[R] Books Are Universal (Snowball&Jessie)

[Fiction1119]

Jessie hummed as she wandered her shelves. Content in her domain, surrounded by books and trinkets. Nothing could beat the smell of paper, except maybe aged paper. She paused in the cooking section and noticed a little prankster had gotten it in their head to move things around. The toy pies were in with the breakfast stuff while the stake was in the vegetarian/diet section. Random bookends were switched and even Garcon’s book had been switched out. The little waiter stand had a book of cookout stuff for the Fourth of July celebrations but now it was on italian dishes. Jessie found the switches amusing and quickly set things to rights, leaving Garcon’s book alone however.

She had spent the morning packing up the extra decorations for yesterday’s holiday and now was doing one last check before she took a break. By the time she had finally wandered through all the shelves and sections she had gathered quite a stack of books. Most to be reshelved in their proper place, a few were for orders that were placed, but there were a handful she just wanted to read. Jessie placed the stack on the front counter, separated them into three sections, and explained the two relevant piles to Jackson. The employee just nodded and went back to reading his own book, since it was summer it wasn’t a textbook but Jessie couldn't make out the cover art… shame. She was curious about the kind of recreational reading her longest part time, college student, worker read. Normally it was textbooks interspersed with playing on his phone, maybe the wide array of content around him was finally starting to branch out.

The brunette shrugged it off and scooped up her selection and headed towards the break room. Once there she opened the back door and plopped down on the small concrete stoop that led up to the back of the victorian house. The sun was shining and warm, blessedly warm, and for a few minutes all Jessie could do was bask in the bright light.

LP

 

[LP]

Snowball's tail flickered as he was laying on a pile of boxes behind the bookstore. No one ever threw out books here, it was almost a little sad. He couldn't add them to his collection but still he stayed there in the sun hoping maybe he'd get lucky one day.

He yawned looking up sleepily when the back door opened and tilted his head when there was a woman sitting down on the back stoop. He waited for a few moments before standing up, giving a long stretch and scratching behind his ear. Once he was finished he jumped down and moved to sit there looking at the book where he could see and read the pages.

He watched as she was basking in the sunlight and then moved to try and shove the book open so he could read it. The woman wouldn't mind right? Almost no one could reject such a cute cat. He stared up at her and gave mrowl, looking sadly from her to the book. He was going to wait to say anything beyond normal 'cat noises' until he was sure that she might could be trusted. After all, no one ever really knew who was who as a civilian.

Ficition1119

 

[Fiction1119]

LP

Jessie looked down calmly at the kitty greeting to find a very handsome kitty indeed. Long white fur that was well groomed and spotless ment that this was no ordinary kitty, this was a well loved cat. Add in the epic necklace collar thing and Jessie knew that someone would be missing the little furball sooner rather then later. She began to reach out her fingers to see of the cat was friendly when she noticed he had dislodged her stack of books.

With a chuckle she gently scolded the creature. "Naughty, naughty. Books aren't for playing you know." She straightened her pile and gently patted the cat on the head. "Besides what would a cutie like you want with The War That Forged a Nation anyway. It's not like you can read, unlike a mauvian."

Jessie had actually only one of the magical cats up close but she was aware of the importance of the four legged senshi allies. She has actually seen them in action a time or two. She absently scratched lightly behind the ears and she opened her book and began to read. "Don't suppose you know a kitty named Sheena? A hansom man like you probably don't get out much so i guess its not very likely. Ah well.” Although the book was a bit dry it was interesting to see what the authors thought… and to make some comparisons to the ‘war’ she was apart of now. A war that was just as hard fought as the civil war was, and it too is tearing families apart. From not only the secrets both sides had to keep but from the ‘deaths’ the corrupts went through when they fell to chaos. So many similarities and yet so very different.  

[LP]

Snowball's tail flickered as she reached out her fingers and nuzzled into the woman's hand. His ears flicked when she called him naughty. He wasn't naughty.

Finally though she mentioned a key word. "Honestly, I found that particular book droll and very unhelpful." He added matter of factually, "Besides, I'm not naughty."

He laughed a little bit as he sat down looking at the rest of the books in the pile. "Seriously don't tell me everything you've pulled out is based on war. None of the ones I've seen have a single solitary thing on magic in them. It's quite disappointing." He rolled his eyes quite comically as he said this.

His tail flickered, while all wars held similarities to the cat these were just silly books. "Do you know what sort of books I really enjoy?" He asked as if he expected her to guess or inquire what books he liked, as if it mattered much.

Fiction1119

 

[Fiction1119]

LP

Jessie yelped as the furball she had been petting spoke. It really shouldn't have surprised her but still... A talking cat! "Gezze you scared me. Can't you guys wear like a sign or something that let's us know your... Well you?" She scowled down at the fluff ball as she tried to calm her racing heart. The scowl shifted to a glare as the cat voiced his opinions on her stack from just the one or two books he spotted. "I have you know I am not reading it for fighting tips or magic but more for seeing how the country healed after. This war won't last forever you know."she closed the book and set it down.

"If you want strategy to with Sun Tzu's 'Art of War'." Jessie fished it from the pile, "I also have one about Pompeii and even a good fluff book," she was about to show it to him when she realized it was a romance. A real bodice ripper with a rather scandalous cover. She quickly hid that book behind her back, "never mind about that one. It's not appropriate for little kitty eyes."

Jessie gladly accepted the change in topic and with a smile she tried to answer. "Cookbooks? What about Science Fiction? Oh have you read the newest Patricia Briggs book?" She practically bounced when mentioning Patricia Briggs because she loved her series and couldn't wait until the next one came out. Sadly Jessie had yet to find someone who really liked the author too so she could really only show her appreciation by spinning her own stories using Briggs' universe. Fan fiction that she never shared but which was close to her heart.  

[LP]

Snowball looked at Jessie and crossed his eyes looking up towards his forhead. "I figured the star on our head was pretty loud enough badge. I mean I really wouldn't want to continue to prance around with a sign that says "Hi, I'm a White Moon Cat. My name is Snowball."

He tone was dead panned, "No negaverse agent would everrrrr guess I was a magical cat with a sign like that."

He started laughing when she informed him, she wasn't reading it for fighting tips. "Remember the hundred year war?" He asked as he sat down looking at her, "Yeah... they might not last forever, but they can last a really long time."

His ears twitched when she said Sun Tuz's 'Art of War' then mentioned Pompeii and a good fluff book laughing when she said it wasn't for little kitties eyes. "You realize I'm not that young right. However, that matters not."

His ears twitched when she mentioned Patricia Briggs, "Actually, I don't believe I have. I may have to look into that. I enjoy looking for new books. Cookbooks are interesting though the pages make me hungry if they have pictures and 'cause ya'know pages don't taste good." He was laughing as he said this.

"I actually found reading the Harry Potter series interesting too as it's a little more. . . Tangible considering both our lives and Potter's includes finding out about magic. His reaction also seems fairly typical too. . . "

Fiction1119

 

[Fiction1119]

LP

Jessie glanced at the silver star that was on the cat's forehead. "Yes well it's not like I've seen the star clearly." She made a face. "You would react funky too if a mouse all of a sudden started to talk to you." That was actually an interesting thought. "There arent talking mice are there? I mean I know you aren't really a earth cat but does that mean there could be non earth mice running around? What about dogs? Oh I actually know a fantastic author who's universe include animals that can do magic. I'm sad that she wrapped up that universe and as far as I know isn't writing anything more in it." Jessie absently ran her fingers over the edges of the book in her hand. She was lost in thoughts about various books that included animals that spoke or were intelligent, "actually there are a lot of books out there that have smart animals." It was said absently as she continued to stare off into space.

Jessie jumped and hissed in pain as a page sliced into her finger. She quickly stuck the injured digit into her mouth. why do paper cuts hurt so badly she thought before pulling her mind back to the topic at hand. "Actually the name 'The Hundred Years War' is a bit of a misnomer. Since it's a series of battles rather than one continuous fight it's not really a war by definition." She studied the clouds for a moment and added, "besides even if it was a continuous fight it would have lasted around 116 years not a century even. I've got a book called 'Medieval Civilization' by Jeffrey Burton Russell that covers it as well as a lot of other topics dealing with that general time frame."

"As for romances I will not let you see that one. It's fluff, complete and totally fluff. If you want a romance with some story to it I can definitely help though. It's a shame you haven't read anything by Briggs but I can easily fix that." She shifted slightly as her mind already started to create lists of authors and books to suggest. She absently tapped the magical cat on the head, "no eating books. The paper is t good for you, the ink is worse, and you ruin the book that way." She mentally discarded a few of the books on her list because she didn't want him to be squashed by them.

She snapped out of her thoughts as Snowball mentioned Harry Potter. Jessie was a bit dumbfounded, "you know I never made that connection before." It was said in a soft voice as she absently scratched the cat behind the ears. "That idea actually has a lot of merit behind it. I'll have to reread the series again." She sat up straight and gleefully clapped her hands when a thought popped into her head. "There are actually a good many books that at least brush the same type of topic that I can reread like 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe'." She smiled brightly at Snowball. "It gets so depressing to read all the war books all the time but you actually has me a great idea. I'm Jessie Haze," she lowered her voice slightly, "Pompeii of Saturn." Even though they were alone and she seriously didn't think Snowball would be talking if there was anyone around to listen in, she didn't want risk being exposed... And her bookstore getting destroyed.  

[LP]

He started laughing, and rolled his kitty shoulders, "Welp, that's unfortunate." He mused at the question of a talking mouse, "I'm sure they've some somewhere. I doubt I'd take it as weird, I mean we do have talking birds." He pointed out.

His tail flicked softly as she spoke about smart animals, "My favorite have to be Aesop's Fables, and then Native American folk lore." He stretched a little bit looking a bit startled as she hissed in pain at the paper cut, "Well that's no good, I don't have anything to help with that."

He tilted his head as she spoke about the hundred years war, "Yeah, I realize but still the point is, that years or centuries it matters not. For we still battle in a magical war."

He started laughing, "Actually, it'd be more fun to give that one to my senshi Polaris." He paused, "She's a princess! Ahah, though she'd also probably kill me for it too, but she needs to loosen up a little bit." He nodded when she said she could find one with more story than fluff, "Indeed, having story to it does usually make the book better." There was a chuckle as she took him seriously about eating books, "Psh, I'll just get Polaris to make me whatever I see that looks yummy in them."

He beamed when she seemed to not realize there was a connection there, "You're welcome, I actually adore fairy tales and books with magic. Occasionally reading utopia and dystopia's are interesting too because it's like what if one won over the other." His kitty shoulders shrugged again.

He paused, "Nice to meet you Jessie," He nodded when she said she was Pompeii of Saturn. "Well, that explains why you have Pompeii books." He started laughing, "My senshi's boyfriend knight is Niflhel of Saturn. You'd think I'd start reading more norse myth books because of him."

Ficition1119

 

[Fiction1119]

LP

Jessie nodded in agreement. Parrots did talk although the level of intelligence of a common parrot could be compared to a toddler, a real difference when comparing them against a guardian cat. The fable animals of old were really the best matches for the guardian cats. "Oh I know. I'm partial to the 'why' fables from every culture like why something is the way it is or how it came to be. The creation stories always fascinate me. It's pretty surprising how similar some of them are even though their people were separated by vast distances." She smiled down at her furry companion. It was nice to talk about a variety of literary concepts with someone, even if that someone was a cat.

Jessie made a face while waving off Snowball's concern for her papercut. It wasn't her first one and it wouldn't be her last. "I know but it's just such a bad name for a war.... At Least make it accurate. Something like 'A Series of Significant Battles', granted that sounds like a book title." She silently contemplated other names but couldn't come up with anything better. Jessie mentally turned away from the problem, she would work on it latter, and focused back on Snowball.

"Well..." She pulled the book from behind her and lovingly smoothed down the cover. It had been read quite a few times and was beginning to show it's age. "Sometimes fluff is called for. But maybe one with an original plot line would be best for Polaris." She made a mental note to ask about princesses since Jessie didn't really remember much about them in the senshi lessons she had received. Fighting was much more important with regards to learning to be a good knight that some of the history/knowledge information fell to the side.

Jessie sighed and unconsciously drummed her fingers on the cover of the thin romance book still in her lap. The pale French tips tapping across the image of a tropical beach and embracing lovers. "There are a lot of good books out there that fall in the magic category. Mercedes Lackey actually has a series that deals with fairy tales too. I tend to enjoy reading the twisted tales that change the typical plots on their heads." She fell silent for a moment before continuing with the conversation. "There are a lot of dystopian novels out since it's pretty popular; Utopias are a bit harder to find." Jessie didn't particularly like those types of books ever since she became a knight. The idea that dystopian style future is what they had to look forward too had her drift more towards the much more light hearted genres of fairy tales and romances.

She chuckled and scooped up the Pompeii book, flipping through the pages fast. She placed it down on a sketched map of the city. "I find that there is a difference between the Pompeii of Earth and the one of Saturn, as far as I can tell. But the maps are pretty interesting and it helps for the general navigation of my city," not like Aralias is usefull. She mentally added. "Reading up on wonders are useful but not always accurate." Jessie shrugged and smiled softly, "well sometimes."  

[LP]

ficition1119

Snowball's tail flickered as he listened to Jessie speak. "Yeah, well I suppose those in common actually have some merit huh? Considering if you have that many like accounts, even though the tale's different."

He rolled his shoulders as he sat there. nodding when she waved off his concern for the paper cut. "Aha, well not everything can be Poetic." He admitted as he stretched and yawned.

He nodded listening to her as she spoke about fluff is called for, "Oh, well if you have suggestions I'm fairly sure I can scrap up money for a few. I'm sure she'd enjoy some good books." He smiled softly as he sat there. Either that or she'd kill him but he could run faster than she could.

Cat listened more as he stretched a bit and finally laid on the stoop listening, "Mmm, magic is my favorite topic." He purred, "Oh do you have any like. . . comics with magic? I might have enough if there's a really cheap one." Money popped out of thin air, "I pick up money that peoples' dropped and no one notices." He had about five dollars, mostly in change as he shifted through it with a cat paw.

"Yeah Dystopian novels can be pretty cool though, despite whatever might happen."

He nodded as he watched her with the pompeii book, "Yeah.... I'm pretty sure there's no map to Niflheim. If there was it probably wouldn't look like Niflhels."  

[Fiction1119]

LP

I'm so sorry on the delay LP. RL is not making it easy to work on tags but I'm slowly making my way through them and I hope to get all of ours done before the week is out. sweatdrop

Jessie nodded in agreement, "It at least brings up some interesting questions and thoughts." She had spent more then one night comparing old stories and how they intertwined. The young woman had even written an extensive paper on it for her college class years ago and the teacher had loved it, well for the most part. He did say she had rambled quite a bit and twenty pages was excessive when the assignment was only 15 but he give her the highest marks of all her classmates so he must have liked it.

Her fingers itched to give Snowball a serious scratch under the chin as Jessie watched him stretch. What was it about cat's and their apparent bonelessness? Even dogs don't look that flexible when compared to a cat. Like accurate alternate 'battle' names, the curiosity about cat's flexibility would have to wait another day. As it was the topic had briefly brushed poetry and then drifted back to books. "Poetry is subjective just like books. Its why I find it so challenging suggesting just the right book for a person's, or cat's," She added with a smile, "individual needs. So it might be best to try borrowing a few of the larger books from the library just to get a feel if she likes them after all its not worth spending good money on a book that will never be read. Books are meant to bring joy as only a book can."

Jessie would have continued on in that frame of mind if Snowball hadn't distracted her yet again but this time with some magic of his own. The squire had seen weapons appear and disappear without a thought, she had done the same with her shawl, but to see money just -poof- from nowhere when there were no magic users around gave her pause. Oh... She silently realised what she had forgotten during the interesting conversation Snowball himself was magic, it only made sense he could use it too. "Was that money stored in the same space as our weapons? If it's the same space does each powered individual, in theory, have access to everyone else's stuff or is it like personal lockers where only the one person has access? Is it the same place the negaverse stash their weapons?" Her questions tumbled out as many more built up as Jessie realised she didn't know nearly as much about this war she was fighting in.

But it did give her an idea... "How about an exchange? It's apparent I don't know nearly enough about everything to do with this," She indicated the city as a whole but meant the world they were both fighting in in their own way. "If you are willing to spend some time teaching me anything and everything that you can I'll give you comics and even romances, free of charge." She bit her lip as a final thought came to her, or rather returned to her. "If it was safe you could always map Niflheim. I would love to write down all my observations about not only Pompeii but about other wonders, homeworlds, and powers in general but if something like that fell into the wrong hands..." She trailed off with a shutter. That reason alone was why every time Jessie realised she had written something down pertaining to her other life, she burned it. If only there was some way.  

[LP]

Fiction1119

It's okay!

Snowball nodded at the suggestion that he browse the library and then buy books when he figured out what she liked. "That dos sound like a good idea! If no one questions why a cat's in a book shop though I'd more than love to come in and browse the books."

He knew there was a catfe that allowed cats, and he purred thinking about all the places he could likely go. "If she won't I would read them. I do enjoy a good book, doesn't matter the topic really. I'll give them at least a read once."

He paused when she started asking all the questions and he started laughing slightly amused, "The money was stored in a subspace pocket, I didn't wear the little saddle bags I have, had made, so I use the subspace pocket when I know it's safe." He answered pausing to digest the rest of the questions, "Uh, I think they're more like lockers you can't get into anyone else's and anyone else can't get into yours. They're fairly secure but you have to be powered up to reach into yours."

There was another pause, "I believe, in theory yes. Only perhaps more tainted with Chaos, which is why they're negaverse agents in the first place. I assume the Chaos that taints them taints their weapons since they were once knights."

He tilted his head softly as she offered the exchange, "Only the cheaper ones." He said, "No, the price of knowledge can't compare to the price of tangible things because it's really priceless, but if it makes you feel better I'd make a trade of a discount." He replied. He wasn't going to take money from her or the business's pocket that wasn't how things worked. While he didn't understand it completely it just didn't seem completely right to accept tangible objects for the gift of knowledge.

"Mmmm, as far as Niflheim, why don't I see if I can talk Niflhel into letting you come along with us?" There was another pause as she spoke about those things falling into the wrong hands, "Well, we cats have the order computers. Maybe we can use your finding in there so that only we can see it and any paper trails disappear?" He stopped, "Do you have your ring upgrade where you can talk to it and it sends messages?"  

[Fiction1119]

LP

Lets try this again shall we... >.>'

Jessie waved off Snowball's concern with a lazy flick of her fingers, "in my store I don't even think you will hit the top ten strangest parts." The smile that played across her face was full of mirth and child like glee. She was tempted to tell the cat to take a peak in one of the windows but held her tongue because it was far more entertaining to watch people's first time reactions to her store and she wouldn't want to ruin it for the guardian.

"Even if you don't think you will ever read a book twice you can still pick up some interesting things in the first read." It was actually how Jessie knew about crop rotation and how to break a person's elbow.... all from fiction books none the less. It is quite amazing how much real life information can be hidden in the pages of a fantasy novel.

Speaking of fantasy mixing with reality. Jessie mentally turned her focus back to the conversation at hand. The idea of the subspace being 'lockers' was quite fascinating but she wondered what others thought of the theory as well. Could Senshi have different views of it? What about the negaverse? Just the one set of questions answered spawned hundreds more. More questions than could be answered at the current time and place. She will just have to hold them until time really permitted such an indepth conversation.

"Ok, I will concede to your request but just so you know you can 'build up trades' to get a better deal or a better book." It was the same kind of deal she tended to offer her friends and even her workers, although that was more under the table then anything since trying to figure out the cost of the books against the cost of the extra labor while factoring in taxes and the like was just not worth the cost of a decent hardback. Besides it wasn't like many of her employee's ever really took up her 'deal'.

Her train of thought, which had gone off on a tangent again, was abruptly stopped by Snowball's offer. "He can do that? You would do that?" The idea of going to someone's else's wonder had her practically vibrating in interest and curiosity. She wondered if Niflheim had a library... and if it was anything like Pompeii's library. Jessie had actually taken others to her wonder but never had the experience been reversed so the idea of traveling to such a place had her nearly over the moon.

"Hum?" She had kind of stopped paying attention to Snowball as she mentally get an idea of what Niflheim would possible look like through all her research. "Ring? Upgrade? You mean it's not more than a glorified mail carrier?" The brunette absently fiddled with the simple silver signet ring on her finger. She had never actually gave the piece of jewelry much thought and actually had never used it to send messages to other order members, only to receive them.  

[LP]

Fiction1119

omg so sorry. x_x work was like hurrrrrr /trying to tag everything up now.

Snowball laughed a little and nodded, "I'll hold you to that then." His tail flickered as he listened to her speak. "Well of course, I mean there's a few I read more than once but it's rare. I like to keep finding new information."

He paused when she said he could build up trades, "That sounds fine to me" He seemed to ponder on this thought and nodded as he stretched a little. She seemed excited about the idea of Niflhel taking her to his wonder, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I mean after all, it's the best way to for other knights to learn right?"

Snowball's tail flickered as she spoke again, after having seemed to daze out. "Yeah, there should've been directions or something . . . if not I'll see if I can dig up an older one. They're fairly useful though in ways of sending letters. I wouldn't dismiss it." He said with a soft purr as he spoke. "Any life line is better than none."