Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Jan 1, 2022 16:44:32 GMT -5
| Shengying | Art Museum | George, Cvetko | Shengying followed after George, almost losing sight of him for a moment as he weaved through the crowds leaving the subway station. They fell into step alongside Cvetko, and the pair of them soon caught up to George as he waited for them. Shengying could picture their former apprentice as a newsboy back in the day, roaming the streets of New York- they'd heard a few of his stories about it, but they made a mental note to ask him about it at some point. "Were you ever in New York City, before now?" They asked Cvetko conversationally as they walked. Shengying remembered the city from when they'd lived there in the twenties. It had changed so much now. Back then they'd seen the city start to glow more as lights were added, as more and more people came to the city. And now it was called the city that never slept, and it was really true- there was something going on at all hours of the day, with tall skyscrapers that stood out against the night sky and replaced the stars. As Cvetko pointed out that it would be nearby they scanned the streets, looking for a building large enough to be considered museum sized. |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jan 20, 2022 13:16:35 GMT -5
George had more or less made New York City his permanent home over the centuries. The thing about living as long as vampires did was that ‘home’ was a nebulous concept. George had many places he had considered home over the years. London, for one, but that had only been for a short period of time. Twelve years had seemed like a lifetime before his ‘life’ had been snuffed out. Then there had been Italy. Italy had been more of a home to him than London had been, if only because it was where he had started to learn how to live this new almost-life. And he had met Shengying. He shoved his hands in his pockets, content to watch them as they conversed with Cvetko. He had never expected them to mean so much to him, but here they were. Centuries later and there was nobody George cared for more than he did Shengying. He hadn’t expected to find family in the exacting mentor who had taken him in when he’d been young and thought the world should have belonged to him. George’s attention turned abruptly towards the buildings Cvetko had pointed out, and he gave a small nod, pushing ahead of the others to get to the building first. |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 16, 2022 20:36:10 GMT -5
Hideo | vamp meetup | Cloverleaf |Hideo moved through the city streets in a way that would have been conspicuous if he were in a smaller town, but here, in this city, his slightly old fashioned dress sense and the katana sheath he kept at his side more or less went unnoticed, blending in with the rest of the strange people who weaved in and out around him. He'd had to stop wearing his full samurai getup many years ago, as people kept stopping him to ask him questions in English that he didn't understand well - what was a "cosplay"? - and it was starting to get in the way of his work. He didn't feel entirely comfortable meeting the person he had agreed to meet. He was, after all, fairly sure they were a vampire. Maybe even the one who had been killing so many people in this city for the past several months. Only time would tell him that. He also felt uncomfortable meeting inside a restaurant, because he hadn't been inside one for nearly a hundred years, and he suspected the restaurants of 1920s Japan were different than the ones of 2021 New York. And he still spoke English poorly. At least the stranger spoke Chinese as well. His Chinese wasn't good, but it was better than his English.
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 16, 2022 20:58:05 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | After the strawberry cart fiasco, Wei Shengying had pulled the other vampire- the other alleged vampire- out of the situation, told him to meet them at a cafe they knew that Saturday, then disappeared into the crowd before much more attention came their way. They weren't exactly sure why, but something about him just seemed... familiar. So now Shengying had claimed a table in the back corner of the little cafe, away from the majority of curious ears, where they could maybe talk a little more openly. A chai latte steamed on the table in front of them. They glanced at the door every so often and people-watched in the meantime, feeling that spark of warmth from being among humanity. |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 16, 2022 21:27:26 GMT -5
Hideo | vamp meetup | Shengying |
He was fairly certain this was the place. It was in the right spot, and it was named correctly...so, it was only logical that he was in the right place.
He took a breath and stepped inside, his foot snagging on the chalkboard sign just outside and nearly knocking it over on his way in.
"Hi! Canihlpyou?" said a woman - a waitress, he thought - incomprehensibly, as he entered. He stared at her for a moment, pinpricks on his shoulders.
"Friend inside," he offered, guessing at what she had been asking him. She paused for a moment, clearly registering the language barrier, and then nodded, smiling at him. "Okay! Come on in." She gestured, and Hideo moved past her, feeling uncomfortable and trapped as he realized how little the place was on the inside. He looked around, and then spotted Shengying, who looked...extremely at ease. Moreso than he would have expected for a vampire. He gave him an awkward half wave, and started over towards the table.
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 16, 2022 21:39:40 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | Shengying watched as the suspected jiangshi tripped over the threshold of the door. Yep, same. They could totally relate. All the clues were starting to slot into place, and they felt quite sure that they'd guessed correctly. "Oh, hey." Shengying raised a hand in greeting as they saw Hideo approach. They remembered the common languages that the pair of them had worked out in the quick exchange after the fiasco at the farmer's market, and switched to Chinese. "Glad you found the place." They paused, unsure how to approach the complicated conversation of I noticed you're a vampire. I, too, am a vampire. Want to be friends about it? No need to jump into it. They could just small talk for a while, right? |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 16, 2022 21:55:27 GMT -5
Hideo | vamp meetup | Shengying |
Hideo finished crossing the room and sat down, pulling his chair in clumsily so he was sitting across from the other vampire.
"It was very small," he admitted, visibly relieved when Shengying switched to a language that was easier for him to understand and respond in. "Almost walked by it. But it was fine."
He paused, unsure of the social graces of a situation like this. He was good at this when he was young, long ago as that seemed now. He could just be friendly, right? Just normal and friendly.
"Did it take you a long time to wait for me?" he asked, aware that his grammar was a bit awkward but focusing more on the intent of what he was saying. "Hopefully not."
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 16, 2022 22:12:59 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | Shengying saw the relief wash over Hideo's face when they switched to Chinese, and they could relate. Language barriers could get so tiring. It was nice for them, too, to take a break from English. It was too bad they only spoke a bit of Japanese, but Hideo's Chinese was good, and it seemed like they'd be able to have a conversation. His Chinese had that touch of old flavor, just as their own did. Something about that plucked a chord of bittersweet in their heart. It'd been a while since they'd heard it. "I prefer little ones like this, over Starbucks or anything big like that. These have more personality, don't you think?" Shengying said, then paused to listen to his question. "No, not at all. And besides, I'm not short on time." |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 16, 2022 22:22:55 GMT -5
Hideo | Vamp meetup | Shengying |
Hideo watched Shengying cautiously, his eyes running smoothly over their movements and manner of speech. Was that an older dialect he heard in their Chinese? That would be more evidence against them, if it was.
"I don't know that I understand restaurants having personalities," he said hesitantly, tilting his head a little at them. Despite his suspicion, he kept his tone light and friendly, as if they were just two acquaintances getting to know each other a little better. "Though, I haven't entered one in a while."
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 16, 2022 22:33:05 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | "Oh, I think they do. Cozy, or fancy, or inviting. Some franchises are just so... impersonal." Shengying mused aloud thoughtfully. "Really?" They asked. Fair enough, though. If one didn't need to eat, restaurants weren't much use. Shengying just usually ended up in some of them for the vibes, or with friends. "When's the last time you went to one?" "Hey, I can wait while you order a drink, you know. This is the kind of place where you have to go up to the counter to order." Shengying said, then paused. Hideo had mentioned he hadn't been in a place like this in a while. It was definitely possible he wasn't familiar with the common menu items. "Do you know what you like to order?" |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 17, 2022 17:21:07 GMT -5
Hideo | meetup | Shengying |
"I guess so," said Hideo, despite not understanding at all what the other was going on about. He wasn't sure how a restaurant could be any of those things.
"I haven't been to a restaurant since 1922," he answered simply. When he had first been turned, he was paranoid about revealing his secret - everything he said was monitored, and he used to lie all the time. But after a few slip ups, he had learned that especially in modern times, people usually thought he was telling a joke. And lying was hard for him, so he'd eventually given up on it altogether unless it was strictly necessary. He tilted his head at Shengying, curious. "What do you order here?"
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 17, 2022 20:02:57 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | "Oh-" Shengying hadn't quite expected Hideo to come out and start mentioning super old dates, but at least their guess was correct. And since they were already expecting him to be a vampire, they completely missed the chance that it might be sarcasm. Taking him at face value, they nodded sagely. "Mm. Sometimes the years just slip away so quickly, don't they?" "I'm not a huge fan of the sweet coffee things, so I usually get a smoothie or a chai latte. It's American style, though, so basically just milk and sugar." They cautioned with a laugh. "Don't get your hopes up for anything particularly refined." |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 18, 2022 17:49:15 GMT -5
Hideo | vamp meetup | Shengying |
Hideo narrowed his eyes suspiciously as Shengying didn't laugh at the "joke". Was that something to go off? Or were they just not the joking sort?
"I feel they've gone rather slowly," he countered, with a small shrug. "But I understand the sentiment."
He paused, thinking, as Shengying explained the drinks to him. "Green tea is fine," he said, after a moment's consideration. "Would you be kind enough to order in my stead? My English, as you have seen, leaves something to be desired..."
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 19, 2022 0:36:49 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | Shengying hesitated a moment when Hideo narrowed his eyes, unsure if they'd accidentally offended him or perhaps touched a nerve with their comment. The unrelenting marching on of years could certainly be a source of grief for many, especially as the years turned into centuries. They made a mental note to be more careful with their words. "Yes, no problem." Shengying said, able to sympathize with Hideo. They'd been lucky to pick up English before coming to America but their use of the language had been so old that they'd really had to take the time to modernize it and not accidentally sound like they'd walked straight out of a Shakespeare play. Still, there were definitely times that they phrased things incorrectly or had a hard time understanding what was being said to them. But they generally had enough to get around. The stood, musing over Hideo's phrasing as they headed over to order. He had that old, rather formal way of talking. Shengying wondered who he had been, in the past. And what he was doing here now. |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 19, 2022 7:17:49 GMT -5
Hideo | vamp meetup | Shengying |
Hideo watched them go, thinking for the first time since he had arrived about his next steps. He suspected that they wouldn't just come out and admit anything, but was it worth a try? They had been oddly forthright so far, even though Hideo thought if they were a vampire, they probably got the same prickling, uneasy feeling about him that he got from them. If admission wasn't an option, he would have to follow them, but that could get messy if they had fed recently. It could be months until anything else happened. Although, he reminded himself, whoever had been killing in this city recently seemed to be on a spree, new bodies every week, so if this was them, he might not have to wait long.
As Shengying returned, Hideo gave them a polite nod-bow and took the tea, clasping it in his hands and letting it warm his cold skin. Not that he got cold anymore - but it was a nice reminder of when he did.
"If I can be forward," he tried, taking a sip of the tea. "Where are you from? Did you grow up here?"
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 19, 2022 15:40:17 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | Shengying soon returned with a steaming cup of green tea and placed it on the table, retuning the nod-bow before sitting across from Hideo again. They took a sip of their chai, which had cooled off enough to drink. "I'm from- it's called Shanxi province now." Shengying answered, stumbling over their phrasing. It was a weird thing to talk about, how their homeland was there but not. The same mountains and valleys, even though practically everything else had changed. Even the course of the river had changed many times over. "But I've spent a lot of time all over, in the north for a long time, Chang'an- or Xi'an as it's called now- Italy, India. Honestly, I've really only been in the States recently, in comparison. "How about you? You haven't been here for very long, I take it." They said, though not unkindly. |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 20, 2022 13:10:54 GMT -5
Hideo | Vamp meetup | Shengying |
"You must be better at picking up languages than I," mused Hideo, a wry smile on his soft features. "Or else you would have difficulties, travelling so frequently."
He took a sip of his tea. It tasted, as usual, not good. He didn't actually like tea - never had - but it did always remind him a bit of home. "I'm from.....er....Kyoto," he said, trying to remember what his home area was designated as these days. "That sort of area. I've only lived in America for a short amount of time." Well, about a hundred years. But that *was* short, to him.
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 20, 2022 17:32:55 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | "Honestly, there's been so many times that I have no idea what I'm doing." Shengying admitted. "I'd usually try to pick a place where I'd heard at least some of the language before while travelling so I wasn't starting with nothing." Shengying nodded as Hideo searched for the modern term for his city, just as they had done. Shengying hadn't assumed that Hideo had actually been in the states for about as long as they had. The idea of time, what was long, or what was short, could vary wildly for each person, especially depending on how long ago they'd been turned. "Now, if I can take a turn to be forward, what brings you here? To New York City, or America, whichever." Shengying waved a hand noncommittally as they asked, not looking for any information in particular, just curious about the other vampire's life. |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 25, 2022 17:41:50 GMT -5
Hideo | vamp meetup | Shengying
Hideo was not at all aware, for his part, that the two vampires were having entirely different conversations. He was suspicious, sure, but he would never have guessed that the other would be so forward about what they were.
"It was an accident," he said honestly, too focused on his own prodding to think up a decent lie. "Not on purpose. I have existed here for some time now, though. Perhaps I will go back to Japan, eventually."
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 25, 2022 17:50:15 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | "Fair enough." The perpetual wanderer answered. Sometimes you just ended up places. They could understand that. They took another sip of their latte. Shengying continued thoughtfully, "It's hard to go back, sometimes, I think. It's so different. Sometimes it feels easier for a new place to be different, because new places always are." |
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Post by <Raintalon> on Feb 25, 2022 18:13:59 GMT -5
"Mmm...true," said Hideo, struck by Shengying's point in a way he hadn'y quite expected. "Things change too quickly - you go home, thinking you might stop by your favorite shop again for old times' sake, and then you're standing in the middle of the street thinking 'where was it, again?'."
He took another sip of the tea he didn't like. "And you? Would you go back to China?"
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Pansexual
Cloverleaf
For certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people too must rise.
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Post by Cloverleaf on Feb 25, 2022 19:01:26 GMT -5
| Shengying | Vamp Meetup | Hideo | "Right, right!" Shengying agreed emphatically. This was refreshing, Shengying thought, talking with someone who really knew what it was like. "Maybe. Well, yes, but..." Shengying answered slowly. It had been a long time. Actually, over a hundred years now. They'd spent longer times away, but a century felt significant. They tended to chunk things up by centuries- after you'd lived through a couple of them, decades felt like they just didn't mean as much anymore. "I'll return someday. I always do. But there are people here that I care about, people that I couldn't leave behind." |
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Feb 28, 2022 21:04:49 GMT -5
George | Library George looked over at Germain, giving a brief nod in recognition of the name. He would do his best to remember that. He had gotten better at knowing names over time. When he was little, it didn’t matter much. The only names he needed to know were the names of people in positions of power. If he didn’t remember a servant’s name, it wasn’t exactly a big deal. Now, though, he wasn’t only dealing with servants. Forgetting was impolite. It was respectful not only to know their name, but to make sure to refer to them by it the next time you saw them. Assuming, of course, that you were going to see them again. “Often enough,” he replied after a moment, not meaning to sound quite as blunt as he did. “I’d like to come here more often,” he said finally, glancing back towards the shelves. He didn’t want to give too many personal details. Germain didn’t need to know that he had just moved to the area. “I assume you don’t visit that often, if that’s a question you had to ask? Or… were you just being polite?” “Both,” Germain said, apparently unconcerned with the details if George knew about how long he had been here or not. He simply continued to smile and consider all the fine details of what George was saying. “Well, with that in mind, I hope you have a good search. I do have to wonder though … are you looking for anything in particular? Perhaps I could help?” It felt a bit like dancing around the fact they were both vampires and did George know that too. There was a bit to say for all of these situations. “I come here sometimes though. It’s a usual meeting spot.” Meeting for what and whom was a guess for another time. |
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Feb 28, 2022 21:05:08 GMT -5
"No, no, no," said Germain, shaking his head. "I think you are limiting yourself in thinking only of what I'm pointing at." His eyebrows wiggled. "Think of a more ... chaotic option, yes?" After all, it was a well placed rack. But it also only so simple to, say, tip it over. "Chaos that would perhaps be rather fun, hum? Like buying the whole thing, plus the rack, and dumping it over one of our unsuspecting roommates? Just saying?" He had no idea if Evelyn would go for this. But maybe she would. Evelyn stared at Germain for a long moment, eyebrows raised as she tried to figure out what he was attempting to suggest. “You want to buy the rack of balls,” she repeated finally, still staring at him. “And then dump it on top of one of the others.” She stared for a moment longer, and then crossed her arms. “How are you going to get it home? And then through the doorway? How are you going to hide it once you get it inside so they don’t just see it coming?” She shook her head a little, then hesitated, looking over at the balls again. She stayed out of the way, most of the time. She didn’t actually know any of the people she was living with very well. But even if she could see holes in the idea…she was tempted by the concept Germain was offering. “Okay, listen,” she said after a second, looking back at him. “I’m in. But let’s come up with something even better.” “Yes!” Germain said cheerfully. “Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?” He puzzled at the rack for a bit longer and then looked to Evelyn instead. “Not sure. I was hoping for suggestions, if I’m honest. There seems to be a lot of chances to make this quite a fun experience.” With that in mind, he still had no answers to any of the questions. It seemed far more likely that they wouldn’t manage even one of those steps. “What would you suggest that is better?” He was all ears. Would be literally all ears if he’d been capable of it. But with that in mind, he was fully prepared to hear as much mischief ideas as Evelyn had. “Do tell. I’m completely behind whatever way there is to level this up.” |
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 12, 2022 15:54:59 GMT -5
Cvetko smiled a little at the question, recognizing the vampiric context behind it. The implied addition of, What was it then, if you were? They hadn’t met as many of their own kind as they’d have liked to. It was hard not to feel separate, surrounded by humans all the time, filled with stories you couldn’t tell and lessons no one else lived long enough to learn…they liked that about this new arrangement. Living in a house filled with other vampires meant they could casually mention a night sky filled to the breaking with long-extinct constellations and no one would even bat an eye. The point was, they guessed the question meant that Shengying, and probably George, had been in New York City before, and it had been a very different place at the time. “Not until very recently,” they replied, shaking their head a little, their small braid swinging gently with the movement. “I was here less than a hundred years ago, for the first time. I didn’t very much like it at first, and I hadn’t planned to come back at all, but I left something behind and returned to retrieve it. Then I suppose one thing led to another, and here we are.” They watched George move ahead of them towards the buildings, and made a mental note to make sure no one gave him a hard time for looking younger. How old did humans typically have to be before they were allowed to wander alone, anyway? “And you? Have you been here, before now?” |
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 19, 2022 16:35:20 GMT -5
“Oh,” George replied, blinking a little. He tilted his head as he looked up at Germain, lips pursing as he tried to decide exactly what to say to the vampire. It was hard to tell if he was older or younger than this one, but it was probably safer to assume younger. People were rarely offended by too much respect being granted. “Meeting spot,” George echoed, casting a quick glance around as though he could figure out who, exactly, Germain was meeting. There were certainly no other vampires around, but it wasn’t terribly unusual for vampires to meet humans. It was just how the world worked. It wasn’t as though you could navigate such a complicated world without dealing with humans more often than not. Unless you were content living in a cave. Even Dracula had needed real estate. “Oh… uh… I guess… I wasn’t really looking for anything in particular. But… what’s the best book you’ve ever read? I find you can learn a lot from other people’s taste in literature. Even if it’s just things about yourself.” |
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Apr 14, 2022 23:37:02 GMT -5
Bumper cars
For now
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Post by mintedstar/fur on May 14, 2022 13:23:55 GMT -5
Germain | Library | striderThis caused a mild laugh from Germain. The idea that this was what George asked amused him quite a bit. It was such an odd request. Book recommendations, of all things. But alright. He could follow through with that. He turned away and walked down the shelves, glancing over his shoulder at George as he moved along. "Favorite modern or favorite classic or ... oh so many choices. But as you say ... Let me see what I can find." Eventually he came to rest in the fiction section, fingers running along spines as he seemed to search for someone in particular. Eventually he pulled out a book and turned it to George. "This one will suffice. Though it's more accurate to say that it's my favorite right now. It was called Cat in the Dark and it seemed to have a mystery sticker on the side. It was just a generic book. Nothing particularly special. He put it back and asked, "You?" |
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Post by mintedstar/fur on Jun 11, 2022 19:56:47 GMT -5
bump )
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jun 30, 2022 14:50:47 GMT -5
George looked at the book, brow raising a little bit as he added it to his mental list of books to look into. There was no guarantee he was going to read it, but he could at least do a little bit of research about it. He had all the time in the world and all of the information the world had to offer at his fingertips. He had never been more grateful for his expanded lifespan than he was now, when he could spend hours and hours learning things without having to move or travel to far off places. He missed the sense of exploration, of course, but the information that was available now, in this building alone… he shook the thought off. “My favorite right now…” he murmured, thinking about that for a long moment. He was grateful they were in the classics section… there was much more to choose from there. At least in choosing something here he could validate his taste with the taste of others who had decided it was literature worth reading hundreds of years later. “Dante’s Inferno has always interested me,” George replied after a moment, “But the intrigue and politics in War and Peace is titillating as well.” |
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