smash_logs | In this community, I spam words.

Entry tags:

In this community, I spam words.

Who: Ziio, Open
When: 06/13 - Evening
Where: The Academy Library - Or in that area of.
What: By way of a fated book, Ziio arrives in Smash Academy. ~~The lesson that we should all stop reading.~~
Warning: N/A

What is this.

The pointed question and the most direct one. Also the one that didn't provide an immediate answer. Naturally, the obvious answer was a sanctuary of books - a library. Not that it explained the situation any better. To go from a village in one moment to a library in another. Some would have held a vision responsible, but the imagery too vivid.

And the moment Ziio ran a forefinger over the spine of a book, it was too obviously real. So this was reality. Some sort of reality. An unexplained kind.

The lack of clarification was irritating at best. But if opening a book had been what brought her there, then it seemed logical that opening another - the right one - would take her back to Kanatahséton. Which eventually led to an ever growing pile of books that Ziio had opened and found disappointment in.

In other words, someone was going to have a lot to clean up later.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"What? No." Excuse me, woman, he ain't cleaning up after your shit. He had no involvement in Hardback Mountain over here! I mean, other than sleeping.

"You made the mess," he huffed, "so it is on you to clean it up and wake me before you do so." How entitled was he, thinking she had the responsibility to rouse him instead of leaving things in his own hands? Quite. Did he care? Not really. He didn't know this woman, after all. Why should he care?

"Also, if you need a certain subject, ask the librarian. They will guide you."

Shadow made up for it with a small, small nugget of advice. No, rather, it was just him stating the obvious in a manner most haughty before nuzzling his cheek into one of Michael Connelly's best sellers. (He never heard of the man, but he did commend his books for having nice, soft covers, I guess.)

There were two options, both of which Ziio quietly entertained. One being that she'd let Shadow fall asleep and then leave anyway, because she wasn't the sort of person to take orders like that. Or she could simply do her part and put the books back - which she'd had plans to do at some point - and not say anything, so he could be in for a rude awakening.

"I'll not stay here much longer," she did clarify for him. "You have a little time."

To nap, seemed to be the implication, though she couldn't find that a pile of books would be particularly comfortable - and that was coming from a woman who slept in the wilderness. Well, as wilderness as the tent-like structure back in the village was.

"I will wake you before I intend to depart," she finally decided. While it wasn't said to make a good first impression on him, Ziio had not forgotten her honour either. It couldn't hurt to not make enemies within the first few hours she had come to this strange place of talking animals.

"Good choice." He certainly wasn't biased, nope. No implication of bias here, miss Iroquois tribe Kenway. That would be silly.

As long as she was willing to adhere, he couldn't terribly mind keeping on her good side. He would grab her the book she sought very quick, receive gratitude, and gain another ally. Yes, that would do, but what exactly was she looking for? Romance, drama, sci-fi?

Shadow stared, trying to read her like the books around them.

"Which book do you seek?" He'd get it for her. Certainly.

Which book. A good question because she wasn't sure.

For many moments, she eyed the books in front of her. Spines and spines, and more spines that probably were all fruitless attempts on her part. But trying and not succeeding was better than not trying at all, right? What else was she really going to do just yet?

"I'm not sure," she admitted, in an absent sort of fashion. Because she was still thinking. About what she'd left behind. About her son. About the rest of the village. "A book with the ability to return me to my village." That was a better explanation.

Sort of.

"A book... to return you to your village."

Oh, no. Had she been brought here by book? He certainly never found any books that took him to another world, but he'd heard of cases of the Headmaster bringing them in via unorthodox transportation. That meant this woman, Kaniehtí:io...

She was stuck.

"I doubt that exists here," Shadow told her, his expression grim. "The Headmaster must have brought you here for some purpose. If you wish to leave, you may have to consult with him... but I cannot promise anything."

After all, there were many people here who wanted to be out, but couldn't be out.

When she heard him, she didn't seem surprised. Logic didn't necessarily always pan out. Looking over to the hedgehog, she eyed him for a few moments and nodded slowly. Then as if that settled things for her, she reached for a smaller pile of books - ones he wasn't using as his personal bed - and began to replace them.

Although to claim she was putting them back in the order they were in originally would have been inaccurate. She'd not paid such close attention to how they were arranged to begin with.

"The Headmaster then," Ziio replied. "It seems I have little choice, if he's responsible, as you suggest." Implying there really was more than she understood.

Could it truly be that she had been brought for a reason? It seemed as if anyone could tell her, it'd be the man Shadow spoke of.

"It would be your best bet, but do not be surprised if he refuses to help," Shadow warned her, glancing down at the nice little pile she'd built. Maybe he could just... use a table or a chair. These could stand to be put up if she was going to begin. In fact, yes, that was exactly what he'd do, and with a careful slide downward and a full tumbling books, he was back on the ground.

"He tends to 'kidnap' and keep people at this school," he explained. His hands were already hard at work shuffling through a few of the books, stacking them in a very organized manner before lifting them. "His public relations methods are... flawed, to say the least."

Flawed? More like completely fucked up, he mused. There was nothing right about what he did, although he had to admit that it saved him from certain death.

It was after he moved that she had begun to pick up the pile he'd once inhabited. His words were not lost on her ears. She just hadn't figured out what to say just yet in reply. A man of authority who kidnapped and held people hostage.

A slaver. Like Silas Thatcher, then. Or something similar to. This Shadow creature, didn't appear to be a slave. Didn't look like one - not that she'd known any other than her people. Might have acted like one. Perhaps. Her own potential slavery had left her with very few words, even to the point where Haytham freed her.

"I see," she finally replied. When she watched the way he lifted a stack of books, she reached over to take them from him with an acknowledged nod of... gratitude, it seemed. "He'll be difficult to see then." At least so it appeared. "I'll find a way."

Said with conviction, as if things couldn't possibly go any other way.

"May luck be on your side. You will need it."

Ominous as it was, it was the sad reality. Kaniehtí:io, she may never be able to see her village, her tribe, or her family, never again. It was really jarring, Shadow was sure, but he couldn't quite empathize. When he'd been taken, after all, he no longer had a family or anyone related to leave behind. He was all alone. She wasn't.

He could, however, relate to the concept of never being able to see a loved one again due to someone else's actions.

Disgusting.

"I... will help you," he suddenly told her, handing her his hunk of tomes, "but even I may not be able to reach him. If I do, you will be informed. Besides..."

Was that a small smirk on his face?

"You were already willing to do me a favor yourself." He thus saw no harm in returning the gesture, albeit over something vastly different.

She didn't say anything immediately. But then she had faith in herself and when Ziio wanted something, Ziio got something. Even when she had to do it herself. Especially when she had to do it herself. Having a direct hand in how things were done often resulted in some form of success. Her methods had proven effective time and time again.

When he continued while offering her his own assistance, she eyed him with a bit of an odd look, wondering if she looked as if she needed help. But after a moment's consideration, she assumed he was doing it without ulterior motives.

"If we can mutually benefit one another, then it's good," Ziio agreed. She gave him a nod and replaced some more books. For it seemed they'd found a good system - bartering and alliance. And she could appreciate that.

Honestly, Shadow hardly care whether or not it seemed like someone needed help. He did anyway if he saw it fit, and in this case, it was a matter of common courtesy and exchanging favors. Not only that, but unlike the time period from whence she came suggested, Shadow also couldn't find any reason to treat her differently because of her gender. She didn't seem to be a demure, weak woman, not by any means. She seemed strong, hardened by years of the wilderness and other mysteries he couldn't be graced with.

Ziio was a powerful presence. He definitely noted that.

"I see no reason why we would not," he informed her, "for we both seem to have our... talents." Was that a compliment? It might have been, however short and cryptic it might have been. He then lifted himself via his hover shoes, remaining stationary in the air as he replaced book after book in their proper places.

What did she really think of Shadow? She didn't necessarily trust him. But she also wasn't hostile. Wary seemed more like the way to say it. Suspicious. Well guarded. As if she was an impenetrable fortress that not even the most powerful of canons could breach. Yet that was melodramatic and realistically unlikely, but confidence was important.

For if she had a crack in her armour, someone would use it to their advantage and she could not allow that to happen.

"Talents," she repeated as she looked over to him and simply watched. Her gaze moved onto his boots, was less than surprised at the very notion that it was yet one more thing foreign to her. But she still found herself wondering what it was he used, where he'd come from, how he even came to be.

Attention on her books, she found herself pausing, "You do not have to do that." As if to imply she could do so herself.

"I would rather," he told her, but perhaps not for the expected reason he would do so. "If we both work, it will be done faster. It will spare you the librarian's contempt."

Granted, he wasn't very sure how Vianca was. She seemed distant, mellow, and somber, but that could easily turn into something more vicious. He knew this well, being that he was quite similar, from what little he'd gathered of her. Beneath that collected exterior could be a ferocious catastrophe waiting to happen, and needless to say, he never cared to incur her wrath to see if that was true. Shadow had better things to do with his time.

Figuring out what to do about Ziio felt like one of those better things.

"If you cannot make it home, what do you intend to do?" He knew all too well that the chance of her leaving was slim, after all. He wanted to see if she'd be prepared for the worst.

"I will do what I must."

It was a rather simple and straight forward reply. She seemed unmoved by the sentiment, about as unmoved as she appeared to be regarding most things. But by nature she was a mostly calm and rational nature. Nothing could be accomplished by being too brash unless the moment called for it. And perhaps to some degree, Ziio was too collected about situations most people would handle poorly.

What was really going through her mind?

"There would be little point in losing my head otherwise," she continued. And she didn't say it, but she knew she wouldn't surrender easily. Surrender wasn't necessarily in her vocabulary and if she had to go down, she was going to do so fighting.

"Good," Shadow admitted, replacing just a few more books from the pile before considering his half of the job duly completed. He dropped down to his feet once more, having hovered all the way to one of the top shelves prior. "That adaptive behavior will get you far. Many... are not like that. Those are the ones who have trouble here."

He eyed her, looking thoroughly impressed. He liked this woman, no lie. She was a far stronger force than many of the stray newcomers he'd come across as of late. It was a breath of fresh air to have someone controlled and headstrong in the midst as opposed to a flipped mind howling, "Where am I?!" Granted, she did create an insane mess trying to get back home, but it wasn't the craziest he'd seen. Given what had happened, her logic also made sense.

This woman knew how to take what she had and work with it.

"If you have questions, I will be able to answer them. This world is... likely very different from your own." That was probably being lenient, frankly. Oh well.

"So it would seem."

Another very succinct thing to say. But considering what she'd been faced with only a few minutes after her arrival - Shadow - there was no way to dispute anything he was about to say. If he was giving her a forewarning, then there was likely a good reason for it. He wasn't simply saying it to say it. He said it with a reason in mind.

In this case, it seemed to be in assisting her. Not that she would have said she needed any assistance. Even if she did, most of the time, she wanted to avoid having to admit to it.

"I'll keep that in consideration, Shadow. If I need anything, I'll make mention of it." But she preferred to make her own way, and she got the distinct impression that not only would Shadow understand it, but he'd also respect it.

"Of course."

He knew that feeling. He never reached out, not unless he was in very dire straits, and that in itself was a rarity. Seeking the aid of others was a last resort method, and he doubted he was the only one to employ it at such a low rate.

He had no more to do, however. All Shadow wanted now was sweet, sweet bliss. Sleep. He wanted to sleep.

"Now, if you will excuse me," he told her politely (!), edging himself towards the nearest chair and curling up right in its center. "I need to return to my nap."

She watched him move, even in between replacing the last of the books. Then she gave him a very slow nod, still trying to formulate an idea of what her first plan of action should have been. He'd given her a lot to think about, but it seemed she had a lot of time to consider it.

Could things have been worse? Probably.

"I understand," Ziio replied to him with a nod.

She didn't, really. Not fully. But who was she to really stop him? As long as he didn't get in her way, she didn't particularly care. And she highly doubted he was going to be doing anything to impede her progress.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

In this community, I spam words.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT.

master hand master hand can i have a raise

no subject