August 1, 1888 - Flourish and Blotts, London

August Monthly Challenge

With no work Rufus didn’t quite know what to do with himself. The league suspended definitely was not the highlight of his summer. So he did quite a lot to busy himself. Like walking Tuni home and stopping at Diagon Alley and various stores around London for this odd and end and that. Today was no different.

The heat of summer had set in with the bright sun of August bearing down on the denizens of London. Hoping for some shade, Rufus stopped at the door of Flourish and Blotts. Perhaps a book for Tuni? He thought. Stepping inside the door brought relief from the heat. Rufus started down an aisle at random, looking at the items on the shelves. Idly he grabbed a book and opened it, skimming over the pages to see if Tuni might like it.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Nathaniel was't really one to pay attention to the going ons around him. Truthfully, he lived in his own little world more often than not. It wasn't that he didn't have an interest in other things, he just often found himself lost in his own thoughts and what he had going on. It left little time or room for him to pay attention to anything else as a result. So, as it was, he'd payed little attention to the happenings of the fog. It hadn't really hindered his life one way or another after all.

Eventually, Riff had gotten bored with his own engineering blueprints and had figured he should kip off to the book store in an attempt to find something to further his learning. It hadn't taken him long to get there and he eventually found himself lost, as usual, among his own thoughts. He'd found a book to skim through and had been doing so... While walking. It resulted in his running bodily into another person.

"My apologies," he muttered a bit quietly to the man, barely looking up to him before his eyes returned to the book in his hands.

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Lovely Lady Set!

Suddenly someone ran into Rufus. His book feel out of his hands and landed on the floor, a few of the pages bending. Annoyed he looked up at the intruder. If Rufus has thought he was lost in his own thoughts, he’d been mistaken. The man barely looked at him. Barely apologize. Rufus took a deep breathe. Really it wasn’t worth getting annoyed. “It’s fine.” He muttered in return, bending to grab the fallen book.

Really he was being just as bad as the man before him. “Must be a good book.” He nodded at the item in the man’s hands.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Riff nodded as if out of habit after hearing the man's words saying it was fine. It wasn't really until the other man had stooped to gather his own book from the ground and mentioned his book being good that he gave him more attention.

Bright blue eyes finally looked up from his book to nod in agreement. "It is," he said, a broad grin appearing over his features, "Very informative. Should help with work." Looking to the book in the other man's hands, he raised a brow in question. "And yours?"

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Lovely Lady Set!

“Ah. And what is your work?” Rufus asked, trying to glimpse the front of the book for a title. He was willing to guess Ministry or something bland like that.

“It seems good.” Rufus shrugged. He was more into flying than reading. But for Tuni’s sake he was trying. “It’s for a friend. They’re more a reader than I am.” He gestured toward the book the history title obvious on the page. Purposefully not mentioning Tuni’s relation to him. He’d heard some gossip and wanted to try and shield her from it as best as possible for now, until it was proper. He didn’t want to lose her. Not again. And not over some silly gossip.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

"Engineering," Riff answered a bit simply. He didn't really see the need in expanding further on it. Engineering, after all, was rather self explanatory.

"A history buff then?" he asked as he looked at the front of the book in the man's hands. He didn't really have a liking for history himself but everyone had their own areas of interest.

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Lovely Lady Set!

Engineering sounded interesting Rufus supposed. He’d never really been one for the field, indeed he knew very little of it. So he simply gave an understanding “Ah.” and allowed it to drop.

“Yes. Absolutely loves history. Keeps trying to get me to read about it.” Rufus shrugged. “I figured I would bridge the gap and simply obtain a book for them instead.” Really it wasn’t quite like that, but the gentleman didn’t need all the details.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

The bland understanding "ah" alerted Riff to the idea the man didn't really have a mind for engineering. He supposed he shouldn't really judge the man on it though. It definitely wasn't a field of interest many held in great regard. He was alright with that though. He liked it and was really quite good at it so that was all that really mattered.

"And have you done any reading of it?" he asked easily, a brow raised as he awaited a response. It was one thing to indulge a friend by buying a book of their liking but another entirely to delve into it themselves.

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Lovely Lady Set!

Rufus was quite sure the man was judging him. He wouldn’t buy a book without first reading parts of it for Tuni. He wouldn’t want her to end up will a dull book that she felt she had to read as he’d be the one to give it to her. Besides that simply wouldn’t do for a birthday gift. “Yes. While not something I would normally read it seems interesting enough for the material.” And that likely meant that Tuni would like it. He hoped.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Nodding, it was Riff's turn to give a bland "ah" of response. It was evident history wasn't a field of study he was overly enthused with.

"Well that's good then," he said with a faint smile, "Wouldn't want to give someone a boring gift after all. No knowing how one would take to that sort of thing." He doubted there were many that would like a book on engineering from him but he'd definitely like them for himself.

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Lovely Lady Set!

“I shall hope they find it less than dull.” Rufus agreed with a polite smile. “Suppose I shall seal my fate now. Have a good day sir.” He tilted his head in greeting and made his way to the front of the store, glad to have found a reason to keep moving with the day. The gentleman was quite odd in his opinion.

  

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BEE-utiful set!