Studying the Dark Arts (Open RP in the Library)

[damien_thorn]

There were things that even the Prince of Darkness could learn from a textbook, and Damien Thorn could often be found in the library with a few good books. At first his studies were out of mere curiosity, as he explored these magical powers that did not bend to his will. Then by pure chance the Daggers of Megiddo had landed in his lap, and Damien

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[chinasorrows]

The library was one of China's favourite places thus far in Hogwarts. She had already took note of nine books in which she'd love, and planned to get. She was looking down the many book aisles when she found Damien Thorn. An interesting man, but perhaps on the dark and narrow side. She hadn't a great idea of who he was, but certain auras positioned her thoughts at; not good.

'Well I'm impressed,' China said, leaning against a bookcase, one hand on her hip. She was wearing three-quarter cotton grey pants and a black tee, her 'casuals'. 'I never thought I'd see the day when a good-looking man would read anything more substantial than a dirty magazine.'

[damien_thorn]

Damien was less surprised at being interrupted than by what she said. He twisted in his chair and took a good look at her. Clearly attractive, by most standards, and she knew it. She must used that physical appeal to her advantage. He expected her to be used to drowning in attention.

"And yet I'm sadly not," he said in reply. "While you applaud me for not conforming to the basest aspects of my gender, I wish I could say the same for you. Or do you find that 'man-deriding harpy' is an attitude that works for you?"

[chinasorrows]

'Always,' China smirked, showing her pearly whites. She moved from the bookcase, a randomly chosen book in hand, and sat opposite Damien. She kept a weathered eye on the dog by his side. She hated dogs. Troublesome things. But her expression exposed naught of her hatred or hostility. It was serene in it's flirtacious smile.

She went silent then, opening her book and flipping through some of the darkened pages. She read a paragraph for a moment but it was lost to what her mind was truly focused on; Him.

'What are you researching?' She wasn't used to small talk, because frankly she didn't do small talk. But she wanted to know some things, certain things about this man. She had a thing about sniffing out treasures, that something directed her to him. Her youthful smile belied her intentions.

[damien_thorn]

The dog, in turn, kept a weathered eye on her. Damien turned back to his books.

He looked up again when she asked him a question. Most people would have turned tail at his remark, or rallied an argument against it. Now he took her more seriously. Damien wasn't stupid. Something was up.

"I'm researching how to rip a man's flesh off his bones." He said it without a smile or a trace of humor. Let her react to that.

[codex_of_good]

Codex poked her head around a particularly large stack of books and sneezed as she disturbed some dust. "Ohgod," she said in a choked voice, her face reddening from another sneeze. "Sorry. Um, you don't happen to know where the books on blowing stuff up is, do you?"

If she was going to organize a raid on the tentacle monster in the lake, she was going to be prepared, dammit. And it was way past time she learned how to actually use offensive spells on purpose.

[damien_thorn]

He rifled through a pile of books on his table. Sure, Damien could blow things up on his own, but sometimes it was more convenient to have things go boom now without the use of overtaxed boilers. Finding the book he was looking for, he handed it to her with a smile.

"There are more around the corner. Most of them have some variation of 'fire', 'explosion', or 'do not do this' on the cover. What, if I may ask, are you thinking of blowing up?"

((The link is a spoiler for the end of Omen II, if it matters.))

[codex_of_good]

"Awesome. Thanks." Codex clutched the book to her without looking at the title just yet, her nervous smile widening in relief. Yay, successful social interaction!

"I'm, uh... well, you know the tentacle monster that lives in the lake? I'm just thinking... you know, it might be nice to not have to worry about it any more. And, um... my therapist said I have a deep-seated sublimation of my aggression, and now that I don't have my game to let it all out, I'm thinking I might as well do the same thing with actual magic. That makes sense, right?"

[damien_thorn]

"As far as I'm aware, that tentacle monster has never harmed anyone. I'm not sure if I should be more worried about the giant squid than a student who would be willing to murder a harmless animal."

Of course he didn't really worry about either one, but it would be fun to watch her squirm.

[nordic_stoic]

Sweden's eyes narrowed. Something didn't sit well with him about that guy.

He shook his head. Must be imagining things.

Anyway, he had his own reasons for being here. Since finding out that there indeed was a magical world, he was interested to see if somehow he had his own version of a wizarding world that he somehow missed (he chalked it up to Lutherism). Granted, he didn't expect to find much, Scotland and England like any other country would be biased toward themselves, but it couldn't hurt to look.

Hence why he joined Damien at the table, surrounded by his straw goats. Who all stayed on the side of Sweden that Damien wasn't on.

"'lo."

[damien_thorn]

Damien raised his head at the greeting. He expected Sweden to say something, since the ''lo' wasn't even a real salutation, but more of a noise he thought was to get his attention. He waited.

[nordic_stoic]

"M'read'n about th'wizarding w'rld in m'self. An'Finland too."

Well, naturally he's curious about whether his wife had one as well.

[damien_thorn]

For all he knew Sweden was talking about magical intestinal parasites.

"I see." Damien turned back to his books.

[pre_l]

L was commonly in the library, if he wasn't in his room or on rare forays into the Great Hall or Sorting Room. He was seeking out spells to ease Matt's anxiety about Apos. Morality didn't bother him; he wished to find the most effective spells the school could afford him because he hated losing. As such, he was exploring the darker sections of the library, as dark as he could find without access to the Restricted Section. He'd hold a book up by one edge and and flip the pages quickly before setting it down and moving on to the next one.

[gourmetwolfe]

Nero Wolfe hated not having a routine, not having his house around him. The library at least reminded him somewhat of his office, with it's walls of books. He enjoyed reading, his tastes running more toward literature or non-fiction than what this library contained, but it was far better than nothing.

He also disliked others being in his space. It hardly mattered that it was a library and open to the general populace of the school. It reminded him of his office, therefore it was his space. He found himself unable to block out the noise of someone else in it. He set down the book he was reading, Charms for Beginners, and turned to the interloper. "I presume you are trapped here as well?" he said.

[damien_thorn]

"Absolutely not," he said. Like Wolfe, Damien was used to being in absolute control of the things around him. Over four years he had learned to let go a little, and accept some things as they came. Such as being interrupted while he was reading.

"I simply find that my time is better spent here, for now." He nodded at the book the obese man had set down. "If one has the inclination to pursue self-study, the time here is quite valuable."