❝ ✕; &CHRONICLER ⊱ ❴ ᵃᵘᵗᵒᵖᶫᵃʸ ❵

He asks to stay and there’s a denial on the very tip of your tongue that you bite back– that wouldn’t be fair. You know you aren’t being fair. To yourself, or to him. Fingers flex for a second before you find some strength to move your arm away from your eyes, blinking tiredly up at the dark ceiling above you. It really was nearly pitch black in here, wasn’t it? “You aren’t bothering me,” you say, hesitantly, “you could never bother me. I’m glad you thought to stop by. Thanks.”

       It catches the redhead off guard and for a moment, he has to wonder if he even heard it right. The reaction that comes out of him is delayed too, or maybe it’s just hesitation. Maybe Lavi is just scared to look at Dirk after such question, even though he shouldn’t be-- there was no reason to. He doesn’t know what prompted Dirk to ask such thing, doesn’t understand what he says shortly after. It leaves the Bookman confused, and when he finally turns to look at the blonde, there is a strange feeling of relief when he notices Dirk wasn’t look at him.

          For too long of a time has she wandered the aisles of the sector five library in search of a specific genre of book. She’s never been here before and doesn’t know her way around. And it’s not that she’s above asking for help–because she’s definitely not–it’s that she’d rather not trouble someone with such a simple task if it were avoidable. But she didn’t seem to be getting anywhere in finding what she needed, perhaps it was time to ask someone.

       After nearly a year of coming to the same place nearly every week, one would have thought Lavi didn’t have any more business at the library; but books came and went, and there were more than the redhead even had time and eyes to spare, despite his own ability to process things much faster than others. Recording was one thing, but reading for his own interest was another. He has met enough people as well ( pretty girls, nice dudes, weird monsters ), but all things considered, he had never met the pretty girl.

Lavi’s suspicion is certainly justifiable but the timing couldn’t have been worse. It’s possible Bookman’s been knocked around by the Noah so much he’s developed selective amnesia. Maybe he’s just being his insufferable self. Link can’t say and they don’t have the time to puzzle it out. Every second wasted could be a step closer to death. The urge to take Lavi by the shirt and shake him is nearly overwhelming. Somehow Link resists but the frustration makes his words quick and sharp.

       If Lavi didn’t know more about the city and Allen’s condition than Link, he would have worried. He would have dropped the attitude and given the other the benefit of the doubt. He would have put Allen’s safety much more ahead his own bickering and stubbornness, but this wasn’t the case. He has seen Allen just a few hours ago, seen the smile on the boy’s face and how well and safe he was.

You wait and you wait, it feels like all you ever do, until you hear some movement by the door. The rustling is what you assume to be him putting down the bags in his hands, and you hear the door creak gently and swing almost all the way shut. Really should try to fix that creaking one day, when you actually remembered it did that.

       This isn’t exactly something Lavi is good at; he’s at a loss of what to do or say or even if he should be there at all. He doesn’t think he can be much of help, but the very idea of actually leaving leaves a sour taste in his mouth. He was good at cheering people up-- or that’s what he wanted to believe. He was good at being reckless and careless and generally someone who brought a smile to people’s face, whether because Lavi was a genuinely funny person or just because he was stupid enough that people laughed at him-- but still laughed, nonetheless.

It’s not that you were sleeping, no. You’d just sort of.. well, lacked the energy it would’ve taken for you to get yourself out of bed. Not that it was anything new, but you hadn’t felt this awful in quite a while. It was more draining than you really remember, and the arm draped over your eyes keeps out any light that could possibly filter into the darkness of your room. 

       All things considered, for the job and position he has as the Bookman Junior and all of that, for how silly and straight up dumb Lavi could be, he was still an observant person-- most of the time. There were things he was good at picking up ( body movements, mannerisms, things like that, things that mattered as an apprentice ), things he wasn’t in the slightest ( feelings, anything that wasn’t necessary for his training ), and he’s good at noticing that Dirk is acting slightly weird. 

The scolding can come later, Lavi. You see, Link is a man of opportunity, and the moment Lavi reveals himself he’s snatched by the wrist and hauled into the nearest secluded alleyway. Swift as ever, Link wastes no time in putting himself between Lavi and the mouth of the alley to block a hasty escape. He’s a little roughed up and haggard, and the lack of sleep has made him irritable. Too irritable, it seems, to give a proper greeting. He looks Lavi up and down, frowning so deeply the tendons in his neck bulge.

       He doesn’t really make a point of explaining how the city works just yet ( actually, he doesn’t even feel like explaining such a thing to someone who worked for lveille, someone who stalked his best friend and lavi had no reasons to trust or be exactly nice towards ), doesn’t explain what he means with back and simply lets the assistant take him by the wrist to a secluded alley ( suspicious, link ) and look at him with eyes that he was sure could frighten young children to the point of trauma.

          ❝ CAN YOU STOOOOOP YELLING? ❞

       Oh! He is alive! Alive and still here, apparently, which was a good sign. Even though the Junior was ready to yell back ( he saw no problem in doing so, it was more practical than finding allen first, wherever he was, right? ), Allen takes his time to come greet his friend himself and cease the yelling the Bookman was so fond of.