Checking up with curly man {for Joel, Spencer}

[bachjones]

 It had hurt Bach, the things Joel had said, but drunks always spoke ugly truths and he simply wasn't good with women when there was no sex involved anyway.
He was pretty sure Joel was a friend and the man was nice. And nice people didn't deserve hangovers.

So here he was, in front of Joel's store, a fried egg bagel and a few aspirin in a cheap plastic bag his only company.

Comments

[doublethepain]

"You believe yourself worse than you really are," Spencer tells him. He's hard on himself, too, when it comes to talking to strangers. He tends to fidget when he's uncomfortable--shifting from foot to foot, crossing his arms over his chest, rubbing at the back of his neck, anything to remind himself that he's still capable of moving--but he's got the mug in his hand right now so it's not as difficult to make it seem like he's at ease.

He is, actually, he realizes with a bit of a start. He's a bit jittery from meeting Bach, meeting someone who doesn't already know both him and Joel, and maybe it's having Joel just a few feet away but Spencer is doing all right. At least, he hopes he is.

"I've already had someone come just for me," he says, eyes flickering downward before meeting Bach's again. "I'd rather that not happen again, believe it or not. But I like that, 'the ones that carry stories in their wood.' You still sound passionate about it, why did you stop?"

[bachjones]

"It's an easy habit to keep, right? Just see yourself as the worst basis and forget about all the other maybe positive ideas people are stacking on that. I'm the worst music piece, if you could read notes. Can you read notes? Do you read other languages as well, being librarian and stuff?"

Maybe the guy's not that bad. A bit ..like a hare, maybe. Ready to run, but maybe he's got a reason for that. "Sickness", Bach shrugs. "I hope I can find a cure before I kill myself over it."

[doublethepain]

Spencer hasn't ever necessarily seen himself as the worst kind of person, he's not even particularly insecure most of the time; it's more that in times like these, when he's speaking to someone he doesn't know, he ends up second-guessing himself; over-thinking things; convincing himself that he's socializing all wrong, and it becomes frustrating enough that he doesn't want to try again. It's a vicious cycle that's only recently been broken and a big part of that has been because of Joel. "On the other hand, sometimes it's nice to believe that there are people out there who think you're more than the scum of the earth."

"Well, I'm not sure that knowing other languages is directly correlated with being a librarian," he says, the corners of his lips twitching in amusement, "but yes, I took Latin and Spanish in high school. I'm working on French and Italian right now, as well, I have this app on my phone that's quite helpful. As for the notes, I can read notes and I did play the piano but I fell out of the habit. Some of the most brilliant musicians are the ones who can improvise, though."

He has a great admiration for people who are skilled with instruments. He'd learned how to play, yes, but he wouldn't say he was especially good at it, nor did he have the inspiring passion that he'd seen in others his age. The mention of a cure for a sickness makes him arch an eyebrow, though, and he tilts his head in morbid curiosity. "You're ill? I'm sorry to hear that, what-- I mean, may I ask what your condition is?"

[bachjones]

"That's a weird idea though. Probably comes with the optimistic lifestyle." He grins. "My mother used to say that was only for rich people and dumb people. But you're a librarian, so I guess you fail with both categories. Right? Or should I get into libraries to make money?"

"Holy shit. That's ..they teach Latin and Spanish in high school? Huh. I knew I missed more than bullshit about dead presidents. You have language books in your library? Or like ..music tapes so I can learn from them? Don't have anything better to do now anyway .."

Bach licks his lips, unsure how to explain it in a possibly sane sounding matter. "Eh. I think my organs are dying off. And my senses. Like that."

[doublethepain]

Spencer isn't rich but he isn't struggling. He'd been left a considerable sum of money after his mother's passing and there had also been that awful life insurance check he'd received in the mail that he'd immediately put into a separate account at the bank and hasn't looked at since. It's not as though he goes anywhere often so he doesn't spend much money and he certain can't complain about his pay, but he's not a Coombs or a Thornton or an Abasi.

"Er, I think if you're looking to actually fall under the 'rich' category, you might look elsewhere than the library. And yes, actually, we do have all those things there. I'm back at work part-time now, if you ever need help. I can get you set up with a library card, show you around, that sort of thing."

He blinks at the explanation, not entirely sure what to make of it. "You're speaking... medically?" Spencer doesn't want to outright ask if it's to do with the curse on the town, with witches and sirens and whatever comes in between because he knows how much Joel values his own privacy and Spencer won't betray that if he can help it.

[bachjones]

"Thought so. You need a card to get into the library? Is it like a security thing?" Bach has never worried about showing his dumb ass. "Or how does that work? Do I have to pay for it?"

"Eh." He scratches his temples. "I think so? Stuff is just fading away right now, and the people who are supposed to know about such things only say that I'm blocked up. Which sounds like a good big bathroom break would help, but nah, it doesn't."

[doublethepain]

He shakes his head, a bit surprised that Bach doesn't seem remotely familiar with how the library works, but he's practiced in patience so it's not as if it's a problem. "It's not for getting into the library," he explains, "it's more for tracking purposes. You can get one with a $5... well, we call it a donation but a more apt name for it would be a membership fee. It's good for life, though, and when you want to borrow a book, you just give your friendly neighborhood librarian--that would be me--your card and we scan it into the system. That way, we know what day you took the book and when you're supposed to bring it back. You can borrow as many as you want, whenever you want, but there are fines if you return them late or not at all."

He foregoes further explanation in favor of focusing his attention on Bach's condition and sets his mug aside on a nearby table so he can bring his hand up to scratch at the light stubble prickling his jawline. "Fading away. Well, I can't say I'm an expert in such things but this town is always full of surprises. Maybe you'll find a book in our Rare Texts section that will help you, you never know."

[bachjones]

"Five dollars. Okay. I think I can do that. I saw a thing about free cinnamon rolls soon, that could be food for a while .. You have a lot of library customers? Learning language? Because I don't wait for anything, I'm really impatient. And how long can you keep the books before having to bring them back?"

He pushes a laugh back down. "A book is going to help me. Is that Rare Texts section the place for Kama Sutra stuff else well?"

[doublethepain]

He doesn't think Bach's looking for pity, not that Spencer is often inclined to give it simply because he hates it so much when it's directed toward himself, but the comment about free cinnamon rolls being good for food and can't help but apply that knowledge to what's still working in the back of his mind. Bach had brought Joel food today and what must that mean? By all logical standpoints, by the way Bach had described himself as protective of Joel, it seems to Spencer that Bach has more than just a casual interest in their favorite bookshop owner.

He files that away to think on later, though, because he wants to be able to help the other man understand how the library works more than he cares to make connections in his mind that may or may not even be valid in the first place. He answers the questions shot off one by one, and he's glad to have something else to to focus on rather than his own nagging and unwelcome bit of insecurity.

"Quite a bit in general but not all too many specifically coming in to learn new languages. If you mean having to wait for the books themselves then I think you'll be okay. What language are you looking to learn? You can keep them for two weeks but you can always re-borrow them, the rule is more to keep track of inventory."

The flush threatens to return at the mention of Kama Sutra but Spencer clears his throat, rubbing at the back of his neck and shooting another glance Joel's way to see whether his boyfriend is done with his customer yet. He isn't. "As a matter of fact, yes, we do have books that pertain to, er, that."

[bachjones]

"Spanish. Definitely Spanish. I don't know why but it sounds amazing and it has a lot of emotion stacked between the lines. Or that's how it sounds like, at least."

"Just two weeks? I don't read that fast." When was the last time he even read things?
His stomach growls, and he covers it with a hand. "Sorry, man. Less women willing to cook for me, these days. Money and sex really do make the world go around. How often do you find dirty things in those kind of books?"

[doublethepain]

"I could help you, in that case." He surprises himself a bit by offering, he doesn't usually volunteer his services for people he doesn't know very well; but this is a friend of Joel's, and Spencer wants to make an effort to get to know him even if their conversation so far has taken a bit of a strange turn. "Two weeks but you can borrow it again, you just need to stop by the library so we can enter it into our system."

He raises an eyebrow at Bach's next comment and shifts uncomfortably, skipping right over the question about what he finds in the books because he doesn't often look at the in the first place. "You could cook for yourself," he suggests carefully. "It's not as if it's exclusively a woman's job, after all. I'm not very good at it myself but I've found that microwavable ramen bowls tend to come in quite handy here and there."

[bachjones]

"Help me with what, reading? Spanish? Reading faster?"
So maybe he's a bit of a meanie, "with dirty things? Don't let Joel hear that."

"Oh no, no man, I tried. It's a thing, we can't cook. I blew up a microwave once. Ask Lara Quinn."

[doublethepain]

"Most of those things. I do occasional tutoring once in awhile, for those who are willing to ask." He'd done it for Demetri Thornton and Amelie Coombs, so he feels like he's pretty well-rounded. "Decidedly not the dirty things."

He has to laugh at that, shrugging a shoulder in response. "It's not for everyone."

[bachjones]

"So you're a teacher as well? On everything?"

"Exactly." He taps his mouth. "Ovens are dangerous, baking doesn't work, I'm just especially bad with heating food. I've been eating a lot of fruit and bread the past few days."

[doublethepain]

"No. No, no, no." Spencer can't imagine being a teacher, his wealth of knowledge aside. His patience would wear too thin, with both the kids and their parents, and he wrinkles his nose at the notion of having to read essays filled to the brim with grammatical errors and general garbage. He'd read his share of his classmates' works in high school, after all, he understands what he'd have to expect.

"Being a tutor is far preferable for me," he continues, shrugging a shoulder. "One-on-one and focused on a single subject, I'm better at that."

He chuckles at the comment about ovens because he agrees whole-heartedly with that, at least. "Yes, well, I'm lucky enough to have friends who are interested in cooking and baking enough to make sure I'm well-fed. Otherwise I think I might have ended up doing the same."

[bachjones]

"You two really go together like apples and pies, man. Well done, great connection. If I could, you'd two be a great rhythm to write to."

And now he's hungry, because damn, apple pie.

"I have a friend who lives at a place with people working in the kitchen, that's a good point. I should visit him a bit more often. But fruit's not that bad, honestly. I just miss a great steak from time to time, but meat isn't that important. And it's better for the environment to eat less anyway, or so I heard."