quincy wren

quincy wren / 24/ ghost / works at letum read

[quixoticquincy]

crimscnkiss‌:

she never meant to baby her friends, but it came as instinct. she was pampered by her grandmother, and when she grew old enough to choose her own way, she began pushing herself to care for others and make the world around her better. she wasn’t doing the best, but small changes are worth the while. 

“ just come sit, forget about it. i promise, i’m not going to report you. “ a small laugh and a start to break the ice. awkward conversations were never her style. she leads him over to the desk and soon, she’s on to looking for her mugs. “ so, what’s your choice — sweet tea, herbal, green… i’ve got ‘em all in my desk. “

“well, not being reported is certainly a plus, i must say. i don’t think cas would be too happy having to deal with a feud over books being dropped. i mean, can you imagine?” quin let himself be guided towards the desk, sitting down on the closest chair. his feet had started to feel a little like he had pins and needles. or the feeling afterwards where it was an awful fuzzy feeling. upon looking at his feet, they seemed to be... pale. surely it was just something in his eye, his vision blurring, because when he blinked and focused? they seemed to look absolutely fine.

“hm? sorry. uh... green, please. there’s some honey in the cupboard too, i find that’s always good when you’re feelin’ a little... off. the sweetness helps.” he huffed out a small laugh, smiling apologetically at her for his lack of attention for the few moments he was out of focus. 

[quixoticquincy]

duffree‌:

duffy wasn’t often in the bookstore—with one good eye left and very little education under her belt, she found reading difficult. not to mention boring. but she had seen a little trinket in the window that had caught her eye—wind chimes.

she loved wind chimes. they would have to sell them to her, even if they mainly sold books. that’s what she was busy thinking about when a book bumped her ratty old converse.

she smiled wide. “i’m fine. do you work here?”

quincy turned over the book in his hand with a guilty smile, not liking the way his hands felt like TV static. like they were barely there and the book weighed the weight of the world. before he risked dropping it again. that wouldn’t exactly be the best way to start off with a customer, would it?

“as long as you’re fine, that’s the main thing. sorry, i’m gettin’ more and more clumsy.” he smiled back, nodding. “uh-huh, i sure do. my name’s quin, nice to meet’cha. anything i can help you with?”

[quixoticquincy]

billiesanders‌:

hearing confirmation that quincy was done apologizing, billie couldn’t hide her look of relief. he was sweet enough, incredibly gentle, but how much did one person really need to apologise? it was mildly unnecessary, to say the least. just when she thought he’d done rambling, he was at it again and she resisted the urge to put her head in her hands. “alright, alright,” she gently interjected, worried of offending the other. “i get the point; you’re real sorry for droppin’ a book on me, and you think i look great. let’s just leave it there, huh?” she offered a half-hearted smile, hoping that was the end of it.

“maybe it is a concentration thing,” billie agreed, shrugging. “you been feeling light-headed or anythin’? under the weather at all?” she could definitely think of one thing that would probably be the cause of it, but if quincy didn’t know that he was dead, it was hardly her place to tell him. “maybe just try… not stressin’ too much and keepin’ a clear head. and perhaps not carrying anythin’ fragile or breakable for a while. y’know, just in case.” she paused, then. “how’re ya feelin’ now? do you need to sit down, have a drink at all?”

quincy just nodded to that, agreeing to leave it there. this is why he was never any good when it came to gang negotiations. if he had to say something in a succinct way and it came out rude, he felt the need to explain himself. which apparently wasn’t all that appropriate when one family was threatening to wage wars with yours over territory. it was embarrassing though when it was someone you would have to see on a semi-regular basis and you were just stood talking and talking. he did recognise her, after all. she was quite close to casper so it wasn’t exactly unusual for her to be here. 

the whole situation was baffling to quin. he’d never been a guy to be particularly sick or complaining so this was unusual. “maybe... i guess sometimes i feel a little light-headed, yeah? like... if i’m not focusing i’ll feel a little light and it takes me a moment to get the focus back again.” he nibbled at the edge of one of his nails for a moment as he tried to figure out some sort of answer for them. “might be a good idea. i’ll have to get some plastic cups so i don’t risk the glasses any more.” he agreed, a light nod moving his head despite his expression still lingering with concern. “no, no, i feel fine. just a little... i don’t know, weird? like my hands are just kinda... fuzzy. you know?”

[quixoticquincy]

theothercasper‌:

“I appreciate you lookin’ out for me.”  casper smiled softly, running his fingers through his hair.  he definitely felt bad–as a business owner, wasn’t he supposed to be the one putting on a strong front and keeping tabs on everyone?  he couldn’t afford to let everything fall to the wayside.  no, that would be a disservice to his predecessor.  

“i don’t just do that with tea, y’know.  I just kinda–jump into everything headfirst.  nine times out of ten, I don’t consider the consequences.  I guess it’s not horrible to live like that, but when you inherit a place as cool as this one…”  casper looked up and around, a small smile settling on his lips as his gaze turned back to quincy.  someday, he was going to have to find someone to take over as he’d done.  it was kind of sad to think so negatively about a place he loved so dearly, but maybe it was just practicality.  “you’re here before your shifts are scheduled to start.  and look how hard you’ve been workin’ today alone. If I gotta take care of myself, you gotta take care of yourself.  you know I wouldn’t be mad if you took a personal day, right?”  

“no worries. least i can do, y’know. and if you pretty much refuse to look after yourself then... well someone’s gotta try.” quincy returned the smile gently, pulling across a stool from the kitchen area to sit on. the furniture in this place was mostly quite old but nice. this particular stool was old, carved wood with a cushioned seat. it was old but comfortable. added character to the bookstore. an atmosphere that quincy assumed wasn’t easy to achieve and you wouldn’t just find it anyway. “and looking out for you is looking out for the business too.”

“yeah?” he asked as cas offered the explanation, eyes settling on the other man for a moment rather than flickering around the store when he looked away. it was an interesting thing to learn about cas and he was all for listening and learning. he was much better at learning about other people than opening up about himself. “i know what you mean though, it can be a lot to process. somehow you’re eyes deep into something before you even considered the implications.” he’d been in the situation himself. hell, there were a few times he’d ended up deep in a family problem with no idea how he’d ended up there because he hadn’t thought about the consequences. “inheriting a place as cool as this isn’t all so bad though. it’s wonderful. the atmosphere, the location, the building... makes it worth it, i guess. for me, anyway.” he rambled a little, taking a break to sip his tea. he’d rather be here than his empty house. “i know you wouldn’t. my house is kind of... empty though. at least there’s a lot of books here. i think the moral of the story here is that we’re both bad at self care, huh?”

[quixoticquincy]

crimscnkiss‌:

rory wasn’t the best at showing what she felt, she had always hidden it deep inside. with the fair, she was left in a blur of regret and complete denial of the incident at all. was it the best solution ? no, not by a long shot, but it was the best way she knew how to deal with all of this shit. 

rory sent her co-worker, her friend, a soft smile, watching as he gingerly placed the book back on a table, returning with a twice as worried look. he was frazzled, to say the least, it wasn’t hard to see, but rory knew never to point out the obvious. “ my foot’s fine, i have a pretty high tolerance for pain… i’m just more worried about you. why don’t we sit down ? you can relax and we can drink some tea. forget all about it. “

quincy often wore his heart on his sleeve. it became a problem sometimes but he supposed he was at least genuine. mostly calm, his stress beneath the surface. but in times of extreme stress, it showed. or if he was upset, you would be able to tell. but this was just.. typical quincy. overwhelmed by more than one thing at once. between trying to concentrate, worrying about rory and stressing about why the book had ended up on the floor.

the soft small he received from the redhead did somewhat help. it relaxed him enough to feel like he could breathe and not like he was going to explode from everything piling up. but.. he wasn’t relieved by the worried expression. “high pain tolerance. noted. still, it’s not very nice to drop things on your coworkers. good workplace rapport and all that.” he took a moment and just nodded, letting her guide him towards the counter where he usually sat to doodle or read. “you don’t need to worry about me. i’m sorry. i guess i’m just.. overwhelmed. frazzled. long day. are you sure you’re okay?”

[quixoticquincy]

billiesanders‌:

billie watched in amusement as quincy repeatedly rambled his apology, arms folded across her chest. he was certainly a far more gentle soul than her – for starters, she wouldn’t be caught dead (or alive) apologizing that much for something as minor as dropping a book on someone’s toes, no matter how heavy the book might’ve been. in true billie style, she’d more than likely blame them for being stood so close to her. quin set the book down and billie mentally breathed a sigh of relief that her toes were safe once again. 

“are ya done apologizin’ yet?” the question came a few beats after quincy had finally stopped speaking, taking the opportunity to interject before any more words of apology could tumble out. “i’m fine. really. i ain’t anywhere near as delicate as i look, darlin’. i’ve dealt with far worse than a book being dropped on my toes. no first aid necessary, honest.” she took a moment to look over him, eyes narrowing slightly, almost suspiciously. “it slipped, huh? lost ya grip on it or somethin’? must’a happened pretty quick if you don’t even remember how it happened.” another pause. “that kinda thing happen often, or…?” she left the question open-ended, intrigued to delve into quincy’s knowledge of the situation, or lack thereof.

to say quincy was a gentle soul was... well, accurate. he had always been a disappointment in that way to his family, never quite capturing the strong, stubborn essence that supposedly made up a wren. instead he was soft. tried to avoid offending or hurting anyone. far different to the gang lifestyle of his family who often got by by hurting people. so he just smiled in apology once the book was down, lifting his hands in a show that he wouldn’t pick anything else up and risk her toes once more.

“...yes.” he spoke with a short nod, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his jumper and folding his arms. “oh no, you don’t look delicate. i mean! you do... don’t? you look good. great even. but not uh... delicate in a bad way. feminine but not uh... okay, i’m diggin’ myself into a hole either way here. let’s just leave that thought on you look great and i’m glad it didn’t break your foot.” he could feel himself getting flustered, surprised his face wasn’t flushing a dark shade of red. mind you, not that he was aware, being dead hindered that somewhat. “it does, actually, come to think of it. sometimes it’s a book, sometimes it’s a fork or a glass of juice. maybe it’s a concentration thing? seems to happen when i’m not... thinkin’ straight. i’ll be not concentrating and the next moment, whatever was in my hand is on the floor.”

[quixoticquincy]

goldeanboy‌:

dean nodded, though he really had no idea what this guy was talking about. but it probably didn’t help that dean didn’t really know exactly what he was looking for. when he mentioned supernatural lore, dean’s eyes snapped down to where he was crouched. 

“yeah, lore, that might be it.” he assumed this type of lore was the same as the kind of lore in folklore. “is it all in one or do they have different books?”

seeing the confusion, quincy just smiled and launched into an explanation. even if it was pointless and the guy knew what lore was, he figured it’d help if he didn’t want to outright ask him. “lore is like... information. stories, tales, any sort of stuff they have gathered about a thing. so uh. this first book?” he flipped open the cover to read the contents page. “page four is vampires. there it’ll have all the information the writer had on vampires, all gathered in one place.” he shut the cover and looked up at him. “some are all in one. other are more specific. so uh... this one?” he pulled out a smaller book from his stack. “this is just about.. fae and fairies? so it won’t have anything else. but the bigger ones have a lot more in.”

[quixoticquincy]

billiesanders‌:

she’d been wandering through the bookstore for a while, at least; billie had lost track of time a few aisles ago. she wasn’t sure what she’d been looking for, not entirely. dainty fingertips trailing over the spines of books that lined the shelves as though she’d sense what she was looking for. it was plausible, she supposed. the next surprise was always just around the corner, especially in relation to her abilities. there was only so much her mother had been able to teach her, and she was continuing to surprise herself every day. that was, perhaps, the predominant reason for billie’s seemingly aimless wandering through the store – she was always on the look out for a book she hadn’t read before, anything that could give an insight into what she was experiencing. 

the store was, under normal circumstances, relatively peaceful and certainly harmless. then again, nothing in the town recently had been what billie would describe as normal circumstances. the clattering of a book falling to the floor jolted billie from her thoughts, and it was a few seconds later that her foot began to throb slightly from the impact of the book hitting it. “i gotta be honest – after all that carnage that went down over at the fair, i really didn’t think i’d have to worry about a darn book takin’ me out,” billie quipped. “i mean, christ, what are the chances that the one book that drops on my foot is probably the biggest damn book in the whole place?”

everyone was certainly on edge since the fair. he’d noticed a few people looking at him strangely, or old friends of his family gawking when he stepped into a store. he just assumed it was because they moved away and he... well, he was still here. so he just sort of learned to expect customers being a little bristled when they spoke to him, or being particularly antsy when coming into browse. it had most certainly boosted the sales of supernatural thrillers and horrors. 

“i am so sorry, so so so sorry.” quin found that the words were tumbling out before he could even get a better grip on the book. “honestly, the chances are slim with the hundreds of books in here. but uh. i think the only one bigger than this is the one with all the maps in. i don’t even put that on the shelves, it’s always on a display table. too big.” he rambled, setting the book down gingerly. almost as a show that he would try not to drop it again, to save any further injury to her toes. “but uh.. i really am sorry. do you need an ice pack or anything? cause i think we have one in the back. and first aid stuff, if... you know, anything’s bleeding. or you need a bandage. i don’t even remember losing grip on the darn thing, one second it was in my hand and then it just.. slipped maybe?”

[quixoticquincy]

crimscnkiss‌:

it seemed like the whole town was on edge, each citizen watching over their shoulder, hearing and seeing things that aren’t there. the fair really fucked this town, and rory was just watching the aftermath from the safety of her work chair. the store was slow, as usual, but the crimson beauty always found entertainment within a barren sea. 

looking for yet another book, having just finished this read, rory was caught completely off guard by the falling book, her reflexes too slow to dodge the incoming object. “ shit — it’s okay, quin, it’s no biggie. promise. “ the girl tried to assure him through scattered gasps, one final breath and soon, the pain vanished. “ i’m fine, i’m fine… it’s not like you to just go blank… you okay ? “

the whole aftermath of the fair was clearly an issue for everyone. not a day went past that someone didn’t ask about it in the store or he didn’t overhear a conversation there or on the streets about it. you’d turn on the radio and hear it, open the papers and see it still on the headlines. either way, it just seemed to get in the way and make everyone hyperaware of what was going on around them. it was almost as if people were scared things would suddenly go wrong, as they did at the fair. 

quin just sort of looked at rory with a sickeningly guilty expression on his face, trying to convey somehow just how apologetic he was without coming out with a string of apologies. he just set the book down gingerly on the nearest table. “it is, your foot, i-... gosh, i’m sorry. the biggest book in the place and i drop it, what the hell is wrong with me, huh?” he pushed a hand through his hair, using it to ground himself as he felt it drag through.”i’m fine. i think. i just... it was in my hand one second and then falling the next, i don’t even remember losing my grip.”

[quixoticquincy]

theothercasper‌:

“it’s definitely workin’ against this image I have of myself. ‘cause in my head i’m cool as a cucumber.”  casper felt lighter already.  quincy’s presence was calming, and it was definitely one of the reasons he’d been hired in the first place.still, casper felt like he should’ve been the one making sure quincy was doing okay.  employer/employee rapport, or something like that.  

“you did?” cas cocked his head to the side, brow furrowing in confusion.  “that’s weird.”  he wanted to press for more details, but instead found himself drawn to how easily quincy moved about, gathering the ingredients from the break room. though he knew it was piping hot, cas took a sip, reeling backward from the heat on his tongue. “without fail.”  he cursed, gritting his teeth together.  quincy’s question was a fair one, but he didn’t have an answer at the ready. “i…um, I actually don’t think I’ve gotten much sleep, least this week.  last week was better.  but I’m fine. don’t worry about me, okay?”

“sometimes you are but other times... not so much. no matter how hard you try, if you’re stressed out to the max? it’s gonna show.” quincy pointed out with a light huff to himself. he wasn’t exactly the best himself as not showing his emotions. if he was angry or annoyed or upset, it showed. anything from tears to the slightest furrow of his brows. he did try to remain calm most of the time though, it was necessary with his family and how they used to be towards them. it was rather strange not naturally being calm because of that.

“i know, right? i wasn’t sure if it was just this weird thing or if i was tired. i mean.. it’s highly likely that i forgot doing it cause i was awake so early this morning.” he half explained, the process of making tea almost automatic by now. stress? tea. emotional? tea. long day? tea. “go easy there, it’s still super hot. you get useed to it but the first sip is always the worst.” he lifted his own cup, cradling it between his hands and enjoying how they seemed to soak up the heat. he’d been so cold lately but.. not shivering. not feeling it as badly but still noticing it. “doesn’t surprise me somehow. either way, i’m going to worry because you don’t take care of yourself.” even if it was a hypocritical statement coming from him. “you need to try and get some more sleep.”

[quixoticquincy]

goldeanboy‌:

“oh uh- does it matte?r or is it all in the same general area?” dean didn’t really want to say what he was looking for if he didn’t have to. he followed him, looking around as if he were somewhere he didn’t belong and might get caught. 

he scanned the place where quincy had pointed, not seeing what he was looking for. to be fair, he wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking for. 

“y’got any supernatural mythology?” 

“it’s all in the same sort of area but it can be kind of hard to find. some of it might branch into other genres so.. can mean it’s in a little bit of a weird place, that’s all.” quin rambled a little as he gestured to the shelves. he knew where everything was but it could be hard to explain to someone else. 

he stood and blinked at the other for a moment as he looked at the shelves. looked like whatever he was searching for wasn’t there. then he elaborated. “supernatural mythology? oh! i think... we have a couple but most f the stuff here is uh.. greek gods and whatnot. greek mythology. lot of it’s in latin. but uh...” he crouched, pulling out a few books with dark covers. “supernatural lore. this sort of thing?”

[quixoticquincy]

bezgoesboo‌:

the self-amusement in his eyes wilts a bit when quin doesn’t react with quite as much zest. seemed totally viable to him. sound. foolproof. aliens. explains all the weird shit runnin’ around town these days –– ‘specially the folks who keep lookin’ at him on the street like he’s got three heads. 

“ y’mean like… some radioactive doritos or some shit ? ”  bez pauses, tilts his head. really lets that one sink in for sec. “ i’d buy it, i’d buy it, ”  he nods. because, like… science. it’s practically made to explain the unexplainable. 

“ today, i was boardin’ down main, ‘n like. this one car almost plum flipped itself off the damn road. ”  bez slurps; his straw’s got bubbles.  “ car… metal… you, my man, just might be an einstein. ”  he scowls down at his cup ‘n jabs the straw around a bit, breakin’ up what’s left before suckin’ again. there’s nothin’ left. “ must be all them books. ”

it wasn’t like quin was looking for reasons not to believe bez. in fact, he was reaching for any strand of optimism possibly offered his way. anything to explain the happenings. however, he could understand how it would be difficult to explain how you could just go through a door without reason or science behind it. but somehow aliens just didn’t fit the bill, even if everything going on was strange.

“yeah, maybe. something like that. just get the feeling that it might be the most believable thing. i mean, y’hear all the time about products being recalled right? things being in food stuff that shouldn’t be there.” he reasoned, blinking a little as he looked up and thought about it for a moment, mulling over whether or not it could be plausible. it seemed it. at least on surface level. “uh-huh. science of radioactive doritos seems a lot more believable than aliens, especially if we want other people to believe us.”

“huh.... yeah. the car and the metal, that does actually make a whole lot of sense. i wasn’t that sure until.. well, until that. had a few people come into the store, see me and just walk out. but i don’t know if they just don’t like the look of my face. cause surely they can’t see whatever radioactive metal hellscape is happening with us.” he leaned over to get a good look at the cup for a moment, wrinkling his nose. “all that can’t be good for you, surely. i... uh-huh, i read a lot. but mostly like... poetry and novels.”

[quixoticquincy]

theothercasper‌:

inhale. pause.  exhale. cas nodded slowly, forcing out a breath as he met quincy’s gaze.  “okay. sorry. sorry, I don’t know why I…” he looked at his feet quickly, doing his best to shake away the rest of his worries.  “when I was a kid–don’t laugh, okay?– one of my cousins convinced me that every spider was poisonous, and…I was just a kid, so…you can imagine me using that as an excuse to stay indoors.” 

“I’ve taught you well.” he beamed, the anxiety rolling off his shoulders. “well, actually, some kids like spiders.  it’s just….there’s some parents who might turn up their noses. ‘I’m a little in the business of keepin’ everyone pleased.” he pinched the bridge of his nose, perking up a little at the mention of quincy making tea, and nodded in response. “I think I might just be a little tired, though. startin’ to think I might know this place better’n my own home.” he raised an eyebrow at quincy. “not that I mind, but you’re always here, man. would love to have you here, you know my open-door policy, but it’s just…you deserve a break.”

quincy nodded, exaggerating his own breathing a little to follow along with cas’, trying to ease him into some steady breathing rather than narrate it. he didn’t want to be too pushy, even if it was in an effort to help. “promise.” he nodded, knowing he couldn’t laugh now he had promised. instead he found his nose scrunching a little in response. “that’s awful, i’m sorry. the ones in the cupboard are mostly small. or the spindly ones so. nothing too scary lookin’. and i promise you they’re not poisonous..”

“i know you’re wantin’ to please people but i guess it doesn’t always work out. if they wanna turn their noses up, they can take their kids somewhere else. good luck finding a better bookstore around here.” he reached out a hand and patted his shoulder lightly, fingertips brushing the side of his neck briefly in a comforting gesture before he moved into the little staff room area. “speaking of open door policy, i swear i didn’t even unlock this morning. but i must have to have gotten inside.” he hummed as he stirred the tea, adding a little honey. it was a predicament at the moment, especially with dropping things. he found himself exhausted from concentrating. he carried the tea out, setting it down in front of casper. “nevermind me, i take breaks. how much have you been sleeping, cas? you need breaks too, you know.”

[quixoticquincy]

theothercasper‌:

“you should give yourself more credit.”  cas noted, skimming the papers before him. paperwork was far and away one of the worst parts of owning a business.  well, that and figuring out the payroll.  in school, he could skate by in english, but not so much in math.  that still held true today.  “better yet, take a brownie.  give yourself a pat on the back. I can always go back’n bother brooks for more later.”  casper snickered to himself, knowing full well brooks would probably object, but then again–how could he object to the business?  

“I’ve been puttin’ off cleaning the children’s section. last time I went back there to clean, it was a shitstorm.  literally.”  his laughter froze in his throat at the mention of spiders, a flash of panic dancing in his eyes. “oh–shit!” one hand clasped over his mouth, if only to stop the word that had already left his lips. the last thing, absolute last thing he needed, was a bunch of snotty health inspectors all over him.  his predecessor had warned him about the bigwigs, too, but casper had admittedly focused on the fact that, holy shit, he was about to take over the best place in town.  sue him. 

“…okay, fu–oh, darn.” his nose scrunched at the attempt to censor himself, but he had to stay calm.  professional, even. “guess I should stay after hours to clean this place up a little. can you do me a solid and call…someone, anyone, to come in a little early tomorrow?”

“it’s not like it was all that hard, cas. anyone could manage it, really. you just gotta... cross section whole sales with genre sales. figure it out from all the titles and do the math.” quincy shrugged a little, smile still gracing his lips. a subtle smile that pretty much spoke for his modesty. “i’m sure he’ll appreciate that a whole ton.” he chuckled, moving to pick up a brownie and bite into it. they were delicious. like, seriously and insanely delicious. if you were going to say anything about brooks, it’d more than likely be how talented he was. even things quincy had never tried before or was sure he wouldn’t like, brooks would change his mind somehow. 

“i made a start on it but then i got a customer so i got started on the display so i could see the door.” quin hummed, visibly grimacing at the thought of the children’s section. it had a lovely reading corner, some great books and stuffed animals but it was a dirt magnet. lollipops stuck to pillows, smeared chocolate or syrup across book pages, finger smudges on the walls. however, that thought was cast aside when he saw the panic almost flash in casper’s eyes. he was a panicker. the smallest thing could tip the scales and have him wide eyed and trying to see a way through a situation which ended up nigh on impossible by the time panic set in. “woah, woah, stop right there. c’mon now. sit.” he reached out to gently clasp his wrist, guiding him to the padded stool behind the counter.

once he was sat down, quin made him look at him and offered a small smile in comfort. “calm it, cas. really. spiders aren’t considered pests, i don’t think. but if you’re worried, i can always make some calls. if not, hey, just means we can have a mass spider rescue mission. set ‘em all free into the world. or into my house, there’s always spiders around in the attic.” he tried to reassure him, leaning against the counter. they were a similar height still so it worked and he could keep his attention. “you know i’m gonna be here at six anyway, don’t’cha? so stop stressing for a sec. okay? you want some tea?”

[quixoticquincy]

theothercasper‌:

casper liked to think he’d grown since taking on the burden of running letum read.  business was a little slow, but still steady, and he supposed he should be thankful for the breathing space while it lasted.  he could only hope things would speed up around christmas time and then they’d be back to a bearable pace.  he couldn’t do it himself, though–which was why he was glad he had at least enough of a personality to hire some additional help.  who could resist a warm smile and the occasional display (free promo!!) of brooks’ baked goods? no one, that’s who.

he was armed with a tray of brownies and a clipboard, a pencil tucked behind his ear as he absently chewed the gum he’d meant to spit out twenty minutes ago.  blue eyes caught onto quincy’s for just a moment, before they moved to admire the display.  “that’s a bangin’ display, man.  really gonna upsell those in no time.”  he flashed quincy a thumbs up, then set the brownies on the counter.  once his arms were completely free, he surveyed quincy’s work once more.  “jesus.  how long you been crackin’ away at this?”  without much of a second thought, he reached out and brushed at the cobwebs littering quin’s hair. he didn’t know what he’d do if quincy were to suffer a dust allergy and decide to sue the workplace.  better safe than sorry.  

letum read was a pretty decent place to work as far as quincy could tell. it’s not like anyone was asking him to lie to the police or carry illegal items from one group to another. here it was just books, customers, deliveries. all the normal things that come with a job. that and his boss was a decent man. not a head of a gang. can’t fault it, really. free baked goods occasionally which were amazing. thanks to brooks. speaking of, the tray of brownies seemed to fill the space immediately with a delicious aroma. 

“they smell good.” he commented, peering over and noting that they looked just as good as they smelled. they would for sure be popular with customers. “a bangin’ display,” quin repeated with a light grin lifting his lips, “thank you. i looked through the files, ran the sales reports and horror has been the highest selling genre this month so. figured it couldn’t hurt to put it out front and upsell a little.” his eyes lifted to the hand that reached out, a little sheepish as the hand brushed away the cobwebs. “oops. that store cupboard is full o’spiders.” he hummed. “uh... i dunno, a while? i opened up at six this mornin’, then did the reports so... since about seven thirty, i should think.”

[quixoticquincy]

the book had been in his hand, he was sure of it. it was a thick book of poems, beautifully bound in a green hardcover with gold writing printed into the front. it had definitely been in his hand. except then it wasn’t. and he wasn’t alone in the bookstore. he watched as the book seemed to just tumble from his hand, right onto the foot of the other person in the aisle.

a gasp caught in his throat as he ducked down to grab it, struggling a moment before he focused and lifted it from the floor. “i’m so sorry! oh my gosh, i’m a total clutz lately. if it’s not books, it’s a glass or keys or pencils and paintbrushes.” he grimaced a little and looked up at the other. “is your foot okay?”

[quixoticquincy]

goldeanboy‌:

@quixoticquincy​

dean had lived in letum falls for nineteen years and it had taken him five years of being away to ever go into letum read. he didn’t do much reading growing up unless it was for school, and even then he didn’t really. he looked around the bookstore like he’d just stepped onto another planet. luckily, he recognized the person behind the counter. 

“hey, maybe you could help me out with something,” he rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of proper bookstore etiquette. “i’m looking for a book on mythology?”

it had been a quiet day so far. mind you, most days were quiet in letum read. quincy liked the quiet though, usually taking full advantage of it to organise the books properly, put up displays, file some paperwork. at the moment though, he was perched on the stool behind the counter, a pencil in hand and sketching on the back of some receipt paper. 

“hey!” he looked up, smiling warmly. “yeah, course.” quin nodded, setting down his pencil and swinging round his legs to stand up. “just general or is there a specific aspect of mythology you want?” he asked as he gestured for him to follow, moving between the shelves till he got to the section, patting the shelf with his fingertips.