Classification Errors [Finished]

[Bee]

Disgraceful. It was simply disgraceful. She didn't know how a bookstore this poorly organized could possibly hope to keep running against...well, perhaps that was it. The competition did not have any real advantage. Capital City did not seem to hold itself to the high standard of Esterberry book retail, which was not surprising, but was certainly depressing.

Additionally, the kids in the science fiction section kept referring to things as "dank." Occasionally they were "wicked dank" or, if particularly awesome, even "uber-dank." Phaedra patiently explained to them that most books were not, in fact, "dank" and that if they were, they should not be touching them.

"Root cellars," she said, "are dank. These books are quite dry, and not at all unpleasant to the touch."

The kids were baffled. Phaedra hrrmphed and returned to her organizing, dismissing them as a lost cause. She picked up a book. It clearly belonged in historical fantasy rather than historical autobiography. Just because it was written in first person did not make it a true account.

Honestly.

[Harpsdesire]

A bright purple Torquehelm rat was nosing curiously about in the historical fantasy section. She was, in fact, rather startled to find that such a section even existed, nestled between historical biography and historical fiction. This was certainly the largest bookstore that Dania had ever seen. She wondered idly if there was also a "historical self-help" section. Self-help books were always a big seller in her father's bookstore at home.

She backed up, staring towards the top of the shelf. It was clearly designed with bipedal or human-form cards in mind, and she could barely read the titles on the highest row of books. Hmm. There and Back Again; True Tales of Tulgey Wood; Old Possum's Book of Practical Rabbits... Quite an interesting selection of fantasy. Dania squinted upwards as she vaugely made out something a heavy leather-bound volume titled The Legend of The Jabberwock. That looked like it would be worth perusing, if only she could reach it. Backing up a little more, she bumped squarely into Phaedra.

She shuffled around to face the Esterberry, muttering embarassed apologies as she stumbled, then regained her unsteady three-legged footing. "Ah, sorry, my fault. I should have been paying more attention." She offered the victim of her clumsiness a sheepish smile.

[Bee]

For a split second after the bump, Phaedra assumed it was those rotten "dank" pests and was prepared to administer a verbal bitch-slap so powerful it would stop time and topple empires, but she held her tongue when she saw that her accidental assailant was just an innocuous-looking Torquehelm rat. With an extremely long tail. Bound around her body.

Phaedra had never seen a binding like that before. She had read about existing body parts being used to bind other body parts, of course, but Torques tended to hold to their fondless for chains and blindfolds. She wondered what had prompted this girl's parents to bind her so. Couldn't the girl just...unwrap her tail and be free? Damn her insatiable curiosity. She needed to keep talking to her.

"It's quite all right," Phaedra said. "I was just tidying up. Did you know this store didn't have a mythological mystery section? I added one, for your browsing convenience." She paused. There was something she was forgetting. Pleasantries! Right. "I'm Phaedra. And you?"

[Harpsdesire]

Dania was pleased that the card she bumped into didn't seem to be taking it badly. The last thing she really wanted to do was cause a scene. There was already enough going on in here without adding to the commotion. In fact, it surprised her somewhat that there was such a large variety of people around, not only browsing and reading, but also sipping fancy coffee drinks, chatting, and studying. This was nothing like the bookstore she was used to.

Another surprise was waiting for her when Phaedra continued. "Oh, I didn't know." Dania replied honestly. Of course, she left out the fact that she also didn't know that there was supposed to be such a section. "Um, thank you?" She hadn't meant it as a question, but her slight bewilderment came through in her tone. "I love mysteries. And, er, mythology." She smiled, rather nervously. She was suddenly feeling quite silly, and the quaintly drab little town that she called home seemed hopelessly back-water compared to the capital city. "Nice to meet you, Phaedra. I'm Dania."

It occured to her that she was blocking the shelf where the Esterberry was obviously trying to replace the book she held. "You work here?" She asked, while moving to the side and out of the way. It seemed like a safe assumption, perhaps even a silly question, considering that Phaedra had just finished telling Dania about the new section. 'Mythological Mystery'. Whatever that was.

[Bee]

"Not at all," Phaedra said pleasantly. The only thing that could tempt her to ever work here would be the chance to completely overhaul the place and turn it into something respectable, and she didn't have the time, on top of university, to run a small business. She just had to do what she could for organization. "I'm just indulging in a bit of anonymous philanthropy and placing the books in an order more conducive to easy browsing, and thus to sale."

She was also highly tempted to take some older editions and replace them with corrected versions. She felt like taking a red pen to half the books here, sending them back to their authors, and giving them detention.

"Are you looking for anything in particular? I'm certain I could find it for you. Though there are only approximately--" She looked around. "--eight hundred and thirty books here. You won't find anything rare."

[Harpsdesire]

Not at all? Dania was unsure of this was a polite deference to her thanks, or actually an answer to her question about being an employee of the store. Oh well, it didn't really matter, anyhow... Oh. Dania smiled, rather ironically, as she considered the royal fit her father would throw if he caught someone 'philanthropically' re-arranging his bookshop. The cards of Esterberry were supposed to be brilliant, but it was patently clear that this one had some misconceptions about what others would consider helpful.

She opened her mouth to say something to this effect, but closed it again quickly. The worst that could happen is that they might get thrown out, and there were sure to be several more bookstores in the city anyhow. Capital City had several of everything, it seemed: Fruit sellers, apothecaries, even shops selling magical favors. Judging from Phaedra's words, this was a small bookstore, at least by her standards. Maybe that meant the Esterberry could get away with her compulsive re-organizing here. The place was rather in disarray anyhow, with chattering customers picking up and replacing volumes willy-nilly. Dania was sure her father would be driven to distraction if his store ever got so disorganized.

"I'm not looking for anything, really. I just... like bookstores." The rat finished, lamely. She was rather astounded by Phaedra's energy and apparent command of the situation. People in the city were just so terribly perky-- the Torquehelm didn't know what to make of it. "I work in one, a small one, at home."

[Bee]

Phaedra was always happy to meet a fellow bibliophile. (Or one who appeared to be a bibliophile. Some people who worked in bookshops seemed to think books were best employed as coasters or paper weights. In Esterberry people would get stoned to death for that attitude. But the current evidence pointed to Dania genuinely liking books.)

She hoped being in Capital City would not rot her brain. So many people in the capitol seemed so...well, words could not describe them. Which was an impressive feat, considering Phaedra had an advanced vocabulary in several languages. Common tongue needed a single word that perfectly encapsulated "offensively and belligerently dull-witted and perhaps, one suspects, fornicates with bandersnatches in his/her spare time."

Alas, no such term existed.

"Ah, that's a good line of work!" she said, admiringly. "I trust you are an expert in your trade. What brings you, then, to this fair city? It's a long trek from Torquehelm."

[Harpsdesire]

"I don't know that I'd call myself an expert." Dania looked down sheepishly, suddenly shy in the light of what she took to be a great compliment. "I do like the work, though. My father is the authority on the subject, really. He collects and repairs old books." She dared to smile at Phaedra, who she took to be quite a nice person, even if her energy level was a bit overwhelming. Like all Dania's smiles, it seemed a bit sad, as if it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"To be honest, I'm not here for books at all. I came for some supplies, and to get a bit of a break from the ordinary, I suppose. I've never been far from home before." In some ways, this 'errand' that she had taken over for her aging father was more of a vacation to the young rat. It was exhilarating to be away from the tender, loving tyranny of her over-protective parents and the tiny sphere of her daily existence. "I just... I can never resist a book store."

Suddenly remembering herself and the conventions of polite small talk, she asked, "What about you, do you live nearby?"

[Bee]

"Oh heavens no," Phaedra said. She didn't mind visiting the capitol on occasion for a bit of research--sheer numbers to her bibliography, mostly, but every once in a while she happened upon something interesting that she liked to squirrel away back to Esterberry--but she couldn't fathom living here. Perhaps one day, when the world turned to her for aid and wisdom. Until then, the capitol was just a big, dirty place filled with loud, dirty people.

She identified with an unquenchable desire to be around books, however. Perhaps she could drag this shy-looking rat back to Esterberry and show her bookshelves beyond her wildest dreams.

"I'm just on a bit of business. I have a paper due for an anthropology class that requires a bit of extensive research on my part. It isn't due for several months, of course, but I need to finish early. I don't feel right submitting something until I've spent at least seven weeks editing."

[Harpsdesire]

"I don't think I could live here, myself." Dania agreed, flattening herself against the bookshelf a bit more as a bulky canine pushed past with an armful of books. "It's... chaotic." There were other words she would use to describe the city, but many of those were not flattering, and she didn't wish to offend the woman if she was fond of the place.

Seven weeks of editing? Dania blinked at Phaedra incredulously. Although she had grown up wanting to go to university in Esterberry, perhaps her father was right when he had objected to the idea. Maybe she really wasn't smart enough, motivated enough... Dania had always attributed his objections to his general underestimation of her abilities. Maybe there was more to it, after all. He was right... I don't have what it takes.

It was a depressing thought that hit her like a box of bricks. "Anthopology class? That sounds really interesting! I wish I could have gone to Esterberry for school." But I'm too stupid, she thought, but didn't say. "It sounds like a fascinating place. I'd like to see it some day-- my mother says the museums alone are worth the trip from Torquehelm."