𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒽

😇 — following rules

eleanor is such a stickler for rules, that it makes her anxious to break them, unless they’re really, truly pointless.

💌 — romance/flirting

she doesn’t know how to do it, and trying it makes her cheeks go really red. she doesn’t understand subtlety in flirting, and often doesn’t immediately realize when ANYONE flirts with her.

🎉 — hosting parties

@mcelnor // “thought i should return this,” indy said, plopping a worn copy of the hunger games on the desk in front of eleanor, “i borrowed it ten years ago and only read five chapters, but better late than never, right?”

@mcelnor //

“i’ve been looking for this one book…” lee had never been good at this, asking for help was like her kryptonite. “here’s the thing, i know only three things about it - and that doesn’t include title, author, or any relevant information to put into a database,” she cringed to hear herself say that aloud. “okay, here goes: it’s got a black cover with a wrench on it, it’s about motorcycles, and i think there’s something about tranquility, or whatever, in the plot.” she shrugged apologetically, an awkward smile on her lips.

eleanor listened to her, nodding slowly. “um, okay, well, do you know if it’s fiction or nonfiction? and if so, the genre?” she asked, mentally preparing herself for the scavenger hunt ahead of her. “i can work with the motorcycles and tranquility.”

yejin stood on her tiptoes and tilted her chin up to get a clearer view of the book without getting too invasive. her smile faded slightly in the instant that she made out its ruined state. “ahh, i’m so sorry… do you know who did it?” she pursed her lips to one side as she returned to her lower height and glanced around them. when she turned back, she thumbed the sides of her jeans, wondering what else she could offer as comfort. “can we get a new one?”

“then would tonight at eight work?” oli asked, a bashful expression on his face. “and what would you like to do? i am still trying to figure out what exactly there is to do around here…” he tried to think of some options, something suitable for a first date—but up until now, all of his first dates had been supervised and had taken place in the castle he lived in.

jace smiled, almost feeling the emotion eleanor felt for her sister vicariously through her. “does she live anywhere nearby?” he asked. “my sister lives a few hours away from here, in new york city, which is… tough. we’re really close, so being that far apart can be difficult.”

Grace winced a bit, pity settling in her stomach when she noticed Eleanor’s obvious heartbreak. “He was pretty tall, probably about six feet. He was wearing a hat and a hoodie. Are there any security cameras for the desk?”

sawyer led eleanor outside, resting his backpack against the wall to give both his back a rest and give his full attention to eleanor in her time of need. whoever had done this was cruel, his heart aching for eleanor. “this pranking season has gotten out of control,” he said, a pout on his face, “i think people have kind of forgotten about the consequences of their actions because of it. have there been any shifty looking people hanging out in the library?”

“do you remember what age you stopped drawing on anything? i think my landlord is just about ready to kill me,” eddy joked, sofia now content on his lap. the night of the boat part had indeed been a wild one and the mention of their so-called shipwreck bought a grin to eddy’s lips. “ah, yes, when we got stuck in the middle of the ocean, just a short swim away from land.” he was amazed he even remembered that, the night a drunken haze in his mind now. “i think the only thing that was damaged that night was that kid’s broken arm.”

Esme was surprised that her reputation didn’t precede her, but she was also incredibly thankful, because the girl was gorgeous, insanely so. Esme shook her head, “unfortunately not, trust me, if I saw someone mess with a book I’d have intervened.” Esme wasn’t one to help others, but she was pretty protective of books.

“well,” she exhaled, feeling utterly crushed. eleanor dropped the book on the table, sitting down defeated. “i hate this stupid month,” she admitted, on the brink of tears. “none of these pranks are actually funny. they’re just destructive.”

eddy laughed when sofia squealed and clapped a little bit, her way of saying that she did, in fact, like coloring. it was one of eddy’s favorite things to do with her too — a quiet activity, but one that allowed him quality time with his kid. their fridge at home was almost overrun with her drawings. “she loves coloring, drawing, anything she can put a pencil on. there are more than a few marker stains on our walls at home,” he laughed softly, “we’ll definitely have to come down. it sounds like a lot of fun.”

augustus had left his seat – his usual seat, he would be fairly disgruntled if somebody had taken it during his reading hours – to use the bathroom, returning to see a shaken eleanor. “what–?” he walked up and gently pulled the book out of her hand. frowning at the vandalism, augustus looked up to place a hand on her shoulder. never one to be open with physical contact, he gave her shoulder a little squeeze. “hey, it’s alright. i was sitting here for a while, maybe i can help deduce who did this.”

“She really is! Always scoffing and judging me. Not just me. The whole team of us who focus entertainment.” Eva rolled her eyes. “How will anyone know about the fun side of Cape Hazel if no one writes about it?! It’s a very rewarding job.” Eva wasnt an expert on hair dyeing, but she knew enough to get her hair how she wanted it. “I can sort of navigate hair dye. I straight up had someone fix it to be this purple. You have to pick a color you love and won’t get sick of seeing every time you walk by a mirror.”

sawyer looked down at the book again, worry written all over his face. obviously, the book was important to eleanor in a way he couldn’t even imagine, but he could empathise nonetheless. “how ‘bout we go outside, get some air?” he suggested, hoping to calm her down as best as he could, “it might help you think a little clearly, figure out who might’ve done this.”

Grace clicked quietly through the library catalog, not realizing that Eleanor was back from her shelving trip. Over Eleanor’s shoulder, Grace caught a glimpse of the vandalized book, and her eyes widened at the crude scribbles. “Oh, god, is that yours? I saw some kid up here a few minutes ago but didn’t realize what they were doing.”