The Great, Unmoving Library... (Seb/Open)

[Denarius]

Being outside, is it? It was... unnerving. It was under her friend Remilia's desires to see her outside more often, as to improve her physical condition before she's permanently put in a sort of statis condition just to keep her alive. Well, the vampire seemed to have forgotten her condition as an immortal with the Philosopher's Stone. Alright, almost immortal. Even if it was absolutely perfect, there was a flaw in the original forging, and the five elements failed to fully fuse. A decent attempt, but nothing above 80 for sure.

Patchouli gave an exasperated sigh and looked at her surroundings once more. A public library, early morning. The books were just standard pieces of literature, nothing big on magic. Well, even if they did have books on magic, she would have most likely read most of them. The sorrows of being brilliant. There is no re-read value sometimes. Well, that's why she has The Bohemian Archive to amuse her. She turned a page in the grimoire. Back to her train of thought.

The library was a 56, standard play for a normal library. If it was her own personal book collection, Patchouli would've created a second and/or third floor for additional book storage, with normal reading tables on the first and second, and then alchemy equipment on both the second and third floor. An extra addition would be a personal resting room on the second floor, or in an attic or basement hidden from normal sight. With music playing through the entire area at all times, based off her own personal collection of reading and writing muse inspiring songs. Once again, if it was her own private library. Perhaps she'll make one on herself someday.

[sebastian]

It was interesting to wander the streets of Hallowton which had been rebuilt since that attack from Isafaro. The closer to the Queen's castle one got; the more intact the city seemed to be. No surprises really. Any effort from the royalty to repair her city would be centered around the castle; and slowly spread out. Sp walking through this marketplace which was practically against the castle's outer wall; he could see just how much in better shape this area was compared to the slums which surrounded the Hellsing Estate. After the most recent attack on the Manor by Daikus; he had gone to great lengths to rebuild. The impressive structure had simply been a large pile of ash and rubble three days ago; and now it was restored to its former grandeur. Despite Harker's words, the playboy had offered no advanced technological aid or repairs. But that didn't matter. If he couldn't rebuild the mansion a second time; what sort of butler would he be?The news of the estate's destruction and sudden reconstruction had been choked; no one knew anything about it unless they served under Hellsing directly. Those who did serve had been given strict orders to not speak of the events to anyone. The fact that an entire manor could be rebuilt in under three hours would likely raise some questions...

Sebastian was walking down the street; people on all sides were rushing about to carry out their daily business. With his usual butler attire; no one spared him much of a glance in this Victorian Style settlement. Of course; those who knew of Hellsing, which most people did, recognized either him or the pin upon his chest which bore the Hellsing coat of arms. The result was that he received many cheerful smiles and waves. Humans were so amusing... They knew next to nothing about him. The extent of their knowledge was that he was a very capable butler who served as the organization leader's personal butler. So of course, their friendly greetings were just that... Greetings to one they considered a friend.

The tuxedo shoes came to a halt, heels together, when he reached the building which was the reason for his visit to downtown today. The public library, the main one which was the largest one Hallowton had to offer. Since Hellsing's destruction; their personal library had been fairly empty. As Hellsing had provided many books to this specific library before; the library was returning the favor. They had a large selection of books to present as gifts; and he was here to chose which ones from the selection would be accepted. A dull task really; he planned on taking a short trip around the entire realm of Genesis at some point to gather more books to rebuild Hellsing's collection. But that would have to wait until he had the free time. As he entered the building; the crimson gaze flashed over to the service desk where a young man was waving to get his attention.

Smiling pleasantly, the butler made his way over to the desk; inclining his head in greeting. "You are Hellsing's butler, correct? The books to be offered are in here." The man pointed over his shoulder to a storage room behind the desk. Sebastian nodded slowly. "Thank you, Sir." He said in a soft voice. "Sir Integra also sends her gratitude; but she was unable to fit a visit to the library in her schedule today to thank this organization personally." The man unlocked and opened the small door in the desk to grant the butler access, and the demon bowed his head again in thanks as he vanished into the storage room. The library employee re-locked the door and moved back to his position behind the desk; his services weren't required.

[Denarius]

Conversations were a lovely way to read information. News was big, especially after the sort of calamity she had heard about. All it boiled down to was that someone had wrecked the area, but was warded back by "Hellsing". Now, the town was rebuilding... So war was rampant here. Patchouli sighed lightly, raising her spectacles a bit higher as they began slipping from the bridge of her nose. Even more unsettling information. As long as she stayed here, she would need a shield, not unlike Lady Remilia's assistance back in those days... Errm... preferably, some assistance that wasn't so... ... ...

Let's move on.

Well, she wasn't looking for anything else when it came to information, unfortunately. Turns out, a library doesn't have much chatter at times. Disappointing, but also very pleasant, because it means that anything that does appear, crosses her ears instantly.

"You are Hellsing's butler, correct? The books to be offered are in here."

Hellsing, Butler, books. That was all the invitation she needed. The magician closed her book and approached the man at the desk.

"Perhaps I can assist with the books, as well?"

[sebastian]

Once in the room; he cast his gaze around the shelves here which seemed to be stuffed with books. Many of these had not been available to the public; reserved specifically for people with certain permissions. So that would allow for some variety in Hellsing's new library. The rest of these books were not exactly special books; but every library needed some of those said books. Even private libraries. There was a good number of books here which hadn't been released to the public to be rented yet; either, newer books. He stood there with his hands clasped behind his back; looking up at the shelves as he thought about the quickest and most efficient way to sort through the literature. He could use his inhumane speed to help finish the task quickly; as there were no witnesses at present. But even so; there were a lot of books... The generosity of the library was astonishing. He shifted over to the first of the shelves, reaching up with a white gloved hand to start pulling some off the shelves with promising titles.

Back at the desk, the library assistant had been surfing through a list of overdue books on his computer, when the strange girl came up. He looked rather surprised by her words, people normally didn't come forward to simply offer help. But she'd been here a while, so of course he expected she'd go to any lengths to see some not-so-public books. The fact she had been listening in on the brief exchange was something he considered quite rude. He shook his head at her. "This is Hellsing business; it does not concern you. I'm not supposed to let just anyone back there. Sorry, lady." He turned back to the computer; starting to pour over the long list again.

Sebastian halted in his work; holding a small stack of thick and leather-bound books in his arms. There was already a fairly large stack of books on one of the many tables in the room. His gaze flicked over to the door as he picked up the woman's question; and raised his eyebrows. What reasons did she have for making such an offer? From what he knew of the human race; they rarely did anything helpful unless they expected something in return. It wasn't just humans, either. Just about every species shared that mindset. Even demons like himself. He was working for Integra; and his reward in the end would be her soul. So what exactly was her reason? Perhaps she had questions for Hellsing; but hadn't been able to bring herself to the entrance herself for one reason or another. It wasn't the first time someone had lacked the courage. But if she honestly did feel like helping; then who was he to deny her?

The butler left the books he had been carrying on the desk; and moved back toward the door. "Please grant her access. There are quite a few books to sort through; her help will be appreciated." Yeah right... He could have finished the task in under an hour; but he still suspected she wanted to know things about Hellsing. And it was his duty to answer such questions. The work would move much slower with her "helping", due to him not being able to use his demon abilities; but that was irrelevant. He had time to waste. The service desk man looked over his shoulder at Sebastian, then nodded. He knew all too well how many books there were. He proceeded to unlock the small gate for her; then returned to his desk. Sebastian gestured at the woman to join him; before he turned back into the room and returned to the shelf.

[Denarius]

Patchouli dipped her head downwards in gratitude for his, even if he was doing such against his true desire, actions, and walked inside, immediately putting her attention to a shelf of books. She raised a palm, revealing a card marked with random alchemic runes, before clenching her fist, causing it to shatter. A sphere appears besides Patchouli, and from within the sphere, a book solidifies. A rather large book, even bigger than one of those classic dictionaries put on display at some of those really nice libraries. Using this book as a table, Patchouli began pulling the books off the shelves and piling them neatly onto her makeshift book-table. By now, there was no point in beating around the bush. The man was probably suspicious enough of the girl who just suddenly walks in and presents herself to help.

"Would Hellsing accept a young demon like me?"

She continued stacking the books, skimming over the titles of each as they were placed. These were wonderful books, really! Brand new ones, some even without the pages torn open for reading. Some weren't even available in normal worlds. Some in languages she had never seen (of course, she could still read these), about some topics that she barely remembered. She couldn't help but grading the quality of each, muttering them lightly, both mentally and outloud. 92, 84, 108F, 55...

"I'm hoping that the organization will allow a simple magician like me," she briefly stated, finishing the first stack of books, moving on to take another stack in her own arms.

[sebastian]

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and looked away from the shelf he had been working on and fixed the gaze upon the strange orb and book. So... A Magician? That made him even more curious as to why she was so willing to lend a hand here. But for now, he would simply wait for her to say something. He turned back to his shelf and started pulling books down again; leaving them on the desk. But when he noticed how big her book stack was; he was aware that she seemed to be grabbing every book she could. He was here to chose only those worthy enough to be in the Hellsing Archives.He made a mental note to go through her book stack once she was gone and take out the ones that would be kept and return others to their shelves. As he moved toward the next shelf; she finally spoke up. An amused smile crossed his features then. So that was the reason for her approach. He could smell the demon on her, and wondered if she was aware that he too was a demon; though a different species from herself.

Turning back to the shelf, he talked while he worked. "That would depend entirely on your reasons for wishing to join, your abilities, and what faction you'd want to become part of. I'm sure the leader would be fine with allowing a magician; assuming your magic proves useful." He shifted yet another stack of books to be kept to the desk. "I am only a servant, I serve Sir Integra as her personal butler. I cannot guarantee your acceptance as one of the factions, but I can certainly organize a meeting with her if you wish. But before we speak about anything else; introductions" He paused in his work to offer her a bow. "I am Sebastian Michaelis, the head butler of the Hellsing Estate. Whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

[Denarius]

Another flourish, another book. Patchouli now had two stacks, and only her personal grimoire in her hands. Ideal situation. Later on, she'll place two more on the top of the stacks to assist in any problems with keeping the stacks... um... stacked. She didn't want to bother getting a third stack, but eventually she would have no choice. Might as well get started with a third stack right now. Well now they were getting started on actual conversation, as disheartening it is. Certainly, the librarian has had a negative impact on the butler, most likely, and who knows how the leader Integra would take the magician's stance.

She turned as she finished placing the books in her arms, and found that Sebastian was bowing to him. With the weight of several books, Patchouli couldn't do much but bow her head downwards in reply. "Patchouli... Patchouli Knowledge, former servant to the Scarlet Devil." She was absolutely certain that he wouldn't recognize the title of Remilia Scarlet, but it was a title that Patchouli owned, and she felt a bit of guilty pleasure knowing she knew such a person. "I am skilled in 7 different forms of magic, Mr. Michaelis, all specifically meant for combat. A meeting with Integra would be ideal... ...I only have one request, should I be allowed to join."

[sebastian]

Patchouli Knowledge? Even that name carried a sense of purpose. She seemed to be quite enjoying the many books as well. He'd always known magicians to be attracted by all forms of literate; but he hadn't expected her to shelter such a powerful fondness. The name Scarlet Devil sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place the origination of the familiarity. A former servant... Another point of interest. What exactly was she? Not really human, but she didn't seem to be anything else. Possibly another demon, but he wasn't sure... Her scent was rather mixed up; perhaps due to the magic she possessed, and it made it difficult for one to identify by mere smell. There was demon, but there were many other scents present as well. There was that 'Mister' again... Amusement burned through him yet again. Why? Why was it that people were so readily able to speak with him without trying to be somewhat respectful? He was a servant, is butler attire should have given it away in an instant. A title which suggested status, such as 'mister', didn't apply to him.

"Please, just call me Sebastian, Miss." He said. 7 forms of magic, that was an impressive trait. She might prove to be of some use to Integra after all. As for the rest of her statement, he had a hunch about what she wanted. Seeing how much she liked these books was a dead give away. "You wish to remain in Hellsing's personal Library." It was a statement, not a question. "If that is the case, then you would be better off serving as a maid; a librarian; rather than a soldier. Maintaining the archives and keeping an updated inventory has fallen on my shoulders due to the lack of such an employee. Should you accept; you will not be required to meet with Sir Integra, and you will answer directly to me; as the servant faction runs under my own command. Your magician skills would serve well in protecting our literature, it has all been destroyed once already." He smiled pleasantly at her; reaching out to take one of the three large stacks from her makeshift desk. Balancing it perfectly on the tips of his fingers, he moved back to the table and set the books down; his gaze skimming over the titles on the book spines. Well, every one of these would be good additions to Hellsing's library. Perhaps he wouldn't have to go through those she chose to make sure they were acceptable.

[Denarius]

If Patchouli was shocked to hear Sebastian already know... well she is. Shocked, but with suspicion. Well, it is some sort of high-ranked representative of the Hellsing Organization, if he was able to come in the place of Integra. It was only natural he would be able to see right through her. To be honest, it was a pretty horrible front. Everything about this encounter was a disgrace to Patchouli, and would probably be the first thing for her to analyze when she gets accustomed to the library. Hell, she'll grade herself right now. 33.

Getting over her failures temporarily, Patchouli listened keenly on Sebastian's statements. Faculty member, basically. Librarian/maid of the Hellsing Organization, who would obey Sebastian directly, and perhaps Sebastian only. As the librarian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion's book collection, she has had experience in inventory and and maintenance, though she had never worked with a library that had recently been destroyed. An odd mix of comforting and worrisome factors. Well, it was what she chose to join. Perhaps Sebastian already knew, but there was no real way for her to say no by this point. She might as well ask questions. "Would my job only concern the library, or would I need to concern myself over the mansion overall? Also..." She paused as Sebastian took the book stack and placed them on the table, and continued as she eased her arms of the burden of carrying ridiculously heavy objects. "I wish to know if there is anyone of higher ranking than you that I will also have to take orders from, in any situation."

Of course, now her attention was focused more on the butler's graceful movements with what was... about 60 pounds of books. With his fingers. FingerTIPS. Patchouli gave a small smirk and placed the other two stacks on the table as well. Of course, why hadn't she caught it before?

[sebastian]

She seemed set to take up the offer already; and it was enough to make him smile inwardly. A library was all she needed to stay happy, it seemed. Fine, then she would be provided with a library. She had apparently been caught off guard by his intelligence, the ease with which he became aware of her desire. Most people reacted that way, though he tended to act ignorant for his own purposes on most occasions. Her observance of how light the books were to him didn't go unnoticed. Did she suspect what he was then? Integra had ordered him to not show himself as his true to anyone without her express permission... It seemed that he would have to be careful with his movements and actions while Patchouli was nearby. No, he wasn't showing his demon self; but if she was to be working under him... She wasn't exactly human, and humans were never aware of supernatural beings. He figured she would discover his identity eventually, so he was making no real effort to hide his species.

"Your duties would be restricted to the library alone. You may be asked on occasion to carry out general tasks about the manor, but nothing that you shouldn't be able to handle. Might I add that maintaining the archives, knowing the location of every book when 'checked-out', and helping visitors locate the literature they need will take up most of your time. That is why you won't be expected to be involved with minor tasks such as cleaning and cooking. However, in the case of a battle, you will likely be called upon to aid; though you certainly won't be placed on the front lines." He was sure there was no way she would refuse now. The fact that she would be spending all her time in the library was apparently quite appealing to her. She then asked her next question, and he was unable to hide the smile on his face as he returned his attention to yet another bookshelf; drawing up yet anther pile within seconds. Taking orders really wasn't that bad; though he could understand why she might not be to keen about that.

"Within Hellsing, rank is irrelevant. The only people who carry rank are members of the Wild Geese, a small army really; so a chain of command had to be established. The only person whom you would be required to take orders from other than the head butler is Sir Integra. But the master will most likely pass her own commands to you through me. No one else has the authority or right to order you around. However... That doesn't mean no one will make an attempt to command you. If someone unauthorized begins to give you orders; I expect you to carry out the said orders, if only to show that you are reliable. Then you may come to me and complain; I shall make it clear to the one at fault that you are not obligated to follow commands of anyone other than Sir Integra and myself." He turned back to the table, placing his next stack of books on the polished wood before returning his attention to her. "Is that acceptable, Miss Patchouli?"

[Denarius]

Patchouli began picking out more books again, muttering to herself the different grades of each once more, along with checking the titles for any books she'd want to read in her own pleasure time. Certainly a lot of them, considering how she's never read any of these... well, at least... most of them. It was nice how they can settle any issues right now, considering the fact that Sebastian was now her boss. It was odd, how she was once again, working under a head faculty figure, who worked under yet another leader for a large mansion that had a library. Fate is quite a humorous thing, and it was also very nice how she was going to live a life just like her old one. Perhaps it is not a good thing, but for Patchouli, she wished to enjoy this long period of recovery before moving on to the next phase of life. She has yet to recover, and change was not going to happen any time soon.

Now Patchouli kept her focus almost entirely on the shelf, using her two books to carry stack after stack to the table, and was even tempted to summon a third book to add to her service, but was distracted from such an idea when Sebastian turned back to face Patchouli, who turned around to face him. "I accept these terms... Thank you for accepting me as the librarian of the Hellsing Organization. Is there anything I should know, or will that be all in terms of this agreement?"

[sebastian]

The butler reached into an inside pocket of his tailcoat and pulled out a neatly folded piece of parchment paper. He unfolded it; crimson gaze sweeping over his own elegant manuscript handwriting. After a moment, he held out the paper to place it on top of one of Patchouli's book stacks. "The books listed on this paper were checked out by various Hellsing residents before the mansion's attack; each resident is also listed. Assuming that the books were not in the manor, they should all be intact. When you find the time, I'd appreciate it if you could try to track down these books; find out which ones have not been destroyed and make a new list of them." Sebastian's eyes darkened at her question then; and he turned back to the table and began to skim over the titles on the book spines.

"There is one man you should be aware of, by the name of Constantine Harker. He runs the organization under Integra. At present, I see no reason for him to visit the library. But he does have plans to... Well... Improve the manor. He is a rude man with absolutely no sense of proper etiquette. He is arrogant and likes to live in his fantasy of being the most important person within the organization, simply because of high 'rank' as you called it. Should he visit the library; do your best to tolerate him. If he chooses to do research of any sort; I want to know the titles of the books he uses. Technically, both he and Seras have power over you, but Harker will most likely overlook a maid. Seras is more kind; and if she needs something done, she will usually ask you politely to do so. Finally, one more point... Upon the Hellsing grounds, there is a tomb. I do not know how often you will be moving around outside of the library, but I must caution you to keep your distance from the tomb; much less enter it. The resident doesn't take kindly to intruders."

He took one of the books from the stacks she made and opened it; flipping gingerly through the pages as if it was a fragile living thing. After a moment of silence, he closed it and returned the leather to the stack; turning back to face the new Librarian. His smile had returned. "You're doing well so far; the books you have selected are acceptable additions to our library. I trust you can use your good judgment to complete your selections. I will be returning to manor now, if you have no more questions. Once you have finished here; leave everything neatly stacked on the desk, and come to the estate." He handed her another slip of paper which had the address written on it in his fancy handwriting. "You will have no trouble finding us. Just about anyone who resides in Hallowton should be able to point you in the right direction. Upon arrival; I will provide a tour, and show you to your room. Tomorrow; you will accompany me to this library to pick up the selected books."

[Denarius]

He was going on for a while. Looks like the book stacking will have to wait for now. She turned around and walked to the table, taking the folded parchment. Already, a job. It seemed difficult, but if all Hellsing members eventually returned to the mansion, then there should be no problem. Really, it's just a small side task, isn't it? Besides, none of these could compare to the job of documenting the books that vanish under the hand of Marisa Kirisame. "This will be updated as soon as possible."

Sebastian then went on talking about the one who seemed to be working on the mansion, Harker. It only served to annoy her, how specialists like him would act as how they do. However, it will have to be ignored. Though it was a very unsettling feeling, having a man she did not even know enter her sanctuary and alter its details. Even if she was to tolerate him, there was no way she would let the man go too far in his work. Well... did she really have any say in such a matter? In fear of saying something that may not fit the purpose, Patchouli held her tongue as Sebastian moved on to the next point.

Patchouli couldn't help but smile as he quickly flipped through one of the books. Of course they would be suitable, there was no other option to be played when working with a person like her. Though, it did seem that Patchouli should now pay a little more attention with her book choice. It seemed Sebastian was already leaving. Well, then the true induction would have to wait for another day. She'll finish the rest of her work and be off for Hellsing soon afterwards. Patchouli took the address, bowing to Sebastian. "Yes, thank you sir. I will see you soon, with luck."

[sebastian]

As soon as possible? Well, he couldn't ask anymore than that. It probably wouldn't take long to track down the books; he knew exactly where every single resident who checked one out lived. Some might have called him a creeper, but he felt in necessary to know the exact location of each book. Most of the literature within the library before the bomb had been a gift from the Queen herself; books on countless topics of of a wide variety of ages. He'd pulled as many as he could from the wreckage of the manor; and he had filled two entire shelves with the books after he'd mended the survivors. It hadn't been too bad; the most precious of the literature had been kept in a far corner of the library, where flames from the explosion hadn't reached. Those had simply been buried under rubble, and had proven easily retrievable. As she bowed to him, he felt himself almost return the bow. She was under his command now, he had no reason to return such a gesture. So he merely inclined his head, still smiling. "You will certainly see me again soon." He was about to leave, but stopped just long enough say one more thing. "Ah yes, your pay... You will be compensated generously. If money isn't your desirable form of payment; then we will provide something else which is more satisfying in return for your services."

With those words, he turned and strolled from the storage room; stopping to speak briefly with the man behind the desk. "I must take my leave, good Sir. Miss Patchouli will finish sorting through the books." He tipped his head toward the door to indicate the female. "I shall return tomorrow to pick up the literature." The man simply nodded, then went back to browsing more lists on his computer. The demon butler swept from the library, and turned onto the main street as he began to make his way back to the Hellsing Estate. He had much to report to Integra, and there was cleaning to be done before he prepared her evening tea. He was looking forward to seeing what she could do in the future, she would make a good addition to the group of self-sufficient servants he planned to hire. Servants who could carry out their duties, and still prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the case of another attack.



((Exit Sebastian))