James
*Orphiel grinned, her tiny fangs becoming visible, for a moment.* "Mm... Y-yes, me too..."

*The PALE Oni stepped back, hopping up and sitting on Sirdan's bed, dangling her legs over the side.*

"Oh, it's f-fine. I'm sure I'll l-like something you brought." *Orphiel scanned her eyes over the seven books laid out in front of her. Once she had surveyed them all, she turned to face Sirdan, a newfound look of amazement on her pale features.*

"You have so many b-books! I don't know which t-to choose first!"
Pauline
*Sirdan surveyed the books he had, and then gave the Oni another headpat, smiling at her cute expression.* 
"How cute." 

*He turned toward the books, and then set the Cuisine of Runra asides,*"I'm sure you're good at this - recipe book don't last long anyway." 

*He look at the History,*"That's a book I've mostly went through on my trip here - and I finished Dragon Tamer. I am not sure if they'll last for our whole trip, but we've got all the time in the world." 

"Other than book... What other thing you are interested in? I'm mostly a fighter - a mercenary really. I don't think you're cut out for the fighting life, but maybe I can try teaching you to pass my time?"
James
*The Oni continued to grin as she was once again patted. It seemed Sirdan liked to show his affection in more... Physical ways. Orphiel could accept that. She was not against headpats.*

*Orphiel nodded.* "Yes, you c-could say that... I think I have th-that exact same b-book in my luggage, actually..." *Orphiel went to one of her wooden trunks, digging through it and pulling out a much older, battered copy of the Cuisine of Runra.* "There! It's one of my f-favourite cookbooks."

*The chef set her battered cookbook aside, looking at the other books Sirdan held. She nodded as he went through a few of his books, eventually stopping on the one called Art of War.* "Hm. Well, I only r-really know about c-cooking, and I'm not sure r-reading a cookbook will be v-very interesting for you... So s-sure! I'd love to h-hear about your job."
Pauline
"Oh! You have books too? Do you have any I can read? I am not very proficient in Runran - but maybe there's one I know." 

*Orphiel seemed very receptive to headpat, and so he turned toward him,*"Can I keep patting your head? I really like it." *He grinned.* 

*He turned to pick up the Art of War books,*"Interested in how men kill eachother over the ages? This will be an interesting book. We humans... Have a way of being fascinated with killing, even if we do not want to experience the horror itself. There's so many actions in fictions." 

*Sirdan closed his fingers together and pushed his hands out, stretching out a bit, and then let out a long, exagerrated sigh.* 

"I come from the far south - in a land with barely any trees, plenty of grasses and horses, where the night is startlingly cold. But not as cold as Keguntan's winter. I grew up a warrior, went north to rich people's country to seek work." 

"My first job I think - involved shooting wolves and common farm animal, and I made a mini career out of hunting beasts. But then I found new opportunity - a guild called New Sunlight." 

"I fought a shield-and-sword practice duel against one of the best fighter in the guild, and ended up fighting for fifteen minutes before I bested him in the third round. Then I got promoted, and took on my first difficult quest - I had to pursue a rogue paladin. I ended up dueling her on top of a tower. We fought with shield and mace, and I pummeled her until she surrendered and I brought her back. Heard she got a few years in jail and labor to redeem for her crime. Plus, her armor sold for quite a bit." 

"Then I led two adventuerers on a quest against a bunch of smugglers - Only one of them died, and we captured the rest, all six or seven of em, lifted myself a good jug of wine too - but I don't drink."

"Then... Things went downhill. In a way. I got rich, got... What I wanted. Women and money, a house, but every task I've been assigned to do afteward... They are... Traumatizing." 

Sirdan closed his hands together, seemingly in thought.