Bits and Pieces
2
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Bits and Pieces Chapter Two (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply
A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST
WOMAN ALIVE™, Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta…
loverly and wondermous for archiving/hosting.
J
lol. Readers/Reviewers:
“What on
Earth are you doing?”
“Zen
dusting,” Jubilee answered, her eyes closed.
“I *am* the dust…”
Mark sighed
and closed the thick, leather bound book he had been skimming for answers.
away from Jubilee, within arm’s reach, and he watched her reach out and grasp
the handle without opening her eyes. “It
also goes a bit better if you can see what you’re doing.”
She sighed
in the way only a teenaged girl can, expression frustration, amusement, boredom
and a world weariness that seemed particular to the under twenty set.
awareness,” she said tartly, giving the wooden bookshelf in front of her a
halfhearted swipe with the duster. “Now
I’m using my powers of vision and that’s not going to help me at all in a
fight.”
“Unless
you’re fighting the Dust Beast of Necron Five, I
don’t think catnapping in front of a chore will be of much use, training
wise.” He took up an armful of books
students had left decorating the study tables and began the long trek around
the room, replacing them in their slotted homes.
is like herding cats.” Mark frowned as
he slotted The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
next to a business management textbook.
Mythologytitle="">
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here?” he sighed in exasperation. “I
keep telling you people that it belongs in the oak case by the window!”
Jubilee
snorted. “The oak case?
manuals and junk?” She poked the duster
idly at some of the books, making art deco patterns in the thin layer of dust
that seemed to settle everywhere in the mansion once spring came.
“Well, yes.”
raised. “Where else would you keep
information on the care and feeding of gods?”
He tucked the book into it’s allotted spot and smiled at it
beatifically. “At least these gods.
keep over there,” he nodded in the direction of the cage-like case in the
middle of the room.
It looked more like a display than
something available for perusal, but now Jubilee was interested.
have no idea…” and padded, barefoot, over to the locked case.
“Why not?” Mark shrugged, sighing
inwardly. He did not feel like
explaining the intricacies of the books to her.
It was not that he did not think she could understand them but rather
that she was not ready to do so. “Finish
dusting and you can go for the day.
Weren’t you and Kitty supposed to go get your nails done or something
equally girly?”
She snorted, narrowing her eyes as
she found a green-covered book tucked into the corner of the case.
but she thought she could make it out… “Kitty
and Kurt had a fight,” she murmured. “She’s
crying to Rogue… Dunno why Rogue.”
“Ah…” Mark noticed the direction of
her gaze and felt his own curiosity piqued.
“I have an appointment in town myself soon and the library is going to
be closed. Maybe it *would* be a good
idea if you finished up later…”
“Uh huh, later… You know what this
is?” She asked, tapping her nail against the glass over the green book.
“It’s a book.”
“Nice, Mister Smartass.
Yin…” She bent closer, her breath
fogging the glass. “In book form, but
still…”
Mark nodded, bending to peer at the
book as well. “It’s quite old, a reprint
of the original scroll which never would have survived the atmosphere
here. I’d love to have the original but…
oh well. This is still quite rare and the content has not changed.”
Jubilee bit her lip.
her cheeks. “It’s not really often I see
stuff like this here… Sometimes I feel like I’m the only Chinese in Bayville.”
Mark bit his tongue on a comment
about the ethnic make up of the town. “We
can talk later… I understand Remy is coming back today.” He winced as soon as
he said it. The thunderous expression that came over Jubilee’s face was
Gorgonian in it’s ferocity.
“Remy can kiss my ass,” she
growled. “On second thought, he can kiss
ass.” She turned away from the case and
stomped over to where she left the duster, swiping angrily at the shelves.
“There was no joy in
Mark quipped, gently removing the smudge mark Jubilee’s finger had left on the
glass with the corner of his sleeve.
Jubilee was silent for a long time,
the only sound the soft whoosh of the synthetic fibers over the polished
wood. “I’m not a child,” she said
finally, no trace of irony or petulance in her voice.
gesture and turned to face Mark. “I’m
sick and tired of being treated like I’m six.
I know I act like a kid sometimes…” She sighed.
Mark nodded slowly.
lock up and get myself together for this meeting in town… If you’d like, we can
talk about the book later, alright?”
“I know a brush off when I get it,”
she sighed. “Fine.”
doorway, turning to look at him over her shoulder.
think of me like that.”
Mark was unaccountably insulted. “
Hey!” he called after her, but stopped short of saying anything else.
It was
morning and his meeting was at eleven. Turning
his eyes heavenward, he sighed. “Why did
I take a job with children again?”
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Hamilton’s Mythology, along with Bullfinch’s Mythology is
considered one of the best, albeit now very dated, sources for Greek and Roman
myths and legends.
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