Day 27: Library

[not_rly_fai]

Libraries, he'd found, were rarely as dull as people made them out to be.  Though he felt no magic in these tomes, they were still full of useful information.  Maybe some of them could tell him a little bit more about this world he'd landed himself in.

For that matter, why hadn't he run into any of the others yet?  They'd all been fairly close

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[byname_bynature]

(Unknowingly waiting for Jack Horner I MEAN, John Trick!)

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to the Sun Room Sean? Maybe rest your arm a bit?"

"Oh no, I'm fine Nurse Hedgerow,"

"Well then... Could I at least get you a book that's appropriate for your age level?"

Artemis smiled up from his copy of Socratic Dialogues. "No, thank you. I'm quite content with this one." He had Alice in Wonderland to read for later--so what was this woman complaining about? Eventually she left him alone.

Ah... peace and quiet. How wonderful. No one to talk to, no meetings to attend, just time to himself.

[byname_bynature]

Artemis glared at him, then his expression changed--melting into a look of curiosity, "Why, whatever are you talking about? What trick?"

If Jack knew he had magic, there was no telling how he'd react. For now, it'd be best to play the ignorance card.

[i_slay_giants]

"Here I was thinking glo-sticks were something you bought before you went raving," Jack said smugly. "I had no idea that kids today made their own."

[byname_bynature]

Artemis quirked an eyebrow. So he was... a human glowstick?

"I don't go to raves," Artemis said flatly. "Do you honestly think I would?" His tone became high-pitched and childlike, "Ecstasy is bad for your brain!"

[i_slay_giants]

The Fable rolled his eyes. "Ya ever tried it? I thought not."

"Really, I don't have much of a need to be lectured on by a little squirt whose balls haven't even dropped yet."

[byname_bynature]

The corner of Artemis' lips quirked, "I had no idea you had such conversations with your own manhood. Perhaps you should see a psychologist about that.

"Oh, and penis envy is also something that most sociopaths don't encounter, in case you were wondering."

[i_slay_giants]

Jack narrowed his eyes and leaned in towards Artemis. "And what is it you want exactly, kid? To be the big boy on the playground? The most popular girl in school?"

He stepped back, laughing at the idea. "Yeah, you keep trying. Don't let me stop ya."

[byname_bynature]

"What makes you think I have a motive?" Artemis said, shrugging his good shoulder. "When someone attacks me, it is only natural to defend oneself, wouldn't you agree?"

Artemis' expression turned into a scowl, "This is a war, Mr. Horner, not a game. Popularity is not the issue, here. Perhaps it is for you, but not for me. Infamy waits for me at home, so I won't waste my time climbing the social ladder, thank you."

[i_slay_giants]

War, huh? "Where's the army, then?"

Jack again openly laughed at Artemis. "I don't really have time to waste on you- bigger fish to fry, if you will. But if you're really keen on pissing me off, I'm sure I can find space for you somewhere down the line."

[byname_bynature]

Artemis shook his head as though pitying the man, "You really are thick, aren't you? We ARE the army. Don't you ever listen?" He pointed up, indicating the intercom. "You would learn so much more from listening rather than shooting your mouth off whenever it so pleases you. Narcissist," the boy spat.

"The worst sort of disease to have, and you're dying from it. You honestly think I would desire nothing better than to keep arguing with you. Is that why you post these ridiculous messages, Jack? You just want someone to call you an arsehole and fight with you?"

[i_slay_giants]

Jack folded his arms. "No, I post those "ridiculous" messages because I want to have sex with a hot chick. At least that one guy understands..."

He waved Artemis off. "And as for all of us being an army, I've arranged prison breaks with less. The only difference was people actually wanted to leave and actually BOTHERED to listen. Rather than preaching all the time...but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

As an afterthought, he added, "And of course I'm narcissitic. LOOK at me."

[byname_bynature]

The boy massaged the bridge of his nose. Did Jack really not know that the entire population of the institute was being experimented on for military purposes? He didn't know, and frankly, he was getting a little tired of explaining things to Jack.

"I'm not just talking about your most recent escapade, Jack," Artemis said simply. "And I am looking at you Jack, and although you look like a man, I'm seeing a boy. You want attention--I'm just not sure why. Yet. Not every little boy is a narcissist at birth, something causes them to be that way. An insecurity of some kind." Artemis looked at Jack, hard, "What is your insecurity, I wonder?"

[i_slay_giants]

Jack's smirk melted away and his eyes narrowed. "What the fuck?"

Running his tongue over his teeth, he sneered, "'Insecurity'? Who are you to say such things? I'll have you know I was BORN better than anything you can ever aspire to in your pathetic mundy life. I don't have any reason to be insecure."

[byname_bynature]

Artemis watched Jack calmly as he proceeded to cross the threshold from 'Fine' to 'Not Fine'. The boy's expression was teflon. He didn't even so much as blink.

"Don't you? I wonder why you suddenly got so angry, then. So defensive. Are you hiding something? Maybe from yourself?"

[i_slay_giants]

Jack scoffed at the boy and spat out, "Oh, yeah, sure. I'm hiding something from myself. My insecurities, of course, how silly. Thank you, annoying-educated-wannabe-dick-child for alerting me to this fact because having lived as long as I have, I've CLEARLY still not come to terms with myself." He sneered again and rolled his eyes. "Save it for the people with the actual psychosis. Better yet, just keep your mouth shut and the world would be a better place."

[byname_bynature]

"Many adults don't come to terms with themselves until they're on their deathbed, and by then it's too little too late. It's nothing to be ashamed of. We all have aspects of our personality that we don't care to reveal to even ourselves.

"We all have our little psychoses. Some are just worse off than others. Like Farfarello. But that doesn't mean we can't function normally. It just means that we haven't examined our inner self closely enough. Have you ever asked what your inner motivations are, Jack? And don't take the superfluous answer--there is always a deeper meaning behind our actions."