More than the books, more than it looks

After taking his little brother to his class, Bart dashed through the empty hallways, pass by the fountain, the lockers, down the stairs, and inside the empty library, filled with tall and long shelves of what seems to be a never ending stocks of books. He arrived in the nick of time, since there are no students, teachers, or anyone in particular inside the library. Fortunately for Bart, it is class hours so there would be no students or teachers lingering inside his new workplace. He sighs deeply, "I don't know if I should be happy that its really empty." He composes himself, fixes his long blonde hair, and sits on the most comfortable chair ever! Or... maybe he just needed to sit down after all that running that it made the chair a god. The new librarian then starts fixing his new beloved desk that had this cute platinum nameplate with the words: "Librarian: Bartholomew Burnside" written on it. "I'm the new librarian." As he plays with the nameplate, he slowly takes in the realization that he is indeed the new librarian of the school. He then puts the nameplate back and stands up from his chair.

Bart is very fascinated with the books he reads, sees, and touch. He loves books! And the very essence of what a library is. The solemn cries of the unread and forgotten, the eerie sound of the lingering ghosts of the authors. A sobbing intensity of the only noise you will hear inside the four walls of the library. Everything inside the library is what Bart lives for. He can be near his brother, and at the same time, he can actually enjoy his job.

But what is a library? And what does it really stand for?

He takes out a random book, flips the fine design of the cover, and starts reading it... he takes the random book with him and sits back to his chair, waiting for anyone who would need the assistance of the new, and might I say... good-looking, librarian of L4MS.

Please remain a learning atmosphere inside the library, Thank You.

And then out of no where in an unforgettable display of rainbows and powdery pink clouds, a pink happy pony with a "you're head under my hoofs" tattoo stitched onto its butt came prancing in!

"Oh dear dear friend, would you happen to have any recipes for Cinnamon swirl chocolate butter milk cookies?" The pony asked with a gay neigh!

"By the way, I'm a dude~" The pony winked.

Okay! CUT! I'm just kidding, there was no such pony that ever appeared. Ha ha, okay, on with the real happening~!

Then unexpectedly, what looked like a Smoker child around 12 years of age walked around from behind the rows of shelves out into the open where the tables were. He was carrying a very heavy thick-looking book that could easily be mistaken for a dictionary and a more thin hard-covered book on top of that. perhaps the most notable thing about this kid, other than the fact he was black in race, was the very humorless serious frown he held on his mouth along with a cherry flavored lollipop. And his vivid emerald eyes almost seemed to glare with dull intensity.

He noticed the older man already sitting at the table but didn't seem to pay Bart much mind other than taking a seat farthest away from the witch. He then carelessly dropped the books down on the table with a loud "BAM" before taking a seat and opening the larger book, appearing to skim through the text as if he was looking for something specific. He never said a word.

Bart did not notice the Smoker... until he made a startling sound. The loud noise echoed around the whole library. The librarian then noticed the young child sitting as far away from him as possible. Bart closes the book he was reading and starts to observe the student with the gigantic book... well, at least compared to the youngsters little hands... oh how that sounded so retarded to him after he started to rethink what he was thinking. He sighs at this thought and resumes to looking at the student in front of him... far... faaaaaar.... AWAY.... from him.

The witch starts to calm himself. Something that being an infected witch that gives him a hard time to calm down after being startled. Luckily his an old veteran when it comes to his infection, and that he doesn't go on a witch fit as much as he usually does when startled.

"Shhhh!" He responds to the noise that the student just made. Bart stands up with the book he was reading, walks towards a certain shelf with a certain space in-between books, and then returning his book. He looks back at the student, and sighs once more...

"Well, as long as he doesn't cause any trouble, I won't have to deal with him." He mumbles to himself, taking one last peek to the smoker.

Ray grimaced at Bart when he heard him shush him, but didn't give him any more than that before continuing his search within this large book. It was actually an encyclopedia and he appeared to be looking up scorpions if you looked over his shoulder. with the other but smaller book, it was actually his. And if you looked over his shoulder for that, you'd see a bunch of writing in Egyptian Hieroglyphics. It was obviously a dead language but if you were familiar with it, you'd find he actually wrote very well and would discover they were notes of random info, kinda like some list. Personally, he wasn't actually required to learn to write in it, he just made it his business to be literate in his country's dead language.

Then finally he did something rather disturbing just when Bart was giving him a last glance. He took out a lighter from his pocket and started flicking the flame on and off almost absentmindedly...

It was either God Himself is testing the patience left with the librarian witch's mind and body... the infection's exam to a common witch fit, the school's job to see if he is fitting in his new job, or his brother Jabez paying the Smoker kid to bug him for a bit of a payback of what he did earlier before letting go of his little brother to his first day in school. All that, or the kid is just an angry little child whose probably bored and got nothing to do but annoy him. But alas, it is his first day of school, and he wouldn't like it if he lost his cool in his first day. If only I was a world class chef working inside the most luxurious hotel & restaurant on this newly proclaimed urban apocalypse. The librarian would think of his dream and dismiss it immediately... knowing that it's not good to daydream in the middle of his first day.

Bart stands up calmly, and he walks graceful like a model with his long legs, making a passerby... probably a janitor or a parent, or a wandering cafeteria lady... stop by and look. He approaches the young boy with his big book, which is as big as his upper body, and places his hand on his shoulder gently.

"I'm sorry, but bringing flammable objects like that lighter your flicking is not allowed inside this library filled with easily flammable things like papers and stuff... since it might cause... fire." Despite his directly sarcastic remark towards the Smoker, he still gives him his warm smile. Since he is kind and sweet in nature with kids!

"Can you kindly give it to me sir?"

Ray watched the witch walk as if he thought he had class, lightly narrowing his eyes at the display. He never did like the "high and mighty" type... or those who had authority over him at least. When the librarian witch was through giving him orders. he raised his dirt-covered boots up on the tables and laid back in his chair.

"Your request for my valued possession has been denied. It is mine to give and take and use as I may..." He then flicked the lighter on and lit the pencil he was using on fire.

"Of course most everything within this premises is highly flammable... why do you suppose I brought my lighter at the start?" Unknowings to Bart, but probably obvious by now, this was no ordinary child. He was a pyromaniac. One who loved to burn things, see things explode, set things on fire...

His first day, and he already encountered this problem. Couldn't he have a normal problem like students asking where this certain book is? Or something as simple as unnecessary noise inside the library and that he could simply shush them for making the noise? He starts to think with more common sense now. Ok, the kid would probably want to burn down something. Of course, the kid is probably a pyromaniac! He would bump his head unto a wall for his stupidity.... but of course he would refrain from endangering his credibility for doing so.

If I were you... I would take the lighter and burn his dirty tongue for speaking to you in an ill-mannered way.

Bart dismissed the thought! He will not do such a thing to a kid! Even if the kid was making such a problem. He will not cause a problem with a kid, it's his iron rule! Whatever the kid do to you, you will understand that he is a kid, and mistakes are made. He was an adult and he still makes mistakes.

...But he has done you wrong. Why not make him pay..?

The eyeball looks at Bart with intentions. The parasite will put such malicious thoughts to his mind if he can... but Bart will not allow it too. He squeezes his right hand, and flinches a bit. The violent thoughts would cloud his mind, and will blurry his heart. His consciousness would fade away, and the eyeball would take over........ but Bart returns a kind smile to the young smoker... not knowing why, but he places his hand on the child's head, and strokes it gently. He looks at the smoker smiling, but it's quite obvious that he is enduring some pain of sort. Even though the pain is greater, he would continue to smile. He will never let a child go through so much pain... not anymore... not his brother... not anyone. No more.

"Just be careful, alright?"

Ray glared at Bart when he started petting the smoker's head. To him, it was insulting rather than an act of friendliness. Unlike your typical child, he was raised like he was born an adult. His mother and her business partners never patted him on the head, spoke in a childish language towards him, give him hugs or kisses or play with him. Though out his life the moment he could walk, he was told specifically what he was to do, how he was to act, where he was to be, when he was to be there, and he was to never question it. Though he absolutely hated that life and was glad to at least be living with his guardian (Who wasn't even present at the house, away on a business trip like everyone else his mother knew including his mother herself) away from the mobile tight business travels with his mother. But regardless, some things stuck with him, such as the humorlessly serious attitude, perfectly straight posture, and that sternly formal tone of voice for example. Even though he was one.

He quietly took his hand out of his pocket and picked up Bart's hand off his head like he was picking up a dirty thing. He then returned his lighter to one of his pockets.

"We'll see about that..." He simply replied. Though he had more to say as he finished the sentence within his mind,

"I prefer danger above the dull comforts of safety... caution is not my forte. I swear by Ra, if he dares caress my cranium with his fowl claws again, I'll see to it that his hand is charred into his own personal souvenir of my patience" Like his mother and her fellow people within the economy and politics, they were people who would say one thing and think another. He returned to his book, waiting for the witch he already did not like to leave his sight hopefully.

The moment the child removed Bart's hand from his head, the librarian immediately gets the idea that this specific kid inside the library with him, was never treated as a child, or at least... not often enough. There are cases that a child doesn't think he is a child mainly because he was never treated as one. This results to a case when a child thinks he is much more mature than adults around him. One thing for sure, is that Bart will no longer treat him as a kid if he doesn't want to be.

"We'll see about that..."

He stands up, holds his rejected hand and act of kindness, and looks away, towards the towering books inside the library. "Books are amazing don't you agree? They can teach you so much and at the same time make your experience things you don't usually do in reality." His attention switches from the stocks of books to the Egyptian book that the child is holding in front of him. "But I believe that there are more to it." he starts walking away from the student.

"Even if you don't agree with me."

Whatever the child might do, he will not hurt him. But then again, as a staff member, a librarian inside the library, he will still follow the rules. so if the child does burn objects, he will call for a higher authority to handle it. He is not ignorant or stupid to let a kid do as he please. if the time comes, he will take care of it.

Bart returns to his big comfortable master chair, waiting for what can happen next inside the four walls of the book infested place that he works in. He waits, idle, and quiet.

With age comes experience, and with experience comes real wisdom

Bart is now back in his solitude.

Ray just ignored Bart, waiting for the pestering witch to leave him be so he could do his research in peace. But what the Librarian said next caught Ray's attention well enough to give Bart a sideways glance from his book.

"Books are amazing don't you agree? They can teach you so much and at the same time make your experience things you don't usually do in reality."

"Amazing? Tch, books are primitive, merely one out of many means information and people's thoughts are recorded or converted between. handheld "computers" are the top media these days. Eventually, at least within a few decade from now I presume, books will officially become completely obsolete." Or so Ray thought. He then turned to Bart.

"On the contrary, what edification the documentation within your precious books hold is most utterly minuscule with abysmal limitations. For one thing, books are highly insufficient as a resource for numerous reasons: They are easily subject to being archaic, inaccurate, bias, and above all, overgeneralized. Secondly, there is no experience to be gained from trusting the words of an author alone. Only a fool would believe they can experience the world through dry text! The cold truth is there are countless details books never share. Of course, most wouldn't know better since books only provide the public general information. The real info is found in statistic reports/ records/ maps/ charts, police reports, the knowledge of the genuinely experienced, and the experience of the world itself..." Ray's voice then trailed off into a grumble, muttering something about Americans.

He himself, though you'd think he was incredibly hypocritical after what he just said since he was using an encyclopedia, however Ray was a smart kid, so there was more to what he was doing. He was researching whether scorpions could be found in their area. He loved scorpions... as a meal, that is. He was hoping to hunt for one during lunch. Personally he hated American food; it was too processed, greasy, fattening, artificial and a many other things he could literally make a speech out of. In a nut shell, Ray called it "Ill-bred cuisine". He especially hated the products that the market claimed was "exactly" like certain foods you would find in other countries. French Coffee, Chinese Rice, particular spices, and countless other things. He could still remember the first time he drank a cup of coffee in America that supposedly used "the same ingredients" you'd find in Germany. He remembered spewing the coffee out all over the floor because of the disturbingly awkward taste that almost tasted grungy. It didn't taste anything like German Coffee, and Ray had actually been to Germany and even had the real thing on one of his mother's business trips. Ray still grimaced at the memory...

As Bart sits quietly on his big comfortable chair, a sudden reaction was made by the student, making his long speech inside the library, making his point, as if they were in the middle of a trial in court. He listens at the child's declamation of sort.

"On the contrary, what edification the documentation within your precious books hold is most utterly minuscule with abysmal limitations. For one thing, books are highly insufficient as a resource for numerous reasons: They are easily subject to being archaic, inaccurate, bias, and above all, overgeneralized. Secondly, there is no experience to be gained from trusting the words of an author alone. Only a fool would believe they can experience the world through dry text! The cold truth is there are countless details books never share. Of course, most wouldn't know better since books only provide the public general information. The real info is found in statistic reports/ records/ maps/ charts, police reports, the knowledge of the genuinely experienced, and the experience of the world itself..."

He seems amused at the kid's intellect. It was really funny when the kid sounds older than his age. But at the same time sad... that this kid might be missing out on a very important aspect of life... Childhood. When a kid is missing is childhood and skips it, is kinda sad. Bart remembered growing up to be somewhat like the smoker. His parents were both too busy with their job that young Bart was neglected. He was given all the toys in the book, entered in the most prestigious school in the state, and was given everything he ever wanted... except, love.

The librarian chuckles at the child's speech, and looks at him, replying with the right volume for him to hear. "So, you're probably here like any other normal beings." He smiled genuinely as he finds the conversation rather amusing, "If it's information you want, then you're in the right place. Is there anything in particular that you want to know?"

A librarian is so much more than the person who looks after the books and the library itself. librarian's gives information, helps people find the books they are looking for, and is there to inspire other people to appreciate books! But then again, a librarian can just put a stamp on a book overdue for many many months or probably years. Making sure the place is quiet. But a librarian can do more... right?

As he waits for the kid's reply, a certain phrase that the certain smoker said continues to repeat inside his head... "Only a fool would believe they can experience the world through dry text!" He looks outside the window where the city lies dead and alive.

"Then why are you in the library?" He mutters to himself.

It was too quiet in the library not to hear what Bart had said, though Ray didn't catch it all, he caught the general gist of it.

"That is my business", the Smoker boy replied rather quietly in a low unwelcoming tone. If Ray could have it his way, he'd be using the computer right now to look up the simple information he wanted. He knew how to do research, and unlike the common person who would go straight to "Wikipedia", some other highly popular but "mediocre" website, or relied on "cruddy" search engines like "Google" or "yahoo" or "MSN", he would use less publicly known reliable actually supported-and-fund-by-gov.-agency-and-business-companies type of sources which real stats and recorded information. He had learned these particular websites from watching his mother when she was collecting data for her business projects or presentations.

Only reason why he wasn't using the computer at all right now was because such detailed data from such websites were privileged exclusively to specific office/business/government workers who had their own special accounts. Ray's mother was one of these people and Ray would normally access that special data though her account on her special laptop. But now that he was living separately from his own mother away from her business laptop now, it was almost impossible to use her account and do things with another computer without being caught, not just by the school who he was sure they had a computer monitoring system or by his own mother, but by the government or business moderators themselves who kept vigilante record of what the users of these special accounts did logged-in under it. Ray would without a doubt be busted severely and fast if he was caught researching his area's ecosystem. They were always paranoid, people had no idea...

Rejected. This kid rejected his act of kindness again, not that it really matters to Bart. He was there whether or not his help is not needed, it's his job to watch over the place and help the people who asks for his help. But a slight frown is visible in the librarian's face. This is because he feels like this kid doesn't have a single friend because of how he treats people. It could be that he only treats adults this way, but it's also possible that he most likely rejects other kids as well, that doesn't interest him at all. He is probably lonely. He sighs deeply.

"Well, I'm here if you need anything."

Bart then takes out his LG OPTIMUS ONE phone and looks at his planner, to see what he has scheduled for today. He smiles and chuckles a bit, seeing the bold font to his little brother's name Jabez saying that he seems to have promised him that he will take his adorable brother to the ice cream place he described to him earlier, JJ Scoops, where he saw all the different flavors that the place has to offer. Right then and there did Bart decided that JJ Scoops is a great place for him to celebrate both his brother's first day of school and his very own first day in his job. His imagination drifts away as he starts to picture himself enjoying his banana cream pie and Jabez probably gobbling at least 10 different ice creams in one gigantic cup... and for some reason the huntress teacher, Jiji, came into the picture, thinking that it would be nice to treat Jabez's teacher for some ice cream as well. Bart's imagination bubble bursts immediately. How in the world did the huntress suddenly appear in his mind? He blinks a couple of times before he dismisses the thought, looking at the extra eye on his right hand. Could it be that Jabez was thinking about this and it somehow transferred into my head? The thought that because of his PSP gift to Jabez which made him share some of his special neurons are somehow connecting their minds?

"Weird." He stands up, disappears for awhile, and returns with a big old book about the brain. he starts to browse the book and studies it... searching for the possibility that people can connect brains. He studies quietly.

Micheal fearfully stalked down the hallways of the unfamiliar school building, glancing at his map occasionally to see if he was going in the right direction. The infected boy's bones rattled in fear of what lay ahead for him and he immediately reminded himself to stop quaking. But in his coal black eyes, the hallways seemed to go on forever and he felt he would never find the library. Thankfully, a few minutes later he had found just the door he was looking for.

The boy's bones began to tremble in fear again. "C-Come on Mikey, y-you can do this. J-Just try to r-remember the confidence you had as a h-human....i-it's not th-that scary...." He whispered to himself and his voice seemed to wane and wax with paranoia. "H-Hopefully you'll f-find some friends..." His bony hand obscured by the oversized sweater reached out towards the door. "H-Hello?" Michael called out into the room.