Library, Friday

[crimson_sister]

Yesterday had been disturbing. That was all Lucille was going to say on the matter, and she was going to support any research done into what was happening.

The library was open, and even though drinks were generally forbidden here, tea was being offered.

Comments

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

"Neither am I," Ada admitted. "Never been much good with school-school type learnin', so all this? Wouldn't even know what t' look for."

She gave him a slightly crooked grin. "I'll stick 't makin' sure everyone can get somethin' t' eat today. That I know I can do."

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"Well, I'll not argue with being fed," Hyacinthe said, reaching for the proffered fruit. His smile was a ghost of its usual flirtatious self. "Especially by a beautiful woman."

"I think I found something," he added, nodding to the book he was looking at. "Though I'll admit, I used alternative means to find it. Otherwise, I might still be wandering through the stacks."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

"Your dromonde?" she guessed, leaning her head on his shoulder as she looked it over. "Then we'd best find what it wants to see."

The Millers hadn't had a seer in living memory, but the Campbell family had, and all carnival folk knew damn well that if one said something, you listened.

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"Yes," he said with a nod. "It's been hard to see anything with it. 'Tis like the fog about the island is curling over the Lungo Drom as well. So when I saw it, I knew 'twas important."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

"Eat your food," she reminded him gently, reaching out to turn a page. "Whatever your sight wants us to find, chavo, we'll find."

It was easier to have confidence in Hyacinthe than it was to be optimistic about the overall situation. Ada would take what she could get.

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

Hyacinthe obediently took a bite of the pear in his hand. "Were you here for any of these?" he asked. "It sounds as if Fandom has seen a great deal over the years. Such stories I have read: The Eldritch Rot, The Plague, the Nothing, The Labyrinth of the Unwanted..."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

Ada frowned slightly. "Th' rot an' a plague..." she echoed. "I think... right b'fore I came, there was a man who made people sick. Some people were still dealin' with th' aftermath when I arrived. Could be either of those."

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"And to think, before coming here, my greatest fear was getting on the wrong side of a guardsman's ire," Hyacinthe said with grim amusement. "Perhaps a Skaldic invasion, but even then, such concerns were more on the border and far from me."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

"Mine were people throwing rocks if'n they found out. Maybe gettin' taken away, but beat-up was th' more immediate concern," Ada admitted. "Now I dealt with two rounds of aliens, an' evil ghosts."

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"Taken away?" Hyacinthe asked, confused. "I thought your people did not believe the foolish tales of Tsingani coming in and stealing gadje children in the night."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

"Mine don't," she said, and if she leaned into him a bit more, well, hopefully he wouldn't mind. "We know better. But most settled-folk think of us th' same as you've said Tsingani are considered. We're good for a night or a weekend, with pretty lights an' prizes an' fun. But when somethin' goes wrong -- even if it weren't us -- we're thieves an' liars, our girls are loose an' our boys trouble, an' we steal away their good boys an' girls when th' carnival leaves town."

"We ain't Rom, but we ain't gadje neither," she continued, smoothing her fingers over the page. "Me bein' different... town-people don't like different much. It's one thing when they think it's pretend. When they realize it's real... I'd be lucky t' get out with a few kicks t' the ribs an' called a freak. Wouldn't put it past some Townie t' realize they could make fast money turning me over t' some corporate scientists for study. We don't got things in our world like mermaids, so far as most people know. I always had t' be careful, least I end up a specimen in a lab somewhere."

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"Ahh, that I understand," Hyacinthe said, wrapping an arm around her to offer comfort against old fears. For once, he had nothing more in mind than that, the concern and care he would give to any friend. "Your road is a hard one, long and painful. It grieves me how much of it you must walk alone."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

They could all probably use a little comfort today. "Had Mama for a little bit," she said, and even after so long that abandonment stung a little. "Got th' cousins an' Uncle Chester for most of th' rest."

Some of the Millers were more-there for her emotionally than others, because some of them had decided early on that eventually losing her would hurt too much if they got too close. Ada knew she was loved; she had just also often been lonely.

"Now I got you an' 'Bela an' Dante... it ain't quite as hard with friends."

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"We shall walk with you for as long as we can," Hyacinthe promised quietly. "And know that even when our paths diverge, you are still cared for."

He had not used the dromonde to look into her future. He did not want to know if there was truly no hope.

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

Good. Just because Ada had long resigned herself to the fact her future was carved out of stone didn't mean she wanted to be cruel and yank that hope away from her friends.

"That's what letters are for," she said, giving his hand a little squeeze. "I do know my ABCs enough t' write one or two."

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"Look at you," he teased, giving her a merry smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. "Showing off all of your vaunted book learning to a poor urchin lad of the streets."

Who was fluent in three languages and was preparing to open his own business. But, like, whatever.

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

"'Urchin lad?' You mean th' chavo that speaks better English than I do?"

Teasing was good, teasing felt normal, even if neither of them meant it 100% right now.

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"Well, I grew up speaking a civilized tongue," Hyacinthe told her, adopting a pompous air. "That gave me an advantage speaking this barbarian language you claim your own."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

"Here I thought you like m' uncivilized tongue."

ADA.

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"Oh, I do, rinkeni," he breathed into her ear. "Leaves me makin' all kinds of uncivilized noises, I've noted."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

The first genuine happiness in days flickered over her face when he called her rinkeni.

"Maybe I should spot-check your linguistic skills later," she said, giving him a little smile. "Take a break from everything else."

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"I know of the perfect spot to check as well," Hya said, his hand on her hip moving to subtly caress her for a moment. "You can see verify how skilled I am in tongues then."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

They could forget about all this for an hour or two. Ada thought that sounded perfect.

"Good thing I want more language lessons from you," she said impishly. "I still want t' learn some more Tsingani."

Dirty and Not Dirty.

Re: Research

[vrajna_kralis]

"Oh, there are plenty of Tsingani words I can teach you," he promised, most definitely Dirty. "And more D'Angeline as well. We'll get all the way through Trois Milles Joies together, studying every lesson most fervently."

Though if his attentions today were divided evenly between carnality and comfort, he was certain Ada would understand.

"Shall we? I believe I've gotten the most out of this book I can."

Re: Research

[boneyard_girl]

Ada leaned in to give him a sweet, lingering kiss. "Let's leave th' rest of it to th' scholars," she murmured. "And find somewhere else t' be."