Knowledge of the Past [Germany, Closed]

Naturally an estate as large as the castle had more than one library. There was the central library upon the third floor which housed the less sensitive materials and required only a level one security clearance. Frequent haven of many of the new recruits, a wide variety of research materials were available. Utilized for its convenient location, it was the working heart of the day to day activity in the castle. Then there was the secure library archives on the main floor. A long corridor ran along the west wing of the castle and it was down there that Calendrea and the Queen’s lover had broken into the archives. This was closely guarded, and since her theft of the book on Clann Hughes, password protected security lock upon the doors requiring a level 3 access card. It spanned several floors for the castle including the high security archives, level 4-5 access cards require, for the Nidhogg Library in the basement level. Naturally she had to catalog such things, but named entries only. Some things only the Queen herself could view. She often wondered what lore might be hidden there and what could be learned. Had Frey even read all that the secret trove contained? It was large enough that she doubted any one person alive had accomplished that deed. She knew it was the sort of place where new entries were made from time to time, she presumed in depth details of the items were kept in that cache itself. Of course there were the numerous smaller collections in studies and reading rooms throughout the castle, most containing novels for entertainment value for the relaxing pleasure of visitors and staff alike.

Since being named to her position she had cataloged a wealth of materials. So many things within the main library just had no reason to be placed under such a high security rating and so had been moved over to the central library. That was wonderful because it freed up quite a lot of space for items that had been gathering dust in crates for decades. It was a pain in the ass because now she had to find room in central for everything, hence her presence there today. Her new duties had certainly not cut back on her hands on work, sometimes it had actually increased. That was just as well, for she enjoyed just the physical handling of books. Sure, she would lie around with a tablet and read just as often as the next person, but it could never replace the experience of turning the pages and gripping tight to a tome as your eyes hungrily devoured everything it saw.

So there she was, standing in front of an open crate of books set upon a long table, dividing the content among carts to be labeled, entered in the the database, and then wheeled out to the shelves. She would not be hard to spot despite her diminutive size, the front area of the library was laid out in living room style reading nooks rather than tall shelving that would have hidden her completely. To the left and right of these areas, more formal study tables were placed in rows. Along the far right were cubicles of computer stations while all around the room the shelving of books rose to the ceiling. Calendrea was standing to the back of the living room opposite the main doors and working by the checkout desk. The library was quite busy, not an unusual occurrence for that time of day so the opening of the front doors didn’t necessitate she look up every time it happened. Even so, she had a bit of a smirk upon her face as she gazed at the book in her hand. It was that same damned copy of 50 Shade of Grey she had stumbled over in the down stairs reading room so long ago. Looking a little more worn than the last time she stumbled across the thing, she was sorely tempted to give it a toss in the trash can. Somehow she thought the owner might object. Naturally book burner was not a title to which she expired no matter her personal preference for what constituted literature and what did not. Even so. It didn’t deserve to take up shelf space in Central, so back in the crate it went. It could find residence in a bathroom somewhere for all she cared. Then she reached into the crate with a grin upon her face clutching the book to her chest. She would make sure it made it to Kimmi’s room instead.

Word Count: 769

Erek had spent quite a bit of time in the libraries, of course, but the one he'd been in had been the Forbidden Library with Frey, this was far more, well, normal. His key card sliding through the door to allow him entrance caused his gaze to flick around curiously, and they settled on the blonde, small statured woman with ease as he moved forward, calling out to her respectfully.

"Miss Hughes?" his tone polite, and reserved- deep and gravely as it filled the air, he would move forward before his hands would cross behind his back respectfully as he allowed his gaze to trail along the shelves briefly, and then the book clutched to her chest with the wide grin. For a brief moment, he wondered if he had caught the woman mid guilty-pleasure.

It wasn't a good piece of literature, in his opinion. Not bad, but there were so many issues with it, disturbing themes that had no place in the book, and just, in general, had a lack of logical flow that made it subpar despite the obsession so many women he'd met had with it. He allowed his gaze to lift from the book, keeping his expression calm and deciding to simply not mention her taste in literature, to instead focus on the woman and introduce himself. Inclining his head respectfully, his scar-coated hand would extend in offering to the young woman.

"My name is Erek Blackmore, I was told that you may be able to help me with research into my bloodline," he would explain this calmly- to the point and firm as per usual. Whether she accepted his hand allowing him to give her a single firm shake, or not, he would wordlessly return it to be clasped behind his back afterward, not bothered either way. He was fully aware that many cultures didn't use a handshake, some were far more formal, others were far more touchy. There was no insult in it being denied, nor was it a large benefit if she shook it.

Instead, he would fluidly move forward to what exactly he was after, "My ... Clan," he hesitated on the word, as he wasn't entirely sure it really counted- even if they were his bloodline, calling them his clan made it seem just a bit too personal, really. None the less he would continue on, "Is apparently ancient enough that the files I have available to me have no information on them, and while I was in the Nidhogg Library I was busy looking for more immediate information, not researching my bloodline," adjusting his hands behind his back to a more comfortable position he would offer her a polite smile.

"I tried reaching out to some of the local clans, but they have no real information on it either beyond the fact that it was apparently in Europe, judging by the name- somewhere in Britain, but that's all the information I have," he was sure the "why was it important" would rear its head, but he would wait for her comments on such before he went on a tangent, he would like to explain things as short and to the point as possible, after all.

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The sound of a deep and gravelly voice speaking her name naturally prompted her to look up and seek its source. She was treated to the view of a rather tall man standing at what appeared to be parade rest before her. Noticing his gaze had drifted about the room, then to the book in her arms, she realized what sort of picture she might be presenting to the world. There was nothing for it but to stand as poised as possible and pretend nothing was out of the ordinary here. The lights in the library chose that moment to do their flickering dance, a phenomenon that seemed to be quite prevalent these days throughout the castle. She supposed it might be time to speak to someone in maintenance for she had no idea how long it had been since the wiring of this ancient structure had been upgraded. The last thing they needed was a fire. Such a notion filled her with horror and her features visibly paled at the thought.

She gave the man a small smile and a nod of her head by way of greeting and listened to him launch into the purpose of his visit. At first she was quite placid, he sought information concerning his Clann, something that was more and more being brought to her attention. It was remarkable how many people knew very little about their own lineages. Naturally this was a subject to which she was quite sympathetic and her smile broadened a bit as he went on to explain about how they were an ancient line. Then she got triggered big time. "The Nidhogg Library? Just who the hell was this man that he knew that name let alone had actually been inside to see…", her mouth gaped open a bit unable to even blurt out her question. Here she was High Librarian and even she couldn’t gain access to the forbidden library. She might as well just been grand mistress of the rag mags if just any Joe from America could walk in and get a gander. His accent had clearly given him away. Closing her mouth, she waited until he was done mentioning about the Clann potentially having their origins in the UK, then she turned and said, “One moment please and I will be right with you.” Her eyes scanned the room lighting upon Janet, one of the library interns, and she beckoned the young woman over. “Please see that this makes it to Dame. Star’s rooms Janet.”, she requested as she handed over the book in her arms. Janet took the book assuring Calendrea that she would take care of it immediately. Then she turned back to Erek.

“I certainly can assist you in researching your Clann, Herr Blackmore. May I see your security clearance card please?”, she made the request fully intending on seeing if he had the Level 4-5 access that visiting the Forbidden Library required. She extended her hand slightly toward him, remarkably steady despite this obvious breach in protocol. She tried to steal her agitation, but the flickering lights were giving her a bit of a headache. Perhaps it was something the Queen had required, he certainly would not have been able to just blurt out such delicate information, like an interpreter. She did know that some of the materials were more than likely written in other languages based upon the titles she had cataloged. But who knew? Here she was thinking that her theft of the book on Clann Hughes had been swept under the table, but why then did this man have access to the Nidhogg and she didn’t? Feeling as though he past would forever be held over her head, she smiled and kept her thoughts to herself for the moment.

Word Count: 632 + 769 = 1401

Erek noticed the slight shift in the young woman's face when he mentioned the library, arching a brow slightly he would incline his head politely as she moved toward another young woman and talk with her briefly. He patiently waited where he stood until the young woman walked toward him and would ask for his clearance card, for a brief moment he blinked- then it clicked.

"Ah, the card Frey gave me," he murmured, though it was audible- he forgot it was used for more than opening doors. Reaching into his back pocket he would draw out his wallet, flipping through his identification and other cards until he got to it, pulling it out and offering it to her, "Apologies, I'm still getting used to that. I should probably get it in a more easily accessible location," he pondered the idea, he didn't really want to put it on a lanyard, perhaps one of those simple card sheaths? It would probably work. None the less he had no issue handing the card over.

For all intents and purposes, it clearly held a simple level two clearance, nothing more than a standard knights card. After all, it had not been his card that had been used when he'd been in the "Main Library" in his mind, nor had Frey told him it was forbidden. To him, it was just a larger library that had allowed him to delve into the abilities, techniques, and lore that he was so sorely missing in his education as a Quincy at the time. Not realizing how few were usually given access to such ancient history.

Patiently, he would wait for her to return his card, assuming that she didn't need it for long as he arched a brow at her-- before glancing up as the lights continued to flicker.

"Hm," he wasn't much of a technician, but he knew something about basic lighting and wiring- and that seemed like an awfully risky thing to have in a library, unsafe wiring in a room full of flammable materials usually was a setup for disaster. Hopefully, they had someone coming to fix it soon, he would offer but he doubted the technology they used here was of similar make to what he was used to. Normal human wiring and parts seemed quite different from what the Quincy used from what he had begun to tell thanks to Rick's tutoring. He didn't want to try to get involved and just make it worse- better to leave it to the professionals.

Instead, he'd re-focus his attention on the woman and wait patiently for his card to be returned, and whatever response she may have for him regarding researching an ancient clan.

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Calendrea said, “Thank you. This won’t take but a moment to verify.” Once he turned over the card she walked back behind the front desk and swiped the card. The screen on the laptop brought up the usual blurb of statistics pertaining to one’s identity and clearance level validating his claims. At least who he was and that he indeed was a knight of The Order. Had she not heard him mumble about Frey giving him the card she would have set her mind thinking along different lines. Most new recruits were not on a first name basis with Her Majesty and certainly would not have been throwing the diminutive of her first name so casually. This seemed to indicate they had some sort of connection beyond recruit and monarch. Either that or he was terribly cavalier concerning The Queen’s status. As she came out from behind the counter, she spoke to one of the more regular librarians, “Peitr, I will be accompanying Sir Blackmore to the main library. You can reach me there if something comes up that requires my particular attention.” She hated to hunt people down and so tried to make sure that she was reachable no matter where she was at all times.

She handed Erek back his ID card and smiled, “There is quite a lot to get used to around here. But I can take you down to where the Clann histories are stored. If you would follow me please?” She headed toward the door and would lead him out into the hallway before heading toward an elevator. “I recently had to investigate my own lineage”, she decided to share. “So I can understand what you must be going through. It is difficult having such a large unknown hovering over your head.” She pulled out her own ID card and slipped it into the security lock upon the elevator. This one serviced only the various floors of the library with the basement floor requiring another security lock to access. It was down there that the Forbidden Library, that the Queen had taken to calling the Nidhogg, was located. His clearance level would not even permit him to access the elevator let alone the basement level. Even so, there were no rules restricting supervised access to the main archives for those without clearance.

Upon reaching the main floor of the library the elevator door would open up on what was the back of the facility. The library was a cavernous room, the walls lined with floor to ceiling shelves which held ladders affixed to brackets that could be slid upon casters in odd intervals. Unlike the marble hallways and corridors of the castle, the floor was constructed from parquet flooring of various hues to form geometric patterns and borders throughout the room. Tables for reading with green globed lamps upon each were placed in an open area up front for the use of those within the library. Circular stair cases led to an upper floor. Some of the walls were tapestried over wood paneling with large windows, but only upon the exterior wall as one might expect.

Leading him through the open aisle between rows of free standing bookshelves she asked him, “So was this the location you came to with the Queen or was it another?” Her eyes didn’t bother with scanning the shelves to check their labels as she knew exactly where the Clann Histories were contained. She had spent quite a lot of time here since assuming her duties and could now navigate the aisles by memory.

Word Count: 595 + 1401 = 1996

Erek would nod simply as she took the card and moved off, he would wait patiently for her to return. As she called to another librarian to inform them of her location, he would incline his head respectfully to them, before accepting his card and nodding his head a bit in agreement with her statement. Following after her casually before he actually replied to her willingness to be of assistance.

"Thank you very much." he would state smoothly, before continuing in a reply to her statement, There is, but thankfully due to my background it's not too much of a jarring shift," he would state calmly, walking in a calm, firm gait- his gaze trailing along their surroundings as they traveled. He had explored quite a bit of the castle by now, but he'd been gone for quite a while, thankfully nothing had changed extensively. Walking forward he would allow his gaze to focus on the young woman as she began to talk-- apparently having done something similar to his own actions.

"I'd agree, though my reasons for looking into it are less emotional and more based on an apparent unique trait found in my bloodline, Frey and I have been delving into research on it but sadly we were limited to information gained from using me as an experimental subject. If the trait is from my Quincy lineage, then they're sure to have far more information on it," he would explain calmly- his gaze trailing from the woman to the space in front of them as they walked. Hands clasped firmly behind his back, and hands fingers wrapped firmly around its opposites wrist.

As they moved forward, he would allow his gaze to trail through the rooms-- until they came to a familiar elevator, glancing at the security lock as the woman used her card to open it. Stepping inside with her politely, before they began to shift position. Once the doors had opened, he would step out after her, his eyes finding the familiar shelves-- though he had not been here but briefly as an in-between to get to the libraries deeper below. Frey had called it the "Forbidden Library" later, though in the moment she had called it the "Nidhogg Library". He could have used his time than to dig into possible information pertaining to his clan, but he hadn't-- he'd been far more concerned with other information at the time.

As she led him through the shelves, he would marvel at her obvious memorization-- it was impressive and spoke of her obvious dedication to her occupation within the Order. He silently congratulated her, very few people took such care, even if they enjoyed their job. His thoughts were halted as she spoke once more, causing him to shake his head once in either direction.

"No, I was taken to a much deeper level," he would explain simply, glancing around the multitude of books, "Though I would love to read even a fraction of these just as much, honestly," he stated idly, before his gaze trailed back toward her-- he wasn't entirely sure if he should speak on what he had read to anyone but Frey. She hadn't specifically told him to withhold his information, but the silly girl had also not even bothered to tell him the information was "forbidden" until days after. He understood she had trusted him, but if he had been unworthy of her trust who knew what sort of abuse of information could have happened. In fact-- had he even scolded her for that? He wasn't entirely certain.

Even if he had, doing it again wouldn't hurt anything-- there was a limit to how much you should trust a stranger, even if they had a background like his own.

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Triggered… this man had been in The Order for less time than herself and had viewed secrets that were reserved for the monarchy alone. Just exactly who was this Erek Blackmore anyway? Did he have some connection to Frey that predated his joining their ranks that would instill such trust? That the Queen could possibly commit such a breach in security for anything less than a trusted family friend was unthinkable to the young woman, but then she realized that Frey was even younger than herself. That thought actually caused her to frown, for memories of that night at Aodh’s back in Karakura Town rose to assail her. The Queen’s overt flirting with her sensei had set into motion a series of self revelations and actions that had Calendrea running from her heart and into the clutches of her grandfather. Eventually that path had thrown her right back by the side of the very man she had been trying to flee. She knew that while her frequent letters concerning her position was keeping the old head of her Clann off her back for now, but the day would come when he would expect an engagement announcement. That was a whole kettle of shit just simmering away on the back burner.

Her steps led them down one of the long rows, the titles on the spines clearly viewable to reveal they had entered the location where the Clann histories were housed. Pausing in the ‘B’ section her eyes scanned the spines, and as luck would have it, she readily spied that a ladder would be required to retrieve the Blackmore edition. With her mind filled with memories of how her own search had panned out, she commented, “Sometimes it is better to remain unfettered by the past.” Moving further down into the ‘G’ section, she took hold of the ladder and slid it back up the row until it was properly positioned for her needs. As she took hold of a rung about head level and began to climb she said, “You know our High Researcher, Fáelán O’Mongan is quite adept at analyzing properties of Reiatsu. If you do not find the information in the History that you seek…” She stopped on the ladder to draw the book from the shelf pausing in her words before continuing, “...he might be a logical person to seek out for a consultation.”

She smiled to the man even as she tucked the book under her arm thinking about how Fáelán had pointed her in the right direction with her own ability. While the meeting had ended on a sour note, his provoking questions had set her on a path to controlling The Voice while being aware of the emotional backlash its use caused her to endure. Being too close to the issue it had taken an outsider’s observation to awaken her realization to the general cycle of cause and effect occurring there. Carefully she made her way back down the ladder to step down onto the parquet flooring once again. Even though she was quite willing to aid the man in his own search for knowledge there was still the issue of the Nighogg nagging at her mind.

Facing him, the book tucked still within her arm’s embrace, she inquired, “I am curious, however, what your connection to the Queen is, Herr Blackmore. I would presume it is fairly close to necessitate her willingness to permit you to enter such a high security area like the basement?” As she waited for him to answer she would activate her Reiatsu perception studying him with a very critical eye.

Word Count: 603 + 1996 = 2599

Calmly, he would walk forward alongside Calendrea as she would comment on going toward the High Researcher-- Faelan, and he would incline his head a bit in agreement.

"I sent him a message, but I have yet to hear from him. I've tried to get in contact with every notable Quincy I could in order to expand my options and the opinions I can hear-- it's been successful for the most part. All but the O'Mongan-- brothers, I assume? Have answered me-- I can only assume they're too busy to deal with a new Knight, entirely understandable." As he spoke this there was no sound of sarcasm or anger, he truly didn't blame them at all-- if they had the time they would get to him. When he had been in a position of power he hadn't had time to just see to every new lieutenant that popped up around him.

As he watched her scale the ladder and sort about in the books, his gaze would drift to the-- notably thin, book that held his last name on its spine. It would appear that even the library didn't hold much information on the Clan-- but if there was something he could use as a base, that would be more than enough if nothing else. However, before he could reach out to accept a book, she would tuck it under her arm and ask him a question that he had-- honestly, been expecting. He released a sigh as his hands tucked back behind his back as he met the young woman's eyes.

"I appreciate you being willing to assist me, Miss Hughes. But I cannot answer that question beyond informing you that we are friends." It wasn't that he cared about anyone knowing he and Frey had become close friends-- but the larger issue was that the girl had made a mistake, a clear one. She had begun showing tremendous improvement, emotionally and in her judgment with his help-- but throwing her under the bus now, would only end in more chaos and drama that quite simply was not needed. If the cost of him not obtaining the High Librarians assistance was causing discord for the Order when it was only just now beginning to get its feet back underneath it-- then he would happily put off the curiosity for now.

When his energy was probed-- she would find only faint swirls of honesty, and a reservation-- an understanding that she may deny him, but bound by his own personal code to do what he could to support the Order-- he was willing to accept the risk he may lose his personal growth in exchange. There would be other opportunities for his past-- but causing discord due to the young Queen's foolish choice, when she was starting to now rapidly growing, as a foolhardy move.

He held Calendrea's gaze firmly-- refusing to back down on this, and allowing her to decide what to do next. To help him despite this, and perhaps find out more once he trusted her more extensively-- or to refuse him due to his own refusal to give her an answer she likely wanted. It was in her hands how it went from here.

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Erek might have been surprised to know the character of the woman before him, and that was only as it should be for they were strangers one to another. Nor did she make a habit of revealing much about her inner thoughts either through words or expressions upon her face. For the most part she was exceedingly skilled in masking her thoughts and feelings from those around her. It was but one of the lessons life had imparted to her at an early age. There were repercussions to be had for telling one’s truths too openly. Even so, the use of The Voice had steadily eroded this armor even as much as the bonds she had formed since deciding to delve into her heritage. The most striking change in her life was that she cared about other much more than she had ever had occasion to in the past. People touched each other’s lives whether they intended to or not, and those marks brought both advantages and disadvantages in their wake.

One thing was for certain, she was not a petty woman to withhold her aid over the crime of not gaining what she wished. As to his obviously personal connection to the Queen, it was like she had told Wraith not that long ago. Ultimately it was no one’s business what the the Queen’s private life entailed. Studying the man he told her everything she desired and then some prompting her to say, “I see.” Turning from him she would walk back through the aisle and make her way toward the front desk. “I am a firm believer in the rights of an individual to own their own history. While the information in this small volume might not be as grand as you would wish, it may even hold things you will later wish to unknow. But rightfully, either way, it is your heritage and no one has a right to withhold that from another.”

Upon reaching the front desk, she would place the volume upon the flat surface and perform something she had only accomplished one other time; replicating a book. Although she had not been asked to return her own clann history after her theft, she had done so as a matter of honor, but only after crafting her own copy. This is what she intended to do now for Erek. His desire for knowledge might be without the emotional attachment she placed upon her own but it was no less his right to possess. She began by drawing upon the reishi in the area and the Mekkyaku which hung from the torc round her neck tingled with life.

Her hands would glow with her energy while the reishi in the area rushed through her system and was converted for use within her body. This occurred without the strain of even a few weeks ago for she was growing more accustomed to the restraint of the sanrei device. As she collected this, she flooded the book with Reiryoku in the manner that Rick’s Bauen Brille device behaved. Her skill with the construct goggles had greatly improved her finesse as she went through the same procedure as if she were wearing them; this was hardly odd for the goggles were but a training device and not a replacement for the ability in which she trained. Going through each of the Sütterlinschrift inscriptions which focused the Bauen Brille’s capabilities, she first envisioned the symbol for Connect and then Script. Employing her spiritual sense in conjunction with these rotes she obtained the exact specification of the boom. Next she used the Mapping procedure to create a blueprint, as it were, for her mind to follow.

Armed now with this intricate plot for her course, identical in every way right down to the coffee stain on page 34, she moved her hands away from the book and used this visualization to craft his own copy. The construct of soul silver began to take shape between her hands, her fingers curved in readiness to clasp hold of her creation as soon as it became truly physical. The one major flaw was that the contents of the book were now not suddenly known to her, the writing being no more than just chemical entities which she replicated in the same precise configurations of the original. In short, she would have to read the book to acquire the knowledge it contained but as to its physical components all were replicated in a matter of moments. She smiled as the volume was crafted only letting her hold upon her Reiryoku fade once the text was complete. Handing it to Erek she said, “For you. I hope it contains what you seek.”

Word Count: 786 + 2599 = 3385

Erek waited patiently for the woman's response-- and in the end, she would simply state "I see", he would relax just slightly as he instead straightened while she moved forward toward the front desk-- commenting on his right to his own history. Calmly he would step forward, following her until he would wait patiently beside her as she raised a hand-- and began her process. Sending her energy into the book, causing Erek's brow to arch slightly-- it was a familiar process, similar to what he had seen Rick due utilizing his goggles-- but his personal ability to sense energy was too low in comparison to his other skills to tell the exact details of what she was doing beyond the process itself appearing identical to his eyes.

As the book materialized out of-- seemingly-- thin air, a process he had become used to by now though the idea that she had somehow managed to duplicate even the words was impressive. She seemed confident in such as she offered him the book, causing him to carefully accept it as he examined the thin volume-- she had commented that it may hold information that he wouldn't particularly want-- but no matter what rested within it, he was confident that if nothing else he wanted to know. Lowering a hand he would accept the slim tome as he trailed a finger along the spine of the book-- before lifting his gaze to meet her own as she commented on hoping it contained what he was after-- but honestly, he wasn't entirely sure what he was after.

Information on his regeneration-- he supposed-- but in the end he could likely learn more about that on his own. This was, he supposed-- a desire to learn about a side of himself that in his youth he had never cared about. About his heritage-- about the man and woman that had left him behind in an orphanage without a desire for him. Abandoned him.

He held no illusions that he had any anger toward them-- it was more a cool disinterest, at least-- until now. If he began to learn of his heritage, was he going to find himself with a hunger for more? Would it drive him to explore his past-- the past of those that came before him? It was difficult for him to say-- but he knew that if he was ever going to find the answer to that question, reading this book was the first step. Releasing a breath he tucked the book firmly between his fingers and inclined his head a bit to the young woman in appreciation.

"Thank you, miss Hughs. Would it be fine for me to read it here-- or would you prefer I didn't linger and returned to my room for privacy instead?" He didn't wish to intrude-- and if he was honest, he was still wrapping his head around all the intricacies of this place. There were very odd rules in his eyes, likely because he was so used to things being clear cut and simple. It was better to ask before going off and just sitting down somewhere to read in an area that clearly required a higher level clearance than he normally had.

His gaze slid toward the book-- and he decided either answer he received he was going to act on it-- pouring through the book, making notes, and taking in as much information as possible was going to be how he spent the next few days. He would likely need to get other books on Geography and world history to find a clear place for him to build off of using the book-- but until he started reading he would have no material to base his other research on anyway. It all would start with this single book-- it didn't even appear to be three hundred pages total. He doubted much was going to be obtained from this on its own-- it would be a gateway into deeper research and nothing more-- or perhaps his clan was just that weak and pointless. Either case was entirely possible.

He returned his gaze to Calendrea-- waiting patiently for her decision-- not minding either decision that she came to. She may even be of help finding further materials if she was willing, but that was her choice-- not his.

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"You are quite welcome", she said.  "Perhaps when you get the security clearance you can utilize the facility to its fullest. But as for today I am unable to linger while you read."

Then she showed him out of the library and continued on with her day.

//Thread Exit



Word Count: 47 + 3385 = 3432