Disturbing Silence [Ambrose + Shae]

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It was too quiet.

Usually, there would be conversation all around him, the screams and constant vying for attention.  The shelves would unnaturally stay still in the constantly drumming volume.  There was hardly a murmur now; a hush had fallen.

The paper had told the truth.

Ambrose wandered the shelves of the library in an attempt to get used to such silence.  It was unnerving, unsettling-- disturbing.  That he could come up with so many words for "it" was even more disturbing, turning him to browse the titles on the adjacent shelving.  It didn't help.  He continued walking not even a minute later, taking turns at random, determined to become lost in words he no longer heard.

Why would They do this?

Another pause, another flip on the pages of a random book-- the question irked him to no end.  They loved to prattle, to have him hear.  Why stop it?  The signature was Laughter's, and he knew to trust the deity, but . . .  That such progress was made without his involvement was insulting.  He couldn't control the voices on his own, so They stepped in.  In the end, he had done nothing.

He had met Ambrose before- although so far he had neither an impression nor an opinion of the boy. Any information he had had was never important enough for him to bother remembering it for long, so he knew him- but that was about it. However he knew enough to be aware that he was going to be more interesting company than 'Tales of the Pacific,' the book that had found its way into his hands today. Not that he had taken in any of the words on the page as he read them. They went in one eye and out the other, so to speak.

He didn't really have an excuse for approaching- but then he helped out in the library right? It was his job. Possibly.
"Hello can I help you with something?" he smiled amiably as he walked over, his pace a casual stroll. "Perhaps looking for a particular book? A particular subject?" even helping people to find books- hell even pretending to help people find books was more fun than the alternative silence and boredom.

The rise in volume startled him, Ambrose inhaling quickly but for a brief moment.  It was only someone speaking; there was no need to . . . overreact.  Then again, this was Shae.  Shae was one to be cautious around, he knew.  He turned towards the shelves to make sure there wasn't an eerie blue light being cast about.  He didn't turn back around.

"Just . . . browsing," he said slowly, used to spacing out his words rather than saying them all at once.  He had to break such habits; he pressed forward: "Perhaps . . . a book on psychology?"  To figure out why They did this.  Somehow.

Just browsing- aren't we all he thought dully. Browsing without any sense of purpose. At least he knew he was. He'd run out of specifics quite some time ago...
Psychology though. That was a bit more specific- although definitely not in this section,suggesting Ambrose had only just decided upon it.

"Psycology eh? Well this way then..." He began to walk in that direction. "Any particular reason for this interest in the workings of the mind...?" It had never struck him as a topic this boy had shown particular interest in- not that he would call himself an expect on what Ambrose cared about, he didn't really know at all. Still, it was something to note... "Something troubling you in your head?" he chuckled.

Ambrose followed after a brief pause; he did not trust Shea quite yet, nor would he begin to soon.  He kept his eyes halfway on the floor to spot any abandoned coins and the like.

"Others," was his immediate response before remembering yet again that he could use more words.  He was determined to not let this habit control him.  "Others minds . . . not mine."  His mind was fixed now, with or without his own help.  That They could do that to him was a reminder of Their power . . .  Ambrose raised up his head slightly.

"Mythology books," he added to his previous request, because he had been assuming that The Power That Be's minds were still of human logic.

Shae reached the appropriate section and began pulling down a couple of appropriate books.
Other peoples minds aye? So he was trying to read into someone... or a group of people. Or he was just saying that. Ah what endless possibilities- he sighed with internal sarcasm, wondering how bored he must truly be to find the prospect of such things intriguing.

"Ah I see.." he mused casually, with a twinge of unspoken annoyance as they were now going to have to back track to the previous section for a book on Mythology. He didn't let it show, however. "Mythology you say?" he held out the books he was currently holding. "Just back here for mythology... although if there's some specific kind of mythology we may have more luck in other places..."

He followed Shae just a few paces back, making sure to keep the will-o-wisp boy within his peripherals but not directly in his line of sight. He wasn't risking anything. The books were taken after a moment's pause and without thanks, his gaze glued on their titles. The Inner Workings of the Mind, Diving into Psychology, two simply labeled Psychology with various numbers afterwards . . . Ambrose stepped back to allow Shae passage around him, hearing what the other boy said oddly clearly.

"Not Greek," he said after a moment's thought-- he was used to it taking several. The new pace was ever-refreshing. "They misinterpreted too much."