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Post by Adeline on Dec 6, 2008 14:32:01 GMT -5
The tigress had never been here before.
It was an odd place, Adeline thought, as she browsed the many shelves of books in the University of West Lucent. She had decided to come here, rather than the library in the Red Pavilion, because this would have the more intellectual books...the older books...the historical books...the books Tarsus recommended she look at...the books she didn't know how to read.
Sure, she could piece together the titles if given a chance, and estimate the age of the book itself, but overall? She was hopeless. However, she figured she'd look, browse, admire, as she walked between shelves, and then maybe get someone else to read them to her. It was difficult to get much historical information if all you had to go by was word of mouth.
It was a couple of days after her conversation with Tarsus Ridge, the huge and elderly ankyosaur; it had taken her a while to recover from the after effects of drinking too much. However, a few bruises still lingered on her arms and legs, obtained on the walk home from Angelo's, when she ran into a great many things...and fell a few times too. Overall she had recovered, and so that at least was good news.
Just looking at the vast shelves of books she couldn't understand made her want to go back to Angelo's for a drink. Soon she would have to admit to herself that she had a problem, but that time hadn't come yet. It was other people's fault for making life so hard on her, pulling her in to so many catastrophes. If she didn't have to worry about anything, then she wouldn't need the alcohol at all. Of course the solution to that would be to disband the Foundry and stop worrying about the Angels/Council/Lucent problem period. She didn't have to be a part of it. But she wouldn't be happy living like that, but downright bored. It wasn't an option. She would stop drinking when she fixed everything; when there were no more problems. She had no problem, no addiction, no...
Adeline put her hand to her stomach. Ouch. Withdrawals.
After a while of looking around, Adeline picked out a book. It was ornate, embossed in leather, and Adeline could see Dwight Lucent's name in the title. She tried to decipher the author's name, but the first name was too intricate to spell out. The last name, however, she was able to see as 'Perry'. She had heard of a Perry, one Harlequinn Perry, and that could be the name. However, she wasn't quite sure.
Holding the book in one hand, she kept traveling along the shelf, taking out books that looked helpful and putting them back if they were duds.
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Post by Rook on Dec 6, 2008 23:49:50 GMT -5
"The pouf can't stand to have anything simple so far as it's legible".
Rook's face was shadowed by the enourmous bookshelves, cluttered so tightly together, that if one book was taken so swifty it would set them all into disorder, but his eyes shone bright quicksilver flashing up at the white tiger, quickly at her face and then down again, fast as a weasel's gaze to rest to the book she was holding once again.
He had only been watching her from a moment, out of her view range perhaps, on the far left, he'd noticed her wince but he decided not to point that out. Maybe she'd tell him if she felt like it.
He smiled a little, his scruffy chin compacting his neat, sharp white fangs, which like his eyes only flashed for a moment. His huge hands were stuffed in his pockets, and he was slouching in a way that screamed of youth that all together did not go with his form, except for those insistingly questioning eyes.
"The book's a load of crap too if you ask me..." he trailed off "no 'mnot a critic. I know him personally".
His expression was downright warm, and also downright dishonest.
There was no point in beating around the bush either,
"What have you been up to, Adeline"?
Ffft, can't be good if she's got Harley's book in hand.
It wasn't a start for casual conversation, it was actually more along the lines of interrogation, but he was at the same time, teasing her.
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Post by Adeline on Dec 8, 2008 22:09:09 GMT -5
She'd admit if you asked her, but Rook had snuck up on her, and she jumped. She was caught completely off guard...normally why she stayed off the field work and let the grunts do it. She planned. Also, in her...current state, even though her headache was finally gone, withdrawals pierced through her body, leaving her a little weak. Adeline needed a drink. But...it was no excuse. Rook had caught her off guard, and it was all her fault.
She turned defiantly, holding the book out almost like a shield. "What? What does it look like I'm up to?" she asked in defense. "I'm at a library, getting books to read...is there anything so wrong with that?"
Now, the perfect response for Rook to say to that was "yeah, there is. You can't read" or something along those lines, and after she said it, she knew she had just opened herself up to be squashed on. In all honesty she wasn't really "up to anything". An acquantance had recommended she find books. She didn't have anything planned or anything. However, now that she thought about it...weren't those numbers library call numbers? Didn't that mean...the books could be here? Or at the Red Pavilion. But there wasn't any harm in looking here, was there?
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Post by Rook on Dec 9, 2008 0:34:41 GMT -5
David had once advised him not to look too deeply into things lest you overshoot the answer like an over thought riddle, but fuck if he could remember everything that had bled out of that constantly waggering mouth on the dog.
Well, there was no fool like an old one.
Rook diddn't know Adeline personally, he could only observe so much from the surface and more often than not he fell into the habit of forgetting his foes were people too, it was easier to kill them if they remained object-like in his mind, he diddn't even stop to consider that she could just be here in here spare time rather than cleaving obsessivly for the answers as he thought she was doing now.
"Hm, I have to say I diddn't think you'd bother checking this place, not many people realize how many smaller, and less ...public libraries there are in this city. "
That's not why I'm here though. She diddn't have to know that however.
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Post by Adeline on Dec 9, 2008 22:54:45 GMT -5
That caught Adeline by surprise. "What do you mean, how many? I thought it was just this one and the Red Pavillion..."
Maybe she wanted to go to one of those other libraries then...one of the even less public ones...maybe they'd have the right books that she needed and wanted.
"I'm only at this one because one...it's closer to where I live, and two, an associate of mine attends this university and recommended the library to me."
That was kind of a lie. Tarsus definitely did not attend the university, or at least not anymore, and he didn't recommend the LIBRARY, just the books. But, regardless, there was nothing wrong with her being here...except that she didn't read. And now she had the book call numbers on her mind.
What was Rook doing here anyways? Didn't he have Angel stuff to be doing? Adeline eyed him suspiciously. "And why is it, that you happen to be here to come up and accuse me of wrongdoings?"
Was he following her? Surely not, she was just paranoid...he was probably just here to, you know, relax or something. Oh god god god...she wanted a drink.
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Post by Rook on Dec 10, 2008 7:34:33 GMT -5
Oh fuck. Did I just give my enemy advice?
...Yeah this is not going to be on record.
"Who said anything about accusing or wrong doings"? Asked Rook, his voice still calm with a raised eyebrow. "I can't stop you ---well, legally, from checking whatever public library you want for any reason. You can look up everything from pimples to mountain goats, it's none of my business...though I am curious of how you managed to develop these skills for leisure reading in a span of less than month".
His eyes narrowed a little.
Actually he had been keeping tabs on the Red Pavillion's Records, or at least had told his secretary to from now on but it was more out of polite respect. Really, all he had to do was watch and wait, someone would eventually shift something, be it Adeline or someone else, and he'd follow the trail.
He smiled a little
"I'm not going tell you why I'm here but you can be sure that I have better things to do than follow you around everywhere". He flicked an ear "Well, usually anyway."
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Post by Adeline on Dec 10, 2008 20:56:11 GMT -5
Adeline narrowed her eyes in reply to Rook's narrowing of the eyes. "Define 'skills for leisure reading'."
She really wasn't in the mood to be interrogated. Even though, now that she thought about it, all that happened was that Rook came up behind her and asked her what she had been up to...he had never said anything to the point of accusing her. However, there was something in his tone that just...insinuated it.
Maybe she was getting paranoid. She was uncomfortable here at the library...this place filled with things that she couldn't understand. She was far out of her comfort zone. If Groves had accompanied her, maybe then she'd feel more comfortable. However, it was dangerous for the two of them to be seen in public together. The Angels should know that she worked at his store though. Did anyone really actually know what he looked like except her? There was a question to ponder.
But at any rate, Groves wasn't here but Rook was. And it was Rook she had to worry about. He couldn't be allowed to get much more inquisitive than he already was. Well, if all else failed, she'd ask about the call numbers. At least that would give her an alternate reason for visiting the library.
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Post by Rook on Jan 13, 2009 0:39:36 GMT -5
"You know, ABCDEFG...all that crap". he said, his eyes narrowing in a blatant challenge.
He shook his head, sighing "We've been through this before, this would all be easier if we could just work together Adeline. I'm not trying to bullshit you, and you know I'm not trying to help you...yet. " he curled his lip.
His claws were glowing faintly, lighting up his gray eyes in the dim musty light and making them appear whitish, but the claws retained their normal size, he diddn't appear aggressive, at least outwardly. But he was thoughtful, and that meant trouble.
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Post by Adeline on Jan 17, 2009 22:07:34 GMT -5
Adeline's eyes narrowed too. "Are you accusing me of being illiterate?"
She should stop this, she knew she should. She was basically illiterate; she could read no better than a child in second grade. Why was she doing this? She would only end up by losing and being humiliated. Why did she keep biting back. She should just ignore Rook, just walk away and continue looking for books. But she needed his help...she knew that. Picking a fight with him wouldn't help that, and going on and on and fighting about the illiteracy wouldn't help that either. However, the tigress didn't know when to stop. She couldn't let Rook win; her stubborness wouldn't allow it. Her stubborness wouldn't allow much.
"What are you suggesting we work together on, anyways? As far as I was concerned we no longer need each other. You got what you wanted from me, didn't you?"
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