Peace and Quiet (Open/Casual)

[benvolio]

The thing Ben liked best about libraries was the smell. He could appreciate the atmosphere of the cheery, well-lit reading rooms, and the sounds of hushed page-turning and the occaisional whisper, but the slightly musty smell of old books never failed to put him at ease.

He could just as easily have been at home now, in the Montague private library. It had a truly remarkable collection; thousands and thousands of books amassed by the family over the years. Some were the latest bestsellers; others rare first-editions bought at auctions for ridiculous sums. One of Ben's great-uncles was as much of a bibliophile as Ben in his day, and spent lots of time and money adding to the family collection. In short, there was no way that this public library had any books that Ben couldn't find at home.

However, it had two main selling points. First, the library at home had ambience, but it wasn't nearly so cheery. Second, and in Ben's mind, far more importantly, he could actually get quality, uninterrupted reading time. It wasn't as though he didn't like Romeo or Mercutio, but the two had an uncanny habit of dragging him away from his reading right at the climactic moment. Coming back to it later was never the same.

He wandered through the aisles of books until he found the perfect spot: a comfy-looking chair nestled in an alcove behind a row of shelves. He sank into the chair, pulling his feet up and throwing them over the arms. It was an odd habit, he knew, and people tended to look at him oddly for it, but he just preferred to sit sideways. He made to open the book he had chosen to read but stopped, reaching into his pocket and taking out his phone. He flipped it open and turned it off, then returned it to his pocket. There! Perhaps for once he would be able to read without any interruptions...

He opened the book and began to read.

[JIAO "JO" MAHR]

She wasn't sure exactly what it was that drew her to this particular branch of the Queen's Library. Perhaps the cheery smile of the librarians? The hushed giggles of children on family days when schools were out for summer? It certainly was not one of the more convenient locations, for her at least, but there was an unmistakable atmosphere here which Jiao did not quite seem to find at another.

A sudden late summer shower had caught up with her just as she had reached the steps leading up into the library. She hurried in, trying in vain to protect the small bundle of books held in her arms until she was safely in the warm shelter. Once inside, she deposited her bundle where other wayward books who had been returned home were waiting patiently, and then unceremoniously dried her hands on the sides of her denims.

She smiled to the librarian who had come over to start capturing the details of the returned books, putting them back into the library's system so that they would be available for another young adventurer who wished to journey away within those pages.

"Did they forecast rain for today, or was I just one of the lucky ones blessed by this downpour?" Jiao spoke in a hushed tone and laughed softly as she roughly ran her hands through her hair, trying to dislodge any drops that hadn't yet been absorbed.

"I don't know. I didn't get a chance to watch the weather this morning, but I hope it's not going to last very long." The librarian smiled as she spoke softly and continued on with her work.

"Oh, I know what you mean. I wasn't actually planning to stay today, but I am not very keen on going out again in this weather." Jiao shook her head as she looked back towards the entrance of the library and the rain beyond. The librarian smiled slightly and nodded wordlessly in agreement. Jiao turned back and smiled, "Well, I better use my time wisely then and see what I can find. In case I don't see you again before either of us leave, have a nice day."

The librarian looked up and smiled, "Thanks, and you too. If you need anything, you know where to find us."

Jiao beamed a big smile and readjusted the strap of her satchel on her shoulder as she turned to start her slow meandering through the numerous aisles of books. Pausing here and there, she would occasionally take a book out of the shelf, turn a page or two, and then put it back. More than once, she found something which she didn't immediately return to the shelf, and soon her arms were filled with a bundle of books greater than the one which she had just deposited on the librarian's counter.

As she came to one row of shelves, an unusual cover caught her attention and she reached out for the book without realising that she wouldn't be able to take a peak within due to her arms being so laden already. Not wanting to set the book down which she had just picked up, she tried to negotiate her way to putting the other books down on top of the shelf which only stood at about 5 feet high.

Sliding the books onto the top of the shelf, she unfortunately realised too late that she had accidentally pushed another book off that someone else had forgotten there. Jiao winced, expecting the sound of a book hitting the floor to echo loudly through the quiet library. If she remembered correctly, there was a seat on the other side of this shelf. She silently prayed that it would fall onto the seat instead, therefore saving her from the stares which the first option would surely draw.

[benvolio]

Ben was adrift in a strange world. He had never been the type to really study books for their literary value; English was never one of his best classes. He simply lacked the capacity to scan for literary devices and continuing themes.

However, what he lacked in academic terms, he more than made up for with imagination and enthusiasm. He liked to let a story wash over him, pulling him along with it as it flowed and eddied. It was universally understood by all who knew Ben that it was a hopeless task trying to talk to him while reading- he just wouldn't hear it.

Today, he found himself in Paris, but not the Paris of fashion and life that his mother and sisters were so fond of. This was the Paris of gamines and thieves, a squalid place, yet infinitely more interesting to Ben than the other.

So entrenched in this world was he that he completely failed to hear the scuffling noises on the other side of the bookshelf next to him. Therefore, it took him completely by surprise when something bonched off his head with a soft thunk. It took a few seconds for Ben to register this fact. After having done so, he went on to notice that the mysterious object was a book, and that after striking his head it had fallen open in his lap.

"Ouch!" he hissed, somewhat belatedly. He rubbed his head where the book had hit it, glancing down to see just what tome had inflicted this injury upon him. Ah, go figure- it was a very dusty and probably long-forgotten encyclopedia. It had opened to an illustration of what appeared to be snake skeletons, next to a description of an early mayor of New York. How apt.

Stretching, he stood and peered through a gap in the bookshelf. Sure enough, there was a girl on the other side. "Drop something?" he asked, whispering as loudly as he dared in a library.

[JIAO "JO" MAHR]

There was no loud crash from the other side of the bookshelf, and Jiao had released the breath which she didn't realise she'd been holding in. The sound of the book connecting with the seat on the other side didn't quite sound 'right' though, but she was just about ready to dismiss it when eventually a low "Ouch!" was hissed out from the other side. Looking first left and then right, for a brief moment the thought of quickly disappearing flickered through her mind. Jiao sighed softly and hung her head as the voice of one of her younger sisters mentally scolded her for even considering that.

She heard soft sounds of movement from the other side of the shelves and she readied herself to be berated for her clumsiness... yet again.

"Drop something?"

The whisper came from between a couple of books on the top shelf of the bookshelf that she was standing beside. She ducked her head slightly to see who it was that had spoken, her own wide brown eyes coming face to face with a pair of big green eyes belonging to a guy. She kept her voice to a whisper as she replied hurriedly, "Sorry, I didn't see the book sitting there when I pushed my own books on top."

She slowly started to move to stand up straight as she continued her whisper, hoping that she would be able to draw him up to look at her over the top of the 5 foot bookshelf instead of continuing to keep her bent over slightly, "It was an accident, I didn't mean to.... I mean, are you okay?"