Ever Studious

[yanagi]

Limber stared at him. For a second she didn’t know what to say to that and then a whisker waved in a slight breeze and she caught the movement out of the corner of her eye.

Ahhh. The light went on in her brain. She looked feline in this world.

Limber looked Kuro up and down, from his shiny, black shoes to his black glasses frames, he did look human. In need of a sandwich, yes but human none the less. It occurred to her that perhaps he had no idea what most humans looked like when they entered Halloween town. Given his question, that was the most obvious conclusion.

Limber pondered how to proceed. She had promised to be forthright but this was such a good opportunity to be unclear. She was sure the scholar could figure things out for himself. Limber tilted her head. No, that was cruel. She had no proof that he was of an analytical mind, only that he was interested in gaining knowledge from the written word. Often book smart meant a lack of real life skills. She could be selling the scholar short but, as she was being nice, she shouldn’t risk it.

After quite a long pause while Limber worked this out, her face turned towards Kuro as she stared at him with unfocused eyes, Limbers’ gaze cleared.

“Sir, I am human, just like you.” She put on the Sir because she wanted to see how it fit and since he used formal address with her, she felt better doing the same.

There, not a lie, but no explanation either.

This was turning into a game for her, as usual. She was just playing honestly.

She went back through her thought process. Being honest was hard. perhaps she could pare it down once she got used to it.

[oogie]

Her response certainly was unexpected. He had not anticipated such an answer. He also could not for certain ascertain the implication behind the word "sir". Had it been used as a mutually respective title, or one of sarcasm. Oh dear, had he offended her? Perhaps her claim to be human was one a confusion in semantics. Had she mistaken his question as a claim that she was not a person and thus that he considered himself to be superior?

"I'm sorry miss. I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I did not mean to imply that you were, in any way, not a person. If there was some confusion on my wording, I do apologize profusely. What I had intended to inquire about was your race. Your genetic heritage if you will."

However, if he left it at that, God only knows how it could be misconstrued.

"Not to say that I am challenging your genetics, miss. OR your heritage for that matter..."

He was blushing again. Somehow, Professor Osore had the distinct feeling that he was... what's the colloquialism? Digging his own grave.

[yanagi]

Limber listened to the man and, slowly began to grin, fireflies know how it looked on her current face.

She was paying full attention now and she noticed Kuro blush this time. She felt bad and like laughing both at the same time. She hadn’t done anything! He was doing this to himself!

She pursed her lips though it took quite a lot of effort to do so, and answered.

“I’m a Naramian,” she said stiffly, one hand over her mouth as she tried not to giggle.

“But I don’t think that is what you meant when you asked. I am normally human in appearance.”

She tried to keep a straight face and failed. “I’m sorry. You look so uncomfortable. What’s wrong?”

[oogie]

She covered her mouth. Dear lord, she'd taken offense hadn't she? Isn't that what ladies did when you embarrassed them? Cover parts of their faces with their hands?

“I’m a Naramian,” Her response was stiff, almost cold. But, had she been so offended, would she have truly answered his question? What if he was over-thinking this? But was that in her voice? Something else. Like a quiver? was she crying? Or about to cry? His eyes widened at the thought that he could have possibly made a new acquaintance- a perfectly decent young lady from what he could tell- cry.

"I... er.... you see..."

“But I don’t think that is what you meant when you asked. I am normally human in appearance."

In addition to the self-loathing he felt for making her cry (in his mind), now there was the utter confusion of her statement. She "normally" appears human? What madness is this? These Naramians... what were they? To appear huma, "most" of the time, then take on a cat-like appearance?

His mind began to race with past experiences and occultic knowledge. The memories caused him to break out into a cold sweat, his heart racing, and his face draining as his mind scoured over his past in search of an answer. He began to mutter under his breath.

"Human to cat. Cat to human. Could it all be another name? Different worlds, different languages, different names. Baast? Sekhmet? What if she's dreaming.... Ulthar?"

“I’m sorry. You look so uncomfortable. What’s wrong?”

This statement seemed to take firm hold of his mind, which was quickly sinking in a sea of anxiety, and pull it ashore. He began to calm slightly as his focus returned to the world of both the living and the (mostly) sane.

He laughed pathetically. Had she noticed him slipping? Perhaps if he pretended nothing happened...

"Oh, yes." He laughed weakly. "I'm just confused is all."

[yanagi]

Limber frowned and lowered her hand, watching this man carefully. Every time she had spoken his expression had changed, fluctuating between various levels of discomfort, possibly even panic. Limber had a feeling that what she said was not all that he heard.
She wondered if there was reason to worry, either for him or about him.

The man seemed to have calmed and laughed, though it could hardly be called a sound of joy.

“Oh, yes,” he laughed again, this attempt worse than the first. “I’m just confused is all.”

Limber straightened, her hands carefully clasped in front of her and, softly, slowly walked a few feet away and then turned so she was situated directly in front of Kuro.

She looked him in the eye, trying to judge his sanity and noticed that he did have his hair tied back. She had probably seen it before but it hadn’t registered.


“I meant that Halloween town changes the appearance of most people,” she said carefully.

“The inhabitants of Halloween town are Halloween. So are the guests. Anyone who lands on this world becomes something else. A ghost, a vampire, a cat or some unnamed thing that exists in a persons’ mind when they think of Halloween,” she said, echoing the explanation she had been given.

Limber frowned. “I don’t know why people think of such things when they think of this town.”

[oogie]

Relief washed over Kuro as her explanation put his mind at ease. He put aside all inkling to search through his mind for possible alternate explanations that could possible dig up memories best left buried. However, it also sparked a new curiosity in him. For you see, there are but four categories of information to exist in this or any other universe:

Known known- being information that you know that you know. Known unknown- information that you recognize as something you do not know. Unknown known- information that you were unaware that you knew. Finally: Unknown unknown- That which you didn't even realize that you didn't know. The latter is by far the largest category when it came to any sentient races' collection of knowledge, and Ms. Gay's explanation had just revealed a portal into a branch unknown unknown.

A world that provided its visitors with a form of camouflage. A habitat that blended with organisms rather than the other way around. It was utterly fascinating. He would have to ask the Doctor to elaborate on this phenomenon. However, there was one question he could pose to his current conversational partner.

He began to rise from his position leaning against the wall, no longer in need of its support for his formerly deteriorating mental state.

"If what you say is true... then why do I appear as I normally am? After all, I was not born here, and yet when I arrived, there was no change to my physiology."

[yanagi]

"If what you say is true... then why do I appear as I normally am? After all, I was not born here, and yet when I arrived, there was no change to my physiology."

His composure returned, the man turned to a logical branch for the conversation, given the information he had just received.

Unfortunately, Limber was growing tired of standing in the middle of the square with a strange man. He was quite nice, but this town was very friendly as she had noted multiple times before, which meant it was full of gossips.

The last thing she wanted to do was be hounded by the witches or a crone and the best defense for that was not to have the majority of the information they wanted, eye color, favorite food. Wait, his eye color was brown and his favorite, well not his favorite, but a favorite food was caramel apples. She sighed, she was already sinking in.

“I do not know why you did not change Mr.Kuro. I do not know why anyone changes into what they do. You are the scholar. You are the one teaching the children of Halloween Town. You are in a better position to know than I am.”

She glanced at Kuro’s book. “I would like to know where you got that book. Is there a library that I do not know about?”

[oogie]

Drat. A dead end on that topic. However, all was well, for the next topic tied in one to another with the former, though Ms. Gay was likely unaware of it. However, his answer would serve as the bridge.

"In a manner of speaking, there is. You see, Halloween Town has its own scientist in residence. The book I have here is one from his personal collection he had lent me. Thus far it has been of the utmost assistance in helping to explain one of many things I am not yet accustomed to. Furthermore, from the size of his collection, I'd wager there are several books in his possession that could further expand upon what I am reading here. 'Fill me in', if you will, on what it is that I do not seem to know."

He looked at her and smiled. "I'm sure that if we asked, he would allow you to borrow a few. Do you like reading, Ms. Limber?"

[yanagi]

Well, that had not worked. Kuro continued to talk, undeterred by her lack of knowledge and feigned disinterest.

Limber listened, through her dismay. Yes, she had heard about the scientist. Well, she had if it was Dr. Finkelstein he was talking about and It did make sense that such a man would have many, many books, though, the prospect of borrowing from and individual instead of a building was discomfiting.

Kuro looked at her and smiled. "I'm sure that if we asked, he would allow you to borrow a few. Do you like reading, Ms. Limber?"

Limber nodded and smiled. “Yes. I like to read when I have the time. It seems you share that interest. Perhaps you could show me where the scientist lives?”

Limber really did not want to go to Dr. Finkelstein’s house at a later date and ask to borrow any book, or even say hello, but she was back to being courteous.

[oogie]

"Perhaps at a later time. It's rather late, and I wouldn't wish to disturb him. He has a tendency to spend his nights focus on whatever project currently holds his fancy. I know the feeling when one gets that way and is disturbed."

He took another bite of his candied apple, surprised in himself that he hadn't dropped it earlier on the verge of his anxiety attack.

"The academy also has a library." He stated after swallowing, "Of course, it's closed and locked up at this time of night. Then again, as an educator, who am I to stand between someone eager to read and a place of learning?" He said with a smile, reaching into his pocket and producing a key.

He dangled it by its key ring. A silvery white key and a skull for a head and little bones for the key's teeth.

[yanagi]

She sighed. So they were not going to Dr. Finkelsteins’ house, or whoever he had been referring to.

The academy also had a library. Limber raised an eyebrow and Kuro continued. Who was he to stand between someone eager to read and a place of learning?
Kuro smiled.

U-huh. Thought Limber, surprised.

She stared at the key and the man. He seemed okay, but this went against years and years of conditioning. Did he realize how his sentence had sounded?

Limber stepped forward. “Um. You are inviting me to a deserted school building, in the middle of the night?

[oogie]

Kuro stared at her a moment, the words sinking in. Once they had done so, his eyes widened with alarm. He quickly placed the keys back in his pocket and made negation motions, waving his hands at the wrist like someone passing on offered food. His blush returned in full force.

"Nonononononono. That's not.... It's that..... what I meant was.... I'm not..... You see......"

Finally he seemed to regain some semblance of composure. He cleared his throat.

"Miss, I am an educator and a gentleman of the utmost standards. I would never make such a proposition as implied, either to a student or anyone else. I assure you, such a thing was not my intent."

[yanagi]

(Hey, How's it hangin? ;D . sorry for the wait.)
She watched surprised as he reacted, as his mind traced possible paths and settled on one, which it seemed determined to get defensive about. She’d almost forgotten that this man seemed prone to overreaction. She couldn’t imagine why she’d forgotten. It’d been only a few minutes.

He began to motion frantically in the negative and the key disappeared as if in trade for the return of his blush.

"Nonononononono. That's not.... It's that..... what I meant was.... I'm not..... You see......"

He did eventually regain his composure and explain himself.

Such a thing was not his intent? She nearly asked what he’d thought. She’d only wondered how it would look and how awkward such a situation could be since he seemed a decent fellow. That was not her primary concern, beyond the worry of being in a deserted building with anyone. Sure, a male posed a greater threat. But, still.

“Sir, you have called yourself a gentleman. Do you believe that is something you yourself can validate?” Limber tilted her head to the side. She stepped forward and if he chose not to move they would be only a few inches apart, her head tilted upward so that she could almost see his chin.

“What proposition, exactly? She said a little coldly. “I don’t remember one.”

Limber stepped back. Play nice.

“Never mind. I understand what you meant, though your train of thought went much farther than mine had.” She smiled. “I would like to see the books in the Academy library and night is a sensible time since I won’t be disturbing any classes and you’ll have free time. Do you still wish to take me?”