I get by with a little help...

[gotbottle]

It's Friday evening in Chicago, and people all over the city are looking for a bit of a challenge, or at least something to occupy their time for a while.

Ananya Chinnamalai strides down the front steps of the Field Museum, her high heels clicking on the marble steps. She mutters as she tugs at a dangling diamond earring, readjusting it and

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[pplrunincircles]

Elizabeth wanders into the botanica. She kept the flier since she met Rafi in the book store. It's nice to see the place in person. Plus, she needs to talk to him. She thinks that she might be in love with someone that she shouldn't be and that's what this store is about, right? Basically! His journal entry talked a lot about it. Maybe she can find some way to calm herself if nothing else.

She walks up to the counter when she sees him behind it and leans against the front of it with her elbows on top and her head in her hands.

"Hey, Fabio! I like this store you have! It looks totally even more awesome than the fliers made it seem. Very cool! Do you remember me? We met at the bookstore. You were handing out fliers and I like helped? It was very good times! Totally meant to make it over here earlier but school's been riding me like a cowboy rides a bronco at a rodeo." Elizabeth looks around the items behind the counter with curiosity, leaning back on her heels as she glances up at the ceiling and then looks back at him.

[movementyouneed]

Rafi waits patiently for the colorful verbal torrent to stop, and then he smiles. "Elizabeth. How could I forget? I was much obliged for the help--I'm sure it got a lot more customers in here that first week than I could have managed on my own."

And then he really focuses on her, sensing a bit of turmoil. "...Is there something I can help you with, now that you're here?"

[pplrunincircles]

"Really? I didn't think it was that helpful but cool! That's awesome. I'm glad I could be of assistance," Elizabeth says and sends him a sideways grin, leaning over the counter.

"Uhm. Maybe. You're all knowledgeable about aspects of love, right? Not that I'm trying to imply that I'm in love with... anybody. Just that love is a word to describe that sort of stuff in uhm... in life."

[movementyouneed]

Rafi raises an eyebrow, watching Elizabeth for a moment. Then he pulls up a stool behind the counter and perches on it, regarding her thoughtfully.

"I'm something of a help, yes," he replies, resting his forearms on the counter and leaning in a bit. "And I do agree 'love' is a catchall phrase. Why don't you tell me about it?"

[pplrunincircles]

Elizabeth takes in a deep breath as she thinks about it all, trying to put to words her feelings for Josef is going to be a challenge. This ramble may be frighteningly long or short or completely incoherent.

"Well, you see there's this guy that I've met with before. A couple times before. He offered to teach me chess, and I don't even care about chess, but I was like so excited to get to learn from... him. I don't know why. It just- He made me feel all-" Her face gets hot just thinking about him, and she knows that there must be a blush there, again. Elizabeth presses her lips together and points at her face. "Like this. And then he told me to go home the other day, and that almost made me cry! I mean, how ridiculous is that, you know? But he's all like attractive and stuff? Like he makes me- Uhm. All wooh! you know? Swooney and stuff, especially like when he touches my arm or something. It's like he sets it on fire, and I guess- I don't know. I forget where I was going with uhm all of this."