cosmicallyhadlee

[cosmicallyhadlee]

"God, New York Minute? I hated that one." She winced. She remembered that one and her dislike for it vividly. The plot made no sense and she was glad it was the last in the duo's movies together. "Maybe this makes me lame, and I can't believe I'm saying this out loud," she said the last part under her breath. "But I have copies of all their movies and shows. It's a guilty pleasure." Her cheeks tinted a deep red with embarrassment. It had been the result of a joke with one of her college friends, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't watch them at least once a year.

There were certain guilty pleasures she would never admit out loud — and one would be the particular joy she had in rewatching the old Mary-Kate and Ashley movies; though, it had been years since she’d done that. “Personally, I think it’s stupid as hell that you can’t find any of it on any streaming platforms — only one you can find anywhere is that last one they did in New York,” she lamented, a feigned look of slight disappointment. New York Minute — yeah, she knew the name, but she wouldn’t let Hadlee know that. “God, can’t believe I forgot about the show — that feels like a lifetime ago,” a warm release of laughter fell from her lips, amused; a conversation about Mary-Kate and Ashley. Who would have thought?

[cosmicallyhadlee]

[cosmicallyhadlee]

She laughed cautiously, waving him off. "Don't worry about it. We've all made that mistake before." She looked at the menu, then at him, and flagged down the bartender. "You don't seem the type for neon mixed drinks anyways, am I right? Please put an old fashioned on my tab for this guy." They said when the bartender arrived. It was the least they could do after he nearly choked to death.

Heat crept into his cheeks and Jack found himself contending with embarrassment on top of taste bud assault. He did his best to swallow down the rest of his coughing fit, waving a hand through the air to dismiss their worry. "Down the wrong pipe," he explained. Lie that it was, it was still easier than insulting America's love of sugar. "It was touch and go for a moment there, but yeah, I think I'll live. Sorry about that." He drummed a nervous beat against the bar top for a moment before plucking up the drink menu once more. "On a totally unrelated note, do you have any suggestions for drinks that are not neon colored?"

[cosmicallyhadlee]

"Literally. They're missing the whole point by burning it. Or maybe they aren't..." She pondered the thought as she walked toward the counter. She tried to set the books down gently, but there's only so much one can do holding more than a dozen and they fell to the counter with a heavy thud. "Either way, the printers need to find a better material for that one. 'Rebels' are gonna be burning it til the end of days. I'd love if you could get me a couple. Anything new coming you're looking forward to?"

Monroe loved a good hunt, which made some of the requests from the library really fun for him. He looked at the shelf next to him before going back to his computer system. He usually had hand written lists, because he liked the old school paper and pencil things, but he was slowly getting everything digitized. "Straight to jail with them. Like damn, why destroy a perfectly good book? I know we are all tired of reading that one but they don't have to take the plot so seriously do they?" He shook his head as he typed into the computer. "We don't have any in stock but I'll see about getting some more for you guys."

[cosmicallyhadlee]

Hadlee thinks on the suggestion. A patron-led book club... Now that was something she could possibly sell to The Powers That Be. "That could work... I like the way your brain works, Cassie." Two peas in a pod, we could be... "Don't worry, I'm sure I could get you to say more. It's all about finding the right book at the right time." She smiles.

"I know slowing down when I'm working, but everything else is full speed ahead." She joins in their laugh, shaking her head in her own shame. Cassie loves her work, but she loves talking even more. "You could alternate choices? Or get members to vote on it!" Maybe she's coming across a little pushy, but Cassie's thoughts are no stranger to her aforementioned high speed. "I'm honoured, but you're setting yourself up for disappointment when you realise my thoughts are usually just 'that was great!' or 'I understood nothing'."

[cosmicallyhadlee]

Hadlee gave her another once over, gnawing on her lip as she thought. "I'm thinking... Fantasy, but not too high, still grounded in reality. Definitely mystery or thriller, too. Not super gratuitously gory, but you're not going to say no to a well-written gross scene." She hoped that she was right, if not really close. Without knowing her better, this was the best she could do.

She rubbed her hands together. "I love a good book hunt."

Willa wanted to reserve judgement for when it was warranted — and she was trying damn near hard not to assume that this was exactly what those mean moms who drove Range Rovers would do when they weren’t spending their partner’s hard-earned cash. See? It was too hard. Then again, Starlight Oaks wasn’t exactly that type of place — not many people like that existed here, and if they did, they’d be forced to eat a plate of humble pie by one of those nice, but not really that nice, old ladies around town.

“What does seem to be me?” Consider her curiosity piqued; not that Willa considered herself a particularly difficult read, but she was intrigued — how did this library attendant view her? What did they think she might read? Her brow arched in a challenge, clutching the books tighter, “Oh yeah? You’re that good? Alright, show me your work, library babe — I must warn you though, my grandmother didn’t give me much to work with — you might be at a disadvantage.”

[cosmicallyhadlee]

"What would we do without you?" She grinned. She wasn't sure how, but Monroe always managed to get them the books most publishers didn't want to sell, whether they be rare or older runs. Aside from the new James Patterson and Janet Evanovich, he'd managed to get them a couple copies of a book that hadn't been printed since the late 80's, early 90's. She started loading up her arms with the other books on hers and the library's list. "Do you have any more Fahrenheit 451? Someone thinks their smart and keeps burning our copies."

Monroe had wanted to have a working relationship with the library as soon as he opened up the shop. He was raised in the library and it was somewhere he could go to escape from the real world problems that he was having. He was proud of the relationship he and the library had. He looked up from the register once Hadlee said hello and he offered her a wave. "Hey Had, how's it going?" He asked before thanking the customer and turning to grab the library's order.

Setting the box on the counter, Monroe went around it and over towards his regular customer. "I got the order for the library all ready for you once you're done grabbing whatever it is for yourself."

[cosmicallyhadlee]

"I know two speeds: stop and go. Slowing down isn't really my thing." They laugh, cheeks tinting red. Sometimes it was a blessing, but more often than not it was a curse. "I might be able to talk someone into it, but then we'd have to agree on a book and that's harder than it sounds. It's definitely a good idea though; I'll keep it in mind!" They grin. They honestly hadn't thought of splitting responsibilities, which now seemed like the obvious answer. They wave a hand. "Even if you can't make it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on any book you read."

"Ah, he's probably right if he's trying to slow you down. My bosses are only ever begging me to stop talking and work a little faster." She laughs, painfully aware that it probably comes as no surprise. "Could you do it together with a co-worker to keep you in check?" She offers as a solution, though it isn't really her place. Grinning, she bites her tongue from saying something else embarrassing like 'my motto!', instead thinking it through before answering. "I'll consider it! Depends on my hours; my work schedule tends to shift around a bit."

[cosmicallyhadlee]

She tilted her head to the side. "That's true, but I've got a lot of responsibilities on top of running book clubs and my boss already think I'm doing too much." She shrugged. Her last performance review had gone well enough that she thought they'd give her more leash, but budgets and metrics and all that. "But I'd love to have you at both! The more the merrier!" They said, hoping that wasn't as cringey as it sounded.

In hindsight it's so obvious that Cassie's cheeks warm in embarrassment. How could she forget the word recommend? Didn't she just say it? "Yeah, that's the one." She eventually laughs breathily, moving on as fast as possible. "Oh, fantasy and romance ones? I might have to join them all..." Cassie hums. "Wait, why wouldn't they? I would've thought, in a library, the more book clubs, the merrier. Can't you just 'rent' the space and use it however you want?"

[cosmicallyhadlee]

Hadlee hadn't been to a bar in... Probably since they were in college? It had definitely been a while either way. But she'd seen a flyer for the live band playing tonight and, with the night off work and nothing better to do, figured she'd drop by for a drink and good tunes.

She sat at the bar, as the lone customers did, and nursed a whiskey sour while the band got set up for the evening. They heard the person beside them aggressively coughing and looked over, bewildered. "Are you okay?!" She asked, ready to jump in and help.

WHERE: cosmo bar. WHO: jack & OPEN. [ @starteroaks ]

It hadn't been the promise of a drink that had lured him inside, but even still, he sat at the bar, eyes roving over the drink menu again and again as if the selections might change if he looked long enough. His father likely wouldn't approve which only made him feel like a child, but unpacking that was getting into backstory stuff. And Jack didn't want backstory stuff. He wanted a drink.

Inner turmoil effectively quieted, Jack ordered the special of the day, deciding to take the deciding out of it entirely and just let the place tell him what he wanted. This was a new town, after all. A new country. A new life. A blank slate. Why not be malleable?

The bartender set down his drink. It was an unnatural shade of blue and he slid it closer, peering inside like that might give him any more information. A brown liquor man to his core, he was skeptical as he brought the drink to his lips, taking a hearty sip.

...Only to immediately choke, sputtering and coughing into his hand as the overwhelming sweetness hit the back of his throat. Jack glanced around apologetically, meeting the eyes of someone beside him. "Sorry," he said, sheepish. "I dunno what I was expecting, but it wasn't that."

[cosmicallyhadlee]

They laugh. "I think you're looking for 'recommend', but I get what you're saying." To be fair, giving book recommendations was a whole class they had to take. They sucked at it initially, but have slowly gotten better at with practice. "The fantasy group meets on the 9th every month, and the romance group meets on the 21st. I've been thinking of adding another one that's not genre specific, but I feel like the powers that be aren't going to be into that."

"You really know how to sell a book. Or— Lend, I guess? Advertise?" It's a struggle to find the right word, though she happily laughs through it. Hadlee will know what she means, anyway, even if she fumbles over it. That's why she's the mail carrier and they're the librarian. "I wonder if it gets more unhinged as it continues; you'll have to let me know!" Cassie grins. "I will definitely be back for the recommendations and the snacks. How often do you meet for this specific club? Are there different clubs or just this one?"

[cosmicallyhadlee]

Who: @monrcecoleman Where: White Rabbit Bookstore

Hadlee walked into the bookstore with a shopping list and collapsible wagon. Next to the library, the White Rabbit was one of their favorite places in town and she'd spent many hours browsing the shelves or attending book-talks. When they'd started working at the library, they were stoked to hear that this was where they got a majority of the books that didn't come direct from the publisher. She liked supporting local (didn't everyone?) and the opportunity to shop at her favorite bookstore was only ever a bonus.

They'd been sent out to pick up an order they'd placed and to pick up a few replacement copies the library'd been meaning to get. If there was a little extra money for her to pick up a few things, that was between her and her wallet. She parked the collapsed wagon just inside the door and started walking the shelves. "Hey Monroe!" She called to the owner, who was working the register with a customer.

[cosmicallyhadlee]

Hadlee laughed. "You're missing out on the good ones, then! They had this whole series called You're Invited to Mary Kate and Ashley's where they had different kinds of parties. The fashion party one was the one where they went to fashion school. The series as a whole kinda sucked - The Adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley are where it's at." She blushed. Okay, so maybe had been really into the Olsen twins movies when they were younger, but why were they telling this complete stranger about them? "Anyways..."

If somebody were to ask Amara her thoughts on — who knows... the answer to some math equation. Well. She wouldn't have an answer, so it was in her right to assume that Hadlee new little to nothing of the fashion industry either, most especially what it took to get to where she was. Amara hadn't come from a fashion background, and frankly, while she would have loved to benefit from some nepotism, she clawed her way to her level of success. Part of that journey included — yes, macrame. Pressing her lips together to form a frown, confusion knitting her brows, "Which Mary Kate & Ashley movie? I can only remember 'Winning London' and 'Passport to Paris,' but that's because I made my dad go to the local Blockbuster to rent out those tapes out every week."

[cosmicallyhadlee]

"They're only unwanted if the person listening is stubborn." She smiled. Hadlee had their own opinions that people didn't like to hear either, but that only stopped them about half the time. "Honestly, I'd like to see more people like that at these; there's a lot of people with the same bo- opinions that you'd find in any review online."

They blushed a little but tried to hold it in and shrugged. "You can tell a lot about a person by the books they read, and these just don't seem to be you." Trying to find a book without the name? That piqued their interest. "Turns out I have a diploma in finding mystery books that people can't remember the title of. Want a hand?"

A book club, huh? Like the ones she saw in those shows and movies, filled with uppity Stepford wives and stay-at-home moms? Not that there was anything wrong with being either, but — it wasn't Willa's thing. Though, to Lightyear Library's credit, neither type of women appeared to be present. "I'm not sure book clubs and I are a good match — I have a lot of unwanted opinions," she admitted with a forced grin; because, honestly, Willa spent half the time in her books, seething, cursing at the protagonist.

Her attention returned to the books in her possession, grimacing with an awkward cross between a cough and a laugh, "Oh — these? What makes you think they're not my type?" Her tone was teasing, but before she could be misunderstood, Willa shook her head, "They're not for me. My grandmother read some book and wanted me to find it for her, but she can't even remember the name. So... options."

[cosmicallyhadlee]

They gave him another smile and waved at him. "See you around, Banks." Watching him leave, they made a mental note of what he looked like. If he came to the library as often as he said, they'd be sure to keep an eye out for him. Maybe even check out the book he had, so they had something concrete to talk about. Who knows? Maybe they could be friends.

He hesitated, but wasn't quite ready to sit with a group of people while discussing a book that he hadn't read or even one that he had. "Good luck with that," he replied, not quite committed into believing that when they'd been kind enough to him and he felt out of place most of the time. "I'll think about it, yeah." Granted, he thought about it every time that he was there but never made it that far but instead kept to a corner until right then. "Banks. Have a good one, Hadlee." He started to walk away but not before he snagged one more bag of chips with a crooked grin shot over at the other with a nod.

[cosmicallyhadlee]

They nod. "It's more of a soft thriller so far, but the characters are definitely a little unhinged. It seems like a pretty decent comparison to the actual prison industry, and capitalism in general. Gotta say, there's a reason why Margaret Atwood is so highly acclaimed." They tended to avoid those kind of authors in favor of the lesser known or more niche, but every once and a while it was nice to read the super popular authors. "We'd love to have you back! And yeah, any time you want some recommendations, I'll be here to give them." They grin. In all honesty, that's their favorite part of the job.

"Exactly! I think it's better to try something and regret it than regret never trying." She answers with a soft smile. She wishes she actually thought that far ahead in the heat of the moment, but it's a mindset she keeps in general. "Oh, that actually sounds really interesting. Sounds like it could be kind of a thriller maybe? I imagine that has to do a number on you, having to swap over every month." Though she's not sure she could stomach something like that just yet, the idea intrigues her enough to ask more. "Ooh, I'd love that! I'll definitely be back for another meeting, and maybe I'll start dropping by a bit more often in between, too."

[cosmicallyhadlee]

"That's not always a bad thing! I've made some really good decisions by being a little impulsive." She laugh. She's made some really bad decisions too, but that's neither here nor there. Everyone's made decisions that didn't turn out for the best. Right? "It's about a couple who sign up for a company town to escape homelessness, but they have to spend every other month in prison and they signed their life to the company." They say after a moment. She always struggled with saying enough to explain the plot without giving too much away. "Well, TJ Klune's a great author to start with for that, and I can totally help you find more books if you're ever interested!"

"That should be easy for me," she grins at the advice, "I don't tend to think too long on decisions." Cassie has and will always be an impulsive person in almost every situation. Maybe that's why she always brings a friend along to everything she does — to keep her in check. "Ooh, I've not heard of that one. What's it about?" She hums, then laughs. "Me? Hopeless romantic, guilty as charged. I'd like to try more fantasy, though."