[PRP] The Door Behind the Bookshelf [Alg/Cass]

[demon_pachabel]

The cover on her favorite little paperback had finally given up the ghost and fallen off. While it wouldn't keep her from reading it, Cass couldn't help but think maybe she'd read it a few too many times. Maybe it was time to pick up something new. She'd consulted with phone google the best she could (maybe she needed to think about a better phone in the next few months...) to find what was the most conveniently located book store with decent reviews near her.

Sure it meant taking her beat up little car, but it wasn't a bad trip. A new book instead of a secondhand one. It would be a miracle. She'd probably actually find something she wanted to read on purpose and not because it happened to be seventy-five cents at the Salvation Army. Goodwill. Wherever.

Stepping inside, Cassandra took a moment to do an overall glance of the store to get an idea of where everything was. 'Best Sellers' caught her attention. "Well, we'll see if everybody has good taste," she said to herself as she started to browse through the selection. Teen fantasy, teen fantasy, teen science fiction (how many 'She was so mysterious but normal and mysterious boy likes her plain face' books were there? lord almighty)...she brushed a finger along spines, pausing on one.

'Book One in the Red Herring Mysteries'. She suppressed a laugh. "Now a hit BBC series," she read on the cover which featured a live action photograph rather than what was likely the original image. She turned to the man not far down the aisle himself. "Have you read this? Is it any good?"

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[iloveyouDIE]

Alg wasn't sure if she was talking to him as an employee or a pedestrian. Nothing about him marked him as a worker, no name tag or uniform, but he didn't carry a bag or coat and he was very comfortable in the aisles.

The professor turned, adjusting his glasses and snorting a bit when he saw the book, "Yes. I've read it."

Everything from his english accent to his tiepin and cufflinks to the elbo wpatches on his tweed jacket marked him as a Particular kind of man. His hands settled into the pockets on his coat and he approached her.

"It's a series and that's the first," He didn't have any of the original cover in the shop anymore, the single copy in the book-swap section had disappeared, "The newest just came out in January."

He seemed to suck the inside of cheek in minor, unexplained amusement, "Have you seen the show?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"How many are there currently?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious. She opened up the front cover to browse the summary that came on the inside dust jacket. But only the front one. Not the rear one where she would have seen the picture and the biography of the author. That would have been silly.

She shook her head at Alg's question. "Nope. Haven't had cable in probably eight years and I barely get time for Netflix." Probably because she'd put on an episode of X Files, pick up 'In the Mountains of Madness' and then lose 4 episodes to the novelette and have to go back. She'd seen those episodes so many times and still didn't know what happened in them.

Oops.

"Seems to be in a similar vein from the summary. Did you like it?" he hadn't actually answered her 'is it any good' question.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"Ah-" Alg opened his mouth, with ah automatic ingrained answer on the number of books, but it was incorrect. This world didn't have as many novels as the last one did. This one didn't even have the same novels, "Six. The series is done in trilogies. That's the first of the first trilogy.. the last of the second trilogy was just released."

The original Swallowtail Saga simply didn't exist anymore. It cooled hurtful in his gut a moment, not that he would show it. It was difficult to see your first successful published work simply disappear from existence.

Alg laughed a bit when asked if he liked it, "I'm afraid you'll find I have a hard time being objective about that particular series. I'm rather bias but I would encourage you to buy it.."

He did flick his fingers, "You may find some reviews in the back inside jacket."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I dunno, the reviews usually put onto these books are..." she didn't finish her thought as she cracked open the rear inside of the jacket. Part of her brain told her that wasn't usually where they went. That seemed like the wrong place to look. Instead she found the author bio. Surprise wasn't exactly her first response. Cassandra looked at the picture, squinted, then looked up. Then she looked down. Then she looked back up. She held the book up so that Alg and the photograph were side by side.

The recognition, at least, was rather quick. But she didn't exactly seem flummoxed about it. Part of her was ready to ask a purposely sarcastic question, but that feeling was swallowed up.

"Well then." it was a very calm response as she glanced over the biography. She finally closed the book, holding it with both hands and tapping her fingers against the rear cover. "I guess I just happened to ask you about the only book in this section you have a personal expertise on."

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Alg scratched his head with a caught sort of smile and then dropped his hands heavily to his blazer pockets, "Well I'd like to think I'm a bit qualified to answer questions about other things.."

The older man pointed to the book again, "But if I can encourage you to buy it, as both the author and store owner, I say Please Do."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Cass tucked the book under her arm with a smile. "I'm sure I could be convinced to pick up a few. My small collection at home is in need of a break. Lost the cover off one this morning." Poor poor book.

"Do you have any recommendations for fans of Eldritch Horror perhaps?"

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"We have a whole section," Alg motioned down an aisle. The bookstore was situated in a renovated old home. It gave it a bit more of snug feeling than the standard huge chain stores.

He walked them past the Book Swap shelves (bring one, take one) to a side section where someone had actually put a plush Cthulu on top of the shelves, "Someone kept taking all theses books out of the Science-Fiction/Fantasy Section and putting them together.."

Someone. Cid.

"I've deciphered a vague ranking system as they seem to change in order from time to time, so top left is what's-" he made a flat face, "hot at the moment."

He and Cid, despite appearances, were some sort of friends in this version of the world.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

As they passed sections, Cass made mental notes of what there was. There was quite a variety. Too bad most of it didn't actually interest her. "Of course someone did. Sounds like something my Boss would do..." because Cid had a meticulous way of organizing and if she wasn't careful, she'd just pick it up right from him.

The display was at least straight forward and as Algernon explained the logic behind the organization.

"Well, I'm sure anything is newer than what I have," Cass drew a finger through the air as she browsed over the covers. Eventually she picked one, read the back nodded, and tucked it into her little stack. "Either way I at least know one person who will quiz me on this," she laughed a bit. "But it does mean I know the store to hit up when I have a specific need."

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Alg snorted, "Yes. I'm honestly surprised he and Wendy didn't name the baby Shoggoth or something.."

The professor took a step back and motioned a bit like an air traffic controller with two fingers, "Science Fiction and Fantasy is right over there." Which was next to what looked like a shelf that said 'CONSPIRACY THEORIES' that someone had stuck up on a white label attached to the wood. Considering no other sections were labelled like that, it must have been another customer addition. There was, on a shelf facing it, the books on magic theory and study on the existence of it.

"Let me know if you need anything else. I'll be around and I can actually give a bit of input on most selections." He was stepping back to leave her on her own when a white cat slinked around his legs and almost made him trip, which had the older man cursing and scooping the cat up.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Sounds like a naming scheme Cid would have...." Okay, she didn't know Cid was married OK. This would all be hilariously ironic to her in a few minutes. She watched as Algernon gave her a basic rundown of where everything was, nodding along. The 'CONSPIRACY THEORIES' sticker made her stifle a small laugh. Looked like Marcus had been there. The shelf on magic theory earned a slight rise of her brows.

"Any accuracy in those books?" she inquired, "or recommendations for uh..." Cass knew Ashdown was more accepting than some places were about it, but Marcus didn't exactly give thorough answers to her questions on certain topics. In fact, Marcus was a bit lacking in the information he needed for his own questions.

"Is there a cliffnotes 'Weird Dreamworlds for Dummies'?"

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"I wouldn't know.." Alg scratched at his hair. One didn't simply acknowledge magic to strangers. Even before the world changed that was a standard rule and it was even more important now. Which meant, of course, that he was lying.

"I have books on dreaming.." Was she dreaming of the other side? "This way.." He motioned through another gap in shelves only to find that when they passed through the arch of the rooms both Algernon and Cass found themselves in the ruin of Bibliophile that existed on the other side.

The shelves were half falling over, books were everywhere, and there was the sound of dripping water from nearly everywhere. The books, when opened, either crumbled to dust, were illegible, or blank.

The cat, draped around Alg's shoulders, seemed to have joined them.

"Well, s**t." Was all he said.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Maybe dreaming is what I want..." Cass relented easily. It was always in dreams, after all, and while Marcus insisted a reality to it, that hadn't really sunk in yet. Following after Alg, she'd barely allowed herself to be distracted by a shelf as they passed under the arch to the next room. Looking back, towards him, she startled a bit at how...different this room was.

She'd turned back to look behind herself and it seemed to have changed that way as well. Pinching her cheek, she checked to make sure she wasn't just sleeping in the middle of a bookstore. Nope. Awake. A frown plastered itself onto her face as she picked up one of the books, turning a single page before it crumbled in her hands.

Would she have to pay for that?

"Just to check, we're both really sure we're awake right now, yes?" she asked, looking over to Algernon (and the pretty kitty, hello pretty kitty!). Her frown was less of displeasure and more of discomfort by this point as she continued to hold the books she'd put into her 'plz to let me give munz' for pile closely. Just in case this 'weird books everywhere' condition would somehow infect them. "Because I am pretty certain I'm still awake....."

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"We're awake.." Sighed the older man, "And I can't take you back with me in my usual way.."

His hand was patting his chest to check himself before he was reaching into his jacket and pulling out a medium sized book that he flipped through.

"Which means we're going to have to find an exit." Alg glanced at the young woman over his glasses. His eyes were remarkably green.

"But Violetta may be able to help us." Alg tilted his head to the cat who headbutted him in the cheek with a loud purr.

"Which means you've been dreaming of this place then.." And he'd been lying about knowing nothing about magic.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I..guess?" Cass began to twist a lock of hair between her fingers. "I mean, usually I'm outside somewhere so inside and awake is very new..." she watched Algernon with great interest as he pulled out his book and seemed to have more bearings about this place than she had. "If I dream of it, does that mean the people I've met there...exist?" Did that mean somewhere in the waking world she'd find a white haired man with really cool eyes?

Promise of an exit meant that at least being in this place wasn't permanent. Yet. Oh boy, she'd stop that line of thought maybe sooner rather than later.

"I mean, if you can get back whatever your usual way is by yourself, I'm not going to be offended and accuse you of ditching me." After all, what better way to be trapped in a weird pocket-reality than by yourself? That actually sounded awful.

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