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artnerd1123 · 4 years

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A Familiar World

All Nerds Start Somewhere ——————————————

A regular trip to the library brings two sorcerers more than just new books...

The masterpost for AFW can be found here. The chapter post for AFW can be found here.

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This isn’t a traditional chapter by any means, but it’s definitely one I had fun with!!! Especially cuz my pal @vaaloirr co-wrote it with me! Since Alex and Journal are friends and eventually bfs in canon, we wanted to get some content out for them. What better way than fixing up n posting rps? :D

Also, it’s a good excuse for some baby lucy. What a cute kitty she is ;w;

Y’all will prolly see more of these as we get to em!!! Enjoy a first meeting for now ;3c

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Belle: Settling in is always strange. It’s even moreso in a new town, so much different than one’s old home. There’s so many different faces. Different places. Everything is new, and nothing’s quite the same. And, of course, it’s to be expected when you move from the country to a forest. The new town was nestled between trees, with huge crowds and buzzing magic. Home never would’ve thought of such a thing. ... ah, right. Home. That was another part of settling in. It meant completely changing your definition of “home.” For Journal Drapht, home was where his books were. And what better place to help him establish that than the library?

Journal had just finished browsing for the day. He’d spent most of his time over at the magic books, of course. There was so much more he could learn here! No way he was about to squander that. Not when he needed all he could get. He’d found enough beginner spells to have him set for weeks. It was perfect. What was also perfect was the legends section. He’d never seen that many books in one place in his life! And they were all about stunning magic, or awe inspiring show sorcerers, or- better yet- all sorts of terrifying monsters. Yeah, the library was perfect. It came as no surprise that Journal’s stack of books was a mile high. He was just doing his best to carry it all to the desk. “Next time I’ll get a fuckin... wagon... sheesh,” he grunted. Hopefully they’ll let me check all these out…

Vaal: Settling in was a strange thing indeed, especially when your idea of 'settling in' was getting settled in an apartment for a week before heading to the next town. Staying in one place for more than a couple of weeks was... strange. Especially for someone who had spent most of the last, what, ten, eleven years on the road? It was an adjustment in and of itself. Never mind all the new people, new places, new... everything. He'd only been in merchant towns a handful of times. At least all the rotating sets people sort of emulated the effect of moving constantly. Though, Alex Manson wasn't at the merchant town, at the moment.

The one thing Alex could complain about consistently when it came to his town was the lack of library. There was only one library, the school library, and if you didn't attend the school, you couldn't check anything out. And book merchants weren't always around. But! Thankfully, there was a good library in the next town over. It was. A whole day's worth of walking to get there, but that was fine. Sort of. His legs really didn't like him after these trips. And then there was the walk back. Ugh. Slightly less fine. But he had books to return. Lots... and lots of books. With a combined two days to get there and back, he wanted a supply of books that was worth the effort. He had a carriage bring him here, and he could walk back without the books. He had a sizable stack, one that blocked his vision, as he walked in. Okay, just gotta... find the desk... At least he had his little familiar in his hood, purring quietly. She seemed to enjoy the walks. She might have been asleep for all he knew. He couldn't leave her home... she got anxious without him. And it was good to get her out of the apartment every now and then. Show her that the world is bigger than their little two person apartment.

Belle: Journal tried to keep moving slow. He didn’t want to lose any books accidentally. It would be rather hard to pick them back up without dropping them all over. Rather unfortunate, then, that the slower he went, the more tedious it felt. He could hold a stack of books for hours! His arms wouldn’t get tired for a while. But he could not stand moving slow. It was so... unproductive. He had so many things to do at the apartment. He couldn’t afford to go slow. The sorcerer’s pace quickened a bit. He tried glancing around his book stack, but he couldn’t see anything. Great. Hopefully people would move out of the way. He just kept walking quickly. After all, who wouldn’t move when they see a person with a huge stack of- WHACK! Journal let out a yelp as he collided with an unseen obstacle, stumbling backwards. His books went spilling everywhere as he fell. He landed hard on his tailbone. “Oof- ghhh- owww-“ he groaned, wincing. That’s gonna bruise... He sat up shakily, rubbing his backside. What had he run into...? Was there a pillar, or-? The sorcerer’s face went pale when he registered the other person. Who he’d... smashed... into... Oh. Oh no. “... shit. H-hey, uh- I’m- im really sorry, are you ok???” He asked anxiously, stumbling over himself. What a horrible mess he’s made of things…

Vaal: Alex just walked... ever so carefully... he didn't want to bump into anyone, or anything. Not only did he have all these books, but he had Lucy curled up in his hood. She didn't need to be jostled. Now where was the Revaew damned desk- shouldn't it be close to the front door? Did he already pass it??? Revaew, that would be just like him. He had too many books! He brought too many back, because he wanted to get it all done in one trip, when he could have done it much more manageably in two, sure he'd have to pay a fee for bringing them in late, but it would be better than this! A lot of things would be better than this. He just hoped that he wouldn't bump into anybody. Hopes that were almost immediately dashed. Alex yelped as well when he suddenly ran into something. He wasn't going that fast, was he? He couldn't have been! Did somebody in a hurry bump into him? That had to be it, right? Well, either way, his books were all over the floor now. "Ah fffffu... Revaew..." He groaned, reaching a hand up to his ribs. Yeah, that was going to bruise. He glanced up at the voice. Oh. He did run into another person. Well. This was going to get awkward fast. "I'm fine, just a little bruised..." He replied, letting out a sigh. He was hearing something else too. Sounded like... like... whimpering... what would- Oh. The sorcerer immediately reached into his hood, checking for Lucy. She was still there! Thankfully, she hadn’t fallen out. He took her out of her little space, held her in his arms, gently bobbing the shaking little familiar up and down. "It's okay, it's okay-" He whispered, trying to calm her a little bit.

Belle: Journal sighed as well, shifting uneasily. At least the stranger didn’t seem angry. Or upset. Not on the surface, anyway. That was... nice. He winced again at the sight of all their books. They’d gotten all mixed up, hadn’t they? That was gonna be fun to sort out. He opened his mouth to ask about it, but never got the chance. His brows furrowed in utter confusion as the stranger pulled a cat out of his hood. A blue cat. One that was not all too furry, and quite distressed. What in the...? Is that a familiar??? he wondered, baffled. They reminded him of Roo. Another cat one...? Are... are all familiars just... cats??? A reasonable assumption for one who’s only met two familiars. But that didn’t matter right now. The distressed noises were tugging at his older sibling instincts. “Oh no... Did your familiar get scared?” He asked hesitantly. Worriedly. “Maybe hum for her a little. I-it might help, since she’s against your chest- she can feel whatever sound you make.” Did he know this from experience? Perhaps. Baby siblings need care as much as baby kittens. ... they were such a cute familiar... “... What's their name? They’re a cute lil thing,” he said softly. Just watching curiously. Seems the presence of a baby has distracted him from anxiety.

Vaal: Alex continued to bob Lucy up and down and whisper little reassurances. She was in a new place, she was jostled when he fell, and she was rudely awakened from her nap by said fall... not a great day for the little lass. He raised a brow at the others... suggestion? ... oh. Kay. He started to hum a little bit, nothing really... from a song, or anything, just. Something that sounded like. Something. He didn't know, he didn't hum much. But it did seem to help. The little familiar started to shake a little less, and she curled up a bit closer to her originator's chest. She stopped whimpering, so that was a good sign. After a moment, she started to slowly glance around, and her eyes almost immediately fell on the stranger. Who was that??? He seemed interested in... something. He glanced back up at the stranger in question when he asked his question. "... her name's Lucy." He said, quietly, shifting his hold on her a bit so she could be a little more comfortable. "And she is pretty cute, yeah..." He added, smiling softly. The familiar just curled up a bit in response. She gave a little wave, and then started to climb up onto the sorcerer's shoulder, perching herself there. Alex just let out a sigh, and looked at all the scattered books. Revaew, those were gonna take forever to sort out... Lucy's attention was still firmly on the other sorcerer though, her gaze filled with the mix of anxiety and curiosity you would expect a kid to have when meeting someone new.

Belle: Journal smiled a bit at the name. Lucy. A very nice name. Seemed fitting for the lil gal. He gave her a small wave and smiled in return. “Hi Lucy... sorry about the rude awakening...” he said quietly. She looked shy, and he didn’t blame her. Some kids were just nervous around strangers, and that was ok. At least her shoulder perching was cute. He gave her another smile before turning his attention to the books. ... they really were a mess. A big mess. Sheesh. He couldn’t even tell which books were his, now that he was looking at them. Amazing. Hopefully the stranger would know which were his... “I-I really am sorry about the mess,” he sighed, looking to the stranger. “I was carrying too many books for my own good. Do you know which of them are yours, uh-“ he paused. The sorcerer realized he didn’t know the other’s name. Whoops. “Oh- er- where are my manners- I-I haven’t even given you my name-“ he chuckled sheepishly. “I’m Journal. As in the kind you write in. What’s your name...?” Hopefully the name alone didn’t weird him out…

Vaal: Alex glanced up at the sorcerer again when he started to talk. Oh. Okay, apparently they were going to be talking. He was kind of hoping they could just both start to pick up and sort out their books in silence, but. Apparently he just. Wanted to keep talking to him. Okay then. And here he thought the only person he was going to be talking to was the person at the front desk. "... I'm Alex." He replied, trying not to sound as nervous as this made him feel. Lucy just stayed perched on his shoulder, looking to the other quietly. You could get a good sense of her size there. She was about as big as her originator's head, which of course made it easy to, say, fit in his hood. She was just curious about what Journal was all about. He seemed nice! The blue haired sorcerer glanced around at the books scattered on the floor. "... mine were mostly DragonStone books." He mumbled, already starting to pick a few up. "I had a couple of other stories though... and a few magic books for practice..."

Belle: Journal tried for a reassuring smile as the other- alex- spoke up. Alex! Another nice name. He seemed pretty nice, too. Though he did look sort of anxious... Guess that’s one thing we have in common, he thought grimly. But that wasn’t where the similarities ended. The sorcerer blinked in surprise as Alex continued. Magic books? Stories? DragonStone books??? Good lord, no wonder they were all mixed up. They had the exact same books. Maybe even literally. Oh Revaew, how cool would that be? He’d have found a fellow book nerd. He fidgeted a bit, trying not to look too excited. “W-well, uh, you might wanna make sure you’re picking up the right books,” he said hesitantly. He glanced down at the pile. Sure enough, there were two of the third DragonStone book. He held them up for Alex to see. “Iiii... had the same stuff.” He chuckled sheepishly. “Y’all read dragonstone? I thought I was the only one in town who read those!” There was a haltingly hopeful look in his eyes. Five minutes in, and Alex has already managed to bring out the nerd in him.

Vaal: Alex raised a brow when Journal mentioned that he might have to make sure he's picking up the right books. What? What did he mean by that? Of course, his answer came quickly. He blinked, looking pleasantly surprised. "Oh. Well. Would you look at that..." He mumbled, sounding a bit pleased with this development. "Yeah, yeah I read DragonStone. I just finished the fourth book, and I'm hoping to grab as many more volumes as I can..." He cleared his throat, as his tone started to shift to a more awkward one. "B-but I don't actually... live in uh. In this town. I live in the next town over...? To the west-ish? My town just... doesn't have a library. So I come to this one." Lucy was just looking quietly amazed at these developments. Wow! They read the same books! Maybe they'd be friends??? Alex could use more friends. She thought to herself. And I'd like more friends too... After a moment, she hopped off her originator's shoulder, and wandered over towards the other sorcerer. "H-hi!" She said, giving another wave. "It's! Really nice to meet you!" Her voice had all the charm of a nervous little kid trying their best to make a good first impression. Alex was happy to see her making an effort to make a new friend. It was heartwarming.

Belle: Journal lit up at Alex’s positive answer. Hey!!! He did find another nerd! Nice! Now if only he knew how to charm his way into talking with Alex about their shared interest... not that. He should be using charm. That only worked to keep people off his case back at his old town. And, unfortunately, it didn’t seem like Alex lived here. Drat. Sighing, he shrugged, handing Alex one of the books. “That’s fair. We’ve got a pretty good library here. I think I spend more time wandering around here than I do at home,” he joked. It was almost true, though. If he wasn’t training with his magic, he might as well just stay here all day... just sorting through books, like he was now... A quiet thump pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up curiously, gaze catching on the icy familiar making her way over. Oh? What was she up to? He smiled gently at Lucy when she spoke. She even sounded adorable… what a sweetheart. He liked her already. He set down his books so he could give her some proper attention. “Well, hey there lil lady,” he replied softly. Still smiling. “It’s nice to meet you too. You just along for the ride? Or are you lookin for some books too?” He briefly considered giving her a pat, but decided against it. He didn’t know if she was ok with those. “I bet I could point you towards some good ones, if you wanted!”

Vaal: Alex snorted when Journal mentioned that he probably spent more time here than at home. Yeah, he felt that. He really felt that. He had to spend a lot of time here to make the trip worth it, to be honest. "Yeah, I spend... a lot more time here than I probably should." He replied, handing him a magic book he knew he didn't have. "I kinda have to, because... well, it takes a day to get here... and then a day to get home... if I spend like... five minutes here, then the trip just doesn't feel worth it, y'know?" Lucy's little icy tail was thwipping from side to side as the sorcerer spoke. He sounded! Really nice! And he liked so many of the same books... at the question, she gave a little smile. "I like the dragonstone books too!" She replied, picking up the second book off the floor. "This one's my favorite so far..." Alex raised a brow at the others’ little conversation. Hmm. He should. Probably say something too, huh? "... my favorite book so far is the third one." He added, as he was getting all the books that he was sure were his in a neat little stack. "But that could change... there's plenty more in the series. I'm really liking it so far, though... really good books... especially when you animate 'em." Did he sound nervous? And anxious? Yes, and yes. But he was trying.

Belle: Journal smiled wider as Lucy and her originator spoke up. He still had books to gather, but he’d stacked enough that they weren’t everywhere anymore. He could just talk with these two. It was nice. He’d missed talking with... well. With friends. Lucy’s declaration made him chuckle. That book was huge compared to her! So cute. Though, Alex’s last comment gave him pause. Animate? “... well, I’m really fond of the fifth one, honestly,” he replied. Holding up his hands, he grinned knowingly. “No spoilers! But it really is a doozy, I’ll tell ya that. ‘S a fun one to read by lamplight. Especially if it’s midnight. Gotta get that atmosphere, eh?” He sounded plenty confident as he spoke. The series was one he loved, after all. Even his anxiety couldn’t ruin that. ... however, it popped back up a little bit. “I uh... I just... have one question for you,” he spoke up timidly. “What’s, uh... what did you mean by animate? If- If I said that right?” He ran a hand through his hair, his smile turned nervous. He always got this way about magic. It was a longtime hyperfixation of his, but he still knew less than he’d admit. “I’ve never heard of that before. Is it a book thing...?”

Vaal: Alex smiled at the little 'no spoilers' comment about the fifth book. He appreciated that. It would be so easy to spoil it. He probably would have accidently spoiled it, with how much he loved the books... and how much he loved talking about them... the mention of not knowing about animating books caused his expression to shift to a more confused one. He had... magic books. So. Obviously he knew magic... ... maybe he was new to it... He thought, internally debating how to answer. "Hmm... well..." He started, a little bit unsure how to explain it. His social anxiety certainly wasn't helping. "It's- it's like- well, you know spells where you like... uh... fuck..." He paused, and took a breath. "You know, like, illusion spells? Like, easy ones that look all smokey? Animating a book is basically doing that. It's a simple little spell where you enchant the book, then it opens, and... like... little figures pop out, and it plays out all the scenes in the book. So. You get to watch what happens, instead of just. Read." He shrugged. "It's pretty neat." "It's super cool!!!" Lucy added, bouncing on her feet. "That's why I like the second one!!! I think it's the best one if you animate it!" The sorcerer snickered a bit at her energy. She was so cute. He was really glad she seemed to be having a good time, despite the... rocky start. "We like to have little animated book nights after long days. It's a good way to unwind."

Belle: Journal listened closely, head tilted to the side. He nodded along as Alex explained. Ok... smoke spells, yeah. Those were what he’d started with. So it should be easy. And it was- what??? You could cast those on books??? How had he never figured that out??? His look of nervous intrigue shifted to utter fascination as Alex and Lucy continued. “Oh shit- that sounds awesome??? That’s- that’s really something you can do???” He chattered eagerly. “Damn, I know what I’m doing tonight. I might as well go through the whole DragonStone series again! Thanks!!!” He paused for a second, seeming to realize Lucy was listening. “Uh- Sorry about the language. Force of habit,” he said sheepishly. He glanced over at his book stack. Animating books... oh, he was already ecstatic. But… he didn’t know if he wanted to... Y’know. Leave the library yet. He had his book stack, sure. But he also had two new... hopefully friends...? “... hey, uh, since you two like dragonstone, could I... uh... make a recommendation?” He asked hesitantly. “Or a couple? Since, uh, since this is your book day and all. Maybe I could... I dunno, show you the best spots to find books in that shelf maze back there?” His smile was still confident, but his gaze was shy. He didn’t wanna overstep boundaries. He just wanted to hang around a bit more. “I don’t have anything else to do today. Not till I get back to my apartment, anyways.”

Vaal: Alex chuckled a bit at Journal's excitement, seemingly glossing over the swear. He had sworn around Lucy a few times. She knows that 'shit' is a bad word, she's not gonna say it. He's let that slip out more than a few times."No problem, I'm sure you'll have a great time." He replied, letting out a little sigh as he continued sorting through his books. Okay... that should be all of his books? He hoped they were. He didn't want to grab Journal's DragonStone books. They were the same books, yes, but he was returning his. He started to check the inside cover of the books for any 'return by this time' stamps when the other spoke up again. He raised a brow. That was... a nice offer, to be sure. Hmm. He thought about it for a moment, as he continued looking through everything. "Hmmmm... I mean, I don't see why not...?" He replied, glancing at Lucy. She seemed excited at the idea. "Thank you, I guess." The familiar just made a little face at her originator before turning to the sorcerer. "I think that's a great idea! Alex always complains about getting lost in here." She glanced at him again, snickering at the face he was pulling. "He'd get lost on his way to this town if there were any turns on the road here!" "I-I would not???" He sputtered indignantly. "My sense of direction is not that bad!" "What about that time we spent a whole day walking around town because you forgot where the apartment-" "I will ground you."

Belle: Journal looked delighted when Alex said yes. He tried to hide it, but the happy glow in his expression was going nowhere. He! Was gonna! Get to share good books!!! Not to mention he could hang out with Alex and Lucy! Hopefully he could call them friends properly by the time they had to leave. That would be nice. Even if... Y’know. They didn’t live here. That’s a problem for later. As Alex and Lucy bickered, he had to put a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. These were his favorite sorts of conversations to hear. You just knew there was a story behind em. Even if they’re only mentioned in passing. “Well, I dunno if I can help with the town problem,” he started, getting up. “But I can certainly help with the library one! How about I stick my books in a reserved spot, and you turn yours back in? And then I show you around?” His eyes sparkled eagerly, one hand gently patting the top of his book stack. Ah, yes. The excited pats. “It’s easy once you pick up what spots the different genres are in!”

Vaal: By end of the little bickering session, Alex had his arms crossed, giving Lucy a stern look. The familiar was just sticking her tongue out at him like the little kid she was. Adorable. Absolutely adorable. He simply nodded at Journal's words, picking up his stack of books, and prompting the little familiar to climb up and get settled in his hood again. Though she had her head rested on his shoulder now, wanting to see everything going on instead of just napping the day away. "Sounds good, sounds good..." He said, looking around the pile of books he had. "Lets just hope I don't fall over again..." The sorcerers managed to find the front desk fairly quickly, now that they weren't. Well. On the floor. Falling over apparently helped them get their bearings. Alex got all his books returned and sorted out, still feeling a bit sheepish about just how many he had. And he was probably going to leave with just as many. After everything was sorted out, he turned to Journal, looking... nervously neutral, but still optimistic. He was letting a little smile creep across his face, but that was about it. He was just nervous about looking too excited. Anxiety issues. Lucy looked excited enough for both of them, though. "Okay, uh... feel free to uh. Show us around, I guess."

Belle: Journal hefted his book stack up with ease, following happily after Alex. The librarians on duty ended up making him just. Take a box. It would be easier for them to keep an eye on the books he wanted if they stayed together. Especially since they could put boxes behind the counter. Journal just apologized sheepishly for how many he had. Evidently, it isn’t he thinks about until checkout time. By the time Alex was ready, Journal was practically bouncing in place. He didn’t want to look too eager either, but a tapping foot and shining eyes betrayed him. He just!!! Loved the library! He loved the books! He had a new- er- acquaintance?- who wanted to be shown around and also loved books! And he had a cute familiar! What was there he shouldn’t be excited about? He lives out of town, his mind grumbled. Shut it, he thought in return. “Sooo... I think we can start with legends, since that’s always nice,” he said nonchalantly. He motioned for Alex to follow him, heading confidently towards the shelves. “And then move over to magic books, and then the series like DragonStone...” Excitement crept into his voice the more he spoke. He kept glancing at Alex and Lucy as he walked- both to make sure they kept up, and to gage interest. He wanted to make sure they liked whatever he was chattering about. Hopefully this was helpful and nice for the two of em…

Vaal: The two of them happily followed along, Lucy obviously looking happier than Alex, but he was letting that little smile on his face get bigger as they walked into the maze of shelves. Yeah, he would already be lost if it wasn't for Journal. Speaking of Journal, he was... he was pretty nice. He was a nice guy, maybe a little nervous? But he could understand that. It'd be nice to have a friend in this town. It'd be uh. Nicer to have a friend in his current hometown, but a friend in the next town over was still pretty good. Better than no friends, that's for sure. "I think that sounds good." He replied, giving the familiar on his shoulder a couple of pats. "I don't think I need more magic books right now? But it never hurts to look over a few... just in case there's something interesting that I wanna learn." He shrugged, almost throwing Lucy off balance. "I'm more interested in the legend and DragonStone stuff, to be honest..." He was also interested in having someone to talk to about those legends and DragonStone stuff, but he felt like that'd be a little weird to just... say. To somebody he just met.

Belle: Journal paused talking to listen as they walked. Ah! Good to know. And good for his excitement, honestly. He hadn’t had an opportunity to really get into legends until... well. Until a month ago, really. He had many widely known legends to catch up on! Lots of things to learn! It made him happy. And fueled his dreams of recreating them onstage, one day. Alex likes dragonstone, legends, magic... he’s really nice... has a sweet familiar... and I found him in a library. Could I find a better friend if Revaew herself made one for me? he wondered to himself. What came out, though, was none of that. He spoke as he kept walking, making little gestures as he did so. “Oh! Right, of course! I was just gonna take you around so you knew where stuff was,” he chuckled sheepishly. “We can definitely loiter in the legends section...” He fell silent for a moment. Considering. “... it, uh, it’ll be nice to have some company looking at them, honestly. I’m not as knowledgeable as I’d like to be,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “If- if it’s ok to do that! I mean, we’re doing a tour to get you acquainted, not for legend hour.” Unless you’d like that, his gaze seemed to say. Revaew. He was so awkward. Hopefully Alex could pick up the hint... if not, that was ok! Just... having a buddy would be nice. That’s all.

Vaal: Alex was happy to be wandering the library with someone- two someones, even! It was Lucy's first trip to the library, though he thought she was going to be asleep the whole time. He wished she didn't have such a rude awakening, though. At least she seemed to be enjoying herself regardless. He visibly perked up a bit more at the mention of loitering in the legends section, and gave a chuckle at the mention of not being as knowledgeable as he'd like to be with legends. "I know a lot about legends, honestly." He replied, his face making it clear that he was starting to reminisce. "I got to hear about a lot of them from my uncle..." He cleared his throat a bit awkwardly. Okay, that's enough, he didn't ask for your life story. "A-anyway, I'd love to, uh, loiter in the legends section for a bit. Would you mind, Lucy?" "Nope, that sounds good!" She said, giving a little smile. "As long as we can pick up the other DragonStone books for animated book night, I'm happy!" He chuckled. "Yeah, that's what I figured, but I thought I'd ask."

Belle: Journal perked up a bit at Alex’s mention of hearing legends from an uncle. So they were passed on orally... from family, too... explains how I knew nearly nothing but the horror stories, he grumbled mentally. But Alex wasn’t here for childhood losses. No, he was here for loitering in the legend section. And Journal was too. “Hell yeah, legend loitering,” he smiled, giving Alex a thumbs up. “Maybe you could be the one recommending legends for me, eh?” His tone was joking, but also hopeful. “I’ve, er, kinda been hoping for someone to talk legends with. I mean!!! My roommate is nice! But he’s... well. We’re, uh, still getting used to each other. A-and that’s not the point.” He chuckled ruefully as they walked into the section. He stopped to just... admire the books. There were so many... they were so different... so cool... even the scarier ones... He looked back at Alex with a contented smile. “... welp. We’ve got time. Books are all ours.”

Vaal: Alex nodded at Journal's mention of a roommate. Yeah, he could get that, sort of. It was just him and Lucy in his apartment, but he still had to get used to being in an apartment for more than a weekend. He was still adjusting. Every morning he had been waking up expecting his uncle to come in and tell him that they had to pack up. But no. He was. Staying. In one place. Hopefully he could get used to it. If he couldn't, he could probably just move around more, like most questors do... though, he would prefer to stay in one spot. For Lucy's sake. He wanted her to grow up in a home, not a house. Or, apartment, rather. He wanted a lot of things for her... hopefully he could provide. He looked over all the books on the shelves, his eyes betraying his excitement, the familiar on his shoulder looking more visibly amazed. He gave a whistle, prompting her ears to twitch a bit. "So many books, probably not as much time as I'd like..." He mumbled jokingly. Well, sort of. He was amazed by how many titles he recognized... his smile suddenly widened as he noticed one book in particular. "Oh! Hey!" He grabbed the book, his smile softening as he turned the cover over. It seemed to be a kids story about a kid and a dragon. "I remember this book... I used to read this all the time, back when I... I..." His voice trailed off as his smile faltered a bit. He shook his head, trying to brush it off before Journal could notice. "... i-it was my favorite childhood story." Lucy was just looking over aaaaall the books, her expression one of absolute childlike wonder. Look at! All!! Of those books!!! There were so many!!!

Belle: Journal was practically glowing with happiness as Alex and Lucy looked on. They were excited! It made him feel nice. He hummed contentedly as he perused the shelves. So many names... he felt like he’d hardly made a dent in all these legends. But the ones he knew, he knew by heart. And he was slowly adding to his mental library. When Alex spoke up, he glanced over curiously. Oh! A legend book! Looked like a kid’s book, and from Alex’s words, he was right. Though... was something wrong? Journal blinked, and Alex looked ok again. He... wouldn’t mention it. He knew how it was with slip ups. The sorcerer just smiled in return, leaning over to take a look. “Ooh, looks sweet!” He replied. “Like a classic kid’s book. I think I had one like that... hang on, lemme look at the shelves...” He stepped away to search. It wasn’t long before he trotted back over to Alex, a book in hand. “Here! This is the one I read to death when I was little.” He held it out. It was about a show sorcerer, from the looks of it. Full of many adventures. It was one of those books he’d kept wedged behind his bed frame at home… memories. Journal shrugged timidly. “It’s... uh... kiiinda the only legend I really knew since... somewhat recently,” he admitted, sighing. He waved a hand, as if to brush it off. “Which! Is why! I’m glad the library has so many!” He swept his hand toward the shelves, tension leaving in favor of childlike eagerness. “‘S plenty to learn and to read and to fall in love with. ‘M real happy about that.” He glanced at Alex, a trace of nervousness in his gaze. He liked legends. He was already showing him around the library. Maybe he could... “... hey... uh... I know we literally just bumped into each other, but. Uh. Would you maybe wanna talk legends if we met up again...?” He asked nervously. “Or- like- Y’know, if we were pen pals we could write back and forth, if- if that’s cool. J-just an idea, it’s fine if you don’t wanna or anything!” Oh Revaew, please let that not have been awkward...

Vaal: Alex wasn't sure if Journal didn't notice his slip up, or if he just wasn't prying. If it was the former, he was glad, if it was the latter, he was thankful for the consideration. Either way, he raised a brow when he suddenly trotted off, and it was still raised when he came back. Though he quickly started smiling again when he saw what book it was. "Hey! I know that one!" He exclaimed, as he quickly started reminiscing again. "I used to read that one a lot... it was one of my uncle's favorites too." He gave a sigh, his mind trailing off as all the good old memories came flooding back. Any memory with his uncle was a good one. At the mention of pen pals, though, he blinked. Pen pals? Like, keeping in contact? Well... they just met, but. He seemed nice. And they seemed to have quite a few things in common, so... "... I mean, I don't see why not." He answered, giving a slightly nervous, but still genuine, smile. "It'd be nice to have someone to talk books with! And maybe I can show you that book animating spell, it's a, uh, pretty simple one." He definitely felt like things were moving a little fast, but then he remembered a saying his uncle had: 'Friendships can happen in a month or a minute.' This just so happened to be the latter. And he was alright with that. Lucy, meanwhile, was still enraptured with all the books. As the two were talking about pen pals and all that, she pulled a book that caught her interest from the shelf, and showed it to Alex, nearly bonking him in the back of the head with it. "Can we take this one?" She asked, giving him those hopeful little kid eyes. "I thought it looked neat..." It seemed to be a little mystery book about a sorcerer thief who left glass flowers as a calling card. He raised a brow at it, and gave a little smile. "... I mean, it does look neat... sure! It'd make for a good book night treat."

Belle: Journal’s smile was both delighted and relieved at Alex’s response. He hadn’t managed to mess up his question, and he’d gotten a pen pal! Nice. I mean, technically nettles is a pen pal. But. Still. I can talk legends and books and magic with my new one, he thought happily. The sorcerer was content to chat with Alex about details as his familiar looked over the shelves. Her sudden book snatching and eager words made Journal chuckle. “Oh, I’ve seen that one around! Haven’t had the chance to read it yet,” he hummed. “If it’s good, let me know! I can, uh, add it to my ‘to read’ list.” As if that wasn’t long enough already. “... Y’know, I bet we could both swap a couple book recs, now that we’re here...” He sighed softly as he looked around again. So many books... so little time... At least he had company today. It felt a lot nicer to browse books with these two. And they would probably be there for awhile. That was perfectly fine with him.

Vaal: Alex wasn't really expecting to get a pen pal today, just some books, but it definitely wasn't something he was against! Besides, it would probably be a little easier on his social anxiety to get to know Journal through letters at first. Of course they'd hang out sometimes, but... well, he assumed they would, anyway. That's like. The end goal of pen pals, right? To get to a point where you can hang out as often as you write to each other? He really didn't know, he's never had one before. He was probably really overthinking this. He smiled again at the mention of book recs. Ooooh yeah, he definitely had some stuff to recommend. Another good thing about this! He could share all his favorite books with someone! And maybe talk about them too, if he liked them as much as him. Though he might not, because... well... He liked some of these books a lot. He could talk for hours about a single book no problem. "Well... if you like DragonStone, then I might know a couple of other books you might enjoy too..."

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