Chapter Text
“Even though Singh said I’m almost ready to get my cardigan, I just can’t stand the things- this darned library can’t make me like them, no matter how many ridiculous colours they come in.”
Mahir cast a tired look at Thaddea from behind the front desk. “I find it hard to believe you chose this job for yourself sometimes. You make it sound like you were forced into it.” He sighed. “Also, don’t go around telling people you close to getting a cardigan, that’s nowhere near true.”
Thaddea crossed her arms defensively. “Is too, she told me the other day.”
“Okay, firstly, I don’t think you know how the rankings work around here-” Thaddea scoffed at him. “-and second, I believe what you said was-” He mimicked Thaddea’s accent with uncanny accuracy. “‘Can I hurry up and get my cardigan, boss? I want to be a full librarian, not just some stupid shelf jockey,’ to which Singh replied, ‘You’ll have to get a cardigan before that, Macleod, and before that you need to become an official Book Fighter and-’ blah, blah, blah. Get off your high horse, Thaddea. This is only a casual, part-time thing we’re doing here right now, you know.”
She stood up stock straight and glared down at him, only a few uncomfortable inches away from his nose, to the snickers of her fellow unit members. “Shove off, Mahir, it’s not like you’re any closer are you, you little prick-”
“Still fighting at Wunsoc nowadays, Thaddea?” Arch cut in hastily.
“Oh, yeah… every now and then,” She replied with a wave of her hand, seemingly forgetting about her momentary rage. “I fight every Wednesday or so and I’ve been helping to train some junior scholars on Monday afternoons.”
“Aww, is Thaddy- Waddy taking care of little kiddy- widdies now?” Hawthorne smiled mischievously, puffing up his cheeks.
Thaddea swung a fist at his head, which he quickly dodged. “Shut up, Swift, I’m training them, not babysitting them. How do you think I got this ripped, huh? Sitting on my arse?” She gestured dramatically at her arms. “I had plenty of trainers my age when I was a junior scholar.”
Anah patted her arm and gave her a tired smile. “He knows, he knows- I’d think you’d be over all Hawthorne’s teasing by now, Dee.”
Thaddea carefully removed Anah’s hand from her arm and made a face, her cheeks reddening a little. “You- you know I’ve never liked that nickname, Kahlo.”
“Oh, come on, I think it’s cute.”
“Yeah, Dee,” Cadence smirked, crossing her arms as Morrigan stifled a laugh. “Really cute.”
Thaddea glared at her and rolled up one of her collared sleeves. “You call me that ONE more time, and I swear-”
Anah grabbed her shoulder again, more firmly, and looked at her pointedly. “What did I just say?”
“Sorry, sorry-”
Morrigan’s attention was suddenly directed away from her members’ squabbling by Lam, who had just perked up and was looking behind Hawthorne and Thaddea, her eyes wide and smile big.
“What-?” Morrigan began, following the oracle’s gaze. Two voices were becoming more and more audible from behind the corner.
“-shush, please, Maz, we only just got the dragon in McKibbin Avenue to fall asleep this morning and we really don’t need it waking up again-”
“Chill out, I wasn’t that- woopsie-” Marina Cheery tripped into view, an exhausted-looking Roshni Singh close behind.
“This is exactly why I’ve been getting complaints about you, love- you’re not exactly fit for a library.”
Hawthorne had also turned around and was peeking around the corner. “Is that-?”
“Oi, what’s that supposed to mean? I can be perfectly civilized if I want to be,” Miss Cheery objected.
“That’s exactly the problem we run into,” Roshni said drily. She lifted her head and smiled warmly when she saw the Unit looking at them. “Oh, your unit’s here, Marina.”
“Which one?” Miss Cheery looked up. Her face broke into a wide smile and she clapped her hands to her cheeks. “You guys- my lovely 919-ers? Here?”
Morrigan grinned back at her and the entire unit ran forward, Hawthorne, Arch and Lam giving her a big hug.
“Miss Cheery!” Anah said delightedly. “We would have told you we were coming if we knew you’d be here too.”
She squeezed them back and beamed. “Oh, don’t you worry yourself- but look, you’re all so big now! I haven’t seen most of you since forever ago... and when did you get so tall, Morrigan?”
Morrigan chuckled. “I didn’t think I’d grown that much- it feels like nothing when I’m standing next to most of these people, though.” She made eyes at Hawthorne, Thaddea, Cadence and Mahir.
“Mm, you have a point. I mean, look at these two-” Miss Cheery stood up as straight as she could between Hawthorne and Thaddea, who mimicked her movement. “Look, you guys are way taller than I was at your age. This is getting unfair if you ask me,”
Roshni laughed and patted her wife on the shoulder. “I completely forgot to tell you they were coming, I’m so sorry,” She turned to the unit. “Did you lot want to have a look around? I expect most of you haven’t been here in a while, although I must admit not much has changed.”
Mahir straightened up and said enthusiastically, “Of course they do, I’ll give everyone a little tour of sorts.”
Roshni smiled. “Lovely- don’t be too long, though, we’ve got a scheduled extermination in an hour or so.”
Mahir nodded and waved a hand at his unit to follow him.