Room 415, Wednesday Afternoon

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra had returned the last batch of books to the library. She was beginning to run out of novels in her preferred genre, which perhaps made her sadder than she should have necessarily been.

So she had done an experiment today, and now she was hauling in the results: five books, randomly picked off of the shelves, going by covers she didn't recognize. She put them on her desk as she came in, then sank down on the bed with a pleased sigh. At least she would still have plenty to read for this week; after that, she would have to ask Garik to help her find the novels on the line again.

"Computers," she muttered. "Maker."

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[crimson_sister]

When offered, Lucille sat down on the bed. "I know what you mean. I have a brother... Although his taste in books is different, I have to admit, but even so, I would prefer to share them with another lady, when they are, as you say, about women."

[seeks_truth]

"You have a brother?" Cassandra asked, sounding curious. "Is he studying elsewhere?"

[crimson_sister]

"He is," Lucille replied, biting her lip. "I wish he could come here, but neither of us are in a position to choose. Do you have siblings?" She looked at Cassandra.

[seeks_truth]

"I... had a brother," Cassandra said. After a moment, and with some trepidation. "But let us not talk about that. Do you have any other siblings?"

Talking about Anthony was hard under any circumstances, let alone to someone she still barely knew.

[crimson_sister]

"Oh." Lucille felt a bit awkward that she had stumbled upon what was clearly a very sensitive subject. "No, only Thomas. He is two years younger."

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra smiled. "Do you get along?" she asked.

[crimson_sister]

"He is my best friend," Lucille smiled back, while struggling to hold back tears. She wouldn't cry, especially not in front of someone who perhaps wanted to be her friend.

[seeks_truth]

She seemed uncomfortable with the subject. Cassandra... was not as smooth at seguing as Lucille was. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "We need not talk about it. Siblings are often complicated."

[crimson_sister]

"I miss him, that is all." She would have agreed that siblings were complicated, but perhaps that would have resulted in further questions.

But books! They were a more interesting - and safer - subject. "Reading can be a great comfort, don't you think? Almost like friends themselves?"

[seeks_truth]

"Books were invaluable to me during my training," Cassandra agreed, more than relieved to go along with it. "Very important for... ah, morale."

[crimson_sister]

"What did you train?" Lucille asked. "Was it here?"

[seeks_truth]

"I am a member of a group called the Seekers of Truth," Cassandra said. She got up and walked towards the desk, poking through her new books in search of something to offer up to Lucille when she was done explaining. "We serve what is my world's Church, you would call it. Since I was a child, I have studied both our religious texts and the art of combat."

[crimson_sister]

The word 'church' was a little worrying, for various reasons. Lucille tried to think of something to say while Cassandra was looking through her books.

"The art of combat? Is that why you wore armor last time we met?" That, at least, was interesting.

[seeks_truth]

"Yes," Cassandra agreed. She wound up picking up a book with a unicorn on the cover. "It is part of our duties to investigate dangerous situations involving mages or demons. Being able to handle a sword comes in handy."

[crimson_sister]

"There are such creatures where you are from?" That sounded very different from the local vicar's dreary sermons. "And you can use a sword? Like the heroine in the book?"

Oh, and was that a unicorn?

[seeks_truth]

"There are," Cassandra said. She held out the book to Lucille. "Some mages from my world attend this school, in fact. That is part of why I am here."

[crimson_sister]

"Are they dangerous?" Lucille asked. "Is that why you're here?"

She accepted the book. "Unicorns?"

That was three questions at once.

[seeks_truth]

"All mages are potentially dangerous," Cassandra said. She sat down on the bed. "But as long as I am here, any danger will be contained."

She looked at the book. "And I've little idea what that is. I took it from the library earlier today. But I thought, perhaps we could examine it together?"

[crimson_sister]

Lucille looked at Cassandra and decided that she would ask more about the mages at some other time. Today, though, she was quite content to study a book.

"Judging from the cover it might be a book of fairy tales."

[seeks_truth]

"It says it is not," Cassandra said, eager to turn to the subject of the book. "It calls itself a more sophisticated retelling."

[crimson_sister]

"A retelling of what?" Lucille asked.

[seeks_truth]

"A local fairy tale of some renown?" Cassandra said. "I do not know your stories about unicorns well."

[crimson_sister]

"I know of stories in which they are hunted by using a virgin to trap them," Lucille recalled. "For some reason the stories agree that they like virgins."

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra blinked. "...Why?" she said.

[crimson_sister]

"Women are not expected to be virgins when they marry where you are from?" she asked, then shrugged. "One wonders how the unicorn could tell."