Knowledge Seeker

He chuckled at his friend's enthusiastic ramblings. "Even if I didn't, I could easily create one. This is my shop after all." He thumbed opened one of the books, pouring gently over the pages with interest. Greek was not a language he spoke, though he knew several already and he mused that he may have some free time to learn. "Which kind are these, the 'everyone can read them if they read greek' kind, or the 'only if you know about the supernatural world' kind?" he asked, since he couldn't interpret them himself at that moment. Everyone was welcome in his store, but only those who weren't strictly human, or at all human, could venture to the bookstore upstairs, behind the 'appointments only' door.

So to the library we go. Trystan figured it would be a decent place to actually observe what weird shit he missed in how the city has changed and maybe catch up on local news from the last few decades when he couldn't be bothered to do so. Not important stuff like culture, he had the internet for that. The history of the place for the people who made their lives here. Now where the hell would the local history room be?

Instead of that, he found a man sitting with a tower of books and the express promise to return them where they belonged. First Trystan glanced around. Surely he wasn't talking to him. He absolutely didn't look like a librarian.

Except maybe.

Okay, but a cool librarian, very hip. Fuck, not like anyone says hip these days. Still. This other guy seemed much more likely to be able to give him directions.

"As far as I'm concerned, you can make three piles. Would have thought you worked here." Trystan shrugged. "You wouldn't happen to know where the local history or old papers would be?"

"I did think about it, briefly." He admitted. "But the university and the museum suit me."

Scrambling to his feet Domiel gently scooted both of his piles to the side of the walkway. It wasn't a terribly well-used aisle but he searched his pockets for spare paper anyhow so he could leave a note with the books.

"Hold on. I've changed my mind. Part this ridiculous crowd for us. I cannot stand having to push my way through all these people." If Domiel was offering, Matthew wanted to see what he would do and if he would resort to using magic in front of all these people.

Dom perked up as Matthew provided a challenge. He cleared his throat and spoke in his most commanding voice, "Pardon us please, important business to attend to."

Procrastinating she walked by the non-fiction section. She needed to to ask the Head Librarian to let her into the basement, but she was nervous. She'd actually never been down there. Before now there was no need to.

On the floor sat a man with two huge stacks of books. Stopping she couldn't stop herself from being nosy and looking down. When he spoke up she chuckled waving him off. Thinking he had mistaken her for a librarian she shook her head smiling, "Oh no I don't work here."

Peering at the titles she could see they all looked pretty boring. Just ancient history books that he'd probably be the first to check out in ages. "So is this a hyperfixation thing or are you researching?"

"Porque no los dos?" He asked, the Spanish slipping out before he could help himself. It had come from a silly little advertisement he'd seen ages ago but it had charmed him in a way he couldn't explain.

For all intents and purposes, Jack was more of a jock than he was a bookworm so he rarely visited the library unless he was there for his father. He was a little lost, searching between the stacks for a book in his list when he came across a somewhat familiar deity and a very large stack of books.

James waved at the workers, each taking a moment to acknowledge the cult leader and his guest. Not one person complained about the toil. Not one person wasn't gleeful to get a moment of his attentions. This was paradise. If only he could expand to a larger scale, then James would be truly happy.

Taking a strawberry from the vine, he handed it to Domiel. "Tomatoes, potatoes, berries, herbs: the sort of things that you would find in a home garden only on a larger scale." Perhaps they should open a stall at the boutique farmer's markets too. It would bring in a handsome profit for organic and locally grown produce. He'd need to talk about that with his accountant. No need to Domiel to be privy to new plans. "We have the green house for winter, but we do buy things from whole sellers when we cannot provide for ourselves. We have been blessed with a bounty that makes that possible. And with Brenda who does a wonder at pickling everything."

He had to admit the strawberry did taste fantastic. Much better than the ones he could get at the store. There really was something different about home grown things wasn't there? Domiel wondered if he could convince Vix or Sipho to try their hand at gardening. Maybe Nari...? Healers always needed herbs after all.

When the other man insisted on helping, Matthew wanted to hiss, but he held himself back because they were in public and there were others around them. He did not need the unwanted attention of annoying human eyes.

"Then stop dawdling and bring me to the exhibit," he demanded. "There is no need for you to know how I've been."

"You've been that poorly?" Domiel said with a frown as he began weaving through the crowds. Life as a human couldn't be that awful, could it? Or perhaps it could. There were several aspects of life as a deity that he had gotten quite accustomed to by now. "Is there a way I can assist?"

[text from Domiel]: It feels like I ought to, but maybe plausible deniability?

"Both." He waved to a group of giggling girls who passed them. "It depends on the strength of each member. There is a place for all." Usually beneath James, but that was not something that was worth mentioning at the moment. He still needed to sell the whole utopian image.

He opened the door to a large garden being tended to by a vast number of workers who looked a bit more tired than they should. The hot sun beat down on their behatted heads, but James made certain that each person smiled when they passed. "This is the community garden. We grow all our food locally to provide optimum nutrition for the community. We give the left overs to charity to make certain that none goes to waste." And if those leftovers left something to be desired, he didn't care. It was good press without a ton of work being put in.

Everyone here did seem genuinely happy to live here. Every time he visited people spoke highly of James and their experience. They did revered the man really. Truly fascinating. Domiel considered himself relatively well-liked among the student body, but no one ever looked at him like they all looked at James. He wasn't sure that he wanted them to.

"What sort of things do you grow?" He asked, looking in interest at all garden and its contents. The city had a good enough climate to grow many different sorts of crops but Domiel didn't normally see it in action. "Do you grow things year-round? It must prove difficult in the winter."

He arrived at Domiel’s home, immediately greeted by the gigantic piles of books that lined the deity’s hallway. “Have you been researching something?” Nari enquired as he looked up and down the towers of book spines, attempting to get a glimpse at the titles. Nari hung his jacket on the coat hook because despite the offer because he couldn’t bear to be untidy.

“How are you?” Nari asked, feeling comfortable in the familiar home as he followed Domiel further inside. “Food smells good.” The elf was smiling.

He waved his hand and the books moved themselves about, making more room for Nari to move around in the space. As long as the order stayed the same Domiel would know where to pick back up later. It had been a moment since he slept but he didn't technically need to, and there was always so much learning ahead of him.

"I've been keeping myself properly busy lately, so I'm content. Time always drags when I don't have anything to do." He gestured Nari into the significantly more put together kitchen, one of the few places without maps or books or notebooks strewn everywhere. "Hopefully it will taste as good as it smells."

"I'm looking for this," he said and lifted his phone to show Domiel the image from the museum's social media page. "Just point me in it's general direction. I don't need a guide."

"Oh yes, the new exhibit! It just got moved, we haven't had time to update the map yet." Not entirely true, they'd had time. The update was ready to go live, but Domiel had begged them to wait another day. It was a good thing his coworkers liked him. "I'm sure you don't need a guide, but I'll help you anyways. How have you been, Matt?"

[text for Domiel]: I think I've seen at least one set of students walking around in sweaters and scarves, which means we may as well start planning one!

"And have you learned anything of interest?" Perhaps he might be able to get the man to join his organization. It was always the loners looking for something grander than themselves who tended to flock to James's teachings for guidance and community. It was so easy to shape their minds. "I'm always looking for ways to improve the message. The messenger is but a humble human with far too many limitation." For now at least. One of these days, he would strike the right deal to make himself into a godlike creation. Once he transcended the human, there would be no stopping them.

"Would you like to see?" The good works that he spoke of were closer to the community than to the city at large. Of course there were those who went out into the world to inspire others towards their cause, but most of the good works tended to remain on the compound. "I can show you some of what is being done."

He didn't think James would make a good deity, though it seemed clear the man disagreed. Though it would probably make a better chapter in his book. Maybe he could pivot to fiction. Fiction was in these days.

"Is most of the work being done here on site, or do you encourage your... flock to extend their helping hands throughout the city? I am sure there are neighborhoods that would welcome the assistance." He tilted his head to the side. "Then your influence would be felt throughout Vievecor."