111

[looselips]

Characters: Shinji Matou & OPEN
Setting: Floor 3 & Floor 83
Format: Brackets preferred
Summary: Browsing books and clothes.
Warnings: The clothes on Floor 83 are kind of gross, yo.

I. Floor 3
[It's not odd to see Shinji in the library. For whatever his faults, he's book smart and likes learning, and he doesn't usually do anything to draw attention to himself besides reading things that seem like they should be a bit too complex for his age. Today, however, he's conspicuously hidden, trying to obscure whatever he's looking at by surrounding himself with stacks of thick books discussing his usual interests.]

[The book he's paging through is nothing that should be illicit; it's a tome from the library in his own home, he realizes, old and tattered and filled with handwritten notes in handwriting that comes from several people. The oldest parts of the book are so faded that they're difficult to read. This is something he's wanted—something filled with information on old world magecraft from before the Great Collapse—and yet he finds himself embarrassed as he browses through it.]

[It's probably something to do with the fact that, as he browses through it, he pays more attention to the names and dates written inside it than he does anything else. Sure, he's never really known any family outside of his mom, but why should that matter?]

II. Floor 83
[It's been months since Shinji has arrived in the Tower, and he's a growing child. So, it's not really surprising that he's starting to outgrow his clothes.]

[Naturally, he hasn't actually brought the issue up to anyone, stubbornly trying be independent. So, presently, he's squinting suspiciously at the clothes on Floor 83. He has examined them, and they don't look like they're anything dangerous, but...]

[Eventually, he decides to take a chance. He tries on a pair of socks. What he expects, if anything, is to have the cloth try to bite his feet off, or maybe to constrict so violently that his bones are crushed. What he gets instead is the feeling of having inserted his foot into the body of a live bird.]

[Squawking in a far more literal sense than normal, he scrambles to tear them off his feet, half-intentionally hurling them away from himself as he does so.]

Comments

Floor 83

[swordofzero]

[A shot sounds from behind him and another, bullets going nowhere near him but instead to the socks he had thrown over the room. Suzaku was at his side a moment later] Are you alright Shinji? [He has no idea what is going on, he has never tried any of the clothes here, his flight suit still fits him, and he was just passing through when he heard his roommate shout.]

[looselips]

[The sound of shots makes Shinji yelp, too, and automatically, he cringes and ducks his head. He only relaxes when Suzaku appears at his side, and even then, it's slowly.]

J— Jeez, that was a little overkill, don't you think?

[His voice is uneven as he dismisses Suzaku's concern, even if the way he goes about it is more or less his usual manner. Unthinkingly, he rubs at his feet, half-expecting them to feel slick or slimy, but no, they're just the same as they were when he put his feet into those socks in the first place.]

[swordofzero]

What happened? [Suzaku looked him over, checking that he was alright.]

[looselips]

[Physically, at least, it doesn't look like there's any problem at all! When he answers, he's already started tugging his original pair of socks back onto his feet.]

I don't know. [It's an actually honest answer.] The same kind of crap that always happens around here, I guess.

[swordofzero]

[He frowned around the floor] We should probably leave here.

[woodpeckermaruta]

[He could have never, in a million years, expected to come across this many clothing items--not in a place like this, anyway. Wow, there were definitely some interesting picks. His first thought, of course (this was Animus, after all), was 'what's the catch?'

Well, maybe there was the catch that involved someone being very displeased by what they wore; or, perhaps that person would be frightened and wind up throwing the article of clothing that scared them.

...Whatever the case, he heard a strange cry, and poked his head down the aisle he thought he heard it coming from. With that simple act, he moved into the line of fire of a certain sock; and, the angle of projection happened to line up with his face.

He didn't make a sound; instead, he opted for standing there a moment looking puzzled. After blinking a couple of times, though, gray eyes happened to land on a stranger.]

Are you... okay?

[looselips]

U... Ugh.

[The grumble comes from a young boy, eight or maybe nine years of age. For whatever reason, he definitely seems less than pleased, his expression a scowl and his face red as he yanks his original, somewhat ill-fitting pair of socks back on.]

Yeah, I'm fine.

[Yeah, whatever happened, he sounds less than happy about it.]

[woodpeckermaruta]

[Ganta stares at the ...child.

What the fuck? This Tower just doesn't discriminate, ...does it...

The black-haired Deadman closes about half of the space between him and the kid, leaving just less than five feet distance between them. Folding his arms across his chest, he frowns and tilts his head to the side.]

So, what happened?

3!

[vermicompost]

[Kariya can get around on his own well enough, even if he spends the majority of his time with Lancelot, and the lower floors are relatively safe. So it's not too odd for him to be in the library on his own.

He wanders, not sure what he wants to read. Usually he likes science fiction, or fantasy stories, but today, he thinks he might be in the mood for something else. It's because of this uncertain quest for novelty that he comes across Shinji's hiding place, while seeking out regions of the library heretofore unvisited.

He's so glad to see Shinji again that he hurries over, not paying much attention to what he's reading.]

Shinji!

[looselips]

[He isn't expecting to be addressed, and he starts on reflex. There's a moment where he almost wants to hide his book, but then he doesn't—not because he realizes that would only look more suspicious, but because it's clearly irrational to hide something that belongs to him, since there's no reason he shouldn't have it. He marks his place with a finger as he closes the book and looks up.]

Oh. Hey, Kariya.

[He tries to sound nonchalant, but his feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment persist. His legs start to swing, heels bouncing against the legs of his seat.]

[vermicompost]

It's good to see you again. What are you reading?

[He asks the question innocently, not thinking that Shinji might be reading anything he shouldn't be. He comes closer to the chair, reaching out to rest a fond hand on Shinji's head, very briefly, just long enough to give the lightest of ruffles.]

[looselips]

[Shinji's shoulders bunch up when the hand touches hair, and though he doesn't pull away completely, he plainly leans from Kariya's touch. It's not as bad as one of Archer's ruffles, though, so he doesn't squawk or otherwise make indignant noises.]

[After a second of debate, Shinji holds up the book to show Kariya. The cover is plain, and it's obviously an old book, even if it is well-preserved.]

It's...a book from home. I found it in my trunk.

[vermicompost]

[Kariya lowers his hand.]

You got something from home, too? What book is it? Is it one you used to read when you were younger?

[He says this hopefully, because that would be nice.]

floor 83;

[bydefacto]

[Sealand is looking for interesting costumes to play dress up with, when the sock comes flying at his face.

He screams as though it's about to eat him -- and really, if he's learnt anything, it's that that's hardly an impossibility in this place. It's more out of shock than anything of course, and when he then looks down at what hit him in the face he appears a little embarrassed.]

Wh-Why're you throwing socks everywhere?!

[looselips]

[Normally, Shinji would probably say something rude about the screaming, but considering his own behavior, he actually holds his tongue for once. Rather than sassing Sealand, he busies himself with yanking his original pair of socks back on his feet, looking disgruntled.]

I'm not throwing socks everywhere. It was one pair.

[Obviously.]

[bydefacto]

But why are you throwing any socks at people? [And by at people, he means at him, of course. Rude.]

[looselips]

I wasn't throwing them at people, I was throwing them off my feet.

[God!!]

floor 83

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer peeks in onto the floor when he hears the squawk. Instead of any monsters, he can only see Shinji...taking his socks off violently.]

...What, those things don't fit you?

[looselips]

[Oh, it's this dope. Automatically, Shinji bites back:]

How about you put them on and see how much you like wearing them?

[Shinji, they're... They're child-sized socks...]

[puppy_lancer]

You're gonna have to get me a bigger size.

[There's just the slightest big of nervousness in his tone as he gazes around the room. All these animal suits remind him of last Halloween, when he was turned into a dog-creature thanks to a Tower costume.]

[looselips]

They're over here. Come get them yourself.

[He's not going to fetch for you, Lancer.]

Floor 3

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[Lancelot, also in search of the quietest corner possible, was not searching for his Master's Nephew, but he stumbles across the boy all the same. Shinji seems to have constructed himself a bunker of books. Lancelot removes one, so as to be seen.]

Shinji.

sneaks in a reply before bed...

[looselips]

[Shinji automatically looks up as Lancelot moves a book aside and greets him. He doesn't feel as intensely embarrassed at being 'caught' by him as he would some others, but there is a sense of sheepishness as he closes his book, keeping the page marked with one finger.]

Oh. Hey, Lancelot.

[His feet swing a little where they dangle above the floor. More than he consciously realizes, Shinji is happy to see him.]

same here <3

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[Bowing his his head, Lancelot places a large, gloved hand on Shinji's shoulder by way of greeting. He is happy to see the boy-- Shinji's liveliness amuses and delights him.
He's aware the question will annoy the boy, but still, finding Shinji alone, he must ask.]

Well met. Does your Servant not accompany you this day? I had not thought to find you so alone.

[looselips]

[puffs]

I'm allowed to spend time on my own, aren't I? I don't need to have Archer around constantly.