Attending a Book Club
7 January 2022
Warm.
Jasper kept thinking about their encounter with Kyth. There was a soft and comforting feeling that Kyth exuded.
Confident.
Despite being deeply in love with Abu, the loneliness of not having him around as well as the isolation from their family and friends, Jasper needed to interact with other people. Kyth was direct and self assured, traits that Jasper once possessed and desperately longed to experience again even if in someone else.
While standing in the large kitchen with the fully stocked fridge and pantry, Jasper kept flipping the business card that Kyth gave them. Despite days of procrastination, Jasper picked up the phone and called Kyth, relieved not only that Kyth remembered them but they had a K.C. Manning book club open today.
Jasper waited excitedly on the time to leave. They were driven to the location, and the driver parked on the side of the road some distance from Kyth’s house, close enough to see but far enough to not be seen.
After giving a nervous knock on the door, a smiling Kyth opened the door.
“Jasper, so lovely to see you”, Kyth said as he gave Jasper a kiss on the cheek.
Jasper smiled shyly. Seeing that Jasper would not reciprocate the kiss, Kyth simply welcomed Jasper into his home. A few people of varying ages and a mix of genders were present, socialising and eating some snacks. Kyth introduced Jasper to all the members. It was quickly apparent that this little troupe of avid Manning fans was as much a book club as a queer gathering. Jasper was still debating within themselves whether Kyth was a member of the lagabatequoi movement or an ally.
After several minutes of meeting the club members and making small talk, Kyth called everyone to gather in the lounge where he has prepared pillows, thin but soft blankets, and tea to make everyone comfortable.
They all made themselves comfortable, with Japser finding a seat right next to Kyth, delighting in a couch which seemed to want to give them a warm and long embrace.
Everyone went through their books, giving a summary of what they read and answering questions that everyone had.
Then eventually, after flowing through a few of the members, it was Jasper’s turn.
“Well”, Jasper started dramatically, “My book is Kastigar’s Lantern. I admit that one could argue it’s a bit of cultural appropriation on K.C.'s side but given that Packilvania did occupy and attempt to colonise FPS, I think she gets a little pass”.
Jasper began to explain the portion of the book that they read which consisted of a prologue explaining how a wizard/smith who made a magic lantern that protected his city from the adverse effects of time like age and poverty, and the introduction to Ulahid, a bandit and bounty hunter whose focus was the theft of a culturally and functionally significant part of the city’s existence.
Royalty, one of a members of the club responded, “Hmm, I get the sense that using allusions to Paxist mythology was K.C.'s way on navigating the image that Paxism attempts to exhibit as a religion when in the grand scheme of things, it’s not too far from stories and dreams”.
Reign, Royalty’s twin, replied, “To add to that, I don’t even think the intention was that deeply thought. I think K.C. Manning simply liked the aesthetic of Paxism. Paxism as a wallpaper on the walls of a room whose focus is really civilizational survival and altruistic obligations of developed nations”.
Kyth turned to Jasper and asked, “What do you think?”
Jasper thought through the points raised by Reign and Royalty, but kept being ached by how much they missed home and felt lost, relying solely on one man for their survival and purpose, “I think it represents love but the kind of love that you depend on, that you desperately need and that is far from you despite being close to it. Ulahid wants that lamp, Ulahid wants what the Yarahanians have but he can’t have it and that’s Kastigar’s Lantern”.
As Jasper said that they seemed to retreat into themselves, their voice gradually declining in volume and vibrance with their eyes fixed on a point on the coffee table.
Kyth leaned towards Jasper and placed his hand on their shoulder, asking, “Are you alright”.
Jasper snapped out of their funk and reassured everyone that they are fine. Their appearance begged to differ