Day 30: Patient Library (Fourth Shift)

[jei]

While he waited for his bulletin board correspondant, Farfarello perused the library's offerings once more. There was no sign of any of the books he'd requested in the suggestion box but he wasn't very suprised that this was the case--even if, by some chance, the Head Doctor actually intended to grant any of the reasonable requests it still would

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[blood_and_pocky]

Aidou knew getting gloriously upset wouldn't do a damn thing (unlike home, where he could have anything he desired), but it still couldn't relieve his mounting exasperation. Today's little riot had ruined everything. Not only had he not spoken with Sasuke yet, but he hadn't gotten to the E class yet, either. The only productive thing had been a brief, cleansing shower at the end of third shift, a safeguard against being in the eye of the public.

Thinking 'at least I'm clean' was even more foolish, since the vampire knew better than to start becoming habituated. Once that happened, one was better off dead. And he deserved better. Having his freedom, having his powers, having his cousin. Better.

Picking a newer book that didn't smell like must, Aidou reclined back in a chair, legs crossed on the seat of another, and put the open novel over his face. The library was at least out of the sun, if not totally quiet--it would do for some much needed rest.

[blood_and_pocky]

When Aidou thought of human girls and their tragic pasts, he imagined weeping and breakdowns. Wet eyes, at the very least. He had to admit, this strong act between Yuki and Miku was curious; emotions were vaporous, so he didn't exactly criticize himself for not being able to pick them apart like hard, cold chemical elements

[rope_victim]

"There's a camera... I asked about it when I came here last week, but, no one else has heard of it... but, even so, you'd need special film, lenses... the ability required to use it with any hope of success," Miku sighed and rested her head in her hand. She had... the ability. That was it. And even so, it had suddenly flared to life again after Yuu had received the camera in the mail and certainly after they'd come home from the old haunted house in Mutsu.

"It can do it. A person can't do it by themselves. If we were where I belonged, there'd be other things too, that could help, but in the end, it is up to the medium and the camera." Again, her voice was quiet, but her left hand rested on his shoulder. It was weird, quietly spilling secrets.

[blood_and_pocky]

One eyebrow arched up. "A... camera? How exactly does that relate?"

Aidou understood physical gifts--everything he was blessed with came from capacities he'd been born with. The other freaks in Landel's, and people like Miku, like Renji... Certain powers they'd just been born with. A camera, though? Absurd.

[rope_victim]

"It's a very long story that has too many branches," Miku said quietly. The fact that the "The short version is that it traps the souls of dead inside to power it, and a strong enough hit from it, then the woman would be sent away, hopefully her Malice would--- I'm talking too much again," Miku pursed her lips at him. It felt good to say something, and Renji-san told her all the time to be more confident in her abilities.

My, he was a sneaky person.

"There's a song, too, Aidou-kun, a lullaby from that place... It's scary, though..." As good as she was with puzzles, something about it just wasn't clicking into place properly. Miku smiled at him, "So don't expect me to sing it to you."

[blood_and_pocky]

Absurd, absurd, absurd. It sounded more like something from a graphic novel, or a video game, maybe. The only thing saving Miku from a full-on skeptical outburst was that he had seen Reika too--beyond that, it all sounded very silly to him. Souls of the dead trapped in cameras, Malice...

And some people had the nerve to mock ritual magic. It was certainly more elegant than something like that. But he was willing to go with whatever worked; Miku seemed relatively sure of what she was saying.

His expression to mild doubt and amusement at talk of a lullaby--it clearly said he wasn't apprehensive about it. "I'm not easily frightened. But I would only expect you to sing if you had a good singing voice."

[rope_victim]

Miku rolled her eyes slightly, this, at least, was better than thinking about her own losses and survival. "Well, you'll never know," she tapped his shoulder. "You should let me up, I want to write down more things before dinner. Please."

[blood_and_pocky]

"If you had eidetic memory like me, this wouldn't be a problem, you know."

After everything, Aidou's mind was still in the process of sorting through what he had learned, and what could be pieced together from said speculation. It didn't prevent him from turning the corners of his lips down a bit--the expression was not quite childish, but getting there.

He was comfortable, so why did he have to move?

[rope_victim]

"But, I like writing," she told him, and prodded his shoulder. "I guess it's just a hobby. Besides, what if I want someone to find what I've left behind?" Miku knew there was as high a chance of that as there was anything else.

"Please, please, let me up, Aidou-kun?"

[blood_and_pocky]

Aidou wasn't willing to put up much of a fight anyway; sitting up with a bleary look, he twisted back into his original chair, dropping his feet to the floor and slumping down a bit.

He hid a yawn with the crook of his arm, less for manners, and more to hide the flash of his fangs. "Writing is the last thing anyone will remember from this place, so I wouldn't worry," he commented idly. Of course, someone like him couldn't really see the attractiveness of the idea--he was nearly immortal, would live a long, healthy life, and would have a perfect memory no matter how old he got. Extreme obsessions with memories, like Aoyagi Ritsuka and his pictures, was just weird.

Not that it mattered.

Pulling out his own journal and tossing it onto the tabletop, he made another seemingly absent comment: "In any case, I see you were foolish enough to go get yourself injured. You really don't like taking good advice, do you?"

[rope_victim]

"It's fine, I was able to keep someone else from being hurt more." She thought of Sagara-san and felt that odd little flutter somewhere in the pit of her stomach. He was okay, too, wasn't he? He must've been, because he replied to the board post, right?

"If the person had been you, the result would've been the same," she shrugged and stood, one hand smoothing out her pants as a force of habit, the way she might smooth a wrinkle out of a skirt. "I'll keep looking for answers, Aidou-kun, and tell you when I find something, is that all right?"

[blood_and_pocky]

He folded his hands in his lap, lacing his fingers. "You mean you would have helped me, or that I would have helped someone else as you did? Either way, I'd have to disagree and argue the point."

A wane smile crossed his face. He was sure he could have liked Miku whole-heartedly had this been a normal time and place; personality flaws could be overlooked when immersed in the rich, mysterious life of a noble vampire. Girls always wore their best faces. Here, tempers ran high. Especially his. Everyone's issues and shortcomings grated on his nerves. When it came to Miku's altruistic outlook on everything, he wasn't sure if he was perpetually annoyed with her, or if he liked her during the times she wasn't doing some dumb.

"Mm, don't let me keep you," he said. "Just to be sure, the name Kaname doesn't mean anything to you, does it?"

[rope_victim]

"Yes, I would have helped you, we're... well, we're not quite friends, are we?" Miku sighed; Aidou could be so difficult. She took a long moment to think, had the priestess said something? She'd remembered seeing a man. But...

She shook her head, "And no, it doesn't. I'm sorry, Aidou."

[blood_and_pocky]

"Sorry, Miku-chan, but you'll just have to settle for 'girlfriend' or 'passing acquaintance'," teased the vampire, wagging his finger. "I just don't support middle grounds." Miku was cute when she acted like he was a normal person.

That, and being light-hearted, even for a few seconds, was an odd way of keeping focus. The name 'Kaname' meant more to him than she would ever know, but he could already guess how it related to that tattoo priestess. The dreams he had... the someone who'd died had been a man named Kaname, of that he was relatively sure. It just showed that wherever Miku's knowledge came from--hard study, or visions, or whatever--his had been slightly different.

He didn't appreciate it.

"That's fine, don't worry about it."