Ari ♫ ♪ ♬ (gracenotes) wrote in emillion, @ 2013-08-12 14:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, almalexia lliryn, arielle chiaro |
With a dreamy, far-off look, and her nose stuck in a book...
Who: Ari & Lex
What: Talking literature
Where: Lux & Livre
When: This afternoon
Rating: G
Status: Complete~!
One might think that, having spent the greater part of an afternoon just last week browsing endless stalls crammed with various books and scrolls, Ari might find something better to do than wander Lux & Livre on a Monday afternoon. One might think that, but she had seen the new display in the window as she walked past - Lord Byrom and Tenysson and even Lemartine in translation, all serious weaknesses of hers as far as poetry was concerned - and before she quite knew it, she had walked through the door. Having greeted Amy, she meandered over to the poetry section to see if anything new had appeared since her last visit. Amy was good at procuring really obscure poets for her once in awhile, but there was something to be said for the classics, too. She didn’t own them all, though it was probably a near thing. She picked up a rather thick tome of Pushkyn - quite popular in his native part of Kerwon, but rare outside of it - and began flipping through to see if it contained the original of The Queen of Spades. She had the libretto for the derivative opera in the original language already, but she had never read the story which had inspired it, and she had always meant to pick it up sometime. This translation seemed sensible enough and... there it was, page fifty-six. With a smile, she flipped to the start. It was a good thing Amy didn’t mind browsers reading in her shop; ten minutes later, Ari was quite lost in the tale of avarice and the caprices of fortune. Lex hadn't expected on running into anyone familiar that day. Her brief foray into the city for books was not a spur of the moment decision--this visit to Lux & Livre had been neatly planned around her schedule for several days. As such, the anticipation made the venture that much more enjoyable, and by the time Lex spotted Ari in the poetry section, she herself had already accumulated a small stack of books underneath one arm. She spent a moment lingering not far by, wondering quietly to herself whether or not to say hello. Not a particularly social creature by nature, it was always far easier to approach someone under the guise of pertinent business. However, it had been some time since they'd spoken last, she tried to reason and, mustering up enough curiosity, began to wander in Ari's direction. "Do you enjoy poetry?" she asked as a way of greeting, sneaking up as if she'd simply materialized from nowhere. Ari startled from being unexpectedly addressed, but then her expression settled into a friendly smile when she realized who had addressed her. It made her happy to see Lex out and about, in truth; it seemed to her that the young woman was far too cloistered and could use a bit of fresh air... and living in general. Granted, her arms were filled with books, but Ari could hope that not all the titles were academic. “Good afternoon to you,” she said lightly. “I do indeed. I don’t suppose I ever had any choice in the matter, having all but grown up on it - a bard who doesn’t enjoy poetry would quickly grow weary of her profession.” With some regret, she closed the book, but kept it in her hand. Perhaps she would treat herself today, even if her shelves had no more room. The translation was good. “And yourself?” she asked, curiously looking over the books tucked under Lex’s arm. She couldn’t quite see the spines. “A bit of light reading?” she teased gently, for it seemed to her that the stack would soon be too large to continue carrying in that manner. “Actually, yes,” Lex replied, shifting the stack of books she was carrying from one arm to the other. After such a vigorous pre-exam study schedule, she had decided it would be acceptable to veer away slightly from her usual heavy reading habits. The titles she carried currently were mostly historical fiction. Taking an interest in Ari’s book, Lex tilted her head slightly, trying to get a look at the title. “Do you have any particular favorites perhaps?” “Oh, that is like asking a mother to pick a favorite child,” Ari replied with a laugh. “I would be an embarrassment to my profession if I didn’t mention Shakespire and Racinne; I am also incredibly fond of Yeates, I must admit, and Poe. Pushkyn is lovely,” she added, gesturing with the book she held, “though I wish I knew enough to read it in the original, as I am certain it loses something in translation. Dozens of Ordalian poets, of course: Lemartine and Bélanger come to mind immediately. For more modern poets, I have a particular soft spot for kummings, and... I could probably speak for half an hour, if you let me,” she finished, shaking her head. “I have a great love of elegant phrasing in general, so poetry is a serious weakness. I own more of it than I can properly shelve, but can’t seem to stop myself from adding to my collection. “Do you read much poetry?” she asked, an attempt to curb her own enthusiasm before she really did talk for a solid half hour. She had already noted the titles and authors that she could make out on the spines of the books Lex held. Her original debt was repaid, but... the last time had been so terribly amusing, perhaps she would send another anonymous gift sometime soon, for entertainment value alone. Lex found herself surprised at the enthusiasm with which Ari began discussing the topic, her eyebrows raising higher as the other woman continued speaking, but also she felt a hint of amusement. Any love of literature certainly met with her approval, after all. And now, she realized, perhaps a new opportunity was presenting itself. "Not usually," she admitted, her typical reading habits leaning most times toward the academic. Lex filed the names away in her memory, however, should she perhaps run across them in the future. "Do you have any recommendations?" Lex gazed over the bookshelf next to them, looking over the various names and titles. While there were a small number she could recognize off-hand, the world of poetry was mostly foreign to her. "Something Kerwonian perhaps?" Her mind wandered to the book she had been reading most recently. The request, to Ari, seemed rather transparent, and her smile grew just a bit sly. “Pushkyn is Kerwonian,” she said. “But I don’t think that’s the region of Kerwon you’re looking for, in your particular case.” Then again, was she so different, really? She had been hunting down Kerwonian folk songs, after all. No reason not to help Lex out just a bit, since it was obvious why she asked. “You’d like Heinrich Heighne, I think,” she said, running her hand over the books on the shelf as she searched for a volume. It seemed she was in luck - there were several volumes in stock. Heighne’s poetry was lyrical and quite beautiful to sing, which was one of the reasons she liked him so much, and also likely why several tomes of his works could be found in one shop. It seemed half of his works had been set to music by one composer or another. “Original, or Valendian translation? Amy keeps a few originals around, for aficionados.” Lex nearly asked for clarification on that particular assessment (what region would that be, and how did Ari know?), but she carefully held in the impulse. Whatever the answer might have been, she was certain she didn't need to know. And besides, there were more interesting things to consider. "Oh?" Unfamiliar with the name of the poet, Lex watched eagerly as Ari ran her hand along the bookshelf, searching. She found herself very intrigued by the prospect of reading something new and, potentially, informative. "Original would suffice," she decided. "I do prefer some challenge." “Original it is.” A slim tome was withdrawn from the shelf, examined, and handed over. “It is only highlights - his body of work is quite vast - but anything more in depth may need to be a special order, unless you’re willing to read translation. If you like it,” she added, “there are art song evenings in the Theatre District once in awhile. Heighne was a favorite of Kerwonian composers.” And Pushkyn would be the end of her poetry shopping today, she decided. She should show some restraint. “Your turn,” she said, her tone and expression friendly. “Recommend something.” She was curious indeed to see what it would be. Lex took the offered book with a nod as thanks, wondering to herself what an “art song evening” entailed. If the book proved interesting, she suspected, it might be something worth investigating. At the notion of recommending something to Ari, she immediately furrowed her brow. Certainly they had many dissimilar interests, Lex thought, an aspiring arithmetician and a bard. After all, it was only through Lex’s desire to help with the song scroll that they were even remotely acquainted. Thinking the task over quite seriously, however, Lex began to shuffle her stack of books in her hands, eventually picking a slimmer tome from the set. She offered it up to the other woman, hoping it met with some approval. “It’s a work of fiction, however,” she said, pausing to hoist her books securely underneath her arm once again, “the topic seems popular of late.” A similar story from those they discussed at the library, this book had much to do with water elementals specifically. It seemed as if Lex was working up some peculiar idea on recent goings on, but whatever it might’ve been, she wondered if the bard would find some use for it as well. “I prefer fiction whenever possible,” Ari said, accepting the book with a smile. “It is so often more diverting than everyday life.” Though hers sometimes tended to resemble an adventure novel lately, granted. Or perhaps a painfully slow romance - depressing thought, even if the similarities were surely only surface. She wasn’t even interested in romance. She took a quick glance at the back cover of the book, noted the subject and barely schooled her expression to avoid expressing mild distress, settling instead only on surprise. She had not heard back from Merri regarding that mage boy, nor had she seen him since their strange chase through the streets of the Bazaar, but... that sea dragon hadn’t appeared in the city, at least - whatever had rampaged in the Tenements had not been described as such by Altair, when they had discussed it. But considering the water damage remaining in that monster’s wake, and that woman and her pet elementals... A curious topic indeed. “I shall certainly tell you how I enjoy it if you promise to do the same with the Heighne,” she said. “Of course,” Lex agreed easily. She paused for a moment, considering how she might go about prolonging the conversation further (it was a fortunate surprise to meet again, she supposed), but nothing useful came to mind. It was as expected. Her capacity for engaging in light conversation was very small, it seemed, and so she shifted around awkwardly before speaking. “I should allow you on your way perhaps,” she said, looking thoughtful. “I imagine this book will prove most informative.” “And enjoyable, I hope,” Ari said, turning to head toward the register. “One of poetry’s primary goals is to simply be beautiful.” She had not missed the slightly uncomfortable shift and had drawn her own conclusions. Thus she asked, “Are you headed out yourself? There’s a coffee shop around the corner, and they make rather nice iced mocha. I was thinking of stopping by before continuing with my errands.” Comfortable and at ease with social situations in general - even with people whom she had only met on a few occasions - she offered, “Would you like to join me? It’s a rather warm day.” Lex shouldn’t have been surprised by the offer. Ari had, after all, proven herself nothing but friendly and companionable during the short period of their acquaintance. Nevertheless, surprise momentarily washed over her face before being replaced with her usual cool expression. After a brief consideration of the offer, Lex nodded in assent. She could extend her time away from the Cathedral without any real harm being done, she supposed. “I believe I would like that,” she agreed, following the other woman’s lead through the shop and, eventually, out into the city. |