A young boy is hanging out in the guild, scribing things on parchment. He is wearing expensive looking clothes and has what looks like adventuring gear with him. Should someone look at his scribing, it's actually notations on alchemy. There are three books open in front of him on the table. One is a book on bugs. Another is a book on alchemy. The third is a book about elven culture. His writing tool is unusual also. Seems to be gray, hard and straight. And it's leaving gray smudges on the boy's hand. He also has a weird ball of clay off to the side. Or is it rubber? Hard to tell.

Gale steps in, her nose in a book as usual.  She takes a moment to peek up from her pages and sees the kid surrounded by books.  BOOKS!  She has a feeling she has an instant buddy in the making.  She closes her own book and quietly approaches to take a look at the books he's got open.  A big smile crosses her face and she conjures up a butterfly and has it flutter over to perch on his writing stick.  Should it catch his attention, it will flutter over to Gale and land on her head.

"Hello there, young scholar," she says with a sweet smile and a slight bow.

  Terdisas has opened how many of these with 'reading a book by the fireplace'?  Of course, that was admittedly more leisurely and not nearly as studious as more recent examples.

  Besides, he wasn't reading yet today anyways as he wanders on in a minute after Gale does.  "One of these days, I must check to see if someone has mixed up our address listing with the library.  So I can thank them."   "Chirp, what? Not to tell barbarians making campfires with library books they got the wrong address?"  "Of course not, such a thing wouldn't happen anyways."   "Tweet, why not?"  "For the 'illegitimate barbarian' joke to work, they would not have been able to read the incorrect address."

  Logic!

Eli looks up from what he's writing, first to look at the butterfly. Then to follow it with his eyes to see Gale and blushes as she greets him. That was a very smooth move there, Gale. Nice, subtle, un-intrusive (well... depending on who you ask), and causes the otherwise pre-occupied person to pay attention.

He then overhears Terdisas and Superbird. He wonders how true the illiteracy of barbarians is. He then takes a sip of water from his canteen and looks towards Terdisas. The library doesn't have heroes going in and out, nor does it keep the latest news quite like this place does. The library doesn't have quests posted on the board, or a fireplace. But Eli considers other people taking books here might have different reasons from himself for coming here to read. If that is what the man with the bird is insinuating. But he's way to shy to speak his mind even so. "H...hi..." he manages back to Gale in a shy manner.

Gale squees for the cuteness of this little scholar!  Poor little guy so shy.  She knows how to handle this, though.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted, Gale whispers, "But I've an imaginary friend who'd just love to meet your acquaintance."

She sits and sets a flower on the table, and it blooms.  Inside is a sleepy fairy wearing goggles on the top of her head.  The sleepyness wears off fast when she sees the books.

"Ooh!" Tinkerbelle jingles, "Bugs!  And alchemy!  Two of my favorite topics!"

She tinkles up to the books and begins to read aloud.

"Neat!" she squeals, clapping her hands with tiny chime sounds.

Gale turns her attention to the sorcerer entering and gives a wave.

"Hello there, Terdisas.  How are you doing today?"

  Terdisas walks over calmly, saying "I am doing fine Gale, I hope the day has been treating you and our most recent visitor well."   He considers the Fairy Show, and smiles, commenting "Of course, I am reminded why I tend to do my reading here as well of late."

  Eli still has a good tile o distance between them and Terdisas.  If his personal bubble is larger than that, kid's on his own.

Yeah. Eli's bubble is only a close burst 1. He can handle being in a crowded room just fine. Mostly, it's engaging in conversation that he has difficulty with. When he sees Tinkerbell, he blushes again. <Elven>"Wow.. I can hear you pretty clear. Is my voice loud to you, or do you need me to be quieter...?"</Elven>

Even if Eli was the sort who didn't believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy, he is in a world where fairies are real and everyone knows it. After a sufficient answer, Eli speaks at appropriate volume and says, "Now don't freak out... I have a friend I'd like you to meet. Charlotte? Come on out." A mechanical spider crawls out of Eli's backpack. It crawls up his chair, up his chest, down his arm and onto the table. It stops with plenty of space between it and Tink. Then waves with one of its legs.

Gale's magic sense is tingling. This thing is magical, but... different. Not quite like a familiar. Closer to a warforged. It's fascinating to be sure. Where in the world this boy found a warforged spider...

(OOC: Dunno how to access demonomicon since it's a book I don't have a pdf of, but page 109 covers the Arachnid Clockwork Horror.)

Gale glances at the spider then returns her attention to Terdisas.

"Very good, I'd say," she says, "My time with Emerald was very enlightening.  How did the time with the orphans go?"

Tinkerbelle happy gasps!

"She's so cute!" she chimes as she waves back at Charlotte, "Don't worry about my ears.  They work about the same as humans do, but thanks for being so considerate.  My name's Tinkerbelle by the way.  What's your name?  And how'd you meet Charlotte?  Does she like hugs?  I wunna hug her!"

Tink hugs herself in the meantime.  She refrains from asking why Elven 'cause 3 questions is plenty.

  Superbird Eyes the shiny spider, "Concrete physical existence is overrated, chirp."  "It's all right, I still like you even though you can't interact with society except verbally."  "Tweet, don't patronize me."

  Oh, how cute.  Familiar envy from a Familiar itself.  "I have a certain feeling that this particular spider is very glad they have more limbs with which to huh."

Eli's mood is improving by the second. When he hears Gale answer Ter about being well, he suddenly remembers Ter kind of mentioned him too without directly addressing Eli. "Uh-I'm ...doing great... thanks."

He then answers Superbird, "I wouldn't know. I've never known anything *but* physical existence."

The spider, independent from Eli's interaction, dances about. Eli looks and says, "Oh... uh... sure. But she's made of metal. She can be cold to the touch or hot to the touch depending on weather. And hard-shelled. So be careful. Oh... and my name's Eli."

As for why he spoke Elven, that will just have to remain a mystery. Until he's asked, anyway.

"Emerald mentioned Lucky was there with the kids," Gale comments.

Tinkerbelle jumps for joy then glomps the spider before petting it.

"Oh she's so neat!  How does she work?  Who made her?"

  Eli isn't the only one with delayed question response today <.<  >.>  "It was a pleasant visit, Lucky was indeed there as well.  While I do not know if I was any good influence, I am at least fairly certain I was not a bad one at the time."

  He turns back to Eli and says "It is a pleasure to meet you Eli, I hope your visit today is good enough to encourage further ones."  While he doesn't quite have a 'treat children like adults' mindset, at the very least he doesn't condescend them... Any more than he condescends anyone else, so that could end up poorly in certain circumstances actually.

Eli says, "I made her. To tell you how she works would take some time, but I'll be happy to if you like..." in response to Tinkerbell. Then looks up at Ter. "Th-thanks... I.. hope I'm not a bother to anyone here with my books..."

He takes a few notes as he curiously watches Tinkerbell. Charlotte hugs the fairy back, with only two legs. Then waves at Gale. Then waves at Terdisas and Superbird.

"A hero being a good influence," Gale answers Terdisas with a smirk as she wiggles a finger wave back at Charlotte, "Imagine that."

"Oh yes!" Tink says excetedly, "Please do!  I'm a tinkerer myself.  I love that sort of thing!"

"No bother at all, Eli," Gale says, "We'll back you up if anyone complains."

She places several books on the table.

  "If you were considered a bother, then I would have to say our tolerance is frightfully low."   He gives a small wave to the Mecha-Spider-Death-Borg-8000, and Superbird wingwaves.

  "Reading by the fireplace would be difficult for me to accomplish without the actual reading part, so Gale is right about backing."

Eli begins telling arcane things too complex for normal minds to understand puts it kinda simple, actually. "I drew some designs for the parts, asked a blacksmith to make those parts for me, then put the parts together and gave the spider lots of love while casting a special ritual I put together."

"Well I can tell you and the blacksmith both are fantastically skilled," Tinkerbelle answers Eli, still oogling at the spider, "You created your own ritual?  You know how few advanced wizards can boast of such a feat?  You must have a really good teacher."

Gale smiles at Terdisas, her chin leaned in her hand.

"Thanks," she says, "Us book lovers gotta stick together.  Care to sit with us?"