The way Sera described it, the party would be more of an initiation rite than anything else. A way to mark a transition, like puberty almost. Ceremonies like that were intended to drag the liminal being (in the halfway, fuzzy, almost-there state) into a new life. Was it tribal politics, human nature, or both that people felt such ceremonies necessary? Thoughts buzzed around as she listened and read book titles.
She paused at a tome whose spine read 'Dissertations on Enochian Vowel Forms' with a quizzical expression. Was there a card catalogue or something? Oh, paper! What she wouldn't do for a search engine for this.
When Sera started getting serious again, the creepiness edging into her voice, the shifting of attention stopped. Techs, then, were like the police. Avoid. The name, at first, had frightened her a bit -- she was a tech (technician). Her whole life revolved around tech. And she was new and didn't know the specifics.
The liminal state is a dangerous place. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know what was expected, and wasn't that why she was here? Visiting the library was a kind of ceremony then, passing a locked threshold, being granted new words.
There wasn't any drinking or music right now, but it was as good as a party, to her mind.
And then, much like a party, people just started showing up, or showing themselves. Sid appeared out of nowhere from within the stacks, to whom Grace gave a grin and wave.
And Hawksley, shirtfull, but no less distracting, asking her when she'd like to have that party. "Oh, well, it's.." She almost said, 'your party' but no, it really wasn't. "I'll leave that up to you, I guess."
Her head cocked at his 'Also', the mental machine chewing on that one. Just as soon as he'd said it, he accosted Sid with her name and threatened her with a hug, and Grace laughed. "Don't believe it, Sid."
She paused at a tome whose spine read 'Dissertations on Enochian Vowel Forms' with a quizzical expression. Was there a card catalogue or something? Oh, paper! What she wouldn't do for a search engine for this.
When Sera started getting serious again, the creepiness edging into her voice, the shifting of attention stopped. Techs, then, were like the police. Avoid. The name, at first, had frightened her a bit -- she was a tech (technician). Her whole life revolved around tech. And she was new and didn't know the specifics.
The liminal state is a dangerous place. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know what was expected, and wasn't that why she was here? Visiting the library was a kind of ceremony then, passing a locked threshold, being granted new words.
There wasn't any drinking or music right now, but it was as good as a party, to her mind.
And then, much like a party, people just started showing up, or showing themselves. Sid appeared out of nowhere from within the stacks, to whom Grace gave a grin and wave.
And Hawksley, shirtfull, but no less distracting, asking her when she'd like to have that party. "Oh, well, it's.." She almost said, 'your party' but no, it really wasn't. "I'll leave that up to you, I guess."
Her head cocked at his 'Also', the mental machine chewing on that one. Just as soon as he'd said it, he accosted Sid with her name and threatened her with a hug, and Grace laughed. "Don't believe it, Sid."