OC book club (IC)

Posted 3 years, 2 months ago (Edited 3 years, 2 months ago) by LostPocong

Here's an Idea: Your OC hangs out with the one above to talk about books they love... or hate. Or maybe some comics? Or manga? Either a real book or something you just made up. So kinda like OC Movie Night, but with literature.

Rules:

No NSFW
Spoiler sensitive things (or turn both the text and background black, like this)
Don't be rude to users

Short Example:

Ace: First!! | Sounds interesting, I'll borrow it when I have some time.

Lea: Do you know 'Moby Dick'? It's about a man called Ahab who is obsessed with hunting a white whale.

First Post gets a freebie. (ignore IC, meant to post OOC)

Fulvous PolarisStorm

Plops the comic-loving supervillain here...

“Comic books!” Fulvous squealed back, silently hoping that, at the very least, Brown wouldn’t just focus all of her attention on their cat. Pistachio deserved the attention, yeah, but they wanted attention too! Up until recently, at least, Brown was really the only one coming to their house, so… “Yeah, it’s a medium,” they confirmed, “Sometimes they are confusing, but comics are pretty and straightforward! They’re the best! I wonder if I’d still be alive if they didn’t exist, because if they didn’t exist, I doubt superheroes and supervillains would exist either.” That’s... Not concerning at all!

“I get that, sometimes reality is stranger than fiction, and knowledge is power. I read Wikipedia a lot of the time, so-” They paused when a comic book was grabbed from their hand, which made them make a small, happy squeak. Oh God. They only had a massive smile on their face and stayed silent until Brown began to read through them, which caused them to make another small, happy squeak, in a slightly higher pitch than last time (wow, who knew that was possible?). They once again stayed silent for a little while, listening to Brown’s thoughts on the book… Until she said ‘reenact’. Oh God, oh fuck. Here we go.

“YEAH!” they suddenly loudly screeched, “We should do that! I do it all the time! It’s called being a real-life supervillain! There’s real-life superheroes who do nice things, and then there’s real-life supervillains who do bad things… Mostly! Some don’t, and I say they’re pussies. Anyway, you wanna be a supervillain with me? Let’s work on the outfit! You gotta have a really cool outfit! Like mine! Like the one I got you! Or maybe we can make one you like better?”

Brown (Human) kafkaesque

this is a bit longer than what I usually write, so into the spoiler box my response goes. also!! there might be mentions of graphic violence at the end (as is expected for Brown apparently), so potential cw for that- u_u

“Comic books, huh?” Brown repeated to the enby nonchalantly while… Not focusing much of her attention on them at all. Greeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaat.

Instead, the middle-aged woman chose to fawn over their pet cat, Pistachio, as she stroked the molly’s fur and hummed, “Well, if I have to be honest with you… I have never heard of such a medium before. Or is it a genre? Books are confusing as fuck, aren’t they The last question was directed at nobody in particular, as she started to coo to Pistachio just moments later as she lifted the molly into the air and started to make kissing noises at it. “Isn’t that right?” she continued to coo, “The classifications are all so arbitrary… Books are books at the end of the day, mm?”

She thankfully laid the cat back down in her lap when she sniffed, “But then again, I have not touched much fiction at all lately. I mostly tend to confine myself to more… How do I say this…” Brown trailed off as she carefully coursed her fingers through Pistachio’s soft, dark grey fur. “... Not… Fictional?” the older woman managed to parse after a few seconds of awkward silence. She paused and chewed on her lip. Truthfully, she could’ve done much better with her portrayal of her preferred genre, but words were words, and… They just went forward. They never went back, and Brown was going to have to swallow down that fact whether she wanted to or not.

“I mean it in the sense that I usually tend to read shit like encyclopedias and journals - that sort of literature,” the aristocrat mused in an almost… Wistful, melancholic tone? Uh oh. Pausing for a moment to take a breath, she allowed her petting of Pistachio’s fur to slow down while she reached a hand out to take one of the comic books that the enby had shown to her. As she flicked her thumb through the pages, Brown sniffed, “... I would be reading one right now if I felt like towing a book around, if I had to be honest with you. I somewhat envy people who can carry their tomes around with them, but then again… Those tend to be rather sleek.” She paused.

“Kind of like those comics of yours, mm?” Uhhh…

At least a curious trill entered her voice as she carefully placed the comic book on top of Pistachio’s fur and opened it. Brown was immediately greeted with colorful drawings of… What appeared to be flashy-looking characters. Her brow raised for a second, but she was quick to relax a bit when she realized what she had flipped to… A fight scene. And, of course, she was invested in that shit. Not that it made anything better by any means! With a sniff, the middle-aged woman lifted the pages up to her nose as she continued to read, if only because she wanted to see how much action was going on- Oh, and gore. Obviously.

Brown could be seen fluttering her lashes as she chirped, “I could potentially see myself carrying around a comic book of my own, or something like that… Though I kind of like it when people interpret me according to their own mind. Not based off some shit they saw scrawled onto paper. The ambiguity is fun and all!” She then placed the comic down onto a nearby desk and grinned at the enby. “That asides!” the aristocrat barked while placing a hand back onto sweet baby Pistachio, “I think… Maybe these could be fun little scenes to reenact… Like…” She pointed a bit too eagerly at the scene she had read through earlier - full of punches, kicks, and what seemed like “superpowers.”

“... This!” she almost shouted while stroking Pistachio’s fur with her free hand, “Obviously, I can’t shoot lazers, or whatever the fuck that is, but… Think of the flair involved in beating the shit out of people that way! So much blood and sputum flying everywhere! I can see this having potential, really. We just need to actually hatch these plans…” Or... Don't? It sounded terrible either way.

@ NP: when it comes to book preferences, Brown tends to lean towards nonfiction works, especially if they concern her interests (such as fossils or gardening). don’t be surprised if she’s caught reading an encyclopedia about fossils and whatnot. she might also be into thrillers or horror, but mostly just because of the edgy stuff. inversely, she’d be pretty bored/disgusted by romance, as well as confused by science fiction and fantasy. :3c

ofc, though, you don’t have to go for these notes if you don’t want to……. feel free to go creative with your response!! the furry must suffer as a treat.

I’ll try my best to write a follow-up for NP if I have the time!!

Lea Moore LostPocong

Spoilered because gory (made-up) horror novel:

„We do have a compendium on all of the fossils that have been found on this island, “the librarian explained, “but I’m afraid it is not available at the moment. It has been borrowed by someone. But I am sure we have something else that you will enjoy, let’s see…” For some reason, her customer reminded her of a novel that was only finished a few days ago. She asked, “You mentioned that you are partial to horror stories, correct? I have recently gotten something that might interest you, follow me please.”

She led Brown to the horror section, where several copies of the book in question were on display, to be sold. Lea took out a copy and showed it to her guest, its cover showing several people in front of a building with gothic architecture cowering before the outline of a wolf. The librarian explained, “The title is, ‘The long night’. It is about multiple people who are forced to take shelter in the cathedral of this city during a snowstorm. After a few hours of being together, an argument breaks out between the trapped people, only to be interrupted by a scream.” She stopped for a moment to ask, “This book contain some very explicit descriptions of violence, does that bother you?”

Making sure her guest was warned, she continued, “The cast investigates the noise, and find a maimed priestess, and the beast responsible; A large, bipedal wolf, with pitch black fur and sharp claws and teeth.” Setting the book down, she said, “So, the perspective of the book switches multiple times, showing all of the characters trying to survive being hunted by the monster. And the conflicts between the characters add to the drama, and bloodshed.”

“Personally, it has been my favorite book since it was released. I especially like the- “She hesitated for a moment before saying, “I hope this is not giving away too much, but there is a chapter from the perspective of the wolf. That one is really good... but very violent…”

NP: She's a librarian and knowledgeable about all sorts of books. She's less familiar with comics/manga's but doesn't dislike them.

Welcoming a new visitor to her library, Lea said, “Hello, may I help you.” When her guest admitted to not coming to read any books of the library, the librarian replied, “That is alright, many people come here for the atmosphere, or just because they need a quiet place to read. Writers too come here, if you do want something that will motivate or inspire you, let me know and I will try to help you find something.”

Asked about her appreciation for books, Lea smiled and answered, “Neither, I suppose. I do not think I would have the patience necessary for this job if I was not already interested in literature when I started.” She explained, “We have plenty collections of poetry, if you are looking for something that will provoke certain emotions, like sadness or anger, I recommend the works of Sasha Abbott.”

Hala Oidekivi Vapor

The library was good enough for a last-second study, one far quieter than her office back home, thanks to the constant clanging and muttering of the household workers. She was sure they were talking about her, and, well...

Here she was.

"I'm sorry I didn't, ah, come here to read any books you have on display here." Hala said to Lea, "I should, though, shouldn't I? ..Yes, I suppose." She brushed her hair back behind her ear, and then hesitantly added, "It's only that I'm of the opinion that -- that if you don't have the time or motivation to read, you don't have the time or motivation to write! Perhaps that could be a little pretentious, but reading is so important to influencing own's own unique style of creating, and..."

She caught herself as she started to ramble, and smiled feebly as she pushed one of her textbooks to the side. It was a massive one bound in a red hardcover, the title letters gilded on the front -- 'A Guide to Flower Symbols'. Another, 'Introduction to Botanical Structures and Aspects' sat opened next to her notebook.

"Obviously, these two I brought with me are based around plant life. I was going to stick with 'A Guide To Flower Symbols', but I got a bit carried away. I don't know if being a librarian gives you more or less of an appreciation for books -- it must be difficult having to cart them around all the time -- but..." As she moved to close the botanical textbook, she offered Lea a halfhearted smile. "I would be more than happy to talk about whatever books with you -- I really don't think there's anything I dislike. I always felt that... making oneself sad or angry helps influence their writing, so I..."

Once again, she paused. Her cheeks were burning. "I know, I should stop talking about that sort of thing. Have you any good poems you think I would like? Like I said, I-I think I'll read anything."

FOLLOW-UP hala goes :]

Hala gathered her books into her arms as they were offered back to her. If it was an consolation, she suffered from clumsiness more so nowadays than one would expect. It might have simply come from the injury, but...

Holding her textbooks close to her chest, she listened patiently to the younger woman, now and then adjusting the books in her arms. She might have gone on her way more quickly, but the mention of Catarina having owned the two books -- 'A Guide to Flower Symbols', in particular -- caught her attention right away. She gave a polite nod, and then an equally as polite smile. "Oh, well, my copy of 'A Guide to Flower Symbols' is quite recent -- I know the author on a... somewhat personal level. I wasn't aware that he wrote anything else, though? I'll have to ask him about that..."

She then tapped on the larger botanical textbook, and then said, "This one hasn't been updated in quite some time, I believe, since... Um, you know, I think those who worked on it are all -- all dead at this point, but!" She managed an uneasy chuckle. "Another man I know still holds it in rather high esteem... And has tried to expand upon it with his own research, but..."

Hala perked up when it came to the girl's next suggestion. Alas alas, the 5900s are cruel. "I don't believe I've heard of Howl's Moving Castle. I assume that's fantasy? I've not read much -- well, I haven't read much high fantasy lately, I should say. I've always leaned a bit towards thrillers and dramas, but I know high fantasy would be a fine deviation from that... Do you know where a copy of that could be? I'd like to check it out, and maybe, miss, if you'd like, we can meet here again for a review?"

"Only if you want to, of course." she added bashfully, "The title itself is enchanting, anyhow. I think I'd have fun with it!"

And goodness knows she could actually use a bit of fun these days.

Catarina Faye rattieberry

"Ah! So sorry, miss!" Catarina exclaimed, picking up the woman's textbooks. She's not usually this clumsy, but the library must've been renovated, because that table certainly wasn't there before. As she piled them back onto her workplace, she took special note to the titles: 'A Guide to Flower Symbols' and 'Introduction to Botanical Structures and Aspects'. "Oh, are these new editions?" she asked, but not long enough for the stranger to answer. "Sorry, I just own both of these, so I was curious. They're very good books. Did you know Gardenias mean 'secret love'?"

She adjusted her hat, a petal shifting loose and drifting to the floor. "This same author-" she pointed to A Guide to Flower Symbols "-wrote The Elements of Floral Style. It's a lovely read, I think you'd like it," the witch continued. "But I'll admit it's...a little long, for what it is. I read Howl's Moving Castle in-between, that'll always be my go-to-" Catarina stopped herself. "Sorry, I shouldn't prattle, it's impolite. But that book is also wonderful. It happens to be my favorite." Favorite being an understatement, coming from the girl who has a personally annotated, highlighted, and bookmarked copy. "It's a nice breather to get away for a bit- I like how fantasy can do that to you. Though, I'd really only read it if you like romance, miss."

NP: Catarina is a big fan of romance books and fantasy, but she'll also read anything about nature! Of course, feel free to go totally against this and bewilder her. She's too polite to really protest.

Red queenansleis

Red perked as he heard the steps of a patron behind him and instinctively slid a leather scrap between the pages of what he had been reading. He rose from his seat, turned to greet the individual, and stifled a nervous cough when he saw it was a bright young girl in the doorway. "Oh, welcome," he began, averting his gaze. "Can I help you find anything?"

Suddenly the accumulating dust and dim light of the library seemed stifling; it certainly contrasted Catarina's pink frills. "There are a few romance stories this way," Red instructed, gesturing to a bookcase that was small yet well-loved. The books in these shelves were more radiant than the dark, bare spines of most of the library's other titles.

"If I may give a suggestion, actually," Red interrupted, hurriedly plucking an ornate cover from another nearby case, "you might enjoy this one." He handed the book over, and upon closer inspection, the front was decorated with golden floral patterns that grew along the cover's edges and towards the middle. "There are excerpts from a princess' diary in there, and she wrote a lot of poetry about the castle grounds, as well as the many loves throughout her life." Red watched expectantly for Catarina's reaction.

"Of course, it's fine if you aren't interested, there's plenty of other books in the library," he added, clearing his throat.

Kenshin Yamada PicklePantry

After hearing so much about the mysterious library and its owner, Ken decided to spend his day off visiting it. He needed more things to help pass the time anyway. Of course, he still went in disguise, dressed in a bulky coat with a cap on his head and a scarf and sunglasses hiding his face. He hesitated, however, at the sight of the librarian that greeted him. That... was not human! That was a big bird! A-A vulture! How was he that big, and how was he talking?!
Ken recomposed himself. W-Whatever. People could look and be whatever they wanted, he wasn't one to judge. And that meant Red couldn't judge him about his book choices either!
"... I'm looking for romance books," he mumbled, a voice that was already muffled by his scarf. He followed Red to the shelf he pointed out, then took the book that was recommended. Huh, Ken had never seen a cover like this. He opened the book to a random page. What...? He flipped through a few more pages, and more, and more--
"What gives, there's no pictures here!" he snapped at the librarian. "You can't write a good story without pictures! Where's your manga? I'll show you the real love stories!" Not even waiting for a reply, the idol fervently looked through his phone, holding it out to Red once he found what he needed. On the screen was a picture of the manga's cover: a young anime woman blushing next to a tall anime man. "See?!" Ken huffed. "You can already tell the plot and the character personalities through this! I can't tell anything through that lame cover you showed me! This is superior! Where do you have these? In fact, do you have this specific story?"
He looked back at the book previously recommended, pulling it closer to himself. "Hey! I didn't say I wasn't taking this! I'm just... gonna compare it with the manga! Not because you recommended it!"

Ken loves him some manga, but he's an absolute sucker for anything romance, even if he tells you he hates it.

Ken was just about to suggest some excellent manga to his open-minded friend when Ryan's words interrupted his thought process. He blinked once, then twice, then snapped his head in his direction. "Excuse me?!" he practically snarled. "Backwards for YOU maybe! You guys read stuff weird all the time!! Horizontal?! And you know what, to me it looks like you read your stuff backwards!"
When handed the comic book, Ken very blatantly cringed in front of it. "Eww, what is this?!" he scoffed. Nonetheless, he took it. He gave the cover an unimpressed look then moved the book around as though he were weighing it. "Pfft. Yeah, sure, it's bigger, but it feels flat. At least with manga I feel like I'm holding an actual book." He flipped to a random page, cringing once more then holding it out for Ryan to see. "Look at this!! Why are they so... bulky, huh?! The eyes are too small, too! And the costumes are lame!"
Shaking his head, Ken shoved the comic back into Ryan's hand, then added a manga book to it. "You want real art, read this, loser. The art is way better than anything you'd see in that lame comic, and I know for a FACT the plot is better! It's about this guy who gets superpowers by--" One look at the book showed that he seemed to have given Ryan the wrong book...

This user's post has been blocked from this thread.

Maribelle Burnett Vapor

"I'm picky about what I read." Maribelle said, perhaps a bit too boastful for her own good, as she looked over Vladimir skeptically. "I mean, obviously. I should hope you are, too. Mystery doesn't really need too much influence from other genres, you know -- like, I feel like if you threw too much fantasy or romance, Gods forbid, into a novel like that." As if to exemplify her stance, she turned her nose up at the book she passed across the table to the spy.

"This is 'The Confession', it's by Laferriere." she said to Vladimir, "It's about an investigation into a trafficking scandal. I think it's a good example of what I'm talking about -- it's a good book! I mean, I'm just hoping you can actually appreciate something as good as this." ..Is it really that good?

Probably not.

"But, well, you being a spy and liking mystery is a bit expected, isn't it?" She then scoffed, as she pushed the book closer to the man. It was hardback, the cover pitch black. It had absolutely no lettering on the front, back, or along the spine. "I think I can agree with you on those cartoon books, though. I think they're stupid, and, like, I'm pretty sure most people who read them are stupid. Especially grown men who read them! Who would spoil their heads with a kid's book of all things?"

"..So, what I guess I'm saying is that thank goodness you're more into mystery, even if it's probably a little obvious." she said, "'Cause there's soooo much worse you could like."

OKAY HERE WE GO TWO RESPONSES.

kafkaesque

"Whether or not I'm interested in those sorts of things doesn't matter." said Maribelle, shambling past Johnson so that she could slot one of the books into a particular shelf. "Fuchs has me read them, anyway." Which was more painful for her than she expected. Wasn't it her father's duty to teach her about government, anyway? Her mentor's lessons were preferable, but he was... passionate about such topics. Passionate, hateful, strangely optimistic -- all ingredients leading to disaster, as far as she was concerned. And she was right to be concerned.

As she shoved another book into the shelf, carefully looking at their spines as she worked, she couldn't help but frown at Johnson, who she turned to and asked, "Do you just never read?" Her eyes shifted to the creature nearby, catching its burble. Oh, the little boy. He could read, she decided, and she also decided that, and she said this bluntly, "I'm sure your animal might enjoy reading more."

She followed his gaze to the textbook hanging over them. It was, indeed, a bit out of her reach. Maybe if she stood on her tiptoes, she could...

"I'm good at climbing." she confirmed, "I climb the cliffs back home, getting into the caves and tombs. I could probably climb the shelves." But then that would be a disaster -- the shelf would fall on her, and she would die, and there would be even more of a mess to clean up. Nevertheless, she neared the ladder left in the closet, and dragged it out by its rungs. As she carried it to and then propped it against the shelf leading up to the botanical textbook, she let out a huff.

As she began scaling the ladder, she glanced back down at Johnson and his animal. She smiled at the latter, because of course she did. But, the former...

"It does a lot besides float around." she snapped at Johnson, as she pulled the textbook from its place, "It can water plants, and it can eat. I don't know if you know that. I don't know if you care." Sooner or later, she was going to accuse him of animal abuse. Her. Maribelle. Who kicked puppies whenever they got within a leg's reach of her. "Here, watch." she said, "I can prove it."

She whistled at the green blob, and after a quick "catch!", she threw the book down at its face. I really hope it actually caught that book.

Aero

Was Maribelle happy to see Ryan? ..It seemed that way, as she turned to his voice immediately, and straightened out of her slouch.

"And you." She replied monotonously. "I was just about to... oh?" Oh???? She brightened somewhat when he mentioned the book. Was it silly that she didn't expect him to actually read it? ..Now she felt kind of bad for shitting all over grown men reading comic books. Emphasis on kind of, because she was going to keep being mean and being cool for being mean. "Oh, well -- it's not -- it's not a very long book, anyway, it's only about three hun-- hundred pages. That... many pages... Did you get to the part where the maiden's revealed to actually be the sea dragon?"

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to mention that, but Maribelle was stupid and didn't understand the word "spoilers".

She only perked up further when out from behind Ryan came two books, then placed on the tabletop between them. She shuffled closer to the first book, and with wide, curious eyes, studied the title. He wasn't wrong to suggest that she was into, ahem, "edgy" stories, and in fact, she nodded in response to such an implication as she gathered the book into her arms. It was probably to be expected. Teenagers loved edge.

"I mean, I'll read anything." she said, "Like... I look at the sketches in my textbooks, usually..." She fell silent with that, even if only for a second, before she cleared her throat and added, "I read a lot of 'dark' books, though, so I guess you're right about that, sir. I don't know much about the Victorian era or -- I don't know anything about it, really -- or anything like that, but it sounds nice. Is it nice? ..If it's as serious as you say, then I'm not really sure, but the book sounds nice, at least."

Then, there was the second book, 'Sincerely, Mr. Black'. More enthusiastically this time, she said, "I read a lot of legal thrillers. I mean, I'll probably read both of them, and -- and, when I finish 'The Aristocrat of the Abyss', I can try to dig up one of the books I have in my room. I think most of them are library books, though, so don't lose them when I give them to you." Honestly, most of her library books were already overdue. She was going to have some insane late fees. Save for the only book she actually owned, which...

"I can show you 'The Ornithologist', if you want." she offered, "Like, after I finish that book, and you finish yours. It's about a doctor who... becomes a bird... But, uh, yeah-- yes. Yes, I'll read these." As she picked up the second book, she couldn't help but frown at the mention of a serial killer in a paper bag. She knew him, and oh boy, she was--

"Him?" Maribelle groaned, "I know him, he's talked to me a few times. I gave him a... McDonalds' thing."

Johnson (Human) kafkaesque

"The most that I really have in my library much of the time is political treatises, though I doubt that you'd be that interested in this sort of thing..." Johnson was quick to drawl before carefully pausing, then glancing over his shoulder at the teenager. His green cytoplasmic abomination burbled nearby, so maybe this wasn't the most awkward thing in the world... Maybe.

The aristocrat's brows nonetheless furrowed as he sighed, "... You did mention that you wanted to help organize the books though, yes?", with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Then I sure hope that you're able to maintain the enthusiasm for pretty much everything that's in stock, because..." he started up once again before... Trailing off. Again. This time, though, he peered over at the seemingly limitless shelves that loomed over them. He stifled a gulp in favor of positing his hands on his hips and huffing, "... There's a lot of books. I won't mind if you take out at least one of those to read, but do know that it'll probably end up being a counterproductive waste of time."

Thanks, asshole.

His creature burbled again, while Johnson spoke over it (tragically), "Especially if you pull out one of the textbooks. I think I have a feel on botany and perhaps pathology, but the latter is mainly in a historical context, and..." Johnson's gaze drifted over to where the aforementioned botany textbook was. Truth be told, the textbook was more about flowers than plants in general, and... It was collecting dust by this point. The aristocrat hadn't taken it out of its place in what was probably a few decades, and he sure as hell hoped that the strands of dust that occasionally hung from it weren't too distracting.

"... The former might be out of your reach," he eventually blurted before pointing a hand at the cabinet where the ladder was kept. Bitch? She's taller than you? Even if it was technically just by a few inches (which was probably why he conveniently ignored that fact in the first place), as he trotted over to the closet and flung the door open in a dramatic fashion. And at once, clumps of dust and whatever-the-fuck-that-is flew out, but... Lo and behold, there was indeed a ladder slumped against the corner of the cabinet.

"You're good at climbing now, right?" Johnson was quick to ask the teenager with a raised brow, though the question was a bit too belated to actually be that convenient or productive. His gaze still occasionally shifted over to the books on the shelves, while the older man crossed his arms and thumped his foot on the floor. "I'm not saying that to be rude, of course. I'm just asking because the ladder does end up wobbling every so often. I wouldn't want to be responsible for cleaning that up now... Yes?" Thanks.

Johnson stepped off to the side as he then asked, "Or... Would you rather play with that creature of mine and give it fruit?" The eldritch horror gurgled in response. Almost comically, Johnson paused for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and rubbing his temples. "... I mean, I don't know if it can do much besides float around when it's not in battle, but..." He reached a hand to his chin and rubbed it ever so slightly. "... How about you try plucking a book for it? It might be sapient enough to understand at least some of those texts if it can respond to commands. Yes?" That was not only a shitty idea, but also some shitty logic. Please stop this, old man.

@ NP: Johnson..... isn't that much of a reader? shocking. tragic. disgusting. he's usually too busy complaining to people on main to really indulge in books anyhow, but. that asides.

he's rather biased towards nonfiction and would.... pretty much ONLY read that sort of shit. anything in the fiction genre would cause him to treat your character with at least some condescension, especially if it's romance. do not give him a romance book. your character will regret it (/lh). he might have a tolerance for historical fiction and like..... maybe slice-of-life, but he's really nit-picky and would probably be a really mean book critic. :(

maybe I'll also do a follow-up for NP if I have the time??

Ryan Gomji

PicklePantry

Ryan would definitely have something to say about Ken's taste, so I couldn't leave him alone 😭

"Manga? Are you serious?"

Ryan stared at Kenshin judgementally, like a kid wanting to start a fight. "I can't believe you're into that stuff. Come on, the thing is practically a backwards book!" He seated himself across the pop star, getting ready for a heated argument. "You know what happened when I read a manga for the first time? I was spoiled right in the beginning! Who knew you had to read it backwards? It's like witchcraft, you know?" Ryan pointed a finger in Ken's direction. "I gotta admit, the drawings are cool, but the whole 'backwards book' thing is basically the same as eating ice cream from the bottom."

He whipped out one of his favorite comic books, then slid it in Ken's direction. "See that? It's a masterpiece! Written and illustrated by Z-man. There's so much action going on, makes you wanna be a hero yourself!" He seemed to be happy in his own little world, but snapped right back into reality as he made eye contact with the red-haired individual. "Which is way more exciting than romance by the way."

"I gotta say, it's your lucky day brother! I have plenty of awesome comics at home, most of them about heroes or mystery." Ryan slightly tilted his head, thinking hard about something. "-but if you're really adamant about romance, I guess the closest thing to that is 'Deadly Cupid'. I don't care how much you say you hate it, it's pretty obvious how passionate you are for romance."

Vapor

I was a FOOL for not claiming!! R I P ;; I couldn't bring myself to delete my reply, so here is an extra one lmao!!

"Hey, it's nice seeing you again!" Ryan beamed as he made his way over to Maribelle. From the looks of it, the man appeared to be delighted to see the soldier. "That one book you recommended last time, 'The Lost Island'? Yeah, I'm already almost done with it." That was surprising, considering the cop was rarely seen with a novel....at least in public. Anyone would assume the dude would never be able to read anything other than comics.

"I gotta admit, it's pretty good. I couldn't stop reading it ever since I got home, you know?" As he spoke, Ryan reached behind him. "Just a reminder, I did mention recommending some books of my own." He pulled out the object(s) in question, revealing.....no comics? Rather, they were normal books. Actual novels. "I remember you telling me that you don't really read picture books..." He picked up one of the novels, the one entitled, 'The Aristocrat of the Abyss'. "...and I had the gut feeling you might be into something dark and mysterious. This one here, a friend back in High School always carried it around. She was obsessed with the thing so I gave it a go, and it was pretty good actually." He scratched the back of his head, cringing a little as he began to recall his teenage years. "It's about some guy suspected to be a time traveler. The setting is in the Victorian era and the whole thing gives off serious vibes. Maybe you should check it out."

He slid the book in her direction and held up the other book. "If you're not vibing with it, this one's called, 'Sincerely, Mr. Black'. It's a mystery book!" There was a gleam in his green eyes, one that suggested he genuinely enjoyed reading it. "It's about a detective who's really fixated on finding out Mr. Black's identity. He always leaves ominous letters in crime scenes. Pretty cool story." He placed the book back onto the table and turned his face towards Maribelle's direction once again. "In a way, the murderer kind of reminded me of this one serial killer I was really into. I dunno if you know him, but he always has a paper bag over his head. Weird, but interesting."

kafkaesque

Not gonna lie, Johnson intimidated Ryan. Was it the power he held? Maybe, but he was more uneasy with the cold essence that always seemed to accompany Johnson's words. However, that didn't matter at the moment! The cop heard a few rumors about the aristocrat, ones that claimed he didn't read. It sounded far-fetched honestly, the man looked like the type of person who would surround himself with mountainous stacks of books while equipped with a pair of fancy antique reading glasses.

Or you know, Johnson probably didn't have time for books because he was a very busy man.

"Good day to you, sir!" The cop greeted Johnson. "I just wanna say, it's never a bad idea to have a little break once in a while. Books, you know, can really help you relax during your free time too." He grinned, one that could make a person raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "You're a very busy man, I get it. There's some books I'd recommend though, I figured you might be interested in something from the non-fiction department!" Ryan pulled out a book with large fancy words plastered on the front cover. "It's about the world wars. I'm not exactly a history fan myself, but if I had to choose a time period that I found interesting, this would be it."

He placed the book close to Johnson, hoping he'd take a look at it. Perhaps this could be the start of a good little hobby! "There's also one about ancient Egypt! I tried reading it once, but I couldn't make it to the 4th page. The stuff they talk about is intriguing as heck, maybe you'd like it."

@NP; Ryan really likes comic books! He doesn't mind a few mystery/horror novels from time to time :^) he also takes interest in books with folklore, myth, or other mythical creatures to help with his other job!

"Martians...I never read stuff with aliens in them, but the way you mentioned violence and action, I'm already pumped!" After accepting the slightly worn-out comic book, Ryan found himself taking a few glances at the random magazine Emily was looking into. The way the cover was decorated reminded him of one of those cheesy romance dvds that were advertised in the movie channels.

"Say, do you...do you like romance?" He questioned. "I know one book that you might like, it's called 'Once in a lifetime' or something like that." The cop never read romance, especially not the cheesy kind. The only reason he knew of the book's existence is due to his cousin's obsession with the genre. "Not gonna lie, I have no clue what it's about, but I get the feeling you'll like it. Thanks for the comic, by the way!"

Emily yanderechips

Emily seemed a bit nervous around the police officer, she had to admit. He was just so... Tall. Anyone taller than her just seemed so... Intimidating. But they were in a library, why was she so intimated in a library?

Ryan had approached her to ask about a couple of suggestions for a new read. Comics...? Huh. That was new. "W-Well--I don't read them that much.." Emily started, looking through a random magazine to keep herself distracted. "B-But i know this one where a bunch of kids land on Mars and... Find some Martians.. I wasn't interested, but it would be good for you." She closed the magazine. "It's very intense. I-I hope you're okay with violence." She then walked over to the bookshelf and had gotten a slightly ripped copy of the book.

"H-Here, I hope you like it.."

Emily is a sucker for anything with cheesy romance. She loves any type of romance novel that contradicts from her actual relationship😔

Ace LostPocong

Welcoming another guest into the vast library her predecessor left behind, Ace led the human to the section containing romance novels. She said, “Hm… Ah! How about ‘the black cat’? It’s about a young woman who brings misfortune to everyone around. One day, she meets a man with the same problem.” Going to a reading corner nearby, the two made themselves comfortable in some beanbags. One of Ace’s favorite spots to read… back when she still lived here.

She explained, “So, it’s a bit of a disaster at the start; Whenever the two leads are together, they just make everything worse for each other, but it get’s better!” Excited, she continued, “They’re love is stronger then their ‘curse’, so they manage to turn their luck around and things start going their way!” After a moment, she started getting a little embarrassed about how invested she was in this silly story.

“Okay, maybe it’s a little cheesy… but it’s good! Cheesy novels can be good!”

Ace reads everything. Her favorites are romance, science and magic books.

„Ah, thank you!” the demon said, “I’ve been looking for more information about dragons. Your kind has some very interesting magic.” Looking at the dilapidated book, she said, “I’ll take good care of it. If you want, I could try to restore it a little. It could use some new bindings at least.”

Looking over the journal, Ace marveled over the writing and diagrams. One thing struck her as peculiar, the drawing of a skeletons didn’t seem quite right, some bones seeming to obstruct the space where an organ should be. Other then that, it seemed quite reliable.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ve done surgery before, on myself too.”

This user is not visible to guests.

Smithson (Human) kafkaesque

"To be honest, I haven't touched these ever since I was a teenager," professed Smithson with a raised brow as he, accordingly, put down a whole ass pile of romance books for the Draakfol to witness. Clouds of dust rose up into the air as soon as they hit the desk, and Smithson himself had to take a few steps back so that he could cough into the sleeve and wave the dust away. "So, interpret them how you wish. I'm surprised that the servants haven't ever brought these up to me when cleaning the manor, but... Then again..." His brow furrowed slightly as he noticed the faint impressions of fingerprints on the covers.

Well then.

Holding a hand up to his chest, the middle-aged man resumed, "... I doubt that it matters. I'm not even sure why you'd need these, miss. I know that there's no more political turmoil over in Rida, but... Even then..." That didn't last long at all! Once more, Smithson trailed off as he reached his other hand out to the pile of books, if only so he could pick a book up and stick a thumb in between the yellowed pages. Surprisingly enough, they didn't fall apart at the first touch, and the aristocrat ended up dipping his head in slight (albeit reluctant) approval as soon as he figured that out.

"I suppose that they'd be better off with you than with myself, though," Smithson remarked, "I haven't read fiction since my teenage years, to be honest with you. Politics does that to a person, though I doubt that it would make a good impression upon you. I wouldn't blame you for such a belief. Still..." He narrowed his eyes as he nonchalantly flipped through the pages with his thumb. Some of the words were faded due to age, but a lot of them were still perfectly visible. In fact, Smithson could easily discern that the story in question was about a forbidden love between a knight and a princess, and that the knight had to go through a series of trials to prove his affections for her. Yada yada yada...

Smithson then winced at how vividly he remembered that plot, in spite of the fact that he had mentioned earlier that the book was nothing more than a vague memory to him... Right?

He crinkled his nose in favor of grunting, "I think they hold up." What was that supposed to mean, old man? Smithson held a hand to his chin and rubbed it, all for the sake of scrutinizing what was being said. He could, theoretically, just keep one book for himself without major repercussion, but at the same time...

"Besides, I don't know if they're in print anymore," Smithson sniffed dryly, "I think it'd be best for you to take these, and then read them. Or maybe reprint them? I heard that you had an interest in writing - but of course, it might not extend to what's basically a scribe's work. Scribes are pretty much obsolete here anyhow, but it might be a different story over there..." He paused. "Yes?"

@ NP: I'm sorry for your character if they have to deal with Smithson, because he's not much of a reader. the most he reeeeaaaaally goes for much of the time is nonfiction works, especially political essays and treatises. he also has a sort-of interest in children's books (especially picture books) due to the visuals, but point this out and he will spontaneously combust. (it's a major guilty pleasure for him, in other words. 😔)

your character is more than welcome to give him something that's outside of his comfort zone though!! he might be a bit :///// about it, but tbh it's what he deserves. u_u

I'll also try my best to do a follow-up for NP if I have the time!!