Searching for a subject

Who: Dorian and Dylan
When: Late morning
Where: NMU, Book Faire

Dylan had left the house a little later in the day than he had originally planned but he had been taken aback by the sprinkling of snow. He hadn't seen proper snow before and for a moment, he debated if he shouldn't go out. It looked cold and the streets looked wet but he wasn't driving and the worst that could happen was a slip or two on the sidewalk. Besides, it was the last day of the Book Faire and there were things he needed to buy.

It took Dylan a while to find the stall he was looking for. Nate had said the one he bought the werewolf books from was near the exit but that could have been a lot of them. He wandered through and looked at each one carefully for any sign they might stock things of a paranormal variety. He didn't even quite know what he was looking for but when he reached Nevermore, he knew he had found it. The table was covered in different supernatural books and he stared at the pictures before he found a book about psychic abilities. He flipped open to a page and took his time to read it. It looked good but he couldn't be sure. He glanced at the person behind the counter then held it out to him and leaned in conspiratorily, as if the whole thing was a secret. "This book," he said quietly. "Has it got anything about, you know, developing skills and stuff?"

"Skills for what?" Dorian said, looking up from the book he was reading towards the book in his customer's hand. "Mind reading? TK? Telling the future? Depends on which one you're looking for, and generally there's very little information on that topic written down. A lot of research though. That book," Dorian pointed to the one in his hand, "gives good information on the topic, along with the science of it, but doesn't have much on developing skills. What're you looking for? I might have something better."

Dylan looked down at the cover again as Dorian gave a brief explanation. A scientific reason as to why he had seen his brother in a dream before he ever met him would be good. Maybe it would help him to feel like less of a freak and let him know he wasn't alone. He pulled the book back and held it against his chest while he picked up another one, one entitled 'The Prophet - Past, Present, or Future', and leaned in again. "Is this any good? I'm looking for stuff about knowing things before you could possible know them, like seeing stuff in dreams or whatever."

Now Dorian set down his book and looked at the guy carefully. If he believed in this stuff, then he was making it very obvious that he knew someone that was a psychic, or was himself. While Dorian wouldn't use that information, he felt like he should tell the guy to be more careful with it. "That's a pretty good pick. Though you should know that no book is going to have everything you need, mostly because it's a touchy subject and it's rare that all the answers are in one place. Are you seeing the future in dreams, or just other people's dream?" Dorian asked. "Because that's two completely different issues."

While he hadn't been exactly subtle with what he was asking, he was surprised at Dorian's question all the same. He wasn't sure if it was because of how he asked, the idea that you could really see other people's dreams or sudden fear that he had been caught out. It showed in his face too; his eyes went wide and his jaw slackened. He didn't know anything about the paranormal but it still felt like he was breaking some sort of rule by looking it up. Enough people back home already thought he was crazy because of what he had said happened to his mother, nobody believed him about that so why would they about this too? He couldn't let them find out. He set the book down onto the table and shook his head. "No, it's not for me or anything. It's just for... for research," he lied. He flashed Dorian a smile that was a little too wide, a little too fake, and flicked the hair out of his eyes. "My dad's a writer and he asked me to get a book for it. He writes fantasy, the main character is having dreams of people they meet later."

Dorian gave a little laugh, but refrained from rolling his eyes. He could tell he'd spooked the kid, which wasn't his intention at all. It happened, though. He was surprised at the nice little story on the fly, since most people just said they were looking for a friend. "Well, if your dad's writing about a character seeing the future through dreams, then that would be a good book to start with," Dorian said, nodding towards it. It was just the basics, but he had the feeling this kid might need just the basics. Anything more advanced would be back at the store, in the not for sale section. "If he's writing about someone who walks through other people's dreams, then there are other options. I don't have any of them here, but I've got some back at Nevermore."

"That's not possible, dreams are just...your own," Dylan said before he could stop himself. In his supposed story, what did it matter if something was possible or not? It was supposed to be for a piece of fiction, novels were never really logical. You could fight a dragon or your best friend could come back to life after being killed by a barrage of arrows 60 pages before; it wasn't always a place to argue about sense and realism. He sucked on his bottom lip as he picked up the second book again and added it on top of the first one. "Um, no, I'm pretty sure he just sees this guy. I don't know, I'm not writing it but where's Nevermore? I'll tell him to stop by."

There was really no point in arguing with him, so Dorian just let it go. People were free to believe what they wanted, but he knew dreamwalkers existed. That didn't mean the dream wasn't owned by the person having it, but he was pretty sure a dreamwalker could invade another's dream without permission. It was something he needed to refresh his memory on. "Sounds like a reoccurring dream, or a psychic foretelling then," Dorian said, as if he were some expert on psychic fiction. "If he wants to stop by, or you're curious yourself, Nevermore's down on Washington and 6th."

"Washington and 6th," Dylan repeated. He glanced down at the table for some sort of business card but when he didn't see any, he looked back at Dorian. It didn't matter, he could always look it up if he forgot or maybe Frank would know. His dad had been in the town longer than Dylan's own three days and even if he didn't know where it was, he could at least drive him there once they found out. Nothing suspicious about a book store, right? He held out the first two books he'd picked and with his free hand, dug into his pocket for some of the cash Frank had given him before he left. "Here, can I get these then? Are there any others you recommend for, you know, 'research'?"

"Sure," Dorian smiled, taking the books from Dylan to check the cost. "I don't think I have any others here that fit your subject matter, but I might down at the store." He was really just trying to sell off his excess inventory, which meant that the books he had with him weren't a great representation of his total stock. Dorian read off the price of the books, then exchanged them for cash. As much as he hated sitting through the book faire, this was good publicity for the shop.

"Thanks, man." Dylan watched Dorian run the books through the register then took them and dropped them into the paper bag he'd already got at one of the other stalls when he'd picked up another book, one about the history of punk rock or something like that. It had been cheap enough to probably be an non-factual waste but he was glad of the bag now. Especially if Frank knew what the store held and was likely to ask questions if he saw one marked for Nevermore. Even if his father didn't believe in the paranormal, it would probably still worry him. Dylan understood; What other 16 year old boy could meet his brother in a dream before real life? He glanced down at his watch and though he had a while before Frank was due to pick him up, he felt awkward sticking around when the stall-keeper seemed to look at him in that knowing way. He shrugged his jacket higher over his shoulder and shot Dorian a small grin. "So, um...Thanks for that. I might stop by in the next week if that's cool? It's not important or anything, I'm just curious about it. You know, for my dad and all."

"Sounds good," Dorian said, never one to run customers away. "If you have any questions, just let me know. For research and all that." He might as well let the kid keep the story up, since he seemed so intent on it. Dorian couldn't tell for sure either way, though it was rare that people asked such specific questions when it didn't relate to them in some way. He'd just wait and see if the kid came back by the store and, if he did, what he was looking to buy. "See you around," he said, thinking that might actually be the case.

Dylan nodded and added, "Yeah, you too." He was already thinking about how he could get Nate to help him find the store, maybe even drive him there. He had already been to the stall so if he thought it looked weird for Dylan to be there and so interested in this obviously paranormal-centric stock, well, it'd just be hypocritical. He glanced over the different titles again and thumbed across one marked 'Vengeful spirits and demons' but the picture on the cover wasn't anything that special so he left it be. "Thanks, I'll see you around," he said again. He turned to walk out but then he paused and turned around a few yards from the table. "Washington and 6th, right? I'll see you in a few days then."