Welcome to Gaia! ::

The following is a post between Samhain (Frank) and Moony (Melo). Intruders into the sanctity of our RP shall be gummed to death. That is, wads and wads of ABC gum. That really smelly stuff too... pink-and-green watermelon maybe, even. That stuff turns barfy-grey when you chew it for too long.

Or you could ask to join very nicely.

You Have Been Warned. /domo

xp heart

- - -

Moony had become quite reclusive since more recent outings he had ventured routinely ended horribly (at least in his opinion), to the point where he just did not want to bother anymore. Yet another a*****e would ruin his day. Not that antisocial behavior was out of character or anything. Whatever. He needed books. Now. This left the usual excuse of Internet Access out of the question, due to shipping delays.

And so, the young unicorn had made his way into the world outside. It was a sporadically blustery day despite the season so his typical sweater plus a scarf were not too out of the ordinary. In fact, as usual he looked rather plain, if not downright boring. The better to remain invisible, unnoticed, and unhindered.

It did not protect him from accidentally bumping into someone as he pulled the heavy doors of the bookstore open. His muttered apology was probably not even noticed. He didn't really care. He took only a moment to dust his hair of pollen, grateful to whatever genes that had blessed him with a lack of seasonal allergies.

This store was new in town. It literally smelled brand-new, of paint and packing material. He had missed the Grand Opening by days. Needless to say, he was unfamiliar with the layout and found himself wandering. Soon enough, he had forgotten entirely which book or books he had intended to look for. It was all right... he definitely did not mind. The store was warm, almost too warm, he realized as he unwound his scarf and draped it over his shoulders. It left him feeling vaguely dreamlike and craving coffee. Ah, is that a stand in the back corner? He thought he heard the distinct scream of steaming milk...

Okay, it really is time to get down to business. Moony was determined to avoid the lure of caffeinated bliss. He turned down a random aisle to physically make his intentions succeed. His attempt was in vain; someone now directed one of two mochas at him. Oh god...

"My thoughts?" They're fragmented. Distracted. He could smell the chocolate. His glance had barely flickered over Samhain, but when he eyed the drinks in hand it was with something akin to hate, not specifically because he disliked them but because they were liquid evil and he should have so easily turned them down. Why did it have to be chocolate?

He looked Samhain in the eye then, realizing that he vaguely recognized him from earlier. Was he the one he had bumped into earlier? How embarrassing. He grinned with vague sheepishness. "I'm thinking that I might prefer the quiet of a library." It was true; this place was so corporate and sterile. Perhaps he could now use this statement as an excuse to shrink away and disappear back through the front door.

"Catcher..." Moony stared at the book in disbelief. A First Edition? Why would you give something like that away, even in the context of a library book? Or..? He just mentioned a curse, perhaps that is why? If he was not joking about that, giving one's name to such a person could be dangerous, could it not? His ears flattened back against his head in hesitation, reaching neither for the book nor the drink. "Er... why all this?"

Oh. He knew of exactly one who was at all bookish, by force come to think of it, and they rarely spoke. Kasumi was not very popular, nor did he seem to like anybody else. "Right... I could count on one hand," was his embarrassed reply. Feeling rather foolish, the youth smiled faintly and took the mocha in his left hand, then offered his free hand to Samhain. "My name's Moony, if you would do me the honor of giving me your name on top of everything else."

He pointed to the book. "Ah, you said the curse was lifted, right?"

"I don't really know," Moony admitted, "I'm not used to people noticing me." And when they do, they usually come on rather strong. Or perhaps it only seems that way to me. He smiled uncertainly, vaguely unnerved by the lingering handshake while at the same time somehow reassured by the other unicorn's easy smile. He wasn't used to people wanting to hold his hand either, outside of family. His own adopted family included cats, so touch in itself was not unwelcome. He simply was not used to it, in public. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Samhain."

Once his hand was returned to him, he removed the book from the lid of his drink and held it against his hip with his other hand. "That hardly seems like much of a curse, if you ask me. Perhaps if it was a text book it would be more useful..." Of course, he actually enjoyed reading. "Would you prefer to sit down?" he asked. Standing among the stacks like this, while comforting, was not physically very comfortable in comparison to a chair. "Maybe you could tell me more about your library."

"Perhaps they would be more likely to notice, if I got out a little more often," Moony suggested uncertainly, by way of compromise. His earlier thoughts of unwanted attention fluttered back to him and he quickly pushed them away. He reminded himself that he actually wanted interaction, only with someone of intelligence and genuine interest. And while Samhain seemed like a step in the right direction, he also reminded himself how badly all of his social interactions seemed to end. So with great reserve, he lead the way toward an area reserved for reading. He recalled one such place nearby that had wonderful sound muffling capabilities. "Ah, here...?" he offered, glancing back at Samhain before continuing on.

He sat down, appraising the book with greater care. Catcher in the Rye certainly was not a long book but he could see why it might be more dangerous for someone who wasn't a strong reader. "You're right of course. About this book," he added, glancing up at Samhain. Assuming curses actually work. He was not really sure what to make of the subject of magic and curses. To him they read like so many fairy tales. But he was not about to belittle a man's profession or beliefs.

"Tell you about where I come from? What would you like to know?"

The darker unicorn's response left Moony puzzling over it. It should come as no surprise that he was not comfortable talking of himself. But, well, he could give it a try. He shook his head, "No, I don't live in an enchanted library. If I did, someone would have to inform me of it. I don't really believe in magic, you see." He knew plenty of people, under his own roof even, that did, and would consider themselves practitioners or scholars on the subject. "Besides reading for pleasure, I am a researcher and write on occasion," he admitted with a quirk of the lips. The truth was, he was a ghost writer and not at liberty to divulge whom for. But the play on words was a little amusing to him. Undoubtedly, his bland reply must be rather boring, he realized, and sipped on his coffee. "Um. How about you? Are you the librarian?"