First Table

Subject: Re: First Table Sun 14 Sep 2008, 15:21

Next ones...

Subject: Re: First Table Sun 14 Sep 2008, 16:21

"Famous Men of Greece" sounded like the title of a newspaper issue, written by a nosy female reporter, caring only about her appearance. Luckily, the book wasn't anything like that. The Bookman Helper wondered if she would've preffered the first option. All those Greeks were with strange names and, in the cases of the philosophers, had said numerous, pointless and mostly difficult things. Their words didn't stir the wanted respect in Kuchiha's mind - she respected those men for being able to pronounse such sentences and understand them afterwards. The Ancient Greeks sure were something else. She was simply amazed how so many people had come to use their philosophy, since she, who considered herself a somewhat educated peron, couldn't. The blackhead was more than glad when her torture was finished and she had grabbed the next book.
Its title read "Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won". 'Oh, great, more Greek stuff. And it's about war, once again. Why do humans take so much pride in winning something so meaningless as a war against each other?' Kuchiha furrowed one of her brows. 'I can understand the Exorcists, they were chosen by God and such things and they are fighting against non-humans for the most part. However battling against your own kind... people were the same everywhere...' the blackhead was vaguely skidding through the pages of the reading matter, since she already knew what would happen: people would die. And what do you know, they really did. The Troy had fallen by the hands of its fellow Greeks.

Subject: Re: First Table Sun 14 Sep 2008, 16:40

Next ones...

Subject: Re: First Table Sun 14 Sep 2008, 18:31

'The war,' Kuchiha scowled, 'originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". The goddesses went to Paris, who judged that Aphrodite, as the "fairest", should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women, fall in love with Paris, who took her to Troy. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and the brother of Helen's husband Menelaus, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris, the city fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans and desecrated the temples, thus earning the gods' wrath. Few of the Achaeans returned safely to their homes and many founded colonies in distant shores. The Romans later traced their origin to Aeneas, one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Trojans to modern day Italy,' and with that the blackhead had read the ending lines of the book "The Trojan War". Not that she didn't know about the ten-year war, but the book wasn't all that boring.
Now "The Wanderings of Odysseus", on the other hand, were much more interesting. Many of the man's adventures involved possible Innocence fenomenons, which caught Kuchiha's interest at once. Having read every last adventure the man had had, the girl reached the last page, where it was written in the middle of it: "King of Ithaca, husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus, and son of Laërtes and Anticlea, Odysseus is renowned for his guile and resourcefulness, and is hence known by the epithet Odysseus the Cunning. He is most famous for the ten eventful years he took to return home after the Trojan War."

Subject: Re: First Table Sun 14 Sep 2008, 18:41

Next ones...

Subject: Re: First Table Sun 14 Sep 2008, 21:23

'Alexander died after twelve years of constant military campaigning, possibly as a result of malaria, poisoning, typhoid fever, viral encephalitis or the consequences of alcoholism. His legacy and conquests lived on long after him, and ushered in centuries of Greek settlement and cultural influence over distant areas. This period is known as the Hellenistic Age, and featured a combination of Greek, Middle Eastern and Indian culture. Alexander himself was featured prominently in the history and myth of both Greek and non-Greek cultures. His exploits inspired a literary tradition in which he appeared as a legendary hero in the tradition of Achilles,' and that was the tragic end of "Alexander the Great". He was truly an unusual man, as Kuchiha noticed. He had conquered so much territory and so many nations in such a short period of time. Nevertheless, he was a person who led his soldiers to bloodshed without hesitation.
"Famous Men of Rome" was a reading matter the Bookman Helper had the feeling she had already gone through, but she remembered it was Greek men she was thinking about.
'Why do they all have to be men?' the girl wondered. Even though she knew the answer, she was still engrossed by the fact that they lived in a Man's World. Considering famous quotations, the Romans didn't fall behind in comparison to the Greeks. Many expressions were used even in the present, like Ceaser's "catch phrase" or different terms in the medicine, etc. The blackhead was now finished with reading about the famous men of Rome and her hand automatically stretched towards one of the few reamaining books.

Subject: Re: First Table Mon 15 Sep 2008, 11:13

Next ones ^^

Subject: Re: First Table Mon 15 Sep 2008, 13:07

"Julius Caesar and Ancient Rome in World History" as the title suggested was the biography of Gaius Julius Ceaser. Kuchiha had known most of the important facts, but still she needed to learn more and more... 'Much of Caesar's life is known from his own Commentaries (Commentarii) on his military campaigns, and other contemporary sources such as the letters and speeches of his political rival Cicero, the historical writings of Sallust, and the poetry of Catullus. Many more details of his life are recorded by later historians, such as Appian, Suetonius, Plutarch, Cassius Dio and Strabo,' she closed the cover and stroked it before putting it on top of the pile of read books.
"Augustus Caesar’s World" was something... like a flashback from the previos reading matter the girl had read. Only this time it was the emperor after Julius Ceaser.
'The rule of Augustus initiated an era of relative peace known as the Pax Romana, or Roman peace. Despite continuous frontier wars, and one year-long civil war over the imperial succession, the Mediterranean world remained at peace for more than two centuries. Augustus expanded the boundaries of the Roman Empire, secured the Empire's borders with client states, and made peace with Parthia through diplomacy. He reformed the Roman system of taxation, developed networks of roads with an official courier system, established a standing army (and a small navy), established the Praetorian Guard, and created official police and fire-fighting forces for Rome. Much of the city was rebuilt under Augustus; and he wrote a record of his own accomplishments, known as the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, which has survived. Upon his death in AD 14, Augustus was declared a god by the Senate, to be worshipped by the Romans,' the blackhead scoffed. Declaring a human God... it was certainly a mindless doing, considering religion. It was all in the name of authority and submission, but the Bookman Helper didn't approve much of it.

Subject: Re: First Table Mon 15 Sep 2008, 15:40

Next ones ^^

Subject: Re: First Table Mon 15 Sep 2008, 20:58

"Plutarch’s Fall of the Roman Republic" told the story of the fall of the empire through the famous man's eyes. Plutarch had thoroughly investigated and written down every detail of the late years of the Roman civilization.
'After his assassination, Mark Antony formed an alliance with Caesar's adopted son and great-nephew, Gaius Octavian. Along with Marcus Lepidus, they formed an alliance known as the Second Triumvirate. They held powers that were nearly identical to the powers that Caesar had held under his constitution. As such, the senate and assemblies remained powerless, even after Caesar had been assassinated. The conspirators were then defeated at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC. Eventually, however, Antony and Octavian fought against each other in one last battle. Antony was defeated in the naval Battle of Actium in 31 BC, and in 30 BC he committed suicide. In 29 BC, Octavian returned to Rome as the unchallenged master of the state,' Kuchiha scratched that book from her "list" after reading that after the Trigunate it had all ended. Everything...
More like a book of fairy tales and legends, "The Story of King Arthur and His Knights" was captivating with the history of the brave king and his knight's adventures. From all the information the girl had taken in, she could say only one thing for certain: King Arthur was a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. And that was all. Everything else was folklore and legends. This Excaliburg thing reminded her of the Exorcist she met in Egypt, however he wasn't carrying a big sword, but a katana. She quickly shook off the memory and reached for her next "challenge".

Subject: Re: First Table Mon 15 Sep 2008, 21:12

Next ones ^^

Subject: Re: First Table Mon 15 Sep 2008, 21:33

'While Vikings have traditionally been seen as no more than violent, acquisitive heathens, in more modern times they have sometimes been portrayed in a more heroic light. The consensus among modern historians is that they can be seen as aspirational, adventurous people, with ingenuity in ship and town construction, and a proficiency as seafarers and traders to match,' was what was written in one of the last sentences in the book "The Vikings: 350 Years of Adventure to Unlock". Barbarians or not, the blackhead had to hand it to them - they were an interesting race and a useful nation to observe and learn from. "The word Viking appears on several runestones found in Scandinavia," Kuchiha read out loud and quickly silenced herself, after realizing that. She wanted to do some research on those facts... but after she read the pile.
"Famous Men of the Middle Ages" wasn't a captivating reading matter, as the previous one, for the Bookman Helper had heard a lot about great rulers during the Middle Ages. Even though she was still new in the whole information gathering thing, she had picked up much from her journey to France. The French were really proud with their past leaders and wouldn't stop talking about them and until she had reached France, Kuchiha had went through other countries with rich history and she had memorized most of what she had heard. Tired of all the strain on her eyes, the girl lay face down on the table for a few moments before her palm was on the next book.

Subject: Re: First Table Mon 15 Sep 2008, 22:54

Next ones ^^

Subject: Re: First Table Tue 16 Sep 2008, 20:50

"Marco Polo", compared to its... simplified version, was something more intriguing. Kuchiha had her attention on the book, discovering for the first time who had actually connected the East and the West. 'Polo,' she read attentively, ' together with his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road to China (which he called Cathay, after the Khitan) and visit the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan).' She closed the reading matter, contemplating a few moments after doing so over the doings of the man. After sighing, she reached towards the next book on the now considerably small pile.
"The World of Columbus and Sons" told mostly about the discoveror of the New World, than his followers and the men that were inspired from his doings. At the last page was given the Italian's biography in short, so the Bookman Helper decided to read it and remember it better than the small details. 'Christopher Columbus (1451 – May 20, 1506) was a navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. Though not the first to reach the Americas from Afro-Eurasia preceded some five hundred years by Leif Ericson, and perhaps by others. Columbus initiated widespread contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans. With his several hapless attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, he personally initiated the process of Spanish colonization which foreshadowed general European colonization of the "New World." The term "pre-Columbian" is sometimes used to refer to the peoples and cultures of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus and his European successors.'

Subject: Re: First Table Tue 16 Sep 2008, 21:37

Next ones ^^

Subject: Re: First Table Wed 17 Sep 2008, 13:46

"Columbus, Finder of the New World" was pretty much the same and held the same information like the previous book Kuchiha had read about the discoveror. It followed the events leading up to and including the voyage of Columbus to the New World in 1492. 'On the evening of August 3, 1492, Columbus departed from Palos de la Frontera with three ships; one larger carrack, Santa María, nicknamed Gallega (the Galician), and two smaller caravels, Pinta (the Painted) and Santa Clara, nicknamed Niña after her owner Juan Niño of Moguer,' the girl yawned and continued to read until she had finished with this reading matter.
The Bookman Helper wondered why she should read a book about an English playwrighter, but guessed that she should be acquainted with the famous man. "Shakespeare and the Globe", as suggested by the name, was the story of 'William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright,' following the painfully well known procedure, the blackhead finished with one of her many books...

Subject: Re: First Table Wed 17 Sep 2008, 16:00

Next ones ones ^^

Subject: Re: First Table Wed 17 Sep 2008, 17:14

Queen Elizabeth I. A great woman, indeed. Kuchiha was currently reading "Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne" and all of the political and emotional turns really intrigued her. 'But Seymour continued scheming to control the royal family. When Catherine Parr died of puerperal fever after childbirth on 5 September 1548, he renewed his attentions towards Elizabeth, intent on wedding her. The details of his former behaviour towards Elizabeth emerged during an interrogation of Catherine Ashley and Thomas Parry, Elizabeth’s cofferer. For his brother and the council, this was the last straw, and in January 1549, Seymour was arrested on suspicion of plotting to marry Elizabeth and overthrow his brother. Elizabeth, living at Hatfield House, would admit nothing. Her stubbornness exasperated her interrogator, Sir Robert Tyrwhitt, who reported, "I do see it in her face that she is guilty". Seymour was beheaded on 20 March 1549. Elizabeth was aged 15 and a half.' The girl let out a sigh and after a few more pages closed the book and opened the last historical one, excluding the most important thing she was to read.
Her next to last task was called "Michelangelo", obviously telling the story of the artist. 'Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni,' the blackhead blinked a few times at the long name, but decided there were ones that were with more frightening sizes, so she continued reading. 'Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (March 6, 1475 – February 18, 1564), commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet and engineer. Despite making few forays beyond the arts, his versatility in the disciplines he took up was of such a high order that he is often considered a contender for the title of the archetypal Renaissance man, along with his rival and fellow Italian Leonardo da Vinci.'
"Alright!" quietly exclaimed Yoshina after closing the book and looking at her last "adventure".

Subject: Re: First Table Wed 17 Sep 2008, 17:52

Next ^^

Subject: Re: First Table Fri 19 Sep 2008, 16:02

"Bookman's Guide". The thickest, longest, oldest of all of the books Kuchiha had read so far. Having the oppinion that she was somewhat always keeping her cool, never showing any emotions, now the girl's fingers were almost trembling with excitement at the sight of the source of knowledge of the Bookman lineage. She took a deep breath and grasped the tome in her small hands, opening the cover really carefully and consuming every piece of the paper pages in front of her eager purple eyes. Yoshina didn't remember when was the last time she was so excited. This was everything a Bookman Helper needed to know: history of the previous Bookmen, and many other facts like what is known to the world. Secrets, kept carefully during the ages, facts dating back to the ancient civilizations, up to the present. The writing changed with every new Bookman; some had written down a lot, others' achievements weren't that impressive. Still, it was amazing that men were able to record so much and to preserve it till the present day.
The blackhead had halved the book, her eyes darting back and forth and with every page she turned, her curiosity got stronger. Just when she had reached the part she was so much interested in, she realized there wasn't much written and only a few pages remained.
'No, no, no! I need to learn more about the Noah clan and more importantly: the Akuma...' Kuchiha was franatically reading and turning the last pages. 'I want to learn! I need to know!' She had reached the back cover. Nothing. She hadn't found out how she could kill an Akuma without weilding an Innocence. It was after all impossible. Maybe she knew it from the start. But the records... she thought the records told it all. Then she decided she wouldn't give up and find a way. The young woman closed the book with a sore expression on her face, which quickly changed to her usual one - that of complete emotionless.

Subject: Re: First Table Fri 19 Sep 2008, 20:43

Last but not least - done ^^

A bookman helper came and said with a smile,
"I see that you are finally done. Good job! Now if you may follow me, there will be another girl with you." and he led the way to the Supplies Store.