Augustia

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

The book looked interesting enough, but Lilith didn't feel compelled to put money down on 'interesting enough', especially if it would never find its way to a G-rated shelf. What if she had friends over and they picked it up to find it rambling on for forty-two pages about the romantic ideas involving adult vampires?

A girl walked up to her as she slid the book back on the shelf with a little frown. "I didn't like that one, either," the girl said, and Lilith sent her a smile.

"The story sounds interesting, but I'm not in the mood for the adult-themes that goes with it." she shrugged, then looked at the shelf once again, as if it would send a choice book flying through the air at her screaming 'pick me!' over and over again. When she looked over at the girl again, she couldn't help sending her another shy smile and tucking her dark hair behind one ear, "So...do you have any suggestions? I heard this one called Twilight was very good...but I haven't actually read it..."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"I didn't like that one, either," Erin commented ironically, and the girl smiled at the comment.

She hadn't meant to start the girl on a ramble about books, though. "The story sounds interesting, but I'm not in the mood for the adult-themes that goes with it." She shrugged, scanning over the books in front of her with interest. Erin glanced up at them, too, though apathetically. Too many were way too freaking long to keep her interest, she knew it. The girl next to her looked back at Erin again, a faint smile on her face before asking, "So...do you have any suggestions? I heard this one called Twilight was very good...but I haven't actually read it..."

Erin couldn't stifle her laugh at that, though she covered her mouth to at least make it quieter. "You haven't heard of Twilight? Where have you been the past two years?" She laughed again. "Sorry, I'm just messing with you, but still... hehe! I only watched the movie and fell asleep during it." After falling off the couch laughing at the ridiculous 'skin of a killer' scene! Way too freaking funny! "Actually, though," Erin said, recomposed, resting her hand on the shelf of the books. "I don't read. I'm only here to get summer reading junk out of the way." She gestured with a nod to her dad at the counter, checking out a stack of books she knew weren't on the list. Plus the ones that were. With a quiet groan, Erin rolled her eyes. "School list and my parents' list. Fun!" she said, tone dripping in sarcasm.

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

"So...do you have any suggestions? I heard this one called Twilight was very good...but I haven't actually read it..."

This cautious attempt at conversation was met with laughter from the girl, and disbelief, "You haven't heard of Twilight? Where have you been the past two years?" The girl laughed, but Lilith had a hard time sending a sad smile back.

"Uh...I was in Paris the last few years, actually. But I don't go out much, no matter where I am. I'm a bit of a hermit, to be honest." You don't have to laugh at me...it's not really all my fault...

"Sorry, I'm just messing with you, but still... hehe! I only watched the movie and fell asleep during it. Actually, though, I don't read. I'm only here to get summer reading junk out of the way." She gestured towards a couple with enormous stacks of novels and biographies, and Lilith found herself staring at them with interest. The way they interacted with each other was very familiar to her...the sort of half-tease when they even glanced each other's way, and the love that Lilith's sapphire eyes could see from across the room...it reminded her of her own parents.

Lilith forced herself to look back at the lucky girl. The girl who still had parents like that. "School list and my parents' list. Fun!"

She smiled weakly, "Yeah...I kind of wish my mom would shove another poetry book at me." a pause, then she saved with a smile and a mocking British accent, "I mean, they were just so riveting, you know!"

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"You haven't heard of Twilight?" Erin laughingly asked, incredulous. "Where have you been the past two years?"

"Uh...I was in Paris the last few years, actually. But I don't go out much, no matter where I am. I'm a bit of a hermit, to be honest."

"Ooh, Paris," Erin echoed, genuinely impressed. Something about people having lived in places she'd only seen on TV was just impressive. "Sounds fancy! But you're own now, so you're breaking your own rule," she pointed out amiably. "Sorry, I'm just messing with you, but still... hehe! I only watched the movie and fell asleep during it. Actually, though, I don't read. I'm only here to get summer reading junk out of the way."

Parisian-dwelling wannabe-hermit girl seemed more interested in the prospect of Erin's forced summer reading than she was with talking to Erin. It was kind of uncomfortable, and Erin was about to drop it and forget about trying to carry on a conversation in this place-- bookish people didn't like talking anyway, right? That's why libraries were so friggen quiet. As a last ditch effort to elicit a response from her, Erin voiced, "School list and my parents' list. Fun!"

The self-proclaimed hermit gave a faint smile. "Yeah...I kind of wish my mom would shove another poetry book at me." Erin raised her eyebrow at that. It was a weird thing to say-- what, did her mom suddenly decide her kid was old enough to read without a guiding hand or what? She was just about to ask so when the bookish girl finally decided it was okay to open up a little bit, saying dramatically, "I mean, they were just so riveting, you know!"

It was kind of a relief in a way to hear that. Now she didn't feel so much as she had to prove herself or something. Erin chortled, rolling her eyes as she commented, "Yeah, a regular train wreck. The sad thing is, all that is apart from summer school. I don't even get a summer this year." She wrinkled her nose, then, realizing she was kind of whining and making herself look even more unintelligent to a total stranger, Erin immediately shifted to a lighter expression. "Well, I can just SparkNote 'em anyway, it'll be fine. I bet you're already graduated though, right?" She looked older than Erin, but not very much older. Only a couple of years, maybe, like Yukito. "God, you're so lucky to be done already!"

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge



"You haven't heard of Twilight? Where have you been the past two years?"

"Uh...I was in Paris the last few years, actually. But I don't go out much, no matter where I am. I'm a bit of a hermit, to be honest." Lilith felt a little awkward to admit she hadn't been exposed to the hottest trends on the market - or even the way over-the-top and overdone trends.

"Ooh, Paris," The girl's eyes flickered with true intrigued this time, and Lilith smiled a little, "Sounds fancy! But you're own now, so you're breaking your own rule,"

Lilith's smile faded, "Huh?"

"Sorry, I'm just messing with you, but still... hehe! I only watched the movie and fell asleep during it. Actually, though, I don't read. I'm only here to get summer reading junk out of the way. School list and my parents' list. Fun!"

"Yeah...I kind of wish my mom would shove another poetry book at me." Lilith said quietly, feeling a little pang as she watched the girl's parents cheerily stacking up tortures for their daughter, tortures bound in shiny covers with words inside that their little girl would probably avoid reading as adamantly as possible. Then, Lilith realized that the girl was watching her weird because of the total oddness of her comment, and she successfully covered with a dramatized, "I mean, they were just so riveting, you know!"

"Yeah, a regular train wreck. The sad thing is, all that is apart from summer school. I don't even get a summer this year." Lilith's eyes widened quiet suddenly at the girl's words. Not because she found summer school that traumatic - though it was, definitely - but because of how she compared the disasters of literacy that got her. Totally ringing a bell here...

"Okay, do you want to hear something really, really strange? In Paris, I met this guy. Well...I sort of tripped over him while he was sitting on the floor in an empty hallway.." she smiled, a little embarrassed, "I was kind of listening to my mp3 player, and didn't see him there...but...he wasn't too happy about me falling on top of him, and he nicknamed me train wreck. So...um..yeah..." She clamped her mouth shut after her sudden outburst of chatter, and her eyes flickered away. Because it's very normal to bring up random things like that.

"Well, I can just SparkNote 'em anyway, it'll be fine. I bet you're already graduated though, right? God, you're so lucky to be done already!"

She sent the girl a shrug, "I guess so. It's really weird to not have to go to school everyday, though. It's like, after awhile, the never-ending summer feeling gets really, really...I dunno...not exactly boring, but kinda like that." She shrugged again. "Yeah..."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Yeah, a regular train wreck," Erin commented about the books-thing. "The sad thing is, all that is apart from summer school. I don't even get a summer this year."

"Okay, do you want to hear something really, really strange?" Erin laughed a little at the random topic, though it made her genuinely interested, so she said, "Sure! What's that?"

" In Paris, I met this guy. Well...I sort of tripped over him while he was sitting on the floor in an empty hallway.." She smiled shyly. "I was kind of listening to my mp3 player, and didn't see him there...but...he wasn't too happy about me falling on top of him, and he nicknamed me train wreck. So...um..yeah..."

Another laugh bubbled out again, though she tried to keep it quiet. "Did you see him a lot after that? Or add him on MySpace or something, 'cause that would be so funny to see: 'Hey, there, train wreck What's up?'"

Her new acquaintance suddenly silenced herself, probably the kind of person who thinks they stick their foot in their mouths every time they talk or something. Erin never really got that kind of attitude, but whatever. If she didn't wanna keep on about it, then Erin could change subjects and go back to something boring, too. "Eh... they really think I'm gonna waste my summer with all that... Well, I can just SparkNote 'em anyway, it'll be fine. I bet you're already graduated though, right? God, you're so lucky to be done already!"

A shrug was her response. Her apathy was kind of... boring. How was she supposed to keep holding a conversation with someone who only shrugged? Well, Yukito liked to shrug a lot, and didn't talk very much, but that was different. "I guess so. It's really weird to not have to go to school everyday, though. It's like, after awhile, the never-ending summer feeling gets really, really...I dunno...not exactly boring, but kinda like that." Erin looked at her curiously, an amused smile on her face. She shrugged again. "Yeah..."

With a brief roll of her eyes, Erin commented, "Shoot, I wish I was done already, I hate it. I'm too easily amused to be bored for long," she added with a knowing smirk. "Oh, you know what I think is funny?" Since you mentioned something random, I want to mention something random, too. "Okay, so I never read Twilight, but I hear enough from my friends that read it and stuff to know junk about it. And so, like, the main dude that they all fangirl over in the books, well, he's a vampire but whatever, well, he drives the same car as my boyfriend, and my friends I know that read it kinda get a kick out of it. Since apparently there's this thing about Twilight fans looking fo guys in volvos, and here I am with one and didn't have a clue about it until they told me." There, random enough for you? She smiled, waiting for the response.

"Erin, are you gonna get anything else?" Her parents had finished purchasing all their junk for her and were waiting by the door with two bags full.

She didn't answer them directly, but said to her companion as she browsed, "Some of the bookmarks have cool art... they'd never last in a book, but I could put 'em on my wall or something."

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

"Yeah, a regular train wreck, the sad thing is, all that is apart from summer school. I don't even get a summer this year."

"Okay, do you want to hear something really, really strange?" Lilith stated, with a surprised look, making her companion laugh.

"Sure! What's that?"

"In Paris, I met this guy. Well...I sort of tripped over him while he was sitting on the floor in an empty hallway.." She smiled shyly. "I was kind of listening to my mp3 player, and didn't see him there...but...he wasn't too happy about me falling on top of him, and he nicknamed me train wreck. So...um..yeah..."

The girl laughed again, and Lilith felt a little proud of herself for having a story of some interest to her, "Did you see him a lot after that? Or add him on MySpace or something, 'cause that would be so funny to see: 'Hey, there, train wreck What's up?'"

She clasped her hands behind her back, staring at the floor, "Well, he never really liked me all that much, but sometimes he'd send me a sarcastic remark, like, 'What have you run into lately, Madame Trainwreck?' " She made a face, "I wish he had called me Madamoiselle, though, 'Madame' makes me sound old."

What the heck are you rambling on about? She clamped her mouth shut as if both jaws had suddenly been glued together, or as if a reprimanding voice that only she could hear had snapped out and ordered her silence.

"Eh... they really think I'm gonna waste my summer with all that... Well, I can just SparkNote 'em anyway, it'll be fine. I bet you're already graduated though, right? God, you're so lucky to be done already!"

A shrug from Lilith, "I guess so. It's really weird to not have to go to school everyday, though. It's like, after awhile, the never-ending summer feeling gets really, really...I dunno...not exactly boring, but kinda like that." She felt eyes on her, and saw an amused smile on the girl's face, as if she had discovered something hilarious about Lilith from this comment. "Yeah..."

With a brief roll of her eyes, her newest acquaintance commented, "Shoot, I wish I was done already, I hate it. I'm too easily amused to be bored for long," she added with a knowing smirk. "Oh, you know what I think is funny?"

"No, but shoot." she said with a smile, knowing that she would probably tell her anyways.

"Okay, so I never read Twilight, but I hear enough from my friends that read it and stuff to know junk about it. And so, like, the main dude that they all fangirl over in the books, well, he's a vampire but whatever, well, he drives the same car as my boyfriend, and my friends I know that read it kinda get a kick out of it. Since apparently there's this thing about Twilight fans looking fo guys in volvos, and here I am with one and didn't have a clue about it until they told me."

Lilith giggled at this, imagining a mob of Twilight fangirls slamming against a shiny new Volvo. "I think you should use that to your advantage..." Lilith began.

"Erin, are you gonna get anything else?" Lilith looked up at the couple that the girl had pointed out to her earlier - Erin's parents.

"Some of the bookmarks have cool art... they'd never last in a book, but I could put 'em on my wall or something."

"I never thought of that..." Lilith looked thoughtful, then pointed at the layout of bookmarks, "There's a really neat looking one of a Chinese dragon that I liked. Fortunately there aren't any of those weird looking villagers on it being flambéed. That's just..awkward to stare at from your furnished, air-conditioned room." Lilith clenched her teeth to drive home the awkward point, turning back to slip Twilight off the shelf, sending Erin an impish grin, "Now I'm interested... I'll read the part about the Volvo and think of you and your boyfriend."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Some of the bookmarks have cool art..." Erin commented. "They'd never last in a book, but I could put 'em on my wall or something."

"I never thought of that..." the older girl looked like she was really considering Erin's comment, then voiced, "There's a really neat looking one of a Chinese dragon that I liked. Fortunately there aren't any of those weird looking villagers on it being flambéed. That's just..awkward to stare at from your furnished, air-conditioned room." The mental image made Erin laugh out loud enough that for a moment her eyes were closed, and she only opened them to see the girl pulling that vampire book off the shelf.

Another, shorter, laugh. "You're getting it now, huh?"

She grinned. "Now I'm interested... I'll read the part about the Volvo and think of you and your boyfriend."

Erin couldn't help but give another laugh at that, even though this girl was probably going to leave thinking Erin was a total fruit, but that didn't really matter. Since what she said amused her, anyway. "All right," she voiced, still giggling a little. "You do that." Another glance from the bookmarks to her waiting parents, and Erin gave the slips of art a disregarding wave. "Aw, forget it. Don't feel like starin' at 'em long enough to decide." She looked over at the doorway where they waited. "I'm coming," she said before either could say anything to her. As if she'd forget to move or something.

"Hey, what's your name?" Erin asked suddenly, stopping in her tracks to turn to the older girl. "We should hang out sometime," she said brightly.

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

As she tentatively pulled Twilight off the shelves, Erin sent another pretty laugh her way, "You're getting it now, huh?"

She grinned. "Now I'm interested... I'll read the part about the Volvo and think of you and your boyfriend."

Her companion appeared to find that very delightful news, "All right," she said with a giggle, "You do that." Lilith grinned - she certainly would do just that. Erin shot a look in her parents' general direction, then waved at the bookmarks as if saying 'nevermind, maybe another time'. "Aw, forget it. Don't feel like starin' at 'em long enough to decide." then, to her waiting mother and father, "I'm coming,"

"I guess I'll see you around, then." Lilith added, glancing down at the cover of the book. Pretty cool-looking art, with the pale hands and the really, really red apple. But it made her wonder why, of all things, they picked an apple. Did it have some relevance with the story? She'd have to find out.

"Hey, what's your name?" Erin asked suddenly, causing Lilith to shoot her a slightly surprised look, "We should hang out sometime,"

Lilith's smile nearly went from ear to ear, and she vaguely tried to mask her delight. "Lilith," she stated with a slight flush to her cheeks.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"I'm coming," Erin assured her parents halfheartedly, as the girl holding Twilight voiced, "I guess I'll see you around, then."

She'd already taken a few steps by the time the words were out, and the caught herself and turned around on her heel. "Hey, what's your name? We should hang out sometime."

Maybe she was reading her wrong, which being Erin didn't make a habit of reading people, let alone reading them well, could have happened... But Erin was pretty sure she'd brightened the girl's "dull and long summer" or whatever by asking her that. Okay.. cool. "Lilith," she responded, almost shyly.

Lilith, hi, Lilith! Your name reminds me of flowers and elves and I kind of wanna check to see if your ears are pointy just for kicks! The thoughts made Erin's smile widen, though she tried to suppress it. "Hello, Lilith!" Erin said aloud, curtsying dramatically before she looked back up at the girl with a grin. "Oh, I don't have my phone right now, so I can't text my number to you, but, uh... you can just find me on Facebook or MySpace or something, right? Erin Spenser, S-P-E-N-S-E-R, not a C, or search for Veritas, 'cause that's my band and you can find me there, too, if you want!" Erin looped the scrunchie sitting on her wrist around her forefinger several times before loosening it and repeating.

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

"Hey, what's your name? We should hang out sometime." Erin said, much to Lilith's delight. She struggled to smother her excitement of her first friend in what felt like forever, but it didn't make much difference.

"Lilith," she murmured, suddenly with a shy smile.

Erin, obviously pleased with the reaction, smiled, "Hello, Lilith!" She curtsied with a flair and Lilith giggled, returning the gesture. She's hilarious. Lilith decided she liked her very much. She was one of those friends who kept everything interesting. And even if her flamboyant spirit made Lilith feel much smaller sometimes, it was only because she was unprepared for the sudden and energetic atmosphere. It was a good smaller.

"Oh, I don't have my phone right now, so I can't text my number to you, but, uh... you can just find me on Facebook or MySpace or something, right? Erin Spenser, S-P-E-N-S-E-R, not a C, or search for Veritas, 'cause that's my band and you can find me there, too, if you want!" Lilith nodded. She didn't intend on MySpacing or Facebooking the girl, because Lilith had a tendency to check out all the possiblities once she got started. And she didn't want her eagerness to turn her into a stalker of sorts, no matter how much she wanted friends.

Then her eyes widened as she realized what Erin had said, "Wait...you're in a band?"

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Oh, I don't have my phone right now, so I can't text my number to you, but, uh... you can just find me on Facebook or MySpace or something, right? Erin Spenser, S-P-E-N-S-E-R, not a C, or search for Veritas, 'cause that's my band and you can find me there, too, if you want!"

Lilith just nodded, and for a second Erin wondered if she'd changed her mind about Erin. But she wasn't going to water herself down just to make someone else happy, so then maybe she should just--

"Wait...you're in a band?"

Erin's expression immediately changed to an enthused grin. "Yep! There's some songs on our MySpace and YouTube and you can download 'em and everything if you like it!"

"If you're not getting anything, Erin," her dad started, fading out when her mother picked up, "We need to head out. You want to pick up something new to wear at Cato's?"

Erin rolled her eyes so only Lilith could see and muttered, "No," then gave the older girl a smile. "Two years till I can move out. Two years! ....Well, I'll see you later, 'kay? Bye, Lilith!"

Erin has left the bookstore.[/u]

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

"Wait...you're in a band?" She wasn't sure if she'd heard Erin right, but if it was true, Lilith decided, that was really, really cool.

In answer to her question, Erin's face broke out into one of the brightest grins on the face of the earth. And Lilith guessed that she thought being in a band was unbelievably awesome, too. "Yep! There's some songs on our MySpace and YouTube and you can download 'em and everything if you like it!"

"If you're not getting anything, Erin," a man started, standing nearby. Lilith looked up into his face. It was...a stoic face. A little irritated, perhaps. The face of a father who has to reign in his daughter often.

"We need to head out. You want to pick up something new to wear at Cato's?" Erin's mother suggested, and Lilith turned to look at the woman, instantly feeling a warmth in her chest. There was something about Erin's mother, something about her face, that Lilith instantly fell in love with.

Lilith turned to Erin, and saw a frustrated roll of the eyes used to express Erin's thoughts on being prodded out the door. "No," she said shortly. She turned to Lilith as if seeking relief, and smiled. "Two years till I can move out. Two years!"

She smiled, "Well, in two years we can camp at my place and keep my boredom away somehow..." she suggested.

"....Well, I'll see you later, 'kay? Bye, Lilith!"

"Later, Erin." She chirruped in response as Erin was ushered out the door, flanked on either side by her book-laden parental figures. Lilith found herself still smiling softly to herself as she purchased her decent-sized pile of books and headed out the door, Twilight peering out the top of her bag at her, like a reminder of a good comment to a stranger that had resulted in the first friend Lilith had made in awhile.

'So you don't wanna hear about my good day...' she hummed the song quietly on the road back to her house.

Lilith is done here.

[mystmoonstruck]

OOC: Raven is open to meeting anyone interested. BIC:

Raven Corbett

How much of his life was spent writing his name for strangers? The thought tugged persistently at Raven Corbett's mind as he accepted the next book then the next in a seemingly endless stream of autograph-seekers. Most were satisfied to gather a non-personalized signature, with those volumes undoubtedly headed for online auctions. The notion of this Internet was an irritant, and he gave way to a slight frown whenever he considered it before resuming his usual polite smile, the reserved expression that suggested he was pleased to be here meeting his fans, which he generally was, depending on the intensity of their enthusiasm.

Whenever he traveled, which had become a rarity, Raven had a habit of checking in at local bookstores for possible autograph sessions/book promotions. Though not a public person, he knew this was part of what went with being a popular author, especially of the genres he chose to work in: science fiction, fantasy and, less often, horror. Admittedly, some of his work freely mixed the first two, those novels and anthologies proving to be surprisingly popular today.

Today, as whenever he witnessed it, he had felt complimented when faced with a number of young people in costumes carefully copied from his descriptions in the text and his finely drawn illustrations. Even the covers were his paintings, which he insisted upon. At first, when he had come on the scene in his mid-teens, publishers had balked about the package he presented, insisting that such-and-such an artist must design the cover and that illustrations weren't necessary. Finally, he had found a publisher who shared his vision, and they had been in partnership since. Thinking of costumes: He wondered if he shouldn't surprise the fans of this region by returning in one of his own, something that always delighted his followers. Perhaps another time... For the day, Raven wore casual clothing, jeans and jacket, that made him look especially boyish, much younger than his 27 years.

Pausing to speak to a passing employee, he requested coffee~creamed and sugared to a caramel shade. He would need to remain fortified while dealing with this gathering. Secretly, it pleased him to know of their interest. Even those who would be selling later must be confident that there was a demand.

"Name?" he asked the person before him now, ready to personalize if so desired.