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Murphy blended right into the library, really. Hair twisted back out of her face, wearing a turtleneck and jeans, she was a fairly unremarkable student. She balanced an armload of books on one arm, and reached up above her to use one finger -- careful -- and flick out a book that was probably technically out of her reach.

She'd gotten good at that, however. No one called her 'short' and lived, so she couldn't act short.

She had a quill between her teeth as she turned around, and glanced at the only nearby table -- the one Owen had dropped his stuff on. She shifted the quill to the corner of her mouth. "Can I?" She used her elbow to point to the empty end of the table.

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Owen smiled and nodded, "'Course. Feel free. Just thought I'd take a break. Can I help you with those?" He wasn't trying to be rude or anything...just friendly.

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"I've got it..." She drops the pile of books -- still one-armed -- heavily on the tabletop before cracking her neck and stretching her shoulder. "... mostly."

She settles in a chair and plucks the quill out of her mouth. "Mmph. Sorry for the mess. I don't exactly know what I'm looking for."

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"No worries, really. I've gotten most of what I needed to done. Please, feel free to do whatever you need." He looked at the books and the various subjects mixed in with his. "Quite interesting research you're doing."

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The books are mostly about mind control of various sorts -- everything from medical texts to legends. "It's not my research, actually." She cracks open the first book to skim down the index. "Someone I know came through with me, came here, and I don't trust him. And he's researching some dangerous things. So." She gestures to the books. "I'm keeping one step ahead of him."

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"Always good. You never know when someone or something might strike unexpectedy, you know?" He moved a bit toward another nearby bookcase and perused the books.

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"Exactly." She unrolled a bit of parchment and started scribbling down notes in almost painfully neat columns. She pauses, suddenly, and glances up with a sound that might've passed for a laugh.

"Sorry, I know this probably looks insane. I'm not a stalker," she adds, getting a ruler out of her bag to sort the columns. "I'm a cop."

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Owen shook his head, "It sounds a lot less stalker-ish when you're in my line of work. I don't believe we've met. Owen...Owen Harper." He offered a hand.

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"Detective Murphy." She shook his hand. Around here she found it was better to just... not mention her first name. That kept down the 'Karrin's considerably. Thomas was enough. "Chicago PD. What's your line of work, Owen Harper?"

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"Medicine, really. Psychology and forensic science. A lot of guess work." He picked up his own parchment and glanced at it.

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"Care to make that a little vaguer? I almost saw the forest, not the trees." Her tone was dry. "Pretty sure you're not a cop."

Cops had a certain feel to them. "PI?"

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Owen nodded, "Of a sort, yes."

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She gave him a sideways look. "Cagey. Which means you're either a criminal or government."

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He nodded, "Government would be correct. It's one of those jobs that's very hush hush if you know what I mean? Been here long?"

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She knows what he means. She also clearly doesn't approve. Her lips press together, thin. Better he was a vigilante than a fed, quite frankly. "Only a few weeks, really."

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Torchwood wasn't exactly government but not exactly vigilante either but Owen can't speak of those matters. "Same here, we must have come in one after another. So...any idea on how to get used to this magic? I mean, I've seen a lot of strange things in my life but coming here and then body swapping with a pirate."

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"It takes time. I had six years dealing with a wizard before I got here, and I still wasn't used to it." She frowns a little, putting her hair back over her shoulders.

"And you've probably only dealt with the body swap and the wands, right? There are werewolves, vampires," she counts on her fingers, "fae, voodoo, zombies... and above it all," she waves a hand, "idiots who only think they know what they're doing. Oh, and the mafia."

She glares at the books in front of her. "There's always the damn mafia."

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Owen shuddered at the mention of the fae. "I've seen my fair share of things similar to werewolves and zombies...sometimes potentially worse." He nodded at mention of the bodyswap and the wands, "I've just always thought that I was nothing extraordinary. Just another person and then I come here and my world is turned even more upside down than it was before. Never even thought that was possible."

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"Take it from me," she says, with a wry smirk. "There's always something out there ready to screw you up more than you are."

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"Yes, I'm learning quite quickly first hand." He laughed a bit and then cocked his head to the side, "You said you had some experiences with a wizard before you came here?"

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She nods. "One of the consultants I'd pull in -- Harry -- he's a wizard. Only one in the Chicago phone book."

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"Never thought I'd find you in here Owen." The mysterious voice was amongst the bookshelves. "Should I be worried as to what you're doing?"

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"You probably should be. Lord knows I am. I feel like I'm in chemistry 101 all over again." There was this skeptical look on his face. "Nothing like medical school nightmares to come back and bite you in the ass."

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"Owen," There was a sigh as Jack appeared round the shelf with a couple of books in hand. "You should be used to it then." He laughed. "I hope you're gonna turn up tomorrow." He sat down without an invite, leaning on the books. "You should ask Gwen."

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Owen gave Jack the look, "You think I'd miss it? Come on, I'd like to think I'm not that much of a git you know. And just because I'm used to it, doesn't mean I like going back to the basics." He moved the books aside for the moment and eyed Jack. "She really that good with this stuff?"

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"Good, don't want to have to go hunting you down." He just grinned back at him, he then poked a book he was leaning on. "Some of this stuff is good, you should speak to Agnes Nutter, go help up in the hospital wing, be useful then you won't have to start right at the beginning. And yes she might be of some help to you, I mean she's more organised than you." He laughed. "What's the worst that can happen? She's says no."

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Owen smirked and then noted, "In this place, who knows what the worst could be? I'm not sure if I trust this place. Agnes, you say? Perhaps the hospital wing might be a good place. Make it feel a bit more like home."

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Jack pointed at Owen. "Say things like than and Weevils turn up, I'm blaming you and sending them to you." He smiled, though he was clearly only half joking.

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"I'll tale a Weevil anyday." He tried to act tough but anyone who knew him would see through the ruse. "So how was the trip? Thanks for the hypervodka by the way. I think I'll need it if things keep going the way they are."

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"I think he enjoyed it." Understatement. "Ianto my not be pleased with the way certain things were left, but I think he expects it of me now." Jack laughed, he knew he was just trying to distract Owen if he could. "It's not all that bad here. I mean look around, there are some very nice people here." Jack wasn't hinting at anything nope. "Besides, there's always Gwen and Ianto to talk to, or Suzie..."

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makeminemayday.livejournal.com

((As always, if this interruption is unwanted, I'll nuke it, but if either Jack or Owen want to annoy the other by pretending to talk about them...))

May has been sitting in a far corner of the library with her wand and several books on warding, and has so far been totally oblivious to the presence of other people. But the spell she's studying can't be tested without other people to verify that it works. She can do it without blowing anything up or turning anything different colors, and according to the extra research she's done, she seems to be doing everything right.

Jack and Owen are the first two people she sees who don't have their faces buried in books, and she doesn't see anyone she knows, so she approaches them hesitantly. "Excuse me. Do either of you have a second? Or know anything about the spell to screen conversations? I think I've got it down, but can't actually test it without someone verifying that it's working."

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Owen looked to Mayday, "I think I have a few moments to spare really. Just taking a break from school work." He smiled to her.

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makeminemayday.livejournal.com

"Well, I figure I need two people - one to screen a conversation with, and one to tell us whether or not they can actually hear it. Either of you want to give it a try?"

Oh, yeah. Manners. Total strangers. "I'm May Parker, by the way. Hi."

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