[continuations with tiny!Charles]

[mind_over_metal]

[so short and tiny and cute etc.]

Comments

[mind_over_metal]

*looks up at Erik and defiantly tucks the book under his free arm.*

What's up on the top shelf?

[godwinner]

[ pulls one out and holds it up for Charles' inspection:

The Care and Feeding of Camp Fauna ]

I believe we're in the section with books specific to this place.

[mind_over_metal]

We should try somewhere else, then. Maybe over there.

*turning around to look at another group of shelves, he doesn't see one of the books from the camp section start to slip threateningly off the shelf... as though moving on its own...*

[godwinner]

[ he does, of course, and quickly reaches out a hand to Charles' arm to jerk him out of the way. ]

[mind_over_metal]

*jerks away from him and throws up an arm to shield himself from... Erik, apparently, as if bracing himself against being struck*

[godwinner]

[ is still for a split second, then closes the distance to his raised arm and hauls Charles out of the way just as the book snaps at the space where he was standing ]

[mind_over_metal]

*apparently oblivious to Erik's pause (and the reason for it), his head whips around at the snapping noise to stare at the vicious book*

That's- The book!

[godwinner]

[ bemused ]

Careful.

[mind_over_metal]

*not fighting Erik's grip on his arm at all*

Are they alive?

[godwinner]

Things here do seem to have a mind of their own.

[ releases him, still watching carefully, though not for any errant books ]

[mind_over_metal]

*start moving slowly toward where the book now lays twitching on the ground, in the way that one would approach a skittish animal*

What else? Has a mind of its own like that, that is.

[godwinner]

Your cabin, for one.

I'm not going to pull you out of the way if it attacks again.

[mind_over_metal]

*not stopping*

I know to expect it this time, though.

What does the cabin do? It didn't seem strange last night.

[godwinner]

You might say it's rather protective. It won't let anyone in if neither you or Leto are with them.

[mind_over_metal]

Oh. That's funny.

*just slightly more than arm's-reach away from the book, he slowly starts to reach out a hand toward it, eyes intensely focused on his target*

Where do you live?

[godwinner]

[ watching just as closely, but not moving a muscle ]

Nowhere.

[mind_over_metal]

*freezes when the book snaps in his direction but doesn't draw his hand back. waits a moment, then takes another step toward it and slowly lowers himself into a crouch*

That's impossible. You have to be somewhere.

[godwinner]

Right now, I'm sleeping over the cabin where the rest of the mutants live, but it's temporary.

[mind_over_metal]

Santo said that they all live together! And you're there, too!

*scoots forward close enough to touch -- and the book flips around to snap at him-

-so he full-body tackles it*

[godwinner]

[ that startles a laugh out of him ]

[mind_over_metal]

*rolls over onto his back, hugging the book tightly to his chest with both arms -- and looks up at Erik, a little surprised in turn, before bursting into a grin back at him*

[godwinner]

What're you going to do with it now that you've caught it?

[mind_over_metal]

*apparently, he could smile even more brightly than that*

Keep it. For a while, at least. It's a library book, I can only borrow it.

[godwinner]

It won't let you read it.

[mind_over_metal]

It's alive. There's more to it than just reading it. Besides, maybe it will let me, eventually.