♥ gemstone library

[daisy]

'what is the use of a book', thought alice, 'without pictures or conversations?'

An old, stately building, tucked away in a corner of Iwagakure. The Gemstone Library has existed for many, many years, but has only recently been restored and opened to the public. Due to the rather trying times of the last few decades or so, many of the texts are missing, or have been burned or stolen, by different factions. However, the serenity of the place, and the culture and information to be found within its walls remain intact.

Under the large, sweeping domed roof are endless rows of bookshelves, perhaps rather haphazardly categorised by the rather eccentric librarians. Tables, desks and armchairs, there's plenty of opportunity to take a break and curl up with a good book, or to spread out your texts and get your research on. Lit by lamps here and there, and the classical windows, the library is far from the musty, dim building it used to be.

A perfect place to study, books can be found on many different subjects, whether it's history one is interested in, or the shinobi arts, there is something for all. Indeed, not all the books are musty tomes written by those long dead, the Tsuchikage is looking for submissions of all kinds from both her people, and those outwith the village. Personal accounts, whimsical tales, and training methods or skills, the variety of such pieces is large.

Library Staff ;

?

[daisy]

the writings

A variety collection of accounts, stories and guides, submitted by people of importance, and the general public. Curl up with a good book, and you might just learn something.

SPOILER: Click to show

The Sun Is a Cruel Mistress.

One of the more famous folk-tales in Sunagakure lore. The plot of the story centered on the history of the sun and the moon, and it was essentially a metaphor for how humanity's greed could have unexpected consequences. The story went that the sun and the moon were actually spirits, as well as twin-sisters, who walked the Earth in ancient times, when man was more in-touch with Heaven's creatures. The two sisters were both deeply infatuated with one man who happened to live where present day Sunagakure is located. The man was infatuated with them both as well, but despite his love he was also fickle, for he could never bring himself to definitively choose one of the spirits over the other; they both possessed traits that he didn't like. The Sun-Spirit had a fiery, aggressive personality - and she would often get rowdy and start loud arguments with the man. The Moon-Spirit was more cool-headed than her twin-sister, but she was also passive-aggressive and very sensitive, and would often act coldly toward the man when offended. The man quickly grew tired of dealing with the sisters' personalities, and so he would spend his time with one of the sisters for as long as he could stand, and then once she was asleep, he would leave and spend time with the other.

This cycle continued for a time until one day, by chance, the Moon-Spirit awakened earlier than usual to find the man with her sister. Incensed, the sisters bickered with each other ferociously for three days and nights, until finally they decided to settle the matter by forcing the man to choose one of them once and for all. The man refused, claiming that he loved them both too much to give either one up. Now even more enraged, the sisters declared that neither of them would leave his presence until he'd made a decision.

Days went by, as both the Sun-Spirit and the Moon-Spirit stood resolute before the man their choler never simmering for a moment, until finally the fourth day arrived, at which point the man exclaimed that while he claimed to love both of them too much to make a decision, the reality was that he actually didn’t love either Spirit enough to settle with only one. The revelation broke both sisters' hearts, and in a wailing fit of despair, they flew off into the heavens.

The Moon-Spirit and the Sun-Spirit’s hearts healed eventually, but their resentment towards the man’s betrayal did not. And so to taunt him the twins appeared in the sky every day, the Sun-Spirit in the day and the Moon-Spirit at night, hovering just out of reach of the man's grasp, to show him what he could have had. That is why every day the sun rises at dawn and drops in the evening to be replaced by the moon, and that is why it is always blazingly hot in the day and bone-chillingly cold at night in the Land of Wind.

by exar

SPOILER: Click to show

THE LEGEND OF

THE MASQUERADE

Written by "Estilo".

There once lived, during times of peace and tranquility in the shinobi world, a family of nobles that prided themselves on bearing the most beautiful women in the world. It was said that these women were conceived with the brightest of stars in their eyes, granted to them through their high-born heritage. They had sunlight in their hair, hair as dark as raven feathers, hair as rosy pink as a sunset. Their bodies were shapely and elegant, their voices as sweet as honey. And the men of this noble clan protected them all dearly. So, as it was custom back in that era, they would host a yearly ball to find and meet suitors worthy of marrying one of their daughters. And, not surprisingly so, men from every corner of the world would flock to the illustrious occasion.

One of these men just so happened to be one of our very own Kumogakure no Sato shinobi. He was a soldier, looking for a love he had lost long ago, and hoping to see whether the hype of the yearly ball was genuine or not. So he traveled across mountain ranges and through dark forests, crossing into the land of rain, until final reaching the manor in which the ball was being hosted. With the ball only a day away, he sought shelter from the land of rain's near-constant storms in the inn of a nearby village. He was greeted by the innkeeper, and invited to dinner with the man's wife.

"The ball?!" The man exclaimed, having a good laugh with his wife after learning of the shinobi's purpose there. "Why, good sir, only the noblest of blood and kind attend such a prestigious event! You, in such damp clothing and loss of wealth, have surely not been invited! Tell me, why do you even attempt such a feat?"

"I seek a wife." The shinobi answered, knowing all of the things the man had said to be true. "And I have been told that the daughters of this noble family are the most beautiful to behold in the entire region. I cannot leave until I have at least affirmed this to be true."

The innkeeper shook his head with doubt. "Why, I had once sought to marry one of their daughters as well. When I had been young, and an heir to my father's mercantile riches. But I learned then that the beauty of women should not come from outward appearance alone, but from the grace of their hearts, as well. Thusly, I abandoned that goal, and found myself happily married to my wife shortly thereafter. So I ask, is this purpose of yours truly required?"

The shinobi, resolute in his decision, nodded. "I agree with you, innkeeper. The beauty of their heart is what shines most brightly. But, in my search, I cannot leave any stone unturned. I am a man who likes to leave no regrets in my wake. And I strive to never do so. So, heed my words when I tell you that I will attend the ball."

Seeing the moxie in the shinobi's eyes, the innkeeper was then rid of all his doubt. But his interest only doubled then. "But sir! Without proper attire, or wealth, or prestige, how will you ever attend?"

And so, with a wily smirk played across his lips, the shinobi explained. And, the next day, his set his scheme into motion.

The next night hosted the magnificent masquerade ball, and a thousand nobles of a thousand different countries were said to have attended. They came in carriages led by the finest horses, carriages led by tamed wolves, and elegant swans, and endearing deer. And they wore suits made of the finest materials in the known world, prancing about with elated smiles upon their faces, bearing gifts for their noble hosts and their precious daughters. And guards stood at the attention at all the corners of the manor, there to serve.

The shinobi, realizing that he only had a certain period of time before his ruse fell apart, took upon the disguise of one of the attendants. Using a transformation technique, he copied the style of a man who flaunted a black suit, bearing flared white cuffs at his wrists, and a masquerade mask that covered only the right side of his face. Knowing he would need much more than this ploy to gain entry into the ball, he moved on to adopting the persona he intended to take. Then summoned a massive crow that would serve as his "steed". Ready, he would approach the manor entrance.

The entire troop of guards at the front entrance gazed in awe as the massive crow descended from the sky, and as its master walked down the black wing it had extended upon landing. "Halt!" The doorman would say. "Who art thou? And from where do you hail?"

"Why, good sir," The disguised shinobi would reply, bowing politely. "I am Baron Prometheus, and I hail from the land of the Corsair. My beloved Overlord, regrettably, could not make it to this occasion. I am, therefore, serving as his trusted envoy."

"Do you possess an invitation, traveler?"

"I am afraid not, you see, the rain within your country has managed to deprive me of the token. And I cannot stress how grieved I was at losing it. But heed my words, should I not attend this ball, my Overlord would be very cross. With the both of us. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying he would be disrespected! Enough to wage war with your dear masters. Now, I am certain we'd like to avoid that?"

Alas, the shinobi- or rather, his disguise- was allowed into the masquerade ball. It was a festivity unlike any other. The ceilings were adorned with diamond-encrusted chandeliers, each possessing enough wealth to feed an entire village population for years. Exotic and luxurious foods and wines were passed around on trays by poised waiters. Music filled the massive ballroom within with soothing, and refined, tones. And, as the rumors had suggested, the entire event was graced with the presence of the most stunning league of women the shinobi had ever laid his eyes on.

He was astonished by the sheer beauty of it all, before coming to his senses, and entering the crowds of nobles and aristocrats filling the manor. He approached and talked to many of the women within the celebration, conversing and hoping to beguile them into a dance or two. But, after a while of being charming and suave, he found that none of the women he had met so far ended up meeting with his expectations. As the innkeeper had hinted at, they were beautiful on the outside, but unlikable where it counted most.

They were selfish and vain creatures, more interested in prestige and wealth, than connecting with any other human being on an emotional level. As the clock neared midnight, the shinobi would find himself growing tired of his search here. He had completed what he had promised the innkeeper he would do, and was just about ready to leave, looking for other stones to have unturned.

But then, he found her.

She was leaning over the railing of a long staircase, watching the event with nonchalant eyes, hidden behind a glittering blue masquerade mask that covered the top-half of her countenance. Her hair was long and wavy, carrying the bright yellow hue of the healthiest of sunflowers. Her eyes shared the same hue of color, golden gems contrasted against the creamy complexion of her skin. Her hourglass frame, garbed by a stunning black dress, existed as a testament to her still youthful beauty. The shinobi was in awe.

Baffled as to why she was alone, he approached the maiden, and gently tapped on her bare shoulder with a gloved hand. "M'lady," He began, as she turned to see him over her shoulder. "Why are you alone, on a night such as this? With a beauty, such as yours?"

A slight frown betrayed the sense of sorrow she suddenly felt. "I am the youngest of daughters here," She answered. "And this is my first year attending this magnificent ball my family has hosted for generations. But my fate has already been sealed. For no man, in his right mind, would want to marry a girl such as me."

"B-But why?" The shinobi asked, completely confused.

"I am cursed." She responded in a murmur. "I was born with eyes that can see through the veil of any ploy, and act on their own whim. It is said that, should I be paired with a suitor that does not bear true love for me, they will be incinerated into a mere pile ashes. Since the day the seer proclaimed this curse to be true, my fate has been sealed. And I will never find a husband."

The shinobi was astounded to hear of such a thing. A curse? He was having trouble believing it, but was convinced of the sincerity in the maiden's words. She was telling the truth, and the sadness in her eyes did not lie. This curse was a blight on her life, and on her happiness, and he felt as though he would do anything- or go anywhere- in the world to make her happy. So he extended a single hand, and gave her his brightest smile. "Let's give me a try, hm?"

Her mouth shaped into an astonished 'O'. "But s-sir! Did you not hear of what I had just said? Your life is in danger with me! You could-" But she didn't finish her sentence before being pulled away, down the stair case, and at the center of the ballroom.

They danced, they talked, and they laughed. It would not take long before the shinobi realized that she was the one he had been looking for all along. She was different than the rest of her relatives, and she possessed a beauty within that swayed his heart in ways he never could have imagined. But, at the end of things, he knew all too well that his heart belonged to another. "I met a girl in these very lands, a long time ago." He confessed, as they slowly danced. "I loved her with the entirety of my heart. When I lost her, my heart was lost with her. And I am sorry, m'lady, but I don't think I can bring myself to truly love another ever again."

The young maiden, having completely enjoyed the night he had spent with her up until then- despite her dangerous condition- was crestfallen to hear this. She stopped their dancing, a single tear streaming down her cheek. She, too, had fallen in love long ago. And, having seen this one night as a chance to reacquire happiness in her life once more, she found that the disguised shinobi's most recent confession had shattered her hope. She would live on, pursuing her own dreams, achieving her own goals... but she would never find a life partner to share her life with.

Suddenly, and without warning, she raised her head. As if controlled by some malevolent demon, her eyes opened wildly, and pupils that had once gleamed yellow suddenly swirled into a crimson shade of red. This was the evolved doujutsu of the Uchiha! And it had activated, pointing its sights directly at the shinobi. "Run!" The girl pleaded, bursting in tears as her eyes remained forcefully open. "My eyes... they'll incinerate you! Please!"

But the shinobi, he remained steadfast in place. There was a look of curiosity upon his face, intrigue, as he stared into her eyes and narrowed his own. Tentatively raising a hand, as the golden-haired maiden's sharingan eyes began to spin, he removed her masquerade mask. His eyes grew wide with astonishment, he dropped her masquerade mask on the floor, and then- he laughed.

The maiden, she didn't understand! Was this amusing to him? Was he prepared to die because of her curse? She stood there, completely baffled, as a crowd of nobles started to form around them, curious as to what all the ruckus was about. Then, she gasped. The disguised shinobi had enveloped her into a passionate kiss and, as she closed her eyes, savoring the precious moment- she could feel the intensity in her sockets begin to fade away. They parted, long enough to gaze into each other's eyes. "But... you said you could never learn to love another." She whispered.

The man smiled, as though he knew a secret that no one else knew. And, when the clock finally struck twelve, his disguise dissipated. He reverted back into his original, and true form, and it was only then that the maiden understood. She burst into tears again... only this time, they were filled with the utmost joy. And as they kissed once more, a flock of ravens materializing around them as the shinobi willed them away, they knew that all in the world was right once more. Two long-lost lovers reunited. Happily ever after.

THE END

by estilo

[daisy]

SPOILER: Click to show

name: paperwork!
rank: d
description: get that paperwork done. you know miss rosa has no idea how to fill it in. i'm talking to you, tsuchikage. you can't just ignore it forever.
objective: finish the village paperwork! (yawn!)
client: village elder yubaba
reward: 25 exp, 0 ryo

I was muttering to myself, trying to keep papers from sailing out of my overstuffed handbag as i teetered through the doors of the library. I hadn't been here since its renovations, and figured if i had to do some actual paperwork, i may as well make use of the building. If nothing else, the peace and quiet might actually prompt me to achieve something. I wasn't optimistic. Drifting haphazardly past bookshelves and tables, losing a great amount of forms and memos along the way, i settled into a comfortable armchair, with a desk nearby. Tossing my bag atop it, i proceeded to shuffle my chair closer, eliciting great screeching noises as i badly damaged the tiling beneath me.

Sticking my tongue out at a passing librarian who had the nerve to 'shh' me, i began to empty my handbag's contents over the desk, scattering papers and cosmetics, and the odd ninja tool. There was just so much! Reports, missives, forms, things needing my approval, people requesting compensation, things i merely had to sign to prove i'd read... What nonsense. I ran the village just fine, why on earth did i need to sign a piece of paper to confirm it? I wasn't really a fan of organisation, so i quickly decided on a system where i'd just look at the piece of paper in front of me, then put it back in my handbag when i'd finished with it. And with that, i brushed a few senbon off the desk, and pulled the first sheet towards me.

A report from the time of Anenome. It seemed she was Tsuchikage when i was absent. An account of her death? This would make interesting reading. It seemed she had set out to meet a member of her clan, unaccompanied, and had been ambushed. It had happened without our very land of earth. So brazen the attackers must have been! Their village or loyalties weren't recorded here, but the battle was quite detailed. I wasn't sure how i felt about her death. For one, although i did recall her as a genin from my first reign, i didn't know the woman at all, nor what she did for the village during my absence. Of course there were feelings of contempt, of disbelief that the attack occurred here in our lands, and that she was felled like that.

But then again, perhaps she'd deemed it a safe enough trip, and hadn't taken precautions. I'd wandered out into our lands plenty of times, just the same. It was an unsettling thought, that such an ambush could happen on one's doorstep. I read the remainder of the text, before scrawling a signature on the bottom. I supposed the acting leader after her hadn't bothered. It didn't seem my place to have to sign such a thing, but i supposed it was worth knowing, after all. I stuffed the paper in my handbag, and reluctantly pulled another towards me. Just how long would i have to stay here?

[daisy]

It was strange the amount of history i was expected to read today. Naturally, the past of Iwagakure was something i certainly should be privy to, but i had expected more forms and checklists, rather than accounts and reports. Regardless, i enjoyed reading these kind of texts far more than i did filling in mundane details, so it wasn't a complaint. Perhaps Yubaba was trying to tell me something, sneaking history books onto Rosa's desk when she wasn't looking. The papers i'd drawn towards me were more of a novel than a report, and apparently covered the entirety of the attack on Bakudon Gai.

I was reluctant to read it, as of course, i was there, and knew anything i hadn't seen personally from accounts and my subordinate. But after my talk with Kouketsu's son, i felt it necessary to look over, at least briefly. He'd certainly got me thinking, not only about the attack, and his father, but about the Shodaime. I supposed i'd never known much about him, and the claims that he had sided with the Mist demon, and indeed, aided in his conquests, were unsettling to say the least. I wasn't convinced, though. I didn't know enough either way.

The account was of the battle between the Shodaime, Ue, and Kouketsu, the leader of the invading forces. I often regretted not pushing further into the fray, if only to view such a titanous clash with my own eyes. It spoke of their impressive jutsu and fighting skills, and the rather infamous bear summonings they could both perform. I paused. Could that be a testament to their friendship? Perhaps they really had been close. There was no way the battle could've been staged, now could it? With the Shodaime disappearing afterwards, and Kouketsu continuing on his rampage... Was Ue at his side from Bakudon Gai onwards? The more i read, and the more i thought about it, the more possible it seemed.

[daisy]

There was more of course. More reports of the destruction, of the evacuations and the makeshift clinics and shelters. I hadn't helped in any of it. After my own particular battle, i'd stormed off, furious and helpless. Not my proudest moment, to be sure, but i'd fought. Unlike the Niidaime, i'd fought. I often wondered about his situation, then. Even though no longer Tsuchikage, Ue had stepped forwards and fought to defend the capital, but our kage at the time, hadn't. I didn't judge him for it. Unlike many shinobi, the ideals of duty didn't particularly stick with me. It was more curiosity than disdain that brought his absence to my mind.

Regardless, there was some information in here that proved unheard. Soratsu Uchiha? He'd been Kouketsu's right hand man, if i recalled my conversation with Ashura. I supposed, unlike Kouketsu, who had vanished after cutting his bloody swathe, Soratsu had simply gone home. If what i'd learned was true, about the woman the boy had spoken to, the Uchiha had gotten married. There was something distasteful about it all though. Murder a great many people, then go home and marry your sweetheart. Did they buy a little cottage? Have children? I did so wonder how these people thought. How they operated. I wasn't sure if i could live quite happily after such acts. But perhaps if they'd been for my own personal gain...

I turned the page. Another unknown face, the Mizukage of the time. A woman. Although i supposed, there was nothing shocking of her presence, i felt almost... disappointed. After meeting the Mizukage at the exams, i'd subconsciously stopped associating the village of Mist with Kouketsu. As if he were some rebel, some tearaway, acting without the backing or authority of his hidden village. Yet, of course, i'd been wrong. Her presence meant that indeed, the entirety of Mist was behind the warring. But such was history. Could Ue have fought them all? Kouketsu, Soratsu, the Mizukage? Surely not alone? He could've been coerced, been forced to join them. Threatened with the lives of his countrymen. I may never know.

[daisy]

The return to forms was almost a relief. At least my brain didn't go into overdrive considering possibilities when i was checking boxes. The form was one for missing ninja, the typical report after a shinobi hadn't checked in for a considerable length of time. The culprit of this one was... I gasped. It was him. There was a picture. I steeled myself. So much time had passed with me forcing thoughts of him from my mind. This was simply paperwork. Last known location, Tsuchi no kuni. Nuke status; 'highly dangerous'. I stifled a giggle. He would've enjoyed that. I wondered then, why hadn't i ever sent anyone to find him? Officially, he was a missing shinobi of Iwa. I was well within my right to track him down. But i hadn't. I probably never would.

It wasn't as if he was a danger to us. If anything, Iwa was the last place he'd want to get near to. I retrieved my lighter from my handbag, and sparked a flame. No, there didn't need to be documentation on you. It wasn't the village's business where you were. It wasn't my business, not anymore. I touched the flame to the paper, and watched it creep upwards, coating my hand with gold and watching the flames eat away your face. I never had gotten into the 'burning your possessions' idea, although i'd heard it was quite popular among the teenage kunoichi of the village. I still had your old machete, you know. Quite dull by now. You wouldn't be inflicting any damage with it anymore. Not on me.

As ashes scattered my haphazard collection of paperwork, i brushed them gently from the desk, memories of you as charred and indecipherable as the grey dust now littering the library floor. I had handled that quite well. Perhaps, with so many years, and my day to day life, it had become something quite apart from reality. A dream, that i'd long ago woken up from. Either way, i was quite busy enough without dealing with such things. I moved on to the next paper.


Where were you now? At that time, i'd never have dreamed you'd come back.

[daisy]

The next account was one history i was far less familiar with. I think i'd been outside the village at the time, with you-know-who, on one of our rather unorthodox adventures. Indeed, it seemed to have occurred around about the time we were in cloud, having our illicit, and ultimately, unimportant, deals with the Raikage at the time. It was a conflict at the very gates of the village, which i couldn't remember being attacked in all these long years. Apparently, however, Kumogakure had attempted it. The culprits weren't named, nor were those who specifically defended the gates, but it appeared we had driven them off quite decisively.

I was curious now! Just who had protected Iwa at that time? Was it a direct attack from Kumo, or just a few shinobi taking matters into their own hands? Certainly, there were no ill relations recorded with Kumogakure, so if the attack had been authorised by the Raikage, it had been well concealed. I was disappointed there were no names. This was the sad part about historic accounts, there were rarely details left to follow up on. Any intrigue battles held in the past is long faded, as people disappear or move on. It was an ultimately uplifting account though. We'd won, we'd defended our home. Whoever it was who'd taken a stand against the invaders, they'd done their job well.

Whether i could call them invaders or not was uncertain, as their numbers were equally ill noted. But still. One of the few moments past where Iwa had held their own, and come out on top. Not that we were weak, just that we'd been involved in very few official conflicts. Of course, there was always fighting. He and I had gotten into our fair share of skirmishes, due to our independent actions. But i couldn't remember the last time that Iwa, as a village, entered into battle. There had been those few, shadowy months of the Niidaime's reign, but against other denizens of earth, such fighting hardly counted.

[Mitternacht]

Following his...brief excursion yesterday with two Iwagakure shinobi, Kureno once again entered the village. He had enough cash to get himself a decent in for the night, meaning a warm bath, a hot meal, and a soft bed. That was a welcome change from bedrolls or trees or dirt that he often slept in, when just traveling the countries. When he was in major towns, he took the luxury of getting a nice room. So, he had a pretty good sleep and woke up alive and regenerated. He ate a filling breakfast, and began to explore the city. He hadn't been in Iwa in...well, in two wars. Two wars, he realized, he knew very very little about.

"Well that's a problem." He thought to himself whilst sitting on a bench under a tree for a quick rest. He looked around himself, and saw a massive earthen building. It was rather old, which is one reason it caught his attention. Then he noticed the sign in front of it.

Gemstone Library - Open to the Public

Within seconds he was in it, the stone interior extremely cool as compared to the unrelenting sun outside. It was very quiet- he didn't see anyone and didn't really know what to do, but there were books! So many books, books everywhere! He scanned the shelves, but didn't even know where to start to find what he needed. He called out loudly, his voice echoing through the massive structure.

"Is anyone here?"

[spade]

It was the beginning of a beautiful day, the sun shining in through the multiple windows surrounding the inside of my house. Ready to start the day I left my house feeling way better than yesterday, the long sleep that I had that felt like days energized my body; still feeling the pain from the bruises that were all over my body. Treading through the lively village I was making my way over towards the new Gemstone Library that opened up a week or so ago. The conversation that I had with Max yesterday compelled me to go and research more information about the events that transpired years before my birth.

The enormous structure wasn't far from where I lived, I arrived at the library in a few minutes. Pushing through the doors I peaked inside absorbing the smell of the new place while my head frantically looked around like a animal running out of the forest into the city. I was here to research about the past wars that happened in my village or even included my village at all. The first person that I noticed unfortunately was the man from the other day, I vaguely remembered his name and to the best of my ability I managed to recall his entire name: Kekkai Kureno.

I began walking towards him cautiously, the last time we met he didn't seem threatening so I didn't know what to think. "My, my. You staying in Iwagakure for vacation or something? Never thought a tourist would want to visit a library instead of the more viral spots." I cooed moving closer to the red haired individual, five meters separated the two of us while I awaited his response.

[Mitternacht]

""My, my. You staying in Iwagakure for vacation or something? Never thought a tourist would want to visit a library instead of the more viral spots.""

I spun on my heel to face the newcomer, recognizing his voice oddly. When I sighted the tall blue haired man, I smiled a bit. It was the same guy as yesterday, at the field. The one who was sparring the other, then left without really talking to me. He seemed to have the same idea- he wanted to delve into the past as I was planning on doing. I wondered, though, if he was interested in perhaps studying together? Two minds were better than one, generally, so I would gladly team up with another to learn more. History had recently been exciting me a lot. That was one of the reasons I came to Iwagakure was simply to research it and it's history for my own personal means. I chuckled at what the guy spoke, and cheerfully gave my retort.

"Eh, I guess I'm a different then most tourists. The brief conversation yesterday compelled me to look more into some history. Care to join me, Mr. ...?"

[spade]

[style=width: 350px; font-family: times ; font-size: 13px; padding: 5px; text-align: justify;][style=float: right; margin-left: 8px;][/style]

I noticed something different about the man that stood before me, his hair was a lot shorter than before. "You cut your hair? Looks a lot shorter." I muttered to him, before turning towards the bookshelf that was behind me. I began searching for something that would inform me of what happened in the previous wars; it was to no avail as I kept searching and came up short each time. "Mind helping me here?" I cooed to the orange haired man as I kept looking in different sections of the library that was around me.

To think this could have been way easier if there was someone working in the library today, however... that wasn't the case today as the librarian was gone and no where to be find. "I'm trying to find something about the wars that went on before I was brought to this world... the conversation I had the other day really made me insist to come here and look around but so far nothing." How hard was it to find a book about something that was famous in its own right.

[Leonov]

"Motherfucker! This is a library, can't you two fucking keep it down?" The angry voice of the blonde traveled the library as he stood up, pushing the books on seal-crafting aside, and looked around for the source of the two voices that kept disturbing the studies of the Sansutsomu. Hastily, Maximilian walked over to where the sounds were coming from, and rounded a bookcase.

"Motherfu-" Maximilian was about to utter out another curse, but then immediately recognized the faces of the two who were talking. Then again, he should have recognized their tones from his table, but he had concentrated on the books to the point where he had lost touch with everything that was going on around him.

Max blinked a few times, stammered a few syllables, before regaining himself. "Oh. You two. Well shit." He forgot his anger in a second, and shrugged, approaching the two. He gave Jin a curt nod, but then turned his head to the newcomer, the refugee. With a respectful tilt of the head, he turned his head back to Jin, and laughed. "Fuck you two doing here? I didn't know you can even read."

Light teasing aside, Maximilian crossed his arms across his chest. His mind drifted back to the texts he was reading. The history of seals and how to use them. Seemed an interesting concept, but one that the blonde would have to look into heavily to be able to do. A lot of time and effort, but that topic was probably for another time if these two guys were here.

[Sharkk]

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His eyes were slightly bloodshot, when was the last time he had gotten a bit of rest? Did it really matter? Glancing from the computer screen before him, he'd take in the sight of the table that was before him, it's length was covered held the computer, and books that stacked higher than his height while sitting down. Some were open, half read, others were fully read, but the majority hadn't even been touched since he had placed them down. His gaze back upon the monitor he began to click away madly at various things with the mouse, his right pointer and middle fingers working separately and independently almost.

But, he winced, not once, but twice. Grumbling as he slowly turned his gaze to his left he'd push himself and his chair away from the table. Moving towards the railing of the second floor, he'd peer down, a few shinobi had found themselves gathered within the library, but oh how rood they were. So loud, so noisy...So...unpleasant! Glaring at them he'd rest against the railing, the urge to light up a cigarette and curl up in it's offered soothing, Gungnir sighed a moment before he began to speak. "What's going on? This is a library, not a warzone...tsk."
[/style]

[daisy]

I looked up, hastily tucking my bottle of wine back into my handbag. Suddenly, the library had grown rather busy. Tucked in my corner as i was, probably hidden by mountains of paperwork, it seemed they hadn't seen me. I recognised Jin, of course, and perhaps the other blonde was familiar but i couldn't be sure. It was quite welcome though, a distraction from work. I pushed back my chair, and teetered out to greet them.
"My, my, my. How nice to see my darling shinobi in the library. And how are you all today?" I said, bearing a vivid red smile at Jin and his two companions.

It was probably just shinobi techniques or the like that they were here to research. Or perhaps they were merely bored, and had wandered into the cool building to take a break from the sun. Either way, i could use a distraction. All the accounts of history and battle had worn me quite out. I wondered if i could coerce them into filling out my paperwork for me...

[Mitternacht]

A lot of people arrived at the library at once- and I meant a lot.

First it was this still unnamed guy and I, but then the same guy from yesterday came to join us, his yelling like an assault to my ears. What language on that guy, I thought, but not even a second passed for me to respond before a strange, bookish man was looking down at us from above, full spectacles peering at us. He was gruff and seemed totally out of it, as if he was heavily intoxicated, or tired. Like, the man seriously should rest a bit. But even bore I could take that guy in, a woman too joined us. I didn't recognize her, but she seemed important enough. So I bowed to her, and to the man above as a sign of respect. I laughed as I spoke.

"Oh helllo...all. I'm just here to get into my history a bit- I've been very interested in the matter lately. Could any of you teach me something?"