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 Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:31 pm
Nathan dropped the books into the return. He was not, of course, entirely innocent. He knew the book drop well, and made sure one of the books slipped into a nook that most of the employees failed to check when they did the book pick ups. If his dad was coming out to get the books it might be found, but hopefully only when all other options had failed while trying to look for the book.
He wasn't always a good guy. He liked causing trouble, even small, irritating trouble. Like library fines for books they absolutely knew they returned.
"Alright, then. You can come in. You'll like the dog, I'm sure. Everyone does." He rolled his eyes and moved into the library, though paused when she stumbled. He grinned at her teasingly, winking. "I'm sure you did." He moved by her and motioned for her to follow him.
Dogby, the library Corgi, was sitting on the front counter, waiting expectantly for pets. She was staring at the front door after hearing it, smiling a doggy smile when she saw Nathan. She stood up, yipping at him, since she loved him even though he was a bit of a c**k. She saw the girl, too, and was interested in learning who she was.
Tony was at the counter, and when he saw Nathan he frowned.
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Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:22 pm
She followed Nathan faithfully, if not a bit obsessively. She wanted to take his hand, to swing it to and fro, to lead him around the library and take him to her favorite sections. However, Sirsce only suppressed her urges and fell into step behind him. She stood beside him once they reached the counter, and swayed exuberantly. "Ooh, is this the dog?" Without waiting for a response, her hands darted toward the attentive corgi. She usurped the dog's ears and massaged the velvety fur between her fingers. The coat of the dog was coarse, to an extent, but still warm and pleasing to the touch. "Who's a good little doggie, huh?" She cooed. "Yes you are! You're a cute little pup!" With one final vigorous rub, she took her hands off the dog. It was fun, but she didn't want to overwhelm it with pets. Sirsce turned her attention to the resident librarian and waved. "Um, hi Mr. Darrow!" She recalled his name with the help of the plaque sitting atop the counter. "Thanks for the recommendation on those books; they really helped! And, um, I think I might check out that other one you recommended. The one about fashion in the 1940s? Um, I think it's still on reserve though..." She couldn't remember whether it had come off reserve or not. Maybe the person who checked it out planned to hoard it for all eternity, and they'd have to find a new copy. Maybe the book was out of print and they couldn't find another copy. Maybe she should quit overthinking it. With a deep breath, she forced herself to change her train of thought. "Oh, and um, do you and Nathan know each other?" They looked a lot alike, but that didn't mean they were related. "Nathan said he needed money, but like, he's not going to rob the library, I swear." She blurted out. Shortly after, she turned a vibrant red with embarrassment.
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Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 9:34 am
Dogby fell instantly in love and moved to cuddle with her new best friend as best she could. It was how she reacted to anyone that pet her, but it was so far a very acceptable reaction. Most people got a kick out of her loving them instantly, and she was the least aggressive thing on the planet, which helped. If she could answer, she would be eagerly telling Sirsce that she was a good little doggie, and she was very glad for it.
She was laying on her back by the end of it, kicking her little back foot and waiting for more pets, in a bit of a cuddle haze.
Tony watched the dog and shook his head, smiling, then looked at Sirsce and smiled, nodding his head. He was trying his best not to notice Nate, but the fact that the younger Darrow was moving around the counter and approaching from a staff only area was making that difficult.
"I'll get it for you," Tony said easily, then looked at Nate, who was standing impatiently nearby and blocking his path to the hold room. He sighed and knew what the other wanted, pulling out his wallet and checking to see what he had in it. Not much, and he knew he wouldn't get away with showing the bills and giving Nate the smaller ones.
Tony handed Nate what he had and Nate grinned.
"Rob the library?' Tony echoed, laughing, "no, not yet. Though I wouldn't put it past him. Just his father, so far."
Nate grinned and looked at Sirsce.
"I've got some pull here, so if you need anything, just let me know," he said, knowing it would drive Tony crazy. He moved out of the staff area and back to Sirsce's side, grinning.
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Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 10:41 pm
Sirsce had never met a corgi before, and certainly not a single dog that reacted quite that intensely to petting. Already the dog was upside-down and kicking as if in the throes of a wonderful dream, and all Sirsce had been doing was some rudimentary rubbing. Rather than leaving the dog on the counter, looking rather drunk, Sirsce instead snatched the little animal up and cuddled it against her chest. She stroked it slowly as she watched the two interact. Did the librarian really just give Nate money? Is that sanctioned? "Um," She started, lightly bouncing the dog in her grasp. "Why are you giving him money?" It seemed a perfectly viable question to ask - she's never heard of a librarian giving money to patrons, but she hadn't met every librarian in the world, and she didn't know if Nate did something special to earn it, or if Anthony neglected to pay him for services rendered, or if Nate was overbilled for late fees or... Sirsce's head swam with possibilities, until the truth was finally made clear to her. Considering how they looked, it should've occurred to her earlier. "Oh, you're related?" The similarities between them were rather striking. "That's so cute! I should make you two matching scarves!" Wouldn't that just be adorable? Father and son walking down the street in ensembles that related to one another... She'd definitely get a start on that tonight. Then again, she'd never seen father and son dress alike before anywhere, so there might be a reason that no one's attempted that in the fashion world. Maybe she'd set that idea on the backburner for now. Hearing Nate's offer pulled her from her dream world. "Oh, um, thanks for the offer, but... I don't really need anything." Besides, she liked playing by the rules. She didn't need any special favors, or treatment that elevated her above other patrons. The librarian was already plenty nice, what more could she need? But then again, if she could come up with something, that was one more reason to talk to Nate. And one more reason to talk to Nate meant one more way to keep him out of trouble. For goodness' sake, the guy needed it! "But, you said to let me know if I needed anything, and..." She trailed off, stroking the dog once again as a means to ease her nerves. "I think I really need some coffee."
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Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:08 pm
Both Darrows stared at her at the offer of matching scarves, and neither looked particularly excited by the idea. In fact, the only one who would have loved a scarf was Dogby, but she could not voice her thoughts on the subject. also she did not know what a scarf was.
But if it was a gift and she could chew on it then she would like it.
Nathan grinned and Tony looked forlorn, but the two didn't say anything to one another. Tony usually let Nathan do what he wanted, unless it broke a law or got someone hurt. And as long as it wasn't a horrible emergency, it was just easier for Tony not to deal with Nathan's antics.
He was old enough to be held accountable for whatever messes he got into.
Arching an eyebrow, Nathan considered this new turn of events. He was not the type to take people out to coffee, usually angling for free things for himself. Tony was quietly hopeful that Nate would head off and keep himself occupied legally.
"Coffee. Yeah, sure. There's a coffee shop right here in the library." Well, next to it, technically, but they had a door connecting.
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:11 am
Finally Sirsce relinquished her grasp on the dog and set her back onto the counter. She had no idea what was going on between the two of them, but whatever it was, they didn't appear to like each other much. She could solicit them for an explanation, but she didn't want to pry into private affairs. Besides, if she somehow got Nate to open up about it of his own accord, that'd mean he trusted her, and he'd let her fix it somehow, and then she'd fix it somehow, and then they'd both be happy and love her forever and then he might actually ask her to coffee himself. But that was just a guess. "Oh, there's a coffee shop in here?" Sirsce scanned her surroundings. Books, books, more books, bookshelves.... People, more bookshelves... No signs of a coffee shop. "Um, I don't see it." She couldn't possibly be that blind, right? Was he just messing with her? He could just be messing with her; he already robbed his father, and possibly the library if his father's funds counted into that. What would stop him from tricking her? "Um, maybe you should take me to it. Since I can't really... find it, you know." Her gaze shifted to the floor and she studied the simplistic square pattern intently. After all, it seemed a valid alternative to looking Nathan in the eye. She felt as though she'd already made a thousand mistakes with him to begin with.
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 11:31 am
"It's out there," Tony said helpfully. The entrance had two sets of doors. between the two was a tiled entry area, and to the side of that there was a little door and cute little opening that led to the coffee shop. It was small but it got enough business from the library to be perfectly happy where it was.
Nathan wrinkled his nose at his dad, then moved to show Sirsce where the shop was himself. He didn't need his dad getting involved, and rooting for them to be a couple or something. Tony waited to play matchmaker, thinking it might settle his son down.
Nate didn't need the help. He would do what he wanted, and date who he wanted. Right now, he was exploring the field with casual dates, while trying to figure out his feelings. He wasn't used to having feelings.
So distracting himself by pretending they didn't exist helped him through.
Nate nudged her arm so she could follow him, walking back out one set of doors to the little coffee shop. There was another entrance to it outside, but most people came through the library entry.
"Here. You better not like anything super extravagant, I don't like ordering coffee at these places. They always expect you know their language," he grunted, obviously not much of a coffee drinker. He usually just went to get cakes or pastries.
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Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:10 am
So it wasn't actually in the library. That would've ben helpful to know. Sirsce nearly jumped when she felt Nate's elbow collide with her arm. She quickly waved to both Tony and Dogby before following Nate closely. "Oh, um, sorry for not noticing it. It's kind of hidden, I guess." That wasn't entirely true - if she had looked more closely, she would've noticed it, but her mind was on other affairs. Sirsce naturally had her head in the clouds, though this time her head was wrapped around Nate. Or Dogby. One of the two. She also didn't want to exacerbate Nate with an unconscionably long coffee order, though she was perfectly capable of ordering and paying for herself. She just wanted his company while she was at it. "Oh don't worry, it's nothing super complicated!" That was partially true - it wasn't super complicated to the baristas. Whether it was complicated or not to the uninitiated coffee drinker was a different matter. "Oh, and um, do you want anything? I can pay for it." She hoped free food or drink would motivate him to stay. Of course, she couldn't stop him if he wanted to flee with a free meal. It wasn't a crime to be a flake. The scent of coffee greeted her with the realization that they'd already arrived at their destination, and she hadn't even begun to consider which of her staple orders she wanted that day. Was she craving a white chocolate mocha, or one of their specialty drinks? It was hard to say. However, she didn't want to stand around and force Nate to wait on her. Considering there was only one person in front of them, she had little time to think. "Why don't you order first?" She offered, concealing her embarrassment.
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Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:15 am
Nate looked at her, then grinned and turned his attention to the counter. He ordered some hot chocolate, and dared anyone around him to make a comment about it with his confidence. So he did not drink coffee regularly, and hot chocolate was out of season and a girly drink.
It was what he felt like getting at the moment, and he was content in that. He looked at her as they went to get him his drink, putting his hands in his pockets. He'd already paid for his, and she would find when she ordered that he'd covered hers as well.
His being a good guy was random and at his own discretion. It had always been his habit to try and be the guy that no one could anticipate, but that did not always mean doing what was opposite of expected. It was this idea that made thinking about his actions too complicated a task, and he just stuck to winging it.
Analyzing Nate, even by Nate himself, was a waste of time.
"Just get what you want," he said with a shrug, moving to the counter when his drink was called.
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Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 8:17 pm
After looking to Nate while he spoke, Sirsce approached the counter nervously. It seemed such a simple task, to order coffee, but doing it in front of Nate suddenly left her confused and sheepish. She wasn't entirely sure if she'd decided on what she wanted, and she didn't want to pick something that was too long or expensive. He'd already expressed his disdain for coffee nomenclature, so she didn't want to play into that while he was around. She needed something simple, yet delicious. Something that didn't scream coffee nerd, not that she was one. But it also had to be good. What a conundrum. After a couple muttered 'um's and a glance through the menu, she settled on her choice. "I'd like a small peppermint mocha with whipped cream, please." Though the cashier already seemed irritated with the long wait for her to place her order, he repeated the order to the baristas and they set to work accordingly. Without a second thought, Sirsce slung her purse around and began digging through it for the errant change that often rattled around as she walked. "Hold on, I have the money here somewhere..." She resumed her spelunking into the depths of her purse until the cashier interrupted her with a terse tone. "Ma'am, it's already paid for. THe gentleman in front of you paid for it." "Um, what?" Did she hear that right? Did he actually pay for her? Did that mean what she thought she meant? He secretly liked her. He bought her coffee. That had to be it. There was no other explanation. "Wow, um..." She turned to Nate, her face a brilliant red. "Thank you." She offered a nervous smile before moving to the pick-up area of the counter. "You didn't have to do that."
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 12:37 pm
Nathan grinned at her as she looked at him in surprise and with obvious embarrassment. It was a funny expression, but he was also amused that she had been caught so off guard. That was just what he liked to do, though this was more positive than he usually went for.
Generally, when surprising someone, he did it with antagonism in mind.
"Don't worry about it. Just means you owe me for another one later," he flashed her a handsome enough smile, being as debonair as he knew how, just because he could. He was amused and enjoying himself, which immediately put her on his friend list, though that did not mean she would be free of his teasing and attempting to infuriate her.
Didn't that just make it more special?
"Anyway, I should probably go, after this, got stuff to take care of and all that." No, he didn't, but he was easily bored and constantly craved new stimulus.
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 10:22 pm
Sirsce blushed heavily when she set her sights on Nathan's smile. "Um, well... I'll pay you back someday, I swear!" Secretly he must've said that so they'd have to meet again. All debts must be paid in full, and Sirsce didn't want to disappoint. He must've really liked her, or he wouldn't have bought her a coffee just to put her in debt so she'd have to find him again and pay him back with something of equal or greater value which might put him in her debt and perpetuate the debt cycle, right? She didn't want to interfere with his busy schedule. "Um, yeah, okay." Yeah, that contributed tons to the conversation. "Well, I hope your stuff goes okay. And thanks again for the coffee! And walking me to the library... And introducing me to your dad, and introducing me to the dog..." She could go on, but he really did have things to take care of. If she expected to meet him again someday, she had to leave a proper lasting impression. That meant knowing when to say goodbye, which was... soon, right? "Don't worry, I won't keep you from your errands! I um, have to go home and clean anyway." She didn't expect to spend quite so much time at the library, and her mother would surely be calling her home soon. It was best they left each other's company before that embarrassing call was made reality. As a matter of fact, she better start walking if she wanted to get home before dinner. Nathan already showed her it wasn't quite as great a distance as she had anticipated. "Um, see you latter!" Sirsce waved cheerfully before heading toward the door. She paused for once last look at Nathan before continuing on her way. Yep, dreamy.
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