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The door to Book’s is open, but the front desk is empty- just a small handwritten sign saying “working in back. Shout for service.”
Annie enters to a chime from the bell, only to stop and blink as she reads the sign on the front desk. "Nevy? You around?" she calls, carefully making her way further in to the store.
There’s a thump in back. “There in a minute!” Comes Nevy’s voice.
"...Are you okay?" gets called back.
“I’m okay!” The voice is a closer. Out of the bookshelves pops Nevermore, frizzy hair in disarray, sweaty and ruddy from exertion. “Sorry, I was getting some things set up in back.” They breathe for a moment. “Hey, Annie.”
"...If you are sure." Annie definitely sounds a little dubious. "What were you setting up?"
Nevy glances around. “Renovating one of the storage rooms. Want to see?” They’re trying to keep their voice conversational, but they give Annie a significant look.
"...Sure?" She's more confused than anything now.
Nevy leads her in back, jabbering cheerfully about new stock and storage space. Once they get into the storage room in question, though - a small room maybe 8 feet square - they sigh. “Okay. I think we should be okay to talk in here. Probably.”
"Okay. Are you going to tell me what this is about, now?"
Nevy nods. They look stressed, but determined. “Yeah - sorry about that. Did I tell you about the rat things? The disappearances?”
"The ones you wanted me to look into unusual illness patterns over? Yes." Annie looks concerned, now. "Has something come up related to them?"
Nevy nods. “I was watching the news, and something threatened me through my TV set.” They hesitate. “And I’m officially in the part of the novel where the protagonist sounds delusional to everyone including themselves.”
"What kind of threat?" Annie pauses, considering Nevy for a moment. "Do you need to talk to someone about it?"
Nevy shakes their head. “I have enough other people who are also working on it that I know I’m not actually delusional. I just sound like I am.” They shake their head. “Anyway, I’m setting this room up with protection to keep them from overhearing. I figured, rats can get most places, so I just... did my best to make a place they won’t want to go.”
"Okay." Annie glances around, then. "Do you want a hug?"
”Gods yes,” Nevy says, going in to hug the other woman.
Annie hugs them tightly, for as long as they need.
They need... a few seconds. But after that they pull back and give a smile. “They’re threatening us, who’re working on this. That means they’re scared of us.” The smile turns slightly wolfish- or perhaps terrieresque.
"So they should be, too." Annie smiles at them. "I am sure you, and everyone else working on this, will teach them why it was a mistake to threaten you."
Nevy nods sharply. Then the confidence wavers a touch. “If they don’t gnaw out my heart and use me as a human suit, at least.”
Annie blinks at that. "Is that something they can do? I do not know a lot about spirits."
“Apparently these ones can. Which is horrifying.”
"Indeed." Annie considers them for a moment. "Is that all you wanted to talk about back here?"
“Is there anything you want to talk about that’s better secret?”
"Nothing I can think of right now, sorry."
Nevy waves off the apology. “No, nothing to apologize about. Come on. What can I help you with?”
"I was just planning to browse, honestly, but..." Annie pauses for a moment, thinking. "Do you happen to know when Yu Jin's birthday is? I want to make sure I get them something."
They hesitate, considering. “I don’t think it came up?” They shrug. “We could try to find the date through a selection of hilarious hijinks including forging their signature and trying to make one of us up to look like their mother.” They chuckle with a smile. “Or you could ask them?”
Annie stares. "...I think I will go with that second one, honestly." Beat. "Where did you even get the idea for the first one?"
Nevy chuckles. “You don’t watch many sitcoms, do you?”
"Not so much, no." Annie says drily. "I find my free time better spent doing, well, anything else."
Nevy nods. “You’re absolutely right. That type of shenanigan I mentioned? That’s what sitcoms run on.”
"Good to know?"
Nevy chuckles. “Sorry. Something about the situation just made me think of that.”
Annie considers them for a moment. "Do I want to know what it was?"
Nevy shrugs. “I mean... I don’t know. It was just...” They wave a hand vaguely. “A thing.”
"Okay." Annie shrugs slightly. "How are things going here?"
“Going okay. I mean, it’s a job.” They grin. “I just got a commission for four full-size pieces, which is nice.”
"Yeah? Any particular subject, or just whatever you want to make?"
“‘Unexpected beauty,’” Nevy says. They smile. “Have you been to the Green Room? It’s for that place.” They side-eye her and gesture to a couple sketches on the checkout counter with a smile. “Want to see the designs I think I’m going with?”
"Never heard of it before now, so no, probably not." She glances from them to the sketches and back. "Sure."
There are four rough sketches: A Norse-style knot with de-tailed rats around the corners, a bat with an adorable face and big cute eyes, a robed shape looking at a tower, and a lovely witch, next to a cauldron on a pedestal.
"Interesting symbolism there," Annie muses, gesturing to the sketch of the witch. "Are the others meant to represent anything in particular?"
Nevy chuckles. “I draw my inspiration from many sources,” they say archly. Then they drop the pretentiousness. “Including friends.”
"Good to know," Annie chuckles. "Is Phaedra the inspiration for the bat?"
They chuckle. “Is it that obvious?”
"Only if you know her and know what she is." Annie arches an eyebrow at them. "I cannot work out who the Norse-style knot and robed figure are, though."
Nevy’s smile falters a touch. “The knot work isn’t a friend. It’s about the, uh, pest control problem. If you look closely, you can see that the tails are cut off.” They grin again. “I hope the symbolism is clear there.”
"Ah, that makes sense," Annie admits, peering closer, before glancing at them. "And the robed figure? Or is that someone I need to meet for myself first?"
This grin is fonder. “Have you met auntie Dandy?”
Annie considers for a moment. "The name rings a bell, but I cannot remember where from, sorry. I might have only met her in passing?"
Nevy nods. “She’s awesome.”
"Good to know," Annie smiles. "Is she actually your aunt, or is it just a honorific?"
“She might as well be.” The smile grows fonder. “Have you ever met someone who’s already walked the road you’re on? Who shows you the destination is there?”
She arches an eyebrow at them. "You realise who you are talking to, yes?"
Nevy quirks an eyebrow. “Was that a silly question?”
"A little, though I am not in your situation." Annie shrugs slightly. "Are you making these to be kept at this Green Room, or to be displayed there in hopes of a sale?"
“I think both? He seemed interested in displaying them, but mentioned sales too.”
"Ah, okay. Let me know when you are sure?" She smiles at them. "I might be interested in one of them in particular."
Nevy chuckles. “Which one? I’ll ask.”
They ask as if they didn’t already know
"Oh, the one of the cute bat," Annie says airily. "Phaedra made quite an impression, when I met her."
Nevy grins. “She does that. I’m sure it’ll be available - though Jeremiah, the owner, might want some time to display it before sale.”
"Fair enough," Annie nods.
“Even if he wants to keep the original, I’ll have prints of the design for sale.”
"That makes sense," Annie nods again. "Where is this Green Room? I might visit it some time."
Nevy gives the address. “It seemed like a pretty nice place. The owner is... he comes across as less sincere than he is, at times.”
"Good to know." She pauses for a moment, considering. "Do you mind if I ask how you met Phaedra?"
They smile. “We ran into one another in the park and got to taking about Prophecy and tarot.”
"I take it that is why you decided to design your own tarot deck?"
They chuckle. “She brought the idea to mind, I’ll admit, though it was a good excuse to do it.”
"Fair enough," Annie chuckles in turn. "Have you sold many copies of it yet?"
“A fair number. It turns out tarot decks are like Pokémon. Lots of fans want to collect them all.”
Annie looks politely quizzical.
Nevy hesitates. “Right, Sorry. A video game series about collecting cute little monsters and making them fight for you.”
They pause. “It’s better than it sounds.”
"Okay, then. Is this by the same people as the Dragon Age game?"
“I don’t think so.” They chuckle. “There’s a lot more video games out there.”
"I see. What... console is the right word, yes? would I need for these Pokémon games?"
“Most of the Nintendo ones. Or... what kind of cellphone do you have?”
"Um." Annie pulls it out to check. "It says Samsung at the top, but I think that is the company that made it."
Nevy grins. “That’ll work. Has someone shown you how to look for apps yet?”
"Oh, yes. I have the Wikipedia and the Facebook installed."
Nevermore grins. “Look up Pokémon Go, sometime. It’s not quite my thing, but it’ll be cheaper than buying a whole new game system.”
“It’s fun, just more.... you know. Active than I like.”
Annie chuckles at that. "Good to know." She taps away at her phone for a bit before returning it to her pocket.
Nevy nods. “So, how have you been lately?”
"Good." She shrugs. "Focusing on my studies, mostly. Medical school is a lot of work, surprisingly enough."
“Astounding,” Nevermore says drily. “Who would ever have suspected?” They smile. “Doing well at it though?”
"I think so? My grades are decent enough, but the real test will come later."
“Getting work, you mean? Or on the job?”
"The latter, mostly." Annie shrugs. "I have to complete my residency first, and even that is some years off, so."
Nevy nods. “Going just by how careful you are about everything else, I think you’ll do great.”
"Thank you." She smiles at them. "Did you attend university at any point yourself?"
Nevy nods. “For art, back in Chicago. Slightly different level of stakes...”
"Fair enough." She chuckles quietly. "You clearly learned a lot from it, though."
Nevy waggles a hand. “A couple technical things, yeah, but a lot of what I really do well I learned just from practicing. A lot.”
Annie nods. "That makes sense. I do not play it for money, but my music is much the same way."
Nevy nods. “It’s the art thing, I think. Visual or audio, once you can get the idea in your mind, the rest is getting it out of your mind into the world, and that takes practice.”
"Indeed." She pauses for a moment, considering them. "Have you ever done anything in the audio arts?"
Nevy shrugs. “I helped out in the theater in high school and college. Mostly in set painting and stuff. I got a bit part sophomore year in Phantom of the Opera.” They blush and grimace in remembered embarrassment. “It... could have gone better.”
"Oh, well, now I definitely want to hear more." She grins at Nevy.
They look downward. “I, uh... accidentally broke the Phantom’s leg.”
"Ouch." Annie looks and sounds appropriately sympathetic.
Nevy looks embarrassed. “So, my character, Ecolette - I mean, on the playbill I was just Chorus Member number 5, but I named her Ecolette, right? And she was kind of a fangirl of the Phantom. So he shows up during one of the dances, and I figured, she likes him so much, she wants to give him a hug, right? But I might have, uh, not waited until he was ready. Or warned him.”
Annie winces. "Yeah, that may not have been the best plan." She shakes her head. "At least you know not to do it again?"
Nevy smiles wryly. “Yeah, they didn’t call me back for any other shows, and I figured I’d stay backstage in College.”
Annie nods. "That went better, at least, I assume?"
Nevy nods, smiling. “I made some good friends helping with the theater. That’s where I got my coat.”
"It is a nice coat," Annie admits, admiring it.
Nevy grins and holds out their arms, spinning slowly to show it off. “I’ve been wearing this since I was young and naive.”
They pause. “Younger and naiver, anyway.”
Annie chuckles at that. "Age is just a number, you know."
"To quote a man who punched a lot of nazis, 'It's not the years, it's the mileage.'"
"Well, I am all for punching nazis," Annie admits. "Not sure who that quote is from, though."
“Indiana Jones. It’s a movie series. He’s kind of a dick, really, and a colonialist cultural appropriator, but I approve of punching nazis on general principles.”
"Ah, okay. I will check it out some time." Beat. "Probably not the same time as that Pokémon Go game you mentioned earlier."
Nevy chuckles. “Yeah, PokeGo is a walk-around kind of game. Not really good for movie watching.”
"Noted," Annie says, smiling slightly. "Are there any good movies you have seen recently?"
They shrug again. "I haven't gone in a while. With the move, and everything, there hasn't really been time."
"Fair enough. You have settled in to everything here well, though?"
Another nod. "Yeah, I think so. How about you? Had a chance to hit the movies lately?"
"Define 'recently'?"
Nevy shrugs. “Within living memory?” They blep a bit
"Yes," Annie deadpans.
Nevy snorts. "I suppose I asked for that."
Annie chuckles quietly. "Just a bit." She considers them for a moment. "Do you mind if I ask what made you decide to move here?"
They raise an eye and consider that. "My folks kicked me out, and I had friends and family in the area. How about you?"
"It was... convenient, after I got back." A shadow crosses Annie's face. "My old community ceased to exist a long time ago, so returning to that was not an option."
Nevy looks sympathetic. "I'm sorry. That must be hard."
"It can be, yes," Annie sighs. "Luckily I have friends to help me, when I am feeling down about it."
Nevy nods. "So... have you learned any fun songs?"
"Or written?"
"Yes, actually. I performed a composition of mine at an open mic night a few weeks back, and I have been working on another."
"Oh, really? Let me know next time, I'd love to see it!"
"Will do." Annie smiles at them. "I cannot promise to book a slot for a time you are free, but I will let you know when I have one, regardless."
Nevy nods. 'That's all I can ask."
Annie nods in turn. "It is a fair ask." She glances down as her phone beeps, scanning it quickly. "Sorry, I should go. A friend wants to talk privately."
Nevy nods. "Hope everything's okay. Have a good one!"
"You too!" And with that, she turns and leaves.
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