5th Key ♫ A Pure Form of Love ♫ Action / Open

[golden_gaytime]

[ Now that things are calm(er) Mugi has decided to take a chance on a trip to the library! She's heard many interesting things by now, including that this might be one way to tell if she's truly dreaming or not.

Her curiosity takes hold of her, her feet crossing the threshold to the back room without any fuss from the bears. She, honestly, forgot what was so "taboo" about this room in the first place.

—moments later, she emerges from that room with a manga tankoban or three clutched to her chest, cheeks bright red, and an odd dazzle in her eyes. It's a combination look of a girl with her hand caught in the cookie jar who also managed to win the jackpot lottery. Yeah. It's kind of like that.

You can find Mugi at a table, attempting to discretely read one of her comics by using a different, larger book to mask its presence, or with the volumes set beside her as she looks into a volume of incredibly sappy poetry. Her brain does need a break from time to time, so she won't be opposed to conversation, but you might have to try harder to get her attention... ]

Comments

[golden_gaytime]

I was not expecting that! [ Though the other girl does look shocked on a different level. With that, Mugi closes the book entirely and sets it down. ] What brings you here today, Kazumi-san?

[starofpleiades]

Eheh... [Well, Mugi does seem airheaded enough she might grab a book like that by mistake, right? It's not nice to suspect her friend of taking out perverted books on purpose...]

Free time, I guess? Eheh... I was actually kind of curious if they had any of the books my friend wrote!

[golden_gaytime]

You knew someone who was published? [ She is quite curious about that. ] Would you like me to help you look for one?

[starofpleiades]

Yeah, Umika Misaki! She's written a lot of teen novels, it's really amazing. [Though since they're novels, there won't be any in this library] Would you? That'd be great!

[golden_gaytime]

Absolutely! I'd be glad to help. [ She sets her books in order and rises from the chair. ] Where should we start looking?

[starofpleiades]

Hmm, well... I guess we should see if there's a young adults section? Or if not, the romance section, I guess... This is my first time being in here!

[golden_gaytime]

...I think you will find a lot of that, here. We could have our work cut out for us.

[starofpleiades]

Eheh... well, I guess we should get looking then!

[In the end, there's just a lot of poetry and nonfiction... and that bear who keeps Kazumi away from one section of the library for some reason.]

Hmm... I can't even really find any novels!

[golden_gaytime]

None? [ Mugi put a book she was holding back on the shelf and looked to the spaces she had checked. ] Hmm, now that you mention it, I haven't either. That is rather odd.

[starofpleiades]

This really is a strange library... maybe it really doesn't have any?

[golden_gaytime]

The selection is unlike any I have seen in these quantities before. [ Mugi wrings her hands together. ] I think... it would have been odd to see something familiar, since we are all from different places. [ Something she had only recently come to terms with, privately. ]

I'm sorry that we had no luck, Kazumi-san.

[starofpleiades]

I guess so...

Don't worry about it! I'm a little sad I can't share them but it's fine.

[golden_gaytime]

[ Mugi takes Kazumi's hands in her own. ] Perhaps you can just tell me more about them, instead! That will be good enough for me. [ So, please, don't be sad... ]

[starofpleiades]

[Kazumi giggles, giving Mugi's hands a squeeze]

Well, a lot of them are teen romance novels! They were really popular, and she actually paid for the house we were staying in, me, her and Kaoru. She had a whole series.

[golden_gaytime]

[ Gasp! ] She was that prolific? Oh my! It must be so nice to be able to make a living off of one's own creativity like that. [ Mugi finds this encouraging. ]

[starofpleiades]

Yeah, my friends really are amazing. Umika's an author and Kaoru's a star soccer player in school! I'm just good at cooking...

[golden_gaytime]

"Just", nothing. Your cooking is amazing, Kazumi-san. You don't have to be making money to be able to enjoy it or have others enjoying it.

[starofpleiades]

Aww, shucks. Thanks Mugi... and yeah, I like cooking because other people can enjoy it!

1/2

[golden_gaytime]

[ Smiling wide. ] It's a good way to think about it! It's like ... even if my friends and I didn't go pro someday, that would be fine by me, so long as I was able to play music with them. If others want to listen, then that's even better, but it wouldn't define my happiness.

2/2

[golden_gaytime]

[ —the instant those words leave her mouth, Mugi freezes up, a downtrodden expression on her face. ]

[starofpleiades]

[Kazumi notices immediately, a look of concern on her face]

You miss them?

[golden_gaytime]

[ A slow nod, her eyes downcast. ] More than I can say.

It's not as if I don't have friends here — I have met many new and interesting people, and I genuinely enjoy it! But. [ But it's not home. ]

[starofpleiades]

Homesick... I know what you mean. Everyone's really nice, and there are friends here, but they can't replace your other friends.

[golden_gaytime]

Mmn. [ She nods again. ] There doesn't seem to be anything we can do about that, and I'm trying to think positive! Maybe they will arrive sometime, after all — though it would be better if I just made it home safely, I...

[ Fidgeting with her hands. ] I still can't believe that.... this isn't all some dream. [ Now that she's said it, out loud, she looks around as if expecting the whole world to collapse in that instant. ]

[starofpleiades]

Mm, I keep hoping some of my friends show up. Being here would... actually be better for them.

[She blinks a few times at that statement, then jumps a bit when she realizes what it means] Wait, you were talking about this place when you said that thing about dreams before!?