Wendy Berber {@work}: *Its a cramped and crowded little store. no room left that couldn't be occupied by doo-dads or whatsits, or stacked with old texts. the bookshelves tower to the high ceiling, spanning 2 stories.. an occupational hazard to be sure.. this place is so jam packed with books its likely not at all "work safe". A rolling ladder swings from the wall, a glass case with rare texts up by the old fashioned cash register. It smells musty. Like books and dust. there's a ratty blue mat under the bookshelves, scuffed and dented*

William Halloran: The door swings open, and down he ducks, stepping through the entryway. The gigantic man's dressed a little heavier then usual, a heavy long coat replacing the leather jacket. He takes a quick look around the place, frowning slightly, and starts wandering, eyes up to the catagory labels, looking for the religious and occult sections.

Wendy Berber {@work}: *an odd bang, and though the store looks empty, cash registar drawer open, there's a scratching behind the counter, then a soft moan of pain*

William Halloran: He blinks as he hears the bang, and heads over toward the counter, peering over. "Y'okay down there?"

Wendy Berber {@work}: *Glasses askew, she blinks up at him apologeticly, rubbing her ribs forlornly*..um. uh yes. uh. thank you.. *she tries to grab the resiter to help herself up and nearly brings the heavy think down on top of herself, eyes wide as it scrapes across the counter*

William Halloran: He reaches out and puts his hand on the register to keep it from sliding down, his weight and strength easily pinning the thing to the counter. He reaches down with another huge hand to offer help up.

Wendy Berber {@work}: oh um. oh! *she blushes, black hair in a messy nest about her head, one boney hand still clutching her ribs, she sets the other in his, eyes widening as she realizes how big it is. A sharp intake of breath, maybe a little scared* um.. sorry..*she struggles to her feet*

William Halloran: He helps her up, remarkably gentle for the man's size, pulling away when she regains her stability. He nods and shrugs. "S'awright. Done my share o' stumbling." His hands go into his pocket, eyes finding the counter.

Wendy Berber {@work}: *she's staring. just alittle.. but its magnified as she adjusts her glasses and blinks at him. Whoa. A shiver and she abruptly shuts the cash register.. realizing it was open* Oh um.. Welcome to James's um Oddities, Antiques and Rare texts. um. How may I help you? *its the most awkwardly spouted greeting in the world as she curls her hands in her sweater and tries not to gawk at the huge man too much*

William Halloran: He looks over his shoulder, around the store with a squint. "Oh. Yeah. I'm lookin' for, uh, religious books. An' stuff on witchcraft, new agey shit...y'know. Where can I find that?"

Wendy Berber {@work}: oh um.. *she rubs her side where the cash drawer shot into her, limping out from behind the counter and rubbing at the back of her neck, head ducked as she tries to make herself smaller* um.. just.. over here sir.. uh.. what were you looking for exactly? *A good 3rd of the store seems to fall into that catagory as she gestures up the intimidating wall of books*

William Halloran: He looks at the shelves he's gesturing to, blinking. "Oh. Damn." He looks up the bookshelves, then back to her. "Ummm...like, angels and...y'know. Crap like that."

Wendy Berber {@work}: oh uh.. I can get you some down an you could.. um.. look a them?? *she offers apologetic, pinching her pointer finger and pulling at it in nervousness, her eyes slip to his ruined face a moment, then quickly down. she makes to lean on the ladder, forgetting its on rollers*

William Halloran: d10: Per+Alert: 2,3,7,1,8,

William Halloran: He notes the rollers at the last second, and his hand comes out to grab a rung, to keep the girl from hurting herself again.

Wendy Berber {@work}: *Its a jolt as it strts to roll then stops, a gasp from the boney nerd, and then a deep red flush*.. sorry.. sorry sir. *she pinches her finger hard and frowns at her reflection in her shoes, a swallow before she takes hold of the ladder and climbs up it awkwardly* I'll. um.. get you some titles.

William Halloran: "S'okay...don't worry 'bout it." He stands there, looking fairly awkward himself, as he watches her clamber up the ladder. His eyes flash downward and away suddenly as he realizes she's wearing a skirt, just in time not to see anything inappropriate, though he does blush a little still.

Wendy Berber {@work}: *Someone needs to point out to the disastrous bookworm that she should wear pants while working. You know. If she's going to climb rickety ladders above customers. Or perhaps her regular cutomers got a chuckle out of the boring white cotton panties she flashes unknowingly in all her uncomfortably nerdy glory* um. any particular .. type? of angel sir? There are several texts on um.. angelic language, angelic spells, fallen angels, angels in relations to um. dreams... Angels and extraterrestrials, near death experiences.. *she's reading things off softly and precisely, both hands white knuckles on the ladder. She dares a glance down to him, noting the blush with confusion...what had she done?* ...um..

Wendy Berber {@work}: d10: per emp: 7,3,6,9,3,

William Halloran -> Wendy Berber {@work}: Yeah, he's being rather self-reproachful at accidentally watching her climb up. All sorts of beating self up...not comfortable around women at all. She can also note the deep depression, and a definite confusion, feelings of self-loathing and uselessness, and so on, though that's all just the ever-present stuff, the self-loathing probably spiked up by his faux pas.

William Halloran: "Ummm...fallen angels," he murmurs, watching the ground. "An' ummm...how about angelic spells, too?"

Wendy Berber {@work}: *a high squeak noise as she realizes the problem and weebles on the ladder. turning a shade of red unnatural to most poeple who aren't choking. She brinsg tso books down, trying hastily to get down from the ladder. oh dear lord.. oh dear.. Embarrassment radiates off her in waves* Oh my.. I'm so sorry sir.. So sorry. oh.. * apained expression*

Wendy Berber {@work}: d10: dex ath inept: 3,2,2,

Wendy Berber {@work}: *And she forgets that anything requiring co-ordination requires her FULL attention.. no matter who you'd flashed your panties at. Her foot misses the rung and she falls down the ladder*

William Halloran: d10: DexAthletics: 10,6,6,7,4,9,

William Halloran: Without even thinking about it, he moves to catch her, instincts reacting to keep her safe from harm, just as she falls.

Arioch: (Is this a closed scene? And if not this is in a library?)

Wendy Berber {@work}: *A few books rain down on the mat, girl cringing as she's expecting a crunch.. its a full story fall afterall.. She's still cringing a moment later when she realizes by the sudden warmth around her that she's been caught.. too stunned for shyness a moment as she blinks up at the huge man.. glasses lying on the mat under a book*

Wendy Berber {@work}: ((Nope. its open.. and its in James's Oddities, Antiques, and Rare Texts.. a tiny bookstore several blocks from battery park, in a kinda crummy neighborhood))

Arioch: (Perfect)

William Halloran: He looks at the little woman sitting in his arms for a long moment, blinking himself, before he clears his throat. "Umm...y'okay?"

Daniel Young: In walks Daniel. A rather average looking man standing about six foot tall with brown hair and brown eyes and a slightly scruffy goatee, he appears to be in pretty good shape for someone in his early thirties, he's wearing jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt along with a wool cap. He moves straight to the counter with a sense of purpose and anxiously begins looking up at the titles behind the counter.

Wendy Berber {@work}: *she weighs nothing, all odd angles and bone. Underweight, underfed, underappreciated. Unhealthy. Maybe 90lbs at most.* yes sir. um.. *she looks away from his blurry face, reddening a little, but not struggling at all to get down. She'd be put down when he was good and ready.*.. I'm sorry I landed on you.. *she pinches her finger nervously*

Daniel Young: (ah crap, I gotta bail, play like I wasn't here, if you're still here when I get back in ten minutes I'll jump back in, sorry)

Wendy Berber {@work}: ((okies))

William Halloran: "Ya didn't fall on me," he says, finally remembering...oh, shit. She probably doesn't want to be held by you, you fucking idiot. He sets her down, carefuly, and bends over to pick up her glasses and hand them over. "I moved t'catch ya."

Wendy Berber {@work}: oh. *that comes as a bit of a shock, and she scuffs the matt with a small black shoe, shirt rumbled, ugly sweater hanging limp as ever. she looks up as he offers her the glasses back, reddening further and biting her finger as she one hands her specs back on and blinks owlishly up at him* .. um.. thank you. *she stands awkwardly*

William Halloran: "Yer welcome." He nods to her, shifting a little, and then bends over to pick up the books she dropped, looking them over briefly.

Daniel Young: (Back if I'm not too late)

Wendy Berber {@work}: OH! um.. sorry * you're supposed to be helping him, not standing around like some wallflower moron Nerdo.. a cringe a she swoops to assist him in picking up books, and nearly crowns herself on his elbow, hastilly reading off titles in a small precise voice*

Wendy Berber {@work}: Angelic spells and Rituals.. Fallen Angels and the Light... Um.. cold war mind control and-.. oh. um.. sorry.. I uh.. knocked that one down.. *she cringes and puts it under her armpit, where its all but absorbed by the sweater.. did she even exists inside that thing? if so.. where?*

Wendy Berber {@work}: *the others are similar.. with a smattering of random titles she'd knocked down*

William Halloran: "It's okay...really." He does a quick flip through the two books, eyes passing over them...damn, there were some strange words in there. No stranger then he's beenhearing lately, though...What's a Zoroastrian?

Wendy Berber {@work}: *she gathers up some books and limps towards the till, a sniff as she tries to clear her sinuses*

William Halloran: ((Not too late, I don't think!))

William Halloran: ((or yes. *S*))

William Halloran: He makes his way up to the counter, setting the books down. "Ummm...how much fer all o' these?" Good thing Brigette's been paying for all the stuff he's been going out and getting them.

Wendy Berber {@work}: *she winces as she puts weight on her ankle, still cut up from the otherday at the laundromat.. she rubs at her knuckles nervously, waiting on william, she brings out a pencil and paper and looks over the books, scratching down some figures that don't seem to make any reasonable sense.. a look of concentration and then* um.. 45.68 with tax um sir

William Halloran: He nods and pulls out three twenties, handing it over. "An', umm...keep the change." Least he can do for making her almost break her neck.

Wendy Berber {@work}: *she blinks owlishly thenn goes red, starting to shake her head as she awkwardly bags his books in sturdy brown bags, not touching the money just yet* um.. its ok.. I'm sorry.

William Halloran: "Naw, it's okay." He smiles a little bit. "Please, go ahead. Ain't outa obligation 'er nothin'."

Wendy Berber {@work}: *she dares a glance up at him through a shag of bangs, smoothing her hair nervously before pressing the button on the cash register.. the drawer punches out with force and clips her watch.. which.. while it surely has bruised the girl's wrist.. doesn't break in the least. a cringe as she gets his change and puts in a little tin under the counter* um.. thank you. sir. *she adds hastily*

William Halloran: "Yer welcome. Thanks for th' books...I appreciate it." He nods to her. "Y'have a nice day."

Wendy Berber {@work}: kay. you too sir. *she nods, rubbing at her watch, shoulders stooped as she lingers behind the counter and watches the huge man blot out the light from the door as he leaves*

William Halloran: And off he goes, out into the streets of Manhattan, eyes finding the floor. There were still some people who he could help, it seemed. Sometimes. He heads down the street.