[ he shifts, adjusting his pillows so he can turn his body toward the older man, legs curling and book readjusted in his lap. he smooths fingertips over the cover, then hefts it to turn the spine toward his roommate. ]

A history of the local area. I'm not certain I was meant to take it out of the library, but.. [ his smile returns, a little self-conscious. ] Well, it's more comfortable here than it is there. [ and he'd been tired and hurting.

after a thoughtful moment, he spreads the book open on his lap again, paging delicately through it. ] I was looking for more information about the significance of these markings-- [ his free hand lifts to the stylized skull on his own tunic. ] --but thus far, it's been the expected nationalistic propaganda. [ he flips a few more pages, then sighs faintly. ] Nothing useful about the magic used here, either. Where it comes from, that sort of thing.