The Bookbelt, Saturday

[bookbeltof_love]

"Ummmmmmmmmmmm................."

Nina didn't, like, quite know how the books had discovered she'd written basically a novel for her class (and it was a terrible, terrible novel but she loved it fiercely) but today, like, they were..........

"Like, really," she said, leaning over to look at Getting Your Book Published for Dummies and Self-Publishing for Dummies, "I think I'm, like, good thanks????????????????????"

The books shuffled around insistently.

"And, like, I'm sure there's references out there that don't insult me in the title?????????????????"

The books paused.

"That's right," Nina scolded them, "you think about that for a bit while I get things open!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The Bookbelt is Open!

[And OCD free!]

Comments

[hashtag_chocobro]

Prompto had a certain restlessness to him that day (okay, okay, he had a certain restlessness to him every day, but that wasn't the point), that not even his usual morning run around the island would settle, which meant he was then swinging by the Bootbelt.

"Niiiiiinnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaa," he whined his greeting as he came in looking ready to just flop onto whatever surface seemed the most floppable.

Because, when in doubt, 'bug Nina' always was a good option.

[bookbeltof_love]

Well, there were all the comfy reading chairs over by the window... he might have to shoo a few books off of them, but...

"Prooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmpttttttttttooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Nina replied, in kind, because how could she not?

She surveyed him and, deciding that nothing seemed immediately tragic and out of place, plopped her hands in her chin on the counter and grinned at him. "What's up??????????????"

[hashtag_chocobro]

Or those books could just get flopped on for not moving fast enough, too.

"Not a whole lot," he said, sighing just a touch dramatically. "Which is the problem, especially since I need a break from puppy helmets. Entertain me!"

If anyone could do that in a pinch (well, except for Noct, but he was busy with stupid prince stuff today, apparently), it would be Nina.

[bookbeltof_love]

"Oh, like, I don't know............," she said, giggling. "Like, I'm not getting paid to entertain you........... so how would I know if it's worth my while???????????"

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Well," said Prompto, tilting his head and looking thoughtful for a moment, "I guess you could have my undying devotion and gratitude, or something...."

Which, sure, she already had, but still! It was a good offer!

[bookbeltof_love]

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiine," Nina sighed, as if put-upon, when in reality she was perfectly happy to have him around. "How about a drink, first?????????? I've got tea and water and coke or ginger ale??????????????"

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Mmmmm, coke, maybe?" asked Prompto, as if there could have been any other answer, and as if he actually needed more caffeine right now. "Yeah, that's sounds good.

"Sooooo," he took a moment to look around because he actually hadn't really been in here that much, if at all, "what's new and exciting in the world of books?"

[bookbeltof_love]

"They want me to get into publishing," Nina said, rolling her eyes as she ducked into the back room. "Be right back!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

One of the the Dummies books sidled on over to Prompto, flipping pages at him beseechingly.

[hashtag_chocobro]

Prompto was pretty impressionable; that beseeching page flip was really all it took to convince him to idly pick up the book and start leafing through it a little.

"I mean," he called after her as he skimmed, "it's not a terrible idea?"

Yes, Prompto. Yes, it actually was.

"You think you'd use a pen name? A nom de plume, as it were?"

Oh, so you knew French phrases, Prompto, but not the Latin that was your name and the name of all your friends?

[bookbeltof_love]

"Of course I'd use one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she protested as she came back with his coke and a bowl of almonds for snacking.

Not just any almonds though. They were blueberry flavoured.

"But, like, I couldn't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Why not?" asked Prompto. "Your stories are great, Nina!"

Not, like, from a literary standpoint, or anything, but the entertainment value alone!

"I mean, just look how much everyone loves Sir Foomy's adventures online!"

[bookbeltof_love]

Well.

He'd probably get less entertainment value out of her terrible fanfic of Sidon and Noctis, if he knew.

"I mean, like, truuuuuuuuuuuuuue," because even she couldn't deny that Sir Foomy was incredibly popular. "But, like, between basically four jobs and filming Sir Foomy and working on Shuri's challenge, like, when am I supposed to???????????????"

Probably in the time you found to make gloves for Mae, Nina.

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Yeah, okay," Prompto allowed, "I could see time being a legit excuse
And I'd definitely agree that the last thing you probably need right now is more projects."

[bookbeltof_love]

"I do enjoy a good project," Nina admitted as she reached for an almond.

Then she paused.

"Do you have any projects???????????????"

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Other than Puppy Bowl?" asked Prompto, who then shook his head, though there was a good chance he might be forgetting something. "Pretty much just survive until graduation."

Which around here really could take a concentrated effort, so don't even!

But there had been a pause before she asked, and so now Prompto was pausing in kind.

"...why?"

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina gave him a look that was replete and dripping with innocence.

"Well, like, I mean, since you're bored..................."

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Yessss, aaaaannndddd......?" Prompto asked, because, on the one hand, Nina knew that if she had to ask him something, she could just go ahead and ask, but, on the other hand, they definitely wouldn't be...them if they didn't drag it out and be extra about it, either.

[bookbeltof_love]

Talking in circles was the only way to talk to each other!

"I mean, like..............."

She pursed her lips and then heaved a sigh.

"No, never mind, I wouldn't want to take up your valuable time......."

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Oh, yeah," Prompto snorted. "I'm, like, sooo super busy and everything, trying to get through this..." He looked at the title, finally of the book that he'd picked up, "Publishing E-books for Dum-- Hey!"

Now he was frowning at the book and what it seemed to be implying here.

"But, no, seriously, Nina, I am so bored. Please, please, plleeeeeaaaase give me something to do."

There was, however, a pause.

"As long as it's not, like, too hard or anything."

It was Nina. It probably wouldn't hurt to specify.

[bookbeltof_love]

"Thank you," she said fervently. "They, like, don't get why I'm offended by their titles either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It was rude!

Nina picked up a pen, twirling it thoughtfully.

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Yeah, seriously, little book buddies," Prompto told it, shaking his head. "I don't think the best way to reel in readers is by, you know, insulting their intelligence right off the bat.

Said the person who had just been reading it.

But he'd been reading it just because it was there, which was different.

[bookbeltof_love]

"Like, it's just rude to start a conversation off on that foot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Nina agreed, snagging another almond to eat.

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Speaking of conversations," said Prompto, snorting slightly, "I'm starting to feel that you might be focusing on the rudeness of these books as a conversation to distract away from whatever it was you were scheming about earlier..."