A Reader's Respite (Private w/Serenity)

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest spent many long, arduous hours in the library studying on this day. He had spent so much time studying that he had amassed a fortress of books at the head of the long table he was sitting at, surrounded by tomes of varying thicknesses and subjects. Forrest practically fashioned his own cubicle of knowledge from the library's available books. He leaned back in his chair and stretched for a moment, taking a moment to appreciate the amount of hard work he put in today. Forrest figured that this would be as good an opportunity as ever to catch up on some reading. Now would be the time to read for fun as opposed to reading for projects in the various subjects he had. He opened his backpack and perused through his own selection of books.

Rebels of Utopia perhaps?... Maybe not, I've been reading that one a lot lately... Stardust Champions is good!... Nah, I'll probably just wait for the show to come out... Forrest mused as he thumbed through the books contained in his backpack. Then it hit him; he had found the book that he would read! There was one issue though...

Lasso the Moon... Damn, I love this book! Forrest thought excitedly but remembered where he was: the library, a public place, if somebody found him reading some lovey-dovey romance novel they would surely make fun of him and his guilty pleasure!

Forrest put the search on hold and scanned the area. It was already late, so most of the people had filtered out of the library by now, and the ones that remained had been on the opposite end of the library. Given that information, Forrest figured it wouldn't hurt to read for a little bit. Plus, he could keep the cubicle of tomes up that he created earlier as a makeshift privacy screen.

It was decided! Forrest took out the book titled Lasso the Moon and began to read it. Originally, the plan was to read for fifteen minutes. However, Forrest had the issue of losing track of time when he was enthralled in such a good book. Fifteen minutes became thirty, then forty-five, an hour, and so forth. Forrest had been so absorbed in the masterfully crafted words, it would take quite a bit to bring him back to reality...

[Serenity Sandstalker]

It had been a very long day for Serenity, all the information from classes and research for assignments swimming about in her head, desperately begging her to take a break and focus on something- anything else. With the sun having sank too low to provide the necessary light and warmth to bask in, she made her was toward the library. At this time in the evening it was typically empty save for the overachievers or the last-minute-it's-due-tomorrow-morning folks. That is to say... there wouldn't be many, if any, people.

Upon entering the library, she took a deep breath of the distinctly bookish smell and perused the adult high fantasy section. Don't judge a book by its cover, or title. Dont judge a book by its cover,or title. Don'tjudge a book by- ooh, what's this? Sera's silent chant was interrupted by a snazzy attention-seeking cover that depicted a prideful female faunus and hints of magic. It was titled 'Requiem of Remnant'. She was hooked.

Making her way over to a table, Sera's nose was already buried in the pages, and she tripped on the leg of a chair, falling headlong into a massive stack of books on the table with a significant thump. The pile shuttered and shifted as Sera stiffled a squeak, her book hitting the table with a thud as she scrambled to brace the stack with her arms and tail, only seeing the other person when she accidentally brushed past him to make sure the pile was not going to cause an avalanche. Embarassment colored her face "I am so, so, so sorry!" she hissed to the poor guy. As her attention was snagged by what he was reading... "Is that Lasso? Have you read it before?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

At first, the thump did not concern Forrest. It was only when he perceived his makeshift cubicle of books leaning towards him in his periphery. The mental alarm triggered in his head, and he briskly stood up to brace the books to prevent them from falling. He dropped Lasso the Moon on the table to do so. He swore that he felt something quick brush past him, and he heard a voice behind him apologize. Then she mentioned Lasso the Moon...

Forrest's face immediately lit up red with embarrassment. That's it! It's over! Reputation ruined! Time to move and change his name so he would be forgotten as the boy who was mocked for reading romance novels. However, to his surprise, he was not mocked for it. Forrest relaxed just a bit, still reeling from the fact he was caught red-handed reading a romance novel.

"Yeah, I just bought it..." Forrest replied in an attempt to save face.

That was a blatant lie and he knew it. For somebody who was fairly good at distinguishing the truth from lies, he couldn't lie to save his life.

"Okay, this is my second time reading the book..."

That, however, was not a lie. He decided that lying her face was obviously worse than being honest. She seemed friendly enough, if not slightly clumsy. Then again, hasn't everyone been there at one point or another?

[Serenity Sandstalker]

Sera caught a vaguely humiliated look flash across the poor guy's face when she asked about the book, then she got the strange feeling he was... embarrassed by his reading choice? She chose to take his words at face value; they were in a library after all. It's entirely possible to read books before you buy them.

"While that is certainly not my book of choice, it is very well written and has a great storyline." She offered a small smile with her words and drew herself up to her unimpressive height- every bit counts- and she extended her hand. "Where are my manners? Hi! My name is Serenity, but you can just call me Sera if you want." Her gaze wandered for a moment, as if searching her thoughts before she added hesitantly "Also... forgive me if its too forward, but you should never, ever be embarrassed by what you read."

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest was caught off guard by how Sera handled the situation. She appeared to be polite and mature in her demeanor. A noticeable blush reappeared on his face.

"Y-Y-Yeah, I know I-I shouldn't be embarrassed... I just... had a bad experience w-when I was younger..." Forrest fumbled through his sentence with the gracefulness of a bull in a china shop. He had a hard time getting a grip on himself considering how Sera had a common interest in books, how she gave off vibes of maturity and tact, and how she looked attractive to him.

Then he remembered something important...

Forrest, introduce yourself you dummy! Shake her hand! Don't just stand there and fumble around like an idiot!

Forrest took a quick second to clear his throat and collect himself after that mental pep talk. His blush faded as his composure returned, hoping Sera would just believe he was still flustered from earlier. He extended his hand in kind and shook her hand.

"I'm Forrest Waldstein. Nice to meet you, Sera." Forrest spoke, now with a newly returned composure. Now that he was speaking in his normal voice, it sounded calm and soothing.

What struck him as strange was how Sera, standing at her full height, only appeared to make it up to Forrest's chest. She appeared to be around the same age as him, though her smallness did not bother him.

[Serenity Sandstalker]

The small smile Sera held faded slightly at his stuttered explanation- no one should ever be ashamed of their choice of reading materials. Whatever experience this young man had was very unfortunate and made Sera's blood boil. In the back of her mind she seethed as she schooled her face into that of someone not mad enough to rip someone's head off. Let me catch someone bullying someone over books. He still seemed flustered as he introduced himself, but Sera chalked that up to residual embarrassment from their abrupt meeting and her discovery of his book.

"Interesting," She mused to herself, retrieving her own book from its resting place on the table. Turning her focus back to Forrest, she said "Likewise, Forrest. Always thrilling to meet another avid reader." Gesturing at Lasso the Moon, she continued "Also, don't let other's judgment color your reading. A book can never be enjoyed to its fullest if it is kept hidden as a guilty secret. And if anyone takes an issue with it, let me deal with them!" As she spoke, she had gradually been growing louder and clenching her free hand into a fist, shaking it at an invisible enemy.

[Forrest Waldstein]

A sharp, noticeable shush from one of the few people left in the library cut through the air after Serenity finished speaking, a reminder that they were still in the Library.

"Hopefully, we won't have to resort to that." Forrest responded kindly at a more appropriate volume for the Library.

"Oh yeah, I brought a handful of other books with me that I think you'd be interested in." Forrest recalled the other books he had in his backpack. He bookmarked Lasso the Moon first and then unpacked his bag. He produced the two other books he had with him: Rebels of Utopia and Stardust Champions.

Rebels of Utopia had some striking cover art to it; in a style with rich colors and bold geometry there was a large, peaceful cityscape in the top half of the cover whilst the bottom half contained a massive bonfire in the background with belligerent silhouettes in the foreground raising weapons in an aggressive formation, ready to attack.

The cover art of Stardust Champions on the other hand had an art style reminiscent of old Mistrali paintings with a field of stars in the background and the foreground containing groups of ancient warriors battling and harnessing the power of the stars above.

"Have you ever read Rebels of Utopia or Stardust Champions before?" Forrest inquired. He seemed excited to be able to finally share a hobby with someone else.

[Serenity Sandstalker]

With a dainty cough and a murmured apology to the faceless scolder, Sera settled herself. "Hopefully, yes." She agreed, retrieving her own book from where she had dropped it, as she returned Forrest was digging in his backpack.

Sera turned her focus on the books she was being presented with, her attention immediately drawn to the Rebels of Utopia. At his question, she shook her head "I can't say I have read them, but I've heard nothing but good about Rebels of Utopia." Forrest seemed really excited to share his books, Sera hoped it was just because he loved books, and not because people generally wouldn't talk about them with him.

[Forrest Waldstein]

"Rebels of Utopia is incredibly good! The story is about this 'perfect' society in the future, built upon the labors of the working class. The protagonist works as a spy for the upper class people of the city to make sure the working class does their job, but ends up switching sides after seeing how bad things are for them. It talks about society, the human condition, and the political propaganda spread by the ones in charge. I honestly can't recommend it enough. If you're interested, I'll even let you borrow it." Forrest explained and held the book out to Sera. Given how he sounded, he genuinely seemed interested in books.

There were a few nagging thoughts in the back of his mind though...

I really hope she doesn't think I'm weird or something... Am I coming off as too nerdy? Am I coming off as too excited? Does she even like me at all?... Forrest's mind raced with many other questions as he hoped to hide the nervous feelings building within him as he awaited her answer.

[Serenity Sandstalker]

As he talked, Sera decided he was just an enthusiastic book lover and took the offered book and flipped a few pages in to read a small section. As she skimmed, she mused "The most interesting thing about books is each author has their own way of writing." she decided it looked pretty good, and the premise sounded interesting "Some books I cant read just because whoever wrote it... I just didnt like how they write. That sounds kind of weirdnow that i think about it."

Sera noted he started to look a little antsy and her brow furrowed. "I might take you up on that later for sure... I just got this, she indicated her own book "But as soon as I'm done, I'd love to borrow it." She offered Forrest a grin "It wont take too long, I'm certain. Books are amazing!"

[Forrest Waldstein]

The nervous tension within Forrest dissipated after hearing what Sera had to say. Forrest didn't realize how antsy he appeared to be until he relaxed a bit. His heartbeat seemed to slow a bit, yet still remained relatively fast since the beginning of their conversation. Forrest seemed to mirror the warm grin from Sera.

"Yeah, books really are incredible. There's just something about the written word that makes it different." Forrest replied.

Well, that went better than I had originally expected! Maybe now I should get to know her better now that the ice is sufficiently broken... Forrest seemed to think for a brief moment before continuing.

"Sera, can I ask you a personal question?" Forrest inquired as he subconsciously tried to make his cowlick conform to the rest of his hairstyle to no avail.

[Serenity Sandstalker]

"Books are the one thing in this world that I don't think I could ever dislike," Sera agreed, as she nodded. He paused for a moment, probably gathering his thoughts- she does that quite often, so she can't exactly judge.

Then he asked a question as he fought a loosing battle against his hair. "Of course you can, just don't ask what my meaning in life is!" She joked with a grin.

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest laughed a bit at her joke. He then cleared his throat before asking his question.

"What was your life like before attending Beacon?" Forrest asked curiously. By asking the question, he hoped to gain a better understanding of who Sera is as a person. Frankly, he was surprised that she had kept talking to him for this long. Normally, he would've gotten too socially anxious to keep the conversation going, but there was something about Sera that pushed him forward despite the sensation of butterflies in his stomach and his rapid heartbeat. His track record for talking to attractive girls was not great either, but maybe today was the day that would change.

Forrest didn't realize it earlier, but he had been tugging at the cuffs of his sleeves, attempting to subconsciously smooth out what few wrinkles were in his sleeves. He quickly stopped and tried to naturally return his arms to his sides.

I'm so fidgety and anxious around Sera... I hope she didn't notice that... Forrest thought to himself as he tried to act natural.

[Serenity Sandstalker]

Sera pondered his question for a moment, thinking of what to say without actually telling her life story. "It was nice, for the most part. I've been training to be a Huntress since well before I started school. A wistful smile flickered across and she seemed to snap back into the present. "I'm originally from Vacuo, so lots of sand and warm sunny skies. How about you?" She asked, deflecting conversation away from herself.

Despite her calm demeanor, Sera's thoughts were running a million miles an hour, having picked up on Forrest's obvious discomfort. He's so fidgety, is he like... a spy or something? Is he here under duress? Is there an intruder?

[Forrest Waldstein]

"I grew up in Oakhearth, it's a small village southeast of Beacon..." Forrest began, feeling nostalgic initially. Then his facial expression seemed to change drastically. Whatever the expression was seemed to be a complex fusion of melancholy, resentment, pain, and a bit of joy. It seemed that thinking about his past welled up some intense emotions. Forrest was always one to feel emotions very deeply and intensely, but at the same time tried to keep them bottled up. Despite his efforts, he couldn't hide the fact that he was deeply conflicted about his past. He was practically on the verge of tears, but after a couple deep breaths he managed to subdue his emotions. Forrest ended up sitting down in a nearby chair after the ordeal was over.

"I am so sorry, Sera... I didn't mean to get so upset... Besides, I shouldn't dump everything on you if you're not ready for it... I also didn't mean to kill the mood... Sorry..." Forrest apologized with an exhausted, melancholic tone.

"...I think everything turned out okay though. I got to meet such kind people in my life, like you." Forrest wistfully added with a smile. It was clearly a fake smile, designed to put Sera at ease, yet one that silently echoed a sorrowful optimism.

[Serenity Sandstalker]

Her worries were dispelled with one sentence- that's how far Forrest managed to get before trailing off. Sera watched in morbid fascination as the conflict rolled across his face, not sure if she should interrupt or steer the conversation elsewhere. Fortunately, the decision was taken from her by him apologizing profusely. "It's alright, really!" She exclaimed "Everyone has their own cross to bear, it wouldn't be right to begrudge you." His feeble attempt at a smile was just that... it did nothing to convince Sera of his happiness.

"You know, she added with an encouraging smile "You can meet more people in less secluded places... say the city or even the mess hall!"

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest dropped the façade of happiness, knowing it would be futile to keep up the false happiness when she saw right through him. After hearing Sera's response to his apology, he felt his tears return to his eyes. He felt one run down his cheek before grabbing a pocket tissue from his backpack and dabbing the tears away.

Man, why am I such a crybaby in front of Sera?... Forrest thought to himself as he wiped the tears from his eyes. His face grew distasteful and turned away slightly when Sera suggested going to the mess hall or the city to meet new people.

"I don’t want to meet lots of people, I wanna meet the ones who actually care." Forrest stated with conviction. He seemed intent on pursuing meaningful, authentic relationships with other people.

He thought for a brief moment before his gaze returned to Sera. He gave her a vulnerable look, as if he wanted her to see through him again, for he did not have the courage to physically speak the words.

So please, tell me you truly care about me, Sera... Forrest thought, hoping she would pick up the nonverbal message.

[Serenity Sandstalker]

Sera tactfully shifted her focus as Forrest dried his eyes, not wishing to deprive the poor man of more dignity than necessary- especially since she was the cause? Possibly?

She did, however, catch his face twisting up in distaste at her suggestion. However, she didn't expect the vehemence that accompanied his response. Why can't it be both? She could understand just not wanting to be around big groups, but... not everyone likes to hang out in libraries and seclude themselves- that didn't make them any less caring or sympathetic.

"You..." she seemed to change her mind in what to say last minute "People can care without sharing in the enthusiasm. In fact, some of my friendships that have lasted the longest are based not in similarities, but differences. You should broaden your horizons, see the view of others on the world. Their outlook on life is just as important as your own."

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest sat up straighter as the advice struck him like a bolt of inspiration. He seemed... surprised that he hadn't considered the outlook on other people's outlook on life. Reflecting on that made him feel selfish in retrospect. It was very solid advice, he thought. He reached into his shirt to produce a locket bearing his family crest, before opening it to reveal the portraits of two people. The left portrait contained a tanned, handsome man with brown eyes, chin-length, fiery red hair parted in the center and a stubbly beard. He was smirking and giving off an air of assurance. His facial structure seemed to resemble Forrest's. The right portrait contained a beautiful woman with long brown hair and green eyes. She had much softer features than the man, yet had a passionate intensity behind her eyes. The coloration of her hair, eyes, and skin seemed to mirror Forrest's. He looked at both portraits for a brief moment before his gaze returned to Sera.

"That was... really good advice. Thank you... Don't take this the wrong way, but your advice sounded very... motherly." Forrest replied, still astonished by the advice he was just given.

[Serenity Sandstalker]

Sera grinned sheepishly and said "I've been told that a time or two..." She glanced at his locket, briefly glimpsing the images within, and continued, "I take absolutely no offense. In fact, i enjoy being the responsible one in the friend group."

[Forrest Waldstein]

A warm smile returned to Forrest's face as Sera finished speaking. He closed and returned his locket underneath his shirt.

"Well, I guess someone has to be. That role isn't an easy one to fill. You've got to deal with the rowdy ones, the lazy ones... the sad ones..." Forrest briefly paused for a moment before resuming.

"By the way, thanks for putting up with me... I don't know, I guess I just really needed someone who's willing to put up with my emotional bullshit. That means a lot to me..." Forrest stated.

The smile this time seemed genuine, as if a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders. Forrest did feel bad for making her deal with his baggage, but given how she handled it, he felt relieved that she didn't belittle him or walk away from him. Everybody needs to vent sometimes, and Forrest was no different.