sheslostinthelibrary

[sheslostinthelibrary]

“you are the least fun person i know natasha-- i said trust me for a reason. no sense of adventure with you. none.” she rolls her eyes at her before gesturing upwards to the sky. it’s a fairly clear night, apart from the meteors streaking through the night sky, leaving trails of light behind them. “pretty cool huh? i remember you said you’d never seen a shooting star. this’ll do right?” she gives the other a warm smile. “it’s meant to last an hour more too. i’m taking a random astrology course right now so-- this is technically homework. but you know what’s better than homework? homework with friends.”

Open 

Natasha stood in front of the other not really sure why she let them convince her to meet them, they had texted her and said that to trust them and that it was worth it, but right now it was just the two of them at the park just standing and she didn’t see anything worth wild at the moment and she scoffed “Look, I’ve had a long day and I don’t mean to come off as rude, but you told me to trust that leaving the comfort of my warm bed would be worth it? What exactly am I waiting for? Because right now standing here in the dark park isn’t really worth it, so please let me know what was so important that I rushed here before I just turn around and go back home.” 

[sheslostinthelibrary]

she gives him a cursory glance, before a look of recognition flashes in her gaze. it’s gone as quickly as it came-- and replaced with thinly veiled disgust and amusement. “....does that actually ever work for you? like do people really fall for the whole-- “ she gestures slightly-- “smarmy rich boy thing?” she waves at the bartender and signals for a drink, her usual on the rare nights she crawled out from under the library. “who goes off with a man who’s first words to her are about getting her so enebriated she forgets anything? or offers her a night of what would probably be mediocre sex, without strings-- because of course, she’d want to shackle herself to someone who couldn’t find her clitoris if it had a giant blinking neon sign on it.” she snorts sligthlly. “okay maybe that bit was mean. maybe you know exactly where it is. but your introduction to me was so self interested that i doubt you’d be interested in making it’s acquaintance anyway--” she pauses-- to thank the bartender for sending her whiskey over. “so--short answer-- no, thank you. word of advice though, it’s a very small town. very very small. you’ll trip over those invisible strings soon enough.” 

while chuck bass was never the type to admit that he was lonely, adjusting to life in such a small town had proven to be a difficult feat. he had been seated at the bar for the past half hour, nursing the bourbon that he had ordered while observing the patrons around him. no one had caught his eye until they walked in, a brow arching as he scanned them over. he sat there for a few more moments, waiting to see if a potential partner would show up. but when that didn’t seem to be the case, he picked up his glass and decided to move down the bar to sit next to them. “you look just as bored as i am tonight.” he chuckled softly. “why don’t we liven up each other’s nights? i’m down for anything. getting blacked out or going back to my place would be preferable. no strings attached, of course.” he wet his lips as he brought his glass up to his lips and took another sip. “what do you say?”

[sheslostinthelibrary]

closed starter for @tornminds

she loves fall. the soft breeze that seems to wrap around her, the way nature seems to explode into glorious colour. one final hurrah before the end. a strange, autumnal funeral. she’s sat in the grass at the park, a large book in front of her, her lips murmuring quiet spells, practicing intonation. lately she’s abandoned her research for research of another kind. she’s so wrapped up in the feel of the grass, the way the animals seem to observe her, look at her like they know her secret. maybe she is more theirs than the worlds. she almost doesn’t notice them until they’re too late, and they’re plopping down onto the blanket she’s set out. her hand reaches out to steady the picnic basket they’d bumped into, still heavy with the promise of a good--extended lunch. brown eyes look up in alarm, and then-- joyful recognition. “you should’ve told me you’d be joining me. i’d have brought extra treats for you. as it is, hands off the pumpkin pie.” she gives them a playful smile. “oh--fine. if you beg, you may share my picnic. and have one bite of pumpkin pie.”   

[sheslostinthelibrary]

“Are you dying?” Hermione whispers aggressively into the phone-- she’d been half way through her research when her phone had disrupted her groove. She’s glad she answered, the moment Max manages to let her know what happened. “Oh my God-- you’re totally dying. I’ll pick your corpse up-- what the hell happened?” She waves her hand and the books pack themselves up and arrange themselves properly on her desk. Its second nature now to reach for the magic-- even now with worry saturating her veins. Her frantic worrying is soothed a little by the knowledge that the other is okay-- “But seriously-- I’m on my way.” 

if had been an annoying day at the arcade some one poured grape soda all over one of the machines when it didn’t print tickets, another one was broken into to get all the coins out. to say max was happy to be off was an understatement. taking her skateboard back to the apartments she hadn’t seen a stick on the side walk and had caused her to fly off her board and smack her head pretty good. next thing she knew she was in the hospital making a call to her friend. “listen - i need you to take a deep breathe before i go on okay?” max sighed. “ineedyoutopickmeupatthehospital.” she said in one go before laughing nervously.  when they asked her to repeat she groaned. “i need you to pick me up at the hospital.”

[sheslostinthelibrary]

@ahtohvllan​

lately she’s taken to practicing the spells she finds in books and recording a grimoire of her own, as she learns. the grimoires, the dusty tomes full  of magic  are her only real teachers. she’s normally careful when she practices, and today’s no different. she’s sat in the midst of trees in an open field, meditating, and feeling the energy they seem to emit. she focuses on the soil, imagines the plants there-- dormant and waiting and focuses on them, sends the buzzing in her veins down, and nudges them gently. “cresco“ she can feel when they give, when they start to grow and she opens her eyes to a field full of blooming flowers-- and a pair of eyes that had definitely seen everything. “....i’d say i can explain but i’m not sure there’s an explanation that might get you to stop looking at me like that.” she bites her bottom lip. “i meant it when i said i was weird.... clearly i should have been more explicit.”

[sheslostinthelibrary]

she loves books-- they calm her, promise her secrets, stories--knowledge. despite the recent upheval in her life, there’s a peace this place provides her. books settle her stomach, reassure her that there’s an answer--somewhere, no matter the question. she gives jaxton a warm smile when she steps through the door. “you could set my watch by me huh?” she sets a cup on his desk. “i come bearing hot chocolate.” she arches a brow at his suggestion. “perfect book? you’re speaking my language. i brought one for you--” she takes the book her offers with a gleeful smile. “i love a good twist-- i’ll definitely tell you what i think when i’m done.” she pulls out an old book of poems from her bag. “these-- were my dads. he was quite good at poetry. i’ve...translated them, and well-- i thought someone else should see them. plus i knew it was something you definitely wouldn’t have read.” 

╰ ♡ ✧ ˖ a requested starter for @sheslostinthelibrary​.

jaxton was in the process of restocking some of the shelves in the shop, starting his shift on his own, when he heard the bell ring above the door. while mornings, where he had to open, were intolerable, he could always count on one person to improve his day. a smile spread across his lips the moment he heard and locked eyes with hermione, her appearance in the bookshop almost like clockwork for him. “there she is!” he exclaimed as a chuckle fell from his lips. “i have the perfect book for you as a gift.” he was always suggesting random books to her, ecstatic just to find someone who shared his love for reading. he headed over to the counter and picked up the book that he had set aside for her, “it’s called the guest list. it’s a mystery novel set during a wedding gone wrong on an isolated island. you’re ten times smarter than i am so you’ll probably figure out the ending faster than i did, but it has a pretty good twist.” he smiled as he offered the item out to her.

[sheslostinthelibrary]

rvclaimed​:

sheslostinthelibrary​

steven was honestly surprised and impressed that the other had all that she did in her purse, gratefully taking the offerings. “thank you. i was expecting something else to come along with this like: ‘you’re a dumbass,’ or ‘you got what you deserved.’” he said as he carefully cleaned up the cut as best he could. he figured the mess wasn’t a job for him to tend to anymore considering the outcome, toeing the shards into a smaller pile just to do what he could. “don’t tell me you’ve actually had to use all of this before,” he said, referring to the supplies as he handed back the antiseptic.

“why would i need to say that when you already said it for me--?” her lips curl into a playful smirk.  “well... yes. definitely had to. i tend to get into a little bit of trouble-- it’s always good to have some back up. just in case.” a little bit of trouble undersold the pickles hermione’s curiousity often landed her in, but he didn’t need to know that. “are you okay though? is that the only injury or do you need anything else?i think i might have some pain killers in here, just in case.” 

[sheslostinthelibrary]

ycstodcy​:

sheslostinthelibrary​.

aerith looked at hermione wide eyed when she said she thought it had just been her, and was now wondering if she too had turned into a mermaid this morning but it made her feel even better knowing it may not have been just her. “oh my goodness i thought it was just me?! i turned into a mermaid the second the water touched me, i thought i was going to sound actually insane.” she sighed feeling slightly better. “curious yes but i do not want to go through that again.” she said softly. “ah  support you but i want to avoid it happening again kind of freaks me out..”

“really? but it’s-- i mean the possibilities?” hermione’s never been the kind to leave a stone unturned and this was no exception. despite how overwhelming this possibility was-- she loves the idea that there might be more magic in the world. more to explore. “i tend to run towards big--questions, i suppose. so i can’t help myself. well-- i’ll let you know how my explorations go then, if you aren’t interested yourself. there should be a lake around here with some wild life, i’d love to see without the hindrance of needing to breathe--so--i’ll be on my way-- if you really aren’t interested in coming...” 

[sheslostinthelibrary]

“oh thank god-- I thought it was just me--” to say hermione is relieved that this latest bout of supernatural madness has nothing to actually do with her own magic is a relief. she’d spent half the day making sure she hadn’t accidentally cast a spell. “....sorry--I’m getting ahead of myself. I took a bath today--and turned into a mythical sea creature for a couple of hours--” she shakes her head-- “...i am rather curious about it though-- aren’t you? i’m going to the find a lake now-- to see exactly how far this.... under the sea business goes. for science. obviously.” 

supernatural event starter ; open

after her incident in the shower and suddenly turning half fish aerith was in a panic. there was no way this was real life, and after drying out for hours she finally was able to turn back to normal. rubbing her eyes she swore there was no way this was real. after a phone call she waited what felt like hours. once at her door she was pulling the other inside. “you have to help me, please i know this is going to sound crazy.. but please believe me.” aerith pleaded to the other almost scared to admit to them what happened. “something really weird happened when i took a shower today .. i - i don’t know how to explain it without sounding insane..”

[sheslostinthelibrary]

lullabiesofwoe​:

HERM​IONE

“i thought it was maybe just my imagination that i felt a spark when i saw you crawling out of that bookstore, but maybe my mind was predicting a literal spark.” the joke was rather lame on his part, but he can’t stop himself from cracking lame jokes when he feels a bit nervous. although, it wasn’t a bad sort of nervous feeling for once. “weird isn’t the worst thing in the world you can be called and in a town like this, i like to consider it a compliment.” he said with a slight shrug. he smiled softly as he threw a glance over at her, “hermione, that’s a pretty name. it suits you.” he finally paused as he stopped in front of a mural he had been working on, an hourglass with a melting glacier at the top of it. it was simple yet fairly detailed. “what do you think? does the nickname stick?” he fidgeted with the straps of his backpack. “my last piece was a bit more symbolic, it was a woman’s face on a cracked ornament… a commentary on the objectification of women. this is one a is a bit more obvious.”

“Maybe you’re clairvoyant.” She chuckles softly, a warm smile on her lips. “It is. A compliment I mean. Who doesn’t love a little weird?” Hermione’s never been bothered with fitting in, it’s been clear from the moment she came into the world that she’d never quite blend into a crowd. His compliment catches her off guard, and two spots of pink blossom on her cheeks. “Oh-- thanks.” She resists the urge to tell him where it comes from-- and why-- and instead focuses on the art in front of her with a pensive pout to her lips. “the name sticks.” She pulls out her phone and takes a picture of the art-- “Just in case the cops try and cover it up. Obvious is... good. in this case.” She hums softly, still taking in the piece. “where’s the last piece? maybe I can look out for it on my next walk. I hope this isn’t too strange a question-- but  Why.. do you paint the things you do? 

[sheslostinthelibrary]

hcpefuliving​:

@sheslostinthelibrary

Nodding her head in response, Annabeth’s grin returns as she thinks about her passion. “It is incredibly fascinating and it’s just something that I’ve always loved, I would look at buildings as a kid and read about it, and it just intrigued me, also, I’m half Greek so, it’s rather fitting. It’s more than just a hobby, It’s my major at the University and I’m an intern at the Architect firm here.” She states with a proud gleam in her eyes. “That’s interesting, what languages do you know? I only ask because I’m fluent in Ancient Greek and learning Latin at the moment, so it’s a nice thought to not be the only one.”

“Oh that’s amazing--” She gives her a warm smile. “You want to continue to design in that style? or rework it into something with your own twist?” Hermione doesn’t hide the fact that she’s impressed by the other. “Oh-- well I’m...good with languages. I know a few. Latin is one of them-- in fact I’m quite good with most dead languages. My Ancient greek is a little rusty but I get by. I’m sure you’re heaps better though-- seems like your passion is central to your identity.” 

[sheslostinthelibrary]

favoritecrimcs​:

somehow, even though the two were practically attached at the hip, thorn had found herself separated from dusk. she didn’t frantically run around searching for the other. instead, she decided to get a good look at everything that her best friend had distracted her from. she was aimlessly wandering about when she stumbled across a sight that she was almost sure that she wasn’t supposed to be witnessing. her mouth instantly fell open the moment she saw the champagne floating in mid air, unable to turn away & pretend that she hadn’t seen anything before the other took notice of her presence. ‘ freak ? no way, people are usually the one calling me that. ’ a breathy laugh escaped her as she took a cautious step toward the other. ‘ you’re like … a witch ? i knew they always existed but i didn’t think i would ever meet one. this is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me. i have so many questions for you but i also don’t want to overwhelm you. ’

she observes the pretty girl standing in front of her with curiosity in her gaze. “Why would any one call you a freak?” the question she asks lingers in the air, and for a second--she isn’t sure how to answer. “witch?” the word sounds strange but it feels right. feels like what she is. “i guess. and-- honestly-- i don’t know if i’d be the best person to answer the questions you have. i’m just.... i’m still learning what being a witch is, if you know what i mean?” 

[sheslostinthelibrary]

[sheslostinthelibrary]

lullabiesofwoe​:

HERMIONE

barrett was lucky that he was rather quick when it came to thinking on his feet, a cheeky smile forming on his face. “aside from dancing my way into your heart? it was my grand plan to find some way to whisk you away from this thing, maybe entice you with a ride on my motorbike?” he lifted his eyebrows, hoping that his suggestion would entice her at least slightly. “that’s smart, that way you can never be truly disappointed.” it was for a similar reason that barrett found himself not exactly trusting anyone these days. “although i have to say that i never doubted your skills, someone who looks as gorgeous as you could never step on anyone’s feet.” he chuckled softly, a gleam in his eyes as he continued to sway with her.

“i’m not sure my heart puts any store in dancing-- but i’ll take that under consideration.” she’s not used to being complimented so open-- and for a moment she almost trips herself up by getting caught in the gears of her mind. but tonight she is meant to be someone else-- someone used to flirting, and sneaking away from balls-- it’s easier to continue dancing when she reminds herself of that.. she chuckles softly. “...it’s been a very long time since i’ve been on the back of a motorbike. i’m not sure this dress will survive the ride but a rain check  might be a good idea. i’d love to... really. it’s just that this dress is-- not quite mine to rip. i am open to a little whisking away though. keep talking--” she smothers a soft snort at his next comment. “oh i don’t know-- i’m not really gorgeous all the time. in fact i’d wager tonight is a one off.” she smiles playfully. “i turn into a pumpkin at midnight, and everything. i’m fairly sure that if i took off this mask you might be a little disappointed.”

[sheslostinthelibrary]

Imaan Hammam by Dennis Branko for Harper’s Bazaar US Magazine - December 2020

[sheslostinthelibrary]

tornminds​:

sheslostinthelibrary​

“given. it is a fitting name, i believe. my parents must have heard the suggestions that i would be strange with uncommon interests. and, as they are no longer physically in this world as we are right now, i would wish to honor their request of my name,” they went on to say. names were both important and very unimportant to oran. they gave glimpses to who one was, but a person was not their name. they were their actions and their soul.

oran watched as she looked over the book, a satisfied smile on their lips. they knew she would be intrigued. “every language is connected to another one, yet all are so unique. you have a gift that most do not and i am pleased to have found someone willing to rise to the challenge. but, if you truly wish to be friends, i will accept. you will find that i do not have many, but all are very dear to me,” they said before pulling out another book. this one was smaller, less ornate and damaged. “here, one more. a quaint story about a girl about to go on an adventure of self discovery. i believe you may need it just as much as you wish to research that book in your hands. you may have both for free as i simply just want to see the outcomes unfold.”

“Oh-- well, all the best people are a little strange, I think.” she gives them a warm smile. “-- my father named me. he’s...well. he’s not here anymore either. but i think his spirit lives in my laugh and my teeth--and it’s a gift.”  She pauses for a moment studying them. “...If you could name yourself, what would you choose?” 

She nods, at their statement-- languages, like all things had lines you could follow, patterns. Her mind always clung to patterns, to things that lined up and just seemed to make...sense. “I’m glad you do, I look forward to knowing you better Oran.” She closes the book and the puzzles they seem to whisper to her to study the other text they present her. She looks at them, with a thousand questions at the forefront of her mind. “...Well, if you think I’ll need it. These books have been telling you their secrets long before they met me. I’ll take your advice. And I’m...grateful for your generosity. Really. I’ll find a way to repay it.” She gives them a bright smile, her fingers brush against the new, book and hold it delicately. “This is...” She stares at the books in wonder, and slides her back pack open, placing the smaller one in a small clear folder she sometimes used for archival text. “I’ll take good care of them.” She assures them. “How did you come to...own this place? How did you...find the books?” 

[sheslostinthelibrary]

ycstodcy​:

sheslostinthelibrary​.

emmett nods his head in agreement with her statement. “hermione, it’s a pleasure thanks for coming and sitting with me.” he chuckles as she makes herself comfortable joining him a smile on his lips. he can’t help but to laugh as she asked him for the full story. “well it’s not very long. but last week i matched someone on  dating app, her and i talked for a bit and we set up this date tonight.” he explains. “and when i told her i was on my way, she said the same thing. but since being here hasn’t responded to me but has read my messages.” he laughs. “guess he changed her mind.”

���no worries. i’ve always had a thing for a damsel in distress.” she retorts playfully. she listens to his story, with a slight twist to her lips-- “well that’s a little odd. maybe she had an emergency? though it’s a bit shit to make someone come all the way here before pulling the plug. waste of your time too.” she glances at the menu and then-- up at her companion for the meal. “let’s pretend then. that this is a first date. or a friend date, if you will. i’ll ask you all the appropriate awkward questions, and we’ll become friends--if you pass the test.”