Birb Research and Memories

"It doesn't really matter too much whether they are shocked I showed up or not. It'll keep them on their toes." Selena explained to Luca as they walked through the garganta and out into a sitting room, the woman having become accustomed to them enough to not panic at all anymore. Her stride was as assured as if she were walking not on a platform made of Luca's spiritual power and was instead in the halls of her company. She stepped out of the portal into the smallish room, stretching and trying not to yawn. There a few seats and a small table before it led to stairs going both up and down, she'd given him exact coordinates of where they'd need to be. It was smack dab in the middle of the multistory, sectional library and in one of the resting areas. It was brightly light and colored

They'd come early in the morning, past her usual waking time but she still felt a bit drowsy for the moment. "Hm... I wonder if I should call for anyone to bring us things? It is my right."

She could call a servant to get them food and snacks... They were here for research though. The woman finally turned to see how Luca was taking it all and blinked as she waited for his response.

Luca gave a nod at Selena's words, trusting her judgment on such. He was unsure how others would react to their sudden appearance, but it was Selena's estate...so it was fine for her to show up whenever she pleased.

The opinion on himself did not matter to him, they were going for research purposes...though he had to wonder what all they'd find... Something to spark his memory, perhaps? He did not want to be negative and simply believe their was nothing... Selena had shown interest in his past, and he would like her to know it...

If he could remember it himself first that is.

When they stepped out of the garganta the portal shut behind them, Luca's eyes glancing around at the room they'd stepped into.

"Perhaps..." He gave another nod; they would be useful to have...and during all of that research there was bound to be hunger, though he was sure if Selena felt hungry she could just request something at that moment and she'd receive it soon after...

As for him well...food wasn't necessary, but it was interesting and even...fun to try sometimes. All the varying tastes... "Food will be good to have during the research, as for me I'll accept anything."

With Luca seemingly accepting of the world he had stepped into, Selena breathed a sigh of relief. Of all things she had been a bit worried he might overreact. Why? She had no idea. But it was just the general sign of disarray her mind was in at the moment from having to come here.

Selena's phone was pulled from her purse at Luca's words, the bag slung over her arm as she sent a text to the housekeeper. The woman was efficient and just as much of a perfectionist as Selena, they got along well as long as they didn't step over each other's feet. Texting was the most efficient way to get things done in this case.

"There, all set. Food will be sent up at some point soon, though there might be a bit of scrambling around downstairs." She almost snorted but instead reached up to brush her long orange locks back behind her shoulder in a no fucks given motion. That hand then reached out to take Luca's as she began to lead him to the stairs, heading up them instead of down. Despite her relaxed clothes, the typical large soft sweater with her leggings and a comfortable pair of flats, the woman was obviously very tense and it showed in the lines of her body and the way she carried herself.

It was almost as if she was at work, her eyes colder than usual as well. Luca's hand was held as if it was a life raft in a sea where she could lose herself and she turned as she lead him up the spiral stairs to give him a small smile.

Luca was still allowing himself to look around as Selena pulled out her phone, his eyes going to here as she finished up texting her housekeeper.

Giving a nod, he took her hand as she reached to take his and followed her towards the spiral staircase. This was certainly a large estate... Just by the room they'd been in it'd been obvious to him...but it was fitting.

Selena's own home back in Canada was rather large as well.

Thinking it might help with her tenseness, he gave a small squeeze to her hand. She was obviously so... This would take a lot of concentration, and time, and there was no telling if their results would pay off or not...and if they did pay off there was no promising there would be good things to learn about...

"We'll surely find...something." He attempted to reassure, he wasn't sure what they'd find...but perhaps they'd find hints.

The place was obviously built of stone, heavy stone, despite the gilded and bright looks and color scheme. The stairway was a bit narrow as stairways go but brightly lit despite the lack of windows. They didn't have to go far up the stairs though, it opened up as they cleared past a stone arched doorway into a large and bright room.

Selena looked back at Luca, a bit startled as he squeezed her hand before a soft smile appeared on her lips. He was worried over her worrying? She wasn't...as worried about this as other things, but it wasn't something she wanted to admit.

Being here always put her on edge, no matter what else was going on.

Still the room was just as bright and lit up as the previous small room in between the stairs, the walls covered in floor to ceiling bookcases. There were a few sections where there were freestanding bookcases as well and they came out on a second story that was rather high up, in a normal house it would be the fourth story really.

"I am sure we will... Don't worry Luca, I'm fine." Selena reassured Luca but didn't let go of his hand as she waved her other out. "Tada... Over there and there are other small alcoves, more used than the one we came out of. They are for privacy and are between the floors. The section we'll be heading for is up here."

The floor was solid under them, the second floor having a sort of large platform that was held up by pillars but it didn't cover the entire upper section. One could still fall quite a ways.

She paused though before continuing on, letting go of Luca's hand to stand in front of him, and with a perfect curtsy she grinned devilishly. "Welcome to the Archigott main branch estate's library, Septimo."

This building was certainly something... A rather fascinating estate he felt as his eyes glanced around the surrounding area again as they walked further up the stairs.

Seeing Selena's smile, a response to his hand having squeezed her own, he managed a small smile in return. Small ones were still uncommon on his expression, but they were appearing much more often...

He gave another small nod as she assured him she'd be alright, he would trust her on such a statement... If she wasn't, he would do his best to help her.

Listening to her explain the acloves, he gave a small sound to let her know he understood, and had been listening. There were acloves like this, and they were headed up further...

The...The Septimo title again...?

Luca blinked, his eyes having widened just a small fraction at Selena's words and actions before giving a nod.

"I figure using your title now is appropriate... considering they won't call me anything else. Might as well show your status is just as high as mine~" Selena almost grumbled that despite her tone, looking away from Luca to the people down below working. There were only two or three and they were mostly checking things, though she was sure there would be a fuss soon enough.

She liked making him a bit shocked though, so the woman was pleased that calling him his title would continue to cause such an effect. It also reminded her of what he was...thus helping her adapt and never forget or get too complacent over it.

Selena wasn't going to hurt Luca over her feelings about the monsters, because he wasn't a monster and was her Luca and she was here to help him find out the things he wanted.

Turning on her heel, she waved a hand back for the espada to follow her, her unbound hair bouncing with each rather forceful step. "This way, my Luca. We can start in the section on nobility in other families, narrowed down to Italy and move on from there."

"I see..." It made sense at least... He supposed. Selena knew best in such a situation, and he would trust her word on it. Perhaps if he were of a lower ranking he would be treated as such...thus using his title...

Though...she also tended to enjoy calling him by it, if only for his reaction. It was one he still could not entirely help.

At the wave of her hand, he followed behind her; it sounded like it would be a good place for them to start. "Alright."

He hoped they would at least find...something...whether it jogged his actual memory or not.

Selena got to call him by title all day then~ And make little shocked expressions on his normally stoic face. The little smiles she got out of him were better though...but no more or less fun.

She led him past a few freestanding bookcases, many filled with books that looked old though there were more than a few newer ones put in there with them. Selena paid them no mind, heading to the corner of this upper part where it seemed sectioned off. Stepping over a velvet rope marking it off, she yawned and waved off the rather confused librarian who just stood there in shock at the head of the house just appeared.

The woman squeaked and muttered a low french swear before she hurried off, leaving Selena and Luca alone as the head of the household moved to the computer the librarian had left behind. "If you want to go check the Italian history section, its that spot over there. I'm going to cross reference nobility in italy about your lifetime ago with poisons and other such things and see what exactly happened around the time you died if that's okay? That way I know where to start books wise and see what we have here."

"Alright, I'll begin looking there then..." Luca replied, stopping at the computer with Selena before she pointed to where the section she'd just stated would be after the librarian had hurried off elsewhere.

He would begin there then, and see what he could find.

It may be difficult, as he could not even recall a surname...but perhaps just seeing a name would help... If he saw a year, a name...something like that...perhaps that would spark something...

He had those familiar feelings about some things, but those weren't enough to completely bring any memories to surface...

Giving a final nod to her, he stepped over towards the section she'd directed him in. He was unsure of where to start, though instead of attempting to think on it he picked a book at random and opened it before his eyes began looking over the contents.

Selena gave Luca a smile and shooed him off, slipping into the chair for this desk and beginning to pull up information about Italy about six to seven hundred years ago. Admittedly her knowledge was lacking but she needed SOME frame of reference.

Without Luca here what could she find out though? Well, the woman was determined to find out. She scanned articles and checked lists of deaths...though the ones related to poisoning wouldn't tell her much. But doctoring and music... those had to be added into the mix too.

How did it all add up? The woman's face was scrunched up in concentration as she went through information at rather high speeds, taking in what she needed and discarding the rest as she compiled a list.

She was going to get a headache, she knew it. But this was worth it...

There wasn't much of interest in this book, nothing that caught his eye specifically on what they were looking for...nothing sparked. He had chosen it at random though, so it was a rather poor frame of reference.

Perhaps...

His eyes looked over the various books surrounding him, and his eyes lingered on a few. Reaching out, he hovered over one related to musical history and such but hesitated before eventually retracting his hand.

Hm...

Selena knew that being here would be an itch she couldn't scratch of annoyance, she knew it and yet she underestimated it. There was a commotion downstairs, the librarians and workers finally reacting to her entrance and the delayed response...

She rubbed her forehead and continued on. There was a set period of time... and maybe if she could find resource books...

But without Luca this was just her gathering information in her head and was useless since he was the one needing sparking! "My Lady. Your requested items, is there anything else I can provide?"

A man dressed in a nice suit bowed, his arm covered in white cloth as he held out a large tray fillwed with delicacies. She waved him off to set it on the desk, pushing aside the things on it with no interest for the poor worker who had to deal with the mess later. "Set it there, and tell everyone to shut up or get out. I've brought my Septimo along with me, so you should all keep away if you can."

The man's face showed horror that Selena didn't care about as she scrolled along, he backed away and then hurried back down the stairs.

Once he was gone, her eyes slid to the tray and she sighed before grabbing it and carrying it back towards Luca's position. There were seats back there and a few small tables for research... She called out among the stacks, his tall form hidden from her for now. "Luca? The foods here."

It hadn't been long but she was already wanting to stab people.

Luca gave a brief glance in the direction he heard voices from, one of the servants and Selena. Hearing them, he turned his attention back to the second book he'd taken from the shelf, a third and fourth piled under it.

It was on medicinal methods, though...this was common knowledge to him. It was full of information he already knew, nothing that...sparked anything so far. They were just methods... no real specifics on instances that were important in time when they'd been used or anything.

"Coming..." Luca responded, hearing Selena as she stated the food was here.

Closing the book he'd been reading over, he stepped out from the area with the small pile and approached Selena and the food that'd been brought.

She seemed...rather stressed still... though that would not go away so easily.

Selena grabbed one of the dainty sandwiches, stuffing it in her mouth and chewing it grumpily as she waited for Luca to come over. She glanced up as he joined her, a small smile on her face as she patted the spot next to her on the small divan she had plopped down on. "...We really should have had a better plan of attack than just random looking."

That meant more time here, which meant more grumping.

"Did you feel anything at all? I know its only been a little bit but... anything at all can point us in the right direction. I am...getting the sense though that you weren't anything to do with nobility, or well. You know doctoring right? At that time period it wasn't considered 'in style' to have such knowledge. Or well.. baaah." Selena grumbled and rubbed her forehead, creases she normally didn't have during not work hours now appearing. "I've only read a bit though... I should have researched more before we got here though."

Now she had the decency to look a bit sheepish and embarrassed for NOT being entirely prepared for this.

"I've only managed to really look through a couple of books...but they've mostly only stated general things, I'll need to look further on more detailed logs and such. I grabbed a few, though this medical one hasn't shown me anything I didn't already know..."

Luca explained this as he seated himself next to Selena, setting the books he had next to him to the side Selena wasn't before making sure they'd stay there and not fall.

He listened to what she'd discovered, and gave a nod here and there as he processed things.

It was rare of someone of that time to possess such knowledge, which...he supposed narrowed some things down...perhaps?

"If it was rare knowledge, then there's hope that that narrows some things down...?" He was at least trying to reassure her of things, repeating his previous thoughts.

There hadn't been much time to go through things just yet, they were just at the beginning of their search after all.

"Try the musical things too, that's another carry over." She pointed out with a smile, pulling a chocolate off of the tray and holding it up for Luca to take with his lips. Whatever books he brought could wait a moment...

"Besides that, even odder is your...two tastes. A doctor wouldn't have had time to learn music really, though you play so beautifully... Maybe you were rather old when you died?" Selena questioned, before they went searching nilly willy again though it would be best to get any and all details they could out of him. Besides...sitting beside him was comforting her. She leaned against his arm and shoulder, nuzzling it lightly as her body slowly relaxed again. "That could be the key. Maybe a rich older doctor with time on their hands?"

Anything that could get the searching narrowed even further...

"I had thought to take a book relating to such off of the shelves earlier..." It was obvious though he had not, the small stack he had related to medicine and medical history.

Leaning over some, he accepted the chocolate from Selena as she offered to him, taking it from her with his lips. It was good, though he was particular to chocolate...so of course it was good.

"...They...would not have had the time for sure." Luca agreed, though it had taken a second; it...was rather hard to agree with such a statement, though he loved his music...so of course it was hard to admit...he felt.

He had no way of confirming or denying her theory of possible age when he'd died...though he felt he couldn't have been...that old, but there was no such basis for that feeling and thus said nothing.

Selena leaned over, looking at the books he had chosen and wondering if that was significant and storing it away. "Why didn't you? Its just as important to you... more I assume."

With her body visibly relaxing from Luca's acceptance of the chocolate, she reached down for one for herself. It was a darker one and thus more bitter, not really the man's taste but more hers. She wondered when she'd be drug off... hopefully not soon.

"Was...something odd about what I said? If you are having um... I guess instincts about things, speak up? They may help us narrow it down." Selena's eyebrow raised as she stared up at Luca, wondering if his momentary hesitation was caused by something. Maybe he wasn't... well he never really spoke up about things, but he had been more open lately and smiling.

"I know you are logical and well I am for the large part, but in this we have only vague feelings to go on. Anything you feel in the slightest, especially things you normally don't or don't understand why." She reached up, poking his nose and daring him to contradict her.

"I...felt it was unnecessary." He had wanted to pick it up at first, look through it and see if anything was sparked but...he felt shortly after feeling that that it would be completely useless. There wouldn't be anything to find...

Something odd? Luca shook his head slightly; "Not...odd, but... A vague feeling of...I felt I've been told as such before, I apologize...but it hurt a little when I think about it...despite their truth..."

A doctor would not have time to study both... especially with his level of skill...

He was pulled from his thoughts as Selena poked his nose, his attention returning to her as his eyes looked to her.

They had to look past their...more logical ways of thinking for this, and he gave another small nod. Small, vague feelings of his were all they had to go on...even if he had nothing to support these feelings...it was best for him to speak them...then...

"I...do not believe I was that old when I died, that was what I felt."

"Unnecessary? Erm...? How so? Its important to you, so we should really cover our tracks." Selena blinked at the odd wording, wondering why the music books would be unnecessary in the least.

His words caused the Quincy to pause for a moment, a soft sigh escaping her as she shook her head. "Don't you dare apologize. You've been told you didn't have time for both? That...that..."

Was it useful? Not at the moment, but that feeling needed to be stored to her list of important information. It made her more and more sure the music might be the key to seeing about things, but she wouldn't speak up just yet. As she got his attention again, the man got a small little smile for his focus on her.

"So you were youngish... Hm, that is really confusing then." Her lips pursed, she moved from snuggling him to grab a drink from the tray. He would listen to her and repeat feelings she hoped, but she waved her hand at the tray as she sipped from the cup. "Help yourself, Luca. If you get anymore feelings, make sure to tell me. We can figure this out together."

There was a voice... a familiar voice heading this way, she could hear the screeching and her eye twitched unconsciously.

"I...am unsure of how to describe it... I had just...felt I wouldn't find anything there." Luca answered, attempting to explain his earlier feelings; "Like...there was nothing there for me..."

Considering how important music was to him, it was rather troubling for him to utter such words, but...that was the best explanation he could give.

"...Perhaps." Told before he hadn't had time... Hadn't had time... Medicine was his only path, nothing other than that...

Seeing the small smile, he attempted to return it with one of his own, wanting to keep her reassured that they would find something...just wanting to keep her reassured to hopefully take away some of the stress she obviously felt...

It was confusing, he could easily agree on such things. Him being young when he died made things...more complicated it seemed.

Luca heard the faint noise of...a voice, he felt, but paid no heed to it. Selena had said her servants would be busy nearby...

"I...do not understand? That... Is an odd feeling. Very odd. Very very..." Selena's voice grew soft and pensive as she thought over Luca's words. They were odd. Very odd and she had no idea how to process them, just he felt there was nothing for him there?

The man was troubled over this and she frowned softly, opening her mouth to call this all off but closing it shortly after and looking away. If he wanted to stop, he knew enough to tell her so. She would stop it and they could go home, it would be best if that's how he felt...

"Well, we'll see how this go-HEY!" Someone's arms wrapped around her and lifted her off of the back of the divan, pulling her away in a hold over her stomach. A large woman stood there, blinking down at Luca with hair a similar shade to Selena's. "Please excuse the Lady for a few moments, there is important things she needs to do. I will return her shortly.

As she was drug away, kicking and fighting the whole way, Selena grumbled and cursed before calling out. "Luuucaaaa grab some of those books! I'll be back soon once I push these people ALL DOWN THE STAIRS I SWEAR I WILL STAB YOU ALL!"

There was no fighting it...she knew it...she had been avoiding it...

Luca gave more of a small half nod at Selena's response; he had felt it would be a difficult thing to grasp, he...had said it was difficult for him to explain so...

He had been listening to her as she began speaking, before his head turned to her as she was suddenly snatched up. "..."

His eyes had widened a fraction at the woman's appearance as Selena was pulled away. They were... Excuse her for a moment? With a glance to Selena as she was being dragged away it was obvious she wanted nothing to do with this, but had eventually folded nonetheless...

Books...books... Right.

Giving a final nod before she was pulled from the room, Luca remained seated on the couch for a bit longer before finally pulling himself up.

Picking up one of the remaining pieces of chocolate, he popped it into his mouth and went about gathering the books Selena had mentioned.

He could read up on things and try to find...something at least while she was gone.

...Stab them all...? She was quite against whatever they had planned...but was allowing them to do whatever they wanted anyway? ...Hmm...

Selena was dragged down the stairs, yelling obscenities much like a sailor while everyone except this woman cowered and fled her sight. She was dragged through the large doors, down the tall gaping hallways... Through some corridors, around corners and then some before she was finally stuffed in a nearby room.

"Hey this isn't my wing! What are you..." Selena was plopped down on a cushion topped stool where she crossed her arms and glared up at the woman who...who ignored her utterly and instead was going through a hastily packed trunk. "Beeaaa answer me! Whats the meaning of this, I was doing important work!"

"With a lover who happens to have no background? What in the world are you getting yourself into, My Lady? What kind of life are you leading there that gives you such odd company..." Beatrice spoke her words as if by wrote and uncaring of what they were, the older woman who was tossing out articles of clothing that Selena scooted away from. She didn't care what Selena did at all and that was obvious, she had just been told by someone else to question it. Selena for her part looked utterly unamused as she attempted to slowly sneak away. No...no she did not...nope of all people Beatrice...

Finally the larger woman looked up from the chest of clothes and grinned with evil delight. "Strip my lady."

Selena felt like a mouse in a snare and gulped as she looked at her cousin the seamstress in fear. What was her plan this time...