The Earl's Library

[Ryuzaki]

The Earl's Library


Shelves of unique and interesting books were nicely placed in alphabetical order. The fire place was warming up the room nicely and a couple red color designed couches laid comfortably in front of the fire. It looked as if someone was in here relaxing and reading a book.

[Ai]

Gabriel hummed quietly to himself as he selected another book off the shelf beside him, After answering a rather mumbled sentence at the Earl which he hoped could be taken either way he had ambled back down the hallway to the Library to finish his book. Consequently he now found himself hidding in one of the back alleyways that the bookshelfs made in the hopes that he could finish a few more books before someone came in and disturbed his rest.

Anyhow he reasoned to himself the report he had gotten in from his pet Akume which acted as one of his eyes and ears in the outside world had reported back that the Innocence the Earl had wanted him to go find had been crushed already by Xavier...At least it wasn't the heart he mused to himself as he engrossed himself further in the book.

[Ai]

- Few Days Later -

Gabriel was lounging on the lounge chair in front of the fire with a book floating idly in front of him supported by a small gas like Akuma, The inside of the book however had no text but rather looked like a small tv screen upon which a overcast sky which was letting loose splatterings of rain could be seen above a quaint park.

Focusing on one of the pathways in the park the book revealed Xavier and Nicholas as well as that lovely Akuma which was always seen on or near Xavier, They seemed to be heading out of the park towards the pavillion of shops on the street front. Chuckling slightly at the folly of fools Gabriel flicked close the book with a flick of his fingers and slowly slid to his feet before turning and with another flick of the wrist Doused the Fire in the Hearth...It wouldn't do for someone else to decide the library was a good place to hide.

motioning with his wrist the gasseous Akuma floated over and into a small bottle Gabriel was holding in his other hand, Deftly he screwed the lid back on and then tucking the small bottle inside his coat jacket and with ever so slight a grin on his face he walked out of the room...It might do to find out more about what was happening in london..He'd heard there were some fantastic things to see there.

[Ai]

-Returning from the Clouds Arc-

Gabriel stepped into the Library and breathed in the stale air deeply.

Nothing can come close to the feeling of such a place as this to yourself

He thought as he clicked his fingers causing the fireplace to roar into life...walking over to a bookshelf at random he selected a book then walked back over to the Lounge in front of the fire place and sat down and procceded to imerse himself in the book...To return his state of mind to that of calm collected thoughts.

[Ai]

Gabriel yawned as his eyes opened and he realised that he had fallen asleep in front of the fireplace, The book he had been reading was still open on his chest where it had fallen when he had drifted off...The fireplace which had been a roaring nice warm fire now simply embers..

Picking up the book which was a early classical piece about the Origins of the Noah Clan he lazily tossed it on the embers and watched as a priceless piece of work and of invaluable knowledge in the wrong hands went up in smoke..

I've found what I needed to find...Now noone will know of our weakness save me

He thought as he stretched and got to his feet...Flicking his hand the lights in the room went out and as he strode to the doorway he wondered briefly what was taking Nicholas, Dies, Xavier and Constantine so long...Maybe it would have been more entertaining for him to have stayed and watched them slaughter those annoying pests....But alas..Too much of a good thing can be bad.

Walking through the doorway he grabbed the door and flung it closed behind him..As he made his way towards the dining room the crash as the door slammed behind him and the click as the lock fell into place in it's place echo'd down the hall before him..

The only place where I can lose myself in thought Marvelled Gabriel then stopped short as he saw Dies step outside the Dining room door and shut it behind him before locking it...Muffled protests could be heard on the other side.

[Yamamoto]

Stepping inside the quite dusty halls of the great library, Ruth wandered the incredibally tall bookshelves. Looking for something to ease her uneasiness of recent events, her fingers ran through the spines of numerous old, archaic books. Thick, thin, big small, her eyes darted through each of the books' titles, hoping to be transferred into another world from the void she was currently residing on.

The Seven Sins of Alchemy...Dissection of the Human Soul...Latin for Beginners?! Doesn't he have anything interesting?

As soon as she stumbled a title not about science, philosophy or other brain-crunching subjects she quickly took the book from the shelf and clutched in between her hands, hurrying about the nearest chair to read the small thing.

The cover was a deep red, it's title incomplete, bearing only a scratched out word follwed by a cryptic "Breakdown of Her Blood." The velvet feel of the cover somehow gave Ruth a nostalgic feel- a snapshot of a romance novel.

She blew the dust off the cover and opened the book slowly.

Our blood is the essence of our live, rushing through our veins in times of joy, excitement, fear, shame, shock and terror. A sign- no, it is what keeps us feeling alive, that we are more than just flesh and bones in a living world.

That same essence, spilled out of her body on our wedding night.

A dagger.

My bloody hands.

Her cold and horrific stare towards me. Dead eyes..

-------

Ruth's conscience was sucked into this tragic, yet captivating world. Not even halfway through the first page she could already feel for the characters in the book. Perhaps it was her experiences that similarly matched there's, or perhaps it was the sheer genius of the author. Sooner than she imagined her fingers let go of the last page, as she sat and laid back, staring at the ceiling.

A small smile crept into her face.

"This book just gave me ideas.."

[Ai]

Gabriel entered the room and noticed the fire going with someone laid out on the couch in front of it with a closed book on the floor beside them..thinking about how lazy some people were with his precious books Gabriel made a gesture and out from his open buttoned sleave his Akuma slid out in its gaseous form to float over to the book then sliding small tenticals underneath the cover it picked it up and floated it over the figure on the couch to rest it on Gabriels hand.
"Breakdown of Her Blood'"....Gabriel said softly and slowly.."Not to my taste I couldn't finish the first page...."

Putting the book back in the empty space where he knew it belonged Gabriel went over to a different shelf and selected another book which had a bookmark in the middle of it..Picking it out he went down the back of the Library behind a shelf and sat down and started to read it as he waited for the comotion from the library that would signal the next idea the earl had....

The Wandering Jew......

[Ai]

Gabriel sighed and closed the book before forcing his legs awake after they had gone to sleep whilst he was sitting on them to get to his feet. Once up he reached over and replaced the book back into a random open spot which had opened up at his movement...The books in here seemed to have a life of their own sometimes, changing places whilst noone was here to moving whole shelfs so that the layout of the room changed frequently...Luckily they seemed to respect the Noah lineage that ran through his veins and thus Gabriel didn't have too much trouble in here at all..He rather liked the atmosphere.

Moving through the shelfs to the main centre of the room he looked over and noticed the figure which had been reclining on the couch when he had entered was curiously absent...

It must have been one of my siblings to move so quietly without disturbing me...

He thought ponderously..Then again he was snoring pretty loudly a while ago he wouldn't really have been surprised if the earl had come and gone.

Shaking his head at his own folly he went for the door and as he walked out into the hallway and turned towards the dining room reached back with his free hand and flicked off the light as well as flicking his hand towards the fireplace on the farthest wall of the room to extinguish it with a flurrish.