Light Reading
Aishe had a short list of books she was trying to get access to. Some of them were for her and some of them were for Kiamhaat, but she had a little spare time and she had offered to run up to Ex Libris and see what the chances are of tracking any of them down were.
The little bookstore was one of Aishe's favorite places, although she found the proprietor kind of intimidating. Chris's own creator - did that make him her grand-creator or something? She wished she'd known him better. It would have been nice to have someone to talk to while Chris was gone. Instead she'd minded her distance.
Now, though, she had reason to be there. She and Kiamhaat really wanted to get their hands on some of the books on this list, and none of them would be easy to obtain.
Before approaching the counter though, Aishe took a few minutes to wander through both levels of the store. She loved the feel and the smell of it there. It was like a library but... better somehow.
Or maybe he'd stumble on a nice coffee table book for that hotel project, for one of the lounges or the lobby. Who knew. That was half the fun wasn't it.
Going up stairs he somehow missed the top step and took a smashing tumble, landing face first in the aisle. With a sigh he pulled himself up and dusted himself off and then took stock of the damage he'd inflicted on his suit. Fortunately, that was negligible, he liked this suit.
Looking up, as if nothing had happened he caught sight of a semi familiar face.
"Aishe. How are you this evening?"Â?
There was an off chance she hadn't seen that. He hoped so.
As always his smile was quick to his lips, easy, bright and good natured. Unless you'd seen him actually face plant you'd never know he'd done it. But then Eiryk never let a little thing like gravity get him down. Besides he was genuinely pleased to see Aishe. He'd very quickly come to like her.
Propping himself up on an elbow at the counter, thick grey eyebrows rose at the unintended acrobatics that occurred upon the landing. Good thing for the kid that he didn't topple over any shelves or he would have found himself with a little chore to take up his evening.
Turning to discover the source of the voice she saw Pak's friend from a few days ago, generous smile at the ready, looking well-dressed but somehow still comfortable. As planned they'd met again the evening following their first and Aishe had to say Eiryk was a breath of fresh air for her. He didn't hide much, if anything. She liked that.
"Hi Eiryk," she said, her own smile just as easy to summon. She'd liked meeting him previously. She didn't think Pak had many good friends so discovering one was a happy occasion. The fact that the two of them had almost immediately hit it off was good too, but Aishe hadn't had too much trouble making friends since arriving in Nachton.
"I'm well," she answered. "Yourself?" Her smile turned slightly mischievous. "No freshly-hidden bodies tonight are there?"
He said lightly. Although, he didn't think for one second he was off the hook. Maybe with Kem, but they didn't know each other that well. Pak he suspected had waited until after their opera date, which he had very nearly canceled to make plans with Alexander. But he'd known how much Pak had been looking forward to it and she didn't get out much. Besides, it was only one night.
Laughing he shook his head.
"No, hardly. Too early in the evening. Besides, I'm much more adept at white collar crimes."Â?
Remember Aishe was in security his smile twisted a bit.
"Perhaps I shouldn't be tell -you- these things."Â?
So far the young vampire had proven to be good company. Easy to be around with a lively sense of humor but still rather grounded. It was an excellent and comfortable combination.
She raised her eyebrows at Eiryk. "True, I suppose you aren't exactly dressed for grave digging. it would be a shame to get that suit dirty."
She had to admit Eiryk was a snappy dresser. Having had far more experience in gowns and dresses than she'd -ever- wanted in her life, Aishe was familiar with what it took to carry off the appearance of comfort while dressed to the nines. Eiryk did it seemingly without a second thought but then again he was naturally confident and good-looking on top of that - it probably helped.
"Oh don't worry," she said, blinking up at him with her big green 'innocent' eyes. "I'm mostly harmless."
Eiryk didn't have anything in his hands yet but Aishe had to assume he was looking for something or else why be in a bookstore? "So, what brings you to this particular store tonight?"
Perhaps he would even speak to his grandchild about it. He would have to be in the mood to be sociable. Picking up,Freedom Grisha continued where he left off. More or less, he'd probably have to go back and read the pages again later.
"Oh she bites, but its no where near as fun as it could be. Now... you two? Have you been together long?"Â?
If they had and they were having this much fun, so much the better Eiryk wished them the best.
Ostentatiously studying his suit he shook his head in confusion dissolving into mock dismay.
"They told me it was what all the fashionable grave robbers were wearing this season! I'll never go back to that tailor again."Â?
God it was so much fun to have some one to play with, and some one who obviously appreciated his excellent taste in cloths. He had a sudden urge to take Aishe shopping. He forced himself to count to ten and think about it and decided to let that idea go for a while. He would add it to his 'To Do List' though. Even if she didn't need or want to get anything he had a feeling it would be an entertaining evening.
He snorted at her harmless comment.
"Does that work on anyone who's known you more than twenty minutes?"Â?
Any one who could so easily give as good as she got and get a word in edgewise between Pak and Kem was no one to trifle with and certainly wasn't harmless.
"I'm looking for inspiration. You never know what you're going to find in a book store and I also have the sneaking suspicion that I was looking for something for my collection, but I've forgotten what. I was hoping being around the books would remind me."Â?
It was one of those nagging little things, Eiryk had made up his mind to look for a new first edition but he couldn't remember of what. Or even the genre, or even if it was for himself, Angus or possibly Alexander (although it might have been a slightly extravagant present this early in the relationship). It was really very irritating.
"You were misinformed, good sir. Grunge is still all the rage."
Somehow Eiryk wasn't buying her innocence. Aishe sighed; compared to Kiamhaat and Pak she was a saint. She had a mischievous streak like anyone else, of course, but it was generally tempered with practicality. That said she beamed at Eiryk and answered, "Why yes, actually. It worked on Kem and look at him now, no longer living the single life, shackled to his ball and chain forever!" She shook her head in mock sadness. "If only he'd seen the signs in time."
Eiryk was a book collector? Hmm. He should talk to Kiamhaat. Not that she knew what subject matter Eiryk preferred but Kiamhaat had penned many books in his time and some of those still survived today.
"You should talk to Kem about that," she said. "He's a bit of a collector too. What is it you like?"
Everyone had their own favorite genre it seemed. Aishe liked mysteries, fiction, true crime, and certain sci-fi novels.
He said with a smile, privately thinking that they were very lucky. Eiryk wasn't shy or celibate but he didn't often do stable long term relationships, too many things to keep under wraps. So he did envy Aishe and Kem just a bit.
Eiryk made a show of giving a delicate shudder, playing to stereotype when she mentioned grunge.
"Then I think I'll need a new hobby. I don't think that particular look will suit me."Â?
That earned her a laugh and Eiryk was forced to admit that perhaps if he'd met her without those two, or at least without Pak about he might have a different impression of the younger vampire. OK so Eiryk didn't know her age, she could be older than Moses but Aishe just didn't have that vibe. Still he'd been wrong before and he'd be wrong again. What did it matter any how?
"He doesn't seem to mind, if you don't mind my saying."Â?
No, Kem hadn't seemed to mind one bit and if he'd been a different sort of man Eiryk wouldn't have either. Aishe was cute and easy to like, who wouldn't want some one like her?
"Histories, you'd think I'd get tired of reading the same thing but histories, art and I have a soft spot for detective stories. I've never liked the little old lady sleuths, with the exception of Miss Marple though."Â?
His true soft spot was for the old hard boiled detectives, he knew Dashil Hammett inside and out.
"You look like you came in on a mission though..."Â?
The talk of books caught his attention, after all it was something of an obsession of his. He had histories galore, for those who knew to ask for them he even had those written by people who had actually seen the events take place. Much better, in his opinion, though he read the others as well. It was always entertaining and enlightening to see what the younger generation felt they understood about an older one.
Detective novels. He had plenty. Grisha quietly went about pulling a few books off a nearby shelf and took them up to the counter.
He was an attentive conversationalist and they bantered back and forth easily. Aishe liked that; again, the fact that Eiryk seemed pretty easygoing was attractive to her. It made her want to open up in return. He seemed to inspire trust.
She rolled her eyes slightly when he mentioned histories. Not in exasperation but because she knew it for certain now. "You and Kem have got to chat about that."
She smiled at his preferences. "I love mysteries. True crime too. But I am on a mission today." She flourished her list, heading down the stairs toward the front desk.
Licking her lips a little nervously Aishe looked up at Grisha, who was at a higher level than she was. "Hello, sir," she said respectfully. She never knew how to approach him. It was disconcerting. "I was wondering if you had access to any of these?"
Her list was relatively short. It consisted of three or four books written in coptic, long long long out of publication or even human memory really. Kiamhaat had read them long ago and had been asked to help do some translations. Coptic wasn't a language he remembered easily, he'd told her, although he was perfectly fluent he did need a brush-up now and then. In addition, he'd been teaching her what he knew and had told her the books might help her as well.
"I'd love to... perhaps with out Pak around to threaten both our lives."Â?
Not that he didn't adore Pak but sometimes death threats were not appropriate. Eiryk made a note to invite Kem to coffee and ask him what he'd been reading.
Without being invited and being a bit nosey, he followed Aishe down to the desk. Looking over her shoulder, which was relatively easy as she was not a tall woman, he eyeballed the list.
"Some nice light bed time reading?"Â?
"Hmm, yes, what is it?"
He looked down at the list that she handed him and grumbled.
"Kem and his translations again, I see."
Turning around, he pushed aside a bookcase behind him and entered another room. He was there for several minutes before coming back out with the ancient texts.
"I don't suppose I need to remind you to be careful with these, young lady." Grisha favored her with his best stern old goat face before handing Aishe the documents that she had requested.
Looking over his spectacles at Eiryk, he handed the blonde several books that he had set out earlier.
"May I suggest these two books by Lawrence Block. The Matthew Scudder series is really quite excellent."
She had seen some of his work; Kem didn't consider himself an artist but Aishe did. She'd seen his drawn hieroglyphs, written in a hand that knew them absolutely, not one that had learned them from a book and still had to look at the pictures. She'd seen his careful script in a book so old it was carefully climate-controlled. She saw his present-day choice of writing; small, neat printed letters but cursive that bore a striking resemblance to the flowing calligraphy he'd once used. It was remarkable.
Aishe accepted the few ancient parchments in their protective covers with a meek, "Yes, sir. No, sir. I'll get them to him safely."
She didn't know why Grisha frightened her... no, maybe too strong a word... intimidated was more like it. Possibly because she wanted so badly to continue to please Chris, but she had no idea how to do so with his creator too. As she watched his face, though, it suddenly occurred to her that maybe... just maybe he'd put that face on specifically because she was there.
Nah. Couldn't be. What would be the point? Holding her parchments carefully Aishe stood out of the way to let Eiryk close to the desk, slipping slightly behind him.
He was impressed all the way around. With Kem actually writing and with the man behind the counter who both had what Aishe needed as well as a recommendation for him.
Eiryk caught Aishe turning timid on him. And cocked his head at her. Honestly, he didn't know where that was coming from. He seemed nice enough.
"I don't think I've read them. Sure. Why not? Thank you very much."Â?
They did look good, and he did hate to leave a bookstore with nothing.
"Good good. I believe you will find them worth your time."
((OOC: Grisha out. He just jabbers and jabbers doesn't he? And I thought Mai had the market on short posts. I assume he will be ringing up those purchases that need ringing. Let me know if you need him back in for anything. ))
Eiryk appeared surprised and satisfied with his books and Aishe had gotten what she'd come here for.
"Thank you sir!" she said as she turned.
Waiting just outside the store for Eiryk, Aishe nodded across he hall at Barney's. There was always time for hot chocolate. "I can't resist," she said to him as he also emerged. "Come with?"
She liked his company, and if he had time to sit with her for a few minutes then that would be pleasing. If not she knew they would bump into each other another time. Aishe had every intention of throwing Eiryk at Kem to see where a discussion between them went... she really did think they would enjoy each other's company.
((ooc: Aishe out, pending response))
Thanking the gentleman who'd recommended them he followed after Aishe. OK even if she did go for hot chocolate over coffee, she did know the way to his heart.
"You and I are going to get along brilliantly. Yes please."Â?
He'd have offered to carry something but Eiryk was aware of his limitations and they didn't lend themselves well to carrying valuables or breakables. And just in case he had any doubts on that score, the knee he'd just banged into -something- reminded him.
((OOC... Eiryk out as well))