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[librariansheart]

As amazing as it was to have so many new faces in town, it's much calmer without the crowds. Welcome to the few who stayed! If you have any questions that didn't get answered in that hullaballoo, I'd be more than happy to try and answer what I can.

Ah, otherwise, if you're interested in a job, the police station is hiring a night-shift dispatcher and they're always looking for more qualified officers!



[Private Audio: Sirius]

[Subdued and thoughtful, Sheska's voice is softer than it usually is when she contacts him. More serious. The last time she sounded like this was probably around the time she mentioned Mr. Hughes in casual conversation.]

Do you think I might be able to stop by the shop and talk this evening? I think I need some advice.



[Private Text: The Once-ler]

Can I ask you a question? I need some advice.

Comments

[gabutyra]

I'll take the job!

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[librariansheart]

Ah... really?

[librariansheart]

Wait, sorry, which one?

[gabutyra]

Night shift dispatcher!

[librariansheart]

Oh! That would be excellent! I'm collecting resumes at the front desk of the station, and I think we should be conducting interviews as soon as next week, if you'd like to submit one.

[gabutyra]

Sure! I'm all for it!

[librariansheart]

Thank you! Thank you very much!

[gabutyra]

No problem!

video

[alwaysimpure]

Any time, love, you should know that. Did something happen?

video

[librariansheart]

[She switches to video as well, and scrunching her nose in an uncertain, mildly unhappy manner for a moment. Still, she remembers to offer him a small smile and a little wave of greeting.]

Um... Yes... Yes, I think you could definitely say that. Ah... Is this a bad time? Is Miss Alisha due to visit this evening?

video

[alwaysimpure]

No, she...

[Let's not get into this, shall we? He'll focus on Sheska's expression instead and shakes his head.]

No, Sheska. You can drop by right now, not a problem.

video -- action

[librariansheart]

As soon as I'm off of work, then. Thank you, Sirius. I really do appreciate it. See you soon.

-----

[For once Sheska actually clocked out on time instead of working late, and entered the shop very soon afterward.]

Sirius?

action

[alwaysimpure]

Upstairs! I'll be down in a moment.

[Sirius is tidying up a little, since he's been working on potions pretty much without a pause for some days now, but now he decides to just head down the stairs instead rather than show off that mess.]

Tea, Sheska?

action

[librariansheart]

[Sheska makes her way to the front, trailing her fingers along the shelf edges just as she had as a teenager and fetching up just about where that chair had been. He'd offered her tea then, too. A habit, maybe. Whichever, it would allow her to stall a little. She still wasn't entirely sure she should be here. Discussing this. But who better to talk to? Surely he'd have some insight into this mess.]

Ah... yes, please, if that's all right.

action

[alwaysimpure]

[Habit, yes. Tea is a bit of normalcy and also the only domestic thing he manages. Still with magical help, naturally, which is why it doesn't take long before he sets a cup down in front of Sheska, leaning against the counter himself as he takes a sip.]

Don't have anything else to offer I'm afraid, love.

[He's silent for a while, then he moves a little closer, catching Sheska's eyes.]

Tell me.

action

[librariansheart]

[Sheska shook her head in fond, mute rejection of his self-deprecation and gratefully curled her fingers around the warm teacup. At least this was something she could get her head around. Unlike this mad situation she found herself in. Just what were the odds? Nothing resembling interest for years and years, and here she was, in her late twenties, with two suitors at the same time! Which assumed that Rudy was still interested, of course. By now that might be completely inaccurate.

Sirius said something and she looked up before her brain managed to parse the phrase.]

Hm? Oh, yes, I'm sorry... I was just thinking...

[How to say this. Well, maybe she should just start out with the situation. Clear and simple. Trying to anonymize and condense it didn't seem to help. She set the cup down carefully.]

Do you remember the other week? When I, um, was in high school again? Do you remember me bringing in a tall, thin boy sometimes? Or was that only in my memory?

private.

[thneed]

Sure! Whataya need advice with?

private

[librariansheart]

Well... I think I have a problem. Ah... It's sort of hard to explain. What... What do you do when you think you like someone, but they're different than you remember them, and you think you might have done something wrong last time you spoke because they're not contacting you, and everything's gotten suddenly very complicated?

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[thneed]

...Umm.

You- Uh. Hm. You contact them? Did you do that yet?

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[librariansheart]

Not yet... I'm not really sure how I feel after last time. I think it was a date, but I'm not sure, and if it wasn't there's something that really shouldn't have happened, but if it was wouldn't he have said something since then? And now someone else has sort of suggested something and I'm on much firmer ground there, but I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings... What would I even say?

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[thneed]

...

Wait what?

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[thneed]

You're asking me for relationship advice?

Did you want it to be a date? What'd you even do? You kissed this guy? Who was this?

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[librariansheart]

Oh dear, I'm doing this very badly. Um... Yes I am asking you for relationship advice, if that's all right. I can drop it if it makes you uncomfortable. You're one of my best friends, so I wasn't sure who to go to.

I thought it was a date... We went to a bar and talked and he had me try a few things, since I haven't really gone drinking before. It gets fuzzy and hard to remember after that, but I, um, I-I know that we kissed. That implies it was a date, right?

Ah... You remember when we were in high school for a week? Rudy. The tall, thin boy who asked me out that week.

private

[thneed]

No, that's...fine. Friends give advice. But Sirius probably knows more about this than I do so maybe ask him after or instead once I don't give the greatest advice ever-

-He got you drunk and then you don't remember half the night? That sounds kind of shady.

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[librariansheart]

Of course you give good advice. Why wouldn't you give good advice? You haven't ever given me bad advice before! Not even when you were drunk, really.