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**Malcolm Green** · Feb 21st, 2014 03:30 AM

Green made his appearance close to closing time on the last day of a long week. He chose the time purposefully, electing that strange, half-time, when the work lingers but the incentive to do it has gone; when the shop is empty but remains open; and when all the important business has been concluded. It was the time of marking time; of being trapped by oaths and contracts (of the modern world) while the world moved rapidly into the joyous first night of the weekend.

Green squeezed his massive bulk through the door, carrying a satchel close as he did. The Elemental surveyed the shop with his customary bleakness, but when his eyes alighted on the Beast, they brightened and a small chipped away at the line of his jaw.

Patting the satchel significantly, he moved toward Ava.

@Ava Saeyer

Feb 21st, 2014 07:23 PM

The evening found Autumn's Scrivener distinctly peeved and trying not to show it; a deadly combination of young children and college students had swept through, leaving destruction in their wake. The students browsed the entire store while speaking at volume, mostly about how they'd be better off buying their required texts online - she was bemused by the fact that they couldn't afford five to ten dollar books, but seemed to have no shortage of sleek electronics in their hands and ears. Books were taken from the shelves, carried for a few minutes, reconsidered, and deposited near where they had come from.

The children were infinitely worse, old enough to want to roam on their own and young enough to have zero interest in the books themselves. One child in particular insisted on bringing every book on a low shelf to his mother, to show her; pick up, waddle, present, run back for another. While the woman seemed to find this charming, Ava responded to her chagrined apology with a plastic smile.

She spent the bulk of the day combing the shelves for things that had been misplaced, hoping she would feel a bit of relief from putting back back where they belonged but finding it hardly helped. Tucking a copy of The Poetics of Space back into Architecture, she looked up to see a familiar giant coming through the door. The lines of irritation on her forehead eased and she smiled, holding up a hand. "Hey, Green! How are you?"

**Malcolm Green** · Feb 22nd, 2014 11:12 PM

"Well, yeah?" The mountain made his way over to the counter and was about to deposit his satchel upon it, but then thought better of it. He gave a sidelong glance to the shop window but there was no shadowy voyeur pressed to the glass. "Um. Got something for you. Our business, yeah? Stuff you might find useful."

Looking around again, the big Elemental surveyed the shop for a more private place to conduct his - their! - business

Feb 24th, 2014 03:10 AM

The Scrivener's mood improved substantially at the mention of their arrangement, her smile widening that extra bit. "Wonderful. What time is it..." Checking the clock on the wall, her mouth bowed in a faint frown before she shrugged, mostly to herself; second hand books weren't exactly flying off the shelves on Friday nights. Technically speaking there were a couple handfuls of minutes left before closing, but there had been so little traffic the past couple of hours it hardly mattered.

Slipping past her guest, she turned the 'Open' sign to 'Sorry, we're closed!', but she really wasn't. Her fingers paused briefly on the lock, momentarily stumped over whether or not to use it. On one hand, no one could come in- on the other, how creepy was it to lock the door behind someone who didn't know you that well? ... Pretty sure something as flimsy as a door wouldn't keep him in here if he wanted to be out. It turned with a solid click.

But since it was usually better to be safe than sorry, she turned around and jerked her thumb toward the door. "I hope that doesn't bother you, just didn't want anyone wandering in. Follow me!" Ava headed toward the back of the store, where a couple of sturdy chairs and a small table awaited them, hidden from sight by several book shelves. She didn't look back, giving him ample time to flip the lock if he so wished.

**Malcolm Green** · Feb 24th, 2014 03:59 AM

Green grunted and followed Ava. It took him a few moments to open the satchel when he reached the little space of safety and secrecy: he found that the table was a little low for leaning over and so found himself on his knees. Unclasping the leather bag, he withdrew an A4 notebook, with a few loose sheets poking out here and there.

"For you." He placed the book on the table before Ava. "A translation of what can be... um... translated. Without having to draw pictures or take photocopies, right? I'd rather not have to show that little beauty off in the wrong places, you know. So what you got was a selection of recipes and stuff..."

He tugged at his beard.

"Don't know how it got into the state it was in, but that book was a grimoire. Or an almanac... of sorts. I think. Lore on hedge bounty and stuff. You know, descriptions and drawings of hedge fruit. Um... their properties. And... ah... where to find 'em. That was all pictures. So kinda hard to reproduce. Now this stuff..." the Elemental plonked a thick thumb on the note book, flipped through it with a free hand. "Is my best translation of the recipe section. You know... things you can do with hedge fruit. Um poultices, ointments, potions and... um... stuff. You'd like that part, right?"

He leaned back, looking the Beast over.

"If you can find a secure photocopier, I guess we could try copy the first half with the pictures. Unless you got someone... um... vetted... who can draw? I'm sorry - those old pages are fragile and I don't want mundies to see them. Too many questions, you know?"

Feb 26th, 2014 10:20 PM

Taking a seat near the table, Ava watched him set out the notebook with a tingle of excitement. She leaned forward slightly as Green began to speak, intent both on what he said and the book beneath his hand. With a quick double nod at the largely rhetorical question levelled her way, of course she liked that part, she turned her mind to where they might be able to find a secure photocopier.

Mouth twisted in thought, Ava shook her head. "There's no photocopier here, and I can't imagine where else we'd find one with anything approaching privacy. As for drawing..." The Scrivener rubbed a hand across her chin before shaking her head a second time. "The best I can think of is Jack, with her camera, but again, mundies would develop the film, so that's no good."

She bit her lip gently, then shrugged. "If it's alright with you, I could post something in the Freehold commons, a job request for someone who can draw. If anyone responded, I could check them out and see if it would be a good fit. But, if you'd rather not, this notebook is what I asked for."

**Malcolm Green** · Feb 28th, 2014 03:57 PM

Green nodded.

"Then we have an accord? And our Pledge is complete?" He slid the notebook across the table. "Seriously though... its only half complete. Um. Look... if you can find some method of safely copying the other half of the book, find me. M'kay?"

Feb 28th, 2014 04:19 PM

Ava accepted the notebook, fingers light on the cover. Her wide mouth smiled, pleased both at the knowledge now in her possession and how sincerely he seemed to want to make sure the deal was square. That was partially, she was sure, to avoid feeling any ill effects if the Pledge went sour, but also quite fair-minded.

And anyway, she could afford to invest a little trust.

"I'll start looking into it and let you know if I find a suitable option. The Pledge is complete." She held out a hand to shake on it, a purely ceremonial gesture but, to her mind, pleasant nonetheless.

**Malcolm Green** · Feb 28th, 2014 04:31 PM

A smile chipped away at Green's impassive features. Eyes bright he carefully extended his much larger and meatier hand. "Done, then," was all he said as he clasped her hand. "And... um... you let me know if you find an option, yeah?"

Mar 2nd, 2014 12:51 PM

Ava shook his hand firmly and released it with an answering smile. "I will, absolutely. Do you have a phone, or somewhere I could reach you if I turn something up?" She figured she could probably get a message to him via Jack, if need be, but it'd be much simpler just to go to the source. Plus, Jack was sure to tire of playing messenger.

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