#(ellora.)

ellora: Um...well, not all books have a ribbon, so sadly I don’t think I can go with that one? Even if it’s preferred. When I don’t have a ribbon to use, I do have various bookmarks.

ellora: And I’ve maybe used a leaf or flower petal before as well... 😅

(tw. mentions of alcoholism)

Chandler could not believe he was doing this. He had come to the island looking for permanency; or at least, somewhere that didn’t make his skin crawl after only a few weeks. Although he was on the fence about whether or not to stay, he was flirting with someone in hopes of maybe going on a date with them. The last time he had been on a date was....he mentally shook the thought away, looking at the bookstore sign a few buildings away, then at the book in his hands. He had only read it to get closer to Ellora but he was pleasantly surprised to find he....enjoyed reading? It had never been a big hobby for him, but it was nice to escape for awhile without having to be drunk to do it. Granted, he had been drunk for a decent chunk of the book, but it was by choice and not out of necessity.

He entered the bookstore and went to the front counter. Ellora wasn’t there, but he knew she said that she liked to come and read even on her days off. So he started walking around until he found her tucked away in a nook of the store with a book. He approached her. But he had no idea what his opening line should be. God, maybe he should have practiced? But that seemed like overkill. 

“Hey,” He anticlimactically greeted her. “Uh...I thought about stealing the book, but I was very intimidated by your vague threats the other night, so here I am.”

Trying to catch up with eighty years of human history was a challenge. Xavi was doing pretty well, but it was starting to get overwhelming. So she decided to try something a little more fun. Somehow, this led to her sitting in a corner of the island’s bookshop reading some weird Japanese comic. It made absolutely no sense. The book seemed to start with the end of the story, and the plot was nonsense. There was a talking....thing that didn’t look like anything she had ever seen before. She didn’t understand. Tossing the book gently to the side, she leaned back in her chair, more confused than ever. As she saw an employee walk past her, she yelled out. “Hey, can you tell me what the fresh hell this is?” Picking the book back up, she found the unusual creature and pointed it out. “Please tell me this isn’t a real Japanese animal, cause it looks freaky as shit.” Looking up again, she realized she knew the employee. “Oh. It’s you. From the fair.”