a simple question; (cw: death/dying discussion)

[icanhearscreams]

[An unsigned note appears on the bulletin board, written in extremely neat handwriting. There's a few smudges on it from erased lines, as if the author wrote it over and over again.]

Is anyone else here dead?

[Just five words. No signature. He'll see how this turns out.]

Comments

[birdchasingecho]

[Somewhere, out in the stacks, once he's decently lost... A deep shadow forms around one of the cases, and slowly emerges from it, neither liquid nor quite solid, and raises itself to form...]

[Well. It almost looks like Mei.]

[But it's wearing taisho-style clothing, and its eyes are all wrong, a deep, ruby red.]

So. You're the discarded one?

[She smiles, and the teeth... are not human. The mouth isn't quite stretching right, either. It's like she's seen a human smile, but doesn't have the things underneath it to make it go correctly.]

[She glides, or perhaps oozes, closer.]

Strange. you look human enough. Have you been practicing?

[icanhearscreams]

[He takes a breath, trying to calm himself. He can punch something if he needs to - but the smile is... distressing.]

[Rather than run away though, he just seems to straighten up and stare at her.]

It's 'cause I am human. You don't have to be... whatever you are... to be unwanted.

[birdchasingecho]

[She laughs.]

To be wanted only needs one, you know~

[She paces around.]

Well, I'll admit, you're not my taste, either, but that's no reason we can't be good friends.

[She pauses, glances down the aisle.]

Let's meet some other time. Soon.

[icanhearscreams]

To be unwanted only needs one as well.

[He's a teenager, let him sulk!]

But you're not my type either. Too weird.

[Jun waves her off dismissively to cover for how scared he actually is.]

Whatever. I'll be around. Is that all you called me out for?

[birdchasingecho]

[There's a moment where she seems to see right through him, even though that's clearly impossible...]

[Then, she laughs, rich and alto and sonorous, and her eyes gleam.]

Maybe we're more alike than you think, then!

[She seems to find this thought incredibly amusing.]

[icanhearscreams]

... Maybe.

[He's still kind of girl-averse, but she might not be wrong.]

You couldn't have called me out here just to see if I'm 'human' or whatever. What else is it that you want?

[birdchasingecho]

I could, but you'd think it a waste, you mean.

[She's still smiling, though it takes a more intentionally nasty cant.]

But you're right, I want some help, one unwanted thing to another. It wouldn't be without trade, though you seem...

[she cants her head the other way, slightly unnaturally.]

Uninterested.

I'll ask someone else.

[icanhearscreams]

Fine. Just don't... be weird about it? You're being weird.

[What the fuck.]

[birdchasingecho]

Ohh, fiiiine. Spoilsport.

[All at once she takes a position more akin to an annoyed actress having to stop her favorite bit.]

You don't want to be discarded. Neither do I. It's against my nature to bind the unwilling. I figure if the Librarian even wants to discard us, which, you know, jury's still out on that-- if we learn enough about the Library and get enough people on our side, we can at least attempt to make a deal.

I also want to have a little more control over my Sis, but... Well.

[icanhearscreams]

You want to get some leverage. I mean, I don't object to that. Information is power, after all.

[The 'control over her sister' thing is... confusing, so he'll put it away for now.]

We'll have to see what sort of information we can even get. Maybe something in one of these 'stories'?

[birdchasingecho]

[She smiles.]

Just so. So, listen. If I don't show up in the next Story-- if you don't spot me-- I probably didn't get in.

Take some time to try and find me, okay?

And if I'm not there, and nothing's really changed, contact me, and we'll see about smuggling me in next time~

How's that sound?

[icanhearscreams]

... What's your name?

[He's suspicious, but he has nothing else to really go on.]

[birdchasingecho]

What else could my name be, with this face, but Torioi Mei?

[she giggles, a little, but shakes her head.]

They've taken to calling me 'Shadow', so let's go with that for now.

And your own name?

I'll probably have a different name in the Story, but you'll know me as different because, well. I'm made of shadow-stuff. We're very different in that way.

Do we have a deal, then?

[icanhearscreams]

[Look, she could have a twin sister, he doesn't know.]

... Ushiro Jun.

[He's hesitant to solidly say that they have a deal. He now knows the danger of getting into contracts he doesn't understand. But -]

I'll look for you.

[birdchasingecho]

Then I'll leave it in your capable hands, Ushiro Jun.

Until then, keep your eyes open, and your heart unbound.

[She melts back into a pool of shadow-stuff-- not unlike a Slime, yes, that Slime--]

[And slips, like liquid, back through the stacks and away.]