Open Chronicles Betwixt the Stacks

[Hector]

A glance left, a glance right. A long ear bobbed, a shortened ear twitched.

No one in sight. No one he could hear. He blinked, felt his cheeks full with blood. Felt his head hot and abuzz. Stomach tight and giddy with the tension of a nervous laugh. Suppressed it to a pleased little smile.

It wasn't like it was his first time in this section of the Archives.

Or that he was even ashamed of it really. Why would he be?

Still. A little discretion never hurt. So, Hector slipped in to the more privately located section, so called, Of the Pleasurable Arts and Sexual Health.

 

[Amelia Hawthorne]

Amelia had been deep in the secluded section of the monastery library, her delicate fingers meticulously flipping through a text that detailed the ancient erotic practices of tribes in the distant land of Amol-Kalit. It was a subject that had piqued her curiosity, not out of mere titillation, but from a scholarly perspective. These rituals were as much a part of human history as the runes and incantations she so often studied.

The dimly lit space concealed from prying eyes was a sanctuary for those who sought to explore the realms of desire, love, and sensuality as documented by cultures long gone. Her translation notes were carefully annotated in the margins, an academic endeavor that she kept discreet, meant only for her personal understanding.

As her mind danced through the interpretations of these ancient practices, Amelia's keen senses caught a subtle shift in the room's aura. Her head turned ever so slightly, her perceptive gaze landing on Hector, a fellow squire, who had ventured into the same secretive section. A bemused smile touched her lips as she recognized the familiar blend of curiosity and discretion on his face.

In a place like the Astenvale Monastery, where the pursuit of knowledge was revered above many things, Amelia harbored no judgment for Hector's choice of reading material. Instead, she found a certain kinship in their shared quest for understanding, no matter how unconventional the subject matter. Although she imagined he was in search of more physical manifestations of such learning.

With a soft rustle of parchment, she continued her own studies, occasionally glancing toward Hector, who seemed equally engrossed in his chosen text. And as the flickering candlelight cast warm, intimate shadows in the secluded corner, Amelia couldn't help but finally call out to her fellow squire in a rare bout of mischievous teasing on her end.

"Discovering new perspectives, Hector?" Her tone hushed and amused.

Hector

 

[Kaida]

Kaida had merely been in the library to submit her writings for approval. She had explored far recently, and had found new things to add to the notes of others. Primarily Trastus, a place she was eager to return to soon, more so to see Orion, but that was another story.

She eyed Hector as he tried to casually stroll in, but there was a look on his face that drew curiosity. What was he up to? With a shrug she followed the one eared elf boy, her boots for once not tripping her up.

It was an area of the library she never visited, and curiosity plucked her even more. She followed Hector at a distance, and once he had settled, she peered between the books of the shelf behind him, wanting to know exactly what he was trying to learn. She flinched slightly as Amelia called out to him in hushed tones, but she was still confused as what she was teasing Hector about.

Amelia Hawthorne Hector

 

[Noa]

There were no instruments allowed in the Archives. At least, Noa wasn’t allowed to bring any in after one too many times she had disrupted some of the more studious Knights from their reading. At least she was allowed to bring in her pipe but she wasn’t allowed to smoke. Gods, it was like she wasn’t allowed to anything she actually wanted to do in here. She had never cared much for the Archives, even if every now and then Syr Cymbeline had taken the time to painstakingly translate a book (often about music) to the Knights uniformed braille for her.

Noa wasn’t sure how to tell the lovely (was she lovely? Her voice sounded like she had a fair face with long eyelashes and soft hair and smooth skin) Cymbeline that reading wouldn’t appeal to her. Besides, why would she want more music sheets? The best music came from the heart, not from practice.

So why was she here? Out of everyone in the Monastery, shouldn’t she be elsewhere? Even Syr Faramund would have more fun here than she would.

Ne chuffed and Noa sighed in return, letting the albino tiger guide her through the labyrinthine shelves. She passed by Hector (only knowing it was the squire from Ne’s thoughts) and paused. She turned her head towards him but was missing where exactly his face was at by a whole foot or more.

“I love that book. One of my favorites.” She had no idea what he even held in his hand, could only hear the slight rustle of flipping a page. Knowing Hector? It was probably his own diary. He seemed like the sort to write his own feelings in a book. Or maybe he was reading a diary of some poet. He seemed like the sort to like poetry. “Good stuff. Very good stuff.” Ne growled lowly, flicking his tail so that it hit almost like a whip against Noa’s hip. He wanted to move on. “It’s gonna change your life, believe me.” And off she went to find a picture book for Ne, her sole reason for ever setting foot in the Archives.

Hector

 

[Hector]

Amelia.

Shit.

He had almost turned around and left. Almost. But then, why would he do that? He cleared his throat and carried on, oblivious to the second tail he had grown.

Hector grabbed up a few illustrated tomes, and one of the numerous copies stocked of, Of the Generosities and Practices of Love and Lust: How not to be a Blackguard in Bed as penned by Syr Guernot, which, well, he had found more than a little helpful truth be told, and set to find a seat.

His own journal laid out on the small end desk, with magicked lamp, warm in its sun-mimicking glow.

He was glad for the coin he had earned, running quests, and selling some of his smithing wears when he could, for it afforded him the luxury of paper. The comfort of folios. Specialized to the practices he sought to sharpen.

Imagine, as he often did so full of anxiety, opening his notes to show a customer the first drafts of a new engraving for their brestplate, and seeing two forms entangled in carnal dance. Now that he thought of it, there would probably be a patron for that. He smirked. Something to ask Master Penwillow about.

The tome came open, and his ink and quill were set safely away. Fine nib set to scratch and trace and glide in fluid lines, his smile grew all the brigther as he thought of how he and -

His ears twitched at the first sound of breath that escaped lips.

Discovering new perspectives, Hector?

He smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know, Amelia,"

Next came the soft thuds of Ne, and the gentle step of Syr Noa. His breath sort of fell from his mouth, as, that was just the sort of woman Syr Noa was. All grace and easy steps. Ne's proud presence, only adding to the mystic. Like a pair of smoken ghosts, come from the ether of the world's breath.

She said her words in that sultry singer's voice, and he couldn't help but blush and smile as he looked away. Did she mean to point to the same manuscript he studied from?

What did it matter. The mystery was half the fun.

"Master Penwillow's work, is quite good, its true," he added. Maybe he could speak to the old Frohoggin, and see if an engraved text may work.

How else could Syr Noa enjoy his works?

He let out a hot breath. Smiling. Maybe he had been making to big a deal out of this before.

He settled in, and went back to his practices. Pen dipped, and scratching all anew.

---

Amelia Hawthorne Noa Kaida

 

[Amelia Hawthorne]

The sudden addition of Noa strolling down the stacks with her tiger was a welcome boon. It gave Amelia enough time to recover from her suddenly flaming cheeks that blossomed from Hector's banter.

Had they been bantering? So often the squire was unsure when it came to the subtle innuendos of others. Not that she wasn't clever enough to catch them, but she preferred direct and brazen speech. Brevity over wasted breaths on small talk. At least, wasted on her, she thought.

While Amelia recognized that Hector was a handsome squire. She appreciated him more for his genuineness and passion. In fact, she doubted if she'd ever heard a negative word against another fall from his lips. But even still, the interest was in mere passing, let alone a romantic one. Able to be recognized, but never with any actual intent or motivation to act otherwise. It was a pattern she was starting to notice occurred with anyone she thought might inspire her beyond a platonic relationship.

Was she broken?

No. Just different, she supposed. But different how. And more importantly, why?

Amelia's favorite question, as one could imagine. The world made the most sense to her when she was able to break it down. Label it. Organize it into one of the vast and neat spaces within her mind.

She mulled over this curiosity, biting her bottom lip absently until she realized, that what better way to find answers about herself and her sexuality than this very section of the Astenvale library?

Excited at the prospect of discovery, the squire propelled herself out of her seat. Flitting between the sections like a sugared-up hummingbird.

If one listened closely, they could hear the redhead muttering the titles quickly under her breath while scanning the shelves,

"Mythical Mating Rituals: From Unicorns to Krakens........? No, no. Passion on Canvas: The Erotic Artistry of the Masters? No, definitely not.....The Eloquent Pillow Talk: A Guide to Communicative Intimacy, not quite......Hmmm, Chimerical Courtship: Creatures of Fantasy in the Bedroom—" The sound of a book opening, followed after several seconds by a mortified yelp before the fumbling of pages and the signature sound of a book being hastily returned to its shelf. "—definitely not that one."

Kaida Hector Noa

 

[Kaida]

The curious girl still peered between the shelves, she was still young and immature, not knowing exactly what it was that Hector was studying. Well, that and human mating rituals were foreign to her in the first place.

Noa and Ne stalked the shelves, but the dragon girl went unnoticed as Amelia and Hector teased each other, something she also didn't understand. The smell of ink and paper made her nose twitch and she perked up. Those were her favorite tools.

She caught sight of some of Hector's pages and she couldn't stay in hiding any longer. She walked up behind Hector, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Why are they naked? What are they doing?" She leaned over him to look at the book, questions rattling in her brain.

Hector Amelia Hawthorne

 

[Hector]

"What, woah, um," Hector's pen had slipped. He blinked, and put the quill upon its holder. Scooped up his papers, nervously, shut the books he was working on. "Kaida," he laughed nervously, and cleared his throat.

Mysterious as the squire was, she had always struck him as very young. Too young to feel comfortable sharing his work. Or discussing his current... study.

His cheeks were flush with blood. He cleared his throat. "Have you never been to this part of the Stacks?" he asked through nervous smile.

Kaida Amelia Hawthorne

 

[Amelia Hawthorne]

Absently gnawing on her thumbnail, Amelia flipped through the pages of the book she had found. Skimming through paragraphs of interviews that the author had garnered on the perspectives of sexuality throughout the realm. One such section had struck her profoundly. It was a medicine woman from some small village she had never heard of in the far east that spoke of the very lack of sexuality, even though she still sought out relationships for the purpose of love, but without the intimacy. It was a concept she realized that she had never come across before, and somehow it resonated. Reading further she stopped at the last paragraph of this particular chapter and it felt like a gong went off in her head, for the sheer clarity that it rung. 'Asexual people experience little or no sexual attraction. While most asexual people desire emotionally intimate relationships, they are not drawn to sex as a way to express that intimacy.'

She gasped quietly to herself, an uncharacteristically emotional wave rolling through her and settling somewhere secret and quiet in her chest. Her cheeks warming at the sensation of suddenly realizing, she didn't feel so alone.

The abrupt rustling of papers broke her trance and she looked up from her discovery to bear witness to Kaida cornering poor Hector. Even in the dim candlelight, she could see the darkening of his cheeks. She felt reluctant to offer sanctuary to her fellow squire, instead, she thought that perhaps his discomfort would be a fine story to giggle about with Innis over fight practice sometime. Yes, a fine story indeed.


Noa Hector Kaida

 

[Kaida]

Kaida looked at Hector in confusion as he seemed embarrassed. Why would he feel that way? She blinked slowly, trying to work his reaction out in her mind. She could smell the wet ink, probably smeared on the paper now with his hasty movements. She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes as she thought.

"No, I usually just turn in my pages to add to the library. I prefer to go find new things than study in here. I found an ancient city recently, so I've been submitting things about that. You looked like you were hiding something, so I followed you!"

Curious eyes studied the shelving around them, pausing to actually read the titles. "What's all this about? I'm confused." She could sense Amelia watching them, and she turned her gaze to the girl. She could feel her untested youth brought to the surface, and she found herself flushing over her inexperience, though she didn't exactly know what she should be embarrassed about. Dragons should never feel embarrassed.

Amelia Hawthorne Hector

 

[Nacht]

And thus, the story begins again:

Nacht wandered the library, breathing in the musky scent of old, old books. He had only been in the monastery's library otherwise known as the Stacks every so often, but the tales to be found never let him down. The boy had been through the fantasy section, the political intrigue section, and the romance section, which was a tad less adventurey than he had hoped. Oh, yes, there was another section, the Adventure one. Finally, he had just finished a few picks from the current events shelves. It never hurt to stay informed, he was sure of that much.

Today, he was searching for yet another section to pass the time by. Having found nothing so far and being ironically scared of the horror section despite his affinity for darkness, he walked along and suddenly saw a somewhat hidden row he had not noticed the numerous times before. It said: "Of the Pleasurable Arts and Sexual Health." Huh, odd how there was a section on art and physical health this far back. Walking through the similarly filled shelves of books, he would pick one at random. Strangely, instead of anything health or art related, he had picked up what seemed to be a fantasy book. This one’s title read: Fucked between a Rock and A Hard Place.

Well, the cover was not only a pun, but didn’t look too terrible. It was simply a woman chained to a rock screaming in…agony, he supposed, as a man loomed behind her. The obvious damsel in distress thing was much outdated, but might be played off better here. The man was obviously the villain the hero would have to stop. Ah, but the lighting was simply terrible here. He could see, but why take the extra effort? Instead, he walked around to try to get to a table, and ended up bumping right into someone, book falling betwixt them.

“Oh, hello! Sorry, could you get that? It’s a new book I just picked out. Should be fine as long as they don’t go too cliche with the Hero vs. Villain thing.” He said, a frown scrunching his brow. “I hate it when books are…tropey, Y’know?” He’d state. To anyone helping him, it would only take a glance to understand two things: one, he had just randomly taken an extremely adult book, and two, he had no idea what the novel actually contained.