[Atsushi has definitely offered, repeatedly, to get Yan Qing something better and more filling than saltines, even if he himself has no appetite.]
Oh - right. I almost forgot in all the excitement.
[He pulls out his bag to retrieve a copy of Water Margin. It's not a brand new, pristine copy - rather, it's a copy that shows that it's been read many times. Not with something as awful as dog-eared pages, but subtler signs of wear and tear.]
I would be greatly honored if you were to sign my copy for me.
[It's literally fine, but if he keeps insisting, Yan Qing wouldn't mind... For now, though, the book!]
Damn, you weren't kidding. May I?
[He doesn't wait. He takes the book from Atsushi's hands, handling it with surprising care as he leafs through the pages. It's all here. The stories of the likes of Song Jiang, Wu Song, and Li Kui, printed on pages that have been turned over and over.]
Murasaki Shikibu had a copy, but I didn't think I'd get to touch one again so soon...
Yeah, I know her. She's like some sorta Chinese lit nerd. You're one too, aincha?
[But from his tone, he doesn't mean it as an insult. His eyes are on the pages, looking at them fondly as he reads a joke or funny passage from their adventures. Soon, he turns back to the title page and asks for a pen.]
Do you want this to say anything? "With all my love", something like that? I don't usually do autographs.
[Yan Qing's smile is warm and undeniably fond. Never appreciated in life, he founds something special about seeing someone read his story and remember his name. He doesn't think he'll ever tire of it.]
Take care of that, okay? I'm willing to bet that's the only copy on this entire planet. Did they ever tell ya how Servants work? The more people in the area know about the Servant, the stronger they are. And I ain't even real, so... If everything Water Margin on Earth disappears, I'm gone.
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[please maybe give him like fifteen minutes before whacking him anywhere, thank you]
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Yep.
He is leaning against the back of a bench Atsushi has chosen to rest on. They are eating saltines.]
Soooooo... You wanted me to sign something? [munch munch]
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Oh - right. I almost forgot in all the excitement.
[He pulls out his bag to retrieve a copy of Water Margin. It's not a brand new, pristine copy - rather, it's a copy that shows that it's been read many times. Not with something as awful as dog-eared pages, but subtler signs of wear and tear.]
I would be greatly honored if you were to sign my copy for me.
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Damn, you weren't kidding. May I?
[He doesn't wait. He takes the book from Atsushi's hands, handling it with surprising care as he leafs through the pages. It's all here. The stories of the likes of Song Jiang, Wu Song, and Li Kui, printed on pages that have been turned over and over.]
Murasaki Shikibu had a copy, but I didn't think I'd get to touch one again so soon...
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[Of course he does. Why wouldn't he.]
I've kept my copy in as good condition as I could over the years, but any book you've owned since childhood will be worn down.
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[But from his tone, he doesn't mean it as an insult. His eyes are on the pages, looking at them fondly as he reads a joke or funny passage from their adventures. Soon, he turns back to the title page and asks for a pen.]
Do you want this to say anything? "With all my love", something like that? I don't usually do autographs.
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Whatever you'd like - just the name would be fine if you prefer...
[He might have a heart attack at 'with all my love'.]
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Don't shoot for the stars — you're one of us now,
Yan Qing
[His handwriting is surprisingly neat.]
How's that?
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It's pretty good, you might say.]
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Take care of that, okay? I'm willing to bet that's the only copy on this entire planet. Did they ever tell ya how Servants work? The more people in the area know about the Servant, the stronger they are. And I ain't even real, so... If everything Water Margin on Earth disappears, I'm gone.
[He winks.]
So keep it safe.
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[Maybe slightly less than his life.]
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[He's going to teach a literature class and everything, you can bet Water Margin will be on the curriculum. Or at least part of it.]