taron
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[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
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Post by taron on Nov 12, 2009 12:19:01 GMT -5
Taron suddenly saw her point...He guessed if it was his, it didnt matter if it got ruined. But then...it mattered to him; Taron considered books too nice to get all messed up, and whatever book he might choose, he'd prefer it went to someone who could look after it properly. It was also somewhat anoying that she'd offered to pay, especially since the money he would have used wasnt really his in the first place, Claw had got it for him. It made him sound like he was kicking up a fuss just to get some more cash out of her, out of pity. Then again, Taron was good at getting things out of pity...
'I dont know...i dont want you to pay, thats not right, but...' he searched quickly for another reason...another excuse. 'I havent read in a while, and i dont know what i'd get anyway...where would i begin?' There were so many rows...he had to concentrate just to read the signs stating the various catagories. Storybooks were a bit pointless really; why would he want to read about some made up character and their troubles, when he had enough of his own? Picture books were for kids, little kids, but Taron loved the illustrations. He liked pictures. Wasnt there something for older kids, but still with pictures? Perhaps non-fiction...'I like animals...' he half mumbled to himself. Not in a cuddly pet-lover way, with stupid little hamsters and rabbits; Taron liked to know what more stranger life lurked out there. Where there was an animal, there could be a +anima for it; that would make an interesting read.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 13, 2009 22:58:53 GMT -5
"Animals... Animals..." Ruko mulled over Taron's answer in her head, before remembering a book she had seen before. If you wanted a book on any topic, go to her. She knew books like the back of her hand. Grabbing Taron's hand, and pulling him out of his chair and over to the non-fiction stacks, Ruko went straight for the beginning, in the As.
Releasing his hand, and searching the bookshelf, Ruko quickly found the book she was looking for. 1001 Freaky Animals of the World. "How does this one sound, Taron?" she asked, presenting the book to him. About animals, and it was quite interesting. She had passed it up for the book The Fire Within, however.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 14, 2009 11:02:14 GMT -5
(XD fire within, gadzooks!)
Taron was surprised that Claw seemed to know exactly what to find for him, and where to look. He let himself be led, and watched her running her finger over the many spines, finally settling on one, which she pulled out.
He took it, and examined the cover. It was hardback, but quite small compared to the other animal books on the shelf. Opening it, Taron flicked through, and was immediately hit by the colours. The artists were definitely skilled, to produce such lovely, probably dead on accurate, illustrations of each wierd and wonderful animal. He smiled, and gave her a nod. 'Alright, its great'
That settled, he closed the book, and looked around. Had Claw and Bane already paid for theirs? 'Where's Bane?'
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Post by Ruko on Nov 15, 2009 10:06:21 GMT -5
(I'm pulling every book right off my bookshelf!)
Ruko smiled, glad. "Good." At Taron's question, she waved her hand dismissively. "He's probably around here reading. He gets into his books WAY too easily. Bane!" The last word she called through the decently quiet store. Thofte's blonde head popped up over top of a bookshelf. "Come on, let's go buy our books." Quickly, he scampered around the shelf, and towards her. She took his rather large book, flipping to the spot where his bookmark was. "So you finished the prolouge and chapter one already? You must've found this quick."
Ruko sighed slightly, straightening up and explaining to Taron. "It's a good thing he just finished a chapter, otherwise I'd have to make him stop, and he cause a scene." Thofte grinned happily. "He's normally a good kid, but when you come between him and his books..." She trailed off, before continuing. "He can almost get as bad as me, except, of course, when I'm in a bad mood. I'm even worse than Shark then!"
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 15, 2009 11:01:09 GMT -5
'Right...never get between Bane and his books. i'll make a mental note' he said, smiling. To be honest, with Claw around, Taron didnt see himself ever needing to stop Bane reading, unless of course they were in a really unfortunate situation - needing to make haste. Still...shouldnt Bane have enough sense to know when it was and wasnt a good time to sit down and read? Taron was glad that this time they'd be spared one of Bane's tantrums; he hated having attention drawn to him.
'I only hope i never end up the main cause of your bad mood, then' Taron grinned, and he really did hope so; Claw was already pretty intimidating when she was in an ok-mood, and he'd previously established in his mind that, in a fair fight between them (heaven forbid such an occurence), Claw would win, easily.
Taron glanced at Bane's book choice, and his eyes widened. Even at 16 Taron wouldnt dare attempt a read of that size, let alone as a little boy. Bane must really be good with words; either that or get alot of spare time.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 15, 2009 11:08:33 GMT -5
Ruko rolled her eyes at Taron. "You really better hope not. The last time I was in a bad mood..." She hesitated, before continuing. "I dunno if the guy can walk now... or talk..." She shrugged. "The man ticked me off, is all I'm saying." She hadn't meant to damage his leg that much, though. Rip his throat out, yeah, she HAD meant to do that.
With that, Ruko stepped into the line waiting at the counter. There were only like three people in it, so it would go fast. Sticking her hand into her pocket, Ruko pulled out a few gold coins, examining them and judging her books, one hardcover (hers) and one paperback (Thofte's). Eh, it should be enough, and she'd get some change back. Not that she liked having smaller coins, but it raised less questions. Ruko doubted that a book store owner would be overly suspicious, however.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 15, 2009 11:22:32 GMT -5
Taron shuddered, and made a wince-face at her, really really glad then that he hadnt managed to 'tick her off' as of yet. He needed his voice...and his legs, both of them. What good was a lizard with no legs?
Claw joined the queue, and Taron suddenly became aware of one important factor. The price; he hadnt checked. But as he turned the book over and scanned it up and down, he bit his lip. There was no price...or...was there? Was he looking in the wrong place? Maybe it was on the shelf...but which shelf had this book come from? He moved behind her, and prodded her shoulder. 'Claw, how do you know how much it costs?' He hoped it wouldnt be a ridiculous amount to pay; Taron had never really intended to buy one in the first place. There was no going back now, though.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 15, 2009 11:30:49 GMT -5
Ruko sighed in exasperation, turning around to Taron. Taking her book, she opened the front cover, revealing the two blank white pages with the price written in the upper right-hand corner. "It's just on the inside, Taron. Honestly." Her voice was slightly annoyed at him. How the heck did he not know that? Didn't everyone? Honestly. There was only one person in line in front of them now, and he quickly paid for his stuff and left.
The clerk, a young man maybe a little older than her, smiled at her. Putting her books on the counter, she handed him the money, frowning at him. His smile quickly wiped off his face, and he hurried, muttering underneath his breath, and quickly gave her her change, gently putting her books in a bag. Taking the bag from him, and, grinning, Ruko stepped away from the counter. Taron's turn.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 15, 2009 11:59:46 GMT -5
'Uh...' Taron gulped when she stepped out of the way, and the man turned his eyes on him. The price hadnt been too bad, and he quickly pulled out his bag and dove in for some coins. He probably should have done this before hand, and was feeling pressurized to hurry by the person standing right behind him. After a moment of counting, he handed some coins to the man, who smiled, though not as genuinly as before. Taron attempted to smile back, praying that no blood would come this time.
Taking the bag without a moments hesitation, Taron nearly ran out of the store, checking his face. It was dry, good. Sighing, Taron turned to Claw and Bane, whom, he thought, were looking at him strangely. He was probably just imagining it, and shrugged inwardly. 'All done then?'
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Post by Ruko on Nov 15, 2009 12:05:07 GMT -5
Ruko was surprised when Taron ran out of the store, quickly following him. "Yeah, we're all done!" she announced cheerfully, glad that the dreaded day of shopping was over. "Now, if we're done we might as well find an inn..." Time had passed. It was almost suppertime, and the sun had already drifted below the horizon.
Thofte looked around as well as his older sister, spotting one quickly. Pulling on her hand, he pointed toward the inn. "Ruko!" he announced, glad to have found one.
Ruko smiled. "Thanks, Bane." Remembering something, she turned to Taron. "Oh, that reminds me. I was just planning on getting a room with a few beds, but do you want your own room? We really don't care, but it's your choice." Thofte nodded, agreeing with Ruko's statement about not caring.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
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Post by taron on Nov 16, 2009 13:04:32 GMT -5
We might as well find an inn...
Taron froze, his eyes wide, and looked up at the sky. She was right, it was time to settle somewhere, and though he hid it well (for once), fear was growing in his chest. This was the hardest part of the day; trying to find somewhere suitable for Taron to sleep, which would keep him warm enough so he could get up easily the next day. He was afraid of being inside, being out of the sun, but...this time of year, there was no sun, really. He had his new blanket and warm winter clothes, what was he so afraid of? Straightening up, Taron followed the other two, pushing his worries aside. Even if he did end up in an awkward state the next morning, Claw would keep him protected, he was certain of that. Still, being a burden like that wouldnt exactly please her.
When she stopped abrubtly and asked him the next question, he frowned, not sure he understood the issue. Then he did, and felt a blush growing. He hadnt thought of this; sharing a room with Claw (Bane wasnt really a problem). Wait...technically he'd slept near her, if not with her the previous night, so why was this different? It wasnt, he told himself, and thought fast for an appropriate answer that wouldnt give her the wrong idea. 'Whatever's cheapest, i guess'
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Post by Ruko on Nov 17, 2009 22:31:57 GMT -5
Ruko shrugged, satisfied with his answer. "Good. One room it is, then." With that, she led the way to the inn, glancing back every couple steps to make sure Taron was there with them. She didn't want to lose him again. The inn was a fancier place, but that made it more likely to have three bed rooms. She headed straight for the front desk, ignoring any glances her way. So what if they didn't look like they belonged? No need to make assumptions, people!
The man looked up. "Yes?" Ruko smiled nicely at him, genuinely, knowing that rough wouldn't get her anywhere. "Please, sir, could we have a three-bed room?" He took in Thofte and Taron behind her, one eyebrow raised. "Just one room?" God, she hated it when people assumed she was bad like that. Someone had thought Thofte was her son, once. Can you imagine? "Yes, one, please, sire."
He nodded, appeased. "Of course. Just wait a moment." He began to go through some drawers at his desk, writing something down on his pad of paper.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
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Post by taron on Nov 18, 2009 15:36:50 GMT -5
Taron felt horribly exposed as the tramp he was in a place like this. It was just too nice for people like him; he would have preferred some dump to this, atleast he would have fit in better. Then again, Claw and Bane probably deserved better than a dump. Actually, with their shopping bags and new clothes, maybe they didnt look so different...
He let Claw do the talking (she would have anyway, without him 'letting' her), and was surprised at her sudden change of tone. How polite she could be when she wanted to! She almost sounded innocent, and so believable that Taron wondered if he was with the same Claw he'd met out in the woods. She was the perfect person to travel with; knows how to deal with situations calmly like this, but has guts when things get nasty. Taron didnt really have either of those qualities, which made him wonder, why hadnt she already ditched him by now?
The man asked them to wait, and Taron shifted uneasily from foot to foot, wanting to be away from this large empty public space. It was funny, being in a crowd was easier; people looked over you and didnt care. Here they were the center of attention for anyone around.
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Post by Ruko on Nov 18, 2009 23:19:14 GMT -5
Finally finishing whatever menial task he was doing, the man looked up, smiling. "Here's a key!" he told Ruko, handing it to her. As soon as it left his hand, he continued to hold it out, waiting for the money. Grumbling far under her breath, she fished out the right amount of gold coins, setting it into his palm. "Keep the change," she told him, more for the fact that she didn't want to stay in here any longer. So many people looking at her raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
Leading the way, Ruko made her way confidently to the room. They went up two flights of stairs, but it wasn't a super long walk, at least, she didn't think so. Unlocking the door, she opened it, smiling as she saw the room. It was nice, with three beds, a nice window, and a door that led to a large bathroom. It was ajar, so she could see through it.
Two of the beds were pressed up at opposite walls, although they weren't that far from each other. The third, however, was on the far side of the room, away from the other two. Thofte quickly claimed that bed, throwing himself onto it, and Ruko dropped her stuff on one of the other beds.
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taron
Moderator
[The Honorable Mod of +Anima 101]
Posts: 822
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Post by taron on Nov 19, 2009 12:15:44 GMT -5
Claw paid the man. Taron wanted to interject and pay for his half, having not realised before that she had been about to pay the full amount herself. That was hardly fair; he'd give her the money later. As it was, right now that man freaked him out too much, all he could do was stay back and wait until they could go.
They found the room with little difficulty (not counting the many stairs they'd had to climb), and both Claw and Bane chose their beds almost immediately after entering. Taron shrugged and quietly put his bags down beside the empty bed, which was practically next to hers. He tried not to let that bother him in any way, slightly anoyed that it was making him feel awkward again. Without saying anything, he shook out his new blanket to its full size, crawled onto the bed, and brought it about his shoulders, sitting cross-legged with the material wrapped around him. It felt great; the combined warmth of the blanket and his new thick clothes, plus the comfy bed underneath. He took a deep breath. Perhaps this night wouldnt be so bad afterall.
After a silence, he looked up at Claw on the other bed. 'How much was the room?' Taron would have to play this correctly; no doubt Claw would try to reject any financial assistance from him for this place. He wouldnt give her the chance to say no; find out the price, give her the cash. simple...he hoped.
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