[D4 LA] The Book Lovers

[Tiffani]

Tiffani leaned forward slightly in her chair halfway through the recital as if she needed to be closer to the source of the poem, as if being too far away would somehow lessen its impact. Her head was tilted just a little bit remiscent of a puppy hearing an interesting noise. When she blinked, Tiffani found that her eyes had misted and her vision blurred.

She had never been much of a poet nor had she been interested in existential nonsense. She was a scientist, after all - or at least that's what she wanted to be - but now she found the words spoke to her somehow. As if the poet had written them down for her, specifically to hear them.

Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, she sat silent for a time, letting what she had just heard permeate her consciousness - she would remember that poem. Or as much of it as she could.

"Your majesty," Tiffani began, a subtle yet unmistakable beseeching tone to her voice, "I know this may not be the time, perhaps not even the place. But, while Chantelle has been more than saintly in her kindness, I can't mooch off her forever ... or at all, for that matter. I'm in this country illegally, the only identification I have is a drivers' license that expired 32 years ago, and, I'm essentially a 50 year-old 17 year-old who is barely old enough to have a job."

The more she talks the more she simply pours it out like someone emptying a glass of water at an ever-increasing rate. "Can you help me? I'll do anything you ask, I just ..." and she gives Chantelle a worried look, "I just need to be ... hmm ... productive? No, that's not right. Meaningful? Needed? Useful? No ... wanted. You know?"

[Chantelle Rossette]

Chantelle reached over and patted Tiffani's hand, offering an encouraging smile. "Mais, if Tiffani agreeable, I was tinking of lookin' for a bigga place," she looked to the young woman, "perha's you lik' to be 'ousemates? T'Jack 'as sai' 'e woul'. Dat woul' answa de question of where you goin' to live, so long as we ca' fin' you some kin' of income?"

[Tiffani]

Tiffani gives Chantelle her full attention, blinking several times with incredulity. "You mean ... like, permanently?" She unconsciously reached up and tugged on a spiral strand of hair hanging too close to her eyes. It straightened at first, but when she let go, it immediately bounced back into a spiral. "Uh ... well, sure!"

She was excited for the offer, but she tried not to show it, instead trying to take it all with at least a modicum of panache. She turned back to the king, inadvertantly fixing one of those sad but hopeful puppy-dog looks to her face. Of course, she had no idea she looked like that. "That's why I need your help, your majesty. I need to be able to do something."

[Chantelle Rossette]

"Fameux," Chantelle settled back into the plush chair with a sense of satisfaction.

[Jason Whitt]

"What would you feel most comfortable doing?" he responded.

[Tiffani]

Tiffani pinches her lips between thumb and forefinger as she gives the matter some thought. Granted, she had only been back in the mortal realm for a couple of days, but the faster she could stand on her own, the happier she would be. At that moment, she gave Chantelle a warm little smile, her gratitude for the egret's selfless charity, trust, and kindness washed off her in waves - tsunami-sized waves. Then she turned her attention back to the king.

"Funny, that. I never actually gave it a lot of thought - I just wanted to do something. My ultimate goal is to enroll in college. Maybe Miskatonic since I doubt my scholarship to MIT is still laying about waiting for me. Like I said before, my field of ... exerptise is particle physics and quantum mechanics. Not that I'm an expert, per se, but you know what I mean. Once I get situated, that's what I plan to do, maybe by the spring semester.

"But, as for earning money - no one is going to hire me to do much of anything given how old I am. Technically, I'm 50, but ... not really. But no one will know that - or believe it if I told them. Honestly, I would do just about anything, but I'd much prefer something where I'm using my brain, not one of those jobs that a trained chimpanzee can do. Maybe working in a lab or ... something, you know, sciency. But if I have to flip burgers or wait tables, then so be it. Anything that will allow me to accept Chantelle's offer - I can't stay there rent-free. I just hope I can avoid fast food if I can ... yuck."

She twisted up her face in an expression of disgust. "But as I said, whatever it takes."

She knew that was a lousy explanation, but she hadn't thought about an actual job for decades. The king's question blindsided her - no one had ever asked what she wanted to do and so she had no ready answer.

[Jason Whitt]

"We have contacts at the college to get you enrolled and as for work, if you are in need I have an opening for a barista," Jason replied.

"The Freehold has opportunities for you, you are not the first to come back with nothing."

[Tiffani]

Tiffani nods slowly, thoughtfully. It stood to reason that she wouldn't be the only one - but how many were like her? She didn't want to over-burden the Court. In any event, there was an opportunity, and she wasn't going to let it go to waste.

"That's fine with me - just point me in the right direction."

Her mood had definitely changed. In fact, she could barely sit still. Ah, at last, there was some light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.

"I do have a question, though. As for becoming a member of the Autumn Court, is there, uh, something I have to do? Take an oath or pledge or something like that?"

[Jason Whitt]

"Tomorrow during the Apple Festival we can have the official pledge to join the court," he responded. "Unless you need more time."

[Tiffani]

"No ... I don't think so. At least, I can't surmise why I would wait," Tiffani responded. "Apple Festival, hmm? Is there anything I need to prepare for?"