Winter our discontent (RP)

Persephone has lived in London before and she'd read about the extensive rain as she prepped for her trip, so she was prepared. She wears a thigh-length blue and white waterproof jacket, black rubber rain boots, and she carries a sturdy, wind-proof black umbrella. She walks carefully on the wet cobbles, stepping over puddles, and pushes open the door. A tarnished brass bell on the inside rings quietly as she does so.

Within, the dim light is punctuated by dismal gray sunlight trickling through the clouds and rain, not to mention the dusty panes. Where the light beams are, motes dance and swirl. To the left is a desk with an antiquated cash register on it, as well as a paper ledger and pencil. A few old, comfy leather chairs with side tables provide reading space in the front of the store, but the rest of the space is stuffed with crowded cases, floor to ten-foot ceiling, some with books two layers deep and stacked all higgledy-piggledy. The air has that distinctive smell of dusty old books. An aging gray and white cat lounges atop a pile of old atlases; she turns to regard the group disinterestedly. The owner is not yet in sight.

Emma exhales a breath of relief once they finally make it inside the cozy store. She didn't have the luxury of a rain jacket, or boots, so she was forced to step carefully along the narrow band of cobblestones that ran between the row of shops, trying to avoid the rushing rivers of water best she could. She was damp and chilly by the time they made it to the bookstore, and she didn't waste any time closing her umbrella, shaking it quickly, before stepping inside.

She took a quick look around the store. Grimy windows. Dusty panes. An old cash register, that looked like it belonged in the previous century. It felt...old. And somber. Just like the books on the bookshelves. She wondered what kind of tomes Yasmine kept in her bookstore. Whatever it was, she was sure she won't be able to find a copy of any of these books on Amazon.

Her gaze next drifted to the gray and white cat, and she couldn't help but smile softly at it. She absolutely adored cats, though she and David had never been able to adopt one. There wasn't any space for a litter box in their tiny one bedroom apartment, and more; their financial situation would never allow for pet food, or vet visits. She liked the idea of adopting one day, but for now, the cat, curled up and indifferent to her presence, will do.

Stepping closer, she reaches slowly and allowed the cat to sniff the back of her hand, waiting and giving it the choice if to acknowledge her, and perhaps, even allow her to pet it.

The cat was in no mood to engage, and Emma respected that. She stepped back without a second though, instead turning her attention to the shelves. The titles were too obscure for her to recognize, and some were written in a language she couldn't place. Too curious to pass on the opportunity, she pulled one of the books out and scanned the first few pages.

Persephone frowned as the cat expressed its displeasure with her. It was a reaction she was beginning to expect; dog walkers regularly have their pets behave in 'inexplicable' ways as she passed. Honestly, she doesn't blame them.

She moves to the far aisle of the bookstore from the cat, respecting its space, and begins to wander toward the back of the store, glancing at book spines along the way. She sneezes; apparently the demon taint didn't do away with her allergies.

Persephone regards the cat from a distance, keeping on the far side of the store. Not out of any fear or discomfort she has, but out of a desire not to upset the kitty with her demonic stink. She sighs; she misses petting cats! Oh well... the cost of doing business I guess...

She turns and heads to the back and joins Benji. She nods to the woman and waits for a pause in conversation to introduce herself.

Emma flipped through the pages, finding out much to her annoyance, that the text was written entirely in Latin, and that she could barely make a word of it. But there were illustrations. Pentagrams. Sigils, other cryptic symbols, sprawled across the pages.

"That's so cool!" she murmured, tracing her finger over the pentagram "Do you think these rituals actually work? Can I summon a real demon with this?"

It was an absurd thought, and a dangerous one. Still, the idea was undeniably tempting.

Looking up, she noticed Persephone walking toward the back of the shop, and with a sigh, she shut the book, clutching it tightly against her chest as she followed her to meet the proprietor of the store.

Neat trick... Persephone thinks.

Persephone nods and smiles and says, "Hello, I'm Persephone. This is a wonderful store you have and an elegant cat guardian, as well."

She pauses awkwardly for a moment and then shrugs, takes a deep breath, and speaks to Emma and Benji, asking permission before launching into it. "So, if I might?" Once they give the go-ahead, Persephone does so, her voice strained as the stress and urgency of her emotions press in on her while she tries to remain calm and controlled.

"So. Ah, I hear that you are something of an expert on... matters infernal. Like, demons. I'm looking for some information pertaining to, um, demonic contracts? How they work, what kinds there are... how someone could escape one... Ahah, asking for a friend, of course. And you know, hypothetically."