DT2: Sleeping in the Stacks

[Hannah Murphy]

((open thread))

Murphy loved books. She also had a tendency to curl up and go to sleep wherever she was when she started feeling tired. So, while it might be a bit odd for someone to stumble across the tall girl curled up and snoring quietly next to a stack of books in the library, it wasn't exactly an uncommon sight.

She had just finished a nap and was starting to slowly wake up, stretching out on the floor like a cat. She looked a bit groggy, but content as well. Apparently she had no problem sleeping on the floor.

[Basil Benson]

Basil eventually came upon the sleeping girl. He'd been warned by the head librarian she'd done this before, but he'd yet to actually catch her in the act. Noticing she was making signs of awaking, he decided to stay invisible while he slowly picked up the books around her. Maybe if he didn't cause a scene she'd leave without having to risk an altercation through course words. Though if Murphy opened her eyes at this moment, it would seem like a very helpful ghost was picking up after her. She would smell all the signs of a person being there with her, just no visual clues as to where he or she might be.

Well other than floating books.

[Hannah Murphy]

Murphy growled a warning. She wasn't done with some of those books.

[Basil Benson]

Most of the time, Basil tried his very best to act like a brave man. But he was a very poor actor.

The responding sound Basil made was a whimpering, frightened noise. "I'm just doing my job!" His disembodied voice responded. "Don't growl at me!"

Very frightening.

[Hannah Murphy]

"Not done," Murphy grumbles. But she looks a bit chastised by Basil's outburst. Maybe a bit embarrassed.

[Basil Benson]

The pile of books stayed afloat for a few more seconds, before it was laid back down with a sigh. " Well you can't go to sleep in the library or people will assume you are done with the materials."

That was about as close to a confrontation as he intended to get with the girl, being that she was obviously ginormous. Basil wasn't good at confrontational and he wasn't really used to the concept of girls bigger than he was since he was a rather tall man himself.

After a moment his body came into view, sort of. He turned on his contact suit so that the girl could see where he was standing. The folded sleeves on his suit suggested his arms were folded over his chest.

[Hannah Murphy]

"Why?" Murphy asks.

[Basil Benson]

"Because other people need the books too, and you can't read while you are asleep. If you fell asleep while eating, people would assume you are done and take your plate away to be cleaned. Same concept."

[Hannah Murphy]

"Could try," Murphy says, a growl in her voice.

She did not like people taking food away from her.

[Basil Benson]

Basil toughened up, only slightly. He didn't like to be threatened just like any one else, even if he intended to do jack all about it.

"Well resorting to violence in the cafeteria and here will have the same end result of you being thrown out."

Basil sighed.

"These books aren't yours, they are for everyone. You understand this, right?"

[Hannah Murphy]

"'Everything belongs to everyone,'" Murphy quotes.

Between growing up in a New Age cult and a life as a feral girl, Murphy was very unclear on the concept of property rights.

[Basil Benson]

For all Basil knew, this was some political argument he was stepping into about socialism or something, and he didn't even want to go there at this moment.

"Alright... Well if everything belongs to everyone then don't you think you're being a bit selfish hording these books like dragon's gold when you clearly cannot be unconscious and use them at the same time?"

[Hannah Murphy]

"No," Murphy says.

"Can take them," Murphy explains. "If they can."

She said this like it was the simplest concept in the world.

[Basil Benson]

"What does that even mean!?" Basil replied, starting to sound worked up again.

"Are you going to fight them over books? That doesn't sound very much like sharing to me."

[Hannah Murphy]

"More fun," Murphy says, with a smile full of sharp teeth.

[Basil Benson]

"And completely against your supposed ethos!" He cried out, then stifled himself because he could feel his chest tightening.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice... Look just... Pick it up alright? It's a mess. Someone is going to get hurt. It's my job to pick it up and you're preventing me from doing my job."

[Hannah Murphy]

Murphy frowns, "...Sorry."

[Basil Benson]

Now he felt bad as well. He hated having to be the guy who had to bring down the hammer.

"You don't need to be sorry, It's my fault. I get a little.... anxious sometimes when things aren't the way I am used to them being..."

[Hannah Murphy]

Murphy cocks her head, "Why?"

[Basil Benson]

The suit shrugged. " I don't know, I've always been like this, I think. Bubbe--- Eh, my grandmother calls it agita. It got worse with the condition and I can't help myself sometimes... not an excuse though. I apologize."

[Hannah Murphy]

Murphy shrugs, "Fear is good."

"Disturbed underbrush. Broken twigs," Murphy says. "Things out of place."

"You notice. Aware?" Murphy says. "Survive."

"Not a bad thing."

[Basil Benson]

"You're probably right... but giving yourself an aneurysm over a girl on a floor and a pile of books is a bad thing." He quipped at his own expense.

"My name is Basil. Basil Oliver Benson." He offered it to her, seemingly the right thing to do after apologizing for harassing her.

[Hannah Murphy]

"Murphy," Murphy says, starting to put away the books she's not using.

[Basil Benson]

He noticed her picking them up, and offered her an alternative solution.

"You know... if you take the books you want to read to one of the comfy chairs, I don't bother the people asleep in the comfy chairs. I'll still come to get the book if I think you have what I need, but I don't need a reason to rouse the students sleeping in the furniture because they aren't in the walking paths."

[Hannah Murphy]

Murphy makes a face, "Too soft."

[Basil Benson]

"Hmmm. The table chairs? Those aren't very soft."

[Hannah Murphy]

"Too high," Murphy says. She clutches three books close, like she was afraid someone might take them. She hadn't read them yet.

[Basil Benson]

The neck on Basil's garment twisted and gave as he tilted his head.

"You know you can take them back to your dorm and then no one like me can come and take them back until you bring them back, right?

Admittedly you should bring them back before the time is up or they might make you pay late fees." He laughed.

[Hannah Murphy]

This might have been the wrong thing to tell Murphy. Her eyes widened at the idea of taking books out of the library.

"How many?"

[Basil Benson]

"The University is generous in that it allows you to check out as many as you like at a time, to start. If you abuse the privilege and do not return the books in the allotted time, then a cap will be placed on your library account.

This does not apply to reference materials though, those can never leave the library. We have to keep those ones here since people need them for their studies."

[Hannah Murphy]

Murphy didn't appear to be listening after "as many as you like". She was just staring at the books in the shelves.

[Basil Benson]

"You have to bring them back after two weeks Murphy." He reiterated gently. " Even if it's just for me to check them out for you again. That's the rules. Alright?"

[Hannah Murphy]

"Rules?" Murphy asks.

"Who enforces them?"

[Basil Benson]

"Well, myself, and when I don't, the head Librarian." He states. "But if I don't charge you late fees or take away the books because you are not following the rules, I could lose my job. I do not want to lose my job. It's all I have right now."

[Hannah Murphy]

"Sad," Murphy says.

[Basil Benson]

"Yes, it's rather a tragedy." Basil wasn't sure if Hannah was saying she was sad there was rules, or if his situation was sad but either way he didn't want to delve into it.

"But as long as everyone follows the rules, you can take them home with you and read them at your pace instead of trying to protect them while you are still using them here."

[Hannah Murphy]

Murphy pats Basil on the head, "Thanks."

[Basil Benson]

"...You're welcome." Basil allowed it, only because he was thinking the giant girl might pop out an eyeball or crush his skull if he didn't. Hannah's hand would be met with an extremely fluffy and soft crop of hair she couldn't actually see.

[Hannah Murphy]

"Good camouflage," Murphy says, in an awkward attempt at a compliment.

[Basil Benson]

It took a moment for him to realize what she was talking about. He was used to people commenting on his invisibility, but not in combat terms.

"Oh. This isn't on purpose. I'm stuck like this."