Just as it might be Booker’s most unlucky day, a silver lining is just as evident. He should be thankful that that whom he had just bumped into was graceful enough to not stumble around, likely worsening the consequences of the accidental run-in. Instead, as Booker made an earnest attempt at an apology, the impressively tall yet not-as-impressively-thin figure simply... turned around. Two sets of eyes were now on the book carrier... and then, they shifted to the book itself.
Long, careful fingers of one hand extended forward, harmoniously enveloping the fallen reading material in a telekinetic aura, which brought it away from its owner’s grasp and into the owl’s.
“Ah... what a magnificent copy, is it not?” Delicately, the cover and pages of the book were inspected, inch by inch, completely disregarding any concern for rules of personal property. He seemed enamoured by the design alone. The intricacies, so palpable, so rich, so exciting. “The tanned binding... reminds me of the greatest examples of 17th-century Venecian craftsmanship. Fine paper, resistant to the passage of time... none of your modern wood pulp.”
“Have I the pleasure of meeting a truly tasteful book connoisseur, for once?” For someone who saw such value in this object, he still seemed willing to return it, as he so tenderly extended it back towards Booker.
-- // @tender-ebony
