duologs | [OPEN] Library Shenanigans + May Catch-All

[ meryl's been having a rough time since she arrived here. don't get her wrong, she's met some great people and discovered some wonderful things — the world itself isn't the problem. it's everything she came here with on her mind, and everything she's been trying to accomplish despite all that.

vash is here. he's okay. that's a godsend, but her memories of what was happening to him prior still dance in her mind at night, when she's trying to sleep. that, in addition to the loss of roberto, right in front of her eyes (and her fault, no less), has made it significantly difficult to sleep. she's busied herself with investigating what she can of the worlds, getting her bearings straight, and taking up a new goal of investigating and caring for flora as well — out of a genuine love and curiosity, but as well as the idea that this could help out back in no man's land, should they make it back there. ]

I; studying flora.

[ so, first of all, meryl can be found at various times of the day, throughout the month, doing research on flora. in the beginning, it's mostly just looking up how to care for them in general, as she'd like to start growing her own and seeing how they work in person. after she feels she has an understanding of that, she'll move on to more specifics: species and their environments they grow best in, ones that need more or less water than usual, some that need more or less sun, etc. this in particular piques her interest, considering her desert home, and she piles a couple books worth of plants that can grow in arid regions.

she's writing notes as she does this, making little diagrams of things she'll want to be able to visualize easily later. her pocket-sized notebook sits to the side of whatever book she's reading, and her pencil moves without much thought, writing down whatever comes to mind and keeping it generally quite neat, as far as notes go — she has sections for things, flips back and forth between pages to put things in their proper spots. this isn't like interviewing a person. she can take her time and make sure that things are legible for later.

anyone who spots her at these sorts of times will notice a small stack of books, all flora related, around her, as she sits at a table with her little notebook and concentrates. she'll... yawn, every once in a while, but other than that, she's mostly just Studying. ]

II; a little help from dodo.

[ it's no secret that meryl is short. this provides obstacles when it comes to reaching the higher levels of the bookshelves, and this particular instance sees her spotting a book about cacti up high, after having had them mentioned in another book about desert plants. hm.

dodo helps her out, bringing a rolling ladder over to her, and (still not totally used to this place), she scratches at the back of her neck, sheepishly. ] Uh, thanks...

[ she climbs up just fine, reaches the book, and begins climbing back down. what's unfortunate, however, is her lack of sleep, and stepping back down proves to be a difficult endeavor for her, as she slips backward and off the ladder. ]

Ah—!

[ if you're nearby, maybe you can try to catch her. dodo, in the meanwhile, is going to attempt to force a beanbag-like pillowy chair under her to at least cushion the fall, if no help arrives. ]

III; out of energy.

[ meryl has run out of steam, and this likely happens every once in a while when she lets her guard down to the comfort and tiredness she's feeling.

she's smart enough to sit at a table most of the time — less comfortable and easy to fall asleep on — but when she tries to get herself comfortable on a beanbag-like chair, she'll fall asleep more quickly than she'd ever like to admit.

a; so, today, you might find her dozing, her body practically sucked into the pillowy chair due to her smallness, and a few books (some open, some closed) sitting atop her. her hands fallen off the side, her notebook on the ground next to her.

just. zzzzz.

b; but, there might be times when the bad dreams kick in, and so onlookers might notice her brows furrowing, nose scrunching, like something's wrong. if you decide to leave her be and wait long enough, she'll wake up with a sharp inhale through her nose, and a groan. ]

IV; wildcard

[ anything else you'd like to do in the library with her? feel free to hit me up about it! ]

[The sight of Meryl, oblivious to the world around her as she dozes on the chair, tugs at Roland's lips when he comes across her by pure chance. Knowing how animated she can be, there's a certain charm to seeing her this way. Mindful of her rest, he takes measured steps to her side, where he crouches down to pick up the fallen notebook, and frowns upon straightening.

Her face has changed. Is she having a nightmare?

As if on cue, she awakens before he can think to do anything. Roland's hand hovers over her nearest shoulder, close but not terribly so as he softens his voice:]

You're all right, Meryl. It was a dream.

[ she's a bit groggy from the nap, so it takes her a second or two to focus on him. 'you're all right.' 'it was a dream.' ] H-Huh...?

[ she blinks her eyes a few times, a hand moving to wipe at one despite there being a lack of tears — like she's still feeling whatever happened in that dream is reality, for a second longer.

and then she notices him there next to her, and jumps a little from the shock. ]

R-Roland! [ her voice pitches higher, a clear sign of her awkwardness in the moment. ] Wh-What are you doing here?

[ what do you think, meryl. ]

[To watch her sleep.

. . . In which she was clearly deep. Whatever she experienced there couldn't have been pleasant. His eyes follow her hand as it wipes at hers, and he retracts his own hand when she jumps.]

I was perusing some books here at the library. It appears you were doing the same before you dozed off.

[He holds the notebook out for her to take.]

I believe this is yours.

LIBRARY

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