(no subject)

[ladiesss]

Who: Krista & YOU
Broadcast: Video!
Action: For all library visitors!
When: NOW?

[the fleet's resident, soft-spoken teen goth shows up on screen... backed by several bookcases filled with books! and maybe a couch back there. she waves, awkwardly.]

Uh, hey guys. Good news, the Bishop's library actually made it through the whole space-fight thing pretty well. The electronic tracking system is still down, but that's why people invented pencils and stuff.

[she gives the camera a funny look.] --No, actually, I'm pretty sure it's... the other way around. ... So nevermind.

[she holds up a very... charred-looking book. it had a red cover, once.]

The bad news is that "The Romantic History of the Galactiplastic Sector 9" totally bit it. So, uh. If there was a waiting list, we're gonna have to put this one on hold for a while. Alternatively, if anyone would like to play a little funeral tune, now's the time.

[she just. drops it flat on the floor. it's dead to her.]

So, um, for everyone who doesn't know... Me and a bunch of other people around here have been putting together a little library in the spare room on the Bishop... The ship's still kind of a mess from the fight, but anyone's welcome to come in and read or check out books, or whatever. We take donations and basically whatever stuff people bring us.

And we've got beanbags. And little lights that go "wowowo..." [accompanied with a little finger-wiggle and a totally straight face.] So if you're into that. This might be your jam.

---

[alternatively, if anyone comes to visit the library--it's a personnel room that's been outfitted with lots of bookcases, a couch, a table covered in archival materials, and several beanbags that you can drag around and sit in...

the collection is still small, but there's a little something for everybody! fiction, nonfiction, history, magic, charts, maps, comic books, whatever. Krista's around, probably putting books back on a shelf.]

Comments

action | ota

[openhands]

[She's not in the romance section, you're in the romance section!]

[...Okay, that's only 50% accurate because she is in the romance section. And she might have a couple of books tucked under her arm. And she might be reading the back of another one right now, trying to decide if she wants it or not.]

[It's also pretty obvious to anyone who happens to find her here that she's trying to keep a low profile. After a while, she'll just be sitting on the floor between shelves rather than a couch or beanbag. Beside her is a small pile of books and she's currently hunched over a book with her knees folded up close. She starts off paying vague attention to her surroundings, occasionally looking up when she catches movement out of the corner of her eye. But the longer she reads, the less and less she looks up.]

[wolfuncaged]

[Fenris came into the library largely to find more books to throw at Dorian, to translate into Tevene. He isn't even aware that he's in the romance section, he's just finding books that are short and seem easy enough to read.

He pauses when he finds Cass sitting on the floor, engrossed a book. He wanders over, on his stupid silent bare elven feet, and pauses at a respectable distance from her. At least he won't be rude and try to read over her shoulder, she can count her blessings. ]

Good book?

[openhands]

[Cassandra just about jumps out of her skin when Fenris addresses her. She hadn't even subconsciously heard his approach with how quietly and lightly he steps. She practically slams the book shut and for half a second doesn't seem to know what to do with it before she opts to just shove it underneath herself and sit on it.]

No, [she says abruptly before,] I mean yes.

[Cassandra clears her throat.]

Was there something you wanted?

[wolfuncaged]

[Well, that was a strange reaction. Fenris pauses, confused for a moment. What the hell, Cass? ]

...No.

[He raises the small pile of books in his hands.]

Dorian is helping me with my reading, I was simply looking for new books.

[He's kinda squinting at the sign on the end of the isle now. Row-manece? No, that can't be it.]

[openhands]

[You're a strange reaction, Fenris.]

You'll probably have a hard time finding something he'll want to read with you in this section.

[Dorian is a snob and doesn't have an appreciation for bad books. And it shows a little with her tone, that slight edge of a growl to her words. But before Fenris can ask her what exactly this section is, she asks him,] What sort of books do you like so far?

[wolfuncaged]

I give him very little choice in the matter, if it were up to him all we would read would be dusty old tomes.

[Dorian is the biggest snob. Fenris gets it, he does. ]

I am still very new to reading for pleasure. Honestly, so long as they aren't dusty old tomes, I have no preference.

[ino]

[ Ino's stopping by the Bishop both to see some people, and to grab something to read in her downtime. She's a fan of the romance section herself, and she happens quietly across the same shelf as Cassandra ...

She's nosy, so she's glancing curiously at the book she's checking out right now, and ... oh, she's read that one. It was pretty meh.

But don't worry, she's got your back, girl. She takes a different book from the shelf to hold it out to her ]

You know, this one is way better. Like, the good parts are a lot juicier, you know?

[openhands]

[Cassandra almost instinctively drops all of the books she's holding the moment one is offered to her and she's being spoken to, but manages to stop herself so there's only a brief second where she fumbles with the book she was debating on taking before she gets a firm grip on it. She turns her attention over to Ino with a slight grimace.]

These aren't for me.

[She just sets the book back down on the shelf, not putting it back where she got it because SHE CLEARLY DOESN'T WANT OR CARE ABOUT ANY OF THESE BOOKS.]

[...She sets the other books there, too.]

[YEAH!!!]

[ino]

[ That eyebrow raise says she does not believe you in the slightest. But she'll play along ]

Well, some quality literature for your friend, then.

[openhands]

[Cassandra relaxes just a hair since it seems she's none the wiser. She hesitates before taking the book.]

I'm sure sh--he will appreciate it. [She is an amazing liar, what are you talking about?] Who should I say recommended it?

[ino]

[ It's so hard not to laugh ...

But she'll smile ]

Ino. Nice to meet you, uh -- ?

[catamite]

[you know, elves tend to be pretty light-footed, even when they don't mean to. and this particular elf tends to cut a small, unobtrusive figure to begin with. so, she might miss his approach as he quietly steps through this section of the library.

he doesn't mean to sneak. but he's curious and doesn't want to bother her, so he sort of inches up to try and peer down over her shoulder at whatever she's reading.

and if he can catch a few words, he'll be standing there for a long minute, trying to read along to see if it's interesting or not.]

[openhands]

[Cassandra gets the distinct feeling someone is looking over her shoulder and glances over. At first, nothing seems to register and she goes straight back to reading. She only gets one word read though before it clicks and she lets out a yelp, tossing the book away from her in her panic to get to her feet and away.]

[She takes a moment to catch her breath before her brow furrows.]

You shouldn't sneak up on someone like that!

[Had he been reading? Thank the Maker she wasn't to any of the smutty parts.]

[catamite]

[and Cassandra jumping out of her skin makes him jump, mirroring her yelp and scramble. straightening up and scurrying back a step or two in terror, he's sure that she must... like... have found a spider on herself or something. a really big one.

so, when he snaps at him, he's really quite confused. eyes wide, it takes him a blinking few seconds to realize that--yes--he had been the cause of her startlement.]

What? I... Uh, I-I'm sorry!

[openhands]

What do you want?

[Cassandra folds her arms across her chest and makes no move to pick her book back up. Her scowl also doesn't appear to lessen any.]

[catamite]

I'm so sorry, I, uh... I was just... I didn't mean to bother you...

[and while he fumbles to explain or apologize, he just kind of... scoots around her... so he can stoop down to pick the book up off the floor.

so he can try handing it back to her.

because this is just what he's been trained to do when people are angry in his direction. he does it without thinking about it.]

[ladiesss]

[she's been watching Cassandra on and off, since she likes to keep tabs on everyone in the library, but...

...Cassandra looks super mysterious and fierce and really, really pretty, and the idea of gathering up the self-confidence to talk to her makes Krista feel especially none of those things, so she will just. she will just stay over here by this desk and hope that someday she can look that cool...

...sigh. :'(

she'll be over here unless Cassandra needs to check out or something.]

[openhands]

[Cassandra noticed Krista initially as she was making her rounds about the library. She was the girl who mentioned there were books for people to check out, so she wasn't particularly bothered by her occasionally looking over in her direction. Cassandra is content to believe Krista is just doing her job.]

[...But she also can't sit here reading the books all day and she wants all of them so. Dammit.]

[Cassandra is at least able to appear cool, calm, and collected when people aren't sneaking up on her like all the elves and their damn light feet!! even if she might have perhaps a slightly too tight grip on the books. She strides over the desk where Krista is.]

Are you who I need to talk to about these?

[She shrugs a little, to gesture with the books.]

[ladiesss]

[INTERNAL WHEEZING... while on the outside, she looks a little surprised, blinks, and starts talking.]

Oh, uh, yeah. Are you going to check them out?

[thankfully, Krista notices nothing suspicious about Cassandra's book coveting. she's already looking for the right journal on the desk next to her, so she can record them.]

[openhands]

Yes.

[She watches her for a moment as Krista looks for the journal before...hesitantly...placing the books on the desk. She stands for about a half second like that before Cassandra rests a hand on her hip, and looking elsewhere. That spot on the wall is very interesting. She should probably be making small talk, she realizes. But Cassandra likes to get to the point and so isn't well-versed when it comes to speaking unless there's a reason for it. And besides, the faster she can get checked out, the faster she can get out of here without anyone else discovering her reading material.]

[And maybe if the less she talks, the less Krista will notice/think anything of it.]

[Solid plan. Sorta.]

[ladiesss]

[oh, she notices. and memorizes. quietly.

is she into romance novels? is she... SECRETLY A ROMANTIC? be still, her beating heart... she quietly notes everything down efficiently, ignoring the way that Cassandra is standing there.]

...Um, okay! Got them, and you can check them out for three weeks. If you want to keep any of them for longer, just let me know, or something.

[smooth. very smooth. she fidgets with her hair.]

And I'm, um, Krista. You can basically find me here all the time. Most of the time. So.

[deshabille]

[Movement out of the corner of her eye, you say? Why, Mal is moving just on the corner of her vision, leaning against a shelf and grinning. Smugly. So smugly. This smugness is incredibly intense.]

What's that you're reading?

[She knows, of course. Otherwise she wouldn't have bothered to say anything. But it's a little bit extremely hilarious. She wants to see if Cassandra is likely to blush.]

[openhands]

[The answer to that is fairly easily if one knows the right buttons to push. But as it is right now, Cassandra is too busy jumping out of her skin when Mal addresses her. She very nearly loses the book she's reading out of her hands, grappling with it for a moment in the air before she can get a firm grip on it again.]

[She then seems to have the brief realization that she's holding onto it and gives into the very strong impulse to get it as far away from her as possible by quite literally tossing it aside.]

Nothing.

[She's frowning, but very pointedly not looking at neither Mal nor the book she's thrown, resting her hands on her knees.]

[deshabille]

[If Mal had the traditional human heart, it would have softened at Cassandra's obvious gesture of embarrassment. As it is, her heart is cold and icy and still, and she just laughs, a bright and brittle noise in the stillness of the library.]

[Trotting over to the book, she picks it up and holds it upside down by the spine, crooking her neck to read the cover.]

"Titillating Tales of the Tawdry: A Compendium of Our Most Cunning Stories".

[She raises one perfect eyebrow.]

Are they very cunning? [Linguistically?]

[openhands]

[Cassandra lurches forward a brief moment as Mal laughs. The tension in her would certainly be enough to launch herself at him and beat him within an inch of his life if she had her way. It's not until she picks the book up that she's immediately on her feet and lunging forward to try and snatch the book away.]

Give me that!

[Of the two people currently standing in the aisle, one of them is currently suffering from a very hot face and unable to really make eye contact at the precise moment with eyes more fixed on the floor. Cassandra would deny that it's her, but she would be lying. Terribly at that.]