Dewey Decimal Stitchcore

[Katana]

"Stupid Dewey" Katana fumed to herself "making my life hell." Although she was in her favorite place, the library, she was far from happy as she was stuck in the book cage sorting books for re-shelfing. "And this is the easy part, she groused, then I gotta put 'em all back." It seemed there was an unending supply of books in the cage. For years people had been just dumping things in the cage after they were done so much of the collection was there instead of on the shelfs. Katana herself had waded through the cage in search of this or that missing book in search of something new to read. Still, she was determined to carry out the library reorganization. It was her piece offering to Nightcrawler after her explosion in his drama class.

Please, God, let this help. In the few days since the incident she hadn't really seen Nightcrawler and for her that was unusual. She always would find him around the library, talk to him about books, and get some great suggestions. She'd valued his friendship but in a moment of utter stupidity and blind rage she'd damaged it greatly and she was frantic to repair it. Sadly, she was well aware that while she could destroy a friendship in a mment putting it together again would take time. Sure, the teacher said he was still her friend, but she had trouble believing that. "Alright, there's that sucker." she said relieved, "as she found the right place for an odd little history book, The Strange Death of Liberal England, which had lost its number code. "That only leaves a gazillion to go" she said as she put the book in the 909 pile for world history. "And you better not be political science" she said at it half scoldingly and laughed.

When Katana was alone she talked to books. Not usually as crossly as she was talking to this one, but often quite lovingly. She would sit in a nook and read aloud and then stop and comment. She had made it through the original 14 Oz books, all the while talking to Dorothy and Ozma, laughing at the little Gnome King, especially when he tunnelled to Oz only to drink the fountain water that made everybody forget and went back home with no idea who he was, and reassuring poor Aunt Em when the family was magically whisked to Oz. She'd also had a rollicking good time with the Three Musketeers and had really identified with the characters in 100 Years of Solitude. But no matter what kind of book she found, and she read a wide variety of things, sometimes just randomly chosen from shelfs, she was sure to talk to them. They were her friends and they never judged her or shunned her.

"If it weren't for you," she said talking to the Dewey Decimal System "I'd be a librarian someday and live with the books." Well that and if it weren't for my grades, she thought ruefully as she picked up 3 Years Before the Mast, and noticed its cover was cracked. She sighed and moved it to the repair pile. She'd been separating the books that had bad bindings, cracked covers, and other problems into a pile she would take to Collossus to see if he could repair them or maybe teach her to. It would be a nice bonding activity with her new team leader and would be a useful skill. Since she didn't take art she barely knew the teacher at all and she knew full well what dreadful things he was hearing about her from everybody else.

Reaching behind her she picked up a big old Atlas that looked about a million years old and opened it up. Inside she saw an inscription to Brian Xavier dated 1927, but the book itself was much older as the copyright said 1881. "Holy sh*t, this thing is from before the carving up of Africa," she said outloud with astonishment. She'd been reading about the colonial rush for Africa after seeing a program on it on the History Channel that had piqued her curiousity. She looked at the call number and it was a 960 for General History of Africa. To hell with that, she thought. This thing should be in the rare books collection. And given the shape it's in, she thought noticing the book was quite worn and had some rips, it should be in a case. Might need some restoring too.

The failure to put the book in the rare books collection was yet another mistake by the idiots who had reorganized the library most likely decades before. All the sculpture books from the 14th century were marked with 735 call numbers that were for 1400 A.D. up. When the library had multiple copies of the same book they had been given the exact same call numbers so there was no way of telling which volume was which especially as sometime in the late 90's the updates to the library's database had become sporadic. She didn't know how to update it, but figured that maybe one of the teachers might know.

In any case, her little make things up to Nightcrawler project had turned into a monster and also, dare she admit it, something she was really enjoying as much as she did grouse about Dewey. There were simply so many amazing books here for her to discover. Smiling happily she put the old Atlas to the side and picked up another book.

[Karma]

"That's very good Leah, you seem to be getting the hang of it nicely," Shan said from her desk, pausing from her work of categorizing the returned books from the students and sorting who still had books taken out. She had allowed the girl to help out in her library with careful supervision from Shan or another teacher or trusted student when she was with her little ones. She started by showing the girl what to do from the very basics and after some time she seemed to get the grasp from it. Shan was very organized when it came to the books in the library. She was able to recall just about every book they had and where it was located by memory.

Finishing the book she was scanning in the system, Shan got up from her desk and went over to the Acolyte. "You got the basic old school way pretty well. Grab the rest of these books and set them on the table right over there next to the computer. It's time for you to learn the modern way to do it," she said with a gentle smile and helped Katana gather some of the books, bringing them to the table a pile at a time. When they did that, she sat in the chair in front of the computer and motioned for Katana to sit next to her.

"Here Leah let me show you what to do. First you open this program here, and oh let me type in my login information." Her small hands quickly moved across the keyboard to type her information in and give Katana access to it. "Then its actually pretty simple from here. Just use this scanner." Shan picked up the scanner next to the computer and then took a book. "Scan the barcode that's on the inside cover. When you scan all the books in, just click 'Next'. Then it should give you a list of all the books in order and where they go. Here you try it," Shan said with a gentle encouraging smile and got up from the chair to let Leah sit down and try it. She watched her try it out for herself and waited patiently in case she had any questions.

[Katana]

Startled out of her reverie by Karma's compliment Katana felt a swell of pride. When she had first gone to the teacher and asked about helping with reorganizing the library the teacher had been skeptical to say the least. Although after years of neglect before Karma took over, there was enough work to keep the whole school occupied Katana's horrid behavior in French class and her overall terrible reputation did not make her a prime candidate for library volunteer. It took an awful lot of pleading to convince the teacher to give her a chance and she still had to be supervised by Karma, another teacher, or worst of all another student. After only a couple days she was picking things up quickly and hoped to have the restrictions removed soon.

When Karma came over to her and told her to come over to the computer to learn how to use the modern system she was surprised and excited. Without dawdling for even a second, she grabbed a stack of books and brought it over to the table. With the teacher's help all the piles were transferred to the table one at a time and Karma sat down in front of the computer and motioned for Katana to sit down next to her.

Listening and watching carefully Katana made mental note of the teacher's instructions. It actually looked pretty simple. She repeated it all in her head. Ok, this'll all work. Just open to the front cover, scan the little bar code, and we're off to the races...oh, and then gotta remember to click that stupid thing when done. Getting up quickly she took Karma's invitation to try it and switched chairs.

Picking the top book off of one of the piles she quickly read the cover, The Sun Also Rises, and then flipped it open, located the bar code inside, and scanned it into the computer. Whadda you know I did it., Katana thought surprised, Usually technology doesn't like me. Works for everybody else and then fails me. "That's so cool!" she said excitedly to the teacher. "Thanks so much. I think I got it now,"Katana said sincerely, "but you know me I'll probably have a gazillion questions the moment your gone, "she added somewhat more lightheartedly. "Can't say enough how much I appreciate you're letting me help out after all the stuff in French class."

[Karma]

Shan could not help but allow a small smile to slip on her face at the more refreshing change in Katana's attitude. "Believe it or not Leah, you are not the worst student I've ever had, though I daresay you could give some of the Hellions when they first came here a run for their money," she said with a small giggle. She had been with the X-Men for a long time, since she first got her powers. It was a difficult time for Shan, but the one thing that had always been there for her was the solace she found in the library. Charles Xavier himself saw the comfort that the library brought her, allowing her to take over Hank's old duties and start attending to the library. Ever since Shan had been there the library remained organized and up to date. The few months that she would leave it would turn into a complete mess, hence why she rarely left.

She had been through a lot with this library. After seeing it rebuilt twice now since she arrived at the school and organizing it from ground up, Shan was quite attached to it. It was always kept in pristine condition, but she never minded the help to help maintain it. "You'd be surprised by how some of the way students here used to behave, but I am glad to see that you are making an error to change your ways. Maybe now that you're with a new team and its a change of scenery, it will help you change for the better," she offered kindly with a small smile. Karma was no pushover, but she also preferred a gentler approach with students.

[Katana]

"Yeah, I can believe it, but being a contender for its real embarrassing. I'm so scared that I'll lose control again and go back there. I mean it happened just a couple days ago in Nightcrawler's class and that after I'd been doing kinda well for a few weeks...I didn't even make it a month." Katana said frankly. The mention of the Hellions also shook her a little. The very thought of them was enough to make Katana shiver slightly. She was truly terrified by Rumble and the memory of Inflict torturing poor Jumper was seared into her brain in vivid detail. Those guys are like my Dad...they'd kill in 10 seconds if it they felt like it and wouldn't even care. Wouldn't need a reason. I can't get why Ms. Frost lets them stay here. Other than hitting Frostbite in the head with the pizza box by accident at the homecoming party for the students who went to Limbo, Katana had never actually hit or hurt anybody. Her outbursts had all been child-like temper tantrums, annoying but not dangerous. "Not that I'm making excuses, you know."

Karma surely meant well when she mentioned the new team and remarked that the 'change of scenery' might make things better. But if anything it was making it harder for Katana to make that effort to change her ways Karma was so glad to see. "And the new team is hard. It feels a lot like Nightcrawler gave up on me. You know he was the only one who ever seemed to really believe in me, well until a couple days ago with you and Ms. Frost and everybody giving me a chance to make up for it all. I don't blame him if he did. 'Cause I did let him down something awful. I just really want to be right with him. He was kinda like a big brother or like a Dad." she finished as a couple tears welled up in her eyes. Just enough to make her blush slightly with embarrassment, but not enough for any to actually fall.

[Karma]

A soothing hand came up and patted Katana's back comfortingly. "You need to give Kurt more credit than that sweetheart. He's one of my best friends and there is a reason why he handles such a rambunctious group of kids," she soothed to make the girl feel a little better. She did feel bad how much she messed things up with her team, but everyone makes mistakes and sometimes all they needed was a simple explanation to put things into perspective. "There's a reason that he gets the kids that he does, and simply because only a soul as good and pure as Kurt's is able to handle and tame the tainted and wild spirits of the kids on his team. I'm sure you aren't the worst student he ever had, and even if you were he'd still forgive you and care about you just as much as he did before, because that's just the kind of person that Kurt is."

Shan rubbed Katana's back one more time and smiled at her comfortingly. "Sweetheart no one here is your enemy. Sure some students here are rough around the edges, but thats nothing unusual. In the end, we're all each other really has. I felt just as out of place when I got here all those years ago, but you find out that there is something really great and special about the people here, it just might take some time," she said her hand falling off her back as she reached over to straighten out the pile of finished books. "You need to remember that all the teachers, we've been in your place before, we know what its like here and it might surprise you just how much some teachers could relate to your problems despite how different your lives were. No teacher will ever turn you away." Shan was honest and soothing, finding the balance to talk to Katana that was a step up from her little ones, but enough for her to get the soothing and caring tone of a caretaker.

[Katana]

Great, let's jump straight into the self pity, that's real mature, Katana thought acidly. Now here comes the lecture and you'll deserve it too. Only Karma didn't lecture her at all. Instead, she patted her comfortingly on the back and told her that Nightcrawler would still care about her and that she wasn't that different from the other kids. As the teacher continued to tell her that she did not really have any enemies here and that the kids would all come together in time, Katana's normally sarcastic inner monologue ceased.

It was almost like when TruSpirit brought out her spirit cat and showed it to her. Holding the scared alley cat in her arms she'd been able to momentarily let go of the tough girl persona and feel like the happy, confident little girl she was before all the years of abuse and before her father went insane and killed everyone. This time she was able to let go of it and allow out some of the pain she had bottled up deep inside. When Karma confessed her own difficulty upon first starting at the school and told her that the teachers could understand and would not turn her away, Katana started to cry, first a few tears and then large sobs. Instead of reproaching herself and bottling her pain back up or converting it into raging tantrum and pulling away from Karma, yelling abuse, Leah just let the tears flow harder and harder. Trying to talk through them she managed a couple incoherent sentences. "I...I...don't {sob} know what to say.. {sob}...thanks...all this time I just {sob} have been so scared {sniffle} and...so lonely, but afraid {sob}...I just don't know. {sniffle} But I can let go now."

Somewhere in her mind it all made sense though. Now that she knew, and not just intellectually but emotionally, that there were people who cared about her even though they did not have to and even when things were not easy, she could give herself permission to care.

[Marie]

Marie listened to Torri talk about her powers, they seemed really neat to her. She grew sad however when she heard Torri say that she had felt the need to hide a lot. That musn't have been nice... Why would she feel she needs ta hide? But I'll respect her privacy, and not ask her bout it....Marie did voice her thoughts on what she thought about Torri being pink, however, "Ya were Pink? I'd have loved ta see that! Though...erm... I'm sure it as traumitising for ya," She added at the end, in case she had offended her 'friend.' It was nice to think she could already call Torri that.

Torri stopped outside a door - that's the door ta the library, Marie realised. "I didn't mean for ya ta go against the law, ya daddy's right - not the best of plans. But there are still many things ya can do with it, that could help people!" She grinned, at Torri. "Right guess I better meet our team leader..."

Marie took a hesitant step forward, Torri said Karma was just like a... a mum! I wonder what it's like ta have a mum that actually cares.... I'd better make a good first impression. She slowly edged towards the door, and could hear voices inside, what if Karma was to busy to talk to her? What if Karma didn't like her? No! She pushed the thoughts from her mind and entered throught the door....

[Torri]

"Aye, pink as a sweet and chewy nougat bar." Torri sighed, thinking back to her pink hair, pink eyes and indeed, pink cat ears. It had been a little insane. "And it wasn't traumatizing really, just a wee bit embarrassing having to explain why I suddenly became very ... pink." laughing silently to herself she followed in behind Marie into the library. Finding Both Karma and Katana working on the books themselves.

Catching the worried look from Marie, she put her hand lightly on her arm in support before she spoke out. "Karma! Look, we have another new Alpha!" Beaming with pride at having brought the new student to her team leader she urged her forward as she kept talking. "She just got here, literally. She's real nice."

[Karma]

Through all of Katana's mini breakdown, Shan rubbed her back soothingly and took out a packet of tissues from her pocket and slid it over to her. "There, there darling, it's alright. It will all get better," she soothed just before the door to her library opened and there stood Torri and the new Alpha girl that Emma spoke to her about this morning. "Oh hello there! Excuse me one moment," she said raising a finger to signal one moment to the girls so they would not come forward. Shan turned back to Katana and smiled kindly at her. "No more tears now okay? Everything is going to be alright now Leah, you don't have to keep thinking you're alone," Shan whispered to her and smoothed her hair from Leah's face, looking down at her with a gentle smile and a soft wink.

Shan turned around and walked over to the two girls with a smile on her face. "Hello there girls, thank you Torri for making our newest addition feel welcome." She leaned down and smiled at the little new girl. "Hi there, you must be Marie. My name is Shan, or Karma also. Welcome to the Xavier School!" she said with a big smile. "Come on girls, you can help me pick the books for tonight, and while we do that Marie, please feel free to ask me anything about the school," Shan said with a smile and led the girls to the table next to Katana.

Winking at Katana with a smile, she sat down and gestured the girls to sit down. "Here's a list of books I had in mind for tonight. Just tell me which ones you like and ask me anything till then. I'd love to learn more about you Marie, it's so nice to have another addition to our little team! I'm sure they'll be thrilled to meet you!"

[Marie]

Marie smiled hesitantly and stepped towards Karma. 'She seems nice, and seems pleased ta see me...' Marie thought as she followed her threw the stacks of books. She gazed around in amazement, there were so many books! She had never been to the library back in her hometown, and she said that to no one in particular. It was very ... peaceful, she thought, and knew she would end up spending a lot of her time in here.

"I do.. I do have a question, actually. Can you please tell me more about the Alpha... Squadron? And the other groups here. Torri explained some of it, but I'm still curious." She shyly asked Karma, glancing up at her. Karma seemed to have found the books she was looking for.

Marie had a look at the books, then looked at Torri and said, "I'm not sure which ones ta pick? Any ideas?" and she smiled brightly at her. Whilst she was looking over the books, she said to Karma, "There's not much ta tell... But if I remember anything interesting, ya will be the first ta know!" Marie looked up at Karma, studying her. She looked nice, and calm, and Marie was feeling comfortable in her presence already. She was however slightly nervous about meeting the other members of her group.

[Karma]

"Well Marie," Shan began with a smile and still watching Katana from the corner of her eyes. "The Alpha Squadron is the youngest team in the school, and the only non-combatant team. That means that we don't train to fight like the older teams and we don't have Danger Room sessions either. On this team we learn more about how to use our powers and how to control them. Don't worry though, from my experience when you move up to the older teams, you will have no problem keeping up, if not do better since you had all this time to control your powers," she said with a reassuring smile.

Watching as the girls looked down the list of books, she glanced at any that one would point to. "Just remember girls, Austin and Chopper will have a fit if it's a princess story. Look for a fantasy one, I believe they'll all enjoy that. Right now, Kurt is watching them in the drama classroom while they play pirates I believe, so try looking for something like that," she offered as a suggestion. With class ending soon, she knew she'd have to go and pick up he little ones from Kurt's care and take them outside for awhile. Shan preferred her kids played outside in the fresh air than inside, and she made sure there was time everyday for them to play. One particularly rainy weekend, she even set up the Danger Room to be a sunny outdoor atmosphere for her kids to play in.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know Marie? I want you to feel as comfortable as you can here," she asked her new charge with a sweet smile. Shan was always careful that her new charges felt safe in their new home.

[Katana]

Taking the tissues, Katana gave Karma a wane smile. As the teacher smoothed the hair out of her face, Katana nodded "yes" softly to her gentle suggestion not to cry anymore. The young Acolyte truly believed things were going to be alright as she saw another of Karma's gentle smiles and a faint wink before the teacher left to attend to the two Alphas who had come through the door.

While Karma was away, Leah turned back to the books but kept her ears open to hear what was going on. While she was not very integrated into the school and didn't care much for most of her other students, she found the Alphas kind of cute. It wasn't that she wanted to spend a lot of time with them like say Stoney did with Chopper or some of the other older kids did with Jenny, but walking by them in the halls would put a smile on her face. As it was Karma returned soon leading the two Alpha girls, Torri and some girl whom Katana didn't recognize, to the table right next to her.

Katana normally would have looked up at the kids and smiled or something. But her eyes were still puffy and red from crying. Last thing I need is for Torri to tell her old friends on the Acolytes that I've been crying. Not what my rep needs now. Instead Katana just kept to the books and looked up at the clock. Still she smiled a little when she overheard the conversation about books and Karma's friendly suggestion to the two Alphas girls that they not pick a princess story. There wasn't long to go in the period and that made Katana kind of sad.