As the words left Mai's mouth, Paris squeaked and dropped her book, leaning back in her chair and nearly toppling into the fireplace behind her.

“A-ah...you're...Mai. Mai Nishioka. H-hello,” she took a deep breath, steadied herself, and smiled, unafraid. “Welcome to the library! Isn't it fantastic?” She stood up shakily, but she was already revving herself up mentally. “The books here...they're old, but you know what they say...well maybe you dont, but they're called the classics for a reason. That was back when writer's had a clue what things REALLY meant in literature. Rain's never just rain, treasure is never just gold and jewels, a princess isn't just a pretty girl...everything meant something important. Something underneath the surface. Life's a bit like that, isn't it?”



She covered her mouth, blushing. “I'm sorry...I didn't m-mean to rant. It's just...hehe! It's like a wonderland! You're a fencer though, right?   You probably don't know or care much about these books... but you should s-stick around. Maybe. I promise I won't rant about princesses anymore.” She paused for a moment, and slowly, she moved to hand the book she was reading to Mai. “You might like this. I've read it a hundred times, so maybe it's not mine to borrow.”

Paris followed the Fencer's gaze, sharing the moment of appreciating the scenery.
“Aha, I suppose they don't. If a princess carried one, though, the stories would be much simpler. But then where would the symbols go? Would the prince and princess work in tandem, like two gears in clockwork? Or would the prince get upset and throw a fit, and have the roles reversed where he needs rescuing? Sorry, heh...Did it again.”

“Are these fairy tales? Like the ones read to kids?”

Paris sighed then, moving a bit closer hesitantly.
“They were, in the past. Now people like to fluff things up, so the wolf can just be stopped by a little girl with a talking monkey, or something. My mom never let me watch TV, but I think that was a show once! If you, um, don't want it...I'll put it back.” She looked to the side, dejected. “I like fairy tales and myths. They were...different.” She thought about saying more, but shook her head. I barely know this girl, she thought to herself. I'm not gonna go telling her everything.

“Especially the Grimm ones. They didn't always end happily, but they showed what life can really be like. Ups, downs, and one hell of a fight. But enough about me. Tell me about you...if you want!” She laughed nervously, glad to be taking the spotlight off herself. Her mind was racing. I overstepped. She knows too much, so I should make it even.


{ Mai Nishioka !  Hope this works but I'm untalented with forum magic aha}

Paris smiled slightly at the book now tucked away safely, before looking at Mai.  She also noticed how tense she became after being questioned, and her eyes narrowed.  Maybe Mai wasn't who Paris thought she was, either.  The awkward pauses and fumbles in Mai's speech tipped her off, and it left much to the imagination.  Just what did she have to hide?  As Mai continued and spoke about Kumamoto, she relaxed slightly again.  They didn't have entirely different intentions, did they?  Paris and Mai had both come to further their career.  Maybe Mai didn't want to talk about whatever past she had.  It wasn't Paris' privilege to pry, but she made a mental note to keep her at arms' length for now.

"I'm guessing there aren't many libraries like this lying around, either?"

"No, I suppose not.  The one back home was sad compared to this, but...it was still beautiful." she admitted, sighing wistfully.  Her eyes caught the torn page, and she looked up suddenly.  "If you can't take care of them, you shouldn't take them at all...they have feelings, you know?  But...you're uncultured to literature, I guess.  So it's forgiven!  Just try to take better care of it, okay?"  She smiled, but it was hard to hide her irritation.  Suddenly, she felt emboldened.  "I'll make a deal with you.  Tell me something a little deeper and I'll forgive you for messing up the page."  She could learn about Kumomoto, her past, maybe even a dark secret...the possibilities were endless.

As the Fencer began to blush, so did Paris. Perhaps she'd gone too far, hurt the girl, ruined their chance of being friends...but as Mai continued, she couldn't help but pick up on how rigid and rushed her speech was. 'Not who she said she was'? She couldn't tell if she was throwing red herrings into the sea, but either way, she was going to reel it up. The 'Kamen' rider did interest her, she had to admit. How could she have applied as a different person than who she was?

"So...Mai isn't your real name?" she asked, hesitant but curious. "I find it hard to believe you could've slipped past Hope's Peak pretending to be of another identity. Who is this...Common Rider, you spoke of? No, Kamen. But perhaps they were common. An archetype, if you will. Perhaps you're...hm, never mind," she said, but then continued. "I see you're...nervous." Paris' mind began to race anxiously, but blood rushed through her head and she, for once, felt like she had the upper hand. "So defensive, ready to strike over a simple request...There's a lot of story within you, isn't there? And...look, I...I'm sorry about the uncultured comment."

That, she had to admit. She didn't mean for it to come off so mean, so brazen. "Perhaps I fell into the dangers of stereotyping. I don't..." She began to deflate, suddenly worried. "I don't mean to make an enemy out of you. I'm just...curious. But...I cannot ask more of you." Good. Better to end it before she had to reveal anything else about herself. "Mai...Nishioka. I'm sorry."

The tension was still thick as could be, enough for Mai to cut through, probably. Paris busied herself looking around at the remaining shelves, the books she hadn't met yet. There was a vast amount, but the magic had left the room. Now there was only two people arguing over things left unsaid, and a currently unanswered apology.

{OOC: Sorry if this is short! I wrote and posted this entire thing on my phone. :'D Paging Mai Nishioka for a tense time?}

Immediately after leaving the initiation repast, David headed to the library. One of the places to better the mind, David saw the library as a place for both exploration and reflection. Of course, information was also available on the Internet, and could easily be accessed by the iPad he always had in the backpack slung over his shoulder, but he found that learning from a hard copy always was more effective.

Having found a book titled A Textbook of Modern Toxicology by E. Hodgson, he headed back to the nearest table, only to find two girls facing off against each other. Coincidentally, he walked past a girl all in white, closely hugging a bookshelf, on the opposite site. Apparently, she was listening in on the conversation. Moving past them, he seated himself and flipped open the book. Then realising that the scowls and eavesdropping meant trouble, he looked up.

"Please try not to make too much noise. This is a library, after all."

Recognition shot through his mind, as he realised that one of the two girls was Paris Eins, the librarian.

"You're the SHSL Librarian, right? You should know what I'm talking about. Oh, and you're attracting too much attention. There's a girl eavesdropping on you."

He shrugged and returned to his reading.

"Would you believe me if I said I was just about to introduce myself?”

If that David fellow hadn't called her out like that, she would have been able to make a much better impression. The only saving grace is that he seemed to be worse off at making friends than she is. However minuscule the benefit was, hopefully that would put her in a better light. Walking towards Mai, Angie gauged her reaction carefully. The other girl didn't exactly have a friendly tone in her voice, so Angie carried on with a deadpan look. “I'm your local neighborhood doctor, Angie. Just don't sue me for not having a license.” It was a crude attempt at a bitter joke, and a chuckle was even let out towards the end. What was wrong with her, acting like this? She hadn't come to a peace talk to make enemies, so what explained her shitty attitude?

“I'm.. I'm sorry. That was uncalled for.”

Extending her right hand for a handshake, Angie smiled apprehensively. This gesture wasn't one that she was comfortable with, and how the other girl would react worried her. Would she shake a hand that had been in contact with more blood and pus than computer keyboards and smartphones? How would she react to the faint scar on her wrist, that somber reminder etched into her skin of the handcuffs that started this whole mess? These thoughts loomed in her mind, quickly forming a thick haze of cowardliness and insecurity. Her smile was wavering now, threatening to break at any moment. Thinking about the other girl, the librarian, just made everything worse. Now there was a pit in her gut, threatening to swallow her whole. How would she feel about bloodstained hands flipping through the pages of her delicate books?

With her hand still extended, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Calm down, she told herself. As weird as she might look doing so, it was an act done out of necessity. There wasn't an option as she sought comfort in the darkness. Instead of the invasive white which so many found peaceful, she found that black is where nothing can get to you. White light shines through, exposing all the secrets and scars buried deep inside. The shade of black lets you keep those horrid things buried underground, not judging you for your sins. You're free to be with only yourself, in peace, surrounded by the comfortable shade of nothingness. In the dark, you can find solace and safety. Out in the white, cruel judging eyes examine your exposed soul.

Taking another deep breath and breathing it out, Angie opened her eyes. It felt far longer than it actually was, but it was surely lengthy enough that the fencer would have noticed the peculiarity. Whether the recipient of her handshake would ask about it remains yet to be seen, but the important thing was that her composure had been regained. “I'm Angie, it's a pleasure to meet you.” she said, lips curling upwards into a small smile. Thinking it wise to acknowledge the other girl as well, she continued just loud enough for her to hear but not beyond what's acceptable in a library. “It's a pleasure to meet you too, librarian.”