A Quiet Afternoon

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Libraries were a peaceful place. A quiet area to collect and distribute knowledge, gathering stories both real and fictitious to share with the world. The young man had always loved reading. Always loved spending time in the libraries. They were the only places where Dez felt as though he had the opportunity to think and breathe, without all the noise that came from the grind of daily life. It only felt right that he would wind up working in one. 

    Of course, being of the Amari bloodline, the boy's family didn't entirely approve of his choice. But seeing as it was such a harmless occupation, the only real reason his parents gave any pressure came down to the wages. Sure, it wasn't anything stunning, just a bit above minimum wage on paper, but it was enough to survive off of. And, seeing as Dez was a tedious enough worker, his boss tended to slip the young man, he managed to scrape by with enough spare spending money to keep himself content. 

    Though, while his parents were relatively soft on him as long as he wasn't risking being homeless, his elder sister was... an entirely different beast altogether. 

    Many "arguments" had taken place between them (which mostly just amounted to her bragging or yelling at him to get his shit together) that Dez found it easier to just avoid the woman as much as possible. He didn't even know if her heart was in the same place as his parents. 

    The Amari bloodline had always produced various heroes and adventurers, and Dez's parents had raised him with teachings of empathy and compassion. They'd told him to always do the right thing, and to never be afraid of standing up for what was right. While his sister had the same teaching's, she was more dedicated to the idea's of pure heroism and adventure. And while it was true that his parents did encourage Dez to see the world, his sister took it to the next level, fueled by stories of their ancestors. 

    All the pressure to be just like those before him... it weighed down on Dez. 

    It was stupid, really. Any kid should have been excited to live a life full of adventure. Like something out of a story book, going out and making a name as a hero. But instead, Dez just looked upon the massive boots his predecessors had left behind and felt pitifully small in comparison. There was no way anything he could ever do would fill them. Not even a little bit. 

    So... the library became his home. There was no pressure, no expectations of him, aside from ensuring everything was tended to and organized. So, essentially just his job. Truth be told, Dez didn't know if he wanted to do this for the rest of his life, but he also didn't know what he wanted to do with his life either. What sort of job would he want to spend his life on? What did he want to do with himself? The boy supposed that romance was part of the dream he had for himself, but that was just one small part of it. He was content in his apartment, but did he really want to live in a small apartment forever? What did he want?

    And then all the pressure that kept being pushed down on him more and more... he had no direction. No purpose. No friends. Was he really happy? It felt like he didn't even exist. Like he was just a ghost, watching some puppet try to be human. Doing the things a human should do, but never putting its heart into it. Dez didn't want to live life the way his parents, his sister, molded it. But then... how did he want to live it?

    Dez was pulled from his thoughts as a patron set down a hefty stack of books, and the motions started up. It was like he was a machine. the same questions "Find everything ok?" the same movements, sweeping the books and checking the titles, making sure they're being written down as being taken out. Repeat. Dez sighed when the person left, resting his chin in his hand quietly. A pat on his shoulder caught the boy's attention, drawing his violet gaze back over his shoulder. His boss stood there with a small grin. 

    "It's slow today, so go ahead and head out early. I can handle the rest from here." His boss said, waving him away from the front desk. 

    "Oh, right, thanks." Dez blinked and grabbed up his backpack from under the desk, swinging it over his shoulder. The young man gave a small wave as he slipped out towards the door. "Have a nice night, then. Don't burn the place down while I'm gone."

    "I'll try not to." His boss shot back. 
    
    Outside, the sun was still high up, though it would likely be setting soon. Dez figured there was enough time to grab a bite to eat and relax in the park for a bit before it got dark. As long as he was mindful of his time. 

    His boss's statement on it being a slow day held true, even outside. The streets were tame and peaceful. A nice change from the hustle and bustle that usually gripped the sidewalks. Must be a lazy day for everyone. Dez supposed. The boy shifted his bag slightly, making a brief stop at a sandwich shop to grab something to-go, and continued on. 

    From there, the blue haired young man went straight to a local park. There, he could be found in his favorite spot; under an old oak tree. Dez secretly appreciated slow days like this. Even if it felt a bit lazy, or even a bit boring, it was still a calm point. Perfect to just relax and catch one's breath. 

    With his backpack acting as a pillow to lay back upon, Dez sat peacefully under the oak tree with a sketch book in hand. He simply took his pencil and scribbled, sketching this and that, letting the peace and quiet fuel his inspiration, blind to the world around him for a brief moment in time. 

[SiriusFlux]

It was easy wondering from place to place to find someone or something to humor Valoris. Each area he went to always peaked his curiosity as he observed most from a distance. It was calm and nothing seemed truly off, however what peaked his interest was a lone individual sitting under a old oak tree. Valoris slowly had a grin grow opan his lips as he approached in a calm and rather light stepped way.

He was in his false form, fine silks adorning his body shimmering in the setting light. Valoris eyed the young man curiously, looking at the sketch book from behind as he leaned against the tree. After a few minutes of watching the pencil glide across the paper creating images wherever it went Valoris decided it would then be a good time to strike up a conversation with the young lad. "You enjoy the work of the mind and gift of the hand I see. Quite interesting watching it all come together like that."

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    The drawing, it appeared, was some form of dragon. Incomplete, of course, but not altogether terribly drawn. Dez would hear the soft footsteps a heartbeat before the newcomer spoke up, and the boy would blink slowly, before turning his head back towards the man. There were a few thoughts that flickered through the blue haired young man's head, starting with how rude it was that he just looked over his shoulder without even asking to see what the boy was working on. Let alone doing so without even introducing himself first.

    But, a lot of people in Avalon were like that, Dez supposed. Strange habits born from comfortable living, perhaps. The next thought he had was on the newcomer's wording. It... seemed like a lot of extra steps to say "Oh hey, I see you like drawing." 

    Weird people, man. 

    Dez sighed and shut the sketch book, sitting up to give the newcomer his full attention. Suppose peace and quiet can't always last forever. The boy shrugged, gently teasing his hair slightly before speaking, his voice calm and level. "I guess so. Really it's just something to do. Not really all that mentally intensive."

    He felt a bit weird about this guy just watching him draw like that. Definitely made him feel too uncomfortable to continue. Also, with the man's clothes as high quality as they were, him being in this area just felt weird. Well, ok, maybe not being in the area, but talking to Dez of all people seemed pretty... odd? 

    Like, Dez wasn't anywhere near the type of social standing required for this interaction.

    Wait, was this a situation where he was going to have his organs harvested? Oh god, or what if he was going to be drugged and sold into slavery. Rich people did awful shit like that to poor youthful characters in stories. Wait, no, no, calm down Dez. That's right, it's just stories. Not real. Even though there were rumors that it's actually happened before in real life, that stuff nothing more than a fluke. 

    Probably. 

    Gods he's just making himself paranoid for no reason right now. Just talk to him, ask him what's up, I'm sure it's something stupidly innocent. You're getting worked up over nothing. "So... uh... what brings you here, then...?"

[SiriusFlux]

Valoris watched close to the movements as a thought skimmed quickly through his mind. Reminds me of a mouse...such a vulnerable creature...easy prey Though after it quickly came and left his mind closed in on the words being said to him. Valoris smiled rather innocently as he spoke in a calm gentle manner " I am just a simple wanderer who does card readings and the like. Trying to enjoy the views and scenery before passing by onto the next place."

His sea blue eyes fixed on the individual in front of him. He stopped leaning against the tree and tilted his head a bit before speaking. "Whats your name if I may ask? Since I asked however I should introduce myself. My name is Valoris."

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    That innocent exterior seemed to be just part of the Amari bloodline at this point. However, it was a trojan horse of sorts. Dez himself, despite not knowing what he wished to do in life, had trained extensively with weaponry and magic. Just something that was expected of him growing up. Did he like it? Well no, not really, but also maybe? Again, it was hard for him to figure out, so he usually didn't like to think about it. 

    Regardless, Dez wouldn't  really know that thought was on this stranger's mind. He would just feel a slight... air of discomfort, but not truly know why. The blue haired boy would try to shake it off once he started talking, noting that he was a... tarot card reader? Well, guess there's a place for everyone, he just wondered how much it really paid. Although if he wandered, then it probably wasn't that big of an issue. 

    The boy had never been out of Avalon, though, so he couldn't really say.

    An amethyst gaze met the man's blue. So his name is Valoris? Well, at least he was polite enough to introduce himself first. "Dez."

    There was a definitive curiosity when it came to Valoris's intent. The man had an odd air about him. Aside from the fact that no one really... approached Dez ever. Well, besides when he was at work, of course but that doesn't count. 

[SiriusFlux]

Valoris thought for a moment, tapping his chin with one finger from the right hand before speaking. "Dez...I see. Its nice to meet you Dez. I must ask, do you perhaps know any interesting places around here? I could give you a card reading as well for it all." Val seemed very calm and easy on the outside, meanwhile on the inside Valoris started to think and ponder.

Being of few words perhaps? Maybe a bit interesting...how long will this social interaction hold? His hand went back down by his side as his smile faded into a more calm and relaxed look on his face.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Dez calmly nodded in response to Valoris's greeting, then perked up slightly at the man's question. With a slight hum, the boy would tap his chin with his pen, thinking it all over. "Hmm... well, there's the grand library where I work, then there's obviously the prized gem, Vyridel Academy. They host events every so often and allow the public to watch, and I believe their research archives can be accessed if you make an appointment. I also heard there's a club nearby that serves food and drink, but it's in the process of renovation so I'm uncertain if it's currently open or not. Hmm... let's seee..."
   
    "There's obviously a few stores here and there around, like Babel's Bit's and Bobs, Manic Mischief, Magic, and More, The Old Dog's Oddity Emporium, to name a few. There's also the Copper Cradle, which my sister likes to frequent, I heard it serves decent drink, but I think it caters more to the military and guard. There's a museum nearby that is newly opened, has some interactive exhibits, and some new relics that are there for show. Few bookstores here and there I like to frequent, few art exhibits." 

    "If you're planning on visiting any of the other areas of Avalon, I know there's This place called The ∇ri∆ngle in Hurricane keep. It's a fancy club, but you can also get information and jobs there from the guy who runs it. You know, also a few more of the standard fair. Never really been there so I can't exactly name any places though. In Ignis Reach there's a tavern called The Drunken Dragon which I heard get's pretty rowdy, also a store that sells Magical crystals and items called the Dragon's Horde. Uhhh, also a magical archive where you can read up on some tomes and practice magic. And unfortunately that's all I know. I've never been to Deep Sea Sanctuary, so I couldn't tell you much about there, though I assume it's much the same." 

    Dez opened up his sketch book and flipped to a new page, putting pencil to paper and starting to work. Almost completely by memory, the young man sketched out a map of Pillar Steppes in less than a few minutes. Albeit low detail, of course. But, otherwise, it looked relatively reliable. After checking it over for a few moments, and marking some locations with a red  pen, the blue haired boy tore out the page and passed it over to Valoris. 

    "I've pretty much memorized each street by heart since coming here, plus I've had to study more than my fair share of city maps at the library. You know, just to figure out where to organize them, and make sure they were all correct." Dez paused and hesitated. "Of course, if you'd prefer a more professional map, there's a place you can get one straight east, two blocks down and on the left."

    Translation: Suddenly I feel like this might not be that good, and my memory might be wrong and I don't want to be responsible for you getting lost. 

    

[SiriusFlux]

Valoris looked rather intrigued by the information given about the area, but he was more so interested in one area in particular. He grinned a bit as he had the look of excitement in his blue eyes as he replied. “ Library’s are interesting. I might go check it out, as I truely do adore the diffrent tales written down.” He then looked down at the page handed to him which was the simplified map. One finger traced a few of what he made out to be streets and paths before speaking in a calm and relaxed tone. “ Would you like for me to give you a card reading by the way? Maybe after we could talk about some of the things you like reading? Been looking for more written stories to get into.” Valoris took off a pack from his back as he set it on the ground to go through it.

He didn’t want to damage the simplified map given to him. Val didn’t mind how it looked as he more so saw it as a sort of gift. It was something he found he could hold onto as a way to remember this Dez individual. As his hand dug through his bag as the other kept the paper from being ruined some of the scars and ritualistic marks sown from the back of his neck. Val didn’t realize it was visible, more so he didn’t really know he had any. He never was one to pay attention to the small details on his own skin. Though a thought darted through his mind that he knew was more so primal hunger he would keep tapped down from surfacing. Should be hunting, not socializing... Val ignored the thoughts as he finally found what he was looking for.

A metal case that had a few strange symbols and a dragon engraved on it. The case itself seemed warn and somewhat scuffed up from some sort of damage. “Here it is... might as well pull it out now just in case. My bag can be a sort of void where things get lost in now and again.” He gave a small chuckle as he then closed up his bag. He kept out the metal card holder case that presumably contained the cards inside and the makeshift map that was given to him.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "If you're interested in the Library, then I certainly recommend either the history section in row J. J4 and J6 have interesting tales on many major battles and the figures that came out of them. Isles B and C have fictional literature more suited for adults, though if you're looking for anything more fantasy related I certainly would nudge you towards E4. There's a few books there that I would heavily recommend, such as The Hollowed King, by J.T. Lawrence, The Knight's Sorrow, by Kelsey Hodgins, oh! And my personal favorite would certainly be The Man of the Ivory Tower, By R.J. Ellheim. It's a somber little tale of a once great king who chose to exile himself to an Ivory tower, and features many different characters who come to visit him, including a woman in a white dress who later becomes a prominent character. though I don't want to give too much away on that one.
    
    Another good one is Relinquish the Void, by Albert Klein. It's about a monster desperately dreaming of living amongst society, so he disguises himself as a handsome traveler in hopes of making friends, all the while struggling to control his hidden nature. Along his journey he encounters a broken knight, a failed jester, and a runaway princess. It has a very sweet ending, for what it's worth." Dez gave little hesitation as he went rambling off on the books.

    While he did hate how stagnated he felt in life, working at the library was a peaceful endeavor, one that also gave him a chance to indulge in his love of reading. 

    Of course, the young man, would let out a soft chuckle once he'd realized he'd gone off and rambled in such a way. The blue haired boy cleared his throat, awkwardly. It was almost humorous how he'd gotten all caught up in Valoris's interest in the Library, that he didn't even stop to take note that the man brought up the idea of book discussions later on down the line instead of that very moment. 
    
    "Apologies, didn't mean to prattle on like that. I'm so used to giving out recommendations while working that my mind switched into that almost by habit." The boy let out a gentle sigh and readjusted himself. That was... unbecoming of me. Need to keep myself in check, lest I wind up rambling on like a nuisance. Dez broke himself out of his thoughts as Valoris pulled out the well-worn case, pondering for a slight moment at his offer for a tarot card reading. He'd never really bought into all that nonsense, but the case sparked his curiosity. "I... suppose it couldn't hurt." 

[SiriusFlux]

Relinquish the Void caught Valoris interest for a moment, tapping the metal casing of the cards against his palm as the smile seemed to slowly vanish from his face. The pause delved him deep in thought before he snapped out of it, shaking his head a bit and smirking again. "Ah I see, I might check out some of those books. They sound like they would be fun to read..." He trailed off before his mood seemed to pick up when Dez was open to the reading.

Valoris smiled and spoke in a rather picked up tone "Ah no need to apologize, its very interesting. Let me just start prepping here..." Valor gently unclicked the card holder, taking his cards out that were black with gold accents and some areas of white. He shuffled them and tapped them a bit, before sitting down on the ground. Once he was set he held out the cards like a fan and spoke in a calm and rather easy tone "Pick three cards, once you do I will place the remaining cards away then read the ones that chose you."

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "I certainly do recommend them. A few of them I've re-read multiple times." The cards certainly looked interesting. It was a unique gilding that actually made them look quite ornate and beautiful. Dez wondered how expensive they were, or if the man either found them or had them handed down to him. The young blue haired boy waited patiently for Valoris to finish setting up, tilting his head to the side curiously. 

    Once ready, the boy hummed and slowly reached out, tapping three cards lightly. Truth be told, he was gentle with his touch partially because he was nervous about ruining them. They certainly looked... well... less than cheap. "I've never actually done this before, so... guess there's a first time for everything..." 

[SiriusFlux]

Valoris took the three cards that were tapped and then placed the others back into the metal holder. He then gently turned over the cards to which the three displayed different images. One shown a man hanging upside down on a wooden post, another shown a knight holding a golden cup, the last one has a man sitting down with four pentacles. Valoris looked down and pondered, tapping the cards once with his finger before he spoke. He took a breath before speaking.

"Here you have The Hanged Man, it symbolizes restriction...something being held back or holding you back. Could be a job, relationship, or a life that feels unfulfilled. The Knight of Cups symbolizes that one will find love. The last card is the Four of Pentacles. This card symbolizes is one is holding onto something out of fear of letting it go..." He trailed off before looking back at Dez as he smiled. He then looked down at the metal case for his cards as he then picked it up to put the cards back into its case. Gently shuffling them back before clicking the metal case closed.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Dez watched as the man pulled out the cards, displaying the pictures before starting to describe their meaning. Two of them felt like personal attacks against him, and the other one just sounded like a joke. Yeah, me, find love. Fucking hilarious. Guess that one's the dud card of the bunch. The boy sighed and nodded though. It was a neat little way to pass the time, for sure. Not something that Dez took all too seriously though. Mostly just a lot of stacked up coincidences, a lot of vague meanings put together for the best possible way to hit the sweet spots of a person's mind. 
    
    "Hmm. Neat." The boy obviously wouldn't call it bullshit outright. Not only was that rude, but it was also just kind of an asshole thing to do? Besides, sure, it might not have been the end all be all, permanently true prophecy and there was no way it wasn't going to happen, but it was still a little neat. The art on the cards was nice, and Valoris's dedication to memorizing what they meant was pretty cool. 

    "Well, thank you very much for doing this reading for me. It was certainly nice to meet you." Dez paused, then calmly held out a hand in an offer to shake. "I hope you enjoy your time here, if you ever come by the library while I'm working, don't be afraid to say hello." 
    

[SiriusFlux]

Valoris got up after placing the cards back into his bag before getting up. He held the loose map in one hand as he gently smiled and shook Dez hand. "You are welcome. Hopefully our paths cross again, as I enjoyed meeting you Dez." After Valoris shook his hand he then turned to leave glancing at Dez once more with a kind grin before moving on.

Things seemed to be working out for Valoris which made him quite pleased. He hoped to eventually make friends with this individual, but he also knew deep down he would have to deal with his own inner conflicts eventually. Maybe this is the start of a new leaf? Or maybe things might not be as it seems... Valoris will never know at this point until it comes down to the choice.