Sonatorrek: Lokasenna - 6

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Angelo and Marie-Ange go old school in their research at the local library.



Aitkins Public Library existed under the control of Dana Ingatrovason, a professional librarian who had been doing the job for thirty years. She was a striking woman, even if her hair was prematurely grey and her severe features were set behind a pair of glasses. She took a look at Angelo and Marie-Ange in their biker outfits, and had made it clear with the jut of her chin that this was her realm and it was by her good graces that they would be there if they were allowed to remain.

"Aw, I promise we won't color on anything." Marie-Ange said. She smiled, and tucked some hair behind her ears. "I did two years on a art history degree before it got all boring and crap." She nudged Angelo, and shook her head at him, and made a face. "It's -reputable-. I swear, he's like seriously anti like, everything fun. Never date guys who speak two languages, 'cause they'll give you dirty looks in both of them even like five years after you break up."

Angelo eyed her, lips twitching suspiciously at the corners despite his efforts at a straight face. "Be good an' I'll give you some paper and crayons." To the librarian, "We want to look at local history. News, school records, that sort of stuff."

"We don't allow crayons near the historical documents. Pencils only." Dana looked the two over once more, and sighed inwardly. She was going to have to hover to ensure that they didn't abuse the collection, and there really were other things she needed to do today. She gestured for the visitors to follow, and walked briskly across the library. "We are not digital," she said the word like it was sour in her mouth, "so you will be working with the source material. You must take care not to damage anything."

"Lady, I promise, no damaging any-bloody-thing." Marie-Ange answered. At the woman's curious look, she shrugged. "Roomie in college was a Brit. Real stuffy type, History and Latin all the time, but god she could drink me under the table like that." She snapped her fingers. "Anyways, she has this whole thing about like, social groups and like small towns in America and I totally owe her like the hugest favor -ever-, and I don't even know, she has this list of stuff for me to look up." She pulled a piece of paper out of her top, and wiggled it. "Anyway, like, yearbooks from, um, lemee see, a couple of years ago? Can you show us those?"

Leading them into the local history section of the library, Dana gestured to several shelves of interest. "The yearbooks will be in Dewey number 977.6. Newspapers older than the current year can be read on microfilm reels, which are kept in the filing cabinet over there. The film is very delicate, and the machine is finicky, so you must come find me if you decide to go that route."

"I'm not bad with machines", Angelo said easily. "But okay, we'll find you and let you do the operatin'. We're not here to make any trouble for you."
It didn't take long to find the yearbooks, and Marie-Ange filled her arms with a decade's worth, and carried them to a table just out of sight of the fussy librarian. "Do towns like this even make birth announcements? He looks, what, twenty? twenty-five?" She said, quietly, as Angelo set down his own stack. "Do you think they have a policy against taking pictures of the books?"

"If you take photographs of our books, I will have to ask you to leave." Dana's head peeked disapprovingly from behind a tall set of shelves. "The flash can deteriorate the materials." She rounded the shelves, and placed a stack of used books on a cart to be reshelved. "And birth records from the last 80 years must be requested from the Minnesota Department of Vital Records. I can get you the address if you like."

"No flash photography, gotcha", Angelo said, sketching a loose salute in Dana's direction. "She's only doin' this favour for her roomie 'cause she's hot for one of your local boys. Think he used to be a sports star or somethin'?"

"I would have done the favor anyway!" Marie-Ange protested, pouting. "It's just that that Blake guy is right up my alley. Big football shoulders, blond, come on, you know, like a surfer only without the totally epic pot smell." She pulled a face at Angelo, and then shook her head. "Hey, you're local, is he single?"

She looked at the two very seriously for a moment, and shook her head, deciding that the two had no serious business here in the library that she could assist with. The fancy degree on the wall in her office qualified her to be an information professional, not a glorified matchmaker. "I wouldn't know. That boy has never set foot in this library."

"Not the readin' type, huh?" He glanced at Marie-Ange. "Looks like you'll have to get the juice on him some other way. Maybe those yearbooks."

"I still have to do the favor." Marie-Ange said. "Here, give me the yearbook, and you can go photocopy microfishes or whatever it was that she said the paper was on. It's fish, right? She said fish, I'm not tripping?" She picked up a yearbook and flipped through it lazily. "Ooh, hey, I was right, totally football! See?" She turned the book, and with far more care than it seemed a woman with sleeve tattoos and streaked hair and leather pants that looked to be painted on would have - both hands on the cover, and a delicate finger on the page. "Don Blake, (insert position here I can't remember)."

Angelo glanced over and nodded. "Looks like your guy. Okay, I'll go charm the librarian - " fully aware she was still listening, he shot Dana a quick grin, " - and see what I can find in the papers. But you'll owe me."