The Books of Wonder

[Super Weegee]

(Matthew Hunt continued from Bungee Jumper Lab)

"...so I can't get that one. Bloody hell."

That's how Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series would say it, anyways.

Matthew just finished adding up the total price for all of the seven books using his phone and saw that the last book, Deathly Hallows, was just a bit out of his price range. His dad was generous enough by lending him sixty dollars to buy some stuff, but he did notice the reluctance on his father's face as he was handing it to him. What, was he planning to buy something super special for his darling wife?

However, he felt a strong urge to try to squeeze a bit more money out of him, as he was short of the eight dollars he needed to buy it. That quickly dissolved, however, as it would require a quite a bit of walking and he's not a fan of second trips.

The movies themselves were good, but they can't go into as much detail as the books can. Things have to be cut for the sake of time and everyone involved in its production has to tread carefully. If anything important gets cut, it'll lead to massive plot holes and the movie suffers as a result. There were definitely more pros than cons for the Harry Potter adaptions, though.

Sighing, Matthew continued to look around the bookstore. Who knows? There might be a few more interesting novels that might catch his eye. Maybe he might get addicted to a brand new series that nobody heard about!

...He put his hand on his face as he realized what he just thought. Why would there be sequels of something if nobody is buying it? It makes no sense.

Someone out there might be a fan of obscure franchises, though.

[Ryuki]

Yuki was exploring and examining the shelves of the bookstore like an archeologist examining hieroglyphics in an ancient temple. She was on the hunt for a certain book. A book that will enhance her adventures in a distant world. It would be beneficial not only to her, but also her fellow adventurers.

Yuki was searching for a new campaign book for her Dungeons and Dragons group. While they haven't followed an official campaign, she was looking for inspiration to start a new one. She figured there would be a DnD campaign in this bookstore in stock, if not, she could try the Barnes and Noble at the mall. Her search brought her to the fantasy section, where she spotted Matthew Hunt from Ms. Prescott's English class. He was looking at the Harry Potter series, a series she herself was fond of.

She had been reading Harry Potter since elementary school and still enjoys the series to this day. However, it had been a while since she had read any of the books, so her knowledge on the series might be a bit fuzzy. Then, Yuki had a sudden idea. If she couldn't find a campaign book, perhaps she could look to her other book for inspiration instead.

[Super Weegee]

Looking at his phone again, Matthew was considering buying The Way of Kings and The Name of the Wind, due to how high they were rated. The only problem is that they're both unfinished. The Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy was closest to finishing, though, while the next book in Stormlight Archive series wasn't coming out until 2020...

Besides, he can't even afford them because of the Harry Potter books, which he wasn't going to compromise on. He put the books on his wishlist before closing the tabs and putting away his phone. The new series are going to have to wait. The wizarding world is where it's at right now! If he went to Hogwarts, he would definitely be a Ravenclaw for sure, with Hufflepuff being a close second. Slytherin was where all the evil wizards and Death Eaters go, and he didn't even know if he qualified to be in Gryffindor.

After pulling out the first couple Harry Potter books, Matthew saw Yuki browsing the other books besides him. Like him, she seemed to be also looking for some books to read. Maybe she can recommend what he should buy next. He put the books in his paper bag before walking over to where she's at.

"Hey, Yuki," he said, "What book are you looking for?"

[Ryuki]

"Hmm?," Yuki mumbled as Matthew came over, "Well, I was looking to see if this store had any Dungeons and Dragons campaign books. Have you seen any?"

Yuki wasn't sure if Matthew had an interest in tabletop games, but she figured she would ask anyway. Heck, may as well tell her story, just to make conversation.

"I have a group of friends that I play DnD with, and I was hoping to find inspiration for a new campaign," she explained, "then I saw the Harry Potter series and thought I could get inspiration from those instead."

Then again, Harry Potter wasn't the only series she was fond of. She did have another series that caught her interest a while back, but she doubted they were sold here in a local bookstore.

[Super Weegee]

Matthew's eyes began scanning the shelves for some of the Dungeons and Dragons books.

"That kind of depends." Matthew said, "Which campaigns did you do already?"

He really hoped that Yuki wouldn't go in-depth about the campaigns, seeing as he didn't play the games. Even if he wanted to, the series doesn't really seem beginner friendly despite what some people online kept saying about it.

"If you're looking for an official D and D version of Harry Potter, then you're out of luck." he said, looking back at Yuki, "There might be an unofficial one out there, though, considering how popular it is."

[Ryuki]

Interesting. If there was a DnD inspired Harry Potter game, most likely you'd find it online.

"Well," Yuki said, " we've been playing Out of the Abyss most recently, but we figured we needed to start on something more up to date."

Yuki wanted to surprise the group with a new campaign. That way when they finish playing the current campaign, they wouldn't have to worry about playing the same game again. Variety is the spice of life as they say.

"Have you ever played DnD before?", Yuki asked.

[Super Weegee]

"I might have sounded like I knew what I was talking about," Matthew said, "but in all honesty, I don't know a thing about D&D."

As he was talking, he found the section where the D&D books were and decided to pull out a random campaign.

"Oh, how about this?"

He proceeded to pull out one of the Dungeons and Dragons boards called Xanathar's Guide to Everything and showed it to Yuki. Matthew then read the back of it, which said that it was to be used with the fifth edition.

That...sounds like it was more up to date, at least.

[Ryuki]

Xanathar's Guide to Everything! Yuki had read about it on Amazon. That has new subclasses for character classes, new spells and racial feats. That would add a lot of new variety for new campaigns.

Yuki took the book from Matthew and looked inside. The book seemed to have been in near mint condition. Why would anyone trade this in if it was in good shape?

"Wow! Thanks Matthew", Yuki exasperated, "This may be what I was looking for."

Yuki looked at the price tag. $30 dollars was cheaper than she expected. Luckily, she was frugal enough to save a few weeks worth of allowance to purchase it.

Before she went to the register, she looked at Matthew.

"Hey," she began, "if you want, you can come check out our DnD group."

[Super Weegee]

Looking at the books in his bag, Matthew shook his head.

"Nah, sorry, " he said, "I kind of have stuff to do right now."

That was a lie. Sure, he could read the books as soon as he got home like an ecstatic fanboy, but considering the fact that it was Harry Potter they were talking about, it isn't exactly urgent to do so.

Being with the D&D group would almost certainly screw with his schedule, in all honesty. Matthew's eyes looked down towards the ground in thought as he tried to find out how to say it without coming off as kind of dickish.

[Ryuki]

"Oh," Yuki said, half disappointed, "Alright, if you say so."

Yuki wasn't too disheartened by Matthew turning down her offer. Still, she thought she'd ask.

"Thanks again for the book," she continued, " I'm sure the others will be pleasantly surprised."

The Dungeons and Dragons group was one of the things that helped Yuki, not only in creating fantasy stories, but also making new friends. It was comforting to be around other people with an interest in crafting narratives. She also had book club, in which she surrounds herself with those that enjoy literature like her. That's the same reason she likes going to bookstores. She enjoys the quiet environment, making it easier to engross herself. Sessions with the DnD group can a little lively, but she doesn't mind that either. She gets pleasure from seeing others enjoying something she does. Hopefully, she'll feel that pleasure with this new campaign book.

"I'll see you later," Yuki said as her back turned, " Let me know how you like Harry Potter."

(Yuki Hayashibara continued elsewhere...)

[Super Weegee]

"I will," Matthew said as he waved, "See ya."

Letting out a silent breath of relief, he looked at the section where the other D&D books were at. The idea of having free control over your own character in an established world sounds like a brilliant one.

He frowned, however, at the thought that it can be ruined by one person, who can unknowingly ruin the whole experience. He didn't want to say it, but quite frankly, he didn't want to be that person. If a campaign had a ton of details, both large and small, then he was bound to forget some of them.

Pushing that thought out of his mind, Matthew checked the time on his phone. He had quite a bit of time to spare, so he decided to delay walking home for a bit and decide if the books were worth buying,

Pulling out the Sorcerer's Stone book from his bag, he turned to the first page and mumbled quietly as he read:

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal."

He chuckled a bit. Oh, they were normal, all right. He certainly didn't see how they can be considered not normal.

(Matthew Hunt continued elsewhere)