[Open] Mistake me - stab my every word

[not_snake_bite]

In one quiet corner of the library (not the one where he usually studies with Morgana, but another), Steerpike can be found classifying books. After one particular ordeal he went through while hunting down a grimorium of minimal importance, it seems the kitchen rat turned student is giving in to a destiny he doesn't quite know about.

In other words

Comments

[andadoring]

Wendla might be nearby, intently reading a very thick romance novel (how scandalous!), when she notices Steerpike organizing. She quickly hides her book underneath a biology textbook, and blushes a little. How awkward.

She figures she might as well be polite to him though, so she turns toward him, smiling a little.

"Hello," Wendla says, attempting to sound relatively calm. "It's nice of you to organize the books."

[not_snake_bite]

Steerpike doesn't get exactly what that has to do with anything, so he looks up at the girl, and looks at her in a way that is probably a touch unsettling.

"... is it?"

[andadoring]

Wendla looks at him, puzzled.

"Yes, it is. Why wouldn't it be?"

[not_snake_bite]

"Of course," Steerpike replies. "That's a silly response I just gave you, isn't it? I must have been focused on the task."

[thistle_muncher]

If he's not looking at the floor, he might miss something small and grey which is shuffling about, carrying a volume of Edwardian nonsense verses balanced on its head and withers. Unfortunately, that makes it difficult for the critter to see and at some point, typist willing, he might bump into the young librarian's knees...

[not_snake_bite]

Bumped into, Steerpike groans and looks down. "-- what now?" He asks irritably.

[thistle_muncher]

"Sorry, didn't see you there," the thing mutters. "Book got in the way of my eyes and it's Not Easy To Carry when you Don't Have Hands."

[not_snake_bite]

"No, I guess it's not," Steerpike replies, though he makes for now no move to help him. "... why don't you have hands?"

[gritted]

Mattie's in the library as well--she's not really the book-learning type, but she's decided to explore that area of the Mansion. When she sees Steerpike, she stops and watches him for a bit before speaking.

"Hello, sir," she says, a bit stiffly (as usual).

[not_snake_bite]

He's a bit on the decorous side himself, and certainly appreciates the 'sir' part of the greeting.

"Good afternoon," he replies, as if he were granting a lesser being a favor.

Or maybe he's just grumpy.

[gritted]

"Do you work here?" she asks.

[not_snake_bite]

"I guess that depends on what you call work," Steerpike replies. "But the answer is probably yes."

Pause.

"Why?"

[chromaggia_diva]

He might spot a lady who wouldn't look completely out of place in Gormenghast, as she's wearing a maroon Victorian gown as she goes through the folios of opera scores she'd discovered in the fall. She's currently trying to tug loose a volume of Puccini's Tosca, but it's resisting her attempts to free it from the rather crammed shelf.

[not_snake_bite]

After observing her for a bit, Steerpike wanders over and might click his heels a little. "My lady. Allow me."

[chromaggia_diva]

She might start a bit, then she looks up, smiling. "Oh, thank you: I'm rather in need of some help rescuing this book," she says, stepping aside for him.

[not_snake_bite]

Steerpike deftly shifts a few smaller books around. "If you could hold these, please?"

[pinkduelist]

Here's Titus' unofficial second pink-haired protector and friend. Compared to the other one, this one is young and cute looking. (Also less likely to judge, but then again she punched your teacher in the face.)

So have a tomboyish, androgynous girl looking in the fiction department.

She wants a good fairy tale.

[not_snake_bite]

It's just Utena's bad luck that all fairy tales books are piled on Steerpike's table, though.

He's busy alphabetizing them by author.

[pinkduelist]

And she does notice that all the books are piled on Steerpike's table.

That guy... he looks a bit like...

[not_snake_bite]

A bit, but not all that much - it could be chance and nothing more, really.

Steerpike is oblivious to Utena and is instead counting and tabulating a list prior to returning the classified batch to an empty shelf.