Lazy Day [Ros]

[RUSSEL CONNOR]

Now that she mentioned it, it did get kind of boring eating the same thing every day. Honestly, he didn't often think about it because he was just too hungry to care. He really needed to start bringing snacks with him to munch on during the day, but he kept forgetting. When she talked about bringing him leftovers, he perked up happily. "That would be awesome!"

He nodded, glad she had admitted to not having read it, either. There were so many good books in the world, he knew he'd never read them all, but a classic author like Tolstoy he felt he should at least attempt. But his work just seemed so daunting sometimes. However... "I think if I had a book like these, I could read almost anything," he whispered.

He didn't care that they were whispering; it was just amusing to him. There didn't seem to be anybody else around, so it wasn't like they had to keep quiet. Then again, with all the shelves and tables and stacks of books everywhere, not to mention the dim lighting, there were plenty of places for someone to hide if they wanted to. He imagined coming in here on a rainy afternoon, grabbing a leather-bound tome, and holing up in a corner behind a bookcase to read, unbeknownst to even the shop owner. But of course he would never do that. He did wonder about the owner, though. Maybe they were in the back or something.

"Really? I can't resist bookstores, especially not a place like this. I'd've dragged you in here if you hadn't gone in first," he said with a grin. He kept wandering along, his green eyes scanning the titles, an excited smile lighting up his face whenever he recognized something. "I've always wanted my own little shop like this. Or a library with a fireplace and comfy chairs. Maybe not the most realistic dreams, but still, fun to imagine."

[ROSLYN BARKER]

The level of excitement he had when she'd offered to cook for him made her giggle softly. Until she'd been out on her own her father had always been against her doing work like being in a kitchen, or having a job...when she could cook though, or be helping someone it made her feel really good because it meant she was needed or was useful. Tonight she'd have to make sure to get to the store before dark, make something good to share. It meant she wouldn't be able to hide away in the library during her lunch breaks, but that probably wasn't a horrible thing. It probably meant she'd get to see Josh, and the lovely Chord. "I think you'll like it a lot better than cold sandwiches."

The store didn't seemed limited to only the greats in literature, the names you only saw in college English courses. There were others too, more popular literature in bindings that were just so beautiful and spectacular it seemed unreel compared to the usually paper and cardboard covers she usually saw. "I can agree with that. If anything you and I should just pool together and have shared custody of some of these. Oh..."

Shoved together there were colorful leathers and cloth covers, Alice in Wonderland scrawled across the spine. Putting back the other two books she'd been looking at she grabbed it up before flipping it over to the colorful hand-drawn illustrations that marked several chapters. "I remember this one. My mother read this too me when I was really little." She smiled gently as she forced herself to close the book slipping it back into it's spot with its sister story.

Russel seemed to love this place just as much, if not more, than herself as she listened to his soft voice in the hush shop. "I'm glad you brought me. If anything it's nice to dream of one day having a place like this. I think it's possible." Another chuckle bubbled up as looked at the English teacher rather sheepishly, "Well I don't have fireplaces, but the school's library is nice enough until you can achieve your other dream Russel. You're welcome any time, it gets slow in there and so it's nice to have company stop by. I can show you the comfy spots even." Stopping at the end of one shelf she let her eyes look over the colorful shock of childrens' books sitting right next to histories and autobiographies, the organization of the shop a rather curious thing.

[RUSSEL CONNOR]

"Hey, I like sandwiches," he said with a lop-sided grin. He was quite partial to sandwiches of all types, but that was mainly because they were easy to eat with one hand while doing something else (reading, for example), and because they were easy to make. Plus, you could make a sandwich out of very little. That was key for him, who often forgot to buy groceries until his fridge was very nearly empty. Heck, you didn't even need to have two pieces of bread, necessarily; you could just fold it over, or use half a bagel on one end, or pile stuff on carefully and eat it like toast. The possibilities were endless. However, he wasn't opposed to eating other things. It was just that he didn't often have the option. Not for lunch, anyway.

Russel chuckled at 'shared custody.' The phrase made it sound like they would be adopting the book or something. Although, considering the likely price of these volumes, that probably would be how he would treat it--like a baby, handling it gently and never letting anybody he didn't trust touch it. He was tempted, even if he didn't have the money, but he knew it was just impractical. Besides, where in his tiny little apartment would he put a book like that? It would stick out like a sore thumb among all the rest of his things.

He glanced over in Ros's direction when she mentioned something her mother read to her as a child. It was a colorfully-bound, illustrated version of Alice in Wonderland. Russel smiled. "I didn't read that until high school, unfortunately. That and Through the Looking Glass. They're great, aren't they? Somehow the movies never seem to quite do them justice. Well, there was one I saw once, a really long one with all sorts of famous people in it. That one was pretty darn good."

His face lit up when she spoke about the library. "That's right!" he said, still whispering even in his excitement. "The library! I haven't even been in there yet! It looks pretty fancy from the outside. Good grief, how could I have missed it?" Well, he knew how--he'd gotten so busy so quickly, first getting unpacked and settled, then planning out his lessons, then keeping things on track and grading papers and things, that he hadn't left any time to go exploring the rest of the school. He'd been all through the two buildings where his classes were located, and to the administrative building, but the rest of it he'd only looked at from the outside. Much like how he'd only scanned the streets of Cinders. He had planned on going to the library; next month, they would need actual copies of Macbeth instead of just the excerpts in their textbooks. But now he had a reason to visit sooner. "I'll have to stop by there next week."

For now, however, he would have to concentrate on getting out of this place. It was going to be a struggle to tear himself away from all these books. "Maybe we should go now," he said quietly, still not quite convinced that they should leave just yet, though the practical part of his brain was nagging at him. "I'm starting to seriously consider buying one of these, and I don't think that's a good sign." He glanced at his watch, mostly to just take his eyes off the shelves, and was surprised to see just how much time they'd spent in there. "Whoa, we've been in here for more than half an hour! Time flies when you're having fun, eh?"

[ROSLYN BARKER]

"I think that's sort of funny, something I was read as a child was something you had to study as a teenager. It's strange how something as simple and wonderful as a story can change someone's life." She started, still smiling though now the gesture didn't quite reach. On book, one page, one hour out of a night simply reading could bring pleasure, and memories, and so much more....

"I've seen a good number of remakes. I think that in a way they're like fairytales or any other story told over and over again...they take the shape of the one who is telling it. Movies are no different then a book, just less reading." She stopped suddenly waving the other off, "Ah...forget I said that, it sounds stupid and I'm just blabbering on like a fool."

As Russel spoke her eyes went wide as she moved right to him staring, "Why not? I can't believe you would come to a school like this without first seeing the library." She exclaimed, for a moment forgetting to whisper in her own surprise, "Yes, yes you will have to come see it or by god I'll have them cancel sending your order to you in order just to get you in there. A professor of mine once said that, 'one cannot just teach at any school without first seeing the extent at which the school has made information and knowledge available." She teased gently as her voice became hushed once more. It was hard to believe that a man like Russel who has seemed so absorbed in the book at the cafe, so in love with this shop as she was...had not been to the library yet.

"If you come in the off hours it's a nice place to enjoy some coffee and settle down. Not a lot of students come super late once school is over." She offered before he began to talk of getting out of the place. Ros wanted to the exact opposite of that really, stay in the store, huddle down in her own little corner and just fall in love again and again with the words on paper. However when he mentioned the time she gave a sigh and put the books she had back, "Fine, if you come back here you have to bring me too. Only fair."

Reaching out she took his arm before starting through the maze of shelves once more. "Time really does seem to go by fast with good company doesn't it?" She smiled before finding the exit as she started towards it with the other teacher in tow.

[RUSSEL CONNOR]

Russel smiled warmly. Stories had shaped his entire life and his way of thinking, since he was a young child. Maybe that wasn't the case for most people, but it certainly was for him. Reading was such a big part of his life, it was hard for it not to have affected him profoundly. Certain stories or authors took him back to the time in his life when he'd read them. Harrison Bergeron, for example, reminded him of the third grade, when he'd stumbled across it in his English book. And Poe brought him back to his dark, broody high school days.

He nodded at what Ros was saying, then grinned when she said she was blabbering. "Nah, it doesn't sound stupid. You're right, in some ways movies are less a re-telling and more a re-imagining of the original story. After all, words evoke different images for different people, so you can't possibly please everyone when you make a book into a movie."

When she sort of berated him for not having visited the library already, he looked askance with an embarrassed grin on his face, rubbing the back of his neck. "I did mean to, I just... haven't gotten around to it yet." Honestly, he was surprised he hadn't, as well. "With all the excitement and work of having a new job in a new town--and a new state, even... but I guess that hasn't really stopped you, has it?" he said, his question rhetorical as he realized their circumstances in coming to Lux Lucis were rather similar. In fact, she was even farther from home than he was. He didn't have much excuse. "I promise I'll come see it very soon."

The practical side of him was glad that Ros took the initiative in leaving, since he knew he would have a very hard time dragging himself out of the place if she was reluctant about it, since he was so reluctant himself. But the other side of him was sorry to go. It was such a wonderful store. "I didn't mean it like we should go right away," he said as she took his arm and led them out. Suddenly he felt rather flustered, not just about leaving the books but also about his closeness to her. "Well, I mean, we did spend quite a bit of time in there... But I was just saying, y'know! 'Cause I mean, I don't know if you've got to be somewhere later or, I dunno. Not that I don't like hanging out with you. Quite the contrary, I'm having loads of fun! I was just mentioning... Oh good grief, I'm rambling on like a nutcase." He passed a hand over his face and then laughed. "Don't mind me. I think I've been spending too much time in the company of angsty, self-absorbed teenagers. Anyway, where to next? Your pick this time."

[ROSLYN BARKER]

Really Ros had just been attempting to tease Russel for his lack of appearance at the library but still she had to admit she was surprised. However she let it go as he promised to visit. If he'd thought this place was fascinating no doubt the library would consume his time even more than a place like this had. She'd found herself lost in there many times over the summer, lingering well until the darkest hours. There had even been a night when she'd fallen asleep there...

Going to the door with Russel she paused as he started to talk about not leaving right away. However as he kept talking she restrained a giggle. Soon he really was rambling and it made the head librarian feel short of breath just listening to him as she still held his arm before moving around to face him.

"Russel..." She started, trying to get his attention as she pushed against the door as the first touch of the cooler autumn air touched her legs, "It's okay. I don't have anywhere to be, and I like having the company. I'm in no rush to leave yet." She reassured patting his chest gently before taking another few leading steps out the door onto the stoop.

"I'm not sure where we'll end up next, but hopefully it's not a bore to yo-"

It was as if suddenly someone had pulled the ground out from beneath her feet as she stepped back to step down only to miss the step by millimeters. Like the drop on a roller coaster her stomach went up as her body started to pitch down towards the earth. She saw Russel's face for only a moment before things just blurred. On instinct limbs stretched out to catch the first thing they could as fingers clamped around the shirt they'd touched just seconds ago before pulling suddenly hoping to stop her descent.

[RUSSEL CONNOR]

He was glad she didn't find him too weird for rambling like that, though his cheeks tinged every so slightly pink when she giggled. For some reason he was just sort of awkward at the moment, maybe because he was so excited about the rare book store. Or maybe the coffee was catching up to him. Or maybe it was how cute Ros was when she grabbed his arm. Nah, probably the coffee. He might want to cut back on that, just a little.

He followed her as she led him out the door by the arm, stopping right outside when she reassured him about wanting to come along. She really did have the most adorable gestures, he thought as she patted his chest casually and then turned to go down the steps, saying something that she didn't quite finish before he saw her start to fall backwards a bit and suddenly she'd grabbed onto his sweater and they were both falling towards the sidewalk and--

Suddenly he was practically on top of Ros on the sidewalk, holding himself up by his arms, and their faces were mere inches away. He felt his cheeks grow hot and knew he was blushing. "Um..." Oh gosh, what was he doing? He immediately got off her and crouched next to her, concerned that she had gotten hurt. "Are you okay? Did you hit your head or anything? I didn't land on you and hurt you, did I?" He was fine himself, but she was the one who'd gone backwards onto the hard sidewalk. What if she'd broken something, or gotten a concussion? He wasn't a gym teacher; he didn't usually deal with these types of situations. Should he take her to the hospital? But he didn't have his car here; he'd have to carry her a couple of blocks first. 'Calm down, Russel, calm down...' He had to mentally coax himself out of panic mode. His brain was going a mile and minute and she hadn't even answered his question yet.

[ROSLYN BARKER]

It seemed her luck with Russel had been good for about an hour, no injuries or things dropping on other people. She'd figured maybe he had been right about the jinx, though it was probably no jinx she'd not been looking where she was suppose to be going. Her thoughts had been on other shops she'd wanted to find that by the time she realized she was falling it was too late to grab anything else by the man in front of her.

Concrete never was nor never would be soft Ros figured as she hit the sidewalk. With her own stupid luck the angle had been just right as it was her lower half to hit the ground first, the rest of her splaying out just form the force of fall as well as the body she was bringing down with her. Her head hit the concrete, and for a moment everything went bright lights and blasts of colors in her vision. It hurt, but sadly she'd fallen enough to know when she was seriously injured. Closing her eyes she waited until the the pain died to a dull throb, feeling Russel so close to her, but unsure if she really wanted to open her eyes again.

Surely this had to have pissed him off. He moved off of her, and she heard him speaking, but she lay there eyes closed unsure what to do now. "Um..." she started softly, "I just...if you want to just walk away and pretend that didn't happen I think I'd feel a whole lot better." Opening one eye she looked up at him.

"I think I should be asking you if you're alright..." Slowly she sat up, hands quickly moving to push back down the skirt that had slid up to mid thigh from all the sudden falling and moving about before she looked up at him with a flushed face, 'I'm sorry, I just...you were there and it was instinct to grab. I didn't mean to drag you down like that. I guess we were wrong about the jinx weren't we?"

[RUSSEL CONNOR]

He let out a sigh of relief when Ros finally spoke. At her suggestion that he just get up and walk away like nothing happened, he merely blinked. He couldn't do that. Maybe she felt like this had ruined their evening, and if that was the case, sure, he'd part ways with her and go on home, but he had to at least make sure she was okay. And if she was okay, well, he didn't think there was much reason for them to stop hanging out. He didn't want to go home just yet. He'd been having so much fun.

"No no, I'm fine!" he said, waving his hands in front of him dismissively. After all, he had landed on something soft. He blushed at that thought. Where was his mind lately, honestly? "I'm not the one who hit the pavement."

He scratched his nose and smiled in embarrassment when she apologized. "It's okay, really. It's instinct to just grab whatever's closest." He picked up Chaucer from where the book had fallen and stood up, then extended a hand to help her up. "Heh, that may be. But there's no reason we can't try to work around it, right?" He was still a little concerned, and it showed on his face even through his smile. Ros didn't seem too phased by the fall, but sometimes you didn't know you were hurt until you tried to stand up and go back to whatever you were doing.

[ROSLYN BARKER]

It didn't seem like Russel would leave any time soon and Ros was torn between being glad and still wishing he would walk away. There was no such thing as falling gracefully, and the several times she'd managed to trip over herself or something at the school it was apparent that more people got enjoyment out of watching it then sympathy.

He said he was fine, which was good. She should have figured he would be, after all it was her that he'd landed on. At least this time he hadn't been the one to suffer for her clumsiness...if anything the worse was a stretched sweater and a shared embarrassment. "Good, as long as you're fine." Looking up at him she could see he seemed a little embarrassed as well, but she wasn't quite sure why though as she took the offered hand and slowly pulled herself up on shaky legs.

"Well if you're not completely turned off by the idea of still spending time with me..." He spoke of working around her jinx and she laughed, "We can try that method...see if it works. I promise that if I'm going to fall anymore I'll try not to drag you down." It took a moment for her to realize she was still holding onto his hand before she let go stepping away with a blush.

"I guess on we go then Russel." She said rather quickly stopping herself before she could start rambling once more to take up the quiet. Taking a few steps along the sidewalk a little slower now, careful of where she stepped as she looked at the stores. The sky seemed a little darker now, the clouds a little thicker, but so far the air felt calm as she kept going glancing back to see if the other was still with her.

"This town is so beautiful, I've spent months at the school grounds, but to finally see the rest of it is just lovely."

[RUSSEL CONNOR]

Ros seemed all right as he helped her to her feet. No broken limbs or sprained ankles or any of that, thank goodness. The few people who had stopped to watch, now satisfied that there was no crisis, went back to whatever they'd been doing earlier. Russel laughed with Ros. "Fates be damned if I'm going to let a little clumsiness get in the way of having a good time!" he said dramatically, thrusting his fist in the air for emphasis and then laughing some more at his own silliness.

They realized they were still holding hands at about the same moment and let go suddenly, Russel taking a moment to straighten out his sweater and jacket. He nodded and followed when she started walking again. His mind was still lingering on the look of her face so close and the feeling of her hand in his. He shook his head in an effort to clear his thoughts.

The sky was getting a bit darker. He hoped it wouldn't rain, not yet. There was still so much to explore, and despite their little mishaps, he wasn't keen on parting ways. They had so much in common, he could probably just sit and talk to her for hours and not get bored. He was glad he'd met someone like her in Cinders, since all his friends were back home or in other states. He'd forgotten how lonely it could get, living on your own.

He smiled at her comment. "It is. All these quaint little shops in one area like this. I love how you can just walk everywhere, and not have car exhaust constantly in your face. The few years I lived in the city, it was like that. And when I didn't live in the city, things were too far apart to walk places. I like not having to drive all the time."

[ROSLYN BARKER]

All in all Russel seemed like a really good guy, and it made her happy as he helped her up that he still seemed so set on enjoying their exploration of the town. She's had few friends in college, many acquaintances, but few who she would say she was close to, but Russel was unlike a lot of them she'd met. He put up with a lot of her clumsiness, even when she'd hurt him to begin with, his own excitement shared in their little finds. At his cry of fighting on through the fall she jumped a little, surprised by it, but that soon melted away into giggling as one hand moved to cover her mouth.

"Yes, onward, once more into the fray." She replied softly as her gaze went up to the sky, "I sort of miss the rainy days on fall back home sometimes. I hope it holds off a little longer, rain is only good when you're tucked away somewhere cozy with a good book or movie." Really if it did she'd probably just run back to the cafe, or even the book shop, tucked away in a corner, something warm to drink...and if Russel came she'd have good company to keep. The thought made her smile as she slowly drew her eyes from the sky and back to the shops. A little rain wouldn't be so bad...

"It does feel a little more like a hidden paradise, so fresh feeling. You are from the bigger cities around here aren't you?" Ros realized, she'd lived in a pretty big place so she knew what it was like. "What was it like, growing up where you did?" She asked, curious now about how Russel grew up, not really seeming like a lot of others she'd met.

[RUSSEL CONNOR]

Rain was good if you had somewhere to curl up and read, with the quiet patter of raindrops on the roof fading into the background as you escaped into the words on the page. But usually Russel's mood tended to turn sour with bad weather, at least if it was prolonged. A couple dark, rainy days and he got cranky. However, maybe once it rained tonight it would be clear and bright for tomorrow. He wouldn't mind that. He just wanted it to hold off for a while. After all, neither one of them had an umbrella. Of course, with the myriad of shops surrounding them, maybe they could find a place to buy one.

Her question about where he'd grown up made him take his gaze from the sky and smile at her, a sort of boyish half-grin as he thought fondly of his childhood. "Well, I'm not actually from here, not New York. I'm from Pennsylvania. I lived in a bigger city for a few years, but I lived most of my life in a quiet little town about four hours from here. Decidedly middle-class family, only child, loving parents and happy childhood--yeah, that was me... for the most part, anyway."

The smile slipped for just a moment, but he shrugged the memories of his high school years away and the smile returned. "We had a big yard with a swing set and sandbox where I used to play with my friends, and a little garden where my mom grew strawberries and blueberries and peppers and tomatoes and things. Although the birds usually ate most of the strawberries before we could. And we used to go to this big flea market all the time where they had all sorts of cool stuff. They made the most amazing bagels there, too, of all sorts. Still do. And there is this little local restaurant where I always got grilled cheese. I remember seriously telling my dad I wanted to travel the world and sample every grilled cheese and rate them all in a book and publish it. What a weird kid I was," he said with a laugh.

"Basically, it's the kind of place where everybody pretty much knows everybody else, which is sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad thing. But it's a pretty idyllic little town. I taught there for few years after I graduated. It was kind of fun teaching in the place where I used to go to school, but a little weird, too. My mom still lives there, but not in the house where I grew up." He stopped talking for a moment, realizing he'd just wandered into subject matter he didn't really want to mention, but that his last sentence only begged a question. He nearly cringed. Well, he had to finish that thought now, or she would only ask about it. "My parents split up when I was in college. My dad moved away and my mom moved into a smaller house. A-anyway, that's enough about me; I'm sure I've just been talking your ear off. What about you? What was your childhood like?"

[ROSLYN BARKER]

Family, Ros almost regretted asking Russel about where and how he'd grown up. Not because he was so chatty about it, but rather she could feel the jealousy rise up in her like bile. Her eyes stayed down on the sidewalk as she listened like any good companion would, trying to focus on every word he said instead of the bitter taste growing in her mouth that made her smile fade into a tight shade of the expression she wore before now.

"That...that sounds like quite a way to grow up. It sounds so fun, full of love." And it really did as she looked up and tried to give him a smile that said she didn't mind hearing about all this. "Your parents sound very nice. I can see why you are the man you are now. I don't mind at all listening, I like hearing about others families, you can always hear how much they care for them when you listen though I wonder whatever happened to your grilled cheese dream?" She teased gently picking up her pace a little as if that would get them both to the next topic faster if they were moving faster. However he asked about her own as it was as if she had hit a wall.

Her own family, it was complicated, it wasn't something she didn't really talk about because every time she did she could see the curiosity in others expression turn into pity. Parents got divorced, but while many didn't try to drag the children into it not only had that been the situation, but Ros had gotten to hear every dirty detail, and in the end she really had been a reason her mother had left.

"My family is like yours...mom, dad...sibling. I lived in Seattle all my life, we had a house close to the city. Private school...then I came here." Ros kept it vague, no point is going into detail. There was no way to really simplify it without leaving everything out, and most of the time people didn't ask beyond that satisfied with typical answer of "I was born, I grew up".

Slowly she started moving again, one step after another until she could find a pace to move again. How long had it been since she'd called her half-brother? Last time she'd maybe talked for five minutes, told him to pass it on to her father that she was alright. There was no reason for her to tell him to tell their mom. "It was alright...hey look!"

Any distraction was welcomed now, and the shop just a few paces from them was a good enough one for her as she moved to the window as paws clamored up against the glass on the other side. "A pet store!" She exclaimed happily as she stood beside the window, leaning down in front of it as a mix of small puppies ran around the pen, some shoving each other at the window to get the attention of the people watching them now as Ros cooed softly.

[RUSSEL CONNOR]

"Haha, well, the grilled cheese thing... It's all really a matter of opinion what's best, isn't it? Besides, that's a pretty lofty goal, rating all the grilled cheese in the world." Russel gave her a sort of lop-sided thoughtful smile. Even when he went on and on like that, she didn't tune him out. She actually considered everything he said. Her perspective was interesting. Of course, he had skated around the less savory details, the things he'd learned later that had put a damper on the latter bit of his childhood. But he guessed he did have a pretty good childhood, compared to some people.

He stopped when she stopped, looking at her with a quizzical expression. Watching her face and listening to how hesitant her words seemed as she answered his question, Russel realized he must have hit a nerve. He couldn't imagine what it was that made her so reluctant to talk about her family, especially since she apparently came from people who were well-off. Then again, just because you had money didn't mean you had less problems. Quite the contrary, in some situations. But he tried not to let his curiosity get the better of him.

In fact, he had been opening his mouth to apologize for asking about it when something caught Ros's attention and she went over to the window of a nearby store. He followed and was pleasantly surprised to see puppies clamoring over each other to press themselves against the window where Ros was looking. Russel grinned and put his hand against the pane, then laughed as one of the puppies licked the glass on the other side.

"I always wanted a dog when I was a kid, but my dad seemed to be allergic to anything with fur, so I got a turtle and a salamander instead," he said, then glanced at Ros. He much preferred seeing her happy like this. "Wanna go in?"