|
The bookstore is cramped and dingy, at least the front room. It's not exactly a small room, but it's stuffed so full of bookshelves and books that there's barely room at the front of the store for the purchase desk, the front doorway, and Nevermore, behind the desk, sketching in a notebook with a beplumed bic pen
Annie enters to a chime from the doorbell, before stopping and blinking. "Hello, Nevermore. I did not know you were on shift today."
They look up. "Oh - hey, Annie." They smile and chuckle. "My, how the turns have tabled." They push the notebook to the side and set the pen down. "What's up?" They seem a little tired, just slightly wilted in comparison to their usual brashness.
"Study. Work. A rare day off from both of those." She pauses to squint at Nevy. "Are you okay?"
"Huh?" They blink, then smile wanly. "Yeah, just... a lot on my mind. You looking for something in particular, or do you want to browse for a bit?"
"The former, actually. Do you have anything on mid to late 17th century Germany?" Annie hesitates for a moment. "Are the things on your mind anything I would be able to help with?"
Nevermore tilts their head. "We can check. Come on." At the second question, another wan smile. "Probably not, but I appreciate the offer. I've got a friend who's taking way too much on his plate. I can't help, and from what I hear other people are having trouble pulling prying any of the weight from his shoulders, too."
"Ah." Annie gives them a considering look as she follows. "Is this friend one of Yu Jin's friends as well, do you know? I might know him, in that case."
Nevy chuckles. "I know you know him. Not sure if he's a friend of Yu Jin's, too."
"Oh, Mearcstapa, then." Annie sighs. "I wish I could I help him with his burdens, but most of them are not things I have the skillset for, sadly."
Nevy huffs out a breath. "I'm... not sure exactly what he's doing. 'Operational security' is a bit of a bitch, huh?" They pause. "Here's the history section. I'm... not exactly sure how William keeps it organized - sorry."
"Indeed." Annie mutters a few words in a language Nevy probably doesn't recognise, turning to look at the shelves. "It... looks more like he does not keep it organised, honestly. No offence."
Nevy snorts. "None taken. Here, I'll help search. Do you need anything specific?
"Not particularly? More just general reference stuff, but preferably that go into more detail than the Wikipedia."
Nevy nods and pores over a shelf. "So. How much do you know about what's going on?" They say while they're searching.
"A little." Annie glances around, checking for eavesdroppers, before turning to them. "Somebody in the third community Mearcstapa and I share went rogue."
Nevy glances at her thoughtfully, then looks concerned. "Ah."
"Yes. Ah." Annie grimaces slightly. "I am assured it is being taken care of, but that is not something I am able to contribute to."
Nevy nods. "That's... scary. And sucks." They say. Their search through the shelf has stopped on a book on 16th century Japanese history as they think through what they know of the possibilities.
"It does, yes." Annie sighs. "How have you been, though, Nevy?"
Nevy shrugs. "I'm doing some research to help another friend out with a project - which makes it lucky that I work in a bookstore, really. Oh, and I finished up designing a deck of tarot cards I'm pretty proud of."
"Oh? What kind of project, do you mind if I ask?" She seems genuinely interested. "And do you have the designs for those here? Tarot is not something I know a lot about, but I do love art."
Nevy smiles and pulls a box from their satchel. "Careful with them, please," they say, handing the deck over. They're gorgeous, distinctively Nevermore, and the aesthetic can best be described as "Cheerfully morbid."
"As for the project, I've been looking up information on the sorts of spirits that are associated with diseases." They grimace. "Long story."
Annie is indeed careful with the cards. "Nice work. It is very you." She hands the deck back, pausing. "That sounds like an unpleasant one, too."
They nod. "A little gross."
"And not a topic I know very much about, sadly, so I will not be able to help you with it." Annie sighs. "Not that I really have the free time for such a project, but I am at least better about knowing when I can let other people handle things than Mearcstapa."
Nevy chuckles. "I appreciate it. I really do. I... don't know if there's anything you can help with right now, but I'll let you know if there is." They give a lopsided smile. "You never know when a bartender will be useful."
"Oh, well, if that is all you value me for..." Annie's probably teasing.
"A bartender or a student medic, then." They hesitate. "Actually..."
"And amateur musician, too!" Annie pauses, then. "Yes?"
"Do you know... is there a way to keep track of who's getting sick and where?"
"...not one without gaps in the information, that I am aware of. It would probably depend on how sick they are getting, too."
Nevy nods. "I... think that maybe it could still be useful? We're trying to... track down some nasty rat things, and one of their side effects is disease, so... if we can track down where there are unusual outbreaks of illness, that might give us clues on where they're at."
"I can try to get you that info, but I cannot make any promises about how soon, or how useful it will be."
Nevy nods. "Hey. I don't know if any of this is going to be useful. But it might help. Thank you anyway." They grin.
"You are welcome, then." Annie smiles at them. "Who else is looking into it, if you do not mind my asking?"
Nevy hesitates. "Um... I'm... not really sure how much I'm allowed to say."
"That is fine. We can talk about other things, then." Annie pauses for a moment. "How about that local sports team, huh?"
Nevy chuckles. "I'm sorry. I'd like to tell you, but... I mean. I know how secret... your group likes to be."
"Who, us? Never! Masters of transparency, we are."
Nevy snorts. "I mean, if you can tell me who you know about, I can tell you if they're working on this?"
"...do you mean in terms of groups, or specific individuals?"
Nevy gives her a winsome smile. "Both?"
"What, and risk giving away their secrets? No thank you." Annie arches an eyebrow at Nevy. "Nice try, though."
Nevy sighs. "All right. The groups, at least? I'm pretty sure I have a grasp on those."
"I am studying to become a doctor, Nevy. Why would I not be careful about people's confidentiality?" Annie asks rhetorically, glancing around again before she continues. "But to answer your question, I am familiar with both the mages and the vampires."
Nevy nods. "So. There are... members of both, looking into this problem." Their eyes narrow slightly on the word "Mages."
Annie arches an eyebrow at the narrowing, but then shrugs slightly. "Good to know. I imagine both are taking it seriously."
Nevy nods. "They are, I can tell."
"You know several members of each, then, I take it?"
Nevy nods. "I've been... lucky, I think in meeting some really nice ones."
"I imagine they are much like every other community, in that respect. Some are really nice, some are assholes, and some are just okay."
Nevy nods. "There's only been one person who I think is part of the, um... Community? Who's made me feel uncomfortable."
"Oh? In a broken stair way, or?" Annie seems genuinely worried. "If it is the former, feel free to name names. Those are everyone's problem."
Nevermore nods. "His name was Drake? I don't know. He could just be poorly socialized, but he gave me a really weird vibe."
"I do not know anyone by that name, but I will keep an eye out if I do meet him, then." Annie sighs. "Hopefully it is just poor socialisation, but better safe than sorry."
Nevy nods. "Exactly." They shrug. "I've only run into him once, so far, so..."
"Well, that is one time more than me, so." Annie shrugs in turn, glancing at the shelves then back at Nevy. "While I think about it, do you have any books on how music styles have evolved over time?"
Nevy shrugs one shoulder "We can check - that's nearby." They glance over the shelf one last time. "Did you find anything on Germany?"
"A few titles." Annie turns back to the shelves, retrieving the relevant books. "Do you have a returns policy, if these turn out not to be what I was looking for?"
"If you keep the receipt, you can return them within a month for what you paid. After that, William pays like you were bringing them for the first time."
"Good to know." Annie glances at Nevy, then. "Lead on."
Nevy nods. It's literally just around the corner. "How far back are you looking?"
"18th century forward, for that."
Nevy blinks. "That's... a range."
"What can I say? I am interested in history and music both. How they intersect is obviously included."
Nevermore nods. "Okay. Got a preferred genre?"
"Klezmer, if you have anything on it. Otherwise general works will do."
Nevy nods, looking mildly bemused, and turns to the shelf
Annie also turns to the shelf, reading the titles for a moment, pulling a few out to examine in greater detail.
"The 18th century, huh?" Nevy says eventually, checking one volume.
Annie glances at them. "Yes. Why?"
"That's a... pretty long time."
"So it is."
Nevy nods. They find a book, which they pull out from the shelf. Then, they grab a second and put it under the first. They had the two over. The first book is a history of Klezmer. The second, a history of rock 'n' roll, from the 50s to the present. "I think... this one could be useful for you, too."
"Possibly." She winks at them, adding both books to her small pile. "I think these should be enough for today, though. Otherwise I will not have the time to read them all soon."
Nevy nods. "Do you know when your next free evening might be? It'd be fun to hang out."
"...One moment, please." She passes them the books to free a hand for retrieving her phone from a pocket. "It is on [date that turns out to be convenient]."
Nevy grins. "Want to hang out?"
"If I did not I could have just pretended not to be free any time soon, you do realise?" Annie smirks at them. "That would be nice, yes."
Nevy chuckles. "Great. let's get you checked out."
"Sounds like a plan." Annie returns her phone to the pocket it came from, following Nevy back to the front of the store.
|