The library [Thursday, May 14]

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

After the totes horrible fashion class (she was not blinding, thank you very much. She was quirky. Crazy old bat.), Claudia stomped into the library (no easy task in the turquoise stilettos she was rocking) and slumped behind the desk, where she planned to spend the day doodling terrible things dropping onto Ms. Mode's head.

Ha! That'll show her.

The library was open.

[OOC: And Claudia lost the OCD. It's probably under her pillow with a pound of Twizzlers and some pretzels.]

Comments

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

Claudia looked up from her doodles and smiled. "Can I help you?"

[glacial_queen]

"Hi, I'm Karla. I was looking for a copy of Macgruff? I auditioned for the theatrical, and thought I should at least know what I'm auditioning for."

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

"Oh, sure!" Claudia said, slipping back into her shoes and standing up. "I know where the plays are. I found that last semester when a friend came in to do costuming."

[glacial_queen]

"Thanks," Karla said, smiling. "It will be the very first book I read in this world, so I hope it's good."

As she followed Claudia into the stacks, she asked, "What's your name? I don't think we've met."

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

"I think it's good," Claudia said. "It hasn't been turned into a movie or anything recently, but I'm sure it's good. Oh, I'm Claudia. Hi!"

[glacial_queen]

"A movie?" Really, was there no end of completely foreign things in this world.

Claudia. That name was familiar. Where had she heard it before? "Oh! You're Priestly's Consort! I met him at the auditions." Then she remembered something. "Pay no attention to what that idiot Arthur said," she hastened on, her voice angry. "In no way was my greeting to Priestly improper. Though Priestly made sure to mention you right away. He seems to be a good male, and a good friend to Dinah. But I wished you to know, so that you would no longer be concerned about Priestly's conduct or my own intentions. Arthur's just a jerk," she finished decisively.

There that should straighten everything right up. Karla was proud of herself.

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

Claudia blinked as her brain processed that. "Oh, on the radio? Yeah, Arthur's totally a jerk and the radio's, like, job is to blow things out of proportion."

[glacial_queen]

That was...not quite the reaction Karla had been expecting.

"Then you weren't angered by his words?" she asked. "I was. I don't appreciate my intentions being maligned, especially if it might harm others."

But she was glad they saw eye to eye on the 'Arthur is a jerk' thing.

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

"How were you inappropriate?" Claudia wondered. "Or was he just exaggerating things?"

[glacial_queen]

"I most certainly was not! Dinah introduced us, so I greeted him by saying 'kiss kiss,' but it was not an invitation. Especially since I followed it up by a smartass remark." Karla was emphatic about that, but more in a "offended that it could be taken as such" kind of way, than a "lady doth protest too much" kind of way. "So I don't know where Arthur got the idea that it was 'inappropriate'," she groused.

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

"As long as you didn't actually kiss him, there's no problem," Claudia said with a smile. "And if it was all cheek-kissy and French, that's be fine, too."

[glacial_queen]

"That's a promise I can make and keep quite easily," Karla assured her. "I don't know what a French is, but I won't do that either. Males are problematic."

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

"French is what people from France are called," Claudia said, pleased to know something someone else didn't. "They kiss people on each cheek as a hello."

[glacial_queen]

"Is France another Territory in the United States of America?" Karla hadn't yet picked up the various ways to shorten the name.

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

"In the US? No," Claudia replied. "It's in Europe, on a different continent."

[glacial_queen]

"Europe? Is that a different Realm?" she asked. Then, almost immediately after: "Never mind. I don't think I can handle another fact right now. My brain is about to melt, and that's not even taking into account the fact that it's glittering out." She massaged the bridge of her nose.

Still, for all that she didn't think she could absorb one more fact right now, she'd have to remember that Claudia was an excellent resource. Not only was she a librarian, but was also quite intelligent.

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I feel the same way," Claudia said. "It's summertime. I shouldn't have to think."

[glacial_queen]

"Thank you so much, Claudia," Karla said after the book had been retrieved and properly checked out. "This is my first book from your world and I'm quite excited to read it." She smiled. "When I come back, do you think you'll be able to help me select some more books? I really haven't any idea where to start."

[gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com]

"Of course," Claudia said happily. "And it's summertime, which means it's definitely time for trashy romance novels and mysteries."

[glacial_queen]

At the mention of trashy romance novels, Karla flushed. "Oh, I don't--I couldn't--I gotta go." She left immediately, though, she did not run, which was the only sop she could offer her dignity.

Very smooth, Karla. Very smooth.