Three Twisted Knots

The walk to work is short, which is both a blessing and a curse. I’d love to take the Vespa, but the kerb is too high. Must talk to the Council about maybe taking a bit of kerb out so my house doesn’t look so forbidding and far away from everything else. Not that I want tourists, or worse yet, little kids, to come barging in to my front garden. I’d like to keep my Tardis post box, thank you very much.

Things are quiet now, with most of the regular customers on holiday. And even in our community, it’s not like people go on holiday to spend lots of time in a bookshop. No; they come in, pick out some mind candy to relax with on the beach, and then I never see them again.

So yes, it’s a quiet time. But it gives me time to read, myself, which I don’t often get. And the warm weather means I can spend some time outside when there aren’t customers inside. Oh, who am I kidding? I could spend time outside even when customers are in there. It’s not like anybody’d have the cheek to steal from me. When tourists come in for more than just a beach read, it’s often to ogle the Fae Queen Who Also Runs A Bookshop. Jesus fuck; it’s not like we Sidhe don’t read, you know. We read a lot. We have a shitload of time for reading, being functionally immortal. I myself often get through a couple of books a day, particularly when the shop’s slow.

Of course, lately there’s been this group of three or four little kids who come in to the shop and seem to be using it like a library. Which I don’t mind: we don’t actually have a library on White Owl, which seems remarkable, if only because it reinforces the stereotype that Fae don’t read. Anyway, I guess they’re between ten and thirteen years old, these kids, and they seem to be playing some sort of roleplaying game, which interests me, but only from a distance, and only in that it reminds me that I’m really here at all because of a roleplaying game.

“Right, you lot; it’s closing time!” I swear, I have to practically kick them out of the store every afternoon. Why can’t they go down to the beach or go hunting the ghost in the lighthouse like normal children of their age? Why aren’t they learning how to glamour themselves so they can get along in Sleeper World across the Sound? Where are there parents? And then I remember there’s that big foster home: maybe they come from there.

“I’m not kidding; you guys don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.” It amuses me to quote 90s songs at kids who will only hear about 90s alternative music if they take a rock music history class sometime.

Finally they’re gone and I can close up. Yay! So I go through the motions of checking upstairs, magicking books back into place, and tidying up the customer areas. I don’t bother to bring the used books in from outside: they’re protected from the inevitable rain by the awning and maybe a little more, and to be honest, there’s nothing valuable there: nothing would give me more pleasure than to imagine people hanging out at the shop long after I’ve retired to wherever I’m going for the evening. I mean, that’s what book shops are for, isn’t it?

As for me, it’s time to head home. I pass the restaurant, the ice cream parlour, and walk out to the exposed —well, I guess you’d call it a crag— upon which my house sits. But that’s not where I’m headed. Nathaniel won’t be home for hours, or he’ll be home in five minutes: time runs differently in Mysthaven than here, and differently again in Faerie. So much to be unable to keep track of.

No; I’m heading for a favourite tree. It’s the best place ever to watch the sun set over the mountains, do a little merfolk spotting out in the sea, daydream. It’s the golden hour, the magical slant-y light time. And maybe I close my eyes for a little while.

Nathaniel knows where to look for me, after all.

Style Card:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa, Destiny (new at the Mesh Body Addicts Fair and gorgeous!)
Ears: Soul, Uni Ears, High Elf
Eyes: Soul, Sidhe Eyes
Skin: Lumae, Eirtae Bare, T1 (The Eirtae Bare skin has been updated and is available at the Lumae Main Store now!)
Hair: (photo 1) No Match, No Further (Available at The Liaison Collaborative!)
(photo 2) No Match, No Pressure (Coming tomorrow to Hairology!)
Tunic: The Style Loft (Available at Fable!)
Circlet, Coquette, Fairy Crown
Necklace: Tantalum, Slumber Necklace (Available at Fable!)
Poses: Photo one: Johanna Leimes*; Photos 2 & 3, !bang

*Credit where credit is due: I queried over on SL Blogging Support about a pose that would work for leaning on a wall, reading a book, and smoking. Several people gave possibilities, and Joanna IMed me and offered to create a custom one! What she came up with was perfect, and I’m forever grateful. You can find out more about Johanna at her blog: http://plumproads.blogspot.ie/

Spiffy photos taken with the indispensible aid of my LumiPro. I never just pretend that Gwyneth leads a nice normal life as the owner of a bookshop in very obviously suspicious circumstances without it!