video | what this library needs is a book club

[weifinder]

( This is a video message brought to you by Wei Wuxian, who just learned about video in the last week or so, and definitely knows nothing about making a video well. So congratulations, he's holding his recording tablet in one hand, in selfie mode, and grinning at the camera. He tips his head toward it, since bowing... won't work with him holding his tablet, and begins. )

This whole moving images film-creating concept is fantastic! Wei Ying, courtesy name Wei Wuxian, greeting all the others swept into this library and out of their proper homes with a simple suggestion for the sake of entertainment: a reading group. I even have a starting novel for the adult audience!

( He looks offscreen to pick up a novel and showcase its simple bound red front with lovely golden writing visible: Resentment of Chunshan. This is porn. It is very raunchy, very fantasy-not-reality gay porn written by a woman from ancient fantasy China. It is also, hopefully, an amusing read? )

This one promises to be absolutely scandalous! Then for the people who are more inclined toward having a sense of any other taste, well, I have recommendations. I've leafed through many, many books this last week and then some, if it's been a week, or any, or who knows? Time here is rather... stagnant. Either way, speak up here, or find me in person, I'm hanging around the third level with all the lounging space.

( ... then the tablet shakes as he tucks the book under an arm and taps at the screen to end the video. )

[ ooc note: novel found with permission from Shen Qingqiu's player! ]

Comments

[weifinder]

( Wei Wuxian manages to keep a mostly straight face: because he started this video out on the third floor, so he is, in fact, still there. It's where the lounge is, okay!

He does have to look away from the screen, watching in peripheral as the kid zooms up the stairs, everything a blur of bouncing movement that makes him more than vaguely nauseated to see. )

I'll be waiting! As you do.

( He also tucks the softcore porn away in the meantime, because Shen Jiu is not quite the age of Here, Sure, Look At The Pictures. Better not to give himself that headache, and instead focus on trying to recall where the adventure stories had been that he saw.

He's tapping his fingers against his chin when Shen Jiu finds him, an arm crossed over his chest. He brightens and smile, hand dropping away from his chin to wave. )

Ready to pick out a story? There were a few good ones I glanced at earlier dealing with cultivation adventures, but also ones with bandits, or river pirates, or a band of women crossing a dessert while being tracked by a death worm.

[xiaoxiaojiu]

[Shen Jiu skids to a halt in his cool modern shoes upon arrival, panting very slightly from the exertion of having run straight here from the other side of the building. While he doesn't return the wave, he at least looks to be in a reasonably good mood?]

That last one sounds weird, let's read that one. What're they crossing the desert for, does it say?

[weifinder]

Not that I remember, but I didn't read much more than a few random pages.

( This is exactly how you know if the book's worth reading. You randomly flip through and see if anything grabs your attention, apparently.

Up he goes, and then he gestures for Shen Jiu to follow him: )

A-Jiu, let's head toward that section, we can see if the novel says anything about why. Journeys for a purpose is a common enough theme, but this whole death worm did sound inspired!

( LITTLE DOES HE KNOW... there's nothing not to know the books aren't dangerous. He has a spry enough step as he heads toward the section, appropriately on this level, that's in a side wing away from the main lounge area. )

Let's see, most those were over here...

[xiaoxiaojiu]

So you're just guessing what it's about?

[Maybe it's not even about death worms at all!! Not that he knows how books work, he's just being contrary. Still, Shen Jiu follows behind, perfectly well-behaved for the moment; he can't tell the books apart without help, after all, so until he figures out the whole reading thing...well, he's quiet for now, at least.]

[weifinder]

No, it says they're journeying, and this other page said the death worms were chasing them.

( He's pantomiming flipping open a book to different pages. )

A number of books here helpfully have little summaries on the sides or the back? It's all new to me, never seen anything like it before.

( Because for some reason I'm saying this library keeps ALL DUST COVERS AND BOOK JACKETS )

[xiaoxiaojiu]

Summaries?

[It's hard to miss the fact that these books aren't in scroll format, but--]

So somebody wrote on the back of every book in this place? I wonder if they got paid any for that.

[Staring at the shelves...he doesn't pull any books out though, it's not like there'd be any point.]

[weifinder]

I hope they did, or else they were obsessed with a concept and couldn't leave well enough alone... but ah, it looks like the same script that the books are written in. However they're duplicating books, some kind of press...

( He's already sidetracked, then shaking his head. Hah! Book after book, he finds the one that has the summary he'd been looking for, tugging it off shelf. )

Ah! Here we are. Want to head to one of the comfortable seats for me to start reading?

[xiaoxiaojiu]

[Being too young and poor to have any idea what a printing press is, Shen Jiu decides to graciously skip over this question in favor of comfy seats.]

Sure, okay. We can sit anywhere, right? No rules or anything?

[Already looking back out towards the end of the shelves. Maybe he can find something with cushions on it, just imagine that extravagance!]