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Self-Help; The Library
Topic Started: Nov 29 2011, 05:26 AM (959 Views)
Lady-Moth
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Laura walked along the shelves, the fingertips on one hand trailing lightly along the spines of the books as she went. She'd never gone into the nonfiction section before...Hopefully she could find what she needed without asking for help. She didn't want to have to hurt herself more than she had already.

Ever since her rather one-sided talk with Emily, the tree-girl had taken to wearing a rubber band around her wrist. It fit quite snugly without being too tight, so she almost didn't notice its presence. Almost. She couldn't afford to forget it was there--she needed it to keep herself from stuttering.

The red mark underneath it was a little faded recently. She was getting better at speaking properly.

"Biographies...Cold Wars...Reference..." she murmured, reaching the end of one aisle and turning to walk down the next one. Darn it, where were they?
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Garaku
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"Damn them... damn damn damn damn damn..."

While floating down an aisle of books, Syrin made sure to continually whisper curses into the air out of sheer frustration. It was nearing that time for exams, and as usual the frail woman had nothing prepared or ready for her students in the coming week. Why couldn't the damn brats just learn on their own damn time? She would have to come up with a special trick question later, just so that they could share with her in her anguish.

"Nothing... damn nothing...." Her whispers seemed to rise in pitch and volume as it quickly became apparent that she was looking in the wrong section. But she was sure that the math texts were somewhere around this area...

Passing through the shelving in front of her, a satisfied smile crept onto her pale face as the title of a certain book caught the edge of her eye. "An introductory to Calculus," yes that would do just fine... She didn't want the tests to be too hard, after all she would have to go through each one once they had been written.

Mmm... but there was a problem.

In her astral state, Syrin couldn't physically interact with objects, and thus couldn't actually reach for the book herself. Her actual body, was slouched hidden behind a stack of books several aisles away. She could simply return to her body and then proceed in making the trek back here... but looking down from her floating position, a better idea came to mind as the presence of a tall green-haired girl came to her attention.

"You..." she muttered, floating down to the floor as her presence literally chilled the air. "Yes, you with the pretty green hair. Grab that book for me would you?" With a shakey finger, Syrin pointed upwards at the book in question. It wasn't terribly high up, and with Laura's height she should have been able to reach it with little difficulty... if she stood on her tippy toes that is.
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HosekiDragon
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This is calm and it's doctor.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Hector was hiding in a far corner of the library, tucked into the nonfiction section, hiding behind a stack of books on Anthropology that he would never read.

What he was really doing was nursing his latest headache and the three pills he'd taken earlier. And procrastinating. On all of his homework. The teenager would rather have been hiding in the cafe but there were too many Elite hovering around the place (for some reason) and there were some rather angry upper classmen stalking the dorms looking for a reason to get into a fight.

So Hector was left hiding in the library. Not his first choice but as quiet as it was going to get. He was just closing his eyes, preparing for a well deserved nap, when the room took on a sudden chill. He jerked his head up, pushing his usually rolled up sleeves down to cover his hands, shivering slightly. His thin build was not designed for cold.

The dark skinned boy peered over the top of his wall of books and saw a young girl standing by a bookshelf. And beside her...Hector let out a soft snort and ducked back behind his books, hoping that his math teacher didn't notice that he napping instead of doing his work.

One lab accident away from becoming a super villain.
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Lady-Moth
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[ *  *  *  * ]
Laura shuddered for a moment as she felt the air around her get chilly. How odd; did someone turn on the air-conditioning just now? But there was no need to do that, the temperature in the library was just fine the way it was and--

"You..."

Laura looked up, squeaking in shock, leaves popping out of her hair. Desperately she tried to will them back as the figure went on, pointing at a book above Laura's head. "Yes, you with the pretty green hair. Grab that book for me would you?"

"O-o-okay..." Laura stuttered, her voice slightly more high-pitched than usual. Best do what the scary floating teacher asked...You never questioned people who could float and be that scary-looking. Only bad luck would come from it. She swallowed, following the point of the specter's finger to see which book it was, exactly, that she needed, and stood on her toes to grab for it. She lifted both hands into the air for it--the reason becoming clear when the hand with the rubber band around the wrist grabbed the book, and the index finger on the other hand hook below the elastic and--

Snap! Snap! Two syllables before she got the entire word out. Two snaps. Snap! And one more for sprouting.

Laura sighed internally as she took the book down, glancing sadly at the new red marks on her wrist. Darn, she'd been doing so well today... "Uhm--" Darn it! "Uhm" counted as stuttering. After another snap, she steeled herself and continued. "Do I...haaaand it to you o-or..?" Snap!
Edited by Lady-Moth, Dec 3 2011, 12:11 AM.
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Garaku
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Syrin raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Laura as the rubber band around her wrist was repeatedly snapped in an obviously painful manner. It was obvious that the girl had more than a few kinks to work out, but it what these kinks were, she could care less about. The branches that had grown out of head on the other hand...

"Must be nice..." she muttered bitterly under breath. What was exactly nice about them, she had yet to figure out. But something within her insisted that her envy was not misplaced.

"No, no..." she said, her voice drawling as she slowly tilted her head to the side. A few loose strands of hair fell over the dark of her eyes. There was no point in brushing them away, after all they'd only fall again eventually. "I need to see what's in the book first, obviously. Now flip to the table of contents and show me the page."

Her eyes wandered to the side as she waited for the girl to comply. Was that a familiar face that she had just seen? No matter...

"What are you doing here, girl?" she then asked, blank eyes looking forward. She didn't really care, but she supposed the girl did deserve at least some attention for her help. "Preparing for exams are we?"
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HosekiDragon
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This is calm and it's doctor.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Hector remained hidden behind his giant stack of books, pondering what to do. Obviously the library was not the best place to hide; with exams so close he should have known that teachers would be coming in to...do whatever it was teachers did.

The teenager rested his head on the desk, trying to figure out a plan of escape. The sound of snapping elastic caught his attention and he peered cautiously over the tops of the books again. Just the girl and his teacher, apparently discussing a book.

Hector decided that now was a good a time as ever to try and weasel his way out of the library. He stood up very slowly and tried to keep to the shadows of the books cases, edging slowly along the wall to try and make it past the two without their noticing.

One lab accident away from becoming a super villain.
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Lady-Moth
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[ *  *  *  * ]
"Oh, yeees, okay..." Laura mumbled, giving the band another snap for speaking too quietly. She awkwardly moved the book around in her hands, trying to hold it up to the teacher and open it to the right page. She stood on her toes again, trying to hold it as close as possible to the woman's face, in case it was too far the first time.

"And, uhm--" She'd get that after the book was put down. "No, I'm n-not preparing for exams. I'm...Iiii'm looking for some self-help books. Liiiike self-discipline, or fiiixing speech impediments." She couldn't drag out the word when she felt herself about to stutter forever. That was arguably worse. She swallowed, smiling nervously. Say, the teacher might be able to help her get in the Elite! Or at least point her to someone else who could train her!

"Iiii'm trying to be Eliiiite, but I was told...I was told I won't be one ever the way I am nnnnnow."
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Garaku
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"Yes...yes... that's nice..." Syrin said, barely paying any attention to the girl's words as her eyes scanned the upheld page from top to bottom. "Yes... this book will do very nicely."

Without looking up from the book, a frail hand then glided backwards to point at a silver trolley leaning on the far-back wall. "Put it over there for now. I'll come back for it later."

Then without even a blink of warning, the teacher literally shot her way through Laura and in front of Hector's path in his attempt to escape.

"And just where do you think you're going?" her voice hissed, as cold as the air around her. "A girl in front of you is in obvious need of help, and you have the gall to just up and leaver her in her time of need?" Her finger then raised to point, this time at Laura. "You will go help the poor girl, or so help me I will fail you like the incompetent man you are."

Whether she knew or not that she was being hypocritical in her demand was up to anyone's guess, but the serious glare from her dead-black eyes made clear that she would most definitely not take no for an answer.
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HosekiDragon
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This is calm and it's doctor.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Hector pulled up short as Ms. Cocoa swept in front of him, sending him a glare that pinned him to the wall.

"You will go help the poor girl, or so help me I will fail you like the incompetent man you are."

Hector shrunk back into his coat, scowling. He just wanted to find a quiet place to sleep off his headache. Getting cornered by his math teacher and helping a stuttering little girl were not in his plans. His hands were already in his pocket and he thought about calling Anya but, no...she was probably studying.

"Fine." He growled, slinking away from the wall and towards the girl, not bothering to hide the grumpy expression on his face, letting the whole world know that he was in a bad mood.

He stomped up to the girl, shoulders hunched, slouching more than usual, "Hey. Need some help?"

One lab accident away from becoming a super villain.
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Lady-Moth
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[ *  *  *  * ]
"Oka--GYAAAH!" Laura dropped the book and shuddered as the teacher suddenly shot through her. Through her. And it was cold! She wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered, vaguely noticing that she'd sprouted again. As soon s she stopped shivering she'd snap her rubber band again.

She could have warned me...Laura thought with a slight whimper.

...some help?"

"H-Huh?" Okay, make that two snaps once she could move her arm without shivering. She looked up to see the boy in front of her, flinching back a bit at the look on his face. "Uhm..." Three. "The book? Mmmmmmaybe?" Her eyes darted downwards to the book at her feet. She wasn't sure she trusted herself to pick it up just yet.

Wow, how was she getting Elite like this?

I bet no one else gets all shivery when she goes through them... Laura couldn't help think sadly, scuffing her toe against the floor. "If it's nooooot too mmmmuch trouble?"
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HosekiDragon
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This is calm and it's doctor.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Hector raised an eyebrow, still not bothering to drop the scowl from his face. Man, did this chick have some problems.

But he bent over all the same and scooped the book up, holding it out to her, "Here. Need anything else?"

One lab accident away from becoming a super villain.
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Lady-Moth
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[ *  *  *  * ]
Laura couldn't help it. She trembled slightly as she took the book back, head tilting forward a bit til her bangs covered her eyes as she shook her head 'no.' Leaves and tiny branches started to sprout from her again as she quickly made a mental note to snap the band many times for this slip-up. "N-n-no..." she squeaked, holding the book to cover her lower-face.

"N-No...I'm s-s-sorry I b-bothered y-you, s-s-sir..."

What else could she call him? His name escaped her for the moment...
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Garaku
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Syrin floated over, placing a weightless hand onto Laura's shoulder. "Now, now dear, no need to be modest." Her eyes shot up like daggers at the boy standing ahead.

"Mr..." Damn, what was his name. It started with an H, didn't it? H...H... "Herbert, here will be more than willing to assist you look for those books you were ever so trying to find." Her eyes dangerously narrowed. "Isn't that right, Mr. Herbert?"

She normally wouldn't care. Why would she? But the sight of the girl in such a pathetic state in front of the boy just riled her blood to no end. It wasn't right, no, not right at all. She'd have to be sure that this situation was fixed as soon as possible.
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HosekiDragon
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This is calm and it's doctor.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"It's Hector." Hector ground out, trying his best no to simply snap at them.

Not his day, definitely not his day. Then again, when did he ever have a day? He thought for a moment of trying to throw out some excuse--I have to meet someone, I have work to do, anything. But if he got another failing grade he was pretty sure his father was going to skin him alive. Or at least ground him for a year and Hector couldn't have that.

So he sighed, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and grunted, "Yeah, sure, whatever. What do you need?"

One lab accident away from becoming a super villain.
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Lady-Moth
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[ *  *  *  * ]
Laura suppressed another shiver as the spectral teacher put a hand on her shoulder. Goodness, why did she have to be so cold? "Iiif it's not too much trouble?" she whispered, struggling not to stutter again.

Well, the other student--Hector, his name was, apparently--looked upset, but at least he wasn't refusing to help. Or yelling at her, or something. That was a plus.

Laura swallowed, trembling slightly as she stood a little straighter, lowering the book from her face to hold it at chest-level as she tried to meet his eyes. Eye contact. Stand tall. Don't stutter or sprout...

"I...I neeeed self-help books...speeech therapy, mmmaybe a book on posture improvement? Socialization skills?" Actually, she had no idea if self-help books even had such topics in them. She'd never looked before. "You spend a lllot of time here, right? You mmmust know..."

Well, she wasn't stuttering but something had to be done about stretching her words.
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