm pretty sure my dad would have asked Ms. Adler out for drinks if my mom hadn't been right there. So, I'm gonna go with pretty lousy and appreciate my own gift for understatement."

Whoa girl. Easy. Breathe.

"Yours? I've heard you were also under the influence of gremlin venom during the Talent Show, but I remember you as a Kpop duet, so I don't really know what happened."

"Jesus. I don't want to fucking relive my weekend. It was good bad and also fucking sucked," Barry said with a tired expression. "I'm just hoping my Freddie Mercury duet with George fucking Michael doesn't get on the fucking internet."

"My sister was there with her phone," Kathy said dryly. "Don't count on it."

Which actually segued quite nicely with why she was here.

"Umm, Barry? You know all the money you said I was going to get or something? Do you think I could give it back to you and ask you to build me a thing or two instead?"

Barry gave her an amused look. "You know you're getting a salary right? Tell me what you need though. I may not even charge you for it."

"Well, yeah, that's what I meant. When I offered to pay. Taking it out of my salary." She started nervously playing with her hair. "I need a phone. For my sister. One that doesn't look like a phone. But that can do everything the most cutting edge phones can. I don't think hers is going last long."

Not with as furious as their dad had been.

"Okay," Barry said with a frown. "What's it supposed to look like? A plant? Or do you want one of those watches that actually do something and is innovative?"

"Probably a watch? Or some kind tablet? Definitely innovative, though. Ummm, something that an overprotective, very angry father won't look at see a phone. For example."

You know. Hypothetically.

"But has all the bells and whistles that a teenager could want. And, you know, whatever else that you would add to a phone."

"How about a filter that recognizes whenever your gremlin bit self is about to get uploaded to a social media website?" Barry joked. "Let's do a watch. A tablet is an easy mark for parents to take away but a watch they won't give a second look."

"If you could figure out some way to stop that upload, you would be my freaking savior," Kathy said, unaware that it was already too late.

Stupid technically-savvy little sisters.

"But yeah. I don't think Sarah's phone survived them stepping foot in the house. It's her most important possession and after what she claimed..."

Yeah. Not going to survive. Not in the least.

"Yeah, I got it. She took the blame you," Barry said with a stretch. "Okay, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll have one for her in a couple of days."

Oh, you're the best, the absolute best," she gushed. "But that's not going to interfere with any of your other projects, right?"

Sometimes Kathy forgot that Barry had only a nodding acquaintance with sleep.

"I think I can handle it," Barry said with a smirk. "If I can't handle making a watch into a fucking phone it's time for me to look for another line of work."

Especially during period 2 when Barry has class.

And if he decides to duck out for a minute to visit the Magic Box again.

If he's there.

FLASH! AHHHHH-AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

HE'S FOR EVERY ONE OF US!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The Library - Monday

Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Re: Talk to Barry

Mod your library...

Talk to the Librarian

OOC

Re: OOC