(2019-01-16) Paris - Part 2
Museum shenanigans!
Players:
esme..katherine..

So far, Paris was everything Esme wanted and more. The night had been very satisfying and there were plans for her to get tangled up with Alban at least one more time before it was time to head home. Now though, a delicious lunch had just been finished with Katherine and Esme was talking to her about the library they were heading to. "It's the oldest public library in France! It's got the original Guetenberg Bible and all kinds of old manuscripts!" Esme was about as excited to see this place as Kate had been about the chocolate croissants as they came upon the building. It was a huge structure, one of the biggest Esme had ever seen. And it was all a library? An excited squeak escaped her as she snapped a picture of the ouisde. "Let's go inside!" Taking Kate's hand to all but drag her in.

Kate keeps her focus on Esme's face, because if she looks away while she's talking something will steal that focus. Her eyebrows are raised slightly and she seems hugely excited as well. Might be because of the croissant in one of her hands. When Esme grabs the other one and starts dragging her forward, she laughs out loud and steps quicker so she can keep up. "Is this the kind of library that you run, or can you not check out books here?" Stupid question, but Kate knows about as much about libraries as Esme knows about knitting. As they step through the threshold, Kate blinks and her mouth opens slightly. "Wow." She whispers quietly.

"I don't even know!" Esme admitted as they neared the doors. "I mean, probably…some books I'm sure you can…" Her voice trailed off, quieter as they entered into the lobby. It was SO BIG and there were so many people…yet it was just as quiet as her own back at home might be. "Wow is right…" She murmured back. She hardly even knew where to start. Esme took her phone back out so she could snap a few pictures of the immediate area. "This is so…lord, I could just live here! It would be so amazing!" Her voice is still quiet, but excited. Finally, moving to the front to retrieve a brochure and then go back to Kate. "Let's check out some of the exhibits! They give guided tours too!" She made a mental note. Maybe she would do one of those.

Katherine shifts her eyes from one thing to another and she keeps her hand in Esme's so she doesn't get lost or ..so she doesn't lose her friend. "You could live here? You could fit a bed in here, a big one." She perks up at the prospect of exhibits and guided tours. "Is that one starting?" She asks, pulling Esme across the lobby toward a group of people. There are several men and women, and they're all looking at brochures as well. Kate pulls her phone free and takes a picture before she laughs. "Who am I going to show this to? Sevin…probably, and that's it." She blinks as they start handing out name tags, writing her name and sticking over her heart. "Okay. I'm ready."

"You could fit a whole house in here. Or three!" Esme followed Katherine over towards the group of others, quickly taking a name tag so she could write her name down. "Ready too!" She wiggled a bit. "Ohh maybe I can get a lead on that book Sevin's been looking for too…" She mused. "They have everything here…someone's bound to know something." But that was for later. Now was for tours and and looking at everything the library had to offer. It didn't take too long for the curator leading the tour to get everyone's attention. No touching, no recording. Pictures were okay but only in certain areas. But mostly, no touching and no disturbing those who were reading. Then they were off! Heading into one of the main areas.

"What book is he looking for?" Kate asks, glancing at Esme with a sly look on her face. She hooks her arm up with Esme so she doesn't get separated, looking at things that are displayed with wide eyes. She blinks a few times, pointing at one of the displays that they come near. "Wow. Esme? I wasn't going to come to this library, but…I'm glad I did." She takes a snap with her phone, and sends off a text to someone, grinning. "Favorite part of the trip so far?" She asks, glancing aside to Esme, her voice nearly a whisper as they trail behind some of the others.

Esme names off the book he is looking for. Something sciene related, a first edition though, which is always a little more difficult to find. She gives Kate's arm a squeeze, grinning. "I'm glad you did too. I know that like…libraries aren't really…fascinating to most people but this. This place is like living history." Her voice was soft, wide-eyed as they looked at the various things. When they got to see the Gutenberg Bible she took a few pictures. "I wish Ewan Powell was like this one…this is the dream I think. Help run a library like this one one day." She nodded and grinned again. "I think so. The museums are going to be even better. Are you excited for your cooking classes?"

Kate rests her head on Esme's shoulder. "Is he looking to buy it?" She asks, her tone innocent. She might have to help with that." She shoots a look at the next display that they stop at, staring at the bible for a few moments, her mouth open. "I love stuff like this, but people usually don't want to go, you know?" She narrows her eyes at Esme. "Don't you move away to do that, if you leave I'm gonna be really sad." She takes a picture of a painting, tilting her head as she stares at it for a few moments. "I am, I can't wait to learn how to make chocolate croissants, and probably a few meat dishes. I have no clue how long we're gonna hang out, but I bought two new notebooks in case he gives me recipes too."

"I think he might be." Esme leaned in her head on Kate's lightly for a moment and then chuckled. "I love stuff like this too. I always have. It's fascinating." She takes another picture and looked over towards Kate again, a little amused. "Oh I'm not going anywhere. Not for a long while at least so don't you worry." She nodded as she listened to the plans for the class. "That sounds like fun! You're going to be cooking us French food for a month after we get back. It'll be great." Flashing another grin. "I hope he gives you lots of recipes."

Kate gets a thoughtful look on her face, shifting her eyes at Esme. "If you find it, will you let me buy it so I can give it to him?" She stands on her tip toes and peeks at something at the next display, blinking a few times. "Oh good, because I'm getting used to having you around. I need my Esme fix." She laughs and nods at Esme. "Maybe more than a month, depending on the recipies that we get." She bounces on the balls of her feet, brushing her hair back away from her face. "I..man… we need to girl gossip. What have you been up to at home lately? Seeing anyone there?"

"I enjoy our time together too. And of course, if I find it - it's all yours." Esme nodded, thinking a moment. "We do need to gossip." A hand run through her hair and she shrugged. "I…not really? I don't think." She paused, trying to figure out the best way to word it. "I've been spending a lot of time with Stan…we actually have plans to sync up a movie tomorrow, or the next day. While you're at one of your classes I figured would be the best time." She chewed her bottom lip. "He's cute, and he wasn't weirded out by my occult stuff…but I don't know if he likes me that way. Honestly…I was a little jealous. Seeing Anthony with August." She ran her hand over her face. "We'd 've been terrible together and I know that but…it was a fleeting thing. August is lovely and I'm glad she's happy."

Kate slings an arm over Esme's shoulder, walking slowly and closely with the librarian as they gossip quietly amind the other tourists. "That's adorable." She says, grinning before she hip bumps Esme. "Well if you don't know, honey…ask him Don't wait." She blinks at the admission, her eyebrows raised slightly. "I get the jealousy thing, I honestly do. More so now than I ever did before." She wrinkles her nose and shakes her head slowly back and forth. "You deserve a chance to be happy Esme, and it'll come to you. Tell Stan that you kind of like him, or that you want to like him more, and do something about it. Waiting is so not worth it, trust me."

Esme slipped her arm around Kate's waist as they walked and whispered. "I might ask him…I didn't want to bring it up before I left. If it doesn't come up when we're chatting…then definitely when we're back in town. Like, I want to ask him about it…talk to him. Cause if we're just gonna be friends then, fine. I'm okay with that but…yeah I wanna know." She nodded."I've never been really the jealous type. It just kinda struck me. I guess just because things were really…intense." Esme shook her head. "Anyway…yes. I'll do something about it, and I'll totally let you know how it goes. How about you? Are you and Sevin doing okay?"

Kate smiles at Esme, nodding slowly. "I know about jealousy, and it is a killer. It's so hard to push it away though, it means that you felt something. I can understand why you did. That day that I walked into the kitchen, and you two were there? The air was so heavy." She brushes her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "Well, I asked Sam out on a date, and because I'm honest? I told Sevin about it, and…he lost it. To put it mildly. He ..we ..it was really bad. The next day, we talked, I sent him a letter and ..well now we're..in a relationship. He's so very intense, and ..most days I don't care if he's older than I am. My god, Esme…the sex is.." She exhales slowly, her cheeks getting pink. ".. I can't even think of a word to describe it."

A little shiver ran through Esme's spine as she recalled the night Kate was talking about. "…Yeah. Anthony is…dangerous. A little bit. Like a shark circling and I…liked it. Kind of. That little bit of fear." She admitted, her own cheeks a little pink. "But it's for the best." Her head tilted then. "Sam is the one you asked out? Good to know he's with someone…whoever that lady was you mentioned? Because I kind of had my eye on him too. If Stan was a dead end." She mused. Her eyes widened a bit as Kate continued on. "Damn. I'm glad that you're okay…and that you guys have settled things…he's that good huh? I might have to pester you for the dirty details some time." A teasing little grin. "Wild? Wild sex is the best. Good way to get out all kinds of pent up feelings you know."

"I don't know if I would say wild, he's just so intense. When he decides something, that's the way it is. I can argue it, but if it's not a good argument? Oh well. Too bad." Kate smirks and rolls her eyes briefly. "He cooks for me, and he takes care of me. He said he loves me." She looks warmed about that, and then slides a look over to Esme. "Sam is a really nice guy, but I think he's..very taken now." She blinks a few times and frowns. "I hope Sevin doesn't say anything to him about the whole date thing. He was…so angry Esme. It was pretty scary." She hugs Esme for a moment before she laughs, the sound quiet. "You'll find what you're looking for, you deserve to be happy. It's out there somewhere for you."

"I'm sure he won't…he may have been angry but I doubt he wants to cause unnecessary trouble." Esme offered up. "I know it is, though the problem with that is that the chances of it being in Calaveras are tiny. But, as much as I'd like to have some kind of steady relationship it's not the end all be all. I have people," Giving Kate a little squeeze. "And my library and my occult things. If a relationship comes up, then great. If not, well, I still won't have any regrets." She smiled slightly. "I'm glad that you've found someone. Even if he's intense, I think Sevin is an interesting person. And if he does anything to hurt you, there's a whole host of people who'll rain their wrath down upon him."

"Yes well.." Kate winces as she slides a look at Esme, giggling softly. "He thinks of things differently than others do. Stuff that wouldn't faze me, completely rattle him. I .." She just shakes her head and huffs out a breath. "You'll find someone, you're lovely. There is certainly someone out there for you, there has to be. If there isn't somewhere out there for you, what is the world coming to?" She smirks and wrinkles her nose. "Sevin doesn't seem to be afraid of people. Esme, while we were in Rio, someone attacked us. Before the man could aim a gun at my head, Sevin shot him twice in the hand. I ..had no idea what was happening. I blinked, and then he was …just dealing with the man. I .." She shudders briefly and then blinks a few times. "He's more dangerous than he seems, I think."

"Christ, really?" Esme's eyes widened as Kate talked about Rio. "That's…terrifying to think about. You guys getting attacked and him taking care of it so quickly." She shook her head. "Do we just have a thing for dangerous men?" She mused. "…Be careful though, you know? If he's tangled up in some dangerous stuff, I don't want you getting hurt or also tangled up in any of that."

"He tried to dump me that way a few nights ago. I honestly thought it was him just…trying to get rid of me." Kate wrinkles her nose and lets out a deep sigh. "Our relationship is complicated, but ..I care about him a lot." The group tour is near the entrance again, the tour over. "I'm not sure how things are going to go? I'm looking forward to it all though, it's…strange how much we ..it's just strange." She shoots a look at Esme. "Maybe he and I can have you up to his house for dinner one night."

Esme looked around as they were returning to the entrance. Looking back down at Kate. "Relationships are complicated. Feelings are messy. As long as you care about each other…I think things will probably turn out okay in the end." She offered another smile. "Sure, that could be nice. Depending on how things go with Stan, maybe he can be my plus one. I'm going to inquire about that book real quick. Maybe they'll have at least some ideas of some kind of collectors or specialty book stores that could carry it" She loosened her hold on Kate and then would start heading to the desk, letting Kate come with her if she wanted.

Kate stays where she is, watching Esme cross the lobby. She pulls her phone out and taps something on the screen, her brow furrowed slightly. She slips the phone away and a tall, brown haired gentleman walks over and starts speaking to Kate in fluent French. She just stares at him blankly for a few moments before she offers a tentative smile. "English?" She asks, and the man smiles, nodding before he bows toward Kate. "Sorry, Madame. I was wondering if you were looking for a tour here, or…?"

Esme makes small talk with the woman at the desk before getting to the point of her inquiry. There's some chatter, the woman has to think and then types a few things into her computer. Esme nods, a bit more chatting is had and then she's accepting a paper from the woman and heading back over towards Kate. A slight smirk played on her lips as she draped an arm over Kate's shoulder and flashed the man a smile. "We just finished the tour actually." Giving him a brief look over. "It's a fantastic bit of learning."

Kate grins over at Esme when she returns, and she lets out a breath. "What she said." She gestures at Esme and the man perks up, a smile on his face. "Ah, you just finished the tour. What a shame. Two beautiful women would have been quite welcome to our party." His accent is thick and he gestures outside. "We will be going after for coffee, if you two might like to join us?" Kate shifts a look to Esme and then jumps when her phone buzzes a few times.

Esme gave the man another appraising look and then looked back to Kate, leaning into murmur to her, "I'm up for it if you are…even if you're with Sevin…there's nothing wrong with eye candy is there?" Then straightened up a bit when Kate's phone buzzed so she could check if she wished. "Mm, we just might. How many of you are there?" An innocent enough question. "We were going to explore the library a bit more on our own I think. How about you meet us back here when your tour is over and we'll let you know?" Offering him an easy smile.

Kate laughs softly and she shrugs at Esme. "Nothing wrong with coffee, right?" She smiles toward the man and nods. "We'll be here when you're finished, certainly." The man lights up and as he stands tall, he replies. "There are five of us, we're all classmates at the local University." He gestures toward a group across the way. Two other men and two women. "If you're here, excellent, if not, I just wanted to say hello. You two are lovely, and Americans. How quaint."

"Sounds like it'll be lovely then. We're glad you came to say hi." Esme grinned. "We'll see you after…enjoy your tour." She gave a wiggle of fingers towards his group. "What was your name by the way? I'm Esme, this is Kate." She motioned to the younger woman. "We're here for…2 and halfish more days. It's been fantastic so far." Esme offered Kate the paper she had. "The librarian was helpful. Gave me a couple good leads."

Kate tucks the paper away, and nods along with Esme. Her eyes moving from the group back to the man. "My name is Lucien." He introduces himself, a slight smile on his features. "Very nice to meet you both, Esme, and you as well Kate." He takes a few steps back, his eyes on both women, before he turns to move away with his group. "Gosh. I think that people here like Americans for the most part." Kate laughs softly, turning to give Esme a hug. "Mm, I'll look forward to some coffee, I think."

Esme watched Lucien head back to his friends and then giggled, hugging Kate back. "I think they do too. Which is a good thing. And coffee will be good. I'm not even much of a coffee drinker - but since we're in Paris I'm definitely going to be trying some. See if I like it any better here. The cocoa at the hotel is to die for. I had some this morning." She nodded. "So, shall we relax until our new friends finish their tour?"

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