The Bksllr

This is the journal of Meri, the capybara bookseller. Prompted by Fox Curio's Floating Bookshop, a solo journalling game.

[thebksllr]

But I haven't told you about the Bookshop.

First of all, it is floating. It doesn't really have an aft of a bow, but when sailing around, I like to have the main entrance be at the back.

The first thing patrons notice is that the floor slants lightly to the left. At first, it bothered me, but now I know that if I'm looking for a fallen pen or coin, I can start investigation at starboard.

A thing only regulars notice, are the suspicious claw marks on the wooden floor. I have no idea how they happened. Clients of the smaller kind (mouse, hamster,..) told me that was the sign of an eagle. Maybe one of the previous owners ? But that must have been a long time ago because no one has seen an eagle for seasons...

When I came for the job interview and then moved in, I didn't have many belongings with me but three are of interest :

I had a hand-drawn an illustrated map of the land. It is full of suggestive tales. The River is central, colored in a deep, hypnotizing blue.

A porcelain teapot that belonged to my grandmother. Opposite the main entrance is a small deck with a table and three chairs. When I feel sociable, I offer tea.

On the counter, near the cash-register, I put the small golden statue of Gaïa I inherited from my aunt. I'm not a believer, but she was, and I know it would please her that I keep it near me. She'd say it's protecting me and would bring luck.

These pieces I added to an already baroque decoration constitued by all the previous owners : there must have been many, with wildly different personalities and they must have traveled a lot.

I found a sturdy, faded blue jacket hung in the corner on the second day, that I made mine. Took me a week to discover a small golden key fallen into the lining. Still figuring out what it may open.

A tapestry depicting a beheading or maybe it's just a group of animals playing with a ball and the ball is a face ? I don't know, it's hard to decipher. Children are afraid of it but I couldn't bring myself to remove it.

On a small wooden shelf, a mug with the words "River's Best Dad". The mug is actually glued to the shelf. Sometimes I wonder if River is someone with two dads and chose one...

I'm going and try drawing the floor plan of the shop now and I'll get back to you, reader, to tell you my adventures.

[thebksllr]

My name is Meri. I'm a young capybara.

A few years ago, I saw an ad for the job of Bookshop Assistant in the The Flowing Times and enquired. My resume was very scarce and my cover letter very generic. I actually did not really know what I wanted to do with my life. My studies just ended and though I was a good student in my department, I was not really interested in the subject. But I thought maybe the Floating Bookshop would allow me to see more of the world. Books themselves had always been a way to go on adventures ever since I was a young cub, from the comfort of my bed. Now I could only imagine the thrill of actually travelling The River !

I received a response that materialized as a letter with a single word on it :

Come !

I went. The Bookshop was moored and, as you would expect, Floating. I knocked. No one answered. I sat, waiting for the owner to come back from their errand. I waited for the best part of an hour. I tried the door. It wasn't locked. I entered. Feeling like I was trespassing, I went back outside.

At that exact moment, an old lizard came upon me and asked for help finding a book for their grandson's birthday. "I am not the Bookseller" I replied. "Ok, whatever, but can you help me son ? I really need a present, the party has already begun !". Then a wren needed a self-therapy book, a platypus asked for a good thriller and a few hours later I had sold a dozen books.

They say that those born under a Brimming moon (I am from the 16th) are fast-moving, adaptable and those few hours on the Floating Bookshop seemed to have proved it. They say we get caught up with ideas and swept away by others and obsessions and I was : each new request was a brain tease and each patron a challenge. They say we are fidgety and dislike sitting still and I thrived running around the bookcases, stacks and displays. They also say we make excellent water guides, called ❦riverstriders but that, I'll let you, reader, be sole judge from what you read in this journal.

[thebksllr]

Welcome to the River; a flowing path born at the mountain’s feet. In her high narrows, barely two boats fit lengthwise; a furious pounding of water. From these rocky ravines, she threads her way through the land, until she reaches the Great Sea. Quiet and slow-moving in these lowlands, she provides homes for those who live upon her waters and food for those who live beside her.

Fox Curio's Floating Bookshop