Wasn't it yesterday we used to laugh at the wind behind us?

[gotbottle]

It's another slow Monday mid-morning at Twice Sold Tales. Not quite so deadly as the last time the narration visited this establishment on a Monday morning; there are a few people hanging around the store. There just aren't as many as you'd find much later in the day

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[crimeatthetime]

Adrian was coming by in the hopes that Rachel would be working.

The fact that she's downstairs on the piano, that he gets to hear her play this time--that just makes his day. His foot taps gently in time with the song, and while Diana Ross isn't precisely on his top ten favorite artists list, hearing her sing and enjoying it is good enough for him.

He waits until she's finished before he says anything. "Someone's in a good mood today."

It's totally not him. Nope. Not at all.

[gotbottle]

Rachel stops shuffling through the book of sheet music for another song, looking back over her shoulder at Adrian. "Yeah?" she asks, grinning. "I wonder who that could be."

'Cause it's totally not her, either. No way.

"I didn't realize I had an audience," she goes on, patting the piano bench beside herself, indicating he should come over and sit. "George lets me come over and borrow the piano for practice when there's no one down here."

[crimeatthetime]

"The man just likes hearing you, I'm sure." He sits down next to her and, apparently from nowhere, conjures a little silver pin, a rose with tiny emeralds for leaves and thin-cut butter amber for the petals. "A pretty trinket for a pretty girl."

Yes, he's feeling silly today, and he doesn't care who knows it.

[gotbottle]

"Maaaybe." Rachel laughs, setting aside the sheet music for now. "Though sometimes he sends me down here when I'm working. When it's slow. Those times? I'm like totally sure he's just trying to get me out of his hair. Figuratively. He's got none left, I mean, he shaves his head."

Yes, she's happy-rambling. She looks down at his hand when he holds out the pin, and she takes it, shaking her head. "Adrian. You're spoiling me," she protests, but she's smiling as she affixes the pin to the front of her shirt. "It's lovely. So are you."

She slides an arm around his back, and leans in, kissing him softly. It doesn't matter to her if they're at the place where she works, or if anyone sees them.

[crossindexing]

Winny is in the bookstore, too! Near Rafi, as a matter of fact. Being so. Fucking. Happy. OH. EM. GEE.

At the moment she's perusing a stack of used bestsellers, not really paying attention to the titles at all whilst she hums along with the music drifting up from downstairs.

This is the best day. Isn't this just the BEST day?

[movementyouneed]

Rafi had drifted over to the staircase leading down to the basement, partly by the music, partly by the sense that there was someone with a lot of love in their heart down there somewhere. He's about to descend when he's suddenly hit by just as strong a sense of happy and enamored from somewhere nearby.

He looks around and spots a young woman browsing a a display, humming to herself, a bright smile turning her lips. He grins, and crosses over to her. "Wonderful day, isn't it?"

[crossindexing]

"Yes! Yes, it really is, I was just thinking that actually!"

She fiddles with her necklace, beaming up at Rafi. "I'm Winny! Winny Carpenter. Isn't this shop fantastic?"

[movementyouneed]

"Yes, I could tell."

He grins at her, bemused. "Rafi Navarro. And yes, this place is wonderful."

His eyes follow her fingers, watch her fuss with her necklace. "That's lovely. Someone very special gave that to you, didn't he?"

[sittinontrains]

Jamal sometimes wanders into places that he doesn't belong.

Okay, so it's more like all the time. He's a curious kid. Plus, he's always looking for the next way he can make another buck, especially now that he has plans for it. Jo and him are going to have a house with real beds and good food. They will be safe.

Safety requires money.

He wanders into Twice Sold Tales, and recognizes the magazines immediately. Jamal doesn't even notice the women reading them. He runs over to the stack so happy to see words that he can read that he picks one off the top, grinning wide. "I know this! I know these words!"

[carefullychosen]

Ananya looks up sharply, surveying the newcomer with a critical eye. She's generally got no use for children, but clearly this one's a long way from home. And he can read what she's got stacked beside her, and he's very excited to be doing so.

Was I ever that age? she wonders idly, eyeing him. The overall effect, however, makes her slightly more indulgent than she normally would be.

"It's been a while since I had occasion to have news from home," she says. "The same for you, then?"

[sittinontrains]

Jamal sets the newspaper down enough so that he can see who it is that's talking to him.

He's still grinning as he nods. "You are from India, too?"

His gaze drifts back to the familiar magazines. He does miss home. He misses his brother and Latika, but at least, he has Jo now even if it's not just her and him anymore in the sewers.

[carefullychosen]

"I am, yes," she replies, setting her newspaper aside. "I'm from Chennai. It's been a very long time since I was home, though. I miss it, at times."

She looks at Jamal appraisingly. "What about you, young man? Are you here with your mum and dad?"

[who_will_buy]

Martha brought Emily with her to the bookstore. Emily has only recently been learning how to read, but she has a fascination with words. Martha told her to pick out any book that she wants. Martha would buy it for her.

They have been here an hour. Martha is reading on a table where she can easily see the Nephilim if need be. Emily has been rushing back and forth. She has a rather tall stack of books in her arms, but she stops catching sight of the word on the fancy suit mans book. She stops nearly running into him.

"Eck- Echu-" She frowns. "Excuse me, sir, what is that word? I have never seen it before." Her fascination with words has temporarily made her forget how shy she actually is. She'll remember a second too late.

[why_dowefall]

Bruce turns and blinks down at her when she addresses him, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Echolocation," he replies with a smile. "It's, ah. The radar that animals use to navigate. Like bats."

[who_will_buy]

"Echolocation. Oh. I've never heard about it before. Or seen a real bat before. Just what I've seen in pictures and on TV," Emily says, and then blinks as the whole oh, yes, random stranger that I'm talking to sinks in.

She ducks her head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to- Uhm. Interrupt. I just- I like books even if I can't read all that well."

[why_dowefall]

"I've seen a few bats. They're interesting."

He looks down at her, and realizes this might be easier if he were at her eye level, so he crouches, flipping through the book until he finds a diagram. "See. The bats make a sound, and the sound bounces off their surroundings. When it comes back to them they can tell where things are. That's how it works."

[bemagnetic]

Jacob came to the bookstore looking for books on magnetic fields. He'd read everything his local library had and looked up more information in a Wonderful Wide World called the internet.

He was sidetracked by the medical textbooks. There was a time in his life when he wanted to be a nurse. He may have been seven at the time, but fuck, had he meant it. Jacob had always been passionate about something. Until now.

He glances at the textbook spines, and then at the guy eating the apple. Jacob smirks. "You know they say if you eat one of those a day, you don't have to worry about any of this shit."

[weaponof_choice]

Peter turns to look at the other guy. Then he finishes the mouthful of apple he's got before he breaks into a grin. "Yeah. They do say that, huh? I'd be out of work, then, but I guess it's a good enough reason."

He steps back a bit, away from the bookcases. "Am I in the way?"

[bemagnetic]

"They do. Can't say I ever believed it myself, but Momma always made me eat my fruits and vegetables so even if it turns out to be the only thing true in the world, I don't have to worry," Jacob says with a wide smile as he leans a book out of the case so he can look at the cover. "So you're a doctor?"

He glances at him. "No. I'm just remembering old childhood dreams. No serious research or anything important like I'm sure you're doing."

[weaponof_choice]

Peter laughs, shaking his head. "My mother wishes I was a doctor, I'm sure. I'm a nurse, though, I work at the medical center downtown." He offers the other man a hand to shake. "Peter Petrelli."

Peter's eyes drift to the book Jacob's tugged partway out, and he shrugs. "I was looking at a few ideas for a friend. And hey-- dreams are good things to have. You shouldn't ever forget them."