Beatriz
She should be excited about the idea of a new project on her plate – and she is. It's been a while since Hazel has had the opportunity to make a bigger chunk of money at one time, rather than watching her income trickle in via the steady purchases of socks and blouses. She's always been a champion at the compartmentalization of everything unrelated to her work, but in the last few days, Hazel's noticed a wave of *Bad feelings* Creeping toward her on the horizon. 

It's typical around this time of year. As the world turns and the leaves change and eventually drop altogether, Hazel's capacity for happiness seems to plummet. It was less of a problem earlier in her life, when she had no choice but to power through. Now that she's had the time to come unwound, though, the effort she must make to soldier through the winter borders on Herculean.

 Hazel has been in Briar Ridge for just about five years now. It's not the lack of electricity that bothers her, it's the lack of ways to spend her *Own* Time now that she has so much of it. As such... She should be excited about having a large project to do. 

She can't seem to focus on it, though. Her mind is plagued by a million other things – old memories, replaying on loop in the back of her head; strange and conflicting thoughts about some of her newer acquaintances; profound guilt for Oswald; dread for the months ahead. She is nothing if not self-industrious, and as long as she's able, she'll kick and scream to claw her way out of the muddy hole into which she feels she's begun to fall.

Reading seems like a good place to start.

The only book Hazel has ever really read (let alone finished) is the Bible. She's wanted to change this for longer than she can remember, but pride and shame have kept her from the library or even asking for recommendations. Today feels like a day to try and overcome that, mostly because if she doesn't, she has to go home and try to sew a suit while thinking about how horrible she is at her job and how much everyone hates her. Having some reading to do will, at the very least, occupy her mind. 

It is with marked hesitation that Hazel opens the door to the little library, and in spite of her urge to steal away to the back, she makes an effort to seek out the face of the librarian.

"Good morning," She calls in a hushed tone, nervously glancing in the direction of the counter for any sign of Jade.
Michael
Jade found comfort in the library during the changing of the seasons. Something about it felt like home. Somewhere she was in control, something that was hers. She had her own personality – she was no longer just the coal miner's daughter. She had her own friends, real friends. Miss Maeve, Dimitra, Charlie, Riley, and Addie Sinclair and she had so many more people in Briar Ridge that she had yet to meet. She had found a home in those in Briar Ridge. She missed West Virginia sometimes, don't get her wrong. She missed Jackson and Walter, and even though it wasn't always the happiest, she and her brothers still had fond memories. She would read them stories, sometimes she made them up. She spent the crisp morning putting away some of the books that had been left out from the day before, her schedule worked well. Library during the day and the Courier at night to clean. 

She hadn't read much lately but she still had some recommendations for those who wanted them, she didn't want to disappoint after all. She was the librarian! She enjoyed her job, interacting with people, helping them find a story to consume them and take their minds away from the horrors that Briar Ridge had on every full moon. Folks in the midst of preparing for what could be another night of lives lost. She heard the door open and close, the wood creaking under someone's feet. She listened for a moment, analyzing the steps, they were hesitant, afraid. Jade would be careful when coming up to greet them, she wouldn't want to spook and scare them away. She rounded the bookshelf to go to the counter but she stopped before she got there with a smile

"Well, I'll be" She spoke in a honeyed tone, Hazel Calhoun. She was drop-dead gorgeous. She wiped her hands on the back of her dress to make sure her hands were free of any dust. "I have been waiting to meet you. I've heard you run the tailor shop right?" She didn't go behind the counter instead she went to the side, nothing really separating her and Miss Calhoun except the air. "I'm Jade Grant" She extended her hand in a friendly manner. 

||
Beatriz
Hazel knew who Jade was by way of the speakeasy and peeping her around the courier's office, but they'd yet to have a real conversation. Jade Grant was a delicate beauty with dark, shiny waves of hair and wonderfully hooded eyes. In spite of her attempts to hide her body with her clothes, Hazel had a tailor's eye and could see the fullness of Jade's figure underneath. She'd be beautiful in something draped correctly for her form – but, then, Hazel understood why a person might want to hide that part of themselves. Hazel herself didn't know how to handle the weight of anyone's gaze when it lingered for too long, especially not a man's. Despite a fundamental lack of experience in that department, she at least was familiar with the feeling of unwanted eyes on her body. 

The sound of Jade's voice was unexpectedly gentle, and Hazel wondered if each of them might have seen a truth in the other. She couldn't help but smile as she approached and shook Jade's hand, though her own gesture was a little weaker, a little less sure. Even so, she still held herself upright with impeccable posture, that terrible pride manifesting even here.

"Yes, I do," She replied, sounding markedly more confident. The tailor's shop was her domain, and to have it addressed was a helpful reminder that she was an entrepreneur in her own right. 

"I'm Hazel Calhoun. It's nice to meet you." However bashful she might have felt, Hazel's voice did not betray her. She could talk to women much more easily than to men. Her eyes were analytical as she studied Jade, and when she found no airs of superiority or hostility her gaze softened to match the smile she wore. 

"I was hopin' you could help me find a book," She began, forcing out the words in spite of her discomfort. "I'm... I don't read as much as I'd like to. And I could really use another hobby." There was certainly more she could have said, but pride tied her tongue.

Hazel stole a few glances around the bookshelves. The library was appropriately small for such a tiny town, but there were still a rainbow of books to choose from in a variety of conditions. It impressed her that someone could know every title, have recommendations ready to go.
Michael
Miss Calhoun was certainly a summer breeze in the prettiest of gardens. She knew briefly of the woman. Through the talk of the town, and the speakeasy, no one ever had anything bad to say either. Jade mentally scolded herself for not striking up a conversation sooner and being so impolite as to make Hazel start one first. She took in all of Hazel's frame, the observant demeanor. Jade liked that, someone just as observant of her as she was of them. She held the woman's hand in her own. Soft, delicate, and perhaps needle-pricked if someone looked carefully. Such was the life of a tailor. She smiled knowing her assumption was correct. She had heard Miss Calhoun's name as the best and only in the town. She had even passed the shop a few times and wondered about going in. "Oh please, the pleasure is mine. I love a fresh face in the library, it makes the decor seem more.., inviting and less ancient" She winked playfully before dropping her hand from the woman's, the absence of the others warm noticeable.

"Find you a book" She repeated back to Hazel, as if she were some trained parrot. She had tons of recommendations as always. However, it depended on what genre they were looking for. Were they looking to be swept off their feet by a knight in shining armor? Were they looking to fight battles with the Greeks and Trojans? Were they looking for adventure relevant to today's time? Endless lives they could live through the printed words on the yellowed pages. The only question was what life did Hazel want to live? What experience did she want both in books and life? The woman seemed... Rather sheltered but Jade could've been wrong. "Can I be honest with ya?" She called out as she trailed the shelves for something that struck her eye, something that screamed Hazel Calhoun. "I haven't been reading much either" She gave the woman a mischievous grin "And I am surrounded by books all day" She wanted to offer some sort of comfort to Hazel, not that she needed it. She just wanted everyone to feel welcome no matter their literacy or illiteracy. 

She certainly wanted Hazel as a frequent patron and a friend. Jade finally selected a book, about a model who is abducted by the insane, scarred, and blind sculptor known as "The Blind Beast," Who then imprisons her in a surreal maze made of enormous sculpted eyes and other bizarre body parts before mutilating her in a terrifying blood-orgy. "This may be a little bizarre... If you want to give it a try" Jade held the book out to her. 

||
Beatriz
Hazel's smile was genuine, if a little shy. Jade and Hazel were both from outside of Briar Ridge, but Jade seemed to be much better at integrating herself into the community. The art of socialization was one that Hazel did her best to practice, despite it being a little daunting. 

She listened carefully while Jade prattled on, appreciative of the librarian's attempt to make her feel a little less ashamed. (She did her best not to be irritated that her shame was evident.) Hazel studied her carefully as Jade looked through her book collection, and when she held out her selection, Hazel reached out to gingerly pluck it from her.

As she perused the summary on the back of the book, Hazel felt her eyes widen a little. Her lips parted almost imperceptibly as she opened her mouth to say something, then shut it again. 

Okay. Maybe this was a test. She wasn't quite sure God was watching, but it was a test from *Someone.* Even if that someone was Hazel herself, she knew better than to sink deeper into her comfort zone when what she really needed to do was reach out. Inwardly, she groaned; outwardly, she smiled, a sheepish expression.

"I appreciate it..." She began, shifting nervously, "But I think it might be a little too... *Bloody* For me." Hazel paused, considering the sheer amount of books around her. There was no reason to be nervous; it wasn't as though Jade would run out of suggestions.

Hazel held the book back out at arm's length, cringing inwardly and hoping for some more sympathy from Jade. The shadows beneath her eyes betrayed her sleepless nights and the hours spent replaying the slicing of flesh in her mind's eye. Truthfully, she wanted to imagine herself somewhere else. It was the closest she could get to the escape she craved.

"It's just... With everything goin' on, I think I need a break from all the... The violent stuff. Ya know? Do ya have anything... Anythin' softer?"

||
Michael
Jade was born into a pretty social community, Coalwood didn't have that many people in it anyway so it was hard to bump into someone you didn't know. However, she and her family were more of the outcasts. Even though they tried to hide it with the perfect nuclear family, everyone knew what went on behind closed doors. So she made sure to fit into this community's standards and be as flawless as possible. Although she had already failed them too she felt. 

She rambled on as if she was a lawyer trying to present her case. However, she had read Miss Calhoun all wrong. She was not someone who craved the bloodied adventure. The town gave her enough of that. No, she needed delicate, soft, comforting. The woman's sheepish smile gave away her distaste before she spoke it. Hazel seemed nervous to bring it to her attention, she wanted to reassure the woman but also didn't want to embarrass her by bringing it up. She just smiled "Ah, well, I reckon you have defeated my streak of being able to tell what people like" She let out a small giggle, trying to make the environment more welcoming. She would make a run for her money joke but she didn't want Miss Calhoun to take it seriously. "Alright, delicate." She sauntered through the maze of shelves "Delicate she repeated to herself, waiting for a book to catch her eye. Finally one did. Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera.

Once more she carefully plucked the book from its home on the shelf and dusted the cover off, promptly wiping her hand on her pants. "Alright, Miss Calhoun. I reckon I found one that is just your style. Tell me what ya think" She beelined her way to Hazel as she flipped through the pages of the book, excited to share her recommendation with the woman. "It's based in 1924 and Three Ladies and Branchville, South Carolina are at a crossroads. Four-time mother Gertrude is forced to make a morally dubious choice to save her daughters. Despite the talk in her society, Retta, a first-generation freed slave, helps Gertrude by watching her children. While dealing with her issues at home, Annie, the matriarch of the powerful Coles family, gives Gertrude a job at her sewing circle." She had completely forgotten about the sewing circle. It brought her another giggle "Well shoot, I suppose you don't wanna hear about no sewing circle do ya?" 

She leaned against the desk, awaiting Hazel's reaction. Truthfully Jade marveled at the woman, she was insanely beautiful as most of the women she had crossed paths with in Briar Ridge were, men too. Everyone has a beautiful aura even if they try to hide it with aggression and trickster tones. She wanted to know how they all ended up here and, more importantly, wanted to know what Hazel had left behind if anything at all. 

||
Beatriz
Wow. Behind an otherwise unreadable expression Hazel felt a wave of intrigue pass over her at the idea that someone somewhere had written a book just for her to read. The idea of a sewing circle had always intrigued her. It wasn't the sewing – it was enough having to soak her hands every night after spending hours on a pair of trousers, or the like. Rather, the idea of a group of friends with a shared interest who regularly met to gossip sounded delightfully feminine, and inaccessible in that sickly-sweet way that one tended to view the wealthy and aristocratic. To read about it seemed like an easy compromise.

The title caught her eye. Jade hadn't mentioned it aloud, but Hazel could see it, having stolen a glance at the cover as Jade read the summary. In the context of the way Briar Ridge had turned on its head, perhaps that little knife twist was appropriate for her attempts at escapism.

She took the book and plucked it from Jade's waiting hands, feeling a little awkward. A moment passed in silence before she sucked in a breath, dismayed at the second or so it took for her to find her voice. Even so, Hazel didn't waver. 

"Well, sure, I'd like to... Borrow it," She said carefully, unsure about her choice of words. Jade was visibly younger than Hazel, but had the air of someone who had been living in womanhood for considerably longer than Hazel had. As much as it intimidated her, it was also halfway inspiring to find that someone further along than she could be so free of judgment. It wasn't in her nature to be trusting, but maybe trying it out with Jade wouldn't be such a terrible gamble.
_ _

"When do I have to bring it back?" She asked, suddenly worried about her own schedule. She'd planned to have some books to read at night, mostly, and in the slower parts of her days, but this time of year meant plenty of busywork for a tailor, tasked with repairing clothing when folks' workload inevitably snagged a sleeve or tore off a button. Paired with an embarrassingly shaky reading level (the real reason for this endeavor, ultimately), Hazel wasn't certain she'd make a quick deadline.
Michael
As the book left Jade's hands, she looked to the marvelous Miss Calhoun. Jade was very intrigued by Hazel, she could sense that the woman was unsure and a little bit guarded. She understood that. Jade was forced to grow up too fast, she had endured too much for a little girl. Maybe the fact that Hazel seemed to have her delicate girlish innocence still. It almost made Jade envious but not before she swore to herself that she wouldn't let anything happen to her. Hazel may have been capable of taking care of herself but the wrong people would see this girlish charm and feed on it like a pack of hungry wolves. Miss Hazel would never face those wolves alone so long as she was around to show her own wolfish teeth. Jade was pulled from her thoughts, she almost didn't comprehend what Miss Calhoun had said. "Oh, don't worry about having it back at a certain time. We are all busy in this town, especially with our monthly... Beast hunts" She couldn't find her words for a moment. Not wanting to say anything to Cras around her. 

From the way Hazel carried herself, she could see that Hazel had been sheltered, locked away as if she were sleeping beauty herself. Finally, lightbulbs went off in her brain "Say, Hazel... I reckon if you are feeling up to it, how about you come over sometime. I have a pretty garden, it a good reading spot too" She offered sweetly "Just if you want to step away from the sewing and measurements for a little bit and catch some fresh air" Fresh air, that was what Hazel was for Jade, perhaps they could reach mutualism, Jade could see the charm of Hazel's demeanor and Jade could show her the womanhood she craved. The sense of belonging, the women of Briar Ridge were all treasures, untouched by the trope of the submissive housewife. Alma Cooper, Dimitra Florakis, and Maeve Lefevre, all had something different to teach for those who wished to be taught.
Beatriz
An invitation...?

Hazel's cheeks grew hot with imagined embarrassments. Even so, she had seen Jade at the speakeasy and the ease with which she seemed to get along with everyone. Without a wealth of life experience to use as talking points, Hazel often erred on the side of shyness. It wasn't that she had nothing to draw from but rather that her life had not been a gentle one until it had belonged exclusively to her. She had skipped childhood altogether and been thrust into the working class, and as a result, much of the discoveries associated with adolescence were only just coming now — self-exploration, learning about the world, about unspoken social rules and the like. She felt at once very old and frighteningly young.

Jade had a relatively disarming presence. There was really no reason to think she would give Hazel room to fail. And so, in spite of her anxiety and the chorus of doubts in her head, she willed a smile onto her face and nodded her agreement. 

"That'd be lovely," She answered, nodding. It was a genuine answer. It was true that the women in town seemed to prioritize being true to themselves where they could help it. Hazel had been relieved to learn this quality upon first arriving in town; it was, after all, the only way she could achieve true autonomy. That autonomy had become a little lonely, though. Maybe it was time to face her fears of rejection and try to find herself some real friends.

"We ought to do it before the next moon, in case you don't have a pot o'coffee on hand next time. I heard about that by the way. That was amazing," She chirped, eyes alight with respect for a woman who could pack a punch.
Michael
Miss Hazel Calhoun. The name fluttered in Jades mind as she accepted the invitation — Jade was undeniably a social butterfly but she wasn't always. She used to be a homebody just keep in her head down, she could see that maybe Hazel had the history of that too. Oh how she wanted to reach out to the woman and just squeeze her but she didn't. She wouldn't alarm the woman by the sudden touch of a stranger 

She giggled at the mention of her swift move of boiling hot coffee in the wolf's face "Oh you saw that?" She had never been seen as strong but the fact that Hazel thought she was... It meant the world to her. Now she really had to look out for this woman. Full moons and everywhere. Thankfully no one in Briar Ridge really wished anyone any harm. She looked around for a moment. She had cut some fresh flowers from her garden to liven up the library. Delphinium, the purple looked beautiful the the brunette hair of Hazels. 

Carefully she stepped forward and lightly tucked it behind Hazels ear. "There we go.. Beautiful." She stepped back as if she were admiring her work, truthfully Hazel Calhoun was already a masterpiece, she just wanted to give her a token of friendship. Something to remember to come by for a while and read her book if she wanted. "Well, I reckon you're pretty busy... Should I find you another book or let ya scurry on out?"
Beatriz
Hazel smiled. She had trouble identifying exactly what it was about Jade that made her feel so welcome so easily, but there was certainly a part of her now inclined to keep an eye out for Jade's friendly face. Hazel was someone who avoided social hubs when they were on the busier side of things; it would be nice to have a buoy toward which to drift.

"Didn't see it, but I heard about it," Hazel replied. "Your Arty, he must be real proud, 'cause I haven't set foot in the speakeasy since it happened." A light giggle punctuated the end of her sentence, a soft and girlish sound. It was nice to commiserate like this, simply and honestly, with someone whose intentions were pure.

"I better start with just the one," She admitted, blushing a little as though it made her uncomfortable to admit aloud that she wasn't some kind of hyperlexic scholar. "Can't tell ya how helpful you've been, though. I'm — I'm really excited. I'll let ya know how it goes," She chuckled. 

"And I'm sorry, Jade," She added. "For takin' so long to come out here. It ain't always easy for me to... Put myself out there." It was a half-baked explanation, but she had only just met Jade Grant, and that was about as much information as her new acquaintance was going to get for now. 

"You ought to come by the shop sometime. Next week, maybe. Could have even finished this thing by then."
Michael
Jade thought the world of Hazel by just their small interaction, she flushed hearing 'your Arty' finally, something... No someone that only belonged to her and she could only hope that it stayed like that for the rest of her days. Conversation with Hazel came easy like a summer breeze. A true light in this world she was. She nodded with a small laugh "Good choice, that way you don't feel rushed to get to the next one and you can absorb every word on the page" She looked to Hazel with a gleeful gaze "Oh you ain't gotta thank me, I'm happy to put a face to the lovely seamstress I've heard so much about" She gave the girl a playful wink although Hazel made her laugh once more, she shook her head "Oh my summer gal, you ain't got no need to apologize to me. I know people around here may say I am a bit overbearing socially. I reckon I can be" She crinkled her nose 

"Well shoot, the only thing that matters is that you're here now, right?" She tried to easily comfort Hazel, no need for formalities and apologies. She gave a quick nod "You know now that I think about it... Almost everyone has gotten a bouquet from me, I reckon I owe you one... I may just find myself in your shop to make sure you ain't working too hard." She leaned against the front desk, finally easing the conversation to a halt. She had already kept Hazel longer than she kept most customers, unless then again Dimitra made herself pretty comfy. 

"Alright Miss Hazel, I'll let ya get. I'll drop by, don't you worry" She said sweetly. 

|| Interaction Closed ||