mandrakeroot | TLV Inbox

mandrakeroot

Mandrake here.

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From:

goingtobeunwell

Well, I certainly wouldn't want to be the 'opposite' of whatever a friend is to Kyoko. [He loves her, but she's scary.]

Aye, Crozier. It's Nathaniel, mn?

Where do you work?

From:

mandrakeroot

No, you wouldn't. [A very fine quality, which he always admires.]

John Mandrake.

I work in the library.

From:

goingtobeunwell

Ah. I must have -- [Misheard?] Mandrake, then.

I've been meaning to take a trip to the library since our return. Has it been fully restored yet?

From:

mandrakeroot

Not fully. It's improved from where it was, but there are still gaps that could be better filled, and the occasional weed that still needs removing. [There's a degree more honest emotion in this.]

From:

goingtobeunwell

That's a shame.

I've stepped away from the counseling office for the time being, perhaps I'll stop by to help weed the poor place.

From:

mandrakeroot

That could be helpful. The presence of people also seems to help 'return' some of the books.

[Personally, it'd work the opposite for him, but there's no reason to deny the obvious.]

From:

goingtobeunwell

Mn. Seemed to work for the rest of the ship, didn't it?

I hope to see you there. [Optimistic! Pretending to be social!! This is going well!]

From:

mandrakeroot

I suppose. [Deeply suspicious. But Crozier had reached out, and it's about taking any possible opportunity.]

From:

goingtobeunwell

[Suppose nothing, Crozier's making his way to the Library the first chance he gets!

He is playing it casual though. He pokes through the stacks, finds one of the books from Terror, laughs a little and carefully reshelves it.]

From:

mandrakeroot

[Nathaniel is hard at work, organizing the books by the classification system Jon had laid out and fully focused on the task.

It's not particularly hard to identify him, serious look doing it's best but mostly failing to make up for the less than impressive look of a scrawny adolescent. It's made even easier because he recognizes Crozier from his... thorough investigation of the network, and nods at him when his work draws him that way.]

Are you looking for anything in particular?

From:

goingtobeunwell

[Crozier eyes said scrawny adolescent without the sort of judgement that might normally be reserved for a teenager. Youth doesn't negate experience.]

Ah, I am, in fact. I need a recommendation, something informative.

[The Brig was unsurprisingly in short supply of new books.]

From:

mandrakeroot

[He's working - and Crozier might be willing to get things for him - so that doesn't get the scathing look he'd offer otherwise. Instead, he just nods.]

Information on any specific subject, or just - informative.

From:

goingtobeunwell

I'd prefer something historical, but I realize it's a broad subject.

[He cocks his head, thinking. He knows exactly what he wants, but he also wants to push things a little.]

Or a novel. Mn. Romance, perhaps.

From:

mandrakeroot

[The second part does get a brief moment of, mostly controlled, disdain. Ugh. Fiction.]

There are some interesting books on Ancient Egyptian burial traditions that has returned.

You can find... novels a few shelves to the left. I'm afraid I can't offer any recommendations.

From:

goingtobeunwell

Not the type of person to seek a little escape now and again, mn?

[He chuckles softly.]

You know, I've changed my mind. I'd love something on Chinese mythos.

From:

mandrakeroot

I enjoy learning new things.

[It's always been more than enough escape. Fiction is pointless, escapism for commoners.

He nods, far more pleased to fill this request.]

This way. I've shelved a few books Chinese mythology, Zhang's appears to offer a look into where some of the stories might have come from. There's one on holidays, which also comes with history. A few on religion, though those are on a different shelf. [He can list off titles and places without hesitation, automatic memorization has many uses.]

From:

goingtobeunwell

[He'll follow, interested in the way he seems to rattle off all of this information.]

Religion, I think. Best place to begin when one is mostly ignorant of the topic.

From:

mandrakeroot

[He does have to use a ladder to reach the books he wants, but he doesn't have to double check any locations.]

This should serve as an introduction. [He gives Crozier a consider look, before jumping down and pulling out anther book.] This is a basic history. It might help to have a timeline, of sorts, as these things can vary drastically with time.

Do you have a bag?

From:

goingtobeunwell

[He does, in fact, have a canvas bag, which he pulls from a pocket and unfurls.]

I think I'll be plenty busy with all of this. You've read most of it?

From:

mandrakeroot

No.

[A touch regretfully, even if it's not his main area of interest.]

There isn't time for that. But I try to at least look through the introductions.

From:

goingtobeunwell

What do you normally study? What's your preferred area?

From:

mandrakeroot

I wouldn't say I have one preferred area. I like books on how things work. I try to maintain my languages. I've been studying medical texts, as they're more advanced than what I'm used to.

From:

goingtobeunwell

Ah, I'm also fascinated by the medical texts from future eras. What languages do you speak?

From:

mandrakeroot

French, Czech, Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew, Middle English and Coptic. For the ancient ones, reading, not speaking, of course. [He can also speak some Japanese and a spattering of other languages, but not well enough he would count it.]

It is interesting. My last temporary wardens have given me access to some basic scientific tools, so I've been working on expanding my understanding.

From:

goingtobeunwell

Impressive.

[And he genuinely means it, though he doesn't quite get the connection between scientific exploration and learning languages.]

What sort of scientific tools?