Saints And Sorcery

“You have never been with anyone? You of all people? Apologies, I just assumed…”, he was trailing off, struggling for words.

“I’ve seen the way people look at you, the way our companions all wanted to invite you to private moments, sharing wine and bodies. I suppose I wasn’t so different to them after all. And I assumed since you must have had the world to choose from all of your life, judging from the behaviour of our companions that, well…”

Gale looked at me, eyes big and wet and his shoulders dropped.

“I am sorry I assumed details of your private life that are only your concern”, he said as his demeanour changed.

His eyes were suddenly burning into mine and he made a careful step closer to me.

I felt myself move towards him.

“What makes you think that I would want you any less after you would share this personal, intimate detail with me?”, he suddenly asks with a low voice.

“I haven’t said that”, I croak out but he is right, of course he is, this was my only fear.

“But your eyes have”, he said softly, a gentle smile dancing over his lips.

“I guess I was afraid”, I begin to answer. “Afraid that you would want an experienced lover, not some druid with the romantic experience of a fawn…”

He looks at me perplexed.

“I want you! Please, you have to know that I meant what I said – I am in love with you! All of you is what I adore, all the secrets you hide —“

This was my only secret, I promise”, I interrupt him and Gale shakes his head with a smile.

“And even if it wasn’t, they are a part of you, you, the one I love, you, the one I want to look at for the rest of my life…”, he answers and points to me on each ‘you’.

My heart races and my soul can not believe it’s luck and I smile, without my doing, without any control of my features.

Happiness is seeping out of me and into the world around me, I can not look away from Gale and his sincere eyes on me.

Children were rather observant creatures, they picked up on things many would neglect contemplating to begin with. Manfred was no exception to this. Even if he didn’t make his concerns clear, the boy could tell something was on his father’s mind. Emmrich didn’t forget to play music very often. After all, Manfred enjoyed the sensation of the speakers. So he usually made a point about playing the music for both of them.

A few minutes later, the car turned onto Hollow Road, coming to a stop before what was dubbed as The Belfry. A large historical estate that at one point in time was the home to some of Nevarra’s middle ranked nobility. Now, it was put to much better use, not simply existing to inflate the market of the area by virtue of its visuals. HOAs would never make sense to Emmrich because of their proclivity for overt classism.

The Belfry was grande in the literal sense. Expansive and roughly as old as his own University, which was evident in the way they were designed so similarly. Tall, cool toned columns clung to the stony walls alongside well nurtured weavings of Ivy. Grey was broken up by a soft shade of sage green that painted a majority of the walls. Waterfalling steps that led to a large set of wooden doors. The flat plain of the lawn was decorated lovingly with various games and play equipment but Emmrich knew most of the activities were in the backyard.

As usual, Emmrich and Manfred were slightly early and his son slipped his tablet back into his bag because he was used to the routine by now. Emmrich was out of the car first because despite Manfred didn’t require a booster seat anymore, the boy knew to always wait for his father to open the car door for him. He took his son’s hand and helped him out of the car which was hardly necessary as the rambunctious lad leapt straight down every time. Once the two were safely on the sidewalk, Manfred spun around to sign to Emmrich.

[[ Harm has soccer today, I left her book at home on purpose! ]] Enunciated by a stern nod and an exclamatory gesture with his shoulders. Emmrich narrowed his eyes.

[[ Very good, Manfred. But you should spell her full name if you don’t use the one you gave her. Someone might think you meant that hurt has soccer. ]] The correction made Manfred take in a sharp breath through the nose.

[[ H-a-r-m-o-n-y. ]] He spelled firmly with a purposely ill disguised eye roll.

[[ Thank you! ]] Emmrich smiled widely. [[ Will Sunny be here today? ]]

[[ Yeah! We’re playing dragons! ]] Manfred excitedly bared his teeth, making Emmrich chuckle.

[[ Wonderful! ]] He beamed in response. [[ I promise not to forget the music on the way home. ]] Manfred gave an appreciative swivel of his head. [[ I love you.]]

[[ I love you! ]] His son replied, splitting a grin and giving his father a hug around the legs before taking off in a sprint into the lawn.

Emmrich spotted Myrna at her usual spot on the porch while awaiting the drop offs, Vorgoth was always in the backyard waiting. Usually, Emmrich would chat with her for a few minutes but he was in an uncharacteristic rush. Which Myrna herself would likely attribute to some discomfort over their discussions over Miss Ingellvar these past few days. So they shared a quick wave before entering his car again and making his way back to Blackthorn.

Now that he was fully alone, the anxiety could worm up from his collarbone, through his sternocleidomastoid, to nestle around the back of his neck. This morning had been a miracle in the sense that he hadn’t entirely made a fool of himself. If he did, Rook had taken it in stride. The nature of anxiety meant that the more he lingered on it, the worse it became. First he has to go through the embarrassment of not recognizing her, then the refreshments fiasco, and then finally with asking her to meet with him later that day.

What Rook had suggested was entirely reasonable. Minimize to two days a week for the time being, she was being incredibly considerate! But admittedly, there was a sting of pride there. Old, petty wounds from the lashings of schoolmates in his youth. Most of which had never had to work a day in their lives and had parents who could pay for their entire tuition without batting an eye.

He could afford the sessions, especially if he arranged everything correctly. But Rook was right, it would be a hit on his savings. A worthy one so long as they succeeded in this ruse. It was still mind boggling that he was really doing this, his rings dully thumped against the steering wheel punctuated that fact. And Rook was proving to be one of the more unexpected twists. Making assumptions wasn’t something he got in the habit of, people like her were the reason why. And every time the anxiety began to rear its toothsome head, Emmrich would think back to how reassuring she had been. Full of honeyed smiles and saccharine eyes. She was the expert in her own capabilities, so long as she was sure of the arrangement was doable then he ought to trust her.

Before he knew it, his rampant thoughts had carried him to his destination and the intimidating covering of the sun as he turned into the rarely used side parking lot. Emmrich took one last deep breath to set his nerves. His satchel was pulled into his hand from the passenger’s seat and he was stepping out of the car without any further delay. Check the time again. 4:22pm. Good, he was early this time. A few more people dabbled the area compared to this morning, but nothing too overwhelming. No one he recognized from work.

As Emmrich rounded the corner, he caught sight of the familiar attire that previously alluded him. He was still some ways off, but a small difference he noticed was the absence of her cap. Now her hair was down aside from the sides being brought up and tied up into a small tuft at the peak of her skull. The bigger change had nothing to do with her appearance and rather the fact that she was chatting to quite a few individuals. Three to be exact.

Probably friends of hers, no? Emmrich thought it would be rude to interrupt. But it was so close to their appointment time. Surely there’d be no issue with him simply making his presence known, right? Subtlety. Just be casual, no need to work too hard to get her attention. He continued his approach with a relaxed stride and as he got closer he was able to make out more details.

Rook was standing by the stone railing, slightly leaning over its edge, that cradled either side of the pathway stairs. Geometric shapes carved into its surface and weathered with time. She was slightly elevated, her right boot planted firmly on the first step with her left leg boredly dangled off the edge. With her back facing Emmrich, he couldn’t discern her features. But the three young men standing behind the railing were smiling and jeering something to each other.

“Come on, can’t even get your phone number?” One asked with comical disappointment.

“I don’t talk to people who can’t pay their own phone bills.” Rook snipped in response, though it sounded like a spoonful of sugar taken after cough medicine.

Late teens, hanging out near a library to ride skateboards together, could be in college or waiting for a friend who is. The boards themselves were older while the phone the blond one held out was a very recent model, and all of them had nice shoes. Still early in the year, someone else was paying for their things. Parents. Could still be living at home. It was easy math.

“Does the name Damas sound familiar to you? Or Elek?” She asked, shifting the candy stick in her mouth. The three looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

“Why? You one of his girls?” Another one responded. There it was.

“No but the fact that you obviously do know him proves my point. I can practically smell the fake IDs hiding under your cheap layers of body spray. Not interested.” Rook was starting to get annoyed, never liking to repeat herself. Can’t a woman just exist for five seconds?

“Hey, you aren’t that much older than us.” The boy in the middle argued.

“Alright, let me break something down for you here.” She bit down harder on the stick, trying to suppress a groan. “How old are all of you? 19, maybe 20? Three just barely not teenagers all flirt on one woman at the same time, not a great start. You might have had a better chance of scoring if you didn’t act like a package deal, I would say most people find that off putting. So, I’m going to say this a little less gently this time…” Rook’s voice lowered, inching closer to the three which made her back arch. “Fuck off.”

The candied tone of her voice melted into something almost poisonous by the end of her explanation. But either the young men didn’t seem to pick up on the obvious malice or it only spurred them on further. A shared look was passed between them, as though a challenge for her attention had just formed.

“Well, you don’t have to give all of us your number. Maybe just me.” The middle one hummed again.

Emmrich was close enough at this point to hear the pop sound of her sucker leaving her mouth. These three were clearly not acquainted with Rook like he originally assumed. Inadvertently, he mimicked her base stance and placed one foot on the step not far behind her. The three young men locked eyes on Emmrich, who shot them a disapproving glance.

“Is there a problem here?” He asked. Rook’s shoulders stiffened upon hearing him. She glanced over her shoulder, quickly evaluating. And Emmrich caught the beginnings of that now familiar, devious grin forming on her face.

“Hey there, Sweets. You’ve kept me waiting again.” She said smoothly, dipping into the tone she used on him first in The Lighthouse.

Sweets? Was that supposed to be him? Rook leaned back, keeping her hands stern and curled around the railing’s edge. The leg that hung off the edge of the step encroached. A slip of pressure met the inner side of his left calf and made Emmrich’s gaze flick down. Rook’s boot disappeared from sight between his legs but its weight was very much perceived. She pushed herself a little further back, knee bending and slinking up the inseam of his slacks. With the twist of her ankle, the side of Rook’s boot fit itself tenderly against his lower back, giving a forceful push. Almost dance like in the fluidity in which she orchestrated it.

Emmrich’s half stance on the step became off center for a moment before stabilizing thanks to Rook’s leg pinning him into her. That and a reactionary hand that landed flat against the curve in her spine. She pressed more firmly, Emmrich’s lower half pushed snuggly into the rounding of Rook’s backside. His heart stopped. The position was far too recognizable, and that was largely why he stilled himself against her. Feeling peaks of smooth skin, cooled from the air, between the gaps in her fishnets. It was all only made worse by Rook nestling into him.

The candy was brought back to her lips, rattling against her teeth. The surprise of having been pressed into her faded enough to give Emmrich some clarity. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what she was doing. Fine, he could play along.

“Forgive me, Dearest. I was held up with a project.” He loomed above Rook’s frame, voice lowering into her ear. “I trust you’ve been well today, yes?”

“I was until a couple minutes ago. But everything is fine now.” She hummed. That smell, confectioner’s interpretation of berries was heaviest this close to her neck and hair.

The presence of her boot mercifully left him and she straightened her posture to abandon her place against the railing. Three young men shared glances once again, this time filled with palpable confusion. Rook spun on her one planted heel and the hand on her back naturally found a place on her waist. Now that she wasn’t looking at the young men, her eyes carried an appreciative expression. Good, Emmrich was playing the role she was needing.

“I’m happy to hear that.” His fingers splayed, as though comfortable and used to being there, some knitting between the threads of her fishnets. But the thumb kept a light touch on her belly. Rook noted that as possibly being one of his tells. “I’ve missed you terribly today, Darling. If you’re finished chatting, I’d like to hurry along. We have a few more stops to make after this, but I would prefer we get home as soon as possible.”

“You just read my mind, Sweetheart.” Her voice carried that tone again, laced with salacious intent and flirting that didn’t reach her expression. Rook moved around him, naturally finding a place tucked into his side so that he wouldn’t need to move his hand away. Her own came up to delicately clutch a fistful of his sweater. Emmrich’s gaze traveled back to the clearly uncomfortable young men.

“You gentlemen have a good day now.” Was the last thing he said to them before making his way up the steps with Rook in tow. The warmth of her skin was beginning to increase against his palm. And the fact that his rings didn’t press too heavily into her did not go unnoticed either. Once they were halfway up the path, Rook lowered her voice into a whisper meant just for him.

“Sorry about that, Emmrich. Promise I won’t make a habit of turning you into a prop.” She muttered, placing the candy back in her mouth again. “But some people just cannot take a hint, or a direct no. Sometimes it’s faster to make them think you ‘belong’ to someone else. It’s irritating.”

“It was no trouble, Miss Rook.”

“You’re really good about that, by the way. Nearly had me half convinced you were itching to jump my bones! I’m impressed.” She said in her preferred teasing manner.

“Yes, well, would it surprise you to know that I’m no stranger to this tactic?”

That was incredibly true on his part. Emmrich was well accustomed to being a ‘trophy piece’ so to speak. Before Myrna met Vorgoth, both before and after his and Strife’s short lived relationship, he even did this for Johanna a few times. Though, that was back during their school days when she hadn’t earned the reputation yet. The infamous ‘Never Cross Hezzankos’ and her penchant for making unwanted suitors either cry or wet themselves. Sometimes both. Truly, Emmrich pretending to be a lover did them all a favor.

“Still, have to give credit where credit is due. Sorry about your pants too, I hope I didn’t kick dirt up on them.” She apologized again. He did let himself chuckle at that, she’d have no real idea why that was so funny to him.

“Trust me, I’m not worried about a spot of dirt.” As they approached the entrance, the pair naturally separated from one another. Emmrich held the door open for her, and then followed close behind. “I care much more about your safety. Of course, I’m sure you’re plenty capable of caring for yourself but if you should ever require my assistance in such matters again, you need only act the part.”

The last breeze of the door closing behind them licked up the spot where his hand had previously been, sending an unexpected shiver up her spine. That was a… generous offer to make. Then again, if the plan was for them to be interacting this much over the course of the upcoming months it made more sense. There might even be times where they need to be out in public outside of his scheduled events. And frankly, Rook didn’t think she could pull off acting as his ‘daughter’, didn’t even want to humor the thought out loud. The boys outside probably assumed Emmrich was her Sugar Daddy, not unbelievable.

“That’s very kind of you, Emmrich. Hopefully I won’t need it though, right?” She kept her voice in a hush now that they were in the library proper. Some of the lingering unease made her want to try and keep the conversation light. “Speaking of, what was that you called me? ‘Darling’? ‘Dearest’? Really pulling out the stops for little ol’ me.”

“Says the one who called me ‘Sweets’. That was a new one.” Emmrich admitted. He did find it rather endearing though.

“And you should feel oh so lucky for that, Professor! Normally you’d have to pay 100 Kings to get a pet name out of me.”

Emmrich took up as the guide, already well acquainted with the facility. It gave Rook the chance to try and commit the layout to memory. Stone on near black wood, lighting fixtures purposefully designed to mimic scones, patches of wine red carpeting. The entire place made her feel odd, something about the drama of it was familiar. It didn’t look Antivan, but libraries there held a similar ornate quality. A pang of homesickness. If she could even call it that.

“Money well spent, I’m sure.” He mused.

In games of tit-for-tat, Emmrich was better than most people would anticipate. Perhaps it was just the left over traces of the act they had put on, but it had been awhile since anyone had played along with him like Rook could. Chalk full of what excited him, all wit and mischief. He didn’t get to indulge that side of himself as much as he used to. And it was refreshing to have someone treat him as a peer while also not being afraid to act less than fledged in his presence.

The library was quiet, but not in the weird way usually that made Rook feel uncomfortable. Silences that lacked a purpose. Like curdling anticipation. This one was nice, and it wasn’t entirely empty. Emmrich’s bangles lightly twinkled against one another at a much softer volume than she would think. Maybe he walked as smoothly as he did to avoid clattering too loudly?

The light trickles of gold meeting gold, ears honing in on the tip-toe like melody that only increased as they went up a flight of stairs. Emmrich would probably do well in a waltz. He leads with an ease and poise that allows Rook to follow in a gentle sway. Every once in a while, Emmrich would shift his weight to quickly pluck a book off a shelf. Never a full stop. Just a glance at the lines of titles and a turn that reaffirmed her belief. He would be an excellent partner in a waltz.

“We’ll focus these first few weeks on Nevarran history as a whole. That will become the foundation we build your study on.”

”I’m assuming that’s what Franziska is Majoring in?” Rook asked.

“She’s actually focusing her studies on the biological, but she currently has a Minor in Nevarra’s ancient societies, yes. Which is what led her to my class.”

“And you said she’s been doing work on something called the Banner Wars?”

“Quite. Miss Ingellvar posed some rather fascinating theories at the end of last semester. But I think we ought to save those talks for later, I’d rather these tutoring sessions be done as properly as we can so that the knowledge comes more naturally to you.” He explained.

“As opposed to me just being able to recite information.”

“Precisely, Miss Rook.”

A stack of five books were in Emmrich’s arms in what seemed like no time at all and he escorted her to an isolated table on the second floor. Tucked into a corner away from the central balustrades that provided floor windows into the lower level. As remote as they could get in a public space, not even prying eyes from below should be able to glimpse them. The books were neatly placed in the middle of the table but as Rook sat her messenger bag in front of one of the four chairs to claim it Emmrich tutted hurriedly.

“What?” Rook’s eyes snapped up in his direction and his own narrowed as though the answer was obvious.

“Your candy, Miss.” He said.

“Okay… what about it?”

“There’s no eating in the library. So, I’ll have to ask you to throw it away.”

His words stoked a defiant glimmer across her features, simmering into something more impish. Despite her boots being heavy, their sound remained a cushioned muffling as she worked back around the table to stand in front of him. A dance of fingertips across the table’s briefly caught his attention. Then he found her close again, nearly inches away just as they had been outside.

The act reignited his nerves and her scent weighed heavy in the air. He swore every time he breathed too close to her he could make out a more distinct note. Rook was good at changing between the personas. Like flipping a light switch. When her voice returned, it was low, sultry, and momentarily made Emmrich forget he wasn’t in an executive suite that could be rented out by the hour. For Rook, the real dance had begun. A delicate bow leading into a simple box step, nothing complicated.

“I’m afraid if you have requests for my mouth, Professor, that’ll cost you extra.”

This was a dangerous line to teeter on. And Emmrich could see in her eyes just how much that excited her even if the smile had left her face. Instead, her lips played closer to an insubmissive display. Thinned and straight with hidden pressure between the teeth. Daring his provocation.

Do it, give in, just a taste wouldn’t hurt. It was like he could hear her prodding at his synapses. Her full brows lowered ever so slightly in search of a crack in his manners. What direction will he lead to?

“It’s impolite to eat in places like this, as it can leave a mess behind.” He argued, choosing not to regard the taunt. Hesitation step, left turn. Move on.

“See, there’s a difference between eating and sucking. I should know, I’m very good at both. Besides, no crumbs.” In her mind, he guided her out and under his arm into a slow spin.

“Crumbs are not the only sort of mess, Miss Rook.”

“Oh, Emmrich, I can control my spit just fine. In fact, I usually prefer not to.” Maker, she was persistent. Back again in a stride across the floor, right turn, step change.

“The noise will be distracting.” The ebbing of a cross tone.

“I can stay quiet, sir.” Another turn. More.

Rather than respond, Emmrich held out an awaiting palm. Her breath was hot against his skin and well endowed with a syrupy quality. A cheeky tilt of her head greeted him. Without breaking eye contact, she crunched down on the sweet. It likely wasn’t too audible for anyone else but Emmrich felt it crackle in his bones like a snap of lightning. A recognizable blue tongue slipped a bit out of her mouth, poking the white stick further out in his direction. A compromise was always ideal.

He took the stick between his thumb and the side of his index finger. It left with ease, eyes focusing rather intently on nearly serrated edges of sugar left behind. If she were feeling extra cruel, she might have taken him by the wrist and forced him to watch her lap up the remnants. Sadly, she was feeling merciful because of the favor he had done for her earlier, and his gift to her this morning. So, she let him walk off with the evidence of her toothsome habit.

The dance was done. No descending of music, no sweat or adrenaline. It just ended. There was a tightening in her legs that wanted to reach out again to find the rhythm. But she knew better, no need rushing these sorts of things. Learning a new dance came with time.

In the few moments it took for Emmrich to make his way to a waste bin, Rook got to work. When he returned, the sight of Rook sitting calmly did take him aback. Arranging pencils, a fresh notebook, and a stack of purple sticky notes. It was as if… whatever that could be considered hadn’t just happened. Another flick of the light switch. Almost unsettling. She paid no mind to his approach this time, staying in silence while he placed his satchel on the flat surface and removed his coat. It found a comfortable place to rest on the empty chair to his right and he took his seat across from her.

“Now then.” He said, clearing his throat. “These first five books will be our source for the time being.” With an approaching thumb, Rook pushed the bottom of the stack to angle towards her. A single sticky note was removed for her to write on.

“Nevarra; A Deconstruction of Present, A City of The Dead, The 100 Year Reign of King Markus, Mortuary Matters, and… What Death Tells The Living.” She muttered to herself. The note was placed inside the first page of her journal before marking the date at the top line.

“We’ll be starting in that order as well. A Destruction of Present should cover a majority of our history to give us a good starting point for the other works, as they focus on specific periods. Miss Rook, how well acquainted are you with Nevarra’s past?” He asked.

“Is that a roundabout way of asking if I’m from here?”

“Well, you have heard of our Rites of Lichdom but you acted like it was separated from your history, so I already assumed you weren’t.” He said earnestly.

“Fair point, Professor. Fair point.” Rook chuckled to herself. “I don’t know a whole lot aside from random tidbits and trivia. Only lived here for about two years. Little less than that.”

“Understood. Then I shall try to keep a slow pace for this. If you have any questions, feel free to interrupt me.” He gave an encouraging smile. Good thing he did too, it distracted Rook just enough away from making the obvious ‘slow pace’ joke in the brief bout of quiet where Emmrich searched for something in his satchel.

When the moment passed, he produced a small, leather sleeve. Then came a pair of thin, gold wired glasses from within, which soon rested against the bridge of his nose. Of course he wears little round glasses. Creators, this was too much. An echo the same sentiments she carried this morning in regards to his watch. Bless him, he was adorable. Even Rook could admit to that much.

Emmrich removed the book from the stack and watched Rook make another note on her page. To begin, the first chapter covered the basics for Nevarra Pre-Imperium. Not much to go over, mostly the settlement of the Palansene and how their foundational beliefs would influence Nevarra from there forward. Rook didn’t require much explanation aside from him needing a definition of what an animist was. Which she did make a note of. Animism wasn’t necessarily commonplace outside of Nevarra. However the concept itself wasn’t what perplexed her, just the verbiage.

Next, they went over the invasion of the Imperium post The Neromenian Onslaught. Most countries this far north were considered part of Tevinter at some point in time, each modern nation breaking off as a result of the Exalted March against The Imperium. Again, Rook had little to say on this. So long as she was from anywhere north of The Waking Sea, this information likely wasn’t anything new. He did ask her to take note of specific years while within The Imperium, as those periods would be covered more in subsequent lessons, and she did so without complaint.

From what Emmrich could see across the table, she kept a rather thorough documentation of everything he was saying. She would pause briefly to hear him, and then take the notes nearly verbatim. That gave him the confidence to go ahead and pick up his speed closer to what he was comfortable with. This wasn’t exactly the sort of material he covered in his lectures so there wasn’t much room for him to expound but Rook didn’t mind that. By the time their appointment time was reaching its end, Emmrich had just gotten to the establishment of Nevarra’s first king, Verald. Rook’s phone vibrated to give a five minute warning.

“That might be a nearly perfect stopping point, Emmrich. Well done!” She praised with a comically quiet round of applause. “It’s almost like this is your job or something.”

“You make a diligent pupil, Miss Rook. I dare say I’ve never seen better note taking in my life.” Well, not since him and Johanna were in school anyways.

“Why thank you, my good sir. But I’m guessing this was you going easy on me.”

“The material itself is, admittedly, far more simplistic than what I traditionally cover in my classes. But the fundamentals are exactly that, fundamental.” If they keep this sort of pace then three sessions a week may not even be necessary for the base history portions. Monetary value aside. “How about we meet again on Monday? A fresh week for mostly fresh material since we got through more of today’s lesson than I anticipated.”

“Fine by me. I promise not to forget everything.” She teased.

Rook began gathering up her belongings quietly. For someone who took such care with their writing, the state of her messenger bag was what some may call ghastly. Hardly any rhyme or reason to the placement once put away. Not to mention the rather odd sound the bag produced as she rifled through it. A noise that appeared not to bother Rook, as she was on a mission to find something specific. Another plastic wrapped blue sucker found itself between her fingers. Emmrich couldn’t help but stare at it with a peculiar expression.

“Miss Rook.”

“Yes?” She hummed, looking up at him and finding that not only were his glasses already tucked away, but he had also begun putting his coat on.

“Forgive me if this is a rude observation to make but… well, every time we have seen one another it seems as if you’re eating those candies. Is there a reason for that? Low blood sugar?” On one hand, he was just curious. But on the other, he was concerned. If this was something rooted in a medical necessity then he would feel guilty for asking her not to have one while in session. Rook twirled the stick between the pads of her fingers with a grin that was unlike her previous ones. Sheepish wasn’t the right word but that was the closest descriptor that came to Emmrich’s mind. Embarrassed, perhaps?

“Oh, no. Nothing really like that. Ask anyone I know and they’ll just tell you I’m obsessed with them. Keep me focused.” She laughed, half dejectedly. Emmrich squinted at the wrapping when her hand stilled.

“Can’t say I recognize the brand.” That made Rook look at him with something akin to offense.

“You’ve never heard of Lyri-Yums? Seriously? Where have you been?” Now that she said it, the name sounded oddly familiar. He couldn’t exactly place where he’d heard it before but still, the logo was entirely foreign to him. “These things are like… a gas station staple! Or the cheapest jumbo bag of suckers you can buy at the drugstore that almost no one ever gets. Except for me, I buy them. They’re a classic. They’ve been around for basically forever.” More importantly, they were always plentiful. Boarders didn’t hurt their profits enough to be limited. “I can’t believe you’ve never heard of them!”

“You buy the largest bags they sell?” He wasn’t trying to be judgmental but… How many of these was she eating exactly?

“Duh! That’s how you get the best deal. I only really care about one flavor though so I hoard all the others and give them out to people and stuff.” Her answer left him somewhat dumbstruck.

“You… buy the largest bag just for one of the flavors?” He reiterated, somehow more confounded.

“What? I’m partial to Blue-Raspberry…” Rook stared pointedly in his direction, rising from her seat and taking her bag around her shoulder. “You seem like a Green Apple kind of guy… but that might be just because you’re a teacher. Orange, maybe?” She theorized to herself. Her sudden need to psychoanalyze him elicited a moderately uncomfortable laugh, like he was being scrutinized for something he didn’t quite get.

”I wouldn’t know, I’m not much of a sweets person.” He stated plainly. Once again, that earned him a rather vexed expression from Rook.

”Dude… are you okay? I don’t think I’ve ever pitied someone more in my life.” She said, giving a soft groan of annoyance.

Honing in on the usually decorative front breast pocket of his jacket, her typically mischievous smirk returned. With a half skip to stand in front of him and a nearly conspiratorial look in either direction, she carefully opened the pocket and slipped the candy’s stick in. A pair of delicate hands arranged the candy itself into a ‘suitable’ place. As though it were closer to a piece of jewelry than an indulgence.

“You can have one of mine. I have a million anyways and… maybe five more somewhere in my bag.” Rook went quiet, counting in her head how many she’d had since she last refilled.

“That really isn’t necessary, Miss Rook. Like I said, I’m not much of a sweets person-” Emmrich began to insist but she interrupted.

“People always say that but do they ever really mean it? You can have this one and if you miss me over these next terribly long, extended weekend you’re giving me, then you already have something to remember me by!”

Another one of her teasings, it seemed. Emmrich got the distinct impression that Rook wasn’t the type of person he should bother fighting with over something like this. Sometimes, it was better for everyone to just let someone have their way. Besides, it was a nice gesture. Fruitless, but nice. So, he took a heavy breath and let her be.

“I don’t suppose I’d be allowed to walk you to your car?” He asked politely, remembering what he had said this morning about being more mindful.

“What a gentleman! I’ll have to give you candy more often.” She said, stepping away from him to pull the stack of books towards her. “And you would be right, can’t have you finding out which of my several luxury vehicles I took to get here.”

“I could escort you to the exit at least. On the off chance any of those young men were perturbed enough to try and wait around.” He hadn’t been lying before, he was taking her safety seriously in this. After all, Emmrich worked at a University. No shortness of unsavory events in that sort of environment. He was glad matters of that sort were taken more seriously. But they weren't always and Emmrich wouldn’t soon forget that. Rook’s smile softened appreciatively.

“If I was worried about a gaggle of just graduated teenagers then I wouldn’t be able to survive this job. I’ll be just fine.” It was kind of him to offer. “Thank you, though. I can put the books away while you go off to your ‘other responsibilities’.”

She tapped her fingers against the stack and another light buzz could be heard before Emmrich could argue, this time coming from Rook’s wrist. Peering down at her watch, Rook saw the warning for her text window about to elapse. A light gesture brought the boat across the screen to unlock it and she lowered her voice into the screen.

“Hey C.T.” She whispered. The watch chimed. “Text V. Session done. On way home. Need longer windows to not be in public.” She shot Emmrich a sympathetic look and motioned for him to go ahead and leave. The same voice that Manfred would use for his tablet responded, also in a hush. Rook always thought that feature was funny.

“Would you like to send?” The voice asked.

“Yes.” She replied, and the watch chimed softly again. Emmrich grabbed his satchel, hearing Rook sigh to herself. “I’ll see you Monday, Lichdom.” Leaning back into her watch, pretending to need privacy.

“I look forward to it.” He responded, gently bowing his head before turning to head back down the aisles and towards the steps. In the back of his mind, Emmrich was relieved to know that whoever Rook’s employer and handler were, they kept close eyes on their employees. At least a little more reassuring that his worry was as unwarranted as Rook claimed.

Once Emmrich was far enough out of eyesight, Rook examined the books closely. She picked up their material for today, flipped through pages and gave a disapproving tsk. Emmrich had made it seem like they’d made great progress but from her perspective it looked more like they’d barely scratched the surface. He really had been going easy on her.

Her mind turned to her schedule. Thursdays were usually slow, clients preferred to be big spenders on weekends. So she didn’t have any appointments unless something came up. The stack was gathered up in her arms, not quite as easily as Emmrich had done it. Curse taller people for having longer arms. The path her new professor had carved was still fresh in her memory, and most of the books he had grabbed were generally in the same area so she found their spots with ease. All except for A Deconstruction of Present, that one she kept with her until she made it to the front desk on the first floor. A man with disheveled brown hair sat behind it, somewhere in his late 20s or early 30s, fiddling with something on his computer screen. When he noticed her, his eyes rounded in surprise.

“Hi! Hey, hi? How can I help you?” He asked nervously. Rook was used to that sort of reaction, so she smiled warmly with a small tilt of her head. Acting nervous.

“Hi, sorry to bother you but I was hoping to maybe get a library card? I just moved here and needed to check something out.” She made an awkward show of spinning the book around to show him. Unsure and a little demure, sometimes being over explanatory. That usually got people used to her appearance faster.

“Yeah, of course!” He replied, taking a pencil out from behind his ear and the book from off from her raised side of the counter. “I’ll just need to see your ID and I can add you into our system.”

“Got it, just give me one second…” She said as she reached back into her bag to find her wallet. The man looked over the title of the book she’d brought.

“Are you a History Major, by chance? I’m guessing you go to NCU.” He asked.

“Hoping to be and yeah, I just transferred this year. I’m not from Nevarra so I don’t know too much local history and wanted to try and catch up.” She gave a fake chuckle and tucked a loose strand behind her ear once her wallet was in hand. He flashed a lopsided grin. Easy.

“Well, if you ever need recommendations, sort of what I’m here for. I’d be more than happy to help, Miss…?”

“My friends call me Rook, but that won’t be on my ID.” She joked and slid the piece of plastic over to him.

“Rook. Mysterious, I like it.” He looked down at her ID card and made a note on a sheet of paper, then another one on something he pulled up from his desk top. She could vaguely see a string of black letters being added to a form in the reflection of his squared lens.

“Thank you very much.” She hummed. Keep the flirting light, natural and anxious. Act like this isn’t something she does all the time. “And I might have to take you up on that. I’ll probably be in here pretty often.” Rook watched him briefly nip at the inside of his cheek.

“I’m here most weekdays. Sometimes Sundays. The name’s Heiner, by the way.”

“Heiner. Is that Nevarran?” She asked.

“It is. Born and raised. Go Scarabs and all that.” He replied sarcastically. So he probably went to NCU.

“Let me take a wild guess… Lit Major?”

“Call up the Chantry, we have a prophet in here! Certainly not obvious on account of the-” He gestured up the ceiling. “Everything.” Another playful laugh. “But I obviously have a minor in education. Other than that, most of my knowledge came from this place.”

“A jack of all trades then.” Good, he probably won’t recognize Emmrich, so long as Heiner doesn’t hear his name.

”If only. But I do know enough to get by, and definitely enough to be helpful.” His gaze had traveled to admire her face, she could tell he was looking at her mouth. When she gingerly brought in bottom lip, he blinked away whatever thought had come to him and went back to the computer.

“I’ll have to remember that.” She mused and he tried to hide a pleased expression.

Pressing the enter key ushered the sound of a nearby printer whirring to life. Heiner plucked one of the sheets of paper, folded it in half, scanned the barcode on it, scanned the book, then stacked them both alongside her ID into one pile.

“Our machine is down right now, hopefully it’ll be working again by the weekend. I’m keeping a list of everyone getting a card. So when you come back in here next, show us that piece of paper and we can print your real card off for you. Might also need to show your ID again but if it’s me then I’ll remember you.” He said, sliding the stack to her with a slow push.

“Oh? Am I that memorable?”

“I would say so.” He beamed, watching her carefully tuck her ID and the paper slip into her bag. “In any case, you are now officially a hypothetical library card owner with Blackthorn! Congratulations, Miss Lavellan. Or should I call you Rook?”

“Rook would be perfect, Heiner.”

It was odd hearing her last name again, almost no one called her that anymore. It was purposeful, and she anticipated hearing it in this interaction. Still, there was a second where Rook felt her act faltering. She flashed Heiner one last smile before scooping the book into her arms. Gave him a little wave and made her way to the exit. As soon as the doors closed behind her and the autumn air tickled at her abdomen, she instinctively sought her comfort.