fandomhigh | The Library

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The Library - Tuesday

With all the freaky shit going on with the island today, Barry decided it would be a good idea to make sure the library was open today for any researchers to do some researching.

He was even nice enough to have coffee brought in from the perk. Normal coffee. Nothing that may have been brewed with acorns or anything.

For his part Barry was behind the main desk doing his own research by remotely accessing his lab via his tablet but would be available for anyone if they had questions.

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After a revelation is made....

Sometime post-nap, Atton had the admittedly brilliant idea to stop by the library. Not to do research - not really his style - but to check in and see if any progress had been made.

Look, he was taking an educated guess here that people would pile into the library. It happened. He'd do a sweep of the room, then head back out. Hopefully with more of a lead.

Bob eyed the door at the new arrival. "Oh, it's you. Hello. Come to help?"

Things were Happening and he was busy; distracted almost-dismissive was the most snark he could work up at the moment.

"Oh, fantastic, it's the snobby ghost who can't get laid," Atton said. But that was just the snark autopilot talking. "Do you people know anything yet?"

"Says the slovenly living who can't, either," Bob immediately shot back.

"We do." He kept walking, heading for more books. "Apparently the new store in town, Needful Things? The proprietor sold Kenzi a cursed ring. She became obsessed with it, and felt steadily worse until she broke it. We're guessing quite a few of the people here will have similar stories. Is there anything new going on out there?" He'd been in the library since yesterday.

"Mist just crawled on in," Atton said, "The preserve's practically shriveled up, and my best friend is locked in his room refusing to eat or sleep because of a conversation over a dead phone, so I'm going to go with 'you're probably right'. This once. Gold star."

Needful Things, huh?

Edited 2015-03-24 20:11 (UTC)

"I often am," Bob answered. "Mind you, I'm still not sure how or why he's draining the island, but I suppose we can start on that once we've stopped him doing it."

He gave Atton a serious look. "Don't be in too much of a hurry to help your friend; I know it's hard, but we may only get one shot to do this right. We'll find something."

Atton rolled his eyes. "I know what I'm doing," he said. Much as he'd spent their last conversation pretending he didn't. "I'm going to go see about this Needful Things place, see what I can find out. Someone else is handling the friend."

Someone who knew a lot more about bathing and feeding people. ... Not that Karina would be happy with that description, but, well. This was Atton they were talking about. He didn't even handle pets well.

Edited 2015-03-24 20:23 (UTC)

Bob nodded. "Good luck. Let us know if you find anything."

Re: Research - Afternoon

suitably_heroic - 2015-03-24 20:28 (UTC) - Expand

The fog had rolled in by the time Cosette made it to the library, and her mouth was set in a line that was determined, if less cheerful than her usual demeanor.

She'd leave the research up to everyone else, but if anyone needed coffee, or a second opinion, or had some books that needed to go back, she'd be more than happy to help.

Well, if she was just going to be hanging around...

"Excuse me, do you think you could give me a hand?"

"I might be able to," Cosette allowed. "If it's something to do with the library, that is. Beyond that I can't guarantee anything, I'm afraid."

Bob smiled at her. "Nothing too taxing. Do you think you might be able to carry some books for me? If you could get them out onto the table, I could look through them much more quickly."

"That's not taxing at all," Cosette said, brightening considerably at the prospect of being some degree of helpful. "Just tell me which books you need, and I'll be happy to carry them."

"Wonderful." Bob waved toward the section he was on as he headed for it. "They're right over here. I can read them on the shelves, but it's much easier if they're flat on a table or something."

"You can read them still on the shelves? Closed and all?" Cosette asked, following along. "Of course I'll get them down for you, but that seems like it could be useful sometimes."

"Not as useful as being able to pick them up and open them," Bob pointed out, "but it does come in handy. Here." He pointed at the shelf he'd been working at. "Those two and this one, please."

Re: Research - Afternoon

wildandbrave - 2015-03-24 23:22 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Research - Afternoon

nuclear_snide - 2015-03-25 00:07 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Research - Afternoon

wildandbrave - 2015-03-25 02:04 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Research - Afternoon

nuclear_snide - 2015-03-25 02:24 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Research - Afternoon

wildandbrave - 2015-03-25 02:28 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Research - Afternoon

nuclear_snide - 2015-03-25 02:34 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Research - Afternoon

wildandbrave - 2015-03-25 02:40 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Research - Afternoon

nuclear_snide - 2015-03-25 03:35 (UTC) - Expand

After the goth-punk's revelation, John had gone back into his office. People outside might have heard a wide range of swearing in a number of languages - living and dead - and shit breaking for about a half hour.

Eventually, he resurfaced from the office. A silk top-hat under one arm, a fire extinguisher under the other. The hat got tossed on the floor, and the fire extinguisher thrown at whatever corporeal being was closest in case things went wrong.

"Sorry, Zee." John closed his eyes. "Sunla draeilí, gaminn yfir á fubak. Eitthmig is íklae á nyttvao."

The hat burst into flames, and Constantine jerked back like he'd been kicked in the gut, falling to his knees. "Ow," he coughed, spitting blood off to the side. "That fucking hurt.

Barry watched the whole hat thing with a weird look on his face and the look stayed with him as he putout the flames with the extinguisher.

"You all right?"

"Not even remotely, mate," he said, shoving himself to his feet enough to stomp on the hat, hard. Which, of course, set off another coughing fit. "Knew I was making a deal with some devil when I did it, and I don't regret that. 'M old enough to know my risks and take them anyway."

"Just sorry I might have just destroyed what might have been the one last link a friend would have had to her father without trying to break whatever curse he wove into it first." He shrugged a shoulder. "I'll take my own risks and flip off the Devil on the way, but I can't risk her. Not for this, no matter how much she woulda wanted it."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Barry said. "But just so you know I'm cleaning up that bloody spit stuff on the floor. This aide thing only goes so far."

After he'd burned the hat out of spite and paranoia, Constantine hit the books. And the tomes. And scolls.

He was on his second pack of smokes when he started swearing again, throwing things to the side as he referenced and cross-referenced and became deeply deeply unhappy.

"We got ourselves a problem, mates," he announced, rolling up his shirtsleeves. "Or at least the Etruscans say we do. and came to us a traveler, with all a heart desired upon his cart. For days he traded, one treasure for another, until his truth was known. Long story short, shit got burned, he got chased out of town, and everyone went back to their lives except those who kept their treasures and died from 'plague of heart and soul.'"

Bob joined Constantine to read over his shoulder. "So we've got to get everything back from the people who bought it. Wait, when was this? How powerful a being are we facing here?"

"See for yourself," John said, turning the scroll so Bob could have a better look. "I knew he was an old bastard when I struck our deal, but this easily puts him back before Noah was a twinkle in his daddy's eye. 'M thinking our friend is as old as The Fall, if not older."

Bob was a very old and sophisticated ghost, with centuries of experience and a few dozen languages under his belt. He knew precisely what to say in situations like this.

"Bugger."

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