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Post by Clara Woodsley on Apr 4, 2010 3:04:13 GMT -5
 Clara Woodsley was curled in a corner of the Queens Library, decked out in full newsie garb (something her parents weren't completely against but would still have their daughter in a nice simple dress rather than the trousers and loose blouses frequently worn by the youth). Her hands cradled a copy of The Sign of Four. At her side sat a book containing a few other Holmes short stories, including such adventures as "The Man with the Twisted Lip", "The Adventure of the Crooked Man", or "Adventure of the Greek Interpreter".
The blonde teenager tensed as she entered the third chapter, eyes alight. Clara held back a squeal of excitement and wonder at Conan Doyle's work. The detective himself was shear genius, so the man who had created him must've been even more so. Despite the fact that the detective dabbled in drugs and was a thing her parents would be shamed to know she was reading of such scandalous literature–they always wanting her mind to be clean, though enlightened–Miss Woodsley adored the stories.
At times she could even envision herself in the world of 221b Baker Street, trying to solve the case at equal speed of Sherlock Holmes and often failing, baffled at how one man could discover such answers so quickly and cleanly. Why if she could be as clever or as good at deductive reasoning, she wouldn't be selling papers! No, she'd be solving mysteries just as her favorite detective would.
Not that she didn't mind selling papers. Quite the contrary, she loved it. Oh gracious, how her mind delighted in these delights of literature. For hours after each selling day she would coop herself up in the Queens Library, pouring over some piece or another. She had read Shakespeare's sonnets, the Holmes adventures several times over, and she was trying to get herself started on "Romeo and Juliet" soon. As soon as she finished The Sign of Four, that is.
Flipping the page of the book, Clara began to nod, several days without sleep due to racy romances catching up with her. She snapped into consciousness, telling herself sternly: 'Just this next page and then I'll go back home!' But several minutes later one would find a certain blonde newsgirl asleep in an armchair of the library, Sherlock Holmes novel cradled in her hands and still open to the third page of chapter three.
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Post by Jumper on Apr 4, 2010 22:31:14 GMT -5
watching from the sidelines... Jumper smiled to himself as he stepped into the quiet, practically ancient Queens library. It was just the type of place you wanted to run around in stocking feet on the marble floor and see how much you slide, or yell and see how well it echoes. However, Jumper wasn't here to do either of those things. He really wasn't that stupid. He had other intentions. He supposed he could check out a book like a normal person, that's why most people came here. But that wasn't why he had come either. It was simple. Clara. She had told him in the park how much she loved reading, and how she sometimes would spend her afternoons after selling in the library. If she wasn't there, he could simply just walk back out before anybody could kick him out.
He walked around, peering behind bookshelves, accidentally looking in on a couple making out. "Sorry, sorry, um, really sorry," he mumbled, backing away and making for the next aisle scratching his head. If he was Clara in a library, where would he go? He turned to face the cushioned arm chairs, a small grin spreading across his face. Bingo. He picked his way over, and slid into the chair facing hers, starting to speak, "Ello' Clar-" he paused, noticing that she was sound asleep, her book still open in her lap. He smiled, his blue eyes warm as he gazed at her. She was so peaceful, so perfectly happy, he didn't want to make a sound. He didn't want to wake her. What a special girl he had found... |
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Post by Clara Woodsley on Apr 5, 2010 16:10:03 GMT -5
Clara's mind had filled with a fanciful array of characters during her state of dreaming. Anything from tigers to people she knew appeared in the dreamscape. To be perfectly honest she was quite confused on what exactly was going on in her mind while she slept, only that it was pleasantly chaotic.
It was when a lion opened its mouth to roar that a familiar voice cut into her consciousness. "Ello' Clar-" but as soon as it had come, it had gone. Nonetheless, Clara stirred in the armchair and smiled. She believed she was still dreaming as she slowly awakened to the surroundings of the Queens Library.
She yawned a little and blinked a few times, now convinced she was still dreaming, for Jumper was in the chair that faced her own. A warm smile crossed her lips and her eyes lit up considerably. Trying to convince herself she was truly awake, Clara pinched the skin on her left hand before looking back to Jumper. He was there. Really truly there and not in a fantasy of her mind.
"Hey," she said to him softly, not wishing to draw the attention of a librarian. "What are you doing here?"
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Post by Jumper on Apr 5, 2010 17:04:58 GMT -5
just wanted to say hello... The Staten boy appeared to be a little alarmed when Clara began to wake up, hoping he wasn't the cause of it. Once he noticed her sleepy, calm smile though he relaxed, knowing she wouldn't be angry with him. She wasn't the type to be bothered by these types of things. She was too kind for that. In fact, her face seemed to light up even brighter when she gazed up at him. He watched her, just suspended there as he watched her waking up, coming back to reality, she was more beautiful with every passing moment, and now he find he was slipping into something wonderful of a daydream, and it was really real. He watched her pinch herself curiously, before a wide smile spread across his face as she spoke to him.
"Hey, What are you doing here?"
He wondered what she would think if he told her he had been sitting here watching her, and that he had come to the library just for the sole purpose of finding her. He blushed slightly, but his smile grew into a grin as he answered her question.
"I wanted to see if books were juggleable...able to be juggled? juggle-a-ble? and to find a dictionary so i can look up a better word than what i just said."
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Post by Clara Woodsley on Apr 6, 2010 16:58:06 GMT -5
The blonde youth smiled at Jumper when his smile grew to a grin. She loved it when he did that. He always had a great smile, if you asked her. She closed her book almost carelessly, listening to him as he explained why he was there.
"I wanted to see if books were juggleable...able to be juggled? juggle-a-ble? and to find a dictionary so i can look up a better word than what i just said."
Clara smirked, "And you just happened to find me here?" she teased. She didn't mind if this was the case; she was always glad to see Jumper, but it also seemed like the thing for him to do. Come to the library to see if he could juggle books.
"In any case I'm still glad to see you," she added cheerfully, an emotion which her face reflected.
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Post by Jumper on Apr 6, 2010 22:16:12 GMT -5
and to say how much i love to see you smile... The grinning just continued when Clara smiled back at him. He felt like it might just keep on going on like this for a while because he just couldn't help but be grin every time she smiled at him. It was infectious for him, when she smiled, he would automatically smile, and probably like ways for her. It was like the domino effect or like when somebody yawns and suddenly you find yourself yawning too, even if you're not that tired. Clara just had that effect on him.
He was a little surprised, and a little thrilled when she closed the book, just like that, without a second thought, just because he was there. Not that he would have minded if she hadn't, it really wouldn't. He knew how much the Bronx girl enjoyed her books. Just the fact that he could be just as interesting as one of her mysteries made Jumper feel accomplished in a way, like his "supposed craziness" was of some value for once.
"And you just happened to find me here?"
He looked downward a little guiltily. Jumper wasn't a liar. He didn't like to lie to anybody, but especially not her, not Clara. He rubbed the back of his sun tanned neck, about ready to confess, but she didn't seem to need to hear it to know. and it would really be pretty fascinating to see if he could actually juggle books...
"In any case I'm still glad to see you,"
"I'm really glad to see you too!! I mean, libraries are kind of scary, with so many books and all, like, I just think of how many years it would take some unlucky fellow to read these books and he would be a bloody prisoner all his life and I feel like everything is ten sizes bigger in this place and ten times more ancient!!"
He picked up a book and held it up, watching the binding split right before his eyes and the pages fell in a clump onto the little table with a small thud. "Bugger."
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Post by Clara Woodsley on Apr 7, 2010 19:15:04 GMT -5
The Bronx girl's smile didn't face at his look of slight guilt, giving her the impression that he hadn't come to juggle books but to see her. That idea made her blush.
"I'm really glad to see you too!! I mean, libraries are kind of scary, with so many books and all, like, I just think of how many years it would take some unlucky fellow to read these books and he would be a bloody prisoner all his life and I feel like everything is ten sizes bigger in this place and ten times more ancient!!"
Clara giggled and made a gentle shushing noise before he picked up a book. Her giggle stopped short when the spine of the book split and the pages fell out, her eyes conveyed a muted sense of horror.
"Bugger."
She quickly scrambled out of her seat and tried to put the pages in a suitable manner back together before snatching the spine and cover and stuffed the pages back in. She loved books, that was true. But as for the care of said books…well, that was something she lacked in. She looked up at Jumper and smiled faintly.
"As long as no one knows it was us I think it'll be fine," she whispered, chuckling a bit.
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