2013.06.28 - Library Research

It's a lovely day outside. The weather is perfect; the rain has passed, leaving behind something of cooler weather, but warm enough to hint at the fact that it is, indeed, summer. Kurt could very well be out on the boat, sailing.
But, there's work to be done. And the blue elf is nothing if not dedicated to work. Particularly of his own choosing!
So, information must needs be gained. As a result, on a lovely pre-summer's day, he finds himself deep in the stacks of the library. Well, more like at the periodical's desk, checking newspapers and microfiche. Last Sunday's New York Times. His tail sways as he brings the last couple Sundays back to the table, and uses it to pull the chair out.
"This.. this is when I wish I was better with my English studies."
"Never a bad time to learn, right?"
Sitting across the table from the blue mutant is ..another..blue mutant. TJ's all toothy grin when he returns, though upon seeing the pile of newspapers her good natured expression visibly fades. "I thought that getting out of school was supposed to mean an end to the homework."
Misery loves company.
Without another thought she grabs a pile off of the top and drops them front and center before herself, an identically spade-tipped tail flicking to and fro as she pages through, crouching upon her chair rather than sitting in it.
"If I find any printed in German I'll be sure to pass 'em your way. Seriously--why aren't we using the internet for this?"
Hey. Research is fun!
Or so the young red-haired woman in the wheelchair would tell you. The former librarian seriously gets off on research. Which probably explains her alter-ego, the All-Seeing Oracle. But, nevermind.
Barbara Gordon is here for her own research purposes. Normally, she'd agree with the blue woman: Why isn't she using the internet for this? Oh. Wait. It's because there are several periodicals out there that don't post all their materials online. (The bastards!)
So, instead, she gets to try to maneuver her chair down the tight aisle. Consequently, she's using her small chair, today, such as it is. Nonetheless, it doesn't stop her from bumping into an errantly moved cart. She manages not to swear -- mainly because it's not like her legs can feel the impact at all -- and leans forward to try to move the darn thing out of her way.
Kurt's ready to perch on his seat as well; it's just more comfortable for the long haul. And he's got the feeling that he's here for more than a few hours, looking through the records, trying to make heads and tails of things. Looking for that 'a-ha!' moment.
"Didn't you ever hear, Herzchen, that graduating only means the beginning of learning. Now that you know how to learn..." There's a grin that spreads across the blue, fuzzy face, showing those pointed canines. "Not that I ever attended.."
The sound of wheels gains Kurt's attention, and twisting about, those glowing yellow eyes blink, and he murmurs. "Right back..". While he doesn't *bamf*, the elf certainly does move quickly in order to help move that which is in her chair's path. "Guten Tag, Fraulein.."
"But beating up bad guys is so much more fun," TJ only partially mutters with a glum expression. "Fun, and rewarding. Why can't we do more of that? And maybe get some ice cream after that?"
Thunk.
In an instant she's crouching with a straightened spine, peering over the paper in her hands with wide, solid yellow eyes. Kurt's (naturally) already on the scene. He's good like that. Rather than make a bigger scene she offers a friendly smile to the woman with wheels, saying "Careful, some of these books bite back."
With her 'father' distracted TJ subtly glances about herself for any witnesses then slips a few of those newspapers back onto Kurt's stack before turning back to her own research. Nothing to see here, folks!
Barbara looks up at the blue figure that helps move the cart for her. "Mr. Wagner," she says after a moment. "Thank you." Her gaze then moves to the other blue mutant and she glances back and forth between them. "Your sister?" she asks the man, as she wheels around the now neatly placed cart.
She smiles now, perhaps catching what Kurt does not when it comes to TJ's careful redistribution of work. But, she's good at keeping secrets. Besides, isn't that what siblings do?
"Nice to see you again, in any case."
Kurt doesn't know about the paper switch, but he's learning to have eyes behind his head. Apparently it's something that is gained through the tumult of early childhood.. and it's not yet something that he's mastered. One day, perhaps..
This, however, isn't combat, so Kurt is a little off his game. He should know better, however. This is TJ, after all!
"You are welcome, Fraulein. It is good to see you, und.." Kurt raises a hand and scratches at the back of his neck even as he moves the obstruction. He looks back at TJ now, looking so very innocent, and exhales softly, nodding, before looking back. "Ja.. after a fashion. She's a college graduate, so.." She's helpful! (So he believes..) There's a certain pride there in his tones as well as he continues, "I'm sure she'll find whatever it is I may miss."
TJ can't help it, being called his sister causes one of her eyes to momentarily be slightly larger than its companion. Well..it's weird, but it works. Which pretty much sums up the entire Wagner family tree. Getting into the complications of other timelines and dimensional gateways and such tends to be a little deep for chance encounters with other people.
Except that this lady already knows Kurt.
The papers are abandoned as she hops down from her chair without a sound, coming fully upright as she walks over to join the two. "I'm also an experienced mallrat," she adds while holding out a three-fingered hand in greeting. "Name's TJ."
Barbara knows Kurt peripherally, really... but certainly more about him than he probably realizes, thanks to his friend Domino. (Oops?) Even so, she wheels out from between the stacks and offers a hand to the mutant woman. "Barbara Gordon. Nice to meet you, TJ." She does glance between them again, her expression polite and only faintly curious.
After a fashion?
Well, there's obviously a story there. Perhaps she'll try looking up some info on it, later. If there's anything to be found. Mutants do tend to be a secretive lot.
She glances now to the piles of papers. "What is it you're looking for, Mr. Wagner? Still doing corporate research? Did my suggestions before help at all?"
TJ's appearance beside him now requires an introduction which--
Leave it to her, and Kurt looks beside him and smiles ruefully at the very near spitting image of himself. "I can attest to that."
Now, however, things come back around to research, and he nods slowly. "Ja, they did actually. Now, however, I am looking for .." A chuckle sounds, "... a needle in a haystack, I think. Something that will jump out at me." He glances to the side where TJ stands, and smiles lopsidedly, "Other than her."
This time it's difficult for TJ to not look rather triumphant. Jumping out of nowhere is always fun! Even when people are expecting it they get caught off guard, it never gets old.
The only problem here is that she's not sure how much to add to the research discussion. How much did Barbara know about what Kurt's been up to? Considering how he's picking his words carefully, it's probably not all that much.
"Didn't they have something a while ago about cataloging all of these old papers into digital copies?" Or is this another timeline that she's thinking of? It's frighteningly easy to lose track of these things.
That, and she's also trying to process the other woman's name. Gordon, Gordon... Where the heck did she hear that name before?
"That's what siblings are for," Barbara says to Kurt with a smile. "Or, so I've heard." Only child, right here. And the things that have jumped out at her, in the past, are actually scarier, over all, than the demonic twins before her.
"There are new online archives being developed," she nods to TJ, "but they're still in transition. So, it's hit and miss." She gives a lopsided smile and flips a hand. "Hence the reason I'm actually here, myself." Fighting through the close set shelves in a wheelchair. Boy, has she learned a helluva lot about architectural accessibility issues in the past few years.
"Perhaps I can help?" she says to the duo, now. "Research is kinda my forte."
Kurt's tail swings around TJ out of sheer habit, and he nods at the conversation regarding things going online. "I've lost some of my .. connections, so I am at the mercy of the library. Which seems to be a good thing, if the moving of such is not yet complete."
And, yes.. the fuzzy blue elf remembers; they'd wanted the same microfiche, after all! "There is some word regarding the opening of a clinic, und a grant was offered for some equipment that they said would help mutant und non- alike. Now, that surprised me because the area was not one of the ones that have always been considered 'freundlich'.. like the Village und such." Kurt twists about in general gesture to the stack of New York Times on the table, and he pauses.. those featureless yellow eyes narrowing. Did his stack get somehow bigger again? As he moves back around, his gaze lingers upon the other fuzzy blue elfling beside him, and he murmurs something.. in German.
Insert goofy grin here. TJ 'leans' against Kurt's side with an arm finding its way around to his opposite shoulder. Spitting image, practically. Not bad for being so many realities estranged. "Whole new meaning to the term 'checking out one's connections.'"
They're in a library. Checking out materials. Hah, she kills herself sometimes.
"Everyone's hiding something," TJ says with a wistful sigh. "Kiiinda makes ya wonder what's up with these guys and their fancy-dancy new tech. Only problem is that you just can't get this icky 'corporate' feeling off you once you start delving into their underbelly," she says with a slight cringe. "I may never feel clean again."
Kurt's mutterings gets a playful frown from the indigo girl, muttering back "Oh you're no fun."
Babs flashes a grin as she overhears Kurt's mutter. She actually does speak German. She speaks and reads several languages, in fact. It helps with her alter-ego. Translation software is notoriously finicky, after all.
Nevertheless, she regards Kurt and TJ for a moment. It occurs to her that she really needs to revisit the blocks of powder they recovered from the Sun Set Queen. Drugs do tend to connect to medical clinics in some fashion or other. Even illegal ones. And, infosponge that she is, she knows quite well that mutants do suffer an inordinate amount of persecution by mainstream society. Perhaps there's something to the blue mutants' questions.
"What's the name of this clinic?" she asks him, now. "Where did you say it was opening?" Somewhere in Gotham... which means she should have some info on it, somewhere. "Is it charity-based or private? That will make a difference as to where you're likeliest to find the information you want. Though, truthfully, all the periodicals you're looking at will have is the PR spin. Even 'investigative' reporting isn't nearly as revealing as what the publishers would want you to believe. You'll need to cross-reference, probably from some more obscure sources, to see what else might be out there."
TJ's observations are pretty much on par with his own; and there's a decided comfort level there between the two fuzzy blue mutants. Kurt nods, his attention upon the girl beside him, and he's nodding. "I suppose we are a suspicious lot.. but I would truly like to know if it is in our best interests. If it is, I can contact Father Mike at the church," St. Patrick's, of course, "Und it can be somewhere that he can feel safe to send those that come to him in their time of need."
One reason of many!
Kurt considers the questions and he turns yellow eyes to the ceiling as he tries to remember the name, at the same time, the tip of his spade-tail twitching. "It is one of the Medical Clinics of NYC.." He puts a three-fingered hand up, gesturing in 'oh well', and he offers a smile, "Not very original, certainly. But it is them.. in the Gotham area. Part of their charity.. grants and the like."
The smile remains, however, and Kurt nods his head in agreement. "I would very much like to see what it is they say, as much as not say, though, fraulein. That too is telling, nicht wahr?"
It's here that TJ's good cheer takes a notable dip. Not as an act, either. "We are because we have to be. Something like this in particular, there's thousands of us out there that would be beside ourselves with glee if we knew that there was a hospital we could safely go to. That sort of enthusiasm alone could bury any ulterior motives someone else might have. Gotta balance the silver linings with the other shoe waiting to fall."
Wait. Kurt didn't remember the name of the place? Isn't that going to make it a lot more difficult to find dirt on by picking through dozens of newspapers? The guy has to know what he's doing. He always does, regardless of which version it happens to be. But, TJ's now starting to experience that same 'flying blind' feeling.
"Fortunately, we're a resourceful lot." And crafty. Very, very crafty.
"Medical Clinics of NYC," Barbara repeats. Her eidetic memory is good, however. Really good. "I do think I remember reading something about that... Oh, I don't know. About two weeks ago?" She pops a small wheelie to spin her chair around and scan through the stacks to see if they've already pulled them or not. "Try sometime around June 3rd or thereabouts." Actually, she's quite sure it was June 3rd. "There was an editorial cartoon about them having to change the name to Medical Clinics of Gotham in the op-ed section on June 4th. The op-eds are usually a day behind the breaking stories."
Kurt can hear it in TJ's voice, he can. It echoes in his heart, in his soul. It's something he shares, and it's something that he truly understands. In a way, he's a mutant bigot.. and more than that. He's a 'visibly mutant' bigot in that he doesn't truly believe that anyone that hasn't truly experienced what they have can truly understand. He puts an arm around his 'sister', and gives her a squeeze.
No way in hell, however, that he'd EVER pass up true aid. Not stupid.
"Ja, I'd heard.." and he pauses, those yellow eyes glowing with pleasure in the information. "June 3rd.. ja.." and he twists about to look on their table. "Nein, I didn't pull that.." and the search is on! "That might be why I saw Gotham, however.." Good fortune is never taken for granted, certainly, and the fact that a librarian's got the answers?
There's something there, and Kurt's gaze lingers on the wheel-chair bound woman as she wheels off to check the shelves. Possibly ally, certainly.. and he gives TJ another squeeze. "We may get out early for that ice cream, Herzchen," is murmured to TJ.
TJ's jaw hangs open slightly as Barbara starts running through info based off of nothing more than what little Kurt was able to recite. There's a few false starts where she tries to find something to say but just isn't quick enough on the uptake.
In the end she's standing there staring as Babs wheels around and goes for the table, her jaw still slightly agape. Blink. "Did that really just happen..? Screw the internet, can we rent you?"
When the call of possibly getting ice cream earlier is said she passes a sidelong smirk back to Kurt. "Fantastic. I really wasn't looking forward to hearing you complain about having to go through that pile on your own."
She's teasing, honest!
Babs laughs at that. "I don't come cheap," she tells the mutant girl, green eyes dancing. Okay. Maybe she overplayed it a little with her little recitation, but, really... Librarian! They're all fonts of obscure information. Comes with the territory. "But, I have to confess, I'm a bit of a news junkie." She shrugs. "Probably just because of Dad's work when I was a kid."
She pulls out the appropriate week. The 3rd was a Monday, so it's probably the top paper. And... there it is. She pulls it. "Here you go," she tells them. She flashes a grin, now. "Know these stacks like the back of my hand. Grab yourself a photocopy of it and you'll be off for ice cream in a New York minute."
A beat. A grin.
"Have one for me, too."
Category:Log