There's lots of words containing ass in this log. How many did you find?

[bufudine]

Who: Buttagonist Serph and YOU!
When: ALL DAY ALL NIGHT ANY TIME YOU WANT.
Where: the Grand Library
Style: Starting in action, but I will roll with anything!
Status: OPEN!

[Even though most items in Vatheon are free, it just so happens that a lot of what Serph wants aren't. And they're all very expensive, too, costing him far more Starfish Tokens than what he's amassed. Getting a job is quite a hassle, but he wants the tokens so that's the price he pays.

So Serph had canvassed the entire city, searching for a job that still would keep his mind occupied while he works, which basically meant he had passed on all the shopkeeping jobs. However, when he had found himself in the city's Grand Library, looking down the rows and rows of massive bookshelves, he had thought it was a good opportunity to learn more about non-Junkyard things.

A short conversation with the librarian on staff later, and he has a job organising the collection of books. Except... he actually spends his work time reading a book while he sorts everything else. The collection seems to encompass almost everything, from books of passion -- he quickly stops reading those; their mixed metaphors hurt his head -- to detailed creature biographies to books on the assembly of model planes to 'classics', whatever that means.

However, even if he looks occupied, he's still paying attention to what's around him. If you need any assistance, Serph is more than willing to stop and help you!

... No guarantees on how good he'll be at it, though :T]

Comments

[unshelledbullet]

[The library was one of the first places Squall had visited when he was pulled into Vatheon, looking in vain for any information that could possibly lead to an exit. He had long since given up on that pursuit, but he still visited the library fairly often. It was a nice, quiet place where he could pass the time.

Today, however, he noticed something new on his visit. A new employee, to be exact. Normally, he wouldn't give such a thing a second thought, but this was a person he recognized.]

I didn't know you worked here.

[bufudine]

[Well, now you know.

Serph finishes shelving one of the books before turning in the direction of the familiar voice. Ah. He gives Squall a nod in greeting.]

It's a recent assignment. I don't have enough Tokens for items from the Nostalgia Nook.

[unshelledbullet]

[Ah, the Nook. There wasn't much Squall needed to get from there - the only thing he had bought from it was his card collection (that he would still never, ever let anyone but Selphie see) when it appeared there, so he hadn't had a pressing need to get a job of his own.

Though now he's thinking he should, because he had to admit sometimes he was hit with a crushing boredom at times.]

I see. Read anything interesting lately?

[bufudine]

[Hmm. Well, when almost everything he reads is about something he's unfamiliar with, it's hard not to be interested in finding out more.]

Much of what I read is new to me.

[...Maybe Squall can help him with this one book he hasn't been able to make sense of. He reaches over to pluck a book that he'd set aside after reading it and getting confused. There's a rather sketchy looking cover of a woman and a man hanging all over each other, wearing clothing that really doesn't leave much to the imagination.

Yep, that sure is a trashy romance novel.

He flips it open to where he'd gotten stuck and holds the book out for Squall to take. ...It happens to be open at one of those intimate scenes.]

Do you understand this?

[unshelledbullet]

[Squall catches a glance of the cover while Serph is flipping pages.

He doesn't like where this is going.

And then he takes the book and reads half a paragraph before stopping.

Nope, doesn't like where this is going at all.]

Yes. It's stupid. Don't read this crap.

[bufudine]

[But what is going onnnnnnnn Squall you have to tell him. Seriously he's all :|? over here.]

What would you recommend instead?

[unshelledbullet]

[Serph, this is something he wouldn't tell anybody, let alone someone as naive as you. You can ask all you want, but he won't say a thing.

He is happy for the change of subject.]

...is there any type of book that you like? Like, ones that are full of information or a certain kind of story.

[bufudine]

[How about everything? No? Okay then. Well, informative books are easier for him to read and understand, and he can easily find topics to read, since he's supposed to arrange them by their content.]

I'd like a story.

[There had been no stories in the Junkyard, after all.]

[unshelledbullet]

[A story, huh? Squall wonders what kind of genres Serph likes. Science fiction? Historical fiction? He doesn't ask. Instead, he walks over to a shelf - he already knows where everything is, having been to the library several times - and after skimming the titles on the spines, pulls out a hardcover book that looks to be about a couple hundred pages long. Returning to Serph, he holds it out to him.

There's two figures on the cover - one is a man dressed in a suit of armor and the other is a regally dressed woman. The man is kneeling down to her in reverence.]

Try this one.

BECAUSE SELPHIE HASNT MET DAT ASS YET

[booyaka_boom]

*So it was probably an odd hour to come to the library - sometime late at night/early morning. Selphie looks a little sleepy as she shuffles around the place. She's been to the library plenty times, and knows where the sections she likes are - how to get to the romance section, the engineering section, and the section with random Japanese history.

But tonight? Tonight she doesn't look like she's going anywhere in particular. Just shuffling*

asdf;lkj I'M... SURE SHE'LL ENJOY IT, THEN.

[bufudine]

[Serph's used to being up at the buttcrack of dawn, so he's wide awake when he spots someone amongst the shelves. Wow, she looks pretty tired.

He sets down his book and approaches.]

Good morning.

[Um. She doesn't seem like she's looking for something...]

How can I assist you?

[booyaka_boom]

*Poor Selphie, she's been awake all night in the chocobo barn. The eggs are due to hatch soon, and she wants to be there to make sure everything's okay. Of course, it's meant she's barely slept. So she looks up at him and blinks*

I'm looking...for something to read.

[bufudine]

[Oh. Maybe he'd been wrong then. Well, he can help with that! ...Maybe if the choices are narrowed down a bit...]

What kind of book? I can find one for you.

[...She looks like she's about to fall asleep on her feet though. He makes plans to walk with her to wherever she's going afterwards to make sure she doesn't fall over from exhaustion after he's found her book. The local on staff won't mind him leaving temporarily; there's no real rush to organize the massive collection of books, after all.]

[booyaka_boom]

Can I have.. a book... with words in it, please?

*She raises her eyebrows, trying to widen her eyes to give the appearance of more wakefulness. Selphie might look a bit..special, but she's sure that she's being perfectly normal and polite*

[bufudine]

[A... book with words... Very descriptive, but perhaps she just wants to read something new. Surely she won't mind a few pictures, too?

Serph gives her a nod and turns around, walking down a few shelves before picking out a book. It doesn't take long for him to return with a book -- the cover is a watercolour painting with the title The Little Prince -- and hold it out for her to take.]

[booyaka_boom]

*Yeah... Pretty much the best description she can come up with right then. Selphie's picked herself a seat at table, and she's propping her head on her hands by the time he gets back.

She takes the book and reads the title out loud*

The Little Prince. Huh...looks cute!

*And she'll just open it up and smile*

It IS cute!

[bufudine]

[Serph's glad she seems to like it! Though it might be hard to tell when he's still :|. He does give her a nod in acknowledgement, though.]

I hope you enjoy it.

[A pause.]

Is there anything else you'd like?

[contemptibility]

[The library was never a place where he spent much time back home—as, frankly, any place filled with humans never was. But here, in Vatheon, Tiir finds himself with more free time than he knows how to deal with, so.

As strange as it might sound, he tends to gravitate towards the children's section out of instinct. This time though, something—or rather, someone—catches his eye.]

Ah... Serph?

[bufudine]

[Serph turns at the sound of a familiar voice. Ah. He hadn't seen Tiir since their chance meeting, so he'd wondered how the other man had been doing.

He closes the book he'd been reading while shelving the rest -- something about a rainbow fish -- and gives Tiir a nod in greeting.]

Have you been well?

[contemptibility]

[A nod]

I have. Or, at least as well as one can be when trapped here.

[A lie—he's definitely been better—but he's not the sort to admit it when he's not.]

What about you and... Cielo, was it?

[bufudine]

[Serph accepts Tiir's words at their face value; he doesn't know the other well enough to think otherwise, after all.

He nods in confirmation.]

Vatheon is an improvement for us.

[However, he tilts his head.]

But it doesn't seem that way for you.

[Why?]

[contemptibility]

Is that so? I apologize, then. I hope you two are happy here.

[A smile]

However, I have things I need to do back home.

[bufudine]

[Serph shakes his head; there's nothing to apologize for. He remembers Tiir's dislike for humans, and when there's so many in Vatheon...

He puts down the book he's holding.]

What is your home like?

[He's testing the waters, not directly asking about what those things are. He doesn't know if this is a conversation Tiir wishes to have here, where they can be easily overheard, or a conversation to be avoided completely. Serph's curious about the other cannibal, and is more than willing to (temporarily) ditch his job to talk to him more.]

[contemptibility]

[In all honesty, Tiir would be happy to tell—or, well, perhaps not happy, but he doesn't believe in secrets either.]

Not nearly as peaceful as this world, to begin with. Humans are constantly waging their wars against one another. And while who owns what land is of no concern to me, it makes peace a rather fragile thing.

[A bitter smile]

Well, it's near impossible for my people, either way. Humans aren't very fond of us, to put it lightly.

[bufudine]

[...It's sad to hear it, but he's not surprised.]

Our worlds have some similarity.

[Unfortunately.]

The lack of peace, the constant warring... that is how we lived.

[Can he even call that living, though? He's still searching for the reason for their existence. Why they have to kill to survive. Why they have to kill for paradise.]

But everyone is both human and demon. I hope you do not mind that Cielo and I are also humans.