It's A Couple Of Lit Nerds - Tumblr Posts
connortalbot:
Last night was a disaster. There was no other way to put it. He got drunk, he talked with an ex, and he ran across his pseudo uncle that he hadn’t spoken to since that entire branch of his family had died. Really, it couldn’t have gotten much worse.
Still, work is work and Connor actually loves his job. It isn’t Filthy Fenrir (which frustrates his parents to no end) but it’s something he actually likes. And it stimulates both his English and his Business degree. It’s a win-win for all parties involved. Except for the patrons of his family’s speakeasy who instead have to be amused by Clifford, a man who’s idea of a good time would probably be burning down the entire establishment thanks to a few misplaced fireworks.
He has his glasses on. They aren’t so much a necessity right now as a fashion choice but as a general people tend to trust the book store owner who looks smarter. Plus it helps with all the fine print on the spines he has to put back into place. Normally they would be scattered about with vague organization, but ever since Elias started working here things have seemed a little bit more put together.
It would probably be a little more if Connor didn’t come back from an antique show every week.
He’s putting away a clutter of new books in the fiction section when he notices a woman studying them. Almost all the ones she’s looking at right now have some sort of supernatural vibe to them. None of them are really that accurate but having them out is a good way to keep track of who might just be more Aware in this city than others.
Not that this girl smells human at all. He can’t quite catch the exactness of it, but it’s familiar enough that he is immediately intrigued.
“Can I help you find anything?” Connor asks with a smile. More flies with honey and all that. “If you’re looking for a specific kind of lore in particular I can help you find it.”
The implication is there and if she understands it, if she is Aware or something more, hopefully she’s able to understand him. If not then, well, no harm, no foul.
@noatwithstanding
Last night was a disaster. It was the only way to put it. She got emotional, she lost control of her powers, and she broke down sobbing in front of the woman she eventually had to admit didn’t actually ruin her life. Honestly, it couldn’t have gone much worse.
She needs to get this under control, but after last night’s little performance, she isn’t willing to show her face around the Chameleon Club again just yet. Time to follow another lead.
It’s a relief to be in a bookstore, the smell of paper and the cover of high shelves immediately comforting. Noa isn’t here just to bask in that, though, as much as she would like to just tuck herself into a story and forget her own life for a bit right now. No, right now, she’s looking for information. And for someone who can help her find more.
He actually catches her by surprise, lost as she is in the folktale she’d meant to just be skimming, and she jumps at the sudden question. A weight of light, the bitter of ink, the heat of a heartbeat. Interesting. She isn’t sure what to make of that; granted, she isn’t any more sure of what she actually expected of Connor Talbot. The little she’d heard of him hadn’t painted much of a picture.
She probably should have expected that he’d spot her immediately, though. A wolf would have a keen nose, and there’s a certain gravity to his question, the way he asks it.
“Oh, uh,” she adjust the book she’s holding so he can see the cover - Faire Folk of the Fair Isles, “Fae, in particular.” How to return the implication? “But it’s all pretty new to me, so I’d be happy to take recommendations.”
Well, okay, she’s always happy to take recommendations, but that should get the point across without being too obvious. After all, she could have misread him, or there could be another customer in the next aisle, Or she could still just be averse to plainly admitting what she is. Hell, she could have entirely the wrong man. “Is this your shop? It’s very nice - you have an excellent collection.”
