Work, work, work (Open)
The library...she'd finally found it. Her goal for the day was to spend at least a minimum of two hours in the library, researching, and trying to make at least a small dent in what she would need to know about Nachton.
She approached the building with admiration. Being set in the cultural center was a stroke of brilliance, and the other buildings together formed an impressive backdrop for the culture of Nachton.
Feeling a little guilty, what with the nice weather they were having, and purposely spending time inside, it just seemed somehow sacrilege, yet she pushed on. The quiet that greeted her inside was welcome. Her own head was still filled with such noise that she could only deal with it in a quiet setting. So given that as a prerequisite for where she was to spend her afternoon, the library won out over the gardens. She really had to get back to work on the book.
Impressed as hell, Shay marveled at the very modern equipment mixed in with the more traditional architecture, and even somewhat historical feel of the library itself. Though she appreciated the ease of an electronic catalog system, and computers available, she was still happy to see the random tables and chairs set about, among the stacks of books. Somethings should just never change.
Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out a journal and her Mont Blanc. The guys on the force had given her the pen when she said she was quitting to write. She'd been thankful none of them had given her a bad time about her decision.
Seeing there were people around to offer assistance, Shay approached one, and explained what she was there to find. She didn't think there was any reason to blow part of the time there, hunting around. The information the young man gave her was most helpful, and she sat down at one of the empty computers to begin to search for the books she needed.
She closed the second of the five books she'd found, and looked at the pages of notes she made. Researching a new book could be interesting as hell, but it could also be tiresome.
Three hours of intense research...Shay was proud of herself for sticking with it. She'd surpassed her goal, and had picked up an amazing amount of information on Nachton, and it's history. A trip to the courthouse would be next, knowing anything on land grants, and deeds would be recorded there. But that was only a minor portion of the data she needed. The stuff she found today was much more valuable.
Rubbing the back of her neck now, Shay dug into her purse and found a vial of pain killers. This bit of annoyance she was now suffering through could have been better taken care of with over the counter pills, but all she had with her were her migraine pills. She got up and went in search of a water fountain.
She'd filled out a library card application, which she waited as they processed it for her. The two remaining books were checked out to her, and she carried them out the door.
Walking to her car, she debated tossing the books and backpack into the car, and then walking around the Cultural Center, and decided it was a good idea. Once the things were sitting on her front passenger seat, she locked up her car, and dropped her keys into her pocket.
Off she set on her little bit of exploration.
Having passed several restaurants, Shay mentally noted the similarity between the pier, and marina here, and those located in San Francisco. She had always loved walking along the Pier 39 shops, but also recognized it for the commercial, and tourist trap that it was. Here everything was so much more classy, and upscale.
She had also noticed there was a place she could sign up to take sailing lessons, and had promptly done so. She wondered if Mathias sailed...or would go out with her some afternoon...once she learned how, that was.
Coming up to one of the restaurants with outdoor seating, Shay agreed it was time for a snack and a cup of hot tea. So once she was ushered in, and then outside again, she sat her bags on a nearby chair, and glanced over a menu the waiter left behind.
Momentarily distracted by a small child, feeding pigeons, she had to smile. But then went back to seeing what delicacies the establishment had to offer.
As she sat with her last cup of tea, she had pulled out a sweatshirt she'd purchased earlier, and pulled it on over her t-shirt. The sweatshirt was a very pretty shade of mauve, and had a tiny sailboat on the lower right hem, with the words Nachton Sailing Club written across the bottom. She thought it would be appropriate to wear when she took her lessons, but needed it now, and was glad she had it. She had pulled another chair over, and propped her feet up in it when the sun had initially started to set. She was now half curled up on that chair.
She knew she had to make the move to leave...it was getting late. But she kept putting it off, not wanting to leave the moment.
As she stood she shook off the lethargy that had crept over her in the past hour or so, and grabbed up her purchases.
She wound her way back along the docs and stores, until she was once again at her car. As she pressed the keyless entry, she also popped the trunk and deposited her buys there. Once behind the wheel, she wished she knew where Mathias lived. It would have been a perfect ending, to a perfect day, to have stopped by and surprised him.
Turning up the radio, she sang along with the country song playing, and made it back to her place in almost record time.
(ooc - Shay out - Lock Please)