#the librarian who waived my late books fee

[alondradina]

Domaystic day 16!

Prompt: Looking out the window

Fandom: Dragon Age

Pairing: Solas/Ellana, Solas/Lavellan, Solavallen

Rating: G

Modern day AU, pre relationship

-

The view out the window wasn't… great. Ellana sighed and tapped her foot against the wall. It was still raining. The bus stop was three blocks away from the library. Not a bad distance normally, but she would be swimming by the time she got there today. She hadn't realized it was going to be this bad.

"Scattered showers, they said," she muttered, still tapping her foot, "sixty percent chance of scattered showers."

Ellana didn't have an umbrella, though that, she could admit, was her fault. She'd worn flip flops, shorts, and a Tshirt, and those were no match for the pouring rain and sudden temperature drop. Absentmindedly rubbing her bare arms, she swapped legs and started kicking the wall with her other foot.

"Excuse me, miss?"

She turned her head to see one of the librarians addressing her. Sera called him Egghead, and Izzy called him a spoilsport. He'd always been nice enough to her, though, and she smiled. "Yes?"

"Are you waiting for a ride?"

Ellana huffed and glared out the window. "No. I'm waiting for the effing rain to stop so I can make it to the bus without drowning."

"Ah."

"Yup." They stood in silence for a few minutes. She returned to tapping the wall, assuming that he was done with her, but then glanced back to see him still standing there. "Why? Do I need to go?"

"No, no," he quickly assured her, stepping forward in his earnestness, "you are welcome to stay here as long as the library is open and you aren't being disruptive."

"Thanks," she mumbled, knowing that normally she was counted as 'disruptive' just because of her friends. She couldn't help the small smirk, remembering how Isabela had gotten chased out last time.

He was still there, alternating between staring at her and looking at his feet. Ellana realized that he was wearing a coat and carrying an umbrella. His shift must be over.

"Can I help you?" She asked eventually. All she wanted was for the rain to stop so she could go home. Standing around with a stranger watching her was just not what she wanted to be doing on a Saturday afternoon.

"I was- I thought perhaps-" he sighed and looked up at the ceiling briefly before locking eyes with her. "I was wondering if you would like a ride home."

Ellana froze and looked him over while she thought. He was older than her, she didn't know by how much, but he wasn't creepy old. He'd always suffered through her and her friends' shenanigans with grace, and had been unfailingly polite through it all. Lately he'd been recommending her books and had also waived her most recent late fee.

A peal of thunder heralded another downburst, and she sighed and shrugged. "I mean, even just a ride to the bus stop would be great. You don't have to take me all the way home…"

"It is no trouble," he said, sounding strangely relieved, "My car is in the parking garage. We can go through the staff exit. It will be quicker."

She grinned at him. "That's not against the rules?"

"It is not as long as you are accompanied by a member of the staff," he admonished with a stern look. Shaking his head at her giggles, he gestured towards the back of the library.

They walked side by side through the bustling library. The rain meant that a lot of people who would normally be out and about were instead here. A couple kids ran straight at them, and, in her attempt to not get run over, Ellana tripped on the librarian's umbrella and fell into his side. He dropped the umbrella to grab her, and chastised the children with an arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"My apologies," he said, releasing her with what might have been a blush. He'd turned his face away and started walking again too quickly for her to be sure, but she was almost positive he'd blushed.

Bemused, she caught up with him and tried to get a peek at his face. To her disappointment, if he had been blushing, he wasn't now. "It's no problem. Thanks for catching me."

He nodded and held the staff door open for her. Ushering her through the area fast enough that she just KNEW he wasn't actually supposed to bring her here, they made it to the exit. It was, of course, still pouring.

Ellana sighed as the librarian opened his umbrella and stepped out first. She followed, grateful that his umbrella was big enough to cover them both if they walked close enough. More than willing to walk close if it meant not getting rained on, she pressed herself up against his side. Her flip flops made obnoxiously loud slapping sounds as they hurried across the street, and she would have seriously considered just going barefoot if there wasn't so much trash and broken glass everywhere.

The inside of the parking garage was unpleasantly chilly and damp, but at least here they didn't need the umbrella. He dropped it to the side still open, letting it drip as they approached what she assumed was his car. Ellana didn't know much about cars, but this one seemed decent. Dark blue, four door, shiny with new tires. Way better than Izzy's car, for sure.

She was confused when he started walking to the passenger side of the car, but then realized he intended on opening the door for her. "Oh! You don't have to do that! I can open the door by myself."

He froze, in what she realized was mortification, before brusquely nodding and going to the driver's side. Ellana hated that it made her feel bad. No one really did that anymore, did they? She didn't know anyone who did.

Inside the car, she shivered as she sat on the leather seats and slid her flip flops off as soon as her seatbelt was buckled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude-"

"You did nothing to offend," he cut in, flipping a switch and turning on the seat warmers.

She immediately flattened herself into the seat and sighed happily. "Seat warmers are the best."

He hummed acknowledgement and turned the air on to chase away the window fog. Once everything was on and settled, he turned his head to her. "Where am I taking you?"

"Oh! Downtown, please."

He paused, eyebrow raised, before asking, "Where downtown?"

It hit Ellana then, that this nice guy in his nice car would have to drive her to the dump she called home. She licked her lips and looked down at her lap. "Twenty-fourth street, by the hotels."

"Ah."

The next ten or so minutes were spent in silence. He didn't turn the radio on, and she didn't want to bother him by asking. Ellana had never been one to handle awkwardness quietly, so while they were waiting at another stoplight she decided to try talking. "So… I've obviously seen you around before, but I, uh, don't know your name."

He chuckled. "We have name tags."

"Yeah, well, that's not the sort of thing I normally look at."

"What do you normally look at?"

Ellana blushed. She looked at boys and stuff, of course. She'd checked him out a few times as well. The bald thing was kinda weird, but he had beautiful eyes, an arresting face, and very nice, broad shoulders. He was honestly better looking than a lot of the guys her age she saw around. There was no way she was telling him that, though. "I mean, I'm at the library. I look at books. You've recommended me books before!"

"I have, yes, and yet you didn't notice my name tag?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm the worst. You gonna tell me your name or not?"

"Solas."

"Nice to officially meet you, Solas," she said, sticking out a hand, "My name is Ellana."

He glanced at the light, still red, before shaking her hand. "I knew your name."

"That's a creepy thing to say, sir-" The look of alarm on his face was absolutely hilarious, but also made her feel bad, so she quickly continued, "but I'm pretty sure all the librarians know my friends and I by name. So it's ok."

"I- yes."

"Anyway, it's nice to know yours now. Sorry I'm a jerk and didn't learn it earlier."

"You're not a jerk."

She laughed. "Get to know me better, you'll see."

The conversation stalled as he was finally able to make the turn, and had to concentrate on not running into other cars vying for every foot of free space and deal with jaywalking pedestrians. The traffic only got worse as they got closer to her apartment.

"You can pull off over here, if you want. This is close enough and the rain's not as bad."

"It's fine, Ellana, I can take you to the actual building."

"Alright."

Finally they were in the crowded parking lot, and she unbuckled her seat belt before turning to smile at Solas. "Thanks for the ride! I really appreciate it."

"It was no trouble."

She was reaching for the door when a hand brushed her elbow and he spoke.

"I apologize for my forwardness, but-"

She turned back around. "Yes?"

"I-" he sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. Have a pleasant evening."

"Hey, if you've got something to say, you can say it. Not gonna bother me."

He huffed a laugh and stared at her apartment building. Ellana was just about to prod him when he turned back and said, "I would like to. Get to know you better, I mean."

"Oh," was her eloquent answer. She swore she could see him deflate a little and immediately added, "I mean, that's cool. I'd like that, I think. Do you- Do you want to swap numbers?"

The look of shock on his face was replaced by a blush from one breath to the next, and he pulled his phone out rather than meet her eyes. Ellana was ok with that, though, since she was also feeling a little awkward.

By the time she'd gotten her contacts up and typed in his name, he was ready and holding his out to her. She put her number in, saved it, and then accepted her phone back. Sending him a text of a smiley face, she checked that everything was good to go. His phone buzzed and her name and emoji was displayed before he turned the screen off.

"Looks like we're good to go."

"Yes," Solas said faintly, still looking surprised. It made her want to give him a kiss on the cheek or something. See if his brain would be able to process that or not. But she decided to be a good girl and not tease him. For the moment, anyway.

"Any other requests, or are you ready to be rid of me now?"

His eyebrows furrowed and she could tell there was a lot of thinking going on. It only took him a moment before he gestured to the building. "Would you like to use my umbrella?"

"Solas," Ellana laughed, "it's like ten feet away. I can handle it. Keep your umbrella."

His answer was a shrug and an inscrutable look. The awkward was building, and she wasn't really sure what to do in situations like this, so she leaned forward, gave him a half hug, and got out of the car as quickly as possible. Jogging to the door, she turned back and waved at him. He waved back, and she went inside.

A couple hours later, Ellana lay sprawled out on her bed holding her phone. Her initial text was still marked unread, and she wasn't sure what to think. Was he shy? Was she too antsy? How did any of this work? She groaned and plugged it in before going to hassle her roommates. Izzy would know what to do.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/38724966/chapters/97663341

#dragon age #solas #domaystic2022 #my writing #fanfic #solavellan #ficlet #fanfiction #solas x lavellan #rain #umbrella sharing

[sergeant-angels-trashcan]

My local library phased out late fees. However, I recently found out that the step after Late Fee is a Lost Book Fee + suspended account, which they waive if you return the book and you just pay the processing fee. So I had the fun experience of going in to return a book about ADHD and pay the processing fee, and also getting them to check me out another three books about ADHD and a lesbian comic because I had lost my card and couldn't use the self-serve counter.

missing card, missing books, lesbian comics and adhd, this literally sounds like me

yeah, my library still has late fees/fines but it’s more as a reminder to please return your books, like, we don’t GET any money from fines, at least not worth writing home about. and then, as you say, the Assumed Lost Bill, which goes down to (for us) a dollar fine once it’s returned (so like, we told you it was overdue three times and you kept it for uuhhh a few months so our system says ‘ah you lost it pls pay so we can get more’). Unless you’ve lost over $100 of items and you get sent to collections because we’re not equipped to handle that kind of loss, and THEN no matter what you have to pay a $20 referral fee because WE have to pay the repo man or whatever. (how much is the processing fee, if i may ask?)

like HONESTLY though i have seen people with THOUSANDS of dollars of missing items billed to their accounts. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone with a flat hundo billed, it’s always at least a couple hundred. It’s very satisfying to check in a bunch of items that were billed and see what a patron owes go down. A word to the wise? NEVER LOSE AUDIO BOOKS. they cost so damn much.

also, to anyone who goes to a library and has fines: don’t pay them. i have so many people pay their 5 cents or whatever all “ohhhh i don’t like to owe anything” or “i feel bad” STOP DON’T. I promise at least 5 librarians at your library owe more than you in fines. 2 of them are probably almost blocked from checking things out because they owe so much and one of them probably IS blocked. (our system lets you owe $30 in fines before your account gets blocked. so depending on what books you’ve lost you could have several things billed to your account and still be able to use it)

we don’t judge you for bringing back books late! I will however judge you making me open the cash drawer or run your credit card. don’t make me do that. i hate it. we all hate it. owing the library money is the LAST thing we will judge you for. WE DON’T CARE. we care about damaged books and missing CDs/DVDs (because we have to CALL you about those, ugh, we don’t like PHONES! we like BOOKS.) and when you repeatedly put hundreds of items on hold and then DON’T PICK THEM UP. 

and the fines thing may differ based on rural/urban libraries and how that affects their funding, but i literally. i can’t express how much i DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR FINES. you know what i spent the summer doing? taking people who came up owing money when i checked books in and then canceling their fines. our upper management was like “let’s be nice since it’s the COVID times” and i took that to heart

#library things #personal #fines #lol sorry for the rant i can't stand doing Cash Things at work it's so irritating #like. we don't want to handle money on a GOOD day and it hasn't been a good day in a year!! #no i don't want you to give me money for your prints!!! #don't you dare give it to me!!! #you need to copy your passport for immigration stuff?? #no don't hand me your money!!! that sounds stressful the least i can do is let you copy for free!!! #i feel like people think librarians are really judgy about stuff #and look we ARE but not what you think #maybe i need to make a list #tawghasa

[iampikachuhearmeroar]

tl;dr political rant post:

it had been my goal from 12 years old to do an arts degree in philosophy (yes what a nerd- thanks to my dad playing a Great Courses philosophy dvd one morning in 2007 and my dad always taking me to the botanic gardens/the uni some weekends).

i graduated from my arts degree in 2018, with a major in english and a minor in philosophy. i was so, so lucky to even get into my communications & media degree (at first i was originally going to do marketing communications, advertising & PR)... but i realised that i was not made for business subjects- despite my mark101 tutor telling me she thought i had knack for marketing- something under this policy that i wouldn’t undertake due to the price hike for commerce/business degrees. nor was i made for a media degree. so i changed to arts & humanities.

although under this atrocious policy, english subjects are made “cheaper”- why on fucking should the rest of someone’s arts/humanities degree be so much more expensive, all depending on the fields they choose???? so you’re telling me, if i was instead to enter undergrad this year to do my english degree... that my english major would be subsidised, but my philosophy minor would be at double the cost (along with the few first year business and communications&media subjects i did), unless i forced myself to pick maths or science subjects that i would most definitely fail, no matter how much work i’d put into them??? or there’s languages- but much like maths/science- there’s the problem with my handwriting that stopped me trying french and even japanese (ironically, since it’s know for its ~painstakingly neat and orderly~ script- but my handwriting is still messy, disorderly and confusing asf).

*please note that most of this next section is just me being highly spurious and cynical. it’d probably work out fine*

but you’re also telling me that under this policy that i’d also probably have to forego my reasonable adjustments in those subjects (yes i still have trouble with my handwriting to this day) mostly because a lot of software still won’t let you write out maths problems properly or i’d have to spend twice as long trying to get a graph to work in excel or idek matlab (please teach me maths nerds)???? and most maths working out is probably better handwritten or whatever??? and that’s besides the point that i still can’t use excel at all 😂.

so with these classes then, would i be battling from day one of first year with professors to let me use a computer during exam periods (unless of course they use online/take home exam methods like philosophy)???? probably (im being very suspicious here because i don’t know how science/maths etc faculties work).

although i did get this once with one particular english professor; who used the excuse that he didn’t know how to set a computer up for exams because he had been on “sabatical for 4 years” or whatever and so “didn’t know the policies anymore”.... so then according to him it was apparently “the students job to do it.... especially since you’re in third year, miss williams”..... however, i was promptly then told by EVERY uni offical that i approached for help to do it for me.... and my other professors across my course that had done it for me, that it was in fact the PROFESSORS job/responsibility to set it up, and not the student’s??? like. help your students fuckwit professor grant??? honestly. anyway. aside from my personal struggles in the english department: let’s proceed. (this was a real incident btw).

would i be at a significant disadvantage to other students by not being able to use a computer during maths exams or science exams because of the drawing of diagrams and graphs and “showing your working”???? hell yes. would i want the professors in that department to probably condescendingly telling me all the time to “present my work neater and more precisely”? FUCK NO. it’s exactly why i avoided every maths and science subject in undergrad- even including the astronomy subject that i wanted to do- because it also meant that fellow students had to read my handwriting for practicals etc as well, that i wasn’t entirely keen on either. but i did not need the harsh reminders of “be more precise and infallible in your work presentation” that i’d had at school constantly for 11 years of maths lessons; affecting my mental health and performance in a subject during a uni semester.

moreover, that’s besides the fact that i’d flat out fail the “year 12 band 4 maths” requirements- unless they want to waive those- for first year maths/science subjects (at least basing it on my local uni).... considering that i actually skipped out on maths completely in year 12 by doing a TVET/tafe/technical college course in live theatre, production and events (which no surprises here, actually included maths anyway 😅).

because, fuck. is ANYONE seeing a trend in my study choices here? hell, i almost did a commerce/business dual degree with a tafe diploma in event management for crying out fucking loud. and you’re telling me that’s also doubled in price?? it’s obvious that i was interested in the arts & humanities and business subjects from the get-go. but under this policy- i’d be charged double for having my interest in event management, instead of say, biology (which is a subject that if it weren’t for mark scaling in my final hsc exam- i would have failed completely)??? utterly ridiculous.

i even contemplated doing a double degree with law at one point (or doing a legal studies major/minor- which is now a course at my local uni, but was not while i was there). however, law course fees have also doubled under this new policy. leaving that out of reach for me, despite that a double degree with law was out of reach for me anyway..... since my mark average was 65% and not at least 75% lol. but as if those marks averages will actually matter under this new policy.

under this bullshit policy, i’d be forced to take science/maths or even teaching (another field i had to avoid, since people can’t read my writing on a whiteboard from a distance half the time either.... besides the fact that i’m not really the ~teacher type~) subjects- all so that my degree price overall will be ”reduced”..... meaning that i would have to trade out my philosophy minor for something in maths/teaching/science (or maybe creative arts- since those fees stayed the same roughly)... instead of sticking to what i was good at: philosophy and other humanities/social science fields like sociology and history????

i understand that many people will snub me with saying “oh why did you even BOTHER going to uni if you were THAT indecisive about what you wanted to do?” which is something i’ve seen many older people saying on posts about this policy. but hell, i was 19 FUCKING YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED UNI, FOR GODS SAKE. OF COURSE I WAS GOING TO BE FUCKING INDECISIVE ABOUT MY DIRECTION IN LIFE! because, newsflash fuckwits: not everyone has a defined career goal at 19. hell, i still don’t have one at almost 25..... since i’ll admit here, that i flunked out of my postgrad library course.... because i realised that i simply couldn’t cope with learning simple HTML, CSS and javascript coding for website design & user experience design 😂 (again help me computer wiz friends). yes, believe it or not, librarians have to know that today. and most people think that it’s just all about books (okay that was me, but i was wrong). also, if you’re wondering: postgrad library courses aren’t affected, thank god. but my point is, aren’t we meant to fuck up and pick the wrong things in life sometimes??? aren’t we meant to be indecisive about our choices in our late teens up until our mid 20s???

but now you’re telling students that their very first year of uni is practically set out for them, even for arts/humanities degrees (im not counting properly prescribed degrees such as engineering/science/communications & media (they had prescribed majors and prescribed first year subjects, which is why i left it. because i felt trapped in the prescribed marketing et al major etc); all because the government is telling them that “oh to make your first year cheaper: (A.) get good marks.... so that we don’t cancel your HECS place and (B.) pick subjects outside of the arts/humanities like science/maths/tech related subjects so that you don’t pay a whopping $14,500 for your first year of uni and will be more likely to be “job ready”. whatever the actual fuck “job ready” really means. and this all as if there ISN’T enough pressure for a 18/19 year old to succeed in their first year of uni already.

although, the one thing i’ll say is that my one year advanced diploma in marketing that i did in 2014, was $16,500. i still haven’t made any moves to pay it off. but it was constantly in the back of my mind during uni, both undergrad and postgrad. it was there as a reminder to pick cheaper subjects, so as to not greatly increase my combined hecs debt and vet-fee help debt; which is now sitting at $42,500. which under this new policy is the new price of ONE arts & humanities undergrad degree. i’d hate to be going into uni next year at 19 years old (or any age really) with that price tag on my degree.

anyway. that’s the end of my non-sensical rant. morrison and the rest of the libs etc can go fuck themselves.

#life #about me #shut up ilona #auspol

[ericsonclan]

A Visit to the Library

Summary: It's a quiet day at the library for Santiago, the librarian mothman, when a surprise visitor comes a'knocking.

Word Count: 1664

Read on AO3:

It was a quiet day in the library. Usually each period had at least a few students using their study hall to cram for a test or research their latest project, but the post-break blues must be hitting everyone pretty hard since there hadn’t been anyone except the occasional student dropping off overdue books and it was almost noon. Santiago eyed the clock suspiciously, wondering if that was really the time. He’d reset the clocks himself come daylight savings, but still… checking his phone though, he confirmed that it was indeed almost lunchtime.

Absentmindedly munching on his sleeve, the librarian wondered to himself how much of that bag of flour was left in the break room. He’d heard it was up for grabs and it was sure to make a tasty snack. Pausing mid-munch, Santiago looked down at his sweater in horror, realizing he’d nibbled yet another hole into his sweater. Tutting to himself, his antennae twitching in annoyance, Santiago tried his best to stretch the fabric around the hole to hide it better. There was a pretty significant chunk missing; it was no use. Sighing, Santi let his chin fall into his hands. This was his favorite sweater. He really didn’t want to eat it beyond the point of recognition.

A turning doorknob had Santiago’s antenna thrumming at the sound, the hairs on his wrists standing up as he looked over curiously to see what student had come begging a late fee be waived this time. Instead it was not a student at all, but an adult. Santiago adjusted his glasses, squinting with interest at the fine specimen in front of him. He’d seen this man at faculty meetings before but their paths hadn’t crossed yet. He was the PE teacher and also the coach of one of the school teams, Santi couldn’t remember which.

The man glanced round the library, looking lost, then his eyes met Santiago’s. “Oh, hi there. You’re the librarian right, Mr. Gutierrez? I noticed a bunch of books on top of the lockers in the boys changing room and figured I would return them,”

“Thoughtful of you, but you shouldn’t have,” Santiago came out from behind the desk to help the man with the books. “Usually I just let those books sit up there till the end of the school year then when the students clean out their lockers and are forced to finally return them I really hit them with the late fees,”

“How passive aggressive of you,” the coach replied with a wry smile.

Santi shrugged. “It’s the little things in life that bring the most joy. Besides, late fees go toward the budget for new books. Thank you regardless for the gesture, Mr…”

“Garcia. You can call me Javi though,” Javi offered his hand, shaking Santi’s firmly.

“Santi,”

“Nice to officially meet you. I never really see you outside the library,”

“What need is there for other pursuits when I have books?” Santiago shrugged, a sardonic smile upon his face. He looked down at the titles of the returned books. “Hmmm, some of these have been gone for quite some time. I remember getting them down for the students too. They belong up on the shelves in the back,”

“I could get them up there if you need help. I have pretty long arms,” Javi offered.

Santiago gave him a quick once over. “Indeed. Well, I’m certainly not one to turn down help. To the forbidden recesses of the library we go!” With that he turned on his heel, leading the way. He called it this section “the forbidden recesses” whenever someone needed something back there simply to spice things up. Truthfully, this section didn’t look that much different from all the others, neat and tidy and well dusted. Santi was a fastidious duster when it came to the shelves even though the dust brought out his allergies. Stopping in front of the appropriate bookcase, he pointed to the top shelf. “The first volume goes right there,”

“Right. Uhhh…” Javi looked upwards, thinking through his options. Grabbing a chair, he stepped on top of it and stretched to his full height, trying to get the book in place. Santiago leaned back against the bookshelf across from him, admiring Javi’s determination. And the view. When Javi successfully tipped the book into place his tail began to wag in glee.

Santi bit his lip. So cute.

“I did it!” Javi declared, smiling proudly. “Where does the next book go?”

“Two bookcases over, second shelf from the top. Though in the name of complete transparency, I must admit that there actually is a ladder for the top shelves,” Santiago pointed over to the ladder itself, tucked snugly between two bookshelves.

“Oh. That makes sense. Shoulda known there was something round here to stand on besides chairs,” Javi scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“The fault is mine. I was having my fun seeing what you would do without one, but I don’t want you finding out about the “secret” of the ladder later and hating me for it,”

Javi jumped down from the chair. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. You pranked me, that just means I’ll have to get you back later,” His grin caused Santiago’s wings to flutter open slightly before the mothman closed them again sharply, clearing his throat with an awkward cough. “I look forward to seeing what you’ll try. I have fairly keen senses, you know. My antennae have never led me wrong,”

“Neither has my nose,” Javi took a step forward. Santiago wondered if he was going to try something but instead the werewolf merely picked up the book he had been reaching for. “Two bookcases over, second shelf from the top, right?”

Santiago blinked in confusion. “Yes, but now that I’ve revealed the ladder I’ve shown myself perfectly capable of putting these away on my own,”

“Eh, I don’t mind helping out. I have a free period,”

Seeing the carefree smile on Javi’s face, Santi couldn’t help but return it in kind. “Alright. We’ll make it a team effort then,”

---

There were about a dozen books that Javi had brought in from the locker room. One by one the pair made their way through the library, Javi carrying the ladder and climbing it to place each book in its proper place while Santi carried the stack of books and directed Javi on where each one should go. It didn’t take them long before each book was safely tucked away and Santiago found himself searching for a reason to get Javi to stay just a bit longer.

“Have you ever perused the shelves of our fine library yourself?” he asked, looking up at Javi as he made his way down the ladder one final time.

“Can’t say I have. I’ve never been a big reader though I did used to read at the senior center on Saturdays way back in my high school days,”

“May I be so bold as to offer a reading suggestion?”

“Be my guest,”

“Come with me then,” Santiago guided Javi to the fantasy section. There he pulled out a worn-down copy of Alice in Wonderland. “This is a personal favorite of mine. I’m sure you’ve seen the film so you should be able to follow the general gist of the story, but experiencing the original prose itself is another experience entirely,”

“Oh yeah! I did see the cartoon a couple times. It’s pretty fun,”

“I gave you one of our older copies too, so you don’t need to worry about damaging it,”

Javi chuckled. “Is it that obvious how clumsy I am? Seriously though, that’s really thoughtful of you,”

“Do you have a library card?”

“Oh, right. Guess the one for my community library won’t work, huh?” Javi flashed Santi a charismatic smile.

“Tragically, no. I’ll get you signed up,” Santiago headed back over to the main desk to pull up the forms for a new library card. His ploy hadn’t bought him much time, only a few minutes really, but he enjoyed them nonetheless. It had been quite a while since he’d last met a man who made his wings flutter the way Javi did. Even if it was only light flirting, it was nice to shake off the metaphorical cobwebs of his social life if only for a moment. “And with that,” Santi said, stamping the library card before handing it to Javi, “You’re all set,”

“Thanks! Also, just in case it comes up…” Javi continued, fiddled with the corner of his newly-borrowed book, “Is there a number I should call in case of emergency?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Y’know, like if I lose the book or leave it by my stove and accidentally set it on fire… so I can pay for a new book of course!”

“Well if the book’s on fire you should probably call the fire department, but if it just gets lost, you can call the main school number and they’ll redirect you to the library,”

“Oh, ok,” The wolf ears on Javi’s head deflated just a little.

Santi looked over at Javi curiously. He hadn’t meant… had he? “And just in case of an extra serious emergency…” he grabbed a sticky note and scribbled upon it, “Here is my personal cell number. Call me any time, night or day, and I’ll make sure all your needs are fulfilled. Book needs,” Yeah, Santi. Real subtle.

Javi’s face lit up as he received the number, his tail wagging at a slightly faster pace. “Awesome! Then I’ll call you sometime- about books! Or I’ll see you when I drop this one off after finishing it,”

“I’m always here, never anywhere else,” Way to sell yourself, Santi.

“Alright, see you then… bye!” with a final wave Javi was off, walking through the library doors with his tail wagging excitedly behind him.

Santiago watched him go, finally letting his wings spread and flutter with excitement. Had he just landed a date?

#twdg #twdg javi #twdg santiago #twdg javiago #fanfic #we are monsters we are proud au

[underthetweed]

15, 18, 19, and 21. Please.

15. Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?

Yes, I definitely did, though I’m not sure I could exhaustively list them all? Short version: I read Courtney Summers’ Sadie, read by a full cast & winner of the 2019 Odyssey Award; Kelly Yang’s Front Desk, winner of the 2019 APALA Award for Children’s Literature; and a bunch of National Book Award nominees, specifically Akwaeke Emezi’s Pet, Jason Reynolds’ Look Both Ways, Colleen AF Venable’s Kiss No. 8, Kwame Alexander’s The Undefeated, and Laurie Halse Anderson’s Shout. I enjoyed each and every one of them. (For the purposes of my job, I try to read potential award-winners BEFORE they win, so this list will likely expand after 2020 awards are announced.)

18. How many books did you buy?

Not many...maybe 10 or 12? And all of them gifts, because I’m SUUUUPER picky about adding books to my personal collection. I’m a librarian with access to 3 library systems and lots of ARCs, so nearly all of the books I read & listen to are library copies or freebies. It’s an huge privilege, and I’m incredibly grateful for it.

19. Did you use your library?

All 3 of them, all the dang time. Print, digital, audio, streaming video, everything. (One thing I miss from back when I was a librarian who actually worked in a library is the ability to waive my own late fees!)

21. Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

I try not to, because I find in exhausting, but sometimes I couldn’t help but watch it as it unfolded before my eyes (see a few posts earlier, about the RWA meltdown).

Thanks for the asks, anon!

#in which i answer asks #end-of-year book asks #bookish asks #anonymous

[readingfordummies]

Witches of East End - Chapter Eight

Gift Horse

Excuse me, Ingrid? There's someone here for you," Hudson Rafferty whispered, coming into the back office. The junior librarian raised an eyebrow so that Ingrid would understand this wasn't a usual patron with a question about toddler storytime hours or whether their library fines could be waived (the answer was always "no," so why they even continued to ask, Ingrid could never understand).

"Who is it?" Ingrid asked, taking off the glasses she used to read the fine print in the design elevations.

"I don't know but he is quite attractive," Hudson said in his usual simple way. He preferred patterned vests, engraved cuff links, and bow ties, and was in his seventh year of getting his doctorate in Romance languages at Harvard. Hudson's family practically owned the eastern shore, and truly he did not need a summer internship shelving books. The other librarians joked that he was the world's oldest (he'd just turned thirty) and best-dressed intern; his suits alone cost more than their entire wardrobes. He was demanding in his work and moved very purposely. One could not imagine Hudson running, for instance, or hurrying for any reason, or perspiring. He was a natural amateur, with a width of knowledge on many subjects concerning the humanities and the arts, as well as a seasoned world traveler. Hudson was the one to ask if you needed to know, say, the price of a Ruscha lithograph, where to find the best tapas in Madrid, and whom to call if your hotel in Cairo suddenly "lost" your prepaid reservation. He had "fixers" and a network of acquaintances around the globe and happened to be one of Ingrid's best friends, as they shared a love for theater, opera, and classical music.

"Do excuse me, allergies are bad this year," Hudson said, wiping his nose and coughing. "Well, don't keep the gentleman waiting. Someone else might snatch him up."

For a moment Ingrid thought Hudson was talking about Matt Noble, and she felt irritated that the detective had come back so soon. Surely he couldn't be done with that thousand-page book yet? But when she walked to the front desk the man waiting for her was not Matt.

Killian Gardiner was leaning against the main desk. His gray T-shirt was pocky with holes and his jeans were slung low on his hips. Even in the heat, he was wearing a black motorcycle jacket. He looked like a movie star, with the gold-trimmed aviator shades and the five o'clock shadow. No, not a movie star. Like an icon. He had the kind of face that should be plastered on posters in every teen girl's bedroom. When he saw her he took off his sunglasses and pecked her on the cheek.

"Hi, Killian," she said, trying to add some warmth in her voice. Something about the younger Gardiner brother put her on edge. It wasn't just that he was insanely good-looking; as a rule, Ingrid was uncertain and hostile toward pretty men - she found them vain and selfish. Blake Aland had pretty much confirmed the fact on their first and only date. She preferred homely guys; not that Matt Noble was homely - far from it - which was probably why she felt annoyed with him, since she liked him despite his looks. Handsome men took female adoration as their due, and Ingrid did not take to people who assumed too much.

Killian Gardiner was vain, and it was clear he knew exactly how good he looked, with that dark hair that fell over his eyes just so, and that lean, ripped body underneath the T-shirt and worn out jeans. She could see the carved V shape of his hip muscles jutting above his waistband. When they had met at the party she had asked him what he did, and he'd been purposefully vague. Later she found out it was because he didn't seem to do much of anything. She heard that Killian was a fly-by-night, that he moved with the seasons, he'd run a scuba-diving boat off the coast of Australia, worked as a galley chef on an Alaskan ship. There were other rumors: that he'd gotten a girl pregnant, that he'd been in jail, that he was a drug addict. Whether they were true or not, Ingrid knew that a man that beautiful was definitely Bad News and she didn't expect to hear anything that proved otherwise.

"I thought you had left town already," she said. Hadn't Killian seemed bored and preoccupied at the party? "How can I help you?"

"Actually I'm helping you," he said, picking up an extra-large tote bag and setting it on the table. In the bag were several rolled-up blueprints. "I overheard you asking Bran for them at the engagement party, and I thought I'd drop them off this morning."

"Oh - that's so nice! I didn't expect to get them so quickly! Bran said he had to get back to me - he wasn't sure where they were or if they even existed. How wonderful!" She took the bag, handling it carefully. The library was setting up an exhibition of drawings from the collection that would showcase the design plans of all the important houses in town. As the oldest and most well-known house in the area, Fair Haven was crucial to their catalog. Many architecturally important homes had blueprints lying around somewhere; the former owners kept them in its original condition for the new owners as part of a tradition of handing down a precious object of art.

Ingrid clasped her hands and grinned at Killian, whom she regarded much more warmly this time. What he did with his time was no business of hers, after all. He was free to waste his life on idleness and laziness. "This is going to be so great!"

"Glad to help," Killian said. "I can't wait to hear what you think. It's a really interesting old house, there's a lot of history there. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call." He glanced at the wooden postbox Ingrid kept by the main desk for "Library Donations." "What's this?"

She explained the situation: the city's shortage, the library's uncertain fate at the hands of the city council.

Killian frowned. "You're not going to raise money by keeping a box by the door. You know what you should do, Ingrid, is get them to pay for something only you can provide."

"I'm not really sure I know what you're talking about," Ingrid said, slightly confused. "But thanks for the plans." He really was so charming, she thought, getting the benefit of his smile. So thoughtful, too - to drop off the plans without being asked, and asking about the library as if he truly cared about its future.

"My pleasure," he said, waving a hand. "See you at the hoedown on Saturday?" A hospital charity was throwing a "barn-raiser" that weekend, complete with haystacks and square-dancing, the usual North Hampton summer theme party.

Ingrid shook her head. Freya threw herself into the social scene, but Ingrid liked to stay home to knit, read books, and listen to old songs on her record player. If she ventured outside the home it was usually with Hudson, two hens off to see a Truffaut revival. "I'm not going but I think Freya is."

At the mention of Freya's name Killian perked up. "Is she, now?"

Ingrid nodded. "So you're staying then? For the summer?"

"I think so." Killian nodded. "See what kind of action I can get going around here." He winked. "Don't worry, I'll be good."

"Guess we'll be seeing you around, then." Ingrid nodded.

Killian gave a cheerful good-bye and roared off on his motorcycle, making a huge noise that rattled the windowpanes.

When she returned to the back room, Hudson was waiting for her with his arms crossed. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Did the handsome young man invite you out? Or did the two of you just exchange phone numbers" - Hudson made air quotes with his fingers - "for a future 'booty call'?" His lips twitched with a smirk. Sometimes Hudson was thirty going on eighty with the way he faux-adopted the language of "the youth," as he called it.

"No!" Ingrid wrinkled her nose. "Course not! He was just dropping off blueprints of Fair Haven. You know, for the show," she said, holding up the bag. "And anyway, he's much too young."

"Oh." Hudson looked disappointed. "Quel dommage. You looked so excited for a moment I believed you had a date." He went back to the card catalog. He had the difficult task of typing in all the archaic information into the computer. After resisting for many years, the library system was finally going digital. He began to type slowly with one delicate finger.

Ingrid shook her head. She checked on the drawing under the steam tent. Once she was done with it she would begin steaming the Gardiner blueprints. The exhibit was scheduled for the end of August, as part of the library gala that usually closed the summer season. The fundraiser would be the library's last hurrah, and all the profits would help offset the costs of moving, if it came down to that.

Caitlin Parker, who had a desk next to Hudson's, pretended not to hear their conversation. Unlike the others, Caitlin did not have a particular attraction for books or design and had fallen into the job almost by accident. She was pleasant and friendly enough, and never gossiped about anybody. Pretty and sweet, like a kindergarten teacher. Ingrid wanted to like Caitlin, there was nothing not to like, but she found her dull. Honestly, the girl was almost too nice; she always let patrons take out the rare books that were not allowed out of the reserve room and she never, ever collected late fees. It drove Ingrid crazy.

The three librarians worked in silence for a while, until Hudson piped up. "So, have you seen her yet?"

"Who?" Ingrid asked.

"Stevie Nicks."

"What do you mean?"

Right at that moment, Tabitha walked in. Her hair was long and loose. She was wearing a long T-shirt, a skirt that swept the floor, and some kind of tunic-like cardigan. The entire effect was not unlike a seventies hippie chick at the beach.

Hudson began humming "Landslide" under his breath.

"What's so funny?" Caitlin asked, looking up from her computer as Hudson giggled and Ingrid smiled broadly. "I don't get it."

"I feel weird," Tabitha admitted, looking self-conscious as she took her seat by the doorway.

"No, you look great. Really," Ingrid told her. She didn't need a pentagram to see that there were no more traces of the silvery menace anywhere around Tabitha; her friend projected health and happiness. Unloosening the knots had done the trick. Already she could see the magic working its way through Tabitha's body, weaving an invisible glow around her, opening her chakras, letting in the air, freeing the spirit, preparing her body and soul to create new life and bring it to the world. She would conceive by midweek.

#woee