you seem familiar

[Arlene Baines]

Arlene was up later this morning than she meant to be. She hurried through breakfast, dressed in something she had set out last night and hurried to the store where she finished pinning the top of her hair back with the flower pins she had brought with her. She made coffee in the small kitchen located behind the counter through a door and took it back with her to the front where she sat to read the paper.

Business was slow that day, but Arlene wasn't very worried about it since she was able to book a few appointments for appraisals in Burlington that weekend so she'd be able to pull in some money for the week. As the day wound down Arlene found herself humming an old tune as she swept up a little around the shop before taking a duster and carefully beginning to dust. Realizing that she was getting dust on her dress, Arlene retreated back to the kitchen to put on an apron and continued her dusting, taking things down and cleaning them carefully before putting them back. When the dusting was finished she came back to the counter with a small box filled with silver spoons and, after gathering the necessary supplies, began to polish them while sitting at the counter on her customary stool, the tune in her head still being hummed in the quiet of the shop and more than a few ticking clocks. She heard the bell above the door tinkle and lifted her head curiously. “Hello! Welcome to the shop, can I help you find anything?” she asked to the familiar-seeming boy standing in the doorway.

[Oliver Barnes]

Oliver had spent the majority of the afternoon in downtown Pilot Ridge, wandering around and looking for help signs. It was a spur of the moment decision, something unlike him, but he had decided that since he was going to be a senior in high school come Fall, he needed to find a job in order to start financially supporting himself. Not that his parents didn't send enough money, or anything, but Oliver just wanted to be able to... make something for himself. Once the idea was in his head, it wouldn't leave until he was successful.

Unfortunately for Oliver, his once crippling social anxiety had taken over, and everytime he entered a store, the quiet boy would chicken out and pretend to be interested in the merchandise. He had a difficult time articulating to strangers still, which lead him to wonder... how? How was he going to get a job when he lacked the social skills required? It was a frustrating realization, as Oliver concluded that he would have to work as a stockboy somewhere. Until then, he decided to take a break and go to one of his favourite spots downtown.

Oliver enjoyed frequenting the antique shop, whenever he had spared time. He was there as often as he was in the Book Nook. While the latter was good for new books, there was just something about old, worn out covers and long forgotten about titles that piqued his interest. He considered himself a regular, and enjoyed looking at other things in the shop like old clocks, keys and lockets, as well as paintings. It all fascinated him. Oliver hesitated in front of shop, before opening the door.

The familiar smell he couldn't quite place made Oliver smile, the bell above the door signaling his entrance into the shop. His eyes landed on a girl with dark hair, polishing spoons behind the counter. He gave a small wave, before taking a few more steps into the shop. "Oh, no thank you." A timid smile appeared on Oliver's face. "Unless... well, I come here a fair bit... for the books." He admitted to her. She seemed... familiar, but he couldn't place a name to the face. "I usually spend my time at this shelf." He paused to point to the bookshelf.

[Arlene Baines]

Arlene smiled. She thought so, she'd done an extensive bit of 'looking' while she'd been wandering around the shelf. She knew there were customers who came in a lot, some who'd only come in once and some that had only ever looked through the window before passing by. "I see," she offered simply as she put the newly polished spoon down and picking up another. "I like reading too," she informed him as she started polishing the metal with a practiced and precise hand. "Do you have a favorite?" she asked curiously, wondering what book the boy might pick up this time on his visit. From the memories of the shelf she knew that he'd bought some of the books he'd picked up while other's were simply appreciated on the shelf. It reminded her of the small box of books her grandfather had specified be set aside for a particular young man...

"Also, I'm sorry and I don't mean to pry but you wouldn't happen to be Oliver would you?" she asked.

[Oliver Barnes]

Sometimes, Oliver would wander around the store and take in the rest of antiques, and sometimes would buy a trinket or two. Mostly, he was here for the old, worn in books, long forgotten about by previous owners. He turned to face the dark haired woman at the counter, smiling. He always felt more comfortable once someone admitted to the shy boy that they enjoyed reading or writing. It got him to open up, instead of shying away from conversation.

"Not really." He admitted. "I enjoy all genres." From fiction, to non-fiction, to drama, to prose and poetry and everything in between. "How about you?" He casually asked, eyes flickering between her and the titles on the bookshelf. Usually, he would look at the titles and choose a few to add to his growing collection. And if he picked up a title multiple times, then Oliver usually would get it.

When she asked if Oliver was his name, a blush appeared on his face from being recognized. He felt guilty, not able to put a name to her face. "Yes, I am Oliver." He introduced himself, even though it was sort of pointless since she already knew that. "Clearly I come in here a lot." He said with an awkward laugh.

[Arlene Baines]

"I prefer fantasy myself," Arlene answered conversationally. "There's something about escaping this world to live among another that I find rather fascinating," she admitted. She set her another newly polished spoon down and extended a hand in order to shake his as she introduced herself in turn. "I'm Arlene Baines; my grandfather owned this shop. I've recently come into possession of it upon his passing,” she explained. “I’m terribly sorry you had to find out this way,” she apologized as she stood from her seat and crouched to pick up a box of books. Her etiquette teacher had told her once that “ladies do not bend at the waist” for any reason as it was “vulgar”. It was a lesson that Arlene had remembered well into adulthood.

“My grandfather seemed quite fond of you. He left detailed lists of things he would like to bequeath to others upon his death and he left these for you with a personal note,” she smiled warmly as she set the medium sized box on the counter, filled with all manner of hard cover books. “I deduce from his notes that these books are first editions when able or have a significant history attached to them. I hope you enjoy them,” she grinned as she sat back down on her stool and folded her hands politely, ready to answer any questions that Oliver might undoubtedly have.

[Oliver Barnes]

A shy smile appeared on Oliver's face as she mentioned that fantasy was her favourite genre. "That's true." He wholeheartedly agreed. Fantasy was the perfect genre for escape, to enter a different world other than their own. It was something he enjoyed as he found it harder and harder to cope with reality and all the drama that came with it. He hesitated for a second before reaching out to take her hand in his, still embarrassed that he didn't know her name prior to her introducing herself as Arlene. "Oh." Oliver said, a frown appearing on his face. He assumed her grandfather was the older man who was always in here when he came in. The two bonded over old book titles and other nick-knacks around the shop. The last time the quiet boy had been in here, her grandfather had appeared to be alright. "It's... okay, it's just... a shock, you know?"

She mentioned that he seemed found of him. Another smile crept onto his face. Oliver always thought that he blended into a crowd, assuming the same with Arlene's grandfather. Hearing that there were books left caught his attention, perking up as she placed a box on the counter. "Woah." He said, his hand twitching forward to touch the box.

"So... Arlene, when did you.. take over?" Oliver asked, trying to politely word it. He wanted to know how long ago he passed, feeling guilty that his life had become the centerfold for drama and his visits had become less frequent.

[Arlene Baines]

Arlene hummed sympathetically when Oliver mentioned how much of a shock her grandfather's passing was. Indeed, she had assumed the old man would live forever. She was pleased with his reaction to the books though and smiled at his question. "Don't worry, it hasn't been long, maybe a couple of months," she admitted. "I came out here to help settle the estate as well and he'd left me the shop because at the moment I'm the ideal person in the family to run it," she shrugged. "It’s been fun I must say, lots of interesting people, and it's interesting to be back here. I've been away since I graduated."

She reached into the box of books and ran her fingers over the spine. Even without her powers she could tell that it was in fantastic condition and very rare. She opened the cover and checked the copyright dates and saw something that made her smile. “Signed by the author to a friend, I think I remember going to that estate sale,” she grinned as she very carefully put the book back into the box. “There are some definite treasures in there. Knowing my grandfather he’d like it if you did whatever you pleased with them as long as you were gentle of course.”