2019-11-04 - He Stole My Knight!

Eli isn't in the habit of robbing graves of whatever items may have been left upon them - but leaving a book out in the rainy fall season in Gray Harbor seemed like a strange choice. Had someone been out here reading and left it behind? He wasn't the only one that came to the cemetery for peace and quiet, but it was strange that anyone would be actually amongst the stones while they were reading. Also, summer was past and it was hardly the nicest weather to be sitting around in the damp cemetery grass doing some reading.

His shoes squish in the damp grass while he walks over toward the bright pink book that's laying beside the gravestone and carefully kneels down beside it, squinting down at the strange script and then slowly watching it form into words he understands. Languages had a way of making sense to him whether he'd studied them or not, but this was different than that. He reaches out to trace his fingers over the letters and then carefully pick up the book to crack it open and take a better look. Maybe it has a name inside?

There is no name! In fact, instead of all the usual prefaces and copyright pages that are found on books, it jumps right to the story. Actually. It does one step more than that. The pages start flipping as if some odd breeze was rolling through, coming to a stop after a few pages.. He notes that the writing is the same as the outside. Squiggly, illegible lines that start shifting and transforming into legible, English writing. His eye catches a few of the words right in the middle of a page.

"I just don't get it! It doesn't make any sense!" Princess Winona made a frustrated noise. She was seated at her vanity while her handmaiden carefully brushed her hair. "I had him! I had him right in my sights and then..." She made another frustrated chirp.

Eli could feel something shifting as his eyes scanned the sentence. Things were warping and twisting and the story was coming to life right before his eyes. He could see a...bird lady? Two of them. Presumably Princess Winona and her handmaiden. Winona was reminiscent of a Blue Macaw and her handmaiden was reminiscent of a Sparrow. He knew, innately that he was reading words on a page, even though he was seeing this going on right in front of him.

Eli had lived here for long enough that strange things happening weren't something that shook him to his core. But, they were still always a surprise - his eyes widening as the words twist on the page and then somehow form into images before him. Is he only watching or can the strange bird woman actually see him there?

He continues to watch the scene quietly and looks down at the words to see what's happening next.

It gets weirder - but nothing that's happening seems to be threatening to him quite yet, so he stays silent in his role. Eli-bird is about to open his mouth to speak when the woman turns and clearly addresses him. Of course he has no idea who Sir Rowan is or where the sitting area is or how to fetch the man at all. He's going to explain all that, but before he manages to get the words together he's already moving through the building and presumably going to take care of the task he was assigned.

Is he just seeing through the eyes of another? Despite it all he still feels grounded in the reading of the book somewhere. He looks around the space while he 'walks' and continues to let it play out without fighting the weird.

This time when Eli searches for his voice he actually find it, clearing his throat while he watches the man practice with the training dummy. "Sir Rowan?"

It likely has too much question in the tone when Xander would clearly know who the man was already. He frowns and tries again with a bit more certainty - though addressing strangers, even in the land of weird bird creatures, has never been a strong point for Eli.

"Sir Rowan. Lady Winona wishes to see you in the sitting room to impart some important news, if you could come right away." That sounded more book like. He nods, pleased with himself.

Rowan doesn't seem to hear Eli initially, continuing to fight. However he stops when Eli speaks up the second time. Lowering his sword, breathing hard, he turns and looks over and Eli can tell the man is startled. Not because he was surprised for the company but more so at Eli/Xander himself. "You're not-" He started to say and then exhales slowly. Controlled. "...Of course she does." He lays the sword right there on the ground and starts walking over to Eli. Dark brown eyes staring rather intently at the other man. As if searching for something? "Do you know what the news is?"

"I"m not?" Eli echoes the words, head tilting to the side while he watches Rowan carefully and finally gives a small shrug of his shoulders.

This should all be very weird, but just as when you're reading a book and get lost in the pages it all feels quite normal in the moment.

"She didn't share the news with me, no. I'm just the messenger. Told to bring you straight away - so you'll find out soon enough."

Rowan seems to debate something heavily before exhaling again. "You're not Xander." He murmured finally, "You're reading...you should stop reading." Though motioned for Eli to start leading the way back towards Winona's chambers. In a louder, more normal sound tone and voice, "She's always got to have the mystery that one. I'm sure it's so very important." Sarcasm. But, amused perhaps. Another man walks out from a little distance off - perhaps some kind of barracks or training area. He's got a very Fabio feel about him. The man waves to Rowan, who gives a wave back before heading inside with Eli. If they do indeed head inside.

"You can tell?" Eli asks, eyes searching Rowan's face again when the man points out what he's not. "I don't know entirely what I am right now. I guess I'm reading - but I'm here at the same time? This isn't usually how it goes when I read." He works through the thought slowly while they navigate inside the building, his feet seeming to know once again where to go as they head toward the sitting room.

"It wouldn't be much of a story without some mystery." Eli points out, looking over toward his companion while they walk. "Why should I stop reading?"

"I can. I think because....I'm like you." Rowan keeps his voice low as he talks. As if he doesn't want someone to overhear. "I was reading...but I read for too long..." And even as Rowan is explaining this Eli can feel a little tingle almost. Some kind of feeling stirring in the back of his mind. Like the story is a little less like reading and a little more coming to life. But he's able to hang on for now - reaffirming that it's just a book. "If you read for too long..." He motions to himself with a shrug. "You become like me. Part of the story." But he quiets as they draw nearer to Winona's chambers. As if preparing for the story to 'resume'

"I'm not entirely sure I know how to stop." Eli says quietly. He hasn't tried. Maybe he could pull away and break free at any moment - but despite the man's words he doesn't want out yet.

He sees the door approach too and watches Rowan fall quiet. Eli gives a quiet tap on the door and then opens it to lead the way into the sitting room. He stays by the door and just holds it open to present Rowan if anyone else is there already.

He could, in fact, just close the book! Though that thought it rather vague in the back of his mind. Barely there. Eli leads into the sitting room and he catches sight of a mirror there. Rowan doesn't look like the man he's talking to and standing next to. Instead he looks like some kind of regal Bald Eagle-esque sort. He sees himself too, a Raven-type looking bird. Winona is sitting there quietly chatting with Eloise, but quickly stands when they enter. "Sir Rowan! You've come. Thank you so much."

Rowan looks like he's slowly dying on the inside, but in the mirror image of him he is smiling and seems to be in good spirits. "Of course Princess. How can I refuse to meet with one as lovely as yourself?" Giving her a slight bow. And another side eye to Eli, like Do you really want to deal with this?

Eli watches in the mirror and then turns to catch Rowan's glance toward him, hardly able to help a bit of a smile tugging at his lips.

He supposes it depends how the story turns out. Not that being trapped as a giant bird seemed like the greatest fate.

Was Rowan really stuck here? Another reader? Maybe he could pull the man out if he didn't care for being part of this story any longer.

For now he just watched the exchange between Rowan and the Princess, standing by the door.

Eloise quietly makes her way over towards where Eli is standing, being the oh so good invisible help while Winona does a decidedly 'too much' attempt at flirting with Rowan. "They make such a cute couple don't they?" She asked softly. And perhaps they might. Though the person in the role of Rowan, to Eli's eyes, certainly didn't look thrilled. Though he knew all the words to say and, really just seemed to be on autopilot for the exchange.

"Perhaps." Eli replies carefully, eyes shifting to Eloise when she comes close and his voice staying low so as not to interrupt the couple in the sitting room. "I feel like Sir Rowan is the type who values his freedom a great deal, and they tend to make for terrible partners. They do look cute together, but I fear that Princess Winona may be in for more trouble than she expects if she keeps after him."

A small shrug from Eli. "Maybe that's part of the fun. Don't want the chase to be too easy."

"I don't think you're wrong." Eloise agreed. "But I've also seen the way he and Sir Oates look at each other now and then. Since Sir Oates arrived in town." There's a twitch of a smile, like she's suppressing a giggle. "But Winnie is far too stubborn..." As Eli and Eloise have their chat, The book world is starting to feel a little more real than the real world. Is he standing in a cemetery reading? Or was that just a far off dream and this is really what his life is? But then the reminder is there, of yes, yes, yes, it's just a story...or is it?

Rowan seems to keep an eye on him and looks concerned for a moment. In fact, it's enough for him to" break character" as it were and shout to Eli. "CLOSE THE BOOK!" Though Eloise and Winnie don't seem to register this happen.

It's easy to fall into the conversation with Eloise, Eli smiling at her words and certainly planning to reply to go deeper into the topic. It's a pretty tempting piece of gossip to toss about and he's not doing anything else while they both stand there and watch the flirting play out.

Except he's not standing there at all, he vaguely remembers. This isn't really where he belongs. It feels right though, so he's uncertain.

It's not until Rowan's sharp voice brings everything very much into focus, causing Eli to jump and somewhere outside of the story the book falls from his hands and drops heavily down into the damp grass of the cemetery again.

And as quickly as Eli had been pulled into the story, everything's over. Dark has fallen in the cemetery and there's a couple people using it to cut through to a different part of the town that give him a weird look when he jumps but then quickly continue on their way. The book, is still just a book, but he does notice now, the faint feel of Glimmer it has. If what he just experienced wasn't enough of a clue - this book is definitely not from this side of things.

Leaving it there seems like a bad idea. He'd managed to drag himself out, but he was pretty close to just staying in there. Would the next person who opened it end up like Rowan? He wondered what happened to the person on the outside when they got stuck inside.

He reaches down and picks up the book, careful not to open it again and tucks the pink novel beneath his arm. It isn't safe to just leave it here, even if he doesn't really want it hanging around his apartment. Maybe someone else will know what to do with it.

The book, for all intents and purposes, is just a book. So he's fine to carry it to wherever he is heading to next. There's a few book types in town that Eli knows of. Harper, the local librarian, and of course Elias who owns Likely Stories. Those are the two who stand out at least. Maybe it's worth checking in with one of them about it.