Inouv 34, 228: Book Buying

Kylan and Ray visit the bookstore for entirely different reasons.


Book Buying
Summary: Kylan and Ray visit the bookstore for entirely different reasons.
OOC Date: 23/December/2013
Related: None
Players:
Kylan Bella Ray 
Adventure Books and Scribe
The heavy oak door, once opened, reveals an interior filled with a few shelves of books of all sizes, shapes and bindings. A table in the center of the room is round and boasts several chairs surrounding it. Lanterns hang all around for good reading light and there is a cozy long couch placed in front of the fire with twin tables on each end, allowing comfort while reading. The floor is well traveled wood with multiple scars, the walls rock behind the shelves. An arch shaped window looks out into the street and has a window seat built into the recessed opening. A desk boasts a half burned candle and a few more books with a chair behind it, for the scribe. A door off the back leads to the personal residence of the owner and has a door closed between the areas.
Inouv 34, 228

The days of darkness of Inouv are upon them, meaning there is no sunshine to warm the days or the nights. The soft glow from the window of the bookstore and scribe shop is a quiet invitation for the weary traveler as is the hearth with the warm fire burning. Frost has settled on the outside of the glass window while the warmth inside beckons to some. Inside, a slight blonde girl who wears no shoes, is dusting the wooden floor with a broom, the small cloud dissipates almost as soon as it lifts.

Darkness suits Kylan Fletcher just fine. Easier to move without being seen in it. Not that he doesn't enjoy the sun just fine when it's out, but all too often his business means the sun can be as much an inconvenience as a source of warmth and light and life. However, he's not trying to particularly avoid attention at the moment. Besides, it would be rather difficult, if not impossible, to somehow avoid the notice drawn by the gust of wintry air that enters the bookshop along with him. He closes the door behind him with a proper degree of haste but somehow seems unhurried while he does it nonetheless, and then pulls back his hood, those intensely blue eyes regarding the blonde girl here, before he looks around, getting a sense for whether anyone else is here. His eyes return to her and he inclines his head towards her, "You are the proprietress here?"

At the moment, it is indeed just the two of them present unless someone is behind the doorway leading into the back rooms of the building. With a guileless smile, Bella pads over behind the desk and puts the broom away, wiping her hands on the gray dress she wears. "Good day to you, Mister. I am, Yep. I'm Bella." She motions to the few cases of books along the wall. "Are you interested in books or for me to write letters for you?"

A polite smile flits across Kylan's somewhat stony features as she answers his question, and he moves over towards the countertop, "Neither for now. I have a different question." He reaches to his belt, where she can see the kind of cylindrical case that maps or scrolls are normally kept in, and after he uncaps it, he pulls out a roll of parchment and unfurls it, revealing a rather detailed hand-drawn map of the northern portion of Lakeshire, "Do you think you might be able to copy this? Or if not yourself, could you recommend someone that could?"

Catching the polite smile, Bella watches him as he moves towards the desc area. "Okay," she tells him simply and looks at the cylinder he removes the map from, then watches him roll it out. She peers at the map and tips her head to the side after studying it for a very brief moment. "Oh sure! I can copy it. It'll take a day or two, but I can do it."

"There is no pressing need so long as it is finished a fair bit before Winter's end. But I will need five copies." Kylan informs, re-capping the scroll case, and instead reaching to pull a small pouch of coin from his belt. "The price for your services, Mistress Bella?" His head tilts curiously, that polite smile still firmly in place upon his lips.

"Oh five?" Bella looks up and gives him a lopsided grin. "I can make five of them but yep, it'll take me longer than a few days." Reaching for a price list on the desk, she picks it up and runs her finger down the page. "One star," she tells him before putting the price list back down on the desk.

Kylan withdraws the requested amount, smiling as he hands it over, "-Now- I think I'll take a look at your books. I'm not a good reader, but you don't get better without practice." His own smile grows just a touch wry. "Oh, and there is a chance that whoever comes to pick up the maps may not be me. But they will ask for the order placed by Kylan Fletcher if they do." Since he hadn't introduced himself yet.

Bella accepts the coin and offers another smile as her hand closes around it. "Thank you!" Excited to be earning coin in this brand new place she is calling home. "Oh sure! I can help you with books, I read most all of them that I can!" Once more her head tips to the side and she leans down to write his name down on a piece of parchment. "But you have to leave the map here with me so that I can copy it." Studying him a few moments, a decisive look comes into her features. "I can also teach people how to read, since I'm already reading anyway most of the time."

"Of course." Kylan notes of the map, having left it on the desk for now, "Though I would be happy if you'd keep that out of the sight of others." He notes, then smiles, "I do know how…mostly. The larger words can be difficult sometimes, but for the most part I muddle through." He pauses, then laughs softly, "I don't often say things like this, so I'm sorry if it sounds clumsy, but if I'd had a teacher as comely as you in the first place, I'd probably be a much better reader now." He considers a moment, "Or much worse."

"Oh of course, Mister Kylan." Bella slips the map into a drawer and uses a key from her pocket to lock the drawer. Once it is all secured she smiles again, repocketing the key. A blush settles into her cheeks at the compliment and she ducks her head shyly. "I can still teach you if you ever need me to." She comes from around the desk and walks to one of the bookcases. "What kinda books do you like?"

"Books that talk of far off lands…but real ones, not just legends." Kylan replies readily enough, "Or that have lots of maps in them." He considers a few moments more, "And maybe books on herbs and Apothecary work and the like." He chuckles, "If the words don't get too large."

At one of the bookshelves in the room, Bella is inquiring of interest. At the reply from Kylan, she laughs softly. "Apothecary is a long word. To me anyway." Though she seems to know the supplies well as she runs her index finger over the bindings more for the love of touching books than the need to search and read the titles. She stops at a leatherbound book about six inches tall and four across, withdrawing it. "This is one for herbs and mixtures for healing an' different stuff. I only read part of it but it's kinda boring for me cause I don't know how to do stuff like that." Offering him the book, she turns back to the shelf. "An' this one is about the Eastern Isles."

Ray enters the Scribes, cloak pulled about himself as he comes in against the winter. Once inside he straightens, stamping his feet before moving in, sighing and looking about with a squint. A brief smile on his features as he looks about nodding.

Kylan takes the first book, idly flipping through a few pages, studying it intently. He sets it aside at the mention of the book on the Eastern Isles, which he clearly accepts and examines with more enthusiasm. When Ray enters, he turns and glances to the man, inclining his head briefly towards him, then looking back to the book. "Hm." He considers a few moments. Mainly because his housing situation is often…uncertain. He's not sure where he'd store them! Though perhaps he should consider finding a place. It isn't as though he's poorly paid for his services to the crown.

When the first book is set aside, Bella puts it back into the exact position it was in before. "That one about the Isles is interesting! There's lots of things about the trees and the animals and birds. The boats. And towards the back there's a map too. It's the only one like it that I got here. The others aren't as neat as that one." When Ray walks in, Bella offers him a bright smile. "Hi! I'm Bella. You can look around if you want to."

Ray inclines his head to Customer and Scribe. It's easy to tell which is which. He nods with a smile, "I'll be over here, when you're free." He says as he moves to a few books. Oh, books, he looks at them with interest.

Ultimately the lure of distant lands proves too much temptation for the Ranger, and he nods, setting the book down and tapping the cover lightly with a finger, "How much?" He tilts his head curiously, though every-so-often his gaze does flick to Ray. Only briefly…quick enough it could be incidental. Or quick enough that he's just being subtle about keeping an eye on him.

Bella names a price and it's rather expensive, but then all of the books are, they have to be because they are so rare. "I like to read it too, and the words aren't so big." The words are spoken softly to give him privacy should he wish it. "If you don't have all the money now, I can save it for you and you can come by an' read it when you want."

Bella peers over and smiles at Ray, "Okay, but you can get warm by the fire if you want to."

Ray looks over and nods as he's called to, moving toward the fire. He's not doing anything suspicious, but waiting and shaking off the chill.

"Here is half." He withdraws just a couple coins from his small pouch and tucks them into a smaller pouch still, and then gives the larger pouch to Bella. He smiles to the girl and notes, "I'll have the rest when I come for the other order." He tilts his head towards the desk nearby. "Will three weeks be enough time?" He's not really -suspicious- of Ray…at least no more suspicious than he is of nearly everyone.

When she notices how much he had only kept for himself, Bella hesitates in reaching for it. "I don't want you to go hungry. You can just borrow the book if you want?" Also glancing towards the desk where the other job awaits her, her lips curve into a smile. "An' you can read it and bring it back in three weeks too?" Glancing over at Ray as he moves towards the fire, she smiles approvingly, though she is concerned about Kylan leaving himself going hungry more.

Ray holds himself near the fire. He takes the liberty of a few strokes with a poker, which is nowhere near as dirty as it sounds. But otherwide he's just warming up, outside the conversation completely.

Kylan smiles, "Your kindness and generosity're much appreciated, Mistress Bella, but this isn't all my coin. Just what I carried with me." He reaches to place the book in her hands, his own hands ever so briefly covering hers, rough and well-callused from years of toil and battle in the wild. "And just hold it for me, thank you. There is a slight possibility that I may be unable to return for a long time. Just depends on where my work takes me."

Bella accepts the coins and the book, tipping her head back to look at him with concern when he mentions not being able to return for some length of time. "Oh." Clasping the book she nods solemnly, eyes almost rounded. "Your work sounds dangerous!" Hearing the fire being stoked, she smiles. "You can put some wood in there if ya want to." There's a small pile near the hearth. Looking back at Kylan she nods again. "But if someone else comes for the other job, how do I know you sent them?"

Ray looks to Bella, then to the pile of wood, then pokes at the fire, and shakes his head to himself, replacing the poker.

"It can be." Kylan notes in regards to his job, "But so far I've survived." He offers a faint, but intended to be reassuring smile, then notes, "They'll ask for my order using my name." He moves over to the desk and taps the map, not speaking, but if she pays attention to where his finger seems to be pointing, his name is on the corner of the map, which means he actually created the thing in the first place.

Walking over, Bella looks at the map then at him. "A cartographer?" She looks at the map anew and smiles. "You did good. I don't know if I ever went there though, but it looks nice." Unlocking the drawer on the desk, she inserts the coins, the book and the map inside, tucking it away safely, locking it behind and putting the key in her dress pocket. "I hope you are safe then."

Ray scratches the side of his neck as he watches the fire.

"A mapmaker, yes…at least part of the time." Kylan replies to Bella. "It is a beautiful place." He affirms, then smiles once more, inclining his head to Bella briefly, "Thanks for your concern, Mistress Bella. I hope I'll see you again, soon." He turns to leave, looking towards Ray and giving him a polite nod of farewell, before pulling up the hood of his cloak and moving to step back into the cold and snowy weather.

"Maybe I will see it someday too." And possibly by then have the map studied a little too, since she just loved learning new things. Bella lifts a hand to wave, the same one his calloused one had brushed earlier, her own being smooth and unmarred. "Thank you too, Mister Kylan!"

Ray inclines his head to the Ranger leaving, and draws back his cloak having properly escaped the chill of the night.

Once the mapmaker is gone, Bella looks to the other man and smiles, reintroducing herself again. "I'm Bella. What can I do for you, Mister?" She leaves the desk and approaches him with that same smile.

Ray turns, smiling, "Raymond Trevens, Mistress, and I'm looking for Ink, and good paper for writing. I have some writing to do and I want proper quality for it." He says with a smile, folding his cloak over one arm.

"Oh sure!" Bella smiles rather happily and turns back towards the desk. Or a crate behind it actually. While she is looking through the crate, she continues talking. "Do you know how to read and write stuff?" Standing, she is triumphant and comes to the desk with a leatherbound journal and an inkwell and a quill. "Here it is!"

Ray nods, "Yes I do." He says, smiling as he approaches, nodding, "Excellent." He steps up, "How much for the journal and ink? I'll be writing recipes. I'm the Baker at the Shire Bakery." He explains with a grin.

Bella perks up considerably. "Recipes! Ohhh!" Forgetting all about the paper and ink. She holds out her hand. "I have something!" The mention of the bakery even makes her smile more!

Ray blinks, "You do? What is that then?" He asks, with an infectious smile. He's caught it.

Bella takes her hand back when he doesn't take it but barefoot, she pads to the back room which is a bedroom. She opens the door and steps inside. The cold and darkness from in the room is unmistakable, but the door has been closed away from the fire and warmth there. "Be right back!" She calls from inside. And not too much after she comes out holding a large book that looks well used. "Know what this is?"

Ray looks to the large book and shakes his head, "No, not offhand, what is it?" He asks, looking interested, shifting slightly to his other foot, seeming focused on the conversation.

"It's got so so so many recipes! I read it all the time! I like to bake things and it's got so many. Want to read it?" The book is all handwritten and includes many, many recipes of a variety of things. "You got a bakery so you can read it if you want to."

Ray looks at the book smiling and nods, "I believe I would like to look this over, yes. I can pay nicely for a chance to look this over, on top of the Ink and journal." He smiles, "Thank you, Bella, this would be quite nice."

Without hesitation Bella offers him the book, almost reverently though. It's her favorite book so much she kept it in her room to read it. She closes the door and walks back over to her desk and starts wrapping up his other things. "You're welcome," she says simply.

Ray looks through the book quickly, a general inspection, and with all the care of a man with the respect of the contained knowledge. "Perhaps one day, someone will hold that journal like this.." He smiles slightly, "Perhaps I'm fooling myself.

Bella looks up with a smile. "I think they will," she tells him, full of faith. "You got a bakery though, can I come someday? I like tryin' other people's foods too, but I like cookin' too."

Ray nods, "Of course. We're just across the square. Come in and see if you can find anything you like." He smiles, it's the smile of someone who knows the bakery is a lot of peoples idea of a side trip on the way to heaven. Confident.

Bella finishes the wrapping up and names a very reasonable price. "I will come by for breakfast in the morning." Offering him the package, she wears a lopsided smile.

Ray pays immediately, apparently he's successful enough to afford without a blink. "Well I shall ensure you'll have a breakfast to remember." He grins, taking the package, sliding his cloak about him. He chuckles.

"It was nice meetin' you Mister Raymond! I'll see you tomorrow!" Putting away the coin, she will follow him to the door so that she can lock it behind him, stifling a yawn. "Goodnight, thank you for comin."

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