VICES AND VIRTUES ☆ o, library exploration

[wormwood.]

It's a genuine relief, meeting someone else that also has an affinity for the romance genre like he did. Perhaps it was just because of how complicated his love life had become in the past that he enjoyed the stories sealed within romance novels. Even though the protagonists' love lives were often just as complicated as his was – if not more, really – there was always that silent unspoken promise that there would be a happy ending. Or, at the very least, a satisfying ending. Which definitely wasn't a guarantee in life, as he had found out time and time again when he had begun to get close to someone, only to have them vanish from his life completely. Sometimes he wondered if his life would ever get that fairytale ending he had dreamed so often of as a child, but he shook the thought off as soon as it came, not wanting to drag down the mood. After all, joining the Knights was supposed to be a new chapter of his story, and perhaps he would end up meeting someone perfect for him here. Or, perhaps he had already met his perfect someone, somewhere within the many pages that had already passed, and he just didn't know it yet. Either way, he just had to leave things up to fate. He had tried far too hard in the past to force things over and over again, whether it be in romance or otherwise, and often it never ended up working in his favor. Usually it just left him exhausted, and needing to move on.

The lion had nearly been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he almost missed what Icarus was saying to him, immediately feeling an embarrassed heat rush to his face when he came back down to Earth. Thankfully, he had gotten the gist of what had been said, and before long he was rumbling casually, "Ah, that's good to hear. I'm afraid that romance is a rather... divisive genre. Usually I either find people that really enjoy it, like me, or absolutely despise it." He could certainly understand why some weren't a big fan of romance, especially if their own love loves weren't going particularly well, but he enjoyed meeting another fan. When Icarus spoke of Wuthering Heights, the lion's eyes seemed to light up with curiosity, his head tilting to one side, "Wuthering Heights? No, I'm afraid I haven't read that one yet. I suppose I'll have to check it out though, considering the cliff outpost. I have read Pride and Prejudice, however. It's a good read, especially with the sort of unexpected humor." When Icarus then brought up the possibility of a book exchange, Aurum found himself snorting a little. Not because of Icarus himself, but just the mental image of the Knights' horses trying to navigate the cramped swamp, "Oh, I'm sure a book exchange would be rather nice. I do have to warn you though, Tanglewood's swamp can be a bit hard to navigate, at least for newcomers." He could still remember spending weeks mapping the whole place out when he had first joined. It had been tedious, but at least he hadn't fallen into any traps after that.