Cheryl
Say what you want about Briar Ridge - it has changed since his departure from the Barca Estate. The new ~~meat~~ life that filled its sullen streets now is pleasing, if a bit off-putting. Hazel, the tailor girl, was lovely to speak to even if Valerian is unsure of where they stand - he'd like her company again in the future, if he was able to have it, perhaps while she's pinning his suits together or stitching up one of the inevitable rips he'll get in some trousers trying to put his furniture back together in his house.

The full moon is tonight, or so just about everyone in the town has made it aware. Between this *Madness* And the growing pressures of the coal mines, Valerian wonders if any of this is actually worth it. (Florian's face flashes in his mind. *Of course it is worth it.*) His shoulders roll back as he walks down the thoroughfare, looking around for a particular building he heard a decent amount about from a pair of townsfolk who were helping him move Florian's things into a sizeable room downstairs, which would then put Olivia in the old nurse's room, and Valerian upstairs in the master bedroom. Despite whining about not getting the larger closet, Olivia was happier to be close to Florian, and Valerian was happy for the privacy of a bedroom *And* An office.

Florian is adamant that Valerian get his gun, and sit at the door. *We've never had an attack when it was just me an' Nurse Lettie,* He told Valerian over breakfast this morning, desperate to get through to his older brother's bored demanor, *But since there are more of us in the house now, I ain't sure they won't swing by. Them things... I think they's curses of the coal, Val. They're gon' try to get you.*

And so, here he was. Purchasing ammunition for his hunting rifle, putting a notice on town square- *To those willing and interested, the Barca Estate is open to those seeking shelter from the routine beast attacks-* But Valerian Barca is nothing if not a cynic, and so when he prepares to leave town square, his shopping done, he finally - *Finally!* - finds that little bookstore he was looking for. Pushing the door open, he says nothing, not yet come into contact with the bookkeeper, beginning to peruse the shelves. *Surely* There were a text or three he could claim for the night, idly reading by the door that he was *Sure* Was not going to be thrown open by some beast. He's not read for leisure in a while - hell, maybe the full moon should come around more often if it means he'll get a break from his work.

He turns the corner, though, and is so startled that he jumps about two feet in the air. A hand on his chest, he feels his heart rate drop as he comes down from the adrenaline - face to face with a woman shorter than him, with dark hair. "By the holy Trinity, ma'am, you just about scared the hellfires out of me. You're too quiet for my likin'. I thought I was the only soul in here."
John
Now, don't you get it twisted. Jade loved working down at the courier and especially the tall drink of water she found in her company. Technically her boss but if she was honest, she bossed Arthur around more times than not. She didn't mean to be bossy; honest! She's used to having siblings to conduct, wipe their faces, get them out the door before school. She had learned to be keen of hearing too, make sure they ain't gotten into no mischievous. 

Now she watched the man in front of her, she thought the creak of the floors would've given her away but she figured out pretty quick her assumption was incorrect. She let out a gracious laugh "Oh my apologies sir. I reckon I thought this old floor would tell ya where I was" She stepped on a particularly squeaky board, making it let out a loud croak.

"Well. Now that your soul has made it back from all them hellfires and what not. Can I help you find a book? Anything in particular, keep in mind though, I'm still a little new so, I may not even know what books we have" She tried to keep their interaction light hearted
Cheryl
"Why, I'm not bothered one bit," He chuckles, now that the embarrassing failure of his own startling was over. He inhales slowly, exhales slowly, and then looks again at the book clerk, crinkling his nose. "I'm looking for series of books, preferably ones in which I can buy the entire set today. I will be hosting quite a few people at my estate tonight for the full moon, and frankly, I fear that while I'm sitting by the door with my rifle, I'll be bored shitless."

How eloquent a man, reduced down to flavorful text to express just *How* Cynical he was of this entire thing. His shoulders roll back, his collarbones aching - God on High, could the weather hurry up and change? "I'm a fan of romances, some fantasy, though whatever you have available that I could chew through in my spare time is equally as welcomed. Money isn't an issue, so perhaps you could show me new arrivals... Popular picks. Things o'that nature. "

He continues to browse the spines of a series of books nearby to him as he listens with a keen ear for Jade's recommendation. While Valerian himself was no scholar, per se, what he was was intelligent— he was able to read between the lines (one must do so when they're signing a contract) and enjoy the nuances of characters that were complex and well designed (perhaps, in a sense, he's waiting for someone to read him with such nuance).

"I'm willin' to try just about anythin'," He says, chuckling, "If I don't like it, I'll find a library or a school to give it to."
Bonita
Jade watched as Valerian searched for something that would pique his interest. Jade liked to read when she had the time, this wasn't her main hobby though. She did still have some good books to recommend to him. Cursing didn't startle her, she had a tendency to do it herself sometimes now that she didn't have little ears listening. "Ah... Yeah, I think I have a few books stashed away but I have a feeling my nerves won't allow me to focus too much" She admitted. Although waving off her own comment, she did have a few suggestions. She held up her finger motioning for him to wait right there, 

"Let me see, there is The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, The Trial, The Side of Paradise" She went on and on. He said money wasn't a problem and she had quite a few suggestions, she weaved in and out of the shelves as the titles kept coming to mind. Even if some of them took her a while, she wasn't the most educated. She stopped her schooling to take care of things at home. 

Jade put the stack of books that she had managed to collect on the counter for Valerian to sift through and pick the best standing. "Well, that's nice of you to donate them if you don't end up liking them." She picked up one of the books from the stack, holding it out to him. "I think this one should be the first read. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, by Anita Loos. It's about showgirls, Lorelei Lee and her friend Dorothy" She awaited his reaction, hoping that her own interest in the book would perhaps entice his own. 

||
Cheryl
" Showgirls, you say, " He says, with a tone of voice that's intrigued, but not in the way one would expect a man to be intrigued at the mention of showgirls. There is no intentional malice or misconduct in his expression at all, instead genuine intrigue in his features as he takes the book from her, turning it over, leafing through the pages. A lot of content— it would make for a good first read. There is a bit of a wistful smile across his lips as he daydreams again about the idea of reading for pleasure.

Of the three Barca children, each of them had their own neat little box they crammed themself into. Sweet Olivia, middle child and only daughter, seemed to be the romantic — ever the dreamer, ever the adventurer. She took after their mother in that regard, running off with some young chap not even six months after knowing him. (Valerian had to say *I told you so* When she begged him to come home, and sobbed in his arms when she crossed the threshold back into her childhood safeties.) Florian was the artist — he was a painter, a musician; the things his physical disability could not allow him to was replaced with the dreamscapes of creativity in his mind. Once he settled on painting as a preferred medium, Valerian always had him supplied with what he needed (and was certain to tell all of the wives of his coworkers just how talented his brother was).



"Mm, yes," He says, handing it back. "I'll take this one. And *Gatsby,* Too. It's been a while, since I've read. Book of the *Decade,* I tell you."
Helen
"Showgirls" Jade repeated in an excited tone, she expected most men to jump at the chance when they heard the book was about showgirls but she thought the book was much deeper than that. It was a nice surprise when Valerian seemed to think so too. She watched as he carefully inspected the book. Hopefully, it wouldn't seem like too much of a boring read. She found it to be quite intriguing. Well, obviously she was the one who recommended it. Valerian was one of the many types of people she had met in Briar Ridge, that was one thing Briar Ridge had. Variety and people from all walks of life. Almost like everyone ran away from home and found a haven in Briar Ridge, only... Briar Ridge was no haven at times. Especially on full moons in which the town had fallen into a craze to prepare for. 

"Gatsby, another good choice" She took it from the pile she had stacked up, holding it out to him with a smile "I have to agree, I remember borrowing it from Coalwood's very small library and using my dad's mine flashlight to read it under the covers while my brothers slept" She had a smile on her face, one of the very few fond memories she had of home, others were really just the once in a blue moon times where she and her siblings could cut up and act like the children they were before they were molded back into the miserable adults they were always destined to be. 

Not Jade Grant, not ever. She would enjoy her life. Even if Briar Ridge had its flaws, this was the first place she had freedom and that was far more important than these wolf attacks. Eventually, someone had to catch them, right?