Asahi Kumoru
Ian shuffled down the sidewalk, shading his eyes with one hand. It was not particularly bright out, but he was still not quite fully feeling like his brain was firing on all cylinders since he had awakened from his mysterious coma in the hospital. The red-haired boy was not prone to migraines, but he had heard from people he knew who were that they tended to leave one feeling completely drained, and still a bit photosensitive; Ian was pretty sure he now understood how that felt, at least.
Even chess had escaped him the past several days, much to his worry. The doctors had assured him that it would take some time for him to fully recover, but even so, Ian was a natural worrier, and lay awake at night fearing that he might never be able to comprehend his favorite games as well as he had before.
So that left him with books for now - not a wholly terrible fate. It was mostly a matter of getting his parents to allow him out of their sight long enough to get to the library and back.
They were both shopping now, at least, a couple blocks up from the library. And so, after much pleading, he finally managed to slip away, leaving them both to their appliance shopping, so that he could get out to borrow some new books.
The disturbingly vivid dreams he had experienced had led him to desire some sort of Arthurian tale. It had been strange, feeling so lost and unprepared in that dream. The little scholar felt adequately prepared for a zombie apocalypse, knew that he could solve most mythological Chinese or Japanese mysteries, and figured he could at least hold his own if a demon ever challenged him to Go or chess, but, for all that he loved mystical tales of wars past, Ian felt that the King Arthur legends were severely lacking in his repertoire.
Maybe the dream was some sort of warning?
... Or, he was overthinking it. Realizing he had knit his fingers together as he tended to do when he was anxious, Ian separated his hands and tried to let them hang as naturally at his sides as possible as he ascended the stairs up to the library's front door. Either way, King Arthur would be something new for him to read, at least. The front door opened obligingly for him and Ian stepped inside, and, fixing his glasses, he headed to the information counter.
"Aah, excuse me?"
Even chess had escaped him the past several days, much to his worry. The doctors had assured him that it would take some time for him to fully recover, but even so, Ian was a natural worrier, and lay awake at night fearing that he might never be able to comprehend his favorite games as well as he had before.
So that left him with books for now - not a wholly terrible fate. It was mostly a matter of getting his parents to allow him out of their sight long enough to get to the library and back.
They were both shopping now, at least, a couple blocks up from the library. And so, after much pleading, he finally managed to slip away, leaving them both to their appliance shopping, so that he could get out to borrow some new books.
The disturbingly vivid dreams he had experienced had led him to desire some sort of Arthurian tale. It had been strange, feeling so lost and unprepared in that dream. The little scholar felt adequately prepared for a zombie apocalypse, knew that he could solve most mythological Chinese or Japanese mysteries, and figured he could at least hold his own if a demon ever challenged him to Go or chess, but, for all that he loved mystical tales of wars past, Ian felt that the King Arthur legends were severely lacking in his repertoire.
Maybe the dream was some sort of warning?
... Or, he was overthinking it. Realizing he had knit his fingers together as he tended to do when he was anxious, Ian separated his hands and tried to let them hang as naturally at his sides as possible as he ascended the stairs up to the library's front door. Either way, King Arthur would be something new for him to read, at least. The front door opened obligingly for him and Ian stepped inside, and, fixing his glasses, he headed to the information counter.
"Aah, excuse me?"
Lithia_Brandon
Tony was very much into the groove of working in the library. He didn't seem to mind the chaos, welcoming it as a reprieve from strange lingering dreams and late nights at the bar. He was also in a better mood, during the day at least, because he knew Elke was safe, and his other friends, like Amara and Yvette, had at least made it through that stressful time without leaving or something terrible happening to them. He had lost track of a couple of people, which was heart wrenching, and had some stress due to a mysterious visitor that had, apparently, not been too nice, but he didn't think he could possibly be the worst one off.
He just had to soldier through, and offer the same service he always had. What else was a librarian good for?
Leaning on his cane, he was organizing his roll of phone numbers on his desk, not sitting down for some reason. He wanted to be on his feet, since getting up and sitting down was more difficult on his bad leg, and he didn't want to leave patrons waiting too long at the desk while he struggled with his cane. He looked up when he saw someone approaching out of the corner of his eye, moving toward the desk to greet the young man.
He stopped short though, staring for a moment. This boy had been in his dream with him, in that Camelot world that seemed too real to just be a dream of a coma patient.
"Ah... uhh... h-hello, how can I help you?" he managed to stammer, half wondering if he was crazy, or if he should say something, or what.
He just had to soldier through, and offer the same service he always had. What else was a librarian good for?
Leaning on his cane, he was organizing his roll of phone numbers on his desk, not sitting down for some reason. He wanted to be on his feet, since getting up and sitting down was more difficult on his bad leg, and he didn't want to leave patrons waiting too long at the desk while he struggled with his cane. He looked up when he saw someone approaching out of the corner of his eye, moving toward the desk to greet the young man.
He stopped short though, staring for a moment. This boy had been in his dream with him, in that Camelot world that seemed too real to just be a dream of a coma patient.
"Ah... uhh... h-hello, how can I help you?" he managed to stammer, half wondering if he was crazy, or if he should say something, or what.
Asahi Kumoru
Ian's head tilted slightly to the side as he made eye-contact with Mister Darrow there behind the desk; he suddenly felt inside as though he had walked all the way around a revolving door three or four times before coming into the library, and he rested his palms on the desk in an attempt to steady himself. Of course people he knew routinely turned up in his dreams, because he knew them and they were in his subconscious. But then why had the librarian here been the only one he recognized from his dream in the hospital? On one or two occasions, he had met people for the first time the morning after a dream who had resembled ones he had seen the previous night, which seemed an awful lot like some sort of precognition, but he had yet to meet any of the senshi or other people in the group in the catacombs of Camelot.
Suddenly, his yet-unvoiced request seemed Extremely Important and Meaningful.
And then the boy abruptly realized that he was standing there gaping with his head angled like he was trying to read the title off of the spine of a book. Straightening and fidgeting, he flashed a quick and completely nervous smile, then licked his lips before asking, "Ah, I was wondering if-" was he being too loud for the library? He paused, then leaned closer conspiratorially.
"Do you have any books on Arthurian legend?" In his dream, he thought Mister Darrow had mentioned one specific iteration of the tale, but for the life of him, Ian could not recall which one. But if the librarian mentioned it, it might sound familiar. In fact, that might just prove that something Extremely Important and Meaningful had happened or was going to happen.
Ian laced his fingers together again and appeared quite undecided as to whether he should be looking at the librarian or not looking at the librarian.
Suddenly, his yet-unvoiced request seemed Extremely Important and Meaningful.
And then the boy abruptly realized that he was standing there gaping with his head angled like he was trying to read the title off of the spine of a book. Straightening and fidgeting, he flashed a quick and completely nervous smile, then licked his lips before asking, "Ah, I was wondering if-" was he being too loud for the library? He paused, then leaned closer conspiratorially.
"Do you have any books on Arthurian legend?" In his dream, he thought Mister Darrow had mentioned one specific iteration of the tale, but for the life of him, Ian could not recall which one. But if the librarian mentioned it, it might sound familiar. In fact, that might just prove that something Extremely Important and Meaningful had happened or was going to happen.
Ian laced his fingers together again and appeared quite undecided as to whether he should be looking at the librarian or not looking at the librarian.
Lithia_Brandon
The way the boy, Ian, Tony remembered, was staring at him it seemed to tell him that he wasn't the only one having a flash back to that dream. Then how could it be a dream, if they had both been there? No, it had to be something more. It had to be. He shook his head, snapping himself out of his daze. Dream or no dream, Ian was there for something, and Tony had to do his job. He still wasn't absolutely sure he was sane, but...
At Ian's request he felt himself pale, actually able to feel, even hear, the blood as it rushed out of his face, his heart sinking. It was too big a coincidence, and the way the boy couldn't look at him was even more proof.
"Yes, I do," he said slowly, "upstairs, there's a special section. I can show you... ah... Ian. Why... uh..." he had to be subtle. Unfortunately he was terrible at being subtle. He looked at the young man, green eyes pensive and unsure. He shook his head, "ah, doing a s-school project or... or something?"
He moved from around the desk, leaving a 'back in five minutes' sign behind, motioning for Ian to follow him to the elevator. With his cane, he couldn't take the stairs. He didn't like it, really, as the elevator had a bad habit of breaking down, but he would have to keep risking it for as long as his leg was bad.
And anyway, it gave them a little bit more time to talk, which was good
At Ian's request he felt himself pale, actually able to feel, even hear, the blood as it rushed out of his face, his heart sinking. It was too big a coincidence, and the way the boy couldn't look at him was even more proof.
"Yes, I do," he said slowly, "upstairs, there's a special section. I can show you... ah... Ian. Why... uh..." he had to be subtle. Unfortunately he was terrible at being subtle. He looked at the young man, green eyes pensive and unsure. He shook his head, "ah, doing a s-school project or... or something?"
He moved from around the desk, leaving a 'back in five minutes' sign behind, motioning for Ian to follow him to the elevator. With his cane, he couldn't take the stairs. He didn't like it, really, as the elevator had a bad habit of breaking down, but he would have to keep risking it for as long as his leg was bad.
And anyway, it gave them a little bit more time to talk, which was good
Asahi Kumoru
The boy's smile turned momentarily genuine at his name - Mister Darrow did, indeed, remember him - but quickly faded back to a more awkward and nervous grin as he nodded.
"It's, ah, for a sort of ... personal project," he all but whispered, looking away. "Distraction from school projects and all that." His eyes glanced back to the librarian then away once more. There was understanding there; Ian at once expected it and was surprised by it. And naturally tried (vainly) to assure himself that it was all in his imagination. Of course there was no way to have the same dream like that, even one so vivid. He had been in a coma - was that not like being trapped in his own mind, without even leaving a way for the outside world, let alone someone else's brain, a way in?
... Sort of like there was no such thing as monsters (which had been all over the news) and superhero girls (who had also been on the news).
Ian gnawed on his lower lip and scrutinized the ages of pen markings on the surface of the information counter, then abruptly remembered that the librarian had just told him to follow. Stumbling slightly as he moved to follow Mister Darrow, the boy figured that at least if they were going to some special collection room, that they could figure more out there. Without everyone else listening in.
This had all suddenly turned into some sort of crazy movie. Ian pinched himself just to be sure he was awake this time, and then hurried to catch up to Mister Darrow.
"It's, ah, for a sort of ... personal project," he all but whispered, looking away. "Distraction from school projects and all that." His eyes glanced back to the librarian then away once more. There was understanding there; Ian at once expected it and was surprised by it. And naturally tried (vainly) to assure himself that it was all in his imagination. Of course there was no way to have the same dream like that, even one so vivid. He had been in a coma - was that not like being trapped in his own mind, without even leaving a way for the outside world, let alone someone else's brain, a way in?
... Sort of like there was no such thing as monsters (which had been all over the news) and superhero girls (who had also been on the news).
Ian gnawed on his lower lip and scrutinized the ages of pen markings on the surface of the information counter, then abruptly remembered that the librarian had just told him to follow. Stumbling slightly as he moved to follow Mister Darrow, the boy figured that at least if they were going to some special collection room, that they could figure more out there. Without everyone else listening in.
This had all suddenly turned into some sort of crazy movie. Ian pinched himself just to be sure he was awake this time, and then hurried to catch up to Mister Darrow.
Lithia_Brandon
Tony nodded. Personal project, right. He wondered if he should just come out and ask the boy if he had any recollection of being in a strange place. Being in Camelot. They both clearly recognized each other, and him asking about Arthurian legends... it was very tempting to just ask and risk making himself look like an idiot if he was wrong. He took a breath, trying to get himself emboldened enough to go for it, but he held back.
The elevator opened and Tony let Ian in first, holding the door for him, then followed. He stood awkwardly, looking at the boy thoughtfully. Once the doors closed he sighed.
"This is going to sound strange if I'm wrong, but... were you... ah... in a coma, with most of this city?" He thought that was a good place to start: he couldn't have really been in that dream world with the librarian if he had never been in a coma. He watched the younger man carefully, for any hints on his face before he answered, since he now could not hold back as he continued his questioning.
"And if you were, did you, ah... have a strange... dream? I suppose... that's what it was..."
The elevator opened and Tony let Ian in first, holding the door for him, then followed. He stood awkwardly, looking at the boy thoughtfully. Once the doors closed he sighed.
"This is going to sound strange if I'm wrong, but... were you... ah... in a coma, with most of this city?" He thought that was a good place to start: he couldn't have really been in that dream world with the librarian if he had never been in a coma. He watched the younger man carefully, for any hints on his face before he answered, since he now could not hold back as he continued his questioning.
"And if you were, did you, ah... have a strange... dream? I suppose... that's what it was..."
Asahi Kumoru
Ian followed the librarian into the elevator, bowing his head in thanks as he stepped in first. Then he pressed the Door Open button to return the favor. Once they were both inside and the doors slid closed, he stepped back and leaned on the rail on the opposite side of the enclosure from Mister Darrow, and crossed his arms. For a few moments, he contemplatively studied the patterns on the flooring as the elevator started to move, but looked up when the librarian spoke.
At his question, about being comatose, a small smile formed on Ian's lips. So there had been something going on. At the very least, Mister Darrow would not call him crazy if he explained further.
"I was, actually. For uh, a few weeks, I think. A lot of people were." His words were still a bit hesitant. Maybe the boy still thought he himself was a little nuts. He paused a moment and looked up furtively at the librarian, then added, "Not everyone who was in the hospital was there, though."
That sounded sufficiently roundabout. He adjusted his glasses and peered meaningfully at Mister Darrow over the tops of the frames.
At his question, about being comatose, a small smile formed on Ian's lips. So there had been something going on. At the very least, Mister Darrow would not call him crazy if he explained further.
"I was, actually. For uh, a few weeks, I think. A lot of people were." His words were still a bit hesitant. Maybe the boy still thought he himself was a little nuts. He paused a moment and looked up furtively at the librarian, then added, "Not everyone who was in the hospital was there, though."
That sounded sufficiently roundabout. He adjusted his glasses and peered meaningfully at Mister Darrow over the tops of the frames.
