Finding out where Christine lived and work hadn’t been hard: asking around a little to the few people in town they knew, wondering around a little and there they were. This was the bookshop. Chéri had no idea what was written on its front, if they should knock, enter or just turn back and whether Christine had even meant what she had said. People had the habit to show off around them and Chéri had learnt not to overestimate their sincerity. But this place was proving odd and they were probably a little bored with that Whitby actually offered.

Plus, they could use a friend who wasn’t depressed, criminal and/or felt obligated, so they decided to take a step closer. Knocking would still require a little bit more work.
They were wearing their pastel blue suit today, still not in possession of new clothes, but they had slowly gotten used to be stared at.

Christine had been relaxing in her favorite spot near the back of the shop but she was stepping off to get a drink when she noticed a shadow in front of her door. She watched curiously as it didn't move, nor try to open. She had started to wonder if maybe someone was going to cause trouble. She threw open the door about to say something, but blinked seeing the strange man from before and smiled brightly.

"Oh, it is you!" She spoke cheerfully in french and pulled him in . "Come in, come in. I'm so happy to see you here." She started to walk through the small bookstore that was crowded with rows of books, some more organized than others. "As you see, I have many many books!"

Chéri blinked back but that was all the surprise they allowed themselves to show.

“It’s me!” They answered with an almost victorious look. Since both their suits required some caring, they were now wearing clothes they had borrowed at the Diamond Pony. They didn’t fit well, but gave them a more authentic, less artefact appearance. Had their feature been slightly less symmetrical or their colouring a little duller, they could have more easily look what they were: a young man who has just stopped being a boy.

“Are you?” They added, at least slightly taken aback. Christine had showed some preference for them, but they hadn’t realised just how much. They took a step but the place was still suspicious to them, foreign more than anything else in Whitby. They stopped exactly one step in and looked around.

Christine looped her arms around Chéri 's and pulled him in, unceremoniously kicking the door shut behind him. "Of course! I know so few people in town. It is full of illiterate who don't want to better themselves I'm afraid. So any chance to make a new friend, especially one with such a pretty face!" She exclaimed rather shamelessly.

"Would you like anything to drink while you're here?" She asked with a bright smile as the woman walked him in without a second of hesitation towards the back where there was a table and a very comfortable looking cushioned chair and a similar one across from it.

Chéri did not expect Christine to pull them in, but they weren’t against that and confirmed that with a big smile and a laughter. “Really? And I thought you were the queen of literary saloons!” Whatever that was, but Chéri had heard the compliment often enough to repeat it. Chéri shrugged “I am not sure I am better, but my face is pretty!” They confirmed and laughed, with a bright, heartwarming smile.

Chéri nodded and looked around. One sat during reading or listening to someone read, right? They looked around, searching for a chair and smiled again. They were grateful for that warmth. Whitby had been very unwelcoming in very many way to them so far and the few people who had been friendly to them off the bat wanted something, so it was really refreshing to just be *liked* instinctively. And they were absolutely not against making a friend because they were pretty, had a cute smile and just showed up.

"Oh I am! But there just aren't many here. " She pouted cutely just as a white blur came into view. A large fluffy white cat made itself known and she gasped lifting it up and nuzzled into him. "Archimedes! There you are. You didn't show up for breakfast!" She looked to Chéri, "this is my favorite man in all the world, Archimedes."

She walked to her desk and delicately put the feline down. "You are here, that makes you better. And your face is very pretty, don't hesitate to use it." She said cheerfully and reached under the desk and pulled up two glasses and an unopened bottle of wine. "Sit and let's drink before I find you a book. I want to relax today." As she did every day.

Chéri learnt about the quantity of literary salons in town and simply acknowledge that with a nod. He would have been as polite as one normally is, had it not been for a giant white fur ball wandering next to him. Chéri shrieked and smiled, bending towards the cat without actually touching it, talking to them in Basque as he always did. “What a beauty!” Chéri exclaimed, clapping like a child. Someone like pets.

Chéri nodded at the first part and laughed at the second “Oh, I do. Don’t worry, I do.” To the extent said face had gotten beaten for it, but he wasn’t going to add *that*. Chéri added a “wow!” in seeing the bottle of wine. He hadn’t drank decent wine since leaving France “We are going to party, aren’t we?” He seemed excited. “Does the wine pair with the book, like food?”

Christine smiled and gestured for Chéri to pet her cat and swooned over her furry friend. "He is the most beautiful animal in all of England and he is quite aware of it!" She scratched the cat delicately under his chin.

At the comment on books and wine, she had a devious smile as she opened the bottle and poured them both a glass, nodding to a party. "The very best parties are held in the day where you do not need to care about appearances and you only do it with those you want to invite." She sat in her seat and propped her feet on the desk. "And wine pairs with everything, my friend." She held up her glass to toast even though they were too far apart to clink glasses.

Chéri bent their head to the side, wondering if the cat, too, shouldn’t be named Chéri. “And he should use it.” Chéri added dramatically and melted into another laughter.

At her remarked, Chéri puffed and commented “We have been to very different parties, you and I.” Without specifying how or how much. But that was enough for Chéri to take off his -still ridiculously elegant- hat. Chéri laughed a little bit and sank into a near by armchair, assuming there was one, and took a deep breath. “Are you going to tell me a nice story? Or will you teach me English?”

Christine nodded and giggled as she pet her cat. She handed Chéri his glass of wine and gestured for him to sit in a similarly comfortable chair as she drank her wine.

"My condolences to your parties then!" She said as she held up her glass before drinking some. At the question she peered at him with a smile. "I can do both. Which would you like me to start with?"