Day 38: Patients' Library

[emotionl4arobot.livejournal.com]

The intercom rang out, disrupting what had turned out to be a rather pointless breakfast conversation, at least in Brainiac 5's eyes. He couldn't wait to put more distance between himself and Scar's blather of how logic, of all things, might not work the same way in this dimension. It was almost enough to make him believe that the man may very well have been a lion originally after all, as he'd never heard anything so very... ignorant and uneducated.

He quickly finished up the fruit he'd been nibbling on - he was no longer as hungry as he had been - and looked around automatically to see where Clark was. Unfortunately with the press of people around, some being led off to the library and others to the mentioned 'therapy sessions' - if that was what they really were - he had lost sight of the Kryptonian. Still there wasn't many places he could go, so Brainiac 5 would be able to catch up with him eventually to check on his condition and try and learn more about what had happened last night. That the Chapel had healed him - admittedly by passing his injuries to another - was interesting, but far more important in his eyes was what had happened to Clark and his powers. They hadn't been working correctly and that worried the Coluan boy more than he would normally have admitted. Without Clark's abilities... he wasn't sure what they would have to rely on in order to escape.

Another problem he would have to deal with was Grell... or, if he was to believe the notes on the bulletin board, the person pretending to be Grell. But that was going to require more careful planning before he made a move. Come to think of it, he had agreed to meet another in the library today on that same post that had sparked this whole mess. At least then he would have something of interest to look forward to, as he doubted any of the 21st century books were likely to be worthwhile to someone of his advanced intellect.

Following the nurses led him to what must have been the library; a reasonably large room filled with a range of archaic books on tall shelves, a few tables and chairs interspersed around the room. The Coluan boy couldn't refrain from wrinkling his nose in distaste as he entered the room, not liking the cumbersome books and the dust that he knew would have gathered on them; he much preferred the clean arrangement of his C.O.M.P.U.T.O. systems back in the Legion headquarters. It was much more practical then shelves and shelves of books on fictional worlds and dated information.

Trying to avoid as much of the room as possible, Brainiac 5 settled himself down on a chair to wait, keeping an eye out for a tall, dark-haired man with a red... something on his forehead.

[for Homura]

Comments

[scarletspeedstr.livejournal.com]

Wally waved goodbye to Skuld and headed out into Sun Room towards the Library, pausing only long enough for the normal check of the bulletin board before continuing. The intercom announcement about therapy sessions was interesting and a little disturbing. While it made sense that they'd have stuff like that here, he doubted it was as harmless as it sounded. Like the visitors they'd gotten the other day and the not-GL who had come to see him then, nothing in this place was really like it seemed to be. Well, except for maybe the food. Or at least, he hoped the food was okay, 'cause if they had to test that by starving someone... for one thing Tony would have to get a lot better at fighting people off for his dinner.

Skuld had been kinda cool though, even if he wasn't sure what to make of her claims of being a goddess. On one hand he didn't want to believe them, 'cause then what did that mean about how they were keeping people here? But on the other hand he'd seen stranger things, and she was definitely a magic user who had given him a good amount of info on the Cooking Club too. Hopefully it would be something to tell Bats later, when they met up over lunch.

Surprisingly enough the library was pretty much empty except for some kid who looked like this was the last place on Earth he wanted to be, so Wally decided to glance over the shelves instead. "Man, I haven't seen some of these since I was a kid," he said aloud. Selecting a book of fairy tales at random, he threw himself bodily into a nearby chair and flicked it open.

[hismastersdance.livejournal.com]

Joe came in, having been told he missed breakfast. First lunch yesterday, and now he sleeps through breakfast? This wasn't good at all. Maybe he should sit tight until he could eat again.

In the meantime, he looked around for someone nearby to talk to. He walked over to someone who looked friendly enough, "Yo! I'm Viewtiful Joe."

[notaghostreally.livejournal.com]

((Iiiiignoring my fail at breakfast! *cough* Also, the boy is free!))

Upon hearing the intercom announcement about therapy, Danny groaned. It wasn't as if he really enjoyed it last time. In fact, Danny didn't really enjoy much of anything the Institute threw at him, much less therapy and visitors.

He headed into the library, the thought of therapy dangling over his head. He was pretty sure that some people didn't go to therapy, at least not last time, so maybe he could avoid it somehow.

He wandered the room, trying to come up with something to preoccupy himself with when he came across a shell of books about ghosts, none of which written by his parents, but that didn't surprise him. They weren't really writers.

But he did find a few books on ghosts that he hadn't seen Sam carrying around before. Ghosts Among Us (http://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Among-Us-Uncovering-Truth/dp/0061553395/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231598748&sr=1-6), huh? Danny pulled the book off the shelf and looked at the cover, and then the back. A dimension that most of us cannot see? Yeah, right. If ghosts weren't visibly terrorizing people all the time, maybe. This guy was a joke, but Danny couldn't help himself from reading a few excerpts, an amused smile on his face.

[promisedawhale.livejournal.com]

Breakfast had been excellent, though he hadn't actually spent it with anyone. He'd been moping just slightly over having still not seen hide no hair of his absent roommate, and aside from that he'd been sore as well. Not weak as he'd been in the water, but his neck was still throbbing terrible from teh vampire mermaid's bite. Perhaps it would be better to stay away from that part of teh institute for a while. Just in case. He would have been in trouble had Plasmius not been around.

Not spotting either his roommate (either of them) or Plasmius, Brook simply chose someone at random - there were not many choices anyway - and had a seat across from a young man with black hair. "Good morning to you!" Sore or not, Brook could still have his manners about when he forcibly joined others at breakfast, "Might I join you?" he asked, already seated at the table.

[diamondstorm]

Last shift had offered more information than Renamon thought, but she still wasn't convinced the girl was fine. She walked from the cafeteria, mulling it over, and vaguely wondering if her social skills were better, would it have made a difference?

Stopping by the bulletin board was... interesting, though it put Renamon in more of a drab mood. This day seemed like it would be longer than the ones before it, and she was already in a hurry for it to be over.

...Then it occured to her that she actually didn't schedule any meetings for this shift. Rollling her shoulders in a loose shrug, she padded off towards the library, to explore what it offered her. She slipped inbetween two shelves fluidly.

[Jiraiya-stalker =P]

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya was in a considerably good mood, now that he knew his rather loud student was going to be just fine. Naruto bounced back quickly. And, although Renamon seemed to be aware to some extent that he was a pervert, it hadn't been a deal breaker for their friendship. On top of that, he had a "date" planned tonight--although he had been only kidding about calling it that.

He was going to ask for clarification on where they'd met on the bulletin board when he saw Renamon herself. Well, it'd be much more private to talk to her in person. Even if he risked having her question him about some of the things she had overheard. It was better to get that over as soon as possible, he heard....

Truthfully, he was surprised that she didn't notice him from a distance, but it was probably her curiosity that distracted her. Jiraiya smiled at how fluidly she moved between the shelves. For not being born a human, she had certainly gotten used to her new, rather beautiful, body quickly.

He, too, was curious about the library, truth be told. But unlike her, he just wanted to see if his books were on the shelves. If he saw them, though, he probably wouldn't pick them up--he wouldn't want Renamon to be curious about what was inside his books. Unless she was a closet pervert or just wanted to "study" more about humans. Then it'd be more than fine.

"Hello," Jiraiya greeted her with a wide grin. "Seems like we keep on running into each other."

[=P He's totally not a... okay, yes he is.]

[thatdamnedninja.livejournal.com]

She was going to die. And it was going to be so worth it.

Yuffie couldn’t quite decide what was better; Sagara’s own reaction, or the fact that people had played along. Well, she was assuming that people had played along - there weren’t two Kenshins in the Institute, after all, and two had responded… the real one had probably been the latter to join in. Even if she was wrong, though, who cared? It had been great.

Actually, it had been the most fun she’d had in days. Why the hell hadn’t she thought of doing that sooner? Laughing to herself, the young ninja sauntered into the room and immediately headed for a corner. Libraries were dusty, dull, and boring, but she could always pass the time by building herself a fort or a pyramid.

[Kenshin?]

[degozaruyo.livejournal.com]

The transition between night and day was even more jarring today than usual. One minute, Kenshin had been scrambling up rocks in the bitter cold, and the next he was waking up safe in a warm bed. Because of that, it had taken him a little bit longer to get out of bed than usual. By the time he got to the cafeteria, breakfast was just about over...but not before the rurouni spotted 'Sano's' message on the board, complete with responses from himself. Bemused, he allowed his nurse to conduct him to the library. Where he found Yuffie.

"Congratulations on your upcoming engagement," he said mildy, raising an eyebrow. It's too bad, really, that Sanosuke doesn't seem to realize that he's set to propose in a couple of hours." He smiled at her, figuring that there were only a few people who would (and could) pull a prank like that, and she topped the list.

[tyki-pon.livejournal.com]

There wasn't a place where a hobo couldn't be more out of his element than a library. Most hobos couldn't even read, and even if they could they had other things to worry about than reading interesting novels. But Tyki was different. He was probably the only hobo to ever walk the planet that actually enjoyed reading a book once in a while.

But he admit, he probably wasn't just your regular neighborhood hobo.

Even if both of his lives were separate, most of the more simple pleasures still overlapped. Smoking, playing cards and even reading books. It just so happened his black side was more suitable for such a thing, but it didn't stop the Noah to keep himself occupied right now.

He looked at the various books on the shelves, actually recognizing some of the titles as something he had read at some point, before finally pulling out 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde.

Good thing his friends weren't here to see him, even though their shocked expressions of seeing the Tyki they knew with a book would be amusing enough. Maybe he should test it when he got home sometime, just to tease them.

[Free!]

[mind-the-sukima.livejournal.com]

Breakfast had left Yukari in a fairly good mood. There really were all sorts of interesting people here. She'd seen the Sun Room and Arts and Crafts yesterday, so when given the choice, she decided to go to the Library.

Surprisingly, there were more patients in the library than milling about the sun room. Perhaps Landel likes his subjects literate and intelligent.

Looking about, she sat down at a table where a scraggly-haired man was reading. He had thick glasses and looked almost suspiciously uninteresting. Had she all her facilities, she may have noticed a fellow border-crosser, someone who lived on the divide and frequently crossed it, though on a more specific and personal level than she did. The border of black and white, good and evil, human and monster... these were borders everyone straddled and dealt with. Well, anyone worth talking to, anyway.

But Yukari couldn't tell any of this about him thanks to Landel's curse, so all she knew was the amusing juxtaposition of the thick-lensed hobo reading classic Western literature.

Sitting down across from him, she rested her chin on her hands, tilting her head curiously as she watched with a mischievous smile.

[i-dont-paint.livejournal.com]

In retrospect, Tony should have known better than to expect much from a patient library in a mental institution. The sort of reading he preferred, heavy on facts, schematics, and breakthroughs discussed in words no less than four syllables was likely the sort of reading considered too strenuous for the fragile minds of lunatics. Or it was considered the sort of reading that would give them ideas. Even so, he was a little disappointed to find little but fiction, and most of it old.

At least the conversation he'd had with Steve over breakfast had given him something to think about, even if most of it was disconcerting at the very best. It had given him something to do, as well, and he judged the library a good enough place to start copying over the map as any. It hadn't been too much trouble to beg a chance to retrieve his journal from his desk; the library was as good a place to write as it was to read.

For the sake of appearances, and in case he finished his copying over in good time, he plucked a copy of The Man in the Iron Mask up from a bookshelf before finding himself a reasonably comfortable spot at a table. It wasn't his usual fare, but the private, somewhat juvenile amusement of the title made up for that.

[gothamnight.livejournal.com]

Bruce's mind was far from quiet when he entered the library, but his conversation with Uzuki during breakfast had done him good. The trip he'd made after to check on the bulletin, however, had not been good; though he managed to confirm the existence of The Doctor Donna'd told him about his first night, he found out also just how much danger he was exposing himself to by associating with a single person: Wally West.

Just how risky was it for him to post on the bulletin board? The information was generally reliable, even though Bruce suspected a great number of those who posted were doing so by adopting disguises. But no matter how solid and concrete the plans the clubs made, or how detailed those seeking information documented their discovered...it seemed, in the end, no one knew much more about the Institute than Bruce himself. In that case, with regards to the bulletin...Bruce's first priority was to protect his own identity. Anything posted there was public knowledge: emphasis on the word public. Meaning people like Crane would be reading.

What, exactly, had the Flash been thinking? Posting up a bat symbol, coupled with the lightning bolt...and then there was that strange incident with ZEX. While it was none of Bruce's business just how "acquainted" the Flash wanted to be with alien species, Bruce was beginning to suspect that the man couldn't handle physical intimacy without becoming emotionally attached. "Altruistic" friends indeed...Bruce couldn't be sure now how many people knew about the Flash's secret identity, nor how many of those people would be sharp enough to connect the dots between Bruce Wayne and the Flash's new "batty friend."

Bruce had been staring at the same book titles for the past minute or so, and when he realized it, picked a book at random and sat down at a nearby table. It was Heart of Darkness, and while Bruce had no real intention of reading it through, the man sitting across from him was copying down what was probably one of the maps posted on the bulletin yesterday. He didn't look like he wanted to be disturbed, but...

"...The Man in the Iron Mask?"

[himetsuru.livejournal.com]

Falis had been just about to pounce on that Fai guy and talk to him about vampires when he was carried off by the vultures to whatever the hell this therapy shit was. With an annoyed sigh, she found herself herded by her own vulture into a room saying something about getting culture or some shit like that; she wasn't really paying attention.

Books.

The princess looked around the room and glowered at the stacks of books. It was kinda small compared to the royal library back in her castle, but she never was one for reading. It was... boring. All you did was sit and turn pages, reading about things that weren't real or no longer exist. The only reason she'd read so many Old World books was because Dominikov kinda made her and she did have an actual reason since magic was all Old World shit anyways.

She grabbed a random book off a shelf just so her particular vulture would be satisfied that she was getting this culture shit and found a cushy chair to sit in. She flopped sideways in it, legs hanging over one side and the long mane of blonde hair over the other. With the book open in her lap as a cover for the nurses, Falis took her journal out and started sketching those Persona-things she'd seen last night.

[free!]

[longlivetheking]

[Mind a lion? 8D]

Before Scar could even so much as reply to that insolent brat, the nurses already insisted on escorting them to another area. He held back a growl as he entered the cafeteria, but instead of approaching Brianiac 5 to continue their 'discussion' he headed for one of the shelves.

Once there, he wasn't quite sure what to do. Of course, he had figured by now that the symbols drawn within them told a story, but Scar simply wasn't interested in little tales right now. Regardless, thanks to his nurse he found himself holding one of these books a little awkwardly before finding a spot to seat himself on the floor. It just so happened he had picked a spot close to a somewhat familiar face.

"Princess Alita, was it?"

[sir-savien.livejournal.com]

Kvothe still wasn't thrilled with the meagre selection in the library, but at least sitting around and reading wouldn't put any strain on his injured and still sore shoulders and hand. He wondered for a minute if he should have taken the painkillers the nurse had offered him, but it wasn't the first time he'd gone without and he wasn't sure that he trusted any 'medicine' the Institute might give. So, after wandering aimlessly through the shelves for a few minutes he picked up a book at random, found a chair, and was soon almost completely absorbed in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Not so absorbed that he wouldn't notice someone coming up to him, though.

[free]

[forgot-my-life.livejournal.com]

(Hope you don't mind?)

Takaya was pointedly ignoring his nurse, not wanting to get yelled at for cursing or making rude gestures again as she hustled him off to the library. LIBRARY of all the fucking places he could have gone....

Over to a chair and, knowing Takaya better than he would ever want to realize, she thrust a book into his hands. "Now you sit here, read, and for heavens sake young man, behave." He glared at the book, still trying to ignore her, and after a moment of eyeing him, the nurse gave a tired sigh and walked away.

He glanced at the cover of the book without any real interest, but started to read it anyway. The guy beside him seemed absorbed, so maybe he'd get lucky and would be left alone?

[timedork]

Last time he'd been in the library, the Doctor hadn't gotten to do much reading thanks to Donna. He wasn't in the mood to read as much as he'd been the other day, but he plucked the copy of Gulliver's Travels off the shelves regardless. He found a chair next, settling down to read.

If someone decided to join him, maybe he could have a nice chat. If not, at least he'd have Lemuel.

[Oh Miss Grell~!]

[deadlyjuliet.livejournal.com]

What a delightful way to spend the first meal! Grell had found himself a lovely little 'protector' who was willing to stick up for him on the bulletin and would 'save' him from Brainy's wrath whenever that should come to pass. Grell wasn't all that worried should they come to blows though. Brainiac 5 had bravado on his side now that the sun was in the sky, but come night, the lights would be out and he'd be at a disadvantage. He could be brave all he wanted, but Grell had seen him crying in fear.

Letting the nurse lead him into the library, the death god felt his head swim a little now that he was in tight quarters. There was a familiar feeling in the air, something stronger than the last time he'd sensed it. Something that felt...off. Putting a hand to his forehead, he swooned a bit, causing his nurse to take his arm and lead him to the first chair she could find. "Stay here, Geoffrey. I'll get you a book and you can rest, hm?"

Grell waved his hand at her, nodding slightly, but he didn't fail to notice that the feeling was worse now that he was sitting. Glancing to the side as soon as the nurse was gone, he spotted a rather dapper looking man next to him. Could he be..? No, he doubted that. Which meant he had to put up the act for now. "My apologies. I'm a little flustered - you don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

[tostepforward.livejournal.com]

Ayumu might not have learned too much from her conversation with Badou, apart from the fact that the redhead was a somewhat unusual sort, but it was still a relatively pleasant conversation nonetheless. She'd wanted to go find Robin and speak to him once breakfast was over, but the nurse who came to herd her to the next shift's activities insisted that they needed to go straight there.

It was best to just cooperate for the time being, since otherwise would be entirely out of character for Sen, so she just allowed herself to be led to the library. At least she'd managed to catch a glimpse of Okita on her way out and assured herself that he was still around, though she wasn't close enough to see if he'd managed to get injured again - or if he was eating breakfast.

Once in the library she looked around with eyes wide for a moment before moving over to one of the shelves with a hesitant attitude, deliberately choosing a spot that would allow her to watch the door and remain visible for anyone who might be looking for her. She leaned in toward the shelf, tracing a finger along the spines of the books as she murmured the titles to herself under her breath, as though finding reading rather difficult.

[for Matt]

[whohitreset.livejournal.com]

Matt got away from breakfast quickly, soon finding himself ushered towards the library in the process. He'd wanted to just sit in the sun room for a while, perhaps keep an eye on the bulletin, but apparently he needed to "try some other activities now and again." So very frustrating.

Speaking of frustrating... Matt froze a few steps after entering as he caught sight of Sen not too far in the room. The nurse shoved him in further so that he wasn't blocking the way for others. Swallowing, and willing himself to look as serious as he could, he made his way to the woman's side.

"You're devious," he said before she could even look up. "Don't think I'm not aware of what you're trying to do." He wasn't, really, but there was no way she could be sincere.

[meironohosoku.livejournal.com]

Hanyuu had never been one for reading much, mostly because she hadn't really had an opportunity before her arrival in this world, but she was becoming rather fond of the hospital's library. Of course, that may have simply been a reflection of her good mood, but she still found the room to be somewhat relaxing. Moving back and forth in front of the shelves, she looked at the various titles, trying to find one that sounded interesting. In truth, some of the books sounded a little scary and the spirit was determined to stay away from those ones, even if they were merely made up stories.

After looking over the choices, Hanyuu finally selected a collection of short stories. The book in hand, she then found a chair and settled in comfortably to begin reading. If the stories were nice, maybe she could tell Rika about it and they could read together next time.

[tony-castaway.livejournal.com]

Thinking of Tia, Tony pulled a book off the shelf and found a seat. There was a girl sitting nearby who seemed quite absorbed in her selection. He read a few pages, but his eyes tired quickly since he'd read so much last night in the medical text.

So he cleared his throat before asking her, "Do you like that book, miss?"

[S'ok?]

[full-score.livejournal.com]

It felt like it'd been awhile since he'd last visited the library. Not that he didn't already have the book Dr. Sohma had lent him, but it was probably good to keep checking through the other books in here. There was no telling when he might stumble across something useful or interesting, right? Especially with the way Earthlings were remembering their own history differently. He just didn't understand it...

As he ran his finger along the book spines lined along the shelves, he was quickly reminded of the distinct lack of non-fiction in here. Claude inwardly sighed. He guessed if they were trying to keep him in the dark, they wouldn't slip up in the library, of all things. It was the most obvious place for people to come dig up information, after all.

That didn't stop him from trying, though. He slowly made his way down the aisle as he gazed at all the titles, his eyebrows faintly furrowed.

[For one Dias Flac.]

[heavens-too-far.livejournal.com]

Dias' frustration with the lack of progress the night before - there had been nothing hindering him and Lust, and yet they still hadn't even made it past the sun room; was the flow of time itself somehow affected within the institute? - had led him to brood over his breakfast in private, and he'd been intending to continue to keep to himself (something he was uncommonly good at) within the quiet confines of the library. But upon spotting Claude, it felt as though he'd be wasting an opportunity to coordinate with his rival if he didn't approach him.

"Looking for something?" he remarked, moving up silently behind Claude and squashing his kneejerk impulse to point out how easily he'd flanked the younger man; he was, he hoped, getting a little better at not starting all conversations off on an antagonistic note.

[hailmegatron.livejournal.com]

[Free as the Decepticons fight to be from the yoke of Autobot oppression!]

Blitzwing had finally stopped pestering him about eating, much to Lugnut's relief, and he allowed the nurse to herd him to a new room, filled with what appeared to be primitive non-digital data-pads stacked in shelving units. Doubtless filled with human entertainment, and of no interest to Lugnut.

Ignoring his nurse's urging to read something, he sat in a chair, wounded legs already aching from the short trip and that irritating pain in his lower torso becoming more intrusive. Horrible defective organic body... he would have to conserve energy for tonight.

[runner-up-robot.livejournal.com]

After stalking through the books in the library, looking for something remotely helpful, Forte finally dropped himself into a chair across from a large man. According to the nurses, there were no reference books, and he only got a book called "Frankenstein" about a doctor that created artificial life by cobbling together dead humans.

He started angrily flipping through the book several pages at a time, trying to find out if there was anything helpful. He'd gotten nowhere the night before, and Starscream had made him feel embarrassed to have called him an ally - and as far as Forte could tell, he couldn't have found some book on human biology here. He would have been better off just going to Sheena again.

He muttered, unconsciously loud, "Stupid, useless Starscream."

[shallweplay.livejournal.com]

Ophelia was certainly feeling a little bit better after breakfast. Yukari's descriptions of youkai had given her some food for thought about the countless other worlds out there, and it had been nice to get in a rant about yoma and awakened beings as well. She never could get enough bad words in against the awakened; any excuse to trash them physically or verbally was to be savored as far as she was concerned.

She passed through the Sun Room with her nurses, assuming she would be staying there for the next shift. However, she found herself instead being shuffled into the Library. She didn't see the point, seeing as she couldn't read anyway, but the nurses said something about there being "more company" in there for her. Ophelia grumbled about it, but she didn't protest. Whether she sat in the Sun Room doing nothing or sat in the Library doing nothing didn't really matter all that much. And who knew? Perhaps her little plaything from the previous day, Kio, might show up hoping to continue teaching her to read. Despite her frustration with him the previous day, she decided that she wouldn't be averse to getting him to trust her a little bit more. She could use an assistant to help her with the bulletin board, after all.

For the time being, she pulled a book at random from the shelf (which she would have seen to be The Jungle Book had she been able to decipher the title) and took it over to a table with her. She didn't pretend to know how to read it, instead flipping open to a random page and taking out one of her self-inking pens. She began drawing crude sketches of awakened beings in various states of dismemberment both around and through the text on the page, all the while keeping an eye out for either Kio or any other potentially interesting sorts.

[bored-todeath.livejournal.com]

The nurses here sure liked to argue. They wouldn't give anything to help Ryuk carry his apples and he already had one hand busy with the journal and Death Note. And THEN they decided he couldn't even take them out of the cafeteria. So he'd tried to eat them quickly, but his mouth didn't seem to be as big as it used to, so he had to leave some behind.

That had pissed him off.

He was escorted to a table where both he and the girl already there were glared at before being left alone. He looked at the nurses name. And then the girls. Stupid Death Note still hadn't worked. That also pissed him off.

He flipped it open and wrote 'Ophelia', before sitting back and watching her.

[fourtharcana.livejournal.com]

[orange-flavored shotabuddy!]

On the one hand? Akihiko had really enjoyed talking about stuff other than this place for a while. And he was going to be doing that this coming shift, he thought.

On the other hand...

He headed straight to a far corner of the room, one that would hopefully serve to be relatively private. This was not a conversation he particularly wanted to have out in the Sun Room, and the thought of pulling a nurse aside to ask, 'hey, I have a younger friend here who needs The Talk' was enough to turn his face an interesting shade of red.

All the way there, he muttered about the lack of nonfiction, because it would be far, far easier to just hand Ken a book on the subject than it would be to actually talk about it. In a way, he almost hoped the subject of the previous night would come up, so it would serve as a distraction.

[rectifies.livejournal.com]

First, Mitsuru-senpai wanted to talk to him. Now, Sanada-san had something to discuss. It wasn't about what occurred last night either, at least not particularly. Both seemed pretty intent on the other matters, especially for Akihiko and the bulletin exchange.

Ken may not be knowledgeable enough on the subject, but he was pretty sure he got what he needed regarding virginity...

With a grim face, the child entered the library and briefly glanced around. No immediate sign of the senior registered on his sight, forcing Ken to venture further in. Finally, he found Akihiko, waiting around at the other end of the room. Why there and not anywhere else more conspicuous?

He walked up to the older boy, his expression shifting to wariness. "Um, did you want to speak with me, Senpai?" he asked.

[Edited to better match backthreading.]

[mrmewmaker.livejournal.com]

[for Mr. H.]

Shiki hummed a bit to herself as she walked into the library and picked a random book off one of the shelves. She wasn't here to read, though - she had certainly asked about fashion magazines, or books on design, or biographies of famous designers, or something that didn't seem like a school assignment. Her nurse had laughed dismissively, and sent her off without an answer.

She flipped through the pages distractedly as she thought about her conversation with Sora earlier. It was a little eerie, but not bad, she decided, that he looked so much like Neku yet acted so differently. Shiki pondered whether it was a matter of yet another alternate dimension coming into play, like the difference between the UG and the RG. It didn't seem likely, but you never knew...

Still, she was curious.

[catstreetblues.livejournal.com]

Sanae wouldn't have minded talking to Eileen for a bit longer, but at that moment his nurse had come to collect him. She'd asked him where he wanted to go; he'd replied that it didn't matter. Interest could theoretically be found in everything.

And so she'd left him in the library. He'd browsed the shelves for a bit, searching for something he could read, but nothing popped out to him: he had never been a fan of the so-called "classics". He was about to give in and pick something random to peruse when he noticed Shiki, reading herself by the looks of it, although not with any particular intensity.

Sanae walked over and peered down at the book in her hands. "Whatcha reading?"

[loyal-despair.livejournal.com]

When the nurse came to get him for the second time (since he hadn't been awake before), Kira was sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, straining to feel for the slightest sensation of reiatsu. He could feel a handful, but Captain Hitsugaya's was missing. He recalled the Captain disappearing after they'd all met up last night, going to rescue someone who had been taken away. And then ... nothing. That was the terrifying part: he genuinely did not remember anything after much of last night, even as he began to follow the others out of the hallway. Just the walking, and then --

Morning.

He'd missed it. Something had happened, and here he was. The memorial, the rescue ... everything had just slipped by. People were dying and he was doing absolutely nothing about it.

He was glad to have missed breakfast. There was no way he could eat now.

The nurse took him, at his behest, to the Sun Room first and foremost, so he could take a look at the bulletin board where so much information was gathered. As he read, horrified at the confirmation of his knowledge, at the formality of Hinamori's writing (how was she? How would she cope with this -- and Matsumoto? They were the closest to him, and now he -- ), he felt her coming closer, her presence coming to the Sun Room.

So he went to the library instead. He wasn't sure that he could face her right now.

Kira pulled a book of poetry out of one shelf without really looking at it and sat down heavily in a chair, flipping it open to a random page and not even trying to look like he was reading it. This would provide him the opportunity to think, to come up with something to say, to have a plan for the upcoming night. To help the others, instead of failing miserably like he had. If someone else had to die, he wasn't going to let them go so easily.

[heraldric.livejournal.com]

The library again. Leon looked around with a sigh. There was very little of interest here that he hadn't already looked over. He needed to find some good reference material. Nothing he could find here would be useful to him, though. Perhaps something on metallic properties of this world? That could help with his alchemy training...

He began checking out the bottom row of one of the shelves, checking title after title and finding nothing. Absorbed as he was, bent over with bangs obscuring most of his peripheral vision, the young mage nearly ran into a nearby occupied chair.

He really needed to stop doing that. "Oh! Sorry..."

[toxicspiderman]

There was a spring in S.T.'s step that hadn't been there when he woke up this morning. He loped through the Sun Room, pausing only to scrawl a note on the board, and then into the library. It wasn't much of a library -- a few sets of shelves, some tables and chairs. All of the seats he could see were occupied. Most of them by people with varying shades of glum on their faces. Little pockets of doom and gloom -- charming bunch. Bad moods were more contagious than tuberculosis (and there wasn't a vaccine) so he wandered back into the stacks.

Voices echoed through the room, though no-one was shouting. Talking in a library. Didn't that qualify as a mortal sin? But the nurses hovering by the end of the row were shooting sickening little approving smiles at the chatters. And he'd caught at least one little pleading glance directed at him. Whatever. They'd brought him to a library, and now they wanted him to ignore the books? Fuck that. He scanned along the shelf. Most of it wouldn't be out of place at a cookie-cutter chain bookstore. A well-thumbed paperback with an unfamiliar title caught his eye, and he pulled it down. The Da Vinci Code -- the blurb on the back was generic conspiracy-theory action bullshit, but he opened it to the title page anyways. It'd kill some of the time before night fell.

Copyright 2003. No wonder he didn't recognize it. Seeing it in print was different. Fifteen years in the future. He squirmed, unsettled, and then turned the motion into a semi-covert adjustment of his boxers to disguise the feeling.

[Free!]

[dawn-rune.livejournal.com]

[have a prince?]

Frey's "conversation" with Mori had been oddly pleasant, once Frey got over the idea that the boy's quietness had anything to do with disinterest or lack of friendliness. It would have been nice to continue and get to know the quiet boy a little more, but Frey couldn't think of a polite way to follow the other boy around from shift to shift. So, he let the nurses separate them and followed the crowd into the library.

And just when Frey thought he was starting to get used to this place and all the sorts of people that were here, he happened to catch the sight of someone... adjusting his under things in public. Looking away again hurriedly, Frey coughed delicately, in case the man hadn't realised there were people within view.

[intoindra.livejournal.com]

((For Peter Petrelli, I think?))

Last night... could have gone better. Not only was next to nothing accomplished, but Heat had gone after that one kid, and very nearly the situation had gotten much worse. Food had been a necessity, and Roland still swore under his breath when he thought about it. Heat had been only a few moments away from losing control entirely. When he thought about it, Roland could only blame himself.

Still, the crisis had been averted, and so he slipped into the library once more, heading over to grab some books on mythology. After last night, a reaffirmation of the old roles wouldn't go amiss, now would it? He sat down off by himself, and if his gaze tended to linger a bit longer on the pictures of massacre and horrific monsters consuming brave men and damsels alike... who could blame him?

[human-sponge.livejournal.com]

Unsurprisingly, Peter's head was still aching when he woke up. His thoughts were muddled underneath the pain, and it took a few seconds of laying in his bed and staring at the ceiling to remember the encounter in the stairwell. The barely-visible image of Elle, her mouth slightly open but not breathing. Her head split open, the hint of brain--

Slowly, Peter's hand went to his own head, his fingers brushing over the bandaging that was now neatly wrapped around it. He clenched his jaw, fighting back the frustration with himself, the hatred for the man who had won this time.

He hadn't known Elle particularly well, but that didn't mean she didn't deserve to be grieved, didn't deserve to be saved. If only she had run with him, if only she hadn't been determined to fight.

But he couldn't really blame her. Now she was gone, and Sylar had one more power to give him the upper hand. It was another way to kill, and Peter knew that the man wouldn't stop there.

Even though Nathan was gone, lost to a fake life, at least he wasn't dead. At least Peter hadn't lost him that way.

His nurse showed up then, expressing pity over the wound he'd sustained and once again producing some alternate explanation for it. Peter wasn't in the mood to speak with her, but he did make sure to ask if he could stop at the bulletin before being taken to the library.

He didn't care about the risks anymore. People needed to know about the threat Sylar posed, and so he spelled it out as clearly as he could before telling the nurse he was done. The library wasn't too packed by the time he got there, but Peter was soon looking for familiar faces. He needed some sort of distraction so he didn't spend the whole time focusing on his head pain and feeling sorry for himself.

That was when he spotted Roland. He'd told the man about Sylar - hopefully, he would understand, or would at least be willing to hear him out. Peter approached him, trying to brush some of his hair over the bandages so that the other man wouldn't be too alarmed at the sight.

He sat down across from Roland, resting his head in his hand as he heaved a sigh. "Hey."

[osakapwnzu.livejournal.com]

And back into the library! It was almost the only thing that Heiji really liked about this place: they had mystery novels. About the only thing that kept him sane--fiction. Just great.

Of course, he expected Shinichi to move straight to the mystery section (probably to see if their Holmes collection was up to par), and he wanted to hear what his rival had to say about his first night in the building. The more observations the newb and the vet bounced back and forth, the sooner the blanks would be filled in.

[DC/MK Reunion! \o/]

[flashyaudacity]

The library would, in Kaito's humble opinion, have been much better if it had Maurice Leblanc's work in it. But alas, it was utterly lacking in the exploits of Arsène Lupin the gentleman thief.

Might as well read some Holmes. It was better than nothing, and some of the other books appealed to him far less than detective stories did.

He headed towards the part of the library he'd remembered seeing mystery books the last time he'd been there, and saw that Hattori was there.

"Hey!" he said to the detective in greeting. "How'd last night go?"

[fuzzy-diablo.livejournal.com]

Kurt couldn't remember the last time he'd been in a library that wasn't the Xavier Institute's library. Because really, who needed the school library when you had Cerebro? Not that he'd ever used it for such a purpose...

Being that he was unfamiliar with the layout, Kurt wandered up and down the aisles of books, skimming the titles and brushing his fingers against the spines of the books. It felt normal... it felt as though all of the nerves in his fingers were firing normally.

It probably had something to do with his bracelet--the one that claimed he was allergic to penicillin when he wasn't allergic to penicillin at all. Quietly, Kurt slunk off into an uninhabited corner and discretely began trying to undo the clasp on the bracelet.

[Free!]

[kagurazuki.livejournal.com]

She said her goodbyes to Leon before the nurses moved her along. It was harder to smile today, knowing that a friend of hers had been killed and that any one of the others, even herself, might be next.

For a library, this place didn't have that many books. It was relatively small, all things considered. Kagura glanced at the titles without really seeing them. She would've gone to talk to Mello, but he always seemed so busy and industrious. She hated to bother him if he was working on something important.

There were, however, a few others that seemed a little less busy. A boy in the corner was fiddling with his bracelet, something she'd seen Kyo do all too often. She walked over, not sure if she should approach, but curious all the same.

"Um," she said quietly, lingering close to the bookshelf as if she might try to hide behind them at any moment. "I don't mean to interrupt, but... do... do you need some help with that?"

[cnflctofintrst.livejournal.com]

Once again, Mello had managed to sleep through what could have been an important shift. Oversleeping and unplanned naps hadn't happened in a while and he certainly hadn't missed them; hopefully, this wouldn't become a regular occurrence like it had last time. He followed the nurse out of his room and quickly checked the bulletin. Therapy.

Luckily, he wasn't one of the chosen patients. After jotting a few quick notes he headed to the library, hoping to find L. Mello didn't plan to speak to the man, but until the detective got his shit together or the threat to his heirs was otherwise neutralized, he'd be kept under close surveillance.

L wasn't anywhere in sight, but Mello immediately picked out Matt and Sen speaking on a nearby couch. She was persistent, that much was clear. He grabbed a book from the shelf at random, then opened it and focused blankly on the text as he leaned against the wall behind him. After slightly less time than it would have taken an average reader to get through the page, he turned it and repeated the process.

It only took a few overheard words to rekindle his suspicions about Sen, and Mello's temper bristled at Matt's idiocy and the risk it presented to his plans, even if Sen's motives were pure. Perfect. Fucking perfect. Just what he needed: another ally gone blind and stupid with emotion.


[for Matsuda]

[showtime-matsu.livejournal.com]

He'd gone to the library to look for L, really. It seemed like the kind of place that the detective would go, when given a choice, and he needed to know what Ryuk looked like. Not to mention the shinigami's appearance along with that crazy supporter guy made him really uncomfortable. Mikami had said that people wanting to catch Kira would be better off dead (or something like that), that both L and Light would be better dead. Then Light had disappeared. Even Matsuda thought that was suspicious.

Once Matsuda got there, though, he found it significantly lacking in hunched over people with scruffy black hair. Had he just slept in or something, or...? No, that was a bad way of thinking. This was L, he'd be fine.

Then again, there was a shinigami here.

Matsuda had been all set to head back to the Sun Room to check there, when instead he'd spotted another familiar, yet far more unwelcome, face.

Oh, right. Mello was supposedly one of those kids raised to be the next L, wasn't he? If Matsuda worked with L here, he'd probably have to get along with Mello at some point. Maybe. The murderer thing kinda didn't make a difference, did it?

Great.

He might as well apologize for punching him the other day, then, just so long as the guy didn't go insulting the Chief again. He didn't bother grabbing a book, and went over to where Mello was leaning. "You know Ryuga, right? Have you seen him anywhere?" Okay, so maybe it wasn't an apology or even a greeting, but he was getting there.

[wantsyourzex.livejournal.com]

ZEX was really looking forward to seeing his Captain again and regaling him with tales of what he'd done last night, how good he felt, how they'd have to do that to each other, what he'd found in his closet, and how he'd sorted through, to an at least tolerable extent, some of the problems that had made him act so embarrassingly before.

So discovering, after some waiting, that his human love would not be seeing him right away was something of a disappointment.

Of course, he would see him later that day, surely, and it was only a matter of passing time until then, but still! ZEX hated to be disappointed.

As it was, he took down a book from a shelf, not particularly paying any attention to the author or the title. What he was interested in was the writing... perhaps if he applied himself, this bizarre ability to read everything in his own language would fade, or falter, or give some clue as to its nature (besides, of course, being impossible).

ZEX sat down, gave the room a glance to see if there were any naked humans prancing his way (why did that never seem to happen?), and again somewhat disappointed, looked back down to the cover of the book. He studied it and the letters across it with a somewhat inappropriate intensity. What did human writing even look like, anyway?

[Free~]

[no-barbarian.livejournal.com]

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

When given the choice it wasn't hard for Sakura to pick the Library over the Sun Room. Inside libraries one could find a wealth of information, which would be key in making any kind of plans around here. She'd already committed most of the primer to memory and she doubted she'd find much here that wasn't already in that paper, but it was worth a try.

She picked up a book at random from the shelves, glancing over the title as well as the summary without being impressed. It looked like a children's novel. What use was that? Giving a sigh, she thumbed over the other titles, wondering if it was just more of the same.

[Kon]

[gottabetactile.livejournal.com]

Kon was, well OK he was kinda worried after talking to Teisel. He'd been pretty broken up about whatever the staff had been telling him. If Kon himself actually had a family he'd probably worry about them too.

Quietly following the nurse for once he was deposited in the library before he even knew where he was going. Well this was going to be boring. Stuck inside again when all he wanted to do was get outside and go flying. He missed the feel of the wind in his face and the freedom of just flying wherever he wanted.

He was wandering aimlessly among the shelves looking for something - anything! - to do when he spotted one of the worst crimes he'd encountered in this stinking prison. A babe all on her own. This was definitely a job for Superboy. Sauntering over Kon leaned against the shelf next to her. "Well I must be dead 'cause I'm sure you only get angels in heaven."

[screwthegods]

After breakfast, Homura went into the library, knowing he had another appointment--one that definitely couldn't be called a playdate instead. It was the nature of the beast in his position, and the demi-god wasn't going to complain. The activity was welcome, in sharp contrast to the slow, boredom-filled days in Heaven. As much as he hated being in this prison, there were still certain aspects to be enjoyed.

And this meeting held a particular amount of promise, depending on the knowledge and the character of this new person. That he didn't believe in the gods didn't bother Homura in the least. What he was concerned with was the man's technological knowledge, and his goals. Whatever powered this place was likely something beyond his understanding, and Homura couldn't have that. He needed it to stay functional afterward, for whatever it was that was keeping him and Kenren and Rinrei alive to still do so. Perhaps this new person could be a key in that.

The conversation would tell, but Homura would have to be careful to find out what he needed without revealing his goals. He walked into the library, keeping to an area where he could be easily seen. The description he'd given, Okita's additions included, only matched himself and Kenren. And with the dual-colored eyes being used for other purposes, Homura would simply have you rely on the elder god pointing him out if his appointment approached the wrong person first.

[emotionl4arobot.livejournal.com]

Finally spotting someone who looked like his target, Brainiac 5 observed the man quietly for a few moments. A tall, older man with dark hair and an odd red mark on his forehead. He seemed like someone who would indeed offer a more substantial conversation than anyone else the Coluan boy had spoken to thus far, and had been willing to accept that at the very least the two of them had different ideas of what was 'real' and what wasn't. But... appearances could be deceiving. He should be careful not to give away too much while talking with the man.

Having watched for long enough, Brainiac 5 approached the older man cautiously and cleared his throat. "I believe you are the one I am looking for," he said. "I am Brainiac 5." Now that he was closer he could see that the other man had two different coloured eyes, unusual in humans. He wondered if it signified anything.