just unmade plans {eliza}

[MATHIS ♥ CLAES]

Nothing felt as good as a finished workday. Nothing. For Mathis the flexible hours were an ever changing game- one day he might delegate for several hours, and spend the rest feeling as if the time was wasted. Others, like tonight in fact, felt as though they were never-ending, some little thing keeping him absorbed. There was nothing in his contract that said he had to put in more than a solid day's work, but sometimes it was easy to be sidetracked. It was never a matter of salary or overtime- he had a cushy job, and life, at St. Gabriel, but every so often work became so (surprisingly!) compelling that he found himself alone with his thoughts. Sometimes he wondered if just anyone who worked in a library was as fortunate- he couldn't see people enjoying their jobs as much as he, but then again he was part of another world. None of this stocking-fantasy-novels-for-teens, and constantly replacing books destroyed by the public. In addition to typical fare, St. Gabriel had books no one would have thought to look for, books on lore and mythology, and the bonus of catering to academia. Mathis was exceedingly lucky that most students treated the library with respect, because it never occurred to him to be the hardcore authoritarian.

So it was that the man found himself in the deserted library, lights off except for the main alley between the cases, and spilling from the office areas. It was a grand old room, tall and ornamented, long and elegant. Even with layers of dust on less frequented areas of the old structure, it still shone. The wood always seemed to bounce the light just right. A vague bluish glow emanated from the stretched windows, streaming in to this basilica and just faintly edging the tables for studying that sat barren in the common area. The offices overlooked this on the upper level, two matching curved staircases leading from the platform that thinned and stretched around the whole room with a sort of viewing gallery to the central aisles.

Book angled forward, he leaned his lanky frame up against the nearest shelf, using the aisle lighting to read by, propping one elbow. It was inconvenient, but he had bigger fish to fry rather than going to the office and switching the day-hour lights back on. Though the library was technically open late for the college students to get a jump on their studying, it closed and became understaffed at 1am at the latest- he checked his watch, barely registering the hands at 1:45. So it was that he'd shut the doors and locked up, but found himself drawn to a large volume on the study of Mers that he'd been checking in earlier in the week. The faculty was in charge of requesting these types of books, he had only to send it to one of the library staff to stock, but as he'd yet to read it himself, he couldn't help holding it back before giving it a serial number and leaving it on the shelves of the 'mythology' section. As interesting as it was, he flipped through many pages with little enthusiasm, absorbing the illustrations and key quotes. He much preferred novels, and had been at St. Gabriel long enough to know the many species intimately from a theoretical standpoint, yet his curiosity had to be satisfied.

Eventually he closed it with a snap, not halfway through, rubbing his hand over short blond stubble on his chin, blinking blue-green eyes wearily. With a sigh he smoothed the front of his rumpled navy blue shirt, toying the his tie. All at once it seemed to strike him that he was exhausted, and tucking the book beneath one arm, he made his way to the offices. It was as he strode to the door of his own particularly spacious, glass-cased home-away-from-home to drop off the book and leave by the back entrance, that he spotted a lumpy form by one of the corner tables, slumped and unmoving. He paused, frowning slightly, before heading over and prodding what he, upon closer inspection, could see was a student who had somehow evaded the eye of the clerk who cleared out the place at closing time. "Hey..." He sounded rather impatient- this was not the first time someone got stuck in the library after hours and he had to take things in to his own hands, though falling asleep at a table was far less bothersome than students sneaking in for some other purpose. He put his hand on the shoulder of the sleeping girl, giving a gentle shake, now eager to return to his own room in the faculty dormitory section once his need for sleep had been capitalized.

[ELIZA ♥ WRIGHT]

they are the hunters

The setting sun stained Eliza's papers pink, making her subconsciously nervous. It always happened at this time of the day, when she felt a sudden press of anxiety. The weight of the day suffocated her until she finally caved in. Sorting the stacks and shuffling them back into order, the student looked at her laptop screen, grimacing at the blaring little words in the corner. She only had 3 pages, yet the minimum for the assignment was 5. It looked like she would need to add more. A yawn pulled at her jaw, making her eyes water until she relented. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand and glanced at the clock. It was 7pm. So much for eating dinner. The dining hall closed in half an hour and at this point, most of the food would be put away or tossed. Eliza sighed resignedly. This was hopeless. dropping her arms onto the table, she nestled her head in the crook of an elbow. Her morning shift had left her a bit drained, but in a good way she supposed. She just wanted the long weekend to come faster. Maybe she should go for a fly. Clear her head. Get some air. Just relax.

It was a simple thing for Eliza to fall asleep, her papers forming a sort of no-man's-land around her. The other students left quietly, ignoring her. Somehow she remained unseen by the clerks and was left undisturbed as the library, like a great living beast, fell quiet and dark. It sighed with emptiness as Eliza shifted in her sleep, unaware of the library's one other inhabitant. The light from the main aisle just barely reached her, all the way in the corner, her laptop having gone into sleep mode long before. It was all quite peaceful until Eliza felt the gentle shake. Then everything came back in waves and she sat up quickly, brushing dirty blonde hair from her face. "Wha-," she muttered groggily, eyes adjusting to the low light. Fuuuuu-, she thought as the next wave rolled in after a few minutes of silence, and she realized what happened. She stood quite suddenly, eyes becoming panicked. "Oh my god," the shifter said, voice now sharper, "I can't believe I fell asleep what time is it I'm so sorry oh shit."

Her hands flung out awkwardly as she tried to organize papers into neat stacks and books into piles, but it never seemed to get any neater on the desk. Eliza slammed her laptop close and stuffed it into her bag, followed by the wires which continually hung out despite her best efforts. The librarian's presence barely registered in her mind until she turned to the books that needed reshelving. "Aaaah." She tried scooped them up, resulting in a few thudding to the ground, slipping from her grip. "Oh shoot, sorry." Trying to keep the stack in her hands level, she awkwardly bent to the side, hand searching the ground as one eye stayed on the books in her arms. One slid to the side and, without thinking, she caught it with her chin and was then stuck holding it, unsure of how to manage them.

we are the rabbits

[MATHIS ♥ CLAES]

He expected her to wake slowly after she first stirred, not explode like some tornado of class papers, spewing expletives and thrashing around like a dying rabbit. So startled was he that he took an actual step back.
"Relax, there's no rush," He assured her tiredly, though he had his suspicions that it fell on deaf ears as she continued to flail. Accepting that he wasn't about to fall gratefully in to bed any time soon, he approached the table with hands outstretched, intending to help gather her things for her, since she seemed to be doing a poor job of it. Many times he made false moves to grab at books sliding all over, but each time they hit the ground, the girl still struggling and wiggling all over. Finally she stilled, apparently stuck however she was with volumes jammed beneath her chin and held haphazardly in her arms. Lips pressed in to a firm line, he too stood frozen, staring over at her with a mixture of impatience, amusement and disapproval, holding up his hands as if to ask 'are you done yet?'.

Mathis reached out and took the books from under her chin, quickly smoothing them in a neat stack and hefting them under one arm. For good measure he took at least one textbook from her arms as well, forming a little pyramid of his own with a sigh and turning away to the nearest book trolley of things to return to the shelves. He'd leave it for the clerks tomorrow; apparently he had enough on his plate with one panicking student. Turning back to her he crossed his arms, taking a seat on the edge of the table and waiting for her to have some semblance of order with her belongings. "I'm guessing you're supposed to be somewhere with fewer books and more beds?" He grimaced, standing up once again, unfolding all of his six foot two frame and waving a hand lazily at her. He brushed his other hand against his eyes, fighting that irritable itchy feeling behind them. "Come on, I'll walk you there." He drawled in defeat, feeling it would be a poor example of him as faculty if he didn't ensure she got to where she was going, which he assumed was the dorm. College life included, students weren't exactly encouraged to be wandering the school at night; at least this way she'd have back-up should she encounter a monitor and have to explain herself. Almost as an afterthought he looked down at her, demeanour somewhat less choleric. "What was so important that it couldn't wait for a good night's rest?"

[ELIZA ♥ WRIGHT]

they are the hunters

Biting her tongue in concentration, the young girl stretched her arm out for the dropped books and tried not to move her neck. Her balance was failing when the librarian reached down to relieve her of the tomes. She froze, lifting her chin only when she was sure he had the book in hand. Part of her wanted to resist letting him take more of the books, but she was stuck in a somewhat awkward position, so she let them go without a fuss. Once all of them were in hand, she followed him to place them on the return cart and then returned to pack up the rest of her stuff. Eliza took her time now, not wanting the librarian to get frustrated with her even more. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here, even if it was accidental. In truth, she was grateful that he hadn't gone off on her. She didn't think she'd be able to handle it.

"Yes," Liz replied, ducking her head at the mention of her not supposed to be here, "I'm really so sorry. I must've....just nodded off. I should be back in the dormitories by now." Her cheeks burned red, although it was mostly hidden by the dim lighting. She hated being caught off guard like this, and hated feeling like a naughty child even worse. It wasn't like her. Eliza glanced up at the man and felt even more guilty as he rubbed his eyes. Sighing, she slung the bag over her shoulder and followed him like a lost, properly scolded puppy. As he lead her away from the library and into dark, quiet corridors, her hands gripped her bag's strap and her eyes adjusted to the dark.

"What was so important that it couldn't wait for a good night's rest?"

The hallway seemed so quiet, it felt like sacrilege to talk. The man's voice made her heart jump, not expecting it. It was a rather obvious question though. Anyone in their right mind would know better than to let themselves use a library book as a pillow. Eliza frowned, biting her lip thoughtfully. "Well," she hesitated, embarrassed, "I had a paper due tomorrow...well, today, I suppose." She fell silent, realizing how silly it sounded. Procrastination was her most fearsome enemy. Walking silently, her eyes shifted sideways at the lanky, tired man, running through her knowledge of the school library. There were a few librarians, but she was almost certain that this was Mathis Claes, the Head Librarian. Great. Unable to help herself, Eliza continued the conversation, hoping to shake off the awkward silence. "What about you, sir? Surely one of the other librarians could close. You look like you haven't slept in a few days." Her mouth closed almost as quickly as it had opened, cheeks burning again. "I'm sorry, that was none of my business."

we are the rabbits

[MATHIS ♥ CLAES]

He supposed he couldn't have asked for a better response than quiet submission as she followed him looking properly ashamed. He nodded blandly as she explained it was an accident- of course it was- knowing full-well there'd be no punishment. Tetchy as he could be without sleep, he didn't hand out detentions or report students willy-nilly. Come to think of it, he really wasn't sure if that was even in his power, other than to give a recommendation. Still, being 'head' of the library had to count for something.

On they walked through the darkened hallways, Mathis absently jangling his keys to the library in his hand after having locked up. His eyes strayed to paintings and random marks on the walls, only half paying attention, yawning every so often. He automatically steered them in the direction of the dormitory building through the network of corridors, velvet carpet down the center absorbing most of their footsteps. The girl explained that she'd had a paper due; he raised his brows at that, not altogether surprised. He could potentially give her a stern talking-to about the importance of due dates in school, but at this time of night he was neither in the mood for lectures, nor convinced that she hadn't put in a good effort- she had nearly been locked in the library, after all. Besides, he hadn't given half a rat's ass when he was in school, other than to get basic grades.

"What about you, sir? Surely one of the other librarians could close. You look like you haven't slept in a few days."

This actually startled a low chuckle out of him, and a genuine, if muted smile of bright white, even teeth. He shrugged angular shoulders, briefly biting his lip while he stared ahead, ignoring her apology. Perhaps it wasn't quite like him to be quite so blunt with anything, but this was special circumstance. "Not a matter of availability, I just got...caught up..." He snorted; it was an understatement when 'being caught up' meant staying hours and hours later. "But that's just my privilege I suppose. Or a curse. I'm not sure which, surrounded by all those books..." He yawned again and glanced down, blinking owlishly at her and seemingly coming-to again. "What did you say you were writing a paper on?" If they were going to talk he might as well get her talking about a useful subject. All the better to draw away from himself, disheveled as he was at the moment.

Despite St. Gabriel combining both high school and college, the student body was rather small for such an undertaking. He got the feeling he might recognized some part of her face, but couldn't put a name to the vibrantly blue eyes and mane of blond hair.

[ELIZA ♥ WRIGHT]

they are the hunters

"Not a matter of availability, I just got...caught up..."

The snort caught her off guard and she looked sharply over at the librarian. It had occurred to her that some people enjoyed being inside all day, surrounded by books, but she always found the idea strange. She'd rather be in the sunlight with her bare feet in deep soil any day. She smiled when he couldn't decide if it was a gift or a curse, her mind shouting CURSE! before she could help it. But people do have their own opinions and quirks, she said, scolding herself. Looking up at him, she fought her urge to be shy and silent, and replied, "You didn't. It's on the exploration of Cortez and his exploitation of the natives. Not a very cheery subject, I guess." She shrugged as they turned a corner and entered a larger corridor. She always forgot how maze-like the school could be. Eliza remembered being completely lost on her first day, stuck in a labyrinth of plush carpet and old paintings with gilded frames. Such a strange idea.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she continued. "I'm not very good at writing, so I try to do work in the library. The more sources I can get, the better. Plus, I always run into a classmate willing to proofread my work." Trying not to bump into him and walk in a straight line was surprisingly hard for the shifter, especially when she kept turning her head to look at him. For a few moments, she stared at her feet. Well, she stared at what she could see of her feet. The dark was as thick as the carpet in some places. "So, what were you reading that got you so caught up? You'd think a book would just be another book after a while."

we are the rabbits

[MATHIS ♥ CLAES]

"Cortez..." He repeated, blinking slowly. Half a dozen titles sprung to mind on the exhausted subject, remnants of looking literary aids up on a monitor for students and his own studies in college. "Cheery doesn't make for good essays. You need something controversial, or upsetting or bleak." He raised clenched fists for emphasis, giving a low chuckle before shaking his head as if to dismiss any semblance of nerdy passion for it.

They turned down hallway after hallway, she explaining her study habits, he staring in to darkness and letting words wash over him, feeling his lids get steadily heavier, the urge to yawn and snuggle up bare in his luxuriously personalized room growing stronger. Actually, that wasn't quite accurate- he had a habit of just splaying out and falling asleep wherever he fell on the plush bed that he'd used to replace the sturdy yet back-breaking routine dorm ones. If he was going to go with convenience as a motivator for living on-campus, he might as well make the most of it. "If you need something proofread, the student services will take a look at essays as long as you deliver them a fortnight before it's due-" He gave the advice as second nature, used to herding students in the right direction with their homework. When had he become such a drone? He shook his head, disappointed in his own lack of imagination.

"So, what were you reading that got you so caught up? You'd think a book would just be another book after a while."

He cast her a sidelong glance, knowing full well that it wasn't particularly helpful for him to give a full answer. Though the library was stocked with mythological volumes, it wasn't as if they had every 'special' student showcasing their talents. Despite the safety of St. Gabriel, it was generally not advisable to shout anything from the rooftop, not with the current state of things involving the Holy Cross hunters.
"Legendary beasts," He explained simply. "You'd be surprised how little I've read from the library- if I had the motivation, it would still take me years to go through the inventory and even gain an inkling of what each book is about." He wrinkled his nose slightly. It felt like too much of a betrayal to agree or disagree with her questioning if 'a book was just a book'. On the one hand his interest in being a librarian was relatively new compared to how much of his life had been occupied by someone who was a kid at heart. He would never pretend that books were his entire life- this was just a job- but at the same time there was something about living here and loving what he did that made it wrong to cast it off as just an occupation.

They were nearing the alleys of the dormitories, clean hallways with little copper plaques on the doors listing the room number and last name of the students who resided in each one. When they breached a t-bone hall, he stopped, hands in his pockets. Despite being a teacher, as a male he was permitted no further down the women's wing of the school, unless there was an emergency. It seemed to take enormous effort to smile when he was so tired. "Isn't this your stop?" It occurred belatedly to him that she may live in the co-ed dorms, requiring a trip down an extra hall and a half.

[ELIZA ♥ WRIGHT]

they are the hunters

Liz smiled faintly at his little show of zeal and wondered for a brief moment why she'd never seen the man before. Well, it wasn't like she spent every waking moment in the library. Quite the opposite. She avoided it when she could, though, from the way he seemed to have a special spot for it, Eliza wondered if it was really that bad. Well, when she wasn't rushing to finish a project or paper anyway. Perhaps all it took was the right book? Sure, shifting was the best feeling in the world, and she felt most comfortable in any skin but her own, but maybe she could at least give it a try. Tacking the idea to her mind, she stifled a yawn that fallowed the librarian's, not wanting to seem rude while he talked about his interest.

Her eyebrows rose as he mentioned that he hadn't read much from the collection. She would've stuck him as the type to sit and read through entire stacks of books in a day, though some part of her wondered what he was like before becoming the head librarian. Liz had a hard time picturing him as anything but the bookish type, though really anything was possible. Chewing on one of her nails, she glanced sideways at him. Who knows? Maybe he was often the party host back in his school days. It could happen, she supposed. Dropping her hands from her face, Eliza began to notice their location before he mentioned it.

"Isn't this your stop?"

"Yes," she replied quickly, resisting another yawn, "Thanks for walking me, Mister..." Eliza paused awkwardly, realizing that she hadn't even ask the librarian his name. She smiled apologetically and shifted her bag slightly, shrugging. "I'm Eliza, by the way. I should probably get so sleep before I pass out somewhere other than my bed again." Surprisingly meek, she nodded to librarian and turned down the darkened hallway. She wasn't afraid of waking up her roommate mostly because she didn't have one, but something in her made her move quietly to unlock her door before glancing back down the way she had come as Mathis' silhouette disappeared. Silently slipping into her room, Eliza didn't bother turning on the lights as she began peeling off articles of clothing. Her room was an odd collection of piles of clothing, a nest of blankets on the bed, and odds and ends on every available surface. Yet, with her eyes half closed, the shifter managed to move through the chaos to her bed without knocking anything over or making any noise louder than her footsteps. Her mind was already asleep as she dropped to the bed and crawled under the covers, head fuzzy with odd dreams of thick darkness and company.

we are the rabbits

[MATHIS ♥ CLAES]

Pay attention, pay attention. It shouldn't have been this difficult to straighten up and listen, but bed called to him, his head starting to pound from this prolonged deprivation.

"Thanks for walking me, Mister..."

He took no offence to her confusion- hell if he'd known the name of the librarians when he had been in school. Come to think of it, he could probably count on one hand the times he actually went in to the library and checked out a book with the intention of actually reading it, and not simply sourcing it to give the impression of having done research. "Claes. And that's sounds like a plan" He responded after her own introduction, watching almost impassively as she retreated. He stood still for a few more moments, then turned and made his slow, pensive way to his own room.

------------------

Back to work. Was that all there was in his life? Sometimes it felt like it. And sometimes he mentally clouted himself for being so whiny. He ought to fly more, that always seemed to raise his mood. He was living too much like a regular human- there was no rule against it, but the thought never paralleled with who he had been as a person. Every day wings were a big 'no'. Every full moon wasn't often enough, yet there was something unattractive about only going out at night, keeping his presence on the down-low. He wasn't ashamed to be an angel- he was raised to embrace it, after all. Unlike his little brother Lucas, who was perfectly happy subsiding in to normalcy, Mathis rather liked that he had such a feature that set him apart, but the balancing act between appearing normal and indulging himself was exhausting. Sometimes being an adult sucked- at least when he had attended the school, the gifted students tended to click together, and it was easier to get away with only thinly veiling their talents. Now it seemed he couldn't go anywhere without wondering whether or not he was revealing too much of himself. He was on lockdown.

Sighing, Mathis pressed his finger to his temple as he snapped the book on Mers shut yet again, miming the pull of a trigger though no one was around to see. Sliding his feet off of where they had been propped up on his desk, he pressed the printer on and wiggled the mouse of the desktop, bringing the computer to life. Long hands moving quickly he wrote out the details of the publication in the database, letting it do the rest of the work in determining a bar code that he could print on a sticker for this newest addition. It was grunt work, but for a library this size everyone pitched in. Sure, he could be doing something more managerial as head librarian, but opportunities for such seldom rolled around. In terms of extra work he had meetings with the rest of the faculty in charge, ordered special volumes, and generally delegated, or was busy with some less-than-fun politics surrounding the school. The rest of the time he haunted the bookshelves and worked with the rest of his team.

Getting to his feet, he applied the newly printed sticker, setting the book gently in a carrier marked 'new'. One of the clerks would see to it that it was properly sorted. His interest from the previous night had dwindled to next to nothing, having found nothing really new to learn about merpeople. He didn't need all the intricacies, and the general facts remained the same.

Wandering out in to the bright atrium, he cast a cursory look to the tables, pale eyes wandering over some students he recognized and some he did not. With an internal shove, he set his hands on the return trolly, wheeling it out of its secluded space to get to work. Honestly, it probably looked as though he spent most of the day around here just moping about, but that wasn't an accurate read on him. Mathis was vibrant and full of life, but only in the right instances. The moment he set foot in the soaring nest of books, he was curt and professional. He saved anything else for his regrettably tame weekend life.

Without really thinking about it, he ended up in the section pertaining to Cortez, as the last additions to the cart had belonged to the girl from the night before. He set to work re-shelving everything from Spanish romanticism to the conquest of Mexico, moving like clockwork as he briefly looked over the code and found each book's home.

[ELIZA ♥ WRIGHT]

they are the hunters

Eliza sighed, fighting with her bag as she speed walked down the hallway. Her books simply didn't want to stay in her bag and she struggled to keep them from spilling out. After a few moments, she gave up and simply clutched the large bundle together, both arms wrapping around the bulk. She was close to the library anyway. Without hands, she made a face at the doors, but simply pushed them open with her back, wincing as a loud creak echoed through the atrium. Students scattered at the tables looked up at her with various levels of annoyance and she mouthed "Sorry" at them. The door swung shut with a hiss before clicking closed softly. Craning her neck, she searched for an empty table and was disappointed. She frowned at the people still looking at her and walked past the rows of tables. The bookshelves greeted her as she stepped among them towering over her to the point that ladders were sometimes needed to retrieve a volume. To Eliza, that was always the most adventurous part. A part of her had the urge to climb all the way up and sit on the very top, maybe hop across the gaps and leave footprints in the undisturbed dust there. Maybe she could convince one of the other students to sneak in here on the next full moon, when light flooded the atrium and lit up the brass plaques that seemed to declare dedications everywhere you looked.

Peeking out from the last of the rows, she noticed that the tables here in the back were almost deserted and smiled. Much better. She tried to gently lay her bag on the table, but after pausing for a moment, the latch gave and the contents spilled out onto the table as if designed to be a portable messy table. Eliza gave another huff and settled down, sifting through the papers and booting up her computer. After about half an hour of trying to make out what she had vaguely written the day before, the shifter decided to simply retrieve the book she had attempted to cite at the top of the page. She plucked the slightly crumpled paper from the pile and made her way toward the section she had raided the night before only to find it occupied. "Morning Mr. Claes," she said, trying to ignore the awkward feeling she had at the back of her mind. She looked down at her paper and scanned the shelves for the familiar bindings. It took her a moment to realize that the book she was looking for was in the librarians hand. "Oh," she said, feeling a little guilty about undoing his work, "Er...I need that one."

we are the rabbits

[MATHIS ♥ CLAES]

Any sounds around him were white noise. He had no interest in the goings-on of the students, just as he assumed they had little interest in interacting with him. He was rarely the g0-to guy for questions about the inventory, and only performed lectures for first year classes of students looking to explore the archives for sourcing. That wasn't to say he collapsed in on himself and shut out any pleas for his notice, but really the library was a place for students to work, and he could no more fix their assignments than teach them how to fly- it just wasn't his place.

Soft footsteps scuffing on the carpeted alley between the bookshelves didn't faze him but the 'Morning Mr. Claes' was a surprise. He turned to find himself looking down on the same girl as the night before. At least now he was looking more alive. "Oh. Hello." Emma. Emmy? Eleanor. Elizabeth. Eliza! "It's, Eliza, correct?" His smiled widened, this forced happiness obscuring any embarrassment if he happened to get the name wrong, creases appearing at the corners of his eyes, but she'd already looked away to the list in her hand. He turned and wedged the book in to its nook, absently picking the next and mentally thanking her to have collected several books at once. Nothing was more annoying than stocking a single book and finding that he had to move to another area entirely to stock the next. He'd just drawn away when she tentatively asked for the book back. Last night he might have sighed and dragged his feet, dramatic as ever in the face of such an easy task, but well-rested and fuelled with coffee to a point that allowed him to survive the morning, he popped it back out and handed it over.
"Still struggling with Cortez?" He asked teasingly, folding his arms and leaning against the shelf. Something clicked in his memory and his mouth pressed into a firm line, holding back a knowing smile as his brow creased, attempting to look stern. "Didn't you mention that your assignment was due today? Cutting it a bit close, aren't you.." He supposed he could be called a 'cool' member of the school faculty, not exactly enforcing cold morals like 'you shouldn't have left it until the last minute'. Perhaps he just wasn't old and crusty enough, jaded and seeing the worst in students, who some professors saw only as lazy cock-ups trying to flunk out. Instead he was amused and sympathetic, impish smile playing about his lips.

[ELIZA ♥ WRIGHT]

Mar 7, 2013 18:40:45 GMT -6 ELIZA ♥ WRIGHT said:

they are the hunters

For some reason, she couldn't help but smile when he said her name. She reached up to take the book when he held it out to her. "Sorry about that," she said, smiling apologetically and holding it against her chest with crossed arms, "Yeah, I am a little. I'm close though." Biting her lip and shrugging she watched as a crooked smile broke through. After how quiet he was last night, she'd wondered if the man ever cracked a joke. Come to think of it, she wondered if he'd ever been to a party or anything. She ducked her head embarrassed when he mentioned that the due date was so near. "Yeeaah. I work best under pressure?" she replied, raising her eyebrows. Liz tried to remain serious, but she let a small laugh out. It was a bad lie. She really was just a procrastinator, but she didn't want to admit that to the librarian. Besides, what college student didn't put things off until the last minute? "I should probably get back to work, then." It was a lame conversation, but then again, she wasn't very good at them in the first place. Turning, she hurried back down the aisle and forced herself to sit at the table, resisting the urge to just blow off the paper.

It was only about an hour later that she was close to beating her head against the wooden table. How could anyone do this for a living? Pressing her forehead against the wood, she glanced at her computer screen, glaring at the page count. She only needed about a paragraph or two more and it would reach the minimum. The book she had taken from Mathis was open next her laptop, almost mocking her. No, she knew it was mocking her. What else could she write?

we are the rabbits

[MATHIS ♥ CLAES]

Waving away her apology, Mathis smiled to himself, easily witholding another cookie-cutter retort about handing in late work. His teasing was mostly for show, an inside joke with only himself. Returning to restocking, he moved about the library with outward calm and inner restlessness, something fussing at the back of his mind. Even from across the library, when he passed Eliza's spot at her solitary table he glanced up, entertained by her continued stressing- not because it caused her pain, but because her continued obstinance was amusing. In her shoes he would have called it a day by now and gone drinking. Once again the sun rose to midday and began to sink. Mathis' lunch break came and went. Even through the window of his office, feet propped on his ample desk, he occasionally looked to see Eliza looking more and more harried.

In one swift motion he was on his feet again, leaving an unfinished email to the head of the school about a spreadsheet for the library's spring quarter budget open (because of course, he too had been procrastinating). He made his purposeful way back to the shelves, stopping at what he presumed to be the right place. Dragging one finger across the spines of his prospects he squinted at the little labels, dragging out a piss-yellow hard sided beanpole of a book, published straight out of the seventies when everything seemed to be some shade of bathroom brown and yellow. Based on the subject matter it should have been something a bit more impressive, but to the untrained eye it was nothing but fodder for the insane.

He tossed the book on to the top of Eliza's pile, slumping in to the chair on the other side of the table, crossing his legs. "Ought to take a look at that." He nodded encouragingly to her, sliding a few more books out of his hands on to the table. These ranged from detailed volumes on Mexico to life in Spain, but he thought the yellow one was the most important, stamped as it was with Política Vampirismo y la Conquista de México. His fingers tapped an active beat on the table, though his eyes were fixed on her with something that seemed to be intense interest. Her reaction, he decided, made all the difference here. Take out of the weird references and it was a poignant piece of translated literature on the involvement in Mexico that she needed to write about. The only problem was the lore behind it, the involvement of vampires and werewolves as powerful patrons sending Cortez to this new world in the face of a feud. The the normal students it was like sending them home to watch the History channel and study aliens when they knew they didn't exist. For the more....unusual students, however, it made quite a different impression.

[ELIZA ♥ WRIGHT]

Mar 7, 2013 18:40:45 GMT -6 ELIZA ♥ WRIGHT said:

they are the hunters

Eliza jumped in her seat when the first, rather old-looking book dropped onto her pile. The solid thud made her head snap up. The librarian's face suggested he was proud of his addition and, when he nodded to it, she tilted the cover towards her. The gold-leaf words made her brow furrow and she picked the book up gently. The spine creaked pathetically as she opened it, and the pages were yellowed and musty, but she thumbed through, reading choice lines. Looking up from the faded letters, Liz watched as Mathis slid a few more on the table and she glanced up at him. "You were holding out on me," she scoffed with a smile, turning back to the first book, "This looks perfect. I hadn't even considered looking at the supernatural influence in the conquest and exploration."

Smiling, Liz picked up and glanced at the table of contents of each of the books he had offered. They seemed supplementary to the first one, but still rather good sources. She quirked an eyebrow. "You may have just saved my grade, Mr. Claes." She leaned back in the wooden chair and arched her back, stretching and invigorated once again. As she typed out the citations for the books on her bibliography, Liz shot the librarian a mischievous look. "So do you do this for all the students, or am I just a special case?" She shuffled papers out of her way and sorted them into piles of various usefulness. The yellow book now held the honorary position next to her laptop as her fingers flew across the keys. "I'm gonna have to make it up to you somehow. I'm very serious when I say you saved my grade," she continued, her tone serious even though her blue eyes were still smiling.

we are the rabbits

[MATHIS ♥ CLAES]

"You were holding out on me,"

He snorted, smirking. "I didn't think it was very useful to give you all the answers. You're in school for a reason." He told her shortly, though not unkindly. "But, seeing as I was worried you might start ripping out your hair..." He leaned back in the chair as she took charge of the books, grinning like he was in on some great big secret.

"This looks perfect. I hadn't even considered looking at the supernatural influence in the conquest and exploration."

His smile widened even more if possible, not simply because she accepted it as a good angle for an essay, but because she worded it in such a way that made him think she wasn't just dismissing it as insanity. That it was commonplace to her, as one of the unusual students herself, or as someone in on the secrets of the school, was exciting for some reason. There were so many rules around secrecy- he needed this, he needed the conspiratorial feeling of talking to someone and revealing things that shouldn't be revealed. It was so boring, so stifling to be surrounded by academics who's best years were behind them and who never stirred things up. He envied the liveliness of the students as they explored their powers and made mistakes. Still, even a tiny breakthrough satisfied him for now, but the general feeling of discomfort remained. He'd have to find other ways to enlighten himself and understand just what was getting under his skin these days.

He smiled at her gratefulness, though now he was left wondering what else to do with the day.

"So do you do this for all the students, or am I just a special case?"

He turned his attention back to her, looking smug. "Like I said, I figured I'd help you out- you deserve that much after earning the distinction of fallin asleep on your homework in a public place. Although..." He leaned his elbow on the table, tapping his fingers to his chin. "Should I really be rewarding you for leaving an essay until the last minute? Seems counterproductive of me." He laughed, shaking his head and simultaneously shaking off stupid librarian jokes. Nobody cares what you think, Mathis, he told himself rather spitefully, and returned to his placid self, sinking into the plastic chair that dug into his back, too short to be comfortable for someone above even 5'5". He sighed rather gustily, glancing around dully. Nothing really needed his immediate attention, so he could spare a little time. "So, your paper..." He nodded to the book he'd given her, hoping for an earful of a distraction.