Network + Action= Open | This is definitely not a book review

[dorkify]

Network

[ There's a blonde on the screen. She's got her long, curly hair pulled over one shoulder and she's leaning in a little on her elbows. She waves at the screen. ] So, this is definitely not a book review. In fact, I'm sort of wondering what I'm going to do my vlogs over if it's not books. Maybe I'll just talk about them in a general sense. Books are good. Portable magic. Yadda yadda. it's not the same, is it? [ She sighs dramatically. ] Aslan and I are at the book store, in our proper bodies. Come see us at Subtext and have an iced coffee. Gracie out.

Action

For those that take Gracie up on her offer of books and iced coffee, they'll find her curled up in a big, squishy armchair near the front of the shop. She's reading a book and has an iced coffee at hand. There's a grey and white Scottish Fold cat dozing in the front window. She'd had a fun few days in Dani's body, zipping around, running into things and generally making a pest of herself, but she's grateful to be in her own body again.

When the bell over the door rings out, Gracie looks up with a smile on her face. "Hey, have a look around and if I can help you with anything, let me know."

Unless, of course, she knows you, then she'll be out of her chair, coffee abandoned on an end table to dole out hugs.

Comments

[the_dawnster]

Yeah, Dawn is catching on to the more black and white thing. In her world, the girls kick ass, good or evil, on their own without the help of any kind of Bonnie and Clyde situation. The boys, while sometimes kick ass in their own right, are usually just along for the ride and love the kick ass girls anyway, no matter what. And in the end, love always seems to equal pain. See? Dawn pays attention. She ends up nodding at Gracie's Bonnie and Clyde scenario anyway, cause why not?

"That's so cool. I mean it's like Harry Potter where things move around just because they can." And given Dawn's Harry Potter obsession, she's really more stoked about the possibility of a magic Hogwartz or Weasley house type of bookstore than most people would be. "Be honest. You feel like you're in Hogwartz, right?"

This is not the first time she's heard that the city itself might be sentient. "Okay that's a little freaky but also kind of cool cause I've heard about the wish magic. I'm wondering what the catch is, cause there's always a catch. And if someone says there isn't a catch, they're lying."

[dorkify]

That's the sort of world that Gracie likes to read about. Some days, she'd like to live in that world. Other days, she thinks that she'd never survive in that world because she doesn't kick ass. She's just a girl. Her experience thus far has taught her that love is pain. They can agree on that at least.

"Seriously? I love Harry Potter! I mean...yes. I've thought that too: that this shop is like a Harry Potter bookshop." Give her a moment. She's currently busy squealing and being excited about meeting another Potterhead here. "I totally feel like I'm in Hogwarts, or at least Diagon Alley."

Gracie hesitates, mulling over Dawn's theory. "I'm not sure what the catch is. I mean outside of not being able to go home, outside of the occasional really freaky things that happen here that we have no control over. Sometimes, it's a big catch. Other times, it's a tiny one."

[the_dawnster]

"Ohmigod, really? That's like... my favorite series." There might be a squeal, a bit of a hop and a bright smile here. Not sorry, Gracie cause there's fellow geeking out happening. Brace yourself. "I mean, I have a lot of favorite series or stand alone's that change constantly but Harry Potter is an always and forever my favorite comfort thing. And clearly you get it and you and I are suddenly BFF's or something cause books!"

Deep breath because she just spewed nerd all over Gracie. "And don't let my enthusiasm scare you away cause obviously this friendship was meant to be."

If there's a catch at all, big or small, it means there's something to fight and she's going to tell her sister about it. "If there's a big bad controlling everything, making bad things happen, my sister can kick it's behind into dust. It's kind of what she does. She's a super hero." She stops short of saying that they're all heroes. Buffy's the star of the show in every way and Dawn's cool with that.

[dorkify]

Hey, Gracie is obviously just as pumped to have a fandom friend. She hasn't discovered a lot of them here. Most people seem to not know anything at all about Harry Potter. She's nodding enthusiastically as Dawn chatters about books. "i'm pretty much the same way. I have lots of favorites and they change from time to time, but HP kind of remains like a security blanket."

"Pshaw," Gracie says, rolling her eyes. "Oh! Hold on," she disappears into the stacks and comes back a moment later with the four Raven Cycle books. "Meet one of my recent favorites. Fair warning, several of the characters in this book live here, which is amazing and awkward at the same time," she says as she hands over the books.

"i'm not sure that they're bad," Gracie hedges. "I mean...yeah we're trapped here and yeah, sometimes crazy things--occasionally bad--happen but in general this place is pretty cool." She tilts her head a little at Dawn's comment on her sister. "What's her name? I mean...maybe I know her. As I mentioned: fictional characters can be real here. Not that your sister is fictional. I just mean--she might be in my world and I've heard of her."

[the_dawnster]

"Wait, wait, wait, hold the phone..." Dawn says as she takes the books. Yes, she's heard about the series but she hasn't read the books yet. "You're saying that the characters from these books live here? In this wack-a-doodle place? Do any other book characters live here? Cause... I'm asking for a friend." No, just herself. But the question bears both asking and answering for obvious reasons.

She looks down at the books. "I read The Wolves of Mercy Falls by her. She's a great writer." At least, Dawn thinks, this place can't be totally awful if there's a book store run by a fellow geek girl.

"Buffy. Buffy Summers. And I'm Dawn... Summers. I know, we have weird names but don't let that fool you. Buffy can kick some serious behind. She's the thing the monsters run away from." It's said with certainty even though there's also a light-heartedness to it. "Sometimes I borrow her clothes and it drives her crazy. That's my super power." She's also a god-like entity known as The Key. But that's confusing to most people right off the bat.

She smiles brightly again. "Please say there are books about my sister cause that would be way cooler than anything ever and I can't wait to tell her about it just to freak her out."

[dorkify]

"That's what I'm saying. I made it totally awkward and weird by making a vlog sort of thing and posting it on the network about Gansey being my Book Boyfriend. Turns out, his actual girlfriend is here so..." she makes an 'oops' sort of face at that. "I didn't mean anything by it. I was just...I mean, you get it." Because she's betting Dawn has book boyfriends too. "I never expected he or she would actually be here. Ronan and Adam are here too." At Dawn's 'asking for a friend' she grins. "I met Captain America. I'm not sure if he's still here or not. Peter Parker is here. Katniss Everdeen and her sister." She's assuming that Dawn knows all these 'fictional' people. "Sadly, the boy with the bread has not shown up." She sighs dramatically at that.

"Yes! I couldn't decide if I wanted Sam to be my book boyfriend or Cole so I took both because you know...sweet guy versus bad boy, not that I'm much of a bad boy kind of girl. I usually go for the sweet guys."

And then Dawn is explaining and talking and Gracie's mouth drops open. "Shut the front door. No way You're....Dawn Summers. She's...Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" Now Dawn is going to have to excuse Gracie for the little freak out that she's going to have. "Excuse me," Gracie says, dashing into the stacks. The pattering of her feet as she jumps, runs in place and squeals can be heard. Clearly, she's got her hands over her mouth as she squeals, but it doesn't actually help much, just mutes the squealing a bit. She returns breathless a moment later, looking a bit ruffled. "Sorry about that. Yes. I think I can help you find the books you're looking for. We've got both novels and graphic novels."

See? She can be professional in the face of fangirling. Totally.

[the_dawnster]

"Oh I totally get it. There are almost always book boyfriends. Sometimes there are book girlfriends too cause I could hang with Effie Trinket any day of the week, even on holidays." Dawn hopes she didn't just make it weird. Either way, the statement stands true.

The fact that there seems to be all kinds of fictional people here is surprising. She listens to Gracie with wide eyes and excitement. It's like the best thing to happen to her in awhile, to be around book people. Thankfully, it also prepares her for her own fictional status when Gracie gets to that. Well, that and the fact that in her world, at her point in time, most people know about Slayer, The: Buffy Summers. Her sister is totally famous.

She's nodding even as Gracie scurries away and can hear the muffled squeals of delight. It doesn't take much for her to put two and two together because generally speaking, Dawn is a pretty bright girl. There's a book, she assumes.

When Gracie gets back, Dawn has to ask. "Please say I'm cute in the books - brilliant and with great fashion sense. Cause... yeah."

[dorkify]

Gracie grins broadly at that. It's so awesome to be with someone that understands the whole book thing. Her best friend, Gem, back home had been her book soulmate. She's not going to put that sort of pressure on Dawn, but she hadn't realized how much she missed that aspect of Gem's friendship until now. "Effie Trinket is amazing. I'd do tea with her." Definitely didn't make it weird.

It's super fantastic and it had been quite a surprise to Gracie at first. That doesn't mean that it's become old hat to her by now, but it doesn't surprise her so much anymore. Yeah, Gracie is never sure how 'okay' it is to tell someone they're fictional in her world. She's learned by now that fictional is definitely something that varies from world to world (and that there are other worlds).

She's beyond grateful that her own squealing and fangirling doesn't scare Dawn away. There' s a part of her that hadn't been sure Dawn would be there when she returned from her mini melt down. There's a book and a TV show.

"You're amazing in the books," Gracie tells her with total confidence. "I mean, you were a little whiny in the TV show, but you were fourteen so..."

Maybe she shouldn't have said that, but honesty, right?