|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 1:22 pm
Red Herring Mysteries.
It was a title Nathaniel was more than a little familiar with, considering the books currently stacked neatly on the bedside table back at his crummy little apartment. For a place that had little to no decorations, the books were one of Nathaniel's few splurges, something he carefully budgeted out so that he could have at least a single thing to keep him occupied when not studying or working.
And there was a new one, coming out in 2017. Nathaniel could feel the excitement tingling in his fingers as he peered curiously at the display being set up at the Bibliophile bookstore. He was standing half concealed beside a shelf proclaiming SELF HELP in large block letters, fingers curled around the strap of his bag, debating whether he should go up when the bookstore worker was still there fiddling with things.
There was the latest one that he still hadn't gotten yet; Nathaniel had been waiting for his paycheck to come through, and he could see the glossy cover calling to him. Carefully, he inched over, trying to seem completely at ease as he ever-so-casually sidled up to the display and picked up the book, Nathaniel's eyes wide with interest.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 4:44 pm
Bibliophile was a bit of a simply styled bookshop set up in what used to be an old house. It was quiet, it was naturally lit, and there was a distinct lack of electronic buzz. There was no cafe and they didn't sell e-books or a digital catalog. It had all the newest releases of course, but there was also a give-a-book-take-a-book section and they also purchased and re-sold used books. The store was mostly staffed by college students, which wasn't surprising considering it's nearness to the Rider-Waite campus, but the staffer currently arranging the dummy PRE-ORDER stamped displays was middle aged with silvering brown hair, glasses and a notable paunch. Noticing someone browsing he paused his arrangement to approach as any good salesperson would, "Finding everything you need?" If Nathaniel had gotten to the inside back cover, he'd realize the author's picture matched exactly to the man in front of him. He was Algernon Mixlin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:13 pm
Nathaniel had chosen Bibliophile exactly for the reasons it differed from most bookstores. The lack of a cafe and digitized products made it a little more simple to browse, and besides, there was something particularly satisfying about holding something solid like a leather bound book in one's hand.
Right now, Nathaniel was holding the last of the Red Herring Mystery books to have come out, eagerly skimming the pages. He didn't want to spoil the ending, but he liked glancing at the chapters, Nathaniel running his fingers along the text on page thirty-three for a moment before flipping all the way to the end.
It took him a moment to register that the man next to him had asked him a question.
"Oh, yes," said Nathaniel, glancing absently over. "I've found everything just fine..."
He trailed off, the man's features coming into more sharp relief. Sharp familiar relief, Nathaniel's eyes moving from the man's face, to the glossy picture on the book's back cover flap, then back up to the man's face, then back to the picture again.
He dropped the book.
"Oh - I'm so sorry - "
Face flaming, Nathaniel hastily dropped down, almost knocking over the display in the process, bag swinging as he scrambled to pick the book up again. "I didn't - I didn't realize that you were - that you are - "
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:26 pm
It took Alg a moment before he realized what the book was, spied the picture, "Oh-" He gaped. The young man was dropping things and red and - oh dear."No it's fine-" He was holding out a bracing hand now, shifting to the side to put it up against the wobbling display. He was torn between helping the red faced young man keep a bit more out of the way and stopping a few dummy book copies from tumbling off the shelf onto his head. Then again it had been a while since anyone had recognized him and gotten stumbly. It was always a bit odd. "I'm- a man struggling to keep you from knocking this display over with that bag of yours," Alg insistently nodded to Nathaniel to help him with the bloody falling cardboard please.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:41 pm
Really great job there, Parrish.
He thought, probably, that he couldn't have made a worst first impression, Nathaniel stuffing the book under one arm in his haste to help Algernon Mixlin keep the display from toppling over. He pushed a few suspiciously sliding books back onto the shelf and swung his bag out of the way, Nathaniel brushing his hair out of his face.
"I'm - so sorry - " he said miserably, patting the display a little awkwardly to make sure that it was indeed completely stabilized. "I just - didn't expect that it was you that was in this store - oh - "
One of the books had managed to escape after all. Nathaniel bent, making sure that his bag was clean out of the way, and picked it up, brushing the cover of it unnecessarily to make sure that it was dust free and just as shiny as the rest of them.
His favorite author and he'd almost just knocked an entire display over.
"Um," said Nathaniel tentatively, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. "I'm really very sorry, like I said I didn't...expect to see that you were here, are you...here for an event or something?"
Maybe he was here for a signing.
Maybe he was here to talk about a new book.
Maybe Nathaniel just needed to stop talking altogether so he could extract his foot from his mouth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 8:39 pm
"It's fine- really." With the display secure he took a step back, hands held out just another reassuring second to make positive that nothing fell. With everything back in place Alg's hands dropped and slipped into his trouser pockets. "Only the event of my life," Alg chuckled and scratched a temple. The author had to clarify, "I own the store. Though if you buy a copy I'll sign it-" He didn't generally offer unless anyone realized and even with his photo there were few who did. "We've also got the new Harry Potter if you haven't got it-" The window display was motioned to, yellow covered copies of the new play propped up in layers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 8:55 pm
I own the store.
Nathaniel slowly closed his mouth, realizing belatedly it was ajar, and glanced once more at the display, which was thankfully now standing perfectly fine on its own without clumsy gardeners knocking things over with their bags.
"Oh," he said, and cleared his throat. "Well...it's a great bookstore, really. I've passed it a few times, and it's always seemed very pleasant."
His eyes went to the book Mixlin was indicating, Nathaniel's cheeks coloring a little. The budget, as ever, was too present in his mind, numbers whizzing in sequence through his thoughts as he tried to figure out wordlessly if he had enough for both.
"Er...no, that's fine," he said finally, a little reluctantly, Nathaniel glancing down at the copy of Mixlin's book in his hands. "This'll be fine. I haven't read this one yet."
His eyes flickered towards the man again.
"Have you always owned this store?" Nathaniel asked curiously.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 9:40 pm
Alg chuckled at the pleasantry of complimenting the shop. He knew it wasn't much but it served a purpose (and there was free WiFi), and some people did prefer a smaller place to a mega store. "Thank you, I've only had it... less than a year? About a year?" Something like that. He'd convinced Jeremiah to go in with him shortly after he'd come to Ashdown and not being a citizen he wasn't able to purchase the building himself. Technically if anyone looked at the paperwork- it was Jeremiah's store. "I'm here teaching at the university. It's a bit of a permanent arrangement for the near future." Nathaniel was given a glance over, "Do you go to the college?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:13 am
Maybe that was why he'd never seen Mixlin around Ashdown before. Nathaniel's eyes flickered over his relaxed posture, and wondered if he'd always lived here, or if it had just been a year considering when he'd said he'd bought the shop.
"Oh, that's - what are you teaching?" he couldn't help asking, Nathaniel flushing a little. "And yes, I do, I'm studying Calculus at the moment, but I have a minor in History, though I was wondering if I wanted to switch that to Literature."
He gestured a little lamely at the book in his hands, feeling out of sorts in the presence of this man.
"I do like reading an awful lot."
The southern drawl was too present in the tone of his voice. Nathaniel hastily swallowed it back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:58 am
"English Literature- and some specialized lectures and some writing workshops," Alg smiled mildly again. It was all rather predictable considering he was an author. His entire bookguy persona, combined with his personal style made him sometimes feel like a walking stereotype but he really didn't know how to help it. "Reading is a valuable hobby. I've started tutoring in reading on the side-" He paused realizing he had been tutoring something not quite human but it was necessary to expand upon it. "Perhaps I'll be teaching you soon. The school year is upon us." Alg's head canted to the side a bit. Obviously from his own english accent he wasn't from around here either. No shame in being foreign.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:53 pm
It wasn't surprising, Mixlin's choice of subject when it came to teaching. Nathaniel felt a little smile tug at the corners of his lips, unable to fully hide it from view as he said, "That's a great thing to be professor of, I've always loved my English Lit classes."
He loved reading in general, for that matter. Nathaniel shifted his bag a little, and tried not to be too obviously excited about the prospect of his favorite author possibly also becoming one of his professors. Daunting as well, maybe, but exciting more than anything else.
Maybe he could learn more of what was coming in the Red Herring books, though Nathaniel wasn't a fan of spoilers.
"Ah, yes," he said, sounding slightly more flustered than he'd intended. The new school year meant lots of things to learn, but also less time to work, and less time to earn money. "I'm looking forward to everything, I'm hoping to get all of my generals done this semester so I can take more free classes."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 6:31 am
It was nice to see someone who actually cared about school and books, especially in a town that seemed plagued with artists. It wasn't that Algie didn't find art pleasant or valuable, but society needed academics too, and the world could use people in actual trades. "Is it your first year?" He didn't recognize him but it wasn't so small a city that he would know everyone nor all the students in the school. Of course he then remembered his manners and raised a hand, two rings notable on his left hand- a wedding band and a signet on his pinky finger. The professor waved idly, "I don't mean to keep you from shopping-" There was a sudden thump from around the corner and they were soon joined by a rather large, slightly fat, very long white cat who yawned and blinked at Nathaniel with very blue eyes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 9:00 pm
"Second year, actually," said Nathaniel, instinctively straightening a little, as though better posture would help to keep himself from feeling like an inadequate student. "I graduated from high school a little early, so I took some online courses until I was able to get ai - I mean, until I was able to attend college."
Algernon Mixlin did not need to know about his pathetic financial woes. Nathaniel gave a vehement shake of his head.
"No, no," he said quickly, gaze flickering briefly to the rings and then back to Mixlin's face. "I'm - it's fine, you're not keeping me from anything, I got what I need. I was the one who almost knocked everything over in the first place, so I'm - "
But his sentence wasn't quite finished, because there was a cat, and Nathaniel was, of course, automatically distracted by it.
"Oh," he said, somewhat startled. "Is - is that your cat?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 1:17 pm
Alg didn't seem to judge, even seemed to catch the slip and gave the other an encouraging smile, "American college costs are a crime really. But it sounds like you're pretty smart, so I'm positive it will be worth it for you." "Don't worry about the display. It's weird putting up this stuff anyway-" He'd been published for years and was somewhat dulled to the reality of his books being on shelves but there were surreal times when it hit him all over that this was what he did with his life. That people paid money to read words he put on paper.. "Oh.." Alg glanced down at the white cat who approached and curled around his leg, looking up at him like she wanted an introduction. "Yes this is Violetta. Violetta this is-?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 7:33 pm
He half wanted to melt into the ground, wondering if the floor would be kind enough to open up and allow him to sink into it, Nathaniel's cheeks a bit pink. It was bad enough that he could hardly afford to live where he was; but to have that fact noticed by his favorite author was somehow even worse.
"Um. Yeah..." Nathaniel mumbled, gripping his bag a little tighter. "It can be a bit...stressful."
The understatement of the century. A sigh escaped him, and he was grateful more than ever for the change of topic to the cat that was now twining around Mixlin's ankles expectantly.
It took Nathaniel a moment to realize he was supposed to give his name.
"Oh, um - " He shifted the book to one arm and held out a hand to shake, a small smile touching his face. "Nathaniel Parrish. She's a beautiful cat, have you had her long?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
