Even though the years had not been kind to Algernon, it was obvious the years had given the Library a manicure and a facial. The Brunnhold Library looked as it did the first time Algernon entered its doors, fifteen years before. The giant alleyways of books seemed unchanged. To Algernon, they held the secrets of Vita; one could find a book on almost anything if he so pleased.

After being swallowed by the ‘Natural Science’ and ‘Scrying’ sections, he finally made his way to the ‘Living Magic’ section. A small text on anatomy was under his arm. He decided, before he could actually apply for any positions in the infirmary, he must become well versed in the art of understanding the human body.

That morning he was struck by an anvil of inspiration; he almost ran out of his newly purchased Two Falls apartment screaming eureka. He realized what he was going to do with his life; he was going to become a healer. He knew Alioe wanted him to pack the medical and Living magic books for a reason, but alas, his own library was a mere play thing compared to the Brunnhold Library. He was going to read up on everything in the ‘Anotamy’, ‘Healing’, and ‘Living Magic’ sections until his mind was about to explode.

Finding a well varnished desk and chair by a window that looked over the whole campus, he began to read. His mind has become enveloped in organs and what spells were best to ease swelling, his studying had begun and it would probably never end. He was especially amused by how simple it was to make a patient sit still just by casting rigor mortis; he had seen a few badly injured students come back from duels a bit squirmy in his student days.

The sun had poked through the gloomy clouds and began to blind the former clerk.

“Blasted sun.” He muttered, shielding his face from his one obstacle.

Inasmuch as Aurelie ever liked any duties that weren't kitchen related, she enjoyed cleaning in the library. When there was no one else around, she could glide from shelf to shelf, pretending priviledges she didn't have. She would shut her eyes to block out the sight of her blue dress, and breathe in deep that heavy smell of books. Usually she would imagine herself a student, though sometimes (usually after someone had made some remark or another) she pictured herself a graduate and woman grown, come back to the place of her youth. For all that she hated galdori and was glad to not be among their number, even she dreamt of a life that could have been hers.

Of course, this fantasy usually worked much better when there was no one else in the library. A male voice came from nearby, and her lips pulled into something of a frown. A man and probably a galdor. Delightful. With a little sigh, she took her duster up again and tried to walk by as unobtrusively as possible.

Algernon’s makeshift shield was keeping up nicely, keeping the evil sunrays from penetrating his irises. He had reached a chapter about broken bones, something he had never experienced, nor wished to experience. Though some of the books he read said that one should know exactly how a patient feels, but that seemed to extreme for conservative Algernon.

His index finger glided under every word, keeping him in place. As a boy he usually lost his place and re-read several sentences twice. One day his brain reached a simple solution: his index finger. He would follow the sentences word for word. Sure it took him until he was fourteen to realize that he could just trace the sentences with his finger, but he realized it and that’s all that matters.

Algernon’s left arm had begun to shake and ache; it had been in the same place too long and wanted to rest. He would have complied with the appendage’s request, but if he put his hand down at all, the sun would break through his defenses and blind him once more. Right when all hope seemed lost, he heard the sound of footsteps and dusting. A passive! He looked to his right and saw down the aisle that had previously held the volume on Living Magic, a petit red head in a blue dress. The individual reeked of passivity, if that was possible, and Algernon saw her as the perfect opportunity to fix the blinds and stop the menacing sun forever.

“Girl, can you come here please? I am hoping you could help me.” A false smile was plastered on his face, he didn’t like angering passives; they could take out the whole school.

Oh, bells and chimes, she'd been spotted. So much for continuing about her day unhindered. She stop and turned on her heels, wincing when she remembered that these particular heels were non-existent at this juncture in time. Irritated at the interruption and more than a little mad at herself for effectively grinding her feet into the floor, Aurelie's bow was perhaps not as respectful as it should have been.

"What do you require, sir?" That wasn't as respectful as it could have been, either. Watch it now, girl, you're going to get yourself in trouble if you don't calm down. She tried to balance it out with a smile, though she didn't lift her eyes. Not for the first time, she was glad to not have one of those crackling fields that could give away emotion.

The passives disobedience did not register in Algernon’s head; it may have been because he hadn’t called on a passive in some time or it may have been because passives brought fear into his meager heart. Even though this passive girl was smaller than him, he knew that somewhere in her, there was an innate power that would put a magister to shame. Messing with it would have been like poking a sleeping sabu, never wise.

“Can you please close these blinds?” Algernon gestured to his left; about five feet above him were sparkling green curtains. “I would reach it myself, but I do not want to lose my place in this book. It is about anatomy, quite an amazing subject. It’s the study of the body.” Algernon spoke to her as if she was a six year old; he was quite sure she had never heard the word “anatomy”.

“I am not disrupting your work am I? I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble with whoever you report to for taking time away from your…” Algernon glanced down at the passives hand. “dusting.”

Of course you're disrupting my work, she wanted to say. She also wanted to kick him in his abnormally long foreign shins, but while Aurelie Steerpike was not particularly clever in many, many ways, she knew when not to do something that would get her into more trouble than being locked away with no food. Instead she went to get the curtain rod with a muffled 'yes sir'.

"I-- I know what anatomy is. Sir." She couldn't resist that, that little confirmation that she wasn't entirely thick. She couldn't read very well, maybe, but she still knew what words meant.

Algernon was surprised at the girls knowledge. He didn't know much about passivity, but he did know that they didn't know as much as galdori. Algernon immediately became suspicious of the girl, though his suspicions were subsided when he realized she was probably taught the word when she was still being brought up as a galdor. Algernon thought about that notion for a moment; all passives were brought up as galdori, how horrible for them. If only there was a way to learn of a child's passivity sooner; it must be horrible having all that taken away while you are able to remember it. Now Algernon was not opposed to having the passives in Brunnhold, he thought it was probably safer for everyone if it was like that, but he wondered if there was a way to actually cure passivity. A peculiar thought, but worth looking into; Algernon made a mental note.

"Oh! I'm sorry, girl. I didn't think you were subject to those types of words when you were ... um ... younger." Algernon immediately wanted to snatch back the comment and tear it up into a million trillion pieces. It probably wasn't a good idea to bring up the girls childhood; she must have add so many loving memories with her parents that she would never be able to reclaim. Needless to say, Algernon felt like chrove shite.

"I ... erm ... I'm sorry about that. That's probably a sour subject, I meant no offense." Algernon quickly put his head back into his book and pretended like he was reading, he didn't want to look into the young girls eyes.

It was probably for the best that Algernon wasn't looking at Aurelie after what he said. The expression on her face was less than kind, all over with thunder and murder.'When she was younger', was it then? Feh. Galdori prat, bells and chimes she didn't like him already. She never liked any of them, snotty, spoilt things. Rare exceptions aside.

"There was no offense. Though. I have a name, sir," she said, then bit her poisonous tongue. Evidently there was nothing in the world that could make her keep things like that in her fool head. What was it that was making her push so hard against the walls of the university of late? She wasn't always like this, she remembered, full of spite and nastiness-- at least not as far as anyone else could see. Lately she could feel the walls getting smaller, and that small, desperate fluttering in her stomach getting faster and heavier with every passing day. She was suffocating under the weight of all that stone.

Her back was held stiff and straight as she bowed again, turning slightly and hoping to get back to her dusting. With any luck she'd be ignored like living furniture again.

Algernon fiddled with the red ribbon bookmark that was now only a few centimeters away from his mouth. If his hair was anything like it was in his youth, he would have looked like a blonde basset hound on the scent of an insidious killer. He didn't want to look up for fear of passive wrath. He didn't mean to insult the girl, but it had happened and there was no way for him to reclaim the words.

Only when the girl had turned did he lift his head. Algernon felt for the girl, it wasn't her fault she was cursed. Algernon's head started spinning. Why was it that the chosen few, the passives, were the cursed? It didn't make any sense, there had to be some rhyme or reason to their existence, right? Algernon made another mental note, then returned to his books.