Court of Darkness Oneshots (requests open)

(Toa + MC) Writing

"What could you possibly need that many books for?" Toa spots MC sitting at a table in the library with about half of the library's history books.

"Uhhhh..." She blinks, looking between him and the massive stacks of books.

"Surely you do not need this many books for your history lectures?"

"Oh! No." She grabs a single, relatively small book from a pile "This one is for my history class. It's just so much easier to follow Saligna's history, so I kind of... yeah." She puts the book back on the pile.

"I see. What makes it easier to understand?"

"Well." She closes her book around her hand to mark her place, "It's just this guy became king of this place and did these things. Then he died. Then his son was king and this happened. It's not like American history alone which is like... this Presidential election caused this and this and this controversy and these five people are relevant for these six events in about two decades. Here are about fifteen names you're never going to remember or need to know. Then when you add the rest of the world it just gets even more confusing."

"Alright." Toa nods, "But you do not need this many books." He gestures to the massive pile of books.

"Oh. I was gonna finish this one, then put all of these back." MC gestures to the pile she grabbed the book from to show him.

"How much reading have you done here?"

"I asked where the books on history were. I was brought more actually, I just put some of them back already."

"Go put most of these back."

"Fine. Fine. But, uh, small problem." She grimaces, "I forgot where most of these go."

Toa sighs, "Come."

"...Can I finish this chapter first?"

"My time is not to be wasted." His expression stiffens.

"So no. Alrighty then." MC gets up lifting the massive stack of books in her hands with minimal difficulty.

Toa lifts half of the remaining books with magic.

"Thank you."

"Come." He walks off, moving the books with him.

"Say," MC asks, "Do you think you'd be able to point me towards any good, not study related books? I kind of want to start reading things that aren't for school work."

Toa glances over his shoulder at her. "Why?"

"Well, it would be nice to know the kinds of content that's in books here versus stuff back home... and for me to know the kinds of things my classmates have probably expected me to have read..." She explains with a slight shrug—mostly obscured by the weight of the books in her hands.

"..." Toa nods as he starts putting books away carefully.

"Oh! That's how they're organized! So then these would go here, and these here." She sets her stack down and starts putting books back as well.

"If you're looking for more popular books, you may want to try the bookstore in town." Toa finally answers, "The Academy library only carries study material."

"Hmm... I'm not sure I want to start buying books if I'm just going to be leaving again..." MC sighs, "But thanks Toa; for a few things."

"Why are you so interested in literature?" He asks.

"Oh! Well..." A massive smile spreads across her face, "Writing has always been a hobby of mine. I even participated in the creative writing club we had at my high school... I've just been kind of bored without it."

"I see."

"So yeah, I've been trying to research and get ideas. Which is... admittedly the reason I kept half those books. Never realized just how much harder it is to do research when I can't ask a search engine with basically all the information I could ever want, but books are much less likely to get me on a watchlist..."

"What sorts of things have you researched?" Toa gapes at her.

"Hmm... Did you know that human skin melts? Just get it about as hot as it needs to be to boil water!"

"You say that so cheerfully..."

"I've also looked up a lot of torture techniques. It was very interesting."

"Why?"

"Ahahaha... I needed one for something." She snickers, "I also looked up general anesthetics and man! The one people stereotypically use is by far one of the worst ways to knock someone out! It would be faster and far less dangerous to hit someone over the head! And—Ooh! Is this a book on poisons?" She reaches for a book titled "Poisons and Their Antidotes".

"What sorts of stories do you write?" Toa continues to glare quizzically at her.

"Not fluffy romances. Unless you count my fanfiction career... but I'd prefer to never mention that again."

"Then I suggest you acquaint yourself with the literature of this realm."

"That was the plan!" She flips through the pages of the book. "Ooh! This one causes paralysis before eventual death!"

Toa takes it from her, "And you should stick to the study material you actually require for your classes."

"Haha, ok." She smiles mischievously.

"...Do not make me ban you from the library." Toa threatens.

A look of panic crosses her face. "I think I will literally go insane if you do."

"Then do not research such disturbing topics." He shoves the book back on the shelf before walking away.

MC looks around to make sure no one is watching as she sneakily removes it and shoves it in her coat, "I'm not done with this yet..."