2019-06-02 - A Satisfactory Library

So Sunday right before church gets out is not a particularly busy time at the small town's public library, but there are a few folks scattered about. An elderly man is reading a newspaper in a comfortable chair. Two high school juniors are putting in time on the term papers they were supposed to be working on since March and is now due tomorrow. It looks as though they are trying to do the same paper but write it differently enough that they won't look identical. A young mother and her five year old are in the children's section.

This library is a juxtaposition of run-down (old tech, a faint mildew smell, and design pieces from the 1970's) and welcoming (brightly lit, lots of flyers by the doors, book displays that have recommendations hanging beneath them). And Harper. She's had this position for the last six years and this ship is under her watch. There is an assistant librarian currently shelving books. Harper has just finished making some picture book suggestions to the mother and child. With her usual warm demeanor, most of the locals (at least those who frequent the library) don't pay any attention to the quirks the young woman has ... like, say, talking to herself in the middle of other conversations. That's just how it is here in Gray Harbor; and that's just how Harper's been since at least third grade. She heads for one of the displays near the entrance to re-organize the displayed books. On the corkboard inside the entrance is a flyer for an upcoming READ-IN! for ages 10-18. Games, door prizes, snacks, and even a pillow fight are promised.

When new in town there is a certain order to things, and right after getting the DMV to recognize that you live there is heading to the local library and getting your library card. So it is that Elijah finds himself entering the sanctuary of books this afternoon and heading for the front desk to get this process started. Just because it is a library is no reason to dress down and he shows this as he enters clad in a tailored suit that he wears as if it were his every day garb. Glancing about he seems content to linger there by the desk until someone shows up to help, relishing the order and knowledge that is the library system.

There's not long to wait since Harper was near the entrance futzing about when the gentleman entered and headed straight for the circulation desk. She's not /quite/ on his heels, but she moves up to the counter beside him rather than circling behind it and leans back with her hips against the counter as she looks to her side and the man, "Welcome to the Gray Harbor Library. Can I be of assistance in any way?" The woman smiles a warm smile as if Elijah had brought flowers with him. She folds her slim arms across her chest and regards the man with interest. He certainly isn't from here. Yet.

Elijah 's look of perpetual mild disapproval is no different here then any where else, though it doesn't seem to be angled at anything as much as it is his default countenance "Why yes you can miss, I'd like to register for a library card." the faintest ghost of a smile pulling at his lips at his stated objective before it vanished just as quickly. "This is a fine collection you have here, I trust you have older town records and research materials elsewhere?" Even as he's stating this he is pulling out his temporary from the dmv, and his old driver's license to provide collaborating evidence that he is who he says is.

Only after Elijah gives his reason for visiting does Harper push away from the counter and circle around it to pull an application form out of a manila envelope and pull the pen from behind her ear, offering both to the man. "It's a satisfactory selection for a town of this size," she both agrees and disagrees. There are places for his name, address, phone number, form of ID and proof of residence on the form. Places for him to sign and for her to sign off once she's seen the id and the proof of residence. "Welcome to Gray Harbor," she adds with that curving smile once more. "There is a section right. over. there. --" She points to a corner with the sign "Local!" near the beginning of the nonfiction and low end of the Dewey Decimal system. "I've been growing the collection, but we still have work to do. It's mostly historical information, some of it dated. But there are a few novels by local authors, too." She continues, "The older newspapers are all available on microfiche." She then offers, "I'm Harper Price, and do hope you'll call me Harper. I'm the lead librarian here. After we get you all set, I'd be happy to give you a tour or direct you toward any section of interest." She then leans a little in toward the counter between them and half-whispers, "The computers are slow as toast on a radiator, here. So I'd suggest other means of internet surfing unless you're a glutton for punishment."

Elijah fills out the form with impeccably neat handwriting, going in order down the form lest Harper point out additional boxes in which case he takes care of those first before returning to the format. Though he might look rather mundane, to another who glimmers it is clear he shines bright, both fierce and with a bit of coldness to it. "A pleasure to meet you Ms.Harper, I am sure that we will become well acquainted as I often find myself drawn to libraries and their mysteries. I'm Elija Wright, though Elija will do just fine." Inking the last bit of the form he holds it up to look it over critically before offering a somber nod, and handing it in officially "I trust everything is in place there?"

Harper watches as Elijah fills out the form, somehow able to do so without seeming pushy, but rather intrigued. She crosses one arm over her middle and rests her other elbow on it, one fingertip tapping slowly against her red lips, thoughtful, omni-patient. When he addresses her she places that palm atop her heart as if he'd complimented her beautifully but says in stark contrast. "Please. Ms. Harper sounds as though I'm already receiving my AARP membership newsletters." He /finally/ introduces herself, though she spied his name on the first field he filled out and she smiles so that her brown eyes sparkle, "Elijah. What a charming name. You happen to be in the right place, and --" she whispers conspiratorially, perhaps intentionally misunderstanding, "Mysteries are my favorite genre." Harper moves to action when he finishes. "Marvelous. I simply need to see a form of identification and proof of residence, then you'll be checking out the Twilight books in no time." Is she /teasing/ him? He's far to brusque for her to do such a thing, isn't he?

Elijah taps the drivers license and the temporary license with a nod of his head, his tone shifting ever so slightly as to quite possibly be teasing her "Already a step ahead of you Harper. You act as if this is my first library card." Then because obvious it is completely normal he opens his wallet and shows that he is carrying at least four other library cards in there that he's collected over the years. That tease about twilight draws a brusque snort from the man "Hardly, I find myself more drawn to the non fiction section, though I have been known to dabble in the odd mystery or thriller." levying a /look/ at her that isn't wholly unkind though it scrutinizes her "Perhaps you're transcribing your own biases onto me. You seem the sort of girl to enjoy teen vampires and maybe even Fifty Shades of Gray." Oh there are definitely shots fired back there, is he teasing, the hint of a grin would suggest he is.

Harper reaches for the two items. Traditionally, proof of residence is expected in the form of a piece of mail addressed to the person within the city limits. But she's the captain here, and has decided to allow for the two licenses without further comment. "Oh, Elijah. I would never assume a man of obvious letters such as yourself would be new to libraries. Why, you're almost a kindred spirit, I can tell." Surely this woman isn't for real. She's either simple, a serious tease wrapped up in a professional demeanor, or she's mocking him. She goes through all the necessary motions to approve the library card, then opens a drawer, pulls out a blank card and scans it with a bar coder. Next she inputs his information efficiently into the computer before handing it to him. "Just your John Hancock on the back if you will, Elijah." She doesn't miss the library card collection during all this. "Do you move to new towns frequently?" When he tells her what kind of 'girl' she seems to be like, Harper's laughter bubbles out, breaking the usual 'Shhhhhhhhhhhhh' trope of a librarian's should-bes. "Why, Mr. Wright, I can't tell if you are insulting me, flirting, or are just that bad of a judge of character." The smile only disappears for a handful of seconds before it returns once more, like a beacon that matches her tilted Glimmer. "What brings you to Gray Harbor, if I might be so bold?"

Elijah signs his entirely neat signature to the back of the card before offering the pen back to Harper, "I'll let you decide which of those three you think is more likely. Perhaps you'll have made up your mind by the end of that tour you promised me." Slipping the library card into his wallet, he puts it in a slot by itself there "As for why I moved here, I thought a change of scenery would be nice. Get away from the city and settle down somewhere where I could find trees."

Harper reaches for her pen and tucks it back behind her ear -- looks like he got to use the Special Pen -- and walks out from around the counter once more. "Gray Harbor isn't the sort of place one just chooses to move to, if you'll pardon my opinion, Elijah." She touches a light hand to the arm of his suit jacket and walks over toward the stacks. "Fiction. There are placards noting what genre starts where." She moves on, passing the children's section. "Your bedtime stories." Toward that 'Local' section at the base of the Dewey Decimal system. "Our Local Collection which I'm building slowly but surely," she gestures to the wall of Dewey Decimal Awesomeness. "Non-Fiction." She then points across the space toward where the archaic computers are set up. "Toast on a radiator." She turns and regards the man, still pleasant but abruptly distracted by something that isn't at all obvious. "... not now." Under her breath. "What else can I do for you, Elijah?" He didn't offer up his job and perhaps she won't push for what the man doesn't openly share. Perhaps she has ways of finding out about newcomers in town. Or maybe it was all an act. No, the focus returns to those sparkling brown eyes without the smile.

Elijah walks along with Harper as she guides him through the tour, scrutinizing the various sections one by one as if they might not pass muster but in the end each of them garners a single nod from the man "Luckily I'm able to browse the internet at home when I wish. Though I'd prefer to cut out the outside world when on my property, I must remain in contact if there are any updates with my cases." There's another hint as to what he does, and the night sarcastic way he said that last bit suggests it is something that's been told to him more then once.Then they are approaching the end of the tour and he offers a nod to her, indicating that she too has gained his approval somehow through this short time "That was quite satisfactory, Harper, thank you. If I wanted to deal with you exclusively when I came here, what would be the best days to pick out my books?"

Harper's attention is the hint that she might be picking up on the clues in his words. There's something of a quirk to her lips as he ascerbically spouts the aggravating party line and its infringement upon his life. His nods are so -- official. Harper offers one in return when she receives her mark of approval. "I tend to work business hours, most days. Weekends we alternate, so that's a bit more iffy. When there are events or a new shipment of books comes in, I'm known to keep later hours." So pretty much the nine-to-five schpiel is when he's most assured of finding her at the library. "I hope Gray Harbor lives up to your expectations," she murmurs. "It's a remarkably close-knit community in many ways, but there is more than the average amount of violent crime. Have a care where you park and when, Elijah." And don't talk to brown haired women who move together in pairs or trios.

That mention of violent crime draws his interest, somehow more so then the books "That's what I've heard, it looks like I'll have my job prosecuting it here." There's a passion that enters his voice when he speaks of this "I'm going to make sure it's known that in this town we don't tolerate crime, that offenders will have the books thrown at them because people deserve to feel safe on their own streets after night." looking to Harper he says "I won't bore you with that though." expression inscrutable he says "So, have you decided if I was insulting you, flirting or simply that bad a gauge of character?"

Harper smiles a strange, melancholy smile as Elijah speaks of his passion. She can't burst that bubble. In more ways than one. But given his strong Glimmer, maybe the force behind the words is more complex. "The citizens of the county are fortunate to have you." She guesses county because city seems far too small for a man like Elijah. "Shush!" There's no telling who in the library she's shushing. The volume hasn't changed since he arrived. "I've decided none of the above," Harper answers as her lips curve more genuinely once again. "Something a bit more complicated, I think." She casts a glance over to the circulation desk to make sure her assistant is checking out books while she's giving the man his tour.