to all;

[stations]

Hey, guys. Good morning, or... afternoon. Evening? Does Abraxas have different time zones? I'm not actually sure how that works here, so I guess good whatever time of day it is wherever you are in the world. I'm Jack.

Some of you might have seen me around the libraries in Castle Thorne, and for good reason. That's mostly what I do. I'm a reader.

Well, and a blogger, and a gas station attendant-slash-owner, but I haven't really figured out how to translate those last two things over just yet. There's something especially horrifying about the idea of refueling horses at gas pumps, and I'm pretty sure none of you guys would like it if I slammed you with a wall of text in the middle of your day like I would when I updated my blog.

Which is exactly what I'm doing now. The irony is not lost on me. Sorry.

The point is, I'm looking for stuff to read. The libraries here are great, don't get me wrong, but the contents aren't my usual style. I'm more into the campy two dollar trash fiction of the sci-fi paperback persuasion, but I'll also take the classics! Agatha Christie, JK Rowling (at least, before she turned out to be a horrible fucking person), Tolkien. Anything from Chronicles of Narnia to Killer Clowns from Outer Space Visit Erin Brockovich 2.

"How are we supposed to lend you a book that isn't written here?" you may be asking. Well, as it turns out, I've been re-reading tons of old books in the Horizon when I find myself there. I just can't seem to summon up anything new. I guess it only works with memories, or something? Anyway, if you have anything to share, I'd really appreciate it if you could swing by my gas station. I'll give you a discount.

Thanks.

-GasStationJack

Comments

[stations]

The outdoors part is fine, but maybe not so much the climbing thing.

( One leg, nine fingers, you might say he's not in peak rock climbing condition.

Could he theoretically have all his limbs in the Horizon? Probably. Does that cross his mind right now?

No. Not even a little. Not even at all. )

Probably best if you come to mine.

It's basically like a fuelling station and convenience store had a baby, I guess.

[scrappyjedi]

Fair enough. It's a lot of climbing.

[ With the amount of things that sometimes just doesn't cross Cal's mind without the Horizon being in the equation...he couldn't and wouldn't judge. ]

That...is an interesting mental image. Probably not at all what you intended, but I think I'll manage to find it. [ He doesn't have a history of getting lost even with a map it's fine!! ] When's good for you? I don't really have anything going on most of the time.

[stations]

I don't really have what you might call an "active social life" so, whenever, pretty much. I'll be there after dinner most days.

[scrappyjedi]

Yeah, pretty much never had one of those before.

[ Maybe when he was a youngling, with the other padawans. And the clone soldiers but that.

Actually let's not dwell on that. ]

After dinner is a good time. Maybe today, if you're up for it? I try to be there a lot anyway.

[stations]

I'm totally super up for it. I'm the most up. Crazy up.

( He hates himself as soon as those words go through. Why is he the way that he is? Why is he so painfully awkward? )

...anyway, cool, see you then.

text > action

[scrappyjedi]

Okay, up we go then.

[ No, no, it is Cal who is the embarrassing one, clearly. What does that mean? He doesn't know.

It's going to take him a while to show up after dinner. He's been mapping what he's seen thus far with "BD-1", but there's still plenty he hasn't seen. Not to mention, the holomap isn't foolproof. Or Cal proof. He must have gotten lost on Zeffo for three hours that one time.

He's also picturing something completely different when the thinks of "gas station". Needless to say, the big statue is the sole reason he's back on track. Once he spots it in the distance, he finds the building. He thinks. He's pretty sure.

Cal walks inside cautiously, datapad in hand and droid on his back. He gets a bit distracted checking the place out. It looks...just as unexpected on the inside as it does on the outside, minus the gas pumps, which were at least vaguely familiar. ]

Hello?

[stations]

( Jack's behind the counter, because he's pretty much always behind the counter. In his hands, a book he's both less than proud of, and not nearly ashamed enough of.

The sound of a voice gets him dragging his attention out of it, and Cal's met with a perfectly polite: )

Hi, can I help you?

( Like this is an actual gas station. Like anybody who turned up would be a fucking customer or something.

Look, it's automatic. He can't help it, he just kind of... forgets, sometimes. A lot. )

[scrappyjedi]

[ It doesn't even occur to Cal that Jack is responding out of some automated habit. Seems like a reasonable question? He takes notice of the book as he spots the counter and heads over, though. He has no idea what a Leprechaun is, or what they have to do with sex and lies??? ]

You're Jack, right? I'm Cal. Oh, wait, I don't think I ever gave my name. [ He scratches his head. ] I'm the Taming of the Gundark guy.

[stations]

( It's a good call, that explanation — I'm Cal was only going to earn him the same silent, blank stare as he wracked his brain trying furiously to figure out if he ever knew a Cal in the first place. If his memory's failing, if he had plans to meet up with someone he totally scrubbed on accident.

Consequently, his reaction to the explanation might be a little... weird. )

Oh, thank god.

( He closes his book and tucks it under the counter, because it's the polite thing to do when introducing a new and potentially better book into your home. )

Hello. Hi. I'm Jack.

( A beat. )

Obviously.

( Because it's on his nametag. Also, he introduced himself on the post in the first place. Also, Cal just said it. Quick, recover: )

Hi.

( Nailed it. )

[scrappyjedi]

[ That is a little weird, but after giving it approximately half a thought, he figures that maybe Jack just...really wanted to read it? He did call it the most incredible thing he's ever heard in his entire life. That must be it. ]

Hi.

[ They're both nailing this. ]

I brought th—

Beep-bo-oop!

Oh, I didn't forget, sorry...this is BD-1.

[ The droid pops up over his shoulder, somehow looking excited. It's funny, sometimes BD will just sit on his back and not make a sound, but then other times he'll actually say something. Maybe, since it's part of him here, it reacts to him too. ]

Beeop!

He says hi.

[ Even faux BD is better at this than he is. ]

[stations]

( Cal says Hi.

Jack says ) Hi. ( again, because apparently his brain stopped working sometime around the age of seven and never actually started again.

Thank god for the beeping that pulls them out of this perpetual descent into awkwardness. He blinks in surprise at the little guy who joins the conversation, and can't hold back his: )

Aww.

( Look at it. It's cute. )

Hello.

( Because apparently he has to get weird with that thing, too. Anyway, moving on- )

Is that- is that a robot?

[scrappyjedi]

[ BD is a lifesaver. Literally, and metaphorically. Even if there's something off about him here, Cal takes comfort in the fact that he still seems to steer him in a direction that isn't destined for stupidity. Well, he tries, anyway. ]

A droid, yeah. [ At the very least, BD's presence and forcefulness into the conversation makes it easier on Cal to just...speak, sometimes. Speaking of, said droid is now jumping off Cal's shoulder and onto the counter, randomly scanning things. ] —don't worry about that. His scans don't do anything here.

[ Just to make it clear that he's not being rude and nosy! He scans a lot more in the Horizon than real BD, considering it doesn't work for things that Cal knows nothing about.

He clears his throat. ]

Anyway, uh, here you go.

[ Finally, Cal sets the datapad down on the counter. ]

I made sure every chapter was there.

[ Fortunately, fake BD could scan that and give results, seeing as it's something Cal conjured up from his own memories. It was a lot easier than going through every screen. ]

[stations]

Cool.

( He says, but it's sort of a default reflex trigger-reaction. Despite saying it, he doesn't reach out to take the datapad immediately; instead, he blinks down at it like he's waiting for something, or trying to process what he's seeing.

A beat later: )

Wait, what?

( That sure is a... screen.

At length, he finally plucks it up to squint at it up close, experimentally poking at... something. )

Is this like an iPad or something?

[scrappyjedi]

What?

[ What's an iPad?

Luckily, Jack's confusion begins to make sense as Cal watches him poke at it, realization dawning on him as he remembers all the books in the library, and how some people rose a questioning brow when he mentioned being surprised that there was no console at the very least. ]

Oh...you were...expecting, like, a book— [ his hands make a gesture of opening, as if he needed to remember how a fucking book works— ] weren't you?

[stations]

No, this is great! This is good. This is fine. This is... totally okay.

( He says in a rush, because he doesn't want to be a dick. Beggars can't be choosers after all, he can hardly be picky about the delivery method. )

Who needs all those pages, am I right? All the... turning.

( God he loves the turning. )

[scrappyjedi]

[ Cal is so bad at people, but there's something to be said about the fact that even he can tell that Jack is lying. ]

It's fine — you don't have to—[ Maybe he can still make it into a book? But he's not sure how to translate a lot of the things you get with a datapad to...paper. ] Sorry, I...completely forget that most people around here are used to all the paper and...binding?

[ How big would Taming of the Gundark be if it were in paper form, though? Probably big enough to snap your arms in half. ]

I can show you how to use it, if you're worried. I promise it's really easy.

[ Of course it's easy to Cal, who knows no other way of reading. But. ]

[stations]

( There's a soft, faintly relieved exhale, and he holds the datapad out helplessly. )

Yes, please.

( It isn't fair to say Jack is technologically illiterate, exactly. He built a Tandy 1000 out of spare parts from a garage sale as a kid — which his foster brother promptly stole and sold — but poverty and a lacking internet connection has driven him slowly further away from those inclinations. He gets by, but he's never actually owned an iPad or a tablet, like, ever. In his life. )

[scrappyjedi]

[ Cal gives Jack a reassuring smile, though he doesn't know how reassuring he actually is, taking the datapad and holding it in a way that he can demonstrate. ]

Normally, you'd have to put a chip that has the book in one of these, but I took that step out. So you just...touch the screen. [ Cal taps it with his nongloved hand, and the screen displays a menu. He'll point to each one as he lists them off: ] That's the table of contents, that's just a list of special thanks — uh, that won't actually go anywhere because I left it out.

[ Literally never read it, so he couldn't have added it even if he wanted to. ]

—And this is the actual start of the story. It's going to ask you a few things before it starts, like...how big you want the text, or if you want pictures, or sound. [ Yes this book comes with ambiance. Probably why it held his attention as a kid. ] Or if you'd rather swipe to get to the next screen, or scroll. Then it'll take you to the first page, and you're good.

[ A shrug, and another smile. ]

Uh, easy, right?