if you wrote a book with a page for each memory

[justhalnow]

[Oldacon missed all the drama of the last few months through the expedient yet effective method of keeping to his knitting. So to speak. Not literal knitting. He's not that much of an old Jewish mother. Yet.The hermit's left his shell and is wandering from room to room, collecting books that should be back in the Library. Which is fairly pointless

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[mnotacomputer]

[Hal was wandering through the halls in his almost daily routine of exploring the endless halls of the Nexus. He had been wanting to return to the library sometime to get more books but he couldn't remember where it was. D:

[Hal saw the older Hal in the hallway. It's been awhile since he saw him! He was the nice guy who took him to the library that one time!]

W-whatcha doin'?

[justhalnow]

[Hal looks down, then... further down, spotting the tiny copy of himself. He puts on a faint smile.]

I'm collecting books. People tend to not return them. What're you doing out on your own?

[mnotacomputer]

E-Exploring.

[He looked waay up at Hal.]

A-are you the librarian? [He figured he must be, since he's in the library all the time.]

[justhalnow]

[Hal doesn't like the idea of children out on their own in the Nexus. Too many dangerous things. And people.]

I suppose. Someone should be. Or else people just shoot at the books and have fistfights in the reading areas. [That had been quite a day to be in the library.] And it keeps me out of everyone's way and them out of mine.

[ibslifeguard]

[Johnny has most of his reading material digitized, but he does remember taking out that book How to Shit in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art. Now it's missing, but he sees an Otacon walking around with a bunch of books...]

Hey, building your collection?

excellent book title

[justhalnow]

[Hal turns at the question, surprised to see Mr. Sasaki-Silverburgh himself. Much younger than when he last saw him back in his own world.] Hm?

Oh. No, no. I'm just returning these to the Library, seeing as no one else will. Did I take something you weren't through with?

haha thanks

[ibslifeguard]

I didn't realize there was a due date.

[He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly before shaking his head.]

Nah, don't worry about it. [He doesn't want to embarrass himself in front of his new friend... except this one definitely doesn't look like the Otacon he knows.] Uh... what year are you from?

[justhalnow]

There's not. This is just something to occupy my time.

[almost smiles] 2026. We met at your wedding. Or will meet, I suppose.

[crimeandsorrow]

[Sorrow is there, haunting the library when Hal returns, as he always is since he arrived in that very same room.]

Making rounds again?

[As he floats and flips through a book his niece left behind.]

[justhalnow]

[This is a new face for Hal, who takes in the floating spectre with a certain lack of surprise.]

Can't spend all my waking minutes in the Library. It's good to acknowledge the rest of the Nexus sometimes.

[crimeandsorrow]

[Being a ghost gives one the excellent advantage of only being seen when wanting to be seen.]

Sufficient exercise, if nothing else.

[He grins slightly.]

[justhalnow]

[Hal doesn't return the smile, though the ghost shouldn't take that personally.]

Anything I can help you with or were you just looking for someone to spook? [considers] Is 'spook' offensive to a ghost? I have no idea if there are epithets about the dead.

[alittlebitofjoy]

[a tiny hand tugs on the hem of your shirt]

[justhalnow]

[Hal looks down at the girl.] Yes?

[alittlebitofjoy]

Hello.

[Lilly pipes happily, letting go of his hem now that she's has his attention and stepping back with her arms tucked behind her back as she fiddled with a spare ribbon. He looked like what kiddie Hal had described his older self to look like...and Lilly was an awfully curious little girl.]

Are you Hal..uh...Eh-mm....emer...-...uh?

[she couldn't remember his last name :( ]

[justhalnow]

Emmerich. Yes. [He smiles kindly, wondering if he's just a magnet for little children lately.] I don't believe we've met.