Whatever minor trepidation Jin Ling may have once had when it came to Ignacio's habit of inviting him out on shopping trips had long since dissolved. He responded to the text with a simple 'Of course.', got his hair and jewelry in order, and headed out without question.
The bookshop is unexpected -- and disappointing, given his initial excitement at the chance to get a new robe -- but Ignacio's unusual quiet isn't. From his last visit with Lestat and Louis, he knew their family had recently suffered a loss. It was more because of that than a sense of good manners that he followed Ignacio into the store with only a brief frown.
He was caught off-guard by the sheer number of books inside. Back home, most people couldn't read and books tended to be expensive, so shops and merchants usually offered small or highly specialized selections. This was shelf after shelf of densely packed volumes, all with elaborately painted covers. It almost rivaled the Jin Sect library in scale.
It took him a moment to understand Ignacio's question, goggling as he was. He blinked and composed himself.
"I do. Ones with grand quests and combat," he said, taking the offered book. The cover painting featured a pale hand holding up an orange against a dark background. "I've heard about Lestat's work, but he hasn't shown them to me. What is this book about?" He flipped it open to the first page.
Ignacio knew that Lestat's book was also featured in this shop, but he was not going to show it to Jin Ling at this time. After all, that was something that Lestat himself should gift to him! Instead, he focused on this particular story.
"It is fantasy and romance, with the intended audience being young adults but I found it compelling nonetheless," he said without even an ounce of embarrassment. What was embarrassment? Ignacio had no idea. "It features a beautiful vampire named Edgar and his family, attempting to... ah, how you say, blend in with the masses. I have a particular fondness of werewolves, and there is one that is featured in other stories who is named Jericho. At the height of the popularity of these novels, everyone had to choose whether they were 'Team Edgar' or 'Team Jericho', but I felt that was rather small-minded, for why could we not love them both?"
He motioned for Jin Ling to come to the couch area the book shop had, featuring plush furniture that one could sink into and perhaps have a beverage-- not that Ignacio had the need for any, but he was playing the gracious host. "Would you like a tea or coffee?" He asked as he remained standing, prepared to go to the nearby barista.
His nose wrinkled at being recommended a romance. Romance stories were for women and Ouyang Zizhen.
And Ignacio-qianbei, apparently. There had to be some deeper value to it than just a cringy love story if he held in such esteem.
A thoughtful look crossed his face hearing that the book was also about vampires trying to fit into society. Ah, that explained it. He closed the book to eye the cover again. It was a surprisingly realistic painting, but nothing about it suggested vampires, werewolves, or romance. Unless oranges were considered a symbol of one or the other where Ignacio came from.
"So this Edgar and Jericho are enemies?" He followed Ignacio's gesture and settled himself into one of the heavily cushioned couches.
Now that he knew that the book provided examples of both vampires and werewolves -- two beings especially relevant to him recently -- he returned to reading the opening paragraphs with more intent. To his surprise, it was told from the point of view of a girl named Belinda, not the vampire Edgar he was expecting.
"Tea," he said after a moment delay, "Green, the freshest leaves they have."
"Oh, it is far more complicated than that. One moment," he said before he went to the counter to order the tea that Jin Ling had requested. He did not even bat an eye when he requested the freshest leaves that they had, as if it was the most natural order in the world, though naturally they only had tea available in bags. Ignacio pursed his lips at that development and felt that the young man would not be satisfied with such a thing, and so he offered the barista additional compensation if they were to go out and acquire something better at the luxury tea shop. The native looked hesitant at first before Ignacio said the amount they were willing to give, and then they suddenly agreed eagerly before making haste out the door.
He then returned to sit beside Jin Ling, and crossed one leg over the other before explaining. "The tea will arrive soon enough. Ah, as for Jericho and Edgar... that is a story I should not explain outright, as it may spoil some of the magic for you to discover for yourself. But relationships are rarely so simple. Under the correct circumstances, an enemy can be a friend, yes?"
It pleased him to see Jin Ling was reading the book already, and he did not necessarily want to interrupt that but it would be rude to leave a question unanswered.
Jin Ling let out a "hmm" to acknowledge Ignacio's departure but didn't look up from the book. As he continued reading, his expression grew more and more annoyed. Part of it was that he was confused by aspects of the setting -- what's an airport? what was Belinda flying on? where are all these places?! -- and the other part was he couldn't yet tell where the story was going. So far it, seemed that Belinda had left her mother's home to go live with her father, because they were separate for some reason, but why?
He was mouthing the words "Ford pickup" to himself with the frustrated conviction of someone who knew it meant something important, but damned if he could figure it out, when Ignacio returned and spoke to him. He closed the book, finger marking his place, and blinked, processing what he'd heard.
"I supposed so," he admitted with reluctance, "It's best when things are clear-cut and you can tell friend from foe, but --" He made a noise in the back of his throat, thinking of Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning. "Sometimes your enemies act more like your friends than your friends do."
"Life is so rarely clear-cut. We are creatures of nature, after all. Think of a forest, or the plains in the wild. The concept of putting things in neat little boxes is purely a human invention in order to satisfy a need for control of their surroundings." He spoke of it smoothly, without any particular judgment in his tone though internally he hated the entire species for it.
"Perhaps that is why it appeals to you, yes? It is safer that way, is it not? To know who is friend, who is foe, the roles clearly defined and you can act accordingly." In almost an absent gesture, he moved one of his fingers in a square pattern in the empty air in front of his hand, nothing large or particularly noticeable. "But regardless of how much we fight it, in the end we are animals. In this world we must learn to change, adapt, an enemy one day may be an ally the next." Spoken with the wisdom of one who had been a Lord for a very long time.
"Also," he added with a slight smile. "It is a bit boring when people are predictable, yes?"
"Boring? That makes it sound like I'm being simple," he complained, mouth scrunched down into a scowl. Despite the expression, there was no real heat behind the comment. He was being contentious for the sake of it. "It would be safer. Why should I have to deal with the fall-out of trusting the wrong person or making the wrong enemy?"
He tapped the book against his thighs, thinking of his little uncle, of recent conversations with Lestat and Louis. An enemy one day, an ally the next. That was the trade-off, wasn't it? A person could go wrong, but then they could go right again, and sometimes for the same reasons. A scale forever going up and down as it fought to find the perfect balance.
"But I'd rather die than stay the same person forever," he admitted, "No matter the trouble it causes, it's better that we aren't all stuck in boxes, only allowed to be one thing or another. That doesn't mean I have to like it."
He went quiet again, seeming to think deeply, then looked up at Ignacio.
"What is an airplane?" he asked in dead seriousness.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2021-02-09 12:40 am (UTC)The bookshop is unexpected -- and disappointing, given his initial excitement at the chance to get a new robe -- but Ignacio's unusual quiet isn't. From his last visit with Lestat and Louis, he knew their family had recently suffered a loss. It was more because of that than a sense of good manners that he followed Ignacio into the store with only a brief frown.
He was caught off-guard by the sheer number of books inside. Back home, most people couldn't read and books tended to be expensive, so shops and merchants usually offered small or highly specialized selections. This was shelf after shelf of densely packed volumes, all with elaborately painted covers. It almost rivaled the Jin Sect library in scale.
It took him a moment to understand Ignacio's question, goggling as he was. He blinked and composed himself.
"I do. Ones with grand quests and combat," he said, taking the offered book. The cover painting featured a pale hand holding up an orange against a dark background. "I've heard about Lestat's work, but he hasn't shown them to me. What is this book about?" He flipped it open to the first page.
no subject
Date: 2021-02-10 08:20 am (UTC)"It is fantasy and romance, with the intended audience being young adults but I found it compelling nonetheless," he said without even an ounce of embarrassment. What was embarrassment? Ignacio had no idea. "It features a beautiful vampire named Edgar and his family, attempting to... ah, how you say, blend in with the masses. I have a particular fondness of werewolves, and there is one that is featured in other stories who is named Jericho. At the height of the popularity of these novels, everyone had to choose whether they were 'Team Edgar' or 'Team Jericho', but I felt that was rather small-minded, for why could we not love them both?"
He motioned for Jin Ling to come to the couch area the book shop had, featuring plush furniture that one could sink into and perhaps have a beverage-- not that Ignacio had the need for any, but he was playing the gracious host. "Would you like a tea or coffee?" He asked as he remained standing, prepared to go to the nearby barista.
no subject
Date: 2021-02-22 08:18 am (UTC)And Ignacio-qianbei, apparently. There had to be some deeper value to it than just a cringy love story if he held in such esteem.
A thoughtful look crossed his face hearing that the book was also about vampires trying to fit into society. Ah, that explained it. He closed the book to eye the cover again. It was a surprisingly realistic painting, but nothing about it suggested vampires, werewolves, or romance. Unless oranges were considered a symbol of one or the other where Ignacio came from.
"So this Edgar and Jericho are enemies?" He followed Ignacio's gesture and settled himself into one of the heavily cushioned couches.
Now that he knew that the book provided examples of both vampires and werewolves -- two beings especially relevant to him recently -- he returned to reading the opening paragraphs with more intent. To his surprise, it was told from the point of view of a girl named Belinda, not the vampire Edgar he was expecting.
"Tea," he said after a moment delay, "Green, the freshest leaves they have."
no subject
Date: 2021-02-28 10:10 pm (UTC)He then returned to sit beside Jin Ling, and crossed one leg over the other before explaining. "The tea will arrive soon enough. Ah, as for Jericho and Edgar... that is a story I should not explain outright, as it may spoil some of the magic for you to discover for yourself. But relationships are rarely so simple. Under the correct circumstances, an enemy can be a friend, yes?"
It pleased him to see Jin Ling was reading the book already, and he did not necessarily want to interrupt that but it would be rude to leave a question unanswered.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-08 06:43 am (UTC)He was mouthing the words "Ford pickup" to himself with the frustrated conviction of someone who knew it meant something important, but damned if he could figure it out, when Ignacio returned and spoke to him. He closed the book, finger marking his place, and blinked, processing what he'd heard.
"I supposed so," he admitted with reluctance, "It's best when things are clear-cut and you can tell friend from foe, but --" He made a noise in the back of his throat, thinking of Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning. "Sometimes your enemies act more like your friends than your friends do."
no subject
Date: 2021-03-20 08:47 am (UTC)"Perhaps that is why it appeals to you, yes? It is safer that way, is it not? To know who is friend, who is foe, the roles clearly defined and you can act accordingly." In almost an absent gesture, he moved one of his fingers in a square pattern in the empty air in front of his hand, nothing large or particularly noticeable. "But regardless of how much we fight it, in the end we are animals. In this world we must learn to change, adapt, an enemy one day may be an ally the next." Spoken with the wisdom of one who had been a Lord for a very long time.
"Also," he added with a slight smile. "It is a bit boring when people are predictable, yes?"
no subject
Date: 2021-04-07 03:03 am (UTC)He tapped the book against his thighs, thinking of his little uncle, of recent conversations with Lestat and Louis. An enemy one day, an ally the next. That was the trade-off, wasn't it? A person could go wrong, but then they could go right again, and sometimes for the same reasons. A scale forever going up and down as it fought to find the perfect balance.
"But I'd rather die than stay the same person forever," he admitted, "No matter the trouble it causes, it's better that we aren't all stuck in boxes, only allowed to be one thing or another. That doesn't mean I have to like it."
He went quiet again, seeming to think deeply, then looked up at Ignacio.
"What is an airplane?" he asked in dead seriousness.