ArchivedLogs:Book Burning

Book Burning
Dramatis Personae Liv, Sergio
In Absentia	2015-09-13 '
Location <XS> Library
Xavier's librarian might hope the library is a quiet place to sit and study, but with a school full of teenagers that is not always the case. Nevertheless, it is certainly a treasure trove of knowledge, well-stocked with a wealth of books on its high shelves. Its reference section is vast, though its fiction is as well (much to the delight of many of its students.) The wide octagonal tables and smaller armchairs are often crowded with students, though the whispered conversations that often take place leave some doubt as to how much work is getting done at any given hour. There is no reason Sergio Kaluhiokalani would be caught dead in a library if he absolutely, positively did not have to be there. And yet here he is, slouched over a table with his heel smooshed into the heel of his hand. Waiting there, the boy looks bored. His other hand, the one not supporting his head, rests on a partially destroyed textbook that he came here hoping to replace. As the minutes drone on and no one seems to be able to locate a new one, his eyes grow heavier and heavier. Unlike Sergio, Olivia Cohen can be found in the library at least a few times a week. The latest adventure through the stacks has revealed about six books, stacked precariously on top of each other. With a skilled hand, she carries them towards the desk, dropping them on the desk with a loud thud. Leaning back to adjust her back, she finally notices Sergio and smiles. "Hey there!" she says cheerfully, giving him a quick wave. "What's up?" Sergio snorts, his body jolting as he sits up in his wheelchair, "Hmmn?" He raises his eyebrows high into his forehead to try and open his eyes, running the back of his hand over his mouth to wipe away drool, "What's where?" As he finds Liv, his mouth cracks into an easy, warm smile and he laughs, mostly at himself. Liv laughs a bit as she realizes Sergio had been asleep. "I know you're supposed to be quiet in libraries but that might be taking it a bit far." She shake her head with a grin, "Sorry, I didn't realize you were asleep. How's school been going for you?" "You know," Sergio nods a few times, squinting one eye and widening the other, "Pretty good." He holds up his textbook, which has a large hole burned through it. He continues to smile goofily, chuckling. "I'm waiting for somebody to find a replacement but they maybe forgot about me." "How's school going for you?" Liv shrugs slightly. "Alright. Already loaded with homework." She pats the stack of books beside her for emphasis. "Well, a couple of them are for me." She leans forward slightly to look at the book with the burned hole. "How on earth did you manage /that/?" "/I/ didn't do it," Sergio whines, his voice cracking somewhat for comedic value as he peers over at Liv through the hole in the book, "I was just trying to get somebody to show me their powers." His smile widens into a mischievous grin. "Well it looks like they did," Liv says, leaning back against the desk with a grin. "You gonna have to pay to replace it? I'd hate to know how much it costs." She glances around and, figuring it'll be a while for anybody to come check her books out, she makes her way over to the table and sits by Sergio. Sergio nearly chokes, "I don't have any money?!" His face reddens some, "And /I/ didn't set it on fire." The book gets tossed back onto the table and he adds, with a smirk, "I mean, I didn't go crazy trying to save it, either." His eyes roam over the stack of books Liv's selected. "So, you're like, real smart or whatever?" Liv glances over towards her stack of books and shrugs. "Sometimes. Science, yes. English, not so much. I do like reading though." She looks towards the burned book and grins again. "I'm sure you are /not/ the first student to return a book mutant damaged so maybe they're lax with damaged books. With a sigh, Sergio dramatically heaves his shoulders and slumps forward, "I hate reading. I can't sit still for that long. It's torture." His eyes wander over towards the librarian's desk, which is vacant still, "They didn't SAY anything about being in trouble. But it is taking a while... Maybe I can just share one with somebody else in the class or something." Liv's eyes are unable to resist darting down towards Sergio's wheelchair at the comment of not sitting still. She says nothing. "I doubt you'd be in trouble. Whatever, I wouldn't worry about it." She leans back against her chair, kicking her feet up on the one opposite. "So how was your weekend? Do anything besides burn you school books?" “Nah,” Sergio leans back as well, “Just hung out and played some video games and stuff. Book burning takes a lot out of you. Church ladies never warn you about that.” He lifts his own feet, propping them up on the nearest chair as well. “How about you?” He asks, bringing up a hand to conceal the beginnings of a yawn, shaking his head, “Something about this place, man.” "Not much different. Played some board games, card games. Watched Netflix. Messed around with the plants in the garden. It was a quiet weekend. I'm still trying to learn where all the parties are." Liv chuckles a bit as Sergio complains about the library. "You really don't like libraries, huh?" “Dude,” Sergio scoffs, “It smells so old in here.” He leans in, whispering the next part, “And it’s so quiet.” He leans back, returning to a normal conversational volume, “And they keep it at /optimum/ nap temperature. What’s that?” “Yo, if you go to a party without me - we’re not cool.” The boy’s eyebrow cocks up, and he grins. "I like the smell. And...ok, it is nap temperature, I'll give you that much." Liv looks around and also leans forward with a grin. "If I hear of any parties, I'll let you know if you promise to do the same, deal?" She sets her hand on the table for Sergio to shake. Sergio eyes Liv in a faux-skeptical, playful way, "You better not betray me, Cohen." The young telepath jabs a finger in the girl's direction. His feet drag back off of the chair they'd been stretched out on and he restlessly stretches up his back and arms, lifting them over his head. "Oh, man. I might give up and come back tomorrow or something," he whines, yawning. "Me? Never! You'll be the first to know if I hear anything, Kaluhia...kuh...ugh, nevermind," Liv says, quickly glancing away and back towards the lonely stack of books still waiting to be checked out. "Yeah, it might be easier to come back later. Maybe you weren't the only one taking a nap. I still need those books though so I should probably wait here." Sergio waggles his eyebrows, "Good luck." He doesn't bother trying to help her with his last name. Nobody can pronounce it. "And we gotta bring Jack, /obviously/." He rolls back away from the table, hesitates when he remembers the burnt book sitting there ...and ultimately decides to abandon it. "Later," the teen glides forward, arm muscles clenching as he propels himself away. Liv chuckles softly and nods. "Jack, yeah. He's cool." As Sergio begins to roll away from the table, she opens her mouth slightly, as if to say something but she suddenly pauses. It's not until he's rolled a few feet away that she suddenly calls out, "You wanna go out for a movie this weekend or something? Or coffee? You know, if you're free." Sergio stops. His head cocks slightly to the left before the wheelchair swivels back around. His lopsided smile finds Liv. The budding telepath's eyes squint, as if trying to gauge her intentions. "Are you, uh?" he wets his bottom lip, trying to act slick. He decides against whatever he was going to asks, "Yeah," his smile broadens, "I'm free." Liv tries not to look like a deer in the headlights when Sergio swivels around, though from her standpoint it's really hard to gauge how successful that is. As he says yes though, she does relax and smiles. "Yeah, cool. I'll uh, I'll email you then. Or call." Smooth. Sergio laughs, shaking his head, "Or we pass each other in the hallway everyday." His eyebrow cocks up and he leans his chin back, re-evaluating how he talks to the girl. "I'll see you later," he says in a gentler tone, still smiling ear to ear as he turns back to wheel out of the library. Liv turns bright pink as Sergio points out they pass each other. "Right, yeah. Of course." Still, she continues to smile as he turns and wheels out of the library. "See you around."