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Tal frowned. He really didn't need any more money. His business and the random trinkets he could pawn from his past were more than enough.

"Well, if you can promise me that they will not leave the building, you can have them for no cost."

Very blue, they were. Bright and icy yet somehow warm.

"Good. Thank you. I will gladly translate them for you, if you so wish...or teach you the language."

Tal nodded.

"I will teach you, then. Patrons will undoubtedly enjoy their beauty with or without a translation, and I very much enjoy your company."

Tal was, all in all, fairly easy to get along with once his looks faded to the background. Not that they didn't occasionally pop back up again. Thin lips broke into a wide grin, and the elf nodded.

"Good. I'm glad."

Winterkeep Books was a rather tall, neat looking building. It had a warm, homey atmosphere inside, most of woods visible being dark and the metal being either a smooth black, or a warm metal, like brass. The books were placed neatly on shelves, and there were three circular floors of them with a spiral staircase connecting each floor. Towards the back there was all a large gold and glass case that was locked. It contained many much older books in quite good condition, including the newly added two from Talhevar. This case was a small ways behind the checkout counter, the two in a rectangular enclosure - the counter being the front face of it. Riot usually was found in that section before close.

Riot was in the process of helping out his last few customers with their purchases. Tal had come just in time to get in and catch him, but late enough that he wouldn't be hanging around with little to do while Riot worked. This wouldn't have worked most days as Riot tended to close at 9 or 10 (depending on how long people stuck around) but he liked to close early on Thursdays.

A few people gave him strange looks as he did this but just shrugged and went on their way. There were always some odd people in town and he wasn't exactly exposing himself, just adjusting his clothes, so no one really complained.

Soon enough the last customers were gone and Riot could walk over and greet Tal. Now in his own comfort zone, there was a lot less chance of him being nervous, and he could greet the other with no trouble.

"Hallo. Hope you didn't have too much trouble finding the place?" Riot asked, smiling warmly at the other.

"Ah. I apologize. If I'd have known you were coming by I'd have shown you the way over, or at least given you some directions." the man said with a smile. "I'm just about to close up now, if you'd like to come upstairs for tea and maybe dinner? I cook early on Thursdays. I do believe it is my turn to treat you."

Riot smiled and stepped out from behind the counter, walking Tal over towards the spiral stairs. Once both had stepped upon them, Riot put a hand on Tal's shoulder to stop him from just walking up and tapped out what seemed almost like notes on the banister with the tips of his nails. Slowly the staircase started to move, the spiraling stairs acting somewhat like a cross between an escalator and just general quick floating.

"Apologies for having to use the stairs this way. Usually I would just walk you up but I don't want anyone breaking in during the time it takes me to get up and down three flights of stairs." the neko explained as they stepped off of the stairs on the third floor. They'd gotten up there rather quickly with the use of the stairs, and Riot had the door towards his actual home unlocked rather quickly so he could let Tal in.

Beyond the doorway there were three steps up so he could get into man's neat little apartment but it wasn't half as much as the previous climb would have been. "Just get comfortable for a bit, and I'll be up shortly." he explained before heading back downstairs to lock up.