Can't Tell A Book By Its Cover

Posted on Sun Apr 10th, 2022 @ 4:41am by Lieutenant Siora Carberos & Lieutenant Lily Marlow

Mission: A New Beginning
Location: Library, USS Majestic
Timeline: Before three parts make a whole
1943 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

The Library of the USS Majestic was a large place dedicated to, well, books. The scent of the place was that of cedar and a slight hint of oak. For that was what the book shelves were made of. Securely fastened to where they would hold steady despite possibly the ship being bounced around due to whatever phenomena in space may occur.

Lily stepped inside, breathing in deeply of the scents that were there. The wood and also, the books that gently cuddled in their own place and space upon the wooden bookshelves. There was carpeting upon the floor, a dark green much like the color of her own piece of carpeting in her massage therapy room. There wasn't much sound , if any of their feet as she stepped inside. A few feet more and Lily just stopped and turned around gazing everywhere.

A man came around the corner of one of the rows of books, carrying at least 5 books in hand. "Oh my, I have company." he had a slight southern drawl, smooth and silky with a hint of New Orleans.

The man was tall, and Lily ascertained he was around six feet in height. And he was good looking. His hair was pure white like the driven snow gently brushed his shoulders. His eyes were dark much the same way as Siora's was. His eyes looked deeply into Lily's eyes then moved towards Siora, then, widening ever so slightly.

"Now what pleasure seeing two beautiful ladies come into my domain." he said with a twinkle in his eyes. "How may I serve you?" moving to place the books in his hands upon an empty spot of a shelf. "I am Joshua York, head librarian here." giving a graceful bow towards Lily and Siora. The clothing he wore was like that in the 1930-1940's style.

Siora's eyes widened as she entered the library. It was truly one of her happy places and the fact there were many books to choose from all laid out in view pleased her greatly. On some ships they just had a nice seating area but you had to replicate a book instead. So, the smells of the paper, the bindings, and at this point the smell of the bookcases were all missed and the experience not fully rounded.

Having said that the whole experience was then improved by the man that appeared before them holding a stack of his own books, and that accent could make her a little weak at the knees if she wasn't careful. "Serve us?" She teased. "What kind of services do you offer?" she asked with a flirtatious audacity.

Lily was stunned at seeing this man... Was he El Aurian? Just something about his eyes made her take a step or two towards him. There was just something about him that drew her forward, then she blinked. What the heck was she doing? "Um hello there, I'm Lily, and this is my friend Siora." She was feeling all bubbly inside. What the heck?

Joshua had a slight smile noting Lily's reaction towards him, then turned his attention back to Siora. "Well, depends on what you are looking for. Like Libraries of old we do have a viewing room complete with beanbag chairs or a small sofa to watch movies. We have a reading hour with the children that come here, they do like to go to the second floor where they can just sit and become lost in the world of make believe and imagination." Joshua pointing towards the stairs going upwards. "There is even a third floor that looked into the atrium. I've always loved libraries which had that option to look outwards."

"And the fourth floor, has where the stars can be seen, as a projector can give the essence of being outside in space but not suffer the danger of it all. At times there is also the play of various star shows from Earth and other places." Joshua added.

Siora frowned her brows furrowing as she watched Lily almost melt where she stood. It was an odd sight to see as she almost became a puddle right before her eyes.

"This place sounds quite impressive I must say. I had no idea is had so many floors and so much space." Siora scanned the room. "Do a lot of people know you are here? You don't look like you get a lot of traffic in here..." she peaked around a few corners. "Don't get me wrong I like that, means we have the place to ourselves for a short while."

Joshua gave a small smile, "You are in between the visits, and at times we get a few people here. Other times it is nice and quiet like it is now. Please enjoy, and explore. He looked over towards Lily who was still seeming to be rather giddy. "Are you alright?" he asked of her.

Lily gave another start, "Um so... do you do readings of books? Your voice I could simply just sit at your feet and listen to it. You seem to have a calming effect and also an enchanting one as well." she blinked once or twice, still seeming to be very taken with him.

He realized something and gave a wry smile, and after a few moments Lily seemed to come out of her charmed state.

"Sorry I do not know what came over me. Its probably your New Orleans accent. I have always loved listening to that accent quite a bit." Lily explained.

"It is alright, sometimes things like that happen." Joshua answered. He also glanced towards Siora with an apologetic look in his eyes.

For a moment Siora was going to ask if Lily was alright. She had became a giddy schoolgirl in the presence of an older boy and seemingly became almost weak at the knees and her mind stop working properly. Siora frowned a little at the exchange between the two, something felt off with the man in front of her but she couldn't quite place it yet. "Yes, well... just you keep your sexy accent a little less enticing please. Some of my friends are easily impressed." Siora said almost in defence of Lily.

Joshua gave Siora a bit of a smile. "I am forgetting myself, I'll dial it down just a tad. For now I will leave you ladies to explore the library to your hearts content, I need to file away the rest of the books and do some cataloguing."

"Thank you, Joshua." Siora replied nodding to the man. There was a feel towards him, almost kinship like. She felt that feeling she always felt when one of her own species was near. This man must have been one.

Siora turned to Lily, "Are you alright? Lost you for a second there..." she asked.

Lily had watched until Joshua disappeared around the bookshelf and out of sight, then she turned towards Siora with a bemused expression. "You lost... me?" her glance went towards where the librarian had disappeared to. Then she gave a brief sigh, "I do not know what is about him but he is very handsome. I don't know if I've ever met someone like him before. Come to think of it, I do not remember meeting anyone quite like him. I would have remembered if I had." A quizzical expression became evident. "Just that innate charisma of his, that just caused the world to just pause for the moment. As if time just stood still." she blinked a couple of times as if she were coming back to focus. "Shall we go find a book that we want to read and make the climb to the top of the library?" a brilliant smile becoming evident.

"Yes, he is quite captivating in a chilling creepy staring way." Siora said shaking her head slightly. The man was wildly attractive, there was no question, but she knew when she felt another of her people in close proximity and he was giving off all the signs of a heightened pheromone use. The very fact Lily seemed to almost melt in his gaze and lose track of even what she was thinking was enough proof for Siora.

"But yeah, lets go find a book. What do you like to read?" she asked.

"I do love Mystery books and also history. Even sword and sorcery. And also well... I have a wide variety of books I like to read. Including a romance book or two. And herbal medicine..." she stopped, and laughed. "I am a regular book worm."

"So I see." Siora laughed softly. "Nothing wrong with that. I do like a good romance novel myself, but do like science fiction and fantasy. Sometimes I get ideas from simply reading older fantasies. There are so many things you can pull from the primitive and make current." she smiled.

"Oh I thoroughly agree!" Lily walked around, surveying the library more then went to where there were some books on plants, herbs and herbal medicine. "I've not come across anything like this before." thumbing her way through it. "Ooh some herbal medication for other races besides human and such. Cool!" she walked further down the book shelves and came across a book on relationships. She looked at it, shook her head then moved on.

Siora arched an eyebrow. "Some herbal 'medication' can be fun, depends on the plant and the grower." Siora hinted to some kind of herbal experimentation she may or may not have taken during some younger years in her life. "Ohhh a book called Galaxy Quest... I loved that when I read it last... in fact I might just again. NEVER GIVE UP... NEVER SURRENDER!"

Lily grinned, "That sounds like a good book, I've not read that. When you are finished with the book I'd like to read that." she hadn't caught on the herbal medication as of yet. "You know something, I am thinking I want to just find a corner here and curl up with a book now. Its so quiet and peaceful, however, I think I will do that in my quarters." Lily selecting one more book, a fantasy novel, titled, 'Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz.' "Some good reading, here." She commented.

"Be happy to give it to you." Siora replied with a smile. "I have a holo-fireplace in my quarters. I bring it everywhere, sit up in my comfy reading chair and it gives off the heat that makes me feel all snug."

"That does sound lovely, I will have to get one for myself, that's for certain. " Lily remarked. She looked around once more then said. "I think I am going to head off to my quarters and deposit the books I've checked out." Lily smiling. "I'll have to come back here and get more of a view of the rest of the library."

"Yes, this has been a nice little trip." Siora said, her eyes lingering over the books for a moment. "Now that I know it is here I will need to use it more often." In her head she made a mental note to check back in on the El Aurian seeming individual she had met there.

The books checked out, the librarian being quiet as he took care of logging in the checked out books, then Lily said, "I will see you later Siora and definitely I am requisitioning a fireplace like you had suggested."

"I have a few good ideas every century or so." Siora joked. "I'll catch up with you later, Lily." And with that they both parted ways.

Page turning waits for no woman.