001 -- don't say a word

[tempustemporum.livejournal.com]

Characters: Ienzo + YOU.
Setting: The library. Where else?
Format: Prose; feel free to do either, and I'll follow suit.
Summary: Ienzo finds the library. Don't expect to see him anywhere else for several weeks.
Warnings: None.

If one were to stroll unknowingly into the library of the Tower of Animus, they would get the feeling that they were not alone. Even though there was no shadow, no sound, nothing to suggest that anyone else was there... they would still feel like someone else was around. Because someone was. He just had more important things to worry about.

The usual awkward, shrunken demeanor that Ienzo typically had was all but lost when he was in a library. He actually knew what he was doing out here; without question, he loved books, and even just being within close proximity to them had a certain calming effect. But still, if ever he was in a new place, a large priority for him was always to learn if there was a library in the area, and if there was, drop everything and shun minor obligations like food and social interaction in order to find it. (Not that he typically had much of either anyway.)

Right now, he was floating between the shelves somewhere, looking as close to 'peaceful' as he was ever going to get. There was still the slight perma-frown on his face, but other than that there was no darkness to his face; he was stopping every so often to read the titles and the authors of books, occasionally slipping one out to peer at the front cover before deciding it would not help him and moving on. While earlier he had been here simply for the sake of being here, Ienzo soon realized that he was in an unfamiliar world and had seen nothing to indicate which one. And so, since his first line of defense against everything was a book, he had made for the library, stalking the shelves for anything that could give him even the slightest hint.

What Ienzo didn't know is that there was nothing in this vast place, nothing at all, which could even remotely be of use to him. He knew how to search through these labyrinthine places, and had long since learned to find the maximum amount of information in the minimum amount of time. (He also knew how to do all of this without uttering a single sound; silence is golden, remember?) But today's search had come up depressingly and uncharacteristically empty... though of course, human error could be taken in to account, and so a significant amount of combing would be necessary.

Comments

[invisiblebombs.livejournal.com]

He didn't read much, time had never been afforded, but there truly wasn't much else that Karasu could do here. If worse came to worse he could at least get through that list of however many books you were supposed to get through before you died while he was sitting in the nurse's office. Second chances were good for something, at least.

The heels of his shoes clicked as quietly as he could manage as he searched the library for something that looked interesting, or at the very least familiar. As he rounded one of the shelves, his eyes widened. Who had brought a child here? For that matter, why would a child be in the library? Weren't there more things for one to do? He paused to consider the little boy, search forgotten.

[tempustemporum.livejournal.com]

Ienzo heard the newcomer before he saw him.

The library appeared, save for him and perhaps a librarian who he couldn't find, to be empty. But the footsteps soon began to sound behind him, and Ienzo only stopped to listen when he realized that they were getting closer to him. But even that was just for a moment; ears pricked, he went back to his hunting. This was the state in which the newcomer found him.

When Ienzo became aware of someone else standing behind him, he turned around; the footfalls had definitely stopped, and from what Ienzo could see of the man's face, he had definitely noticed Ienzo too.

Not a word was passed. The man's eyes were widened in surprise; was he just unaware that someone else had been in this room with him? (Ienzo had long since stopped noticing how silently he could drift through the world, and by now, he only ever paid it mind when someone complained about how he should stop sneaking up on them.) However, after a few seconds in which Ienzo expected the man to let go of it and move on -- which most people usually did -- he was still looking at Ienzo intently, thoughtfully.

Ienzo returned the stare. He could do this all day.

Seriously.

All day.

[invisiblebombs.livejournal.com]

Karasu forced a look of impassivity onto his face; he knew most of it was hidden behind the mask, but he also knew the eyes were possibly the most expressive part on a person's face. He broke the stare, searching the shelves nearby for something to read, anything at all really, and started treading down the row again, passing by calmly.

Still, he wasn't one to let curiosity go unassuaged. Without turning to look back, he raised his voice only loud enough to pass through the mask as a whisper. "Are you looking for something in particular?" Not that he could really help any. It just seemed a more polite question than 'what is a child doing in here?'

[tempustemporum.livejournal.com]

The man eventually moved on, walking right past Ienzo after breaking the staring contest. Figuring this was the end of it, the boy let it drop, once again returning to scanning the shelves. However, from somewhere further down the row, he heard someone whisper a question to him: "Are you looking for something in particular?" Of course it would be the masked man, who had apparently not turned around, but seemed to be the only other person within whispering distance.

Ienzo nodded, and upon realizing that the man was facing in the completely opposite direction, he responded back in a similar volume, "...Yes..."

well hi there

[thosefivedays.livejournal.com]

"What are you looking for?" Lillet's search was no less intent, but a perhaps a little more ranged due to her extra height and the help of a fairy to reach the highest shelves or fetch books from other parts of the library. As such, she didn't see any problem with speaking to the boy as she crossed the aisle with a new stack of books in her arms. After all, they were all friends here. Supposedly. "Is it anything specific?"

Re: well hi there

[tempustemporum.livejournal.com]

"What are you looking for? Is it anything specific?"

Ienzo very nearly jumped in surprise (which was a serious feat in itself) when he heard a female voice chime out from behind him. He had not heard her approach, and if he knew anything at all about the girl besides her odd fashion sense, he might have speculated that it was due to some magical skill. But of course he didn't; he also decided against dwelling on the subject because human interaction aaaaaaahhhhhhh.

The boy glanced around before speaking, using a tone equivalent to that of a church mouse. "...I'm looking for... anything that can help me identify this place... or even... the world we're on..."

[thosefivedays.livejournal.com]

"Oh..." Her search for that kind of book hadn't turned up anything useful either, so it was with disappointment and a commiserating smile that she shook her head. "I haven't been able to find anything about this world yet. Or mine. I'm sorry."

And yet, she wasn't going away. Partly because someone that quiet and jumpy should have company, for reasons best left to the thinking of extroverts, and partly because the books on these shelves were just as useful as those on any of the others.

[tempustemporum.livejournal.com]

Ienzo's only response to this was a single nod, before turning back to the shelf, examining the books within with a renewed attentiveness; it seemed that before he had begun to slip into a rather mindless pattern, and when searching for something, 'mindless' is not the best adjective to be described with. However, it soon became apparent that the blonde girl wasn't making any move to leave him to his business. This prompted Ienzo to stop his search once again and fix a look on her, inquiring what she was still doing here without uttering a single word.

[thosefivedays.livejournal.com]

"We're looking for the same thing," was the unashamed answer to his silent question, "And it's more fun to work together." A smile, and then she looked away to collect another likely-looking book from the shelves. "I'm Lillet Blan, by the way. What's your name?"

[tempustemporum.livejournal.com]

Ienzo was just about to make a comment at the first part of the girl's answer, but the second silenced him. In his opinion, no, it really wasn't more 'fun' to work together... there was nothing fun about it, as a matter of fact. (Oftentimes Ienzo completely failed to factor 'fun' into his equations. And life.) But there was no getting around it when she asked for his name, and gave hers... Lillet. Lillet Blan. So she had a surname... that was unusual, in Radiant Garden, anyhow.

Well, he would find out which world she was from later. In the meantime, he stopped ever so briefly in his search to answer her question. "...Ienzo." And with that he was back to stalking the shelves, with an expression that looked more suited to someone who was currently defusing a giant bomb.

[silver-rockets.livejournal.com]

Most of the books appeared to be in very good condition. Who owned this tower anyways? Silver rummaged through the wooden shelves. Perhaps there was a book of records lying around somewhere. Twice, the books had spilled out and nearly his him in the face. It was a rather large library and he found some comfort in knowing that it wasn't his job to categorize the books and keep them in order. There was just so many of them. But still, a scowl made it onto his face as he realized he had been assigned a sort of housekeeping job. Perhaps being a librarian wouldn't have been so bad after all.

Silver heard movement. He didn't see anyone at first, but looking twice, he saw there was a small boy weaving between the shelves. It appeared there were people of all ages turning up in the tower. The child had been no exception. He gave off a rather unfriendly aura though and Silver hesitated to approach him. It wasn't like him to be the first to greet a person anyways.

[tempustemporum.livejournal.com]

Sounds traveled far in this room, and it didn't take Ienzo very long to recognize the sound of a paperlanche coming down on some unfortunate individual who didn't know how to properly man a stack of books. Twice this sound rang across the library, and twice Ienzo did nothing but stop briefly to shake his head before returning to the task at hand. It seemed that there were other people here, after all, and he supposed that not everyone was capable of understanding the true value of a library. After quite a while of searching undisturbed by paperlanches of any kind, Ienzo noticed the soft sound of footsteps on the wooden floor.

He turned his head to find a scowling young man staring back at him, apparently debating whether or not to approach. Ienzo didn't particularly care either way, though he would be happy to get people away from him so he could do some work for once. This in mind, he fixed the teenager with a brief look before returning to the shelves.