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Welcome to the latest chapter. A little bit extra this week, thus, a moderate 20 minutes late from my usual deadline, so enjoy the extra text - I had too much fun writing this! *smiles*

Any comments are appreciated, as always, so don't hesitate! I'm especially curious to hear your thoughts about this particular chapter.

Have a fun read!

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*

Libraries smell different from bookstores.

That's something I've definitely come to learn during my stint at the Albrecht Brothers, in contrast to hanging out in the remarkable repository of knowledge I had just entered. There was creamy marble under my paws instead of red carpet, the ceiling was high, and the musk of books kissed your nose in a subtle way. Books that had been handled by so many furs in the past always smelled peculiar, compared to the crisp new book-smelling tomes that were packed in our shelves back at the store.

Here the books carried the smell of countless breakfasts and late night coffee-fueled benders and stuff that had been spilled upon them by careless furs...student scents all told.

It had been a longish time since I had been to the Taylor library, and I had plenty to take in, as I stood there in the atrium in a film star pose and simply ogled at the rotundas, the glittering bookcases for the showpieces, and the seemingly endless rows of course books that fanned out beyond me, behind the service counters. Students, swingy-tailed, flicky-eared, lopsided and carrying backpacks and iPads and take-away coffee mugs, mingled amongst the forest of knowledge, and I...guess I felt at home.

My tail flipped about pleasantly while I took in what used to be my natural environment, in good and the bad, during my infamous student years. It hadn't really changed much since then, though the computer screens on the various little computer clusters seemed to have been replaced with more moderns ones. That change was hardly more than a cosmetic, I suspected that the actual computers were still as ancient as ever.

I checked my time and gave the atrium another once-over, searching clues to the presence of the striped individual I had come to see. There were a couple of tigers that caught my eye during my rounds, but neither of them was the one I wanted. It was already half past five, and I thought that it had to be simply a matter of minutes now for Mist-Colin to show up.

My right clutched the chocolate bar I had brought for him as a gift, calling back to the ones the tiger had mailed to me in the mystery phone number package from last Friday. Mine weren't quite as nice though, I suspected, but I hoped that they would go down well on the tiger. I wasn't so sure whether it was a silly gesture, but then again, this whole meeting was a bit odd to begin with. I didn't mind, though, why should I? I got out of the apartment and to do something that Mason would probably strangle furs for to accomplish - a PRIVATE meeting with his super hyper favorite writer, of all furs.

Thinking of Mason, the off chance of the wolf still being around here passed my mind, but I dismissed it quickly. If he had come here at the time he had specified to me, there was no way that two frat boys had the endurance or the will to study that long, and by all means, the dynamic duo was probably already enjoying a fast food meal, or playing on their X-Box, or something. The thought of the laughing pair walking in on me and Mistwillow did make my tail flick rapidly from side to side, but I decided not to pay much heed to it.

"Rory!"

My ears jumped towards the source of the voice, familiar and soft, different to how it sounded on the phone. My head turned and my eyes caught a sight of the striped face framed with the eyeglasses, looking down to me from the second level of the library, where the tiger leaned against the banister, his ears flicking.

I lifted my paw in a greeting wave and smiled, and made my way to the rambling stairs that took me up to my rendezvous with the tiger. He was wearing green, which seemed to be his favorite color, and decorated the long-sleeved shirt he wore, as well as the deep green belt. He wore some nicely fitting jeans and sneakers of all paw wear, but I guess that helped him to blend in with the environment, as did the shoulder slung bag he had as well, which I suspected to contain his contingency writing equipment, for creative emergencies. The want to peep into the bag was oddly strong, the same way you just wanted to peek into other fur's computer screens when you walked past them, but I wasn't about to make a fool of myself acting in such a childish manner. Instead, I put on a very broad smile and then there were "hi"s and some arm-patting and paw-shaking, and a rumbled "thankyou", from the tiger as I offered him the chocolates.

"Hope they're to your liking," I smiled, watching the tiger admire the box.

"Oh, yes," the tiger replied, his tail swaying behind him and displaying what I hoped to be delight, "I've missed sweets, you know."

"Oh?"

The tiger chuckled.

"For some reason, for the whole week, my room service at the hotel has kept bringing me a huge bacon and eggs breakfast every morning, and the mini bar is stocked with beef jerky and nothing else," the tiger detailed. "I asked the concierge about it, and he said that it was the orders of the fur who was marked as having reserved the room."

My tail jolted to safety between my legs as my mind came up with a pretty strong contender.

"Would that happen to be a certain power-dressing leopard by any means?" I suggested with a grin.

The tiger's lingering smile broadened.

"Yes, in fact that is correct," he mused, "apparently Ms. Lopez's order for her Ducan diet - specific food was still effective, and had not been changed when she left."

I frowned. It sounded like something Alex would like, and that ought to have been a warning sign.

"What's that?" I still made the question.

"A low-carbohydrate fad diet from France, Wikipedia told me once I was fed up with bacon," Colin-tiger chuckled.

I smiled and chuffed sympathetically, and received a smile from the tiger, too, who kept watching me curiously. I felt a little bit on the spot for it, since we were strangers to each other, after all, and there was of course the celebrity factor....even though he might not have been a super famous someone, but there had to be a reason why he was as famous as he was.

"Why am I not surprised?" I commented with a broad grin.

"Heheh," Colinwillow smiled.

My pretty eyes made little flicks while I glanced around the rotunda floor, idly searching for something of interest. Hmm...maybe he would know...

"How often have you come here?" I asked, then, recalling that the tiger had expressed affinity for the library.

"Hmmm..." Colin rubbed his chin, "I think...fourth time, this is the fourth time."

"Hehe."

The tiger began to walk slowly along the rim of the rotunda surrounding the atrium, and I tagged along, settling easily into his relaxed gait.

"I do like the atmosphere," his eyes took in all sorts of details while we walked, and I wondered whether any of them would make onto the page of a book.

"Brings back many memories," I returned the smile. "Many years spent here."

"I did horribly in college," the tiger chuckled.

My ears perked curiously.

"Really?"

"Oh yes," the tiger smiled, almost bashfully so, and even shrugged a little. "I spent almost all the time writing and never put too much effort into the actual academic work. I didn't get many honors I assure you."

I chuckled brightly.

"An occupational hazard, maybe?" I suggested.

"True," the striped fellow's ears agreed. "At least now I can just write."

"Convenient," I mused as we passed the doors into the natural sciences section that dominated the second floor, as well as the stairs up to the third floor, psychology, gender studies and drama.

"Oh it is," the tiger smiled still, "It's still work, but I do it whenever I want and wherever I want."

"Even now?" I smiled, wondering whether secret book ideas swarmed within that striped head even as we trod along and exchanged casual small talk.

The tiger grinned more broadly.

"Consider me your captive audience for now, though Rory," his tail swiped close to mine, and I naturally responded, flapping the heavy tip quickly against his calf, just in the companionable way cats could do without a hitch.

The tiger chuckled and returned my tail tap with his own, this time actually catching my legs and padding them over the front with that more whip-like, agile appendage he possessed. I chuffed amiably.

"How do you want me to amuse you then, Colin?" I asked with a curious smirk.

The tiger waved a casual paw.

"Any way you can think of. I did invite you here but don't think you have to be constantly amused by me, it can be the other way around too, and I do find you find amusing, if I may say."

"You may," I chuckled.

"Did you like the library when you were a student here?" the tiger mused, our circular walk still continuing as before.

"I studied here, yes," I rubbed the back of my neck as I reminisced upon my wild college years...heheh, "many times, in fact...though I'm not sure if I know anything romantic to say about the library, though you might have some ideas, I bet."

The tiger gave me a curious look.

"How come?"

"Well..." I snuffled, "All the knowledge stored within these walls and all that, eh?"

Colin laughed, probably too loud for it to be really appropriate in a library, but he did have beaming eyes once he calmed down, and that made me feel like I had accomplished a mission well done.

"I can hear your copywriting experience talking there, somewhere, I'm sure," the striped cat teased.

I chuffed.

"Been a while since I did that stuff."

"You could always go back," the tiger chuckled, "I could ask Ms. Lopez whether she knows of any openings in the publishing house."

My eyes widened a little at the prospect of having to have a heart to heart with the said leopardess, who enjoyed colonic irrigation, fad diets and being prissy.

"Oh, God!" I exclaimed with a soft snuffle.

The tiger smiled.

"Seems that she left a lasting impression."

"I know the type," I replied.

For some odd reason I could see Alex and Ms. Lopez riding side by side stationary bicycles while wearing matching sweatshirts and bandanas and singing along to a horribly off-key rendition of some Whitney Houston song.

"Unavoidable, I'm afraid."

Don't walk away from me...

I have nothing, nothing, nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!

_ _

"True," I snuffled.

Our winding walk now extended up the stairs and around the circumference of the topmost level of the tall, showy atrium, lined with display cases filled with treasured tomes and pages of manuscript. We even walked past the one attributed to Emerson, though as a veteran of Taylor, I knew that there was a small "A reproduction of the one in the original collection" sticker hidden somewhere, if you knew where to look. Mistwillow's eyes seemed to linger on the dusty, yellowed pages, taking them in while we walked past the gleaming glass boxes. His long tail kept on flicking slowly behind him.

I don't really need to look very much further

I don't want to have to go where you don't follow

_ _

Oh, crap...but at least the talk was going smoothly, and I was slowly relaxing to it as well. The tiger-Colin was a friendly guy, chatty and curious about what I had to say. It felt nice to be listened to, not that I had a shortage of fur who wanted to hear what I said, but I suppose everyone needed that kind of a feeling sometimes. Perhaps that's why the tiger was here, even now, tail and shoulder bag swinging while we chatted and walked and enjoyed the quiet mood in the library. It was around six pm and the population had dwindled down to the few quiet furs I could see sitting here and there, at their desks, nosepads close to books. I had been there and done that, but I really didn't know whether to envy them.

Stay in my aaaarms if you dare

Or must I imagine you there...

_ _

Just keep on pedaling.

"I'm sure it's gotta be there somewhere..."

_ _

"I'm sure..."

_ _

My ears perked, and I stopped, just outright so, my paws stopped working while my ears rotated, and I tried to listen as carefully as possible. Even my tail went rigid as I listened, not realizing that the tiger had continued a few more steps ahead of me and then stopped, while I wasn't moving.

"...I bet it's behind that couch..."

_ _

I took a step closer to the display case filled with yellowed notebooks and leaned over the banister to look down to the winding stairs coming up to the third floor. From my vantage point it was all too easy to see the tops of two heads, one shaggy grey and pointy-eared, the other tawny and spotted, and combined with the swaying tails and the voices from earlier, there was no doubt that my worst fears had come true.

Shit shit shit...

"Rory?"

Colin was looking at me curiously, while I stood there, peering over the rail to see how much time there might be left before a collision course was imminent. Mason and Haakon were at the second flood landing and already heading up to the third floor...that would mean perhaps ten seconds to get up and then another fifteen to walk over here, should they spot us...which they were sure to do.

"Oh, I just...I just remembered!" I said quickly, my tail going mad behind me and smacking against the glass case, making it rattle briefly as I stepped away from the edge of the rotunda. "I think there's something I wanted to show you! Please, come!"

"Ohh...."

I caught his arm with my paw and gave it a quick tug, as I lead him towards the nearest pair of doors I could see, glass, and marked with the text "DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS." I walked briskly to the doors and then grabbed the smooth brass handle and pulled the door open.

"After you," I tipped my head in a gesture that I might have enjoyed for its amusing chivalry, if I hadn't been staring madly towards the top of the stairs, where the doomsday duo had emerged to the second floor and were already walking towards us.

"Thank you, Rory!" the tiger smirked at me toothily, likely perfectly and happily oblivious to my madly thumping heart and my tails attempts to tie itself into a knot out of nerves.

The air was warmer in the enclosed space of the performing arts section. The lights seemed to burn a different shade, almost a golden hue. There was a carpet to keep steps from making any noises. There were old wooden mahogany shelves that didn't reach the floor, and almost immediately upon entry, a small relaxation area had been located, with bean bags surrounding a nude statue of a male lion posing just the way an ancient statue was meant to do, perfectly muscled and proportionate. I wasn't sure whether it was a tacky combination or a display of awesome creative effort.

We couldn't stay, though, the doors could still give us away, with an overtly curious pair of lynx or wolf eyes peering through and catching a sight of an all too familiar lion and a favored tiger standing here like fish in an aquarium. I had to get out of the way, the possibility of having to try to explain THIS, even if I did manage to convince them that it was a perfectly good and honest and innocent chat, it all felt like it might have the possibility of breaking my poor little mind, and I wasn't ready for that yet.

"A bit further," I gave a nervous smile and kept walking, hoping that we would round the corner before the pair I was trying to avoid would be upon the doors.

"This is most peculiar," the tiger rumbled, but didn't sound displeased at being ushered past shelves filled with glitzy tomes about choreography, sequins, Shakespeare and chorus lines.

"Just wait what comes next," I spoke, pretty sure that my voice sounded almost hysterical as I whined and led him by his paw over to the further reaches of the deserted drama section.

We rounded another stack of shelves and then there it was, the tall display stand, with special lights that had been set up to create a cone of illumination around the glimmering golden dress within the glass box. It looked quite royal, almost, fitted over a display dummy, and gleamed mysteriously, like some strange Egyptian relic.

"Here," I huffed, feeling oddly breathless, "their treasure."

I wasn't really too sure whether it really counted as a genuine treasure, but now that I had suddenly dragged the tiger here, I really needed an excuse to explain why I had acted so erratically all sudden, and this did seem to be the only option, no matter how frivolous.

The tiger's calm eyes peered at the glittering display with his keen eyes, taking in all the detail, and then reading the small plaque aloud.

"A costume donated to the Taylor University performing arts department by Barbra Streisand, screen-worn in Hello Dolly! , 1969. Donation received in 1995."

_ _

"Hehe," I smiled broadly, rubbing the back of my neck while I nervously kept glancing towards the doors leading into the drama library, hoping that I would not see the friendly faces belonging to Mason and Haakon, all too keen to meet the big, friendly lion Rory.

Mistwillow rubbed his chin as he studied the camp display, his tail making the odd flick behind him. Mine simply hung, now flat and weak after the worst of my nervous energy was gone.

"It's quite impressive," the tiger mused.

"Hah," I breathed out.

The tiger gave me a quirked look.

"Interesting, too," the tiger chuckled. "Is it something you came to look at regularly?"

I flicked my ears down, feeling embarrassed by this whole situation now. I had acted childishly again, for reasons I would take all too long to explain to myself, let alone the tiger. He seemed to be puzzled by my behavior, and I wasn't so sure how to deal with it. At least he didn't seem to be pissed off with me, which would have been a fantastic continuation to the night, I'm sure.

"I guess it was kind of an urban legend around the campus that you just wanted to check out," I replied, breathing between my teeth.

The tiger let out a soft laugh and then joined me in my position, looking at the enclosed dress from a bit further away.

"Guess everyone wants a few special...memories..," the tiger winked.

It took me a few seconds to get around his one-liner, and I began to laugh, utterly, inexplicably amused by the simple quip, the whole situation with me trying to dodging Mason and Haakon, and in process, pulling the poor tiger in to the camp section of the library. Somehow I had managed to mess everything up again, simply sailed into this minefield of mistakes that I could have avoided by a bit more careful planning and....and...shit...what was I thinking? I should have called Mistwillow and told him that maybe we'd better meet somewhere in downtown or...I didn't know...

"Hahahah," I still kept chuffing occasionally, rumbling like the big boy that I was.

"Well, I can now understand why you were in such a hurry to get me here, too," the tiger spoke, and as I saw the tip of his tongue between his teeth, I knew that he was teasing me.

I snuffled and elbowed him, out of habit. Dudes did stuff like that out of fun, didn't they? The tiger chuckled, tail-swiped me, and returned the prod over my ribs.

"Ha!" the tiger exclaimed.

"Heh!" I replied.

"Heheh!"

Such a purring laughter he had, rich and resonant.

"Heh..."

His lips were very soft, and his whiskers tickled mine, when they met.

*

There we go!

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