#altho if you spill cherry juice on a first edition... that might do it

[whomuses]

"Oh, I don't know. Books are meant to be enjoyed!" he objected, but his tone was light as he 'pish poshed' an arm in the air, waving it back and forth with a smile on his lips. "As fun as a biting book might be, I would rather someone be so engrossed in a book they not want to bring it back. Of course, rare or valuable tomes are quite a different thing, do not doubt that - but such things would be under heavy protective spells and never actually leave the library itself. We would only lend those we can provide more of. A little weathering, a stain, a dog-ear - they are just signs that a book has been loved. That's how I see it, regardless."

His favourite tomes had broken spines and messy pages, had tea marks on their edges or thinning where they had been thumbed through so often. His grimoire - although he rarely took it out any more - was a hodge-podge mess and definitely had more than it's fair share of potion damage. But that was why he had loved it so. It was meant to be a mess! Those with perfect smooth pages had clearly rarely used them…

"The anti burning spell is for your benefit more than anything." he said, softly, "I wouldn't want you to find it in flames when you were just trying to enjoy a good yarn."

He looked over her shoulder, smiling warmly at her comment about it. He chuckled just slightly - not cruel, but imagining Karlach's mother. From what he knew of Karlach, and her parents, he had no doubt they were immensely kind and lovely individuals. Despite her rage, and her loss, Karlach was… well. She was fantastic. She didn't deserve a fraction of the cruelty she had undergone. When they first met, he had, admittedly, thought her somewhat naïve - but now, well. He knew far better. Her kindness, her softness - a choice, not foolishness.

"Oh, don't worry, she'll get over it." he said, with a chuckle, "Thinks quite highly of you really, although she would kill me for admitting such a thing. But - ah - yes. I do hope it brings you some - some joy, my dear."

Karlach couldn't help a fond smirk as Gale returned to his usual grandiloquent self. Despite Gale not mentioning such a thing, Karlach still found it endearing that Gale care enough about their friendship to be so incredibly nervous about insulting her. Small moments like this would never go unappreciated by her again. After so long in the Hells, it was sweet relief to be around such caring individuals again.

"Ah, you'd make a mean librarian." Karlach taunted. "I can see you putting spells on the books so if they're even one minute past the deadline they'd start attacking the lender." She chuckled a little at the visuals, holding up the book he gifted her a little as she continued her point. "If that's the case, I'll look after this one, Mr Librarian! No need to hunt me down to return it."

Another short chortle before she brought the book to her open hand, opening it and leafing through the pages. "Huh, I remember this one," She mused as she scanned over the index of the short stories titles. "My Mum used to tell it to me. Though she put her own spin on it here and there. Called it 'creative liberties'. Would use voices for the different characters-" Karlach had an almost dreamlike look on her face, as if she was seeing that scene she described rather than the book in front of her. But she rather suddenly snapped out of it and cleared her throat. "Ah but you don't want to hear about that. W-Well, if you're not going to let me make it up to you, maybe I'll just keep an eye out and look out for something nice for you. And Tara of course... She still hasn't forgiven me for burning the fish."