theonotdora

[theonotdora]

nparekh·:

·

There’s already a nip in the air, this time of the year. Which Nadia both loves and hates: on the one hand, she can start wearing cute layers, but on the other hand, she’s starting to see less and less of the sun and, frankly, her energy with it. She knows it’s just the season. But when Theo mentions the children’s safety class, it’s clear to both of them that their concern is tangible.

“Uh-huh… that’s not a bad idea at all. I mean, I’m sure you’re qualified… enough.” She smiles. What with the entire cavalry using all their resources to find this little girl, the rest of the community can’t just sit there and wait. Or, well, Nadia would have if Theo hadn’t brought up taking some sort of action. “Kids love you, anyway. I’m better with teenagers. Weirdly enough.” 

//

Theo smiles, too, shaking their head slightly. “Not nearly as qualified as others in town, I’m sure. But perhaps I could call on the sheriff’s office, see if they have anyone willing to volunteer a few hours of their time.” They press their lips together in thought. “I’m sure they’re spread thin. You don’t happen to have any secret self-defense skills, do you? Some kickboxing, or the like?” They accept the compliment about kids’ adoration as graciously as they can - being a librarian does have its perks, and Theo has always felt some sort of maternal instinct towards those that visit their library. As always, there is a slight pang in their chest, the image of a child with Edgar’s curls and their eyes slowly drifting in and out of their mind’s eye. “Teenagers,” she snorts. “Bless you. Like little people, in their own ways. I remember my time as a teenager fondly, but you couldn’t pay me to live it all over again.”

They reach the front doors of the Daily Grind, and Theo turns to Nadia. “A warm drink? My treat? I was hoping to get one last round of window shopping in before this cold takes my leisurely strolls away from me.”

[theonotdora]

closed for: @maragoransson​ location: spotlight cinema time: shortly after dark

“I used to work in a movie theater, you know,” Theo started, holding the door to the cinema open for Mara. “My parents wanted me to get a job in high school. To build character, I suppose. Not sure how well it worked,” they joked, following closely behind. The warmth of the movie theater was welcome after the brisk chill of outside - December was pulling no punches when it came to the weather. Theo delicately unwrapped the handknit scarf from around her neck, undoing the buttons on her coat and staring around the lobby with a faint hint of cheer. Everything was well-decorated, in that Alby way Theo had come to expect - glittering garlands of tinsel reflected the lights from a detailed display near the front door. It smelled of fake butter and sugar and something else, an intangible sort of smell that seemed to linger in all movie theaters, even the ones back home. “Did you have any bad high school jobs?”

[theonotdora]

atticusmalik·:

x

  “I could never regard your presence, as anything but delightful.” He hopes his wording is attributed to his literature background, and not a plethora of deeper sentiments, he’s tucked away in his pocket. Theo is a gift in his door frame, bearing coffee and the sweetness of her company. If he’s wandering into unsafe territory, delighting in another soul so much, he pays no mind; Atticus has become too comfortable, as of late, with resting at the edge of a looming ledge. “Kids finally cleared out - can you believe, so many people got to sixteen, thinking Bronte was a type of English tea? But they can recount every ghost sighting in a castle, from 1400 to today. Crikey, Pleasance is a wormhole. Then again, I think kids tend to be the same everywhere.”

   Atticus takes comfort in his new girl status, alongside Theo - together they braved the storms of the bizarre, unfamiliar, which cloaked this town like snow in the dead of winter. “Oh hey! An old favourite of mine - I can’t thank you enough, Theo. But ….you don’t think I’m awful for liking Hemingway, do you? I know he was a beast, but he was a genius.” Theo never bestowed upon him, anything that was not a delight - if they marked him brutish for indulging in Hemingway, he would measure their assessment and come to a similar conclusion. “The thrilling adventures of an exiled New Yorker, rage on. And you, herald of the good word? I hope your day was nice, and if it was any less, point me in the direction of whoever ruined it. I’ll them what a guy in a sweater can do … with some well placed Austen jabs.” 

//

His words are like the eagerly awaited brush of sun after a particularly long and arduous winter. She can feel the small seed of affection she buried deep within her begin to push up, a sprout of an impossible flower. Instead of replying with anything clever, they simply smile, a certain shyness tilting their gaze to the ground. They’d like to chalk it up to the classroom, the reminder of teenage insecurity, but they know the truth. They are simply choosing to ignore it, inconvenient beast it is. Her eyebrows arch as she grows closer, bemusement tilting her mouth upwards. “Strange little miracles, children’s minds,” she muses, shaking her head with affection. “I was an encyclopedia of dinosaur facts,” she reveals, lowering into her seat, “but I couldn’t keep any understanding of times tables. Drove my mother nearly mad.” She smiles softly, mostly out of reflex, until the thought of her mother lingers for too long. Theo shakes their head slightly, wanting to stay in the present moment. “Lucky them, though,” she starts again, referring to his students, “to have you guide them through the haunted castles towards the light of Bronte.”

Atticus is familiar to them. Perhaps it is their shared newness, their similar interests, perhaps something else they can’t perfectly explain. All they know for sure is that the world, the town, seems easier to navigate when he is around. Dangerous territory. Still. She toes the line only in her mind. “I could never think of you as awful,” she exclaims. Quickly, she adds, “your nature has no touch of his brutish behavior. I am of the school of thought that anything can be enjoyed critically.” She means it, of course. She rolls her eyes at his nickname, and still, she smiles softly. His chivalrous kindness extends to everyone he comes across, yet it never fails to make her special. “Oh, my day has been fine,” she starts, “rescued this little book from the purge, made a stop for our snacks, now seeing you.” Theo always feels silly - he draws smiles out of them like a magician pulling scarves. “No need to toss the Austen around, not on my behalf.” Wrapping her hands around her paper cup, Theo absentmindedly rubs their thumbs along the seam. “And yourself? Haunted castles aside, how are these brilliant minds? And yours?”

[theonotdora]

for: @lexibates​ location: pleasance public library time: mid-afternoon

It was the quiet time of day. Theo liked mid-afternoon -- even though it had a reputation for being the most boring, they enjoyed the lull. There was always something to be done, a task to be checked off, and the library was usually empty around this hour, giving them plenty of time to do what needed to get done. When the small bell chimed, alerting Theo to a new guest, they were a little surprised. But the sight of Lexi - a now-familiar face, after their years behind the service desk - brought a smile to Theo’s face. She lifted a hand in greeting, hoping to catch the brunette’s attention. “Welcome in,” she called. Theo wasn’t sure where the myth of silent librarians started - she was no more inclined to shush someone than she was to lower her own voice. “It’s been a minute since I’ve seen you. I hope they’re letting you have a few days off at work,” she started, rising from behind the desk. “I was just about to start shelving some return books, but I’m happy to help you find something if you’re searching for anything in particular.”

[theonotdora]

closed for: @atticusmalik location: northwood high school time: mid-afternoon

Theo rapped on the open door frame, peering into the classroom. It was empty, save for the teacher, the man she’d come to see. “I hope I’m not bothering you,” she said, a smile warming her face. She knew, of course, this was a period of downtime for Atticus. She’d stopped by once or twice before, usually around this time, bearing coffee and sweets from Tiers of Joy or the Daily Grind. Sometimes, this time included, she came bearing an old book being thrown out by the library she thought he would like. She stepped inside his classroom, glancing around  as she always did, taking in the charming details of the room. It was so clearly his classroom. That warmed their heart. They approached his desk, placing the two to-go mugs down, digging through their bag.

“This was being discarded this morning,” they said, pulling out a copy of A Farewell to Arms. The original cover was a little tattered, well-worn and well-loved through its years of circulation, and the library had seen fit to retire it. “I thought you might enjoy it. Original cover,” they added, placing it on his desk and giving him a small smile. “How has the day been?”

[theonotdora]

closed for: @hildahenyork​ location: pleasance library time: early evening

Closing the library was one of Theo’s favorite tasks. It brought her a sense of comfort to move among the stacks, ensure everything was in its place, knowing that it would all be there, as she’d set it, in the morning. It had been a relatively uneventful day for her, which she was grateful for. She’d taken the downtime to set up December’s display: an exploration of all the holiday celebrations that occurred in the final month of the year. When she’d first moved to Pleasance, she’d been a little worried that the small town would harbor the fabled small-town-ignorance, but so far, no one had put up any protests to her relatively progressive displays. She supposed they had bigger, haunting fish to fry.

“Hil?” They asked, poking their head into the archivist’s office. “Everything is all clear on the floor. Anything I can help you with in here?”

[theonotdora]

closed for: @nparekh​ location: near the daily grind time: mid-morning

“I always feel as if a walk around town helps clear my head,” Theo said, looking out over the streets of Pleasance. The calm of the cool morning was refreshing, in a way; Theo felt as if the entire town had been on edge since October. They weren’t exempt from that; even though they’d only been in Pleasance for a few years, they’d grown fond of the town. Perhaps naively, they’d believed that small towns only contained minor drama, the sort of gossip passed along front porches. “I’ve been thinking about programs for December,” they started, looking over at Nadia. “Do you think it’s a bit dramatic to offer a children’s safety class? I hate to stoke the fire, as it were, but I hate to feel as if we aren’t doing all we can to prevent something like this from happening again.”

[theonotdora]

Theo was crouched over the front desk in concentration. Various pieces of paper, in varying sizes and color, were scattered in front of them. With a frown, she picked up one piece, examining it as if it would reveal all the secret information she needed. It was, unfortunately, wordless, holding nothing of the sort. She looked back down at the white page, the words December Display written neatly at the top. The final month of the year was encroaching - just over the horizon - and Theo had come up with nothing to replace November’s detailed display honoring Indigenous tribes that were native to Ohio and spread across the country. They’d been quite proud of it. But December was a puzzle they hadn’t quite solved. When the sensor above the door buzzed, Theo glanced up, equal parts annoyed and relieved at the reprieve from the display.

Sonny delivered the book to the desk with the triumph of a prodigal son. Theo pressed her lips together, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Burgled, hm?” They mused, reaching forward and taking the book. “I suppose someone on the wait list got tired of waiting.” Eyeing the cover, they kept their face smooth with neutral professionality. Dream interpretation was something beyond Theo’s interests. Most of her dreams involved snakes. She didn’t need a book to suss that one out. “I’m glad the detective was able to return it to you,” they said, their smile threatening to break through. “We can take the wanted poster down in the breakroom now.” She scanned the barcode, clicking on a few keys to erase the fines. “Was it helpful?” She asked, looking back up at Sonny. “The book, I mean.”

Closed starter for @theonotdora​ Location: Pleasance Public Library Time: Late Afternoon

A thousand excuses flitted around Sonny’s mind as he made his way through the building’s doors. Several weeks prior, when the nightmares had only just begun, he had dug his forgotten library card from a bureau drawer and hurried to check out a faded tome on dream interpretation. And at points unknown, said book had gotten shuffled under his bed, where it sat for too many weeks. In truth, though, reading up on the mind’s boogeymen had not been conducive to easier sleeping. In fact, it may have made the whole thing worse, coupled with the revelations of Halloween. And forgetfulness and sulking had thus combined to create a spectacular late fee. 

But Sonny was feeling better now. He was absolutely feeling better. He had been avoiding the lake. He had been working. He had been busying his thoughts on other pursuits. And errands could only foster greater normalcy, he decided. With long strides, he thus marched up to the desk and placed the book down, offering a smile that, while tired, rang with some of his usual fire. “Would you believe our apartment got burgled? This was all they took. Detective Dagny finally just got it back. Evidence.” 

[theonotdora]

NAME: Theodora Jones NICKNAMES: Theo. Please don’t call her Dora. DATE OF BIRTH: September 17, 1987 AGE: 33 GENDER: Non-binary (she/they) SEXUALITY: Queer PLACE OF BIRTH: Scottsdale, AZ CURRENT RESIDENCE: Pleasance, OH OCCUPATION: Librarian POSITIVE TRAITS: Clever, detail-oriented, thoughtful, honest, meticulous NEUTRAL TRAITS: Diplomatic, pragmatic, analytical, luxurious NEGATIVE TRAITS: Judgemental, slow to open up, proud, sensitive ZODIAC: Virgo sun, Libra moon, Cancer rising ARCHETYPE: The Intellect TEMPERMENT: Choleric

HISTORY:

born to Theodore and Victoria Jones in Scottsdale, AZ; an only child

Victoria was an art curator for the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Theodore was a political strategist, the household was always filled with important people

Theodora grew up quickly, always very polite and “mature for her age,” had a deep appreciation for the arts as they spent a lot of time with their mother at the museum, enjoyed the order and organization that came with it

throughout high school Theo’s attention to detail and intellect pushed her towards the top of her class. she didn’t want to follow in either of her parents’ footsteps, as she loathed the idea of nepotism, so she pursued a degree in english

as she was nearing her sophomore year of college, her father grew close with a mayoral candidate who had a son around theo’s age named edgar

the two spent a lot of time together at various political gatherings and grew close

they officially began courting at the start of theo’s junior year

he proposed the same day they were accepted into grad school

theo was elated - they’d always wanted a family, and edgar was kind and seemed as family oriented as they were. he was kind and caring and supported all of their endeavors

theo remembers exactly where they were when they discovered their relationship was a sham

the night before thanksgiving, she overheard her father speaking with edgar’s about the success of the carefully plotted relationship

theo ran to edgar -- devastated as she was that her father had tricked her, she didn’t want edgar to find out the same way she had

when she revealed what she had learned to edgar, he’d shrugged

i thought you knew, too.

theo was heartbroken. 

she had loved edgar with all of her heart

but upon hearing he’d been willing to lie to her for so long, she couldn’t feel any of the warmth of his love

in one swift moment, he’d grown cold to them

they felt limited. if they left, it would cause ripples of rumors throughout the town, everything her father and soon-to-be father-in-law had been hoping to avoid with the marriage

theo hoped, perhaps, over time, the rift between her and edgar could be closed

they were wrong

all throughout grad school, their relationship continued to fracture

theo, who ached for real love, couldn’t find it in their fiance’s eyes

they began to save money, gathering a nest egg over the next two years

as they approached graduation, the job postings began: the pleasance public library was hiring a librarian. theo couldn’t escape the postings. they were on every job site, every email, mentioned at every job fair and in all her google search results (even when she wasn’t looking for a job)

six days after she accepted the position, theo woke up at five am

they left their engagement ring on the bedside table, but nothing else

they made the drive from arizona to ohio in two days, stopping only once to sleep

they cried the whole way

her parents called her hundreds of times, but the one person she wanted to hear from had never really cared about her at all

theo isn’t sure what she expected upon arriving in pleasance, but a town filled with conspiracy theories and ghost stories certainly wasn’t it

however, she can’t deny that she’s grown accustomed to the pace of it all

she loves the library, her small home, the daily walks through the town

but she can’t deny the crack in her heart, still growing, mourning over the love she always wanted and never truly had

i’ll be posting some wanted connections / random headcanons here at a later date, but this is the basic layout!! ok thx 4 reading xo

[theonotdora]

CHARACTER NAME: Theodora ‘Theo’ Jones

GENDER AND PRONOUNS: Non-binary, She / They

AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: 33 (September 17, 1987)

OCCUPATION: Librarian at the Pleasance Public Library

PLACE OF BIRTH: Scottsdale, AZ 

LENGTH OF STAY IN PLEASANCE: September 2017

WHY DID THEY COME TO PLEASANCE? To escape a failed engagement and start a new life.

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imco

in my correct opinion

[theonotdora]