Library, Sunday

[unusual_sith]

All of the books were children's books.

And they were behaving like them, too.

Lana sighed, facepalmed, and resigned herself to wrangling them today.

"All right, everybody!" she said in a stern voice. "Story time. Who wants to be read first?"

It was a day.

Comments

[unusual_sith]

Lana smiled over at her tiny roommate. "Of course." She held out a hand to Nell. She would always encourage reading. "What would you like to hear?"

[mylandmyrules]

"Wait... you sure you'un won't tell the Mama's that I was reading like fairy tales or nuthin'?" Nell asked intently. 'Cause that'd get me a whippin' for sure, but boy howdy would I like to hear a story like them ones."

[unusual_sith]

"I won't tell anyone you don't want me to, I promise," Lana said. "Let's find a book of fairy tales, then."

[mylandmyrules]

"'Kay," Nell said happily. "Yer awful nice, Miss Lana."

[unusual_sith]

"I'm glad you think so, Nell," Lana said. She still felt a bit responsible for her, after all.

"Who's a fairy tale book?" she called out, and a small stampeded of several books hurried over. Lana laughed. "All right, one at a time." She picked up the nearest one and settled down with it. "Grimm's fairy tales."

This should be fun, and perfect for a child, right?

[mylandmyrules]

"Lana..." Nell looked a bit shy. "Could I maybe... could I sit on you'un's lap? While you read?"

[unusual_sith]

Lana hesitated, then nodded. "You may." She held out her free hand. "You can hold the book while I turn the pages. So long as the book doesn't mind."

The book didn't.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell took Lana's hand and clambered up. "I'll be real careful with the book."

It almost purred a bit when Nell held it and that made her giggle. "I think it likes me."

[unusual_sith]

"I think you're right," Lana said. She waited until Nell was settled. "Right. Once upon a time..."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell snuggled in to listen to the story attentively. But after a while her eyes began to droop. It had been a long day for the little girl.

[unusual_sith]

Lana...just kept reading. There were other books listening now, waiting their turns. She caught the cover of this one when Nell's hands lost their grip, and it helpfully turned its own pages for her.

[mylandmyrules]

It didn't take long for a very tired little girl to fall soundly asleep, totally trusting in Lana.