Demons are Interesting

Who: Thom and Lauren
Where: Library
When: Early afternoon

Thom was what he considered 'fully recovered' today - which meant that whilst he still had wicked claw marks down the side of his face (though he'd worked up a spell the night before, some cream infused with herbs and white magic that was meant to promote healing and reduce scarring - it was just a pity that it smelled of flowery girly crap), he no longer felt like someone had taken several decades off his lifespan. He was calling it good, and he'd left his bed behind.

As he'd decided at the weekend, though, he didn't go back to school. His mom, Ashbelle, had supported him in that. She would tell the school whatever they needed to hear, plus give them shit about being the reason her son was 'traumatised' in the first place was because of their 'official' trip. It was covered. He had better things to do now than go to school.

Still, it had been a busy morning. Booking lessons to learn to shoot, picking up papers to get himself a gun license, stepping up on a few other things. Next up was on a more knowledge basis. He needed to get to Nevermore at some point, but wanted to stop by the library first to pick up some books on local history. Myth, legend, all of that on top of fact. He wanted to know as much as he could about the area. Look over everything he already knew. See if there was anything he might have missed before.

He walked up the steps and pushed open the main door, stamping slush off his boots as he headed inside.

Lauren had gone to school this morning, hoping to find Gabe, among other things. He wasn't there. What there was, was a lot of weird talk about werewolves on the news, and in the papers she'd seen on the way there. That had freaked her out. She was worried about him - very worried. He'd just vanished, and now all this stuff about werewolves being arrested and people wanting to breed with them to create super babies? Weird. Worrying, and weird.

In reaction to how upset she was about her friend vanishing she hadn't been able to maintain an appearance other than her ghostly one - veins and milky eyes, the whole shebang - and people hadn't taken kindly to that. People were freaked out about demons, and the head had told Lauren it might be best if she didn't show up. Lauren hadn't liked that, but what could you do? It might take the word that she wasn't dangerous a while to spread - that was, if Tad was bothering to spread it. So now she was back in the Library.

"Oh, shut up will you?" she snapped at the librarian who was giving her that look as she sat by one of the desks in the main hall, her mangled hand in a lamp sucking up energy so she could turn the pages of an advanced algebra book. You could take the girl out of school, but not school out of the girl. Maybe.

She glanced over her shoulder as someone stamped into the Library, thinking that if anyone said a word about the bone jutting out of her leg or the flickering she was causing she was going to absolutely go off. The librarian was one thing, she was always uptight (and practically Lauren's roommate), but a stranger? Ooh, gosh, Lauren was not in the mood.

Thom's attention wasn't on the ghost girl. He was focused, and he knew where he wanted to go. He headed straight for the local history section without even glancing her way, and started taking books off the shelves, one after another, piling them between his chest and left arm until he'd got as many as he could carry. then he headed over to a table, dropping them onto the surface and pulling out a chair to sit. It was only then that he realised, as he reached for the first book - one on local Native American historical custom and practice - that he wasn't alone. And that the girl sitting opposite was very definitely not alive. "Er... hi?" he suggested.

Lauren glared, even though she wasn't usually the glarey type. "Hello," she said in an uncharacteristic clipped fashion, "Lots of homework then? How nice," her sarcasm was obvious and she turned back to her algebra book with slight huffing, "Although you could probably do that in the school library, couldn't you? They'll probably let you in there, and then you wouldn't have to come and slam all your books all over my desk, although maybe you think I shouldn't be allowed to have a desk because I'm dead," halfway through her rant Lauren kind of trailed off and seemed more like she was grumbling to herself like a stroppy old woman rather than actually shouting at the boy. She looked back up at him and frowned - she recognised him from somewhere. His eyes, anyway. Maybe.

Thom raised an eyebrow and flipped the page on his book. "Actually, it's not homework," he told her, calmly. He wasn't someone who was easily riled. Surprised, yeah - though mostly he could cover that. But not angry. "If it was homework, then right now I'd be playing hookie right now. And I'm not. I'm just reading in the library. And the desk isn't yours. or mine. It's a public desk in a public library - we both have equal rights to it."

"Well, I was here first..." said Lauren rather weakly, not buying her own chat, and making a bit of a face, "Ugh, sorry, that was petulant, wasn't it? I'm a grump today. I have been recently. I'm sure I wasn't always. I don't know," she sighed and scrutinized him closely, "You do go to the high school though, don't you? I swear you've got a familiar face," she was prattling slightly, even though she was vaguely aware of his vibe that he wanted to be reading - like she always did when someone turned up who wasn't running and screaming - she always had a lot of words and thoughts she wanted to get off her chest.

Thom gave her a smile. "Yeah, I go to the high school," he confirmed, amused at her saying he had a familiar face. Near enough everyone knew him - or knew of him anyway. He was practically famous - especially since the rest of the band went off to become famous. Though, ghost, possibly she didn't know that much about high school. "Thom - Thom Harkin," he said, not offering his hand, he didn't want to seem rude.

"Harkin!" said Lauren, the familiar eyes suddenly clicking, Lauren's face lighting up, "I know you! Or, well, no, I guess I know your... Aunt, maybe? She have siblings? Heck. She must be like 50 years old now. Is that how old I'd be? I guess so. You related to Ashbelle Harkin? With the big goofy braces? That's so weird!" said Lauren, babbling brightly, and then stopping herself because that was weird. To think that one of her old high school friends would be old now, with a family... She'd never thought to look any of them up. Painful memories. "Um, wow, I hope you actually are related otherwise you're gonna think the grave's gone to my head, huh?" she said with a more sedate tone, blushing slightly.

"Ashbelle's my mom," Thom told her with a smile that was bordering on proud. He and his mother had always been close - it had always just been the two of them, after all. "So... Did you know her at school or something?" he asked, curious about that. His mom didn't talk about her past that much.

"Your Mom?" said Lauren with wide eyes, feeling weird. Ashbelle'd had kids? Lauren didn't know how she felt about that, "Wow. She was my friend, yeah. Not my bestie or anything, but we hung. She was pretty much the only person who ever got better grades than me, she could be kind of intense about that kind of thing. I can't believe she's got kids... I just. I always thought I'd have kids before her, I guess," she said biting her lip and looking down, feeling a sudden pang of... something.

That was... a shock, really. Or, maybe not a shock, but it was definitely a trip. Sure he knew that his mom must have been his age once, but to meet someone who looked his age (weird white ghost eyes and looking dead aside) and finding out that she was actually his mom's age - yeah, that was trippy. "Kid," he corrected. "Just kid - just me," he clarified.

Lauren looked back up at Thom and readjusted herself slightly, scrutinizing him, "You got her eyes like crazy - what does she do now? Who'd she end up marrying? I can't even imagine her having a boyfriend let alone getting married! Although, oh, your last name's Harkin, huh? So I guess she didn't get married... or got divorced or something. Uh. Sorry," she made an embarrassed face and moved on quickly, forgetting that you were meant to be a little more tactful and a little less rambly with people. Gosh, she was turning into Tad at this rate, "Anyhow, she had these braces for a while, really goofy things - dental hygiene back in the day was way gross at times, let me tell you. Although she had them taken out pretty soon after junior high. Jeez-o! I forget about all this stuff. I never see anyone I knew when I was live and kicking. It's funny. I figured everyone had moved on but me, but Ashbelle's still in Marquette. That's... reassuring. In a way," she said with a half-hearted smile.

Thom shook his head, sending his shaggy hair swaying. "No - she never married. I never knew my dad," he admitted, with the same deep pang he always felt when he wondered who his father was. He'd never found out, and he still held the overly-romantic theory that his mother and father had been very much in love, but that his mother's destiny as a protector had come between them. That it was only that his mother was simply unable to put the love of her life first that meant that Thom had a father figure missing. As terrible as that was, and no matter what that said about Thom's future and the possibility of him having any kind of a real family of his own, he preferred it to the thought that maybe his mom had simply gone out one day and gotten herself pregnant. "And she's a judge now, still in Marquette an everything," he confirmed.

"A judge!? Holy!" Lauren wasn't that shocked - Ashbelle was smart as anything, and had always talked about being a Lawyer or a Doctor or something with a bunch of letters after the name - it was more just the image of her old friend being, well, old. Sitting behind a polished wooden bench with a polished wooden hammer. "Well, she'll always be the girl with the goofy braces to me. You two get along? Is she happy? Without a husband I mean. I figure it'd be tough, being alone and bringing up a kid and having such a busy job and all."

"We get along okay - I mean, she's a great mom," Thom said with utmost sincerity. Sure, he didn't see her even half as much as he'd like. He'd pretty much had to raise himself, and spent a lot of time alone, but he understood the pressures of his mom's life and he believed in what she was doing. He was probably her biggest fan, and wouldn't hear a word said against her - unless he was saying it when he was in a pissy mood, of course.

Lauren smiled and perhaps, if she hadn't have been in such bad shape when she'd manifested, her appearance would've flickered slightly. But there was no way to tell. "Well that's sweet, but how come you're not in school? Are you in college? There is no way on earth any Ashbelle Harkin I knew would let her kid mooch off school, mister. She was always pretty gung-ho about grades and all that," then Lauren paused and wondered if she'd maybe put her foot in it again, "Oh, unless, were you on that school trip of death and demonic destruction? Are you like... taking some time off?" she asked, finally registering that yes, behind the long hair, his face was pretty ripped to shreds. Ouch.

Thom took a deep breath before answering, so he didn't snap at her questioning. "yeah, I was on that trip. And I'm also a straight-A student, and i have enough credits to graduate already. I'm a senior and just taking classes to bide time until college, so I figured that this-" he indicated the large stack of books on local lore and legend on the table between them, turning the so that she could see the spines. "-was a better use of my time. You never know what you're going to find out."

"Well, straight-A student sounds more like it," said Lauren brightly, peering at the books he had before him with interest, "I was, too, you know. Senior, lots of credits, honor roll, school choir, all that. Then I ruined it by getting killed and now I'm stuck until they finally reactivate my old school records and let me take my last couple classes and graduate... but blah blah, you got attacked by demons! Far more interesting... say uh, there's not... books on... uh...werewolves in there, is there?" she said, mumbling slightly and feeling embarrassed. It was a bit of a stupid question, she knew this Library like the back of her hand and knew all the occult stuff was mumbo. The section on Ghostly activity was better than the comedy section. But he hadn't blinked when she'd said demon, and he was the right age and she kind of hoped he might know a little something about where Gabe might have vanished to. She didn't want to ask outright because she knew it was a sensitive subject, but still.

"Werewolves? No - you want Nevermore for that - bookshop, across town? It's really good for that kind of thing. I wouldn't ever look for anything on lycanthropes in a public library - you're gonna end up with Stephen King and Stephanie Meyers and shit like that." The contempt showed in Thom's tone - he generally stayed away from horror and that kind of fiction. It was hard to read when you knew the truth, or even a semblance of it.

Lauren grinned, "I kind of figured as much. I made the mistake of reading up on ghosts a while back... it was, well, you have to laugh, don't you?" she said, shrugging slightly, "But I just - well with everything on the news you know, there are people who might be in danger. I mean, werewolf people who might be in danger, and I guess that would be something good to have knowledge on - how to like, keep them safe. I don't know," Lauren shook her head, not really sure what she was trying to get across. Probably Gabe was fine and just didn't want to hang around with her any more, "I don't know that Nevermore place. It's been a really weird few weeks, I think the last thing I needed to add to the weirdness was a paranormal bookstore. Hey, how did your Mom feel about the demon thing? Did she believe you?" Lauren had a sudden image of Ashbelle Harkin fighting hand to hand combat with a demon, and smirked to herself. She wouldn't put it past her - except of course Lauren's mental image was still of an 18 year old girl with wicked 70's hair, "Huh, I wonder what'd happen if we ran into each other on the street. I think that'd maybe be the king of awkward social situations..." said Lauren, thinking out loud, and then catching herself, and grinning sheepishly - something which probably had a funny effect when the person doing the grinning looked like a dang zombie.

Thom pursed his lips slightly. "My mom... Wasn't impressed that the school got us into that situation," he said, sidestepping most of the danger zones there. "She was really stressed out about the whole thing. But yeah, she believed me - we kinda have that kind of relationship. She knows I wouldn't lie about stuff." Plus, she'd told him about demons before then, but he didn't feel the need to mention that. "But - if you guys were friends, I'm sure she'd love to see you - you should visit her some time," he suggested, knowing his mom of all people wouldn't be freaked out by that.

Lauren bit her lip and shook her head slightly, "Well maybe," she said, not meaning it, but hey you had to be polite, "I tried to kind of keep up with everyone after I died, before they could see me and it was like... odd. Maybe it'd be better now. I dunno. We'll see, huh?" Lauren gave a slightly pathetic grin and rolled her eyes, "I can't believe I'm talking about myself when you've got all this interesting demon stuff going on. Well, interesting, horrific, they're not mutally exclusive. Do you know my friend Tad? He got attacked on that school trip too. He's sweet."

Thom stared at her a little. "I don't know I'd call demons 'interesting' - horrific, definitely, but..." He trailed off and cocked his head to the side slightly, his dark hair falling loose. "...Is it easier?" he asked, in what he hoped was a sensitive tone. "Once you've died, to think about events where other people die?" he didn't find death easy to deal with, anybody's death. It always hit him hard.

"I... I guess so?" said Lauren, uncertain, "Or, no, I don't think it's easy. Just different. I obviously can't speak for every person who has ever died but I know for me... well, the dying part of it was not nice but the being dead? It stopped hurting," she shrugged, not sounding particularly upset or anything, just stating the facts, "So thinking about people torn apart by demons or whatever, no, not easy... but them dying? It's hard to explain. I think I'm proof that there's a soul, you know? A part you can't kill. So that must carry on somewhere else. Just... not mine. Apparently."

Thom considered that before replying. "That's an okay way of looking at it," he allowed. "But, yours did carry on - it just carried on here. I take it you don't know anything about the 'after'? Whatever that may be?" he asked her. He knew that he had to answer her questions, but he had so many of his own that he kept getting distracted.

Lauren smiled sadly and shook her head, "Nope. Not a thing. No idea if there's pearly white gates and fluffy bunnies or any of that. I tend to think a lot towards the not on that front, though, so sorry. But I think we carry on. Maybe we get reincarnated or something. But human spirits are hard to get rid of, you know? I mean. People break and they go crazy and all kinds of things but they never just stop" Lauren didn't really know what she believed any more. It used to be so cut and dried and everyone got to go hold hands with Jesus and be blissed out forever, but now? She wasn't sure. But she didn't believe in nothing.

"Well we know that not everyone becomes a spirit, right?" Since they were all visible now and it was clear that the world wasn't teeming with everyone who'd ever died ever or anything. "So, okay, nobody knows." He paused, filing this away, before continuing. "But yes, I know tad - he's... good friends with my best friend's sister." He decided that was the best way to put it, sicne he wasn't entirely sure of the relationship status between Tad and Kaysen.

Lauren's expression brightened, "Kaysen? You know her too? He has such a crush on her, it's totally cute, he was in here the other day asking me for advice. People do that a lot, or, they used to when I was alive, and I guess it's a tradition that carried over. I think I am the grossest looking Agony Aunt ever these days," she said, laughing, "Do you know Gabe, too? He's the only other person who speaks to me like I'm normal instead of screaming and stuff, and he's kind of... gone missing. Or he's avoiding me" She was rambling slightly, glad to be discussing the living. It was a small town after all, maybe Thom would know something.

"I kinda know most people," Thom told her. "Small town, smaller school. And I've got a good memory for people. Kaysen i live next door to, I've known her since she was little, Gabe - yeah, I knew him, though I haven't seen him around recently. Rumour was that he and his mom left town or something. And, really, if they have - don't say I blame them, given what's been going on," he added. So many people seemed to be leaving. He'd considered it himself, talked about it with Isaac - grab Kaysen, hit the road, keep going, find somewhere that didn't get hit by the next round of shit everything couple of weeks.

Lauren nodded, that would've been a smart move by Gabe's family, even if he hadn't bothered to say goodbye, "It would make sense he would leave town. That's good. I just hope no-one tries to make him create their designer furball baby or something..." she trailed off, realising that she probably shouldn't have said that, "Er, I mean. Yeah. Marquette's a weird place. But I think it seems like the world's gotten a lot weirder recently, y'know? I mean hey, to me, that whole Internet thing is pretty bizarre, let alone satanic spawn running around... although, demons, I dunno. Seems like there'd be angels if there were demons and I've yet to hear of an angel. I think monsters is more appropriate."

That surprised Thom, really surprised him, and it showed in his face. "Gabe was a werewolf?" he asked, blinking at that. He'd had no idea. None at all - the guy had never said. That was a pretty hefty secret to carry around, but then again, Thom knew all about secrets. And it wasn't like he'd go shouting his, even if it wouldn't automatically kill him to tell.

"Uh. Well. I guess he's not around any more so it won't matter if you know... yeah. Yeah he was. I was supposed to go be with him when he changed last night, because you know, I'm pretty safe if he accidentally bites me or anything. But yeah. He wasn't anywhere, and then there was all that stuff on the news so I was so worried. People were kind of. Not cool about it. One of his friends beat him up over it last I spoke to him." Lauren looked a little sheepish that she'd let the secret slip, it was kind of a stupid thing to do, but Thom seemed like a sweet boy who probably wouldn't hold it against him. "People are jerks sometimes. Like. Getting all screamy when I'm just trying to do math class," she said gesturing to the book she had been pouring over when he'd arrived, "We're all just people, you know? No-one actively wants to hurt anyone or gross anyone out. Being a werewolf it's like. It's like having....furry tourettes."

"Furry tourettes where you could rip someone to pieces without realising that you've done it," Thom amended, his voice even. He'd been friends with Gabe before the guy left town. He wouldn't hold anything against him, but he knew something of the reality of werewolves - he'd been researching. And werewolves that had been bitten, who could spread the werewolf-thing (Thom didn't know the official terms though, the books he'd got were rather woolly on that) didn't know what they did on the night of the full moon.

"Well, there's a lot of people with mental illnesses who are dangerous all the time, not just once a month, and they get help - not hounded out of town and requested to make super babies, which is kind of gross and offensive. I just think people should be fair. We don't live in the Feudal ages any more, you know? If he hadn't been so scared of the way people would react he could've found a safe place to change much more easily," Lauren said, a little more hotly than she'd meant to because she'd liked Gabe, and it was a case of the weird sticking with the weird, "I don't know. Not everyone's some demon monster attacking school kids, that's all. Even if my point of view is rather biased, we ought to have a little understanding for what it's like to be somebody else. That's what I think."

"Yeah, but most people with mental illnesses who are dangerous all the time don't have superstrength and wicked big claws," Thom said, calmly - not wanting to cause an argument, but not going to let his side of things slide just for the sake of avoiding one either. "I get what you're saying, Lauren, and i don't think it's right that he had to be scared of people. But, at the same time, people had a reason to be scared of him as well - there's a reason why people with mental illnesses who are a harm to society are locked up. Not that I think that gabe, or people like him, should be locked up all the time. But, on the nights when they can do harm, then I think they should be. For the safety of everyone else, and for themselves as well, because as I understand it, they don't have any knowledge or control over what they're doing. And to come to the next day and realise that you've killed people? or just even hurt them? I couldn't imagine what that would feel like."

"Well, we pretty much agree then," Lauren said with a nod, "And yes, to know that if you've killed someone...well... even if it's not your fault it can do horrible things to a person. All that guilt. But people should understand that all most people want is a normal life. I mean, wouldn't you want that? A normal teenage life, not having to worry about demons and stuff? You're a good student, you're young and cute, and instead of hanging out with friends you're researching local lore and supernatural stuff? It's not fair, but it's the way it is, so everyone should have a little bit of compassion, you know?" Lauren's tone was light, and she laughed as she caught herself talking non-stop yet again, "Anyway, sorry, I'm not very good at shutting up. I'm used to being the only member of the conversation," she explained, poking her tongue out at Thom slightly and grinning.

"I don't mind you going on," Thom assured her. Actually, it was nice to find someone to talk to about things, without feeling like he needed to be the strong one in the conversation. With most people, he felt that undeniable urge to protect them from everything that was out there. This girl, for all her strange appearance, well - she was already dead. He didn't get that urge with her, and it was, he had to admit, a relief. "And life isn't fair - nobody said life was fair. But that doesn't mean that people understand. They might know that their life isn't fair, and they might look at someone else's life and decide that's not fair, but that isn't understanding. And sympathy... It's not enough when fear gets factored in. It's... I don't know. I don't think there's an answer to that one. People can be stupid, sometimes, and it leads to shitty things."

Lauren smiled, and rolled her shoulders slightly. It was weird being manifested for so long, and keeping her hand grasped around the lamp was causing neck pain, so she let go, and the power flickered for a brief moment, before she faded back to a more translucent appearance and her appearance blurred from "death face" to something a little more normal. "Ow, that's better, and yes! You don't have to tell me about people being stupid. Ever since Halloween I've been more aware of that than ever. And speaking of stupidity and unfairness, can I recruit you to my ever growing scheme of "help Lauren graduate" which so far consists of only one person?"

Thom blinked at the change, thrown slightly by it, though he covered well - and went with the topic change to help in that. "What's the scheme?" he asked her.

"It's kind of lame, but it's all I can think of," Lauren started out apologetically, "It's just that as soon as I go into one of my classes there's always some moron who starts freaking out and screaming, and then a teacher will ask me to leave, and everyone gets involved, and I'm honestly just trying to sit and absorb a little math, you know? So basically, everyone I meet who seems kind of cool and understanding about the whole... vitality challenged thing," she said with a joking wink, "I kind of ask to just spread the word with people they know that I'm not dangerous or anything. And then hopefully I'll have enough people on side that they'll stop telling me to get back to the coffin where I belong."

"I can do that," Thom agreed. "Though I'm not in school right now-" which he'd already explained to her. "-so I don't know how much good I'd be. But, I can do what I can do." Plus, he didn't think the people he knew would be all that bothered about ghosts anymore. They'd gone to the hospital and learned about ghosts - and what had they learned? That ghosts were nowhere near as dangerous as demons were. That seemed a pretty crass theing to say though, so the teen decided not to share it.

"I know you're not in school, but I assume you still know people who are. So that's awesome, and thank-you for being sweet! I guess I oughtta let you do your researching and stuff, huh? Grumpface the Librarian is going to come and yell at me for making her computer restart in about 2 minutes anyway," said Lauren, rolling her eyes. The continuing feud with the crotchety Librarian was almost becoming something she was affection about. Almost.

"Yeah, I should get on anyhow - I've got, like, this whole list of things to get done today," Thom agreed. And he planned to get through it all. The guy was on a mission, that was for sure - he had a timetable and he was sticking to it. Lazing about would only cost in the future.

Lauren drifted up and out of her seat, smiling, "Well hey, have a little fun too! And tell your Mom...well, I dunno. That you saw me I guess. Maybe don't tell her anything" she said in an almost forced bright tone, "I'll see you around. I'm here a lot. It was nice to meet you, Thom." she gave a wave with her non-mangled hand, and vanished through a bookcase.