[closed]

[bridgeburning]

Who: John and Badri
What: Library shenanigans. Libnanigans.
When: NOW
Where: A library, where else
Warnings: DOUBTFUL

Libraries are, as everyone knows, supposed to be silent places. Places of quiet introspection. Places to leave the turmoil of the real world and escape into a book.

That's not the case in this particular library today. One of the visitors seems to be making an awful racket - an assortment of noises coming from the children's section are echoing throughout the building. Giggles, gasps, the occasional anxious noise... And then:

"SNAPE KILLS DUMBLEDORE?"

The voice should be familiar to anyone with even the slightest familiarity with Locke's aliens, since it belongs to resident oddball Badri Barkley. He's sitting alone amidst a pile of Harry Potter books and empty Happy Meal boxes, and looks rather like he's about to explode from the shock of this particular plot revelation.

Someone should. Probably prevent that.

Probably.

Comments

[gobybessie]

Probably.

Libraries usually are silent places. Very silent. All you hear are the occasional mumbles and the sound of book pages turning. Usually. John likes libraries so much partly because of this reason. When he really wants some peace and quiet, that is where he goes.

Then, very rarely, some bastard decides to be loud. John can ignore it for the most part, because he can't be bothered, but then the bloke actually talks and--

Ah. That voice.

He quietly puts away the documentary book he was looking at and heads over to the children's section, leaning out from behind a bookshelf and pearing at him.

The Happy Meal boxes in particular catch his attention, though he says nothing about it.

"You know this is a library."

[bridgeburning]

"Yes! Of course I know. It says so. Outside. On the sign. Library. I can read, you know!"

He doesn't sound annoyed or affronted, just playfully chiding. Badri looks up from his book and there's what seems to be a flicker of recognition in his eyes before he turns his attention back to the pages.

"Were you wanting this book, partner? Because you can have it in a minute. I am aaalmost done! Snape just killed Dumbledore."

[gobybessie]

"Yes, I know. I read them." Both for himself, and his daughter when she was little. "That's not my point. I guess you haven't gotten that memo yet. In libraries you're supposed to be quiet." He puts a funger to his lips. "Shhh."

[bridgeburning]

"I am being quiet! Ish. Quieter than usual! Guurrrhhhh."

He reaches for one of the Happy Meal boxes, peers inside it in search of food, then tosses it aside so he can check another one. Not before rolling his eyes mightily in John's direction, though.

"You shouldn't shush me, friend. Shushing is a Geoff thing! Flat and - and flatulent! Boring!"

[gobybessie]

"I can tell you with certainty that it's more than just a 'Geoff thing'." He eyes the Happy Meal boxes for a moment. "I'm also quite sure they don't really appreciate people eating in the library either."

Yes, he is a little flatulent, perhaps. But libraries are important to him. It's serious business.

[bridgeburning]

"The library person did say something about that. But then I offered them a french fry, and they unwedgied their human underpants from their human backsides. I might not be as talented at convincing people as Geoffy is, but..."

He cuts himself off as if he's said too much, and his facial expression is simply thoughtful as he gazes down at his Happy Meal before holding it out towards John.

"Err. McNugget?"

[gobybessie]

Convincing people? They needed convincing, did they? The more that came up about these aliens, the stranger they seemed. Less trustworthy. He wanted to believe they meant good, he really did, but he wasn't so sure ...

"No, thank you," he said, holding up a hand, and then went to grab one of the books from the pile. "I'm not a big fan of McNuggets." Pause. "You know, that makes it seem as though you're trying to bribe me."

His tone was light. Joking.

[bridgeburning]

"Bribe?"

Badri bursts into a fit of giggles entirely disproportionate to the level of humour present here. After a few seconds of breathless handflapping, he tosses a McNugget into the air and catches it in his mouth.

"Do not worry about that, friend! I am not the bribing type! It is not really in our nature. Me or Geoffles or Merry or any of the others." He pauses to swallow his mouthful of food, picking at his teeth reflectively. "We usually get what we want without having to resort to those things. High five!"

And yes, he totters towards John and holds out a slightly-greasy salty hand for high fiving purposes. Yeah.

[gobybessie]

And John is going to leave him hanging, completely with a blank look. That is ... What?

He cocks an eyebrow. "What exactly am I high fiving, here?"