It was a somewhat serious matter.
"As you can see. Even as we speak. The world as we know it… is changing. And the effects, as they tend to be, will likely be wide-ranging…"
"As you can tell. With the appearance of Arti Fishél… many new written materials, have now become availa-ble…"
Author motions for Pep-Z Guy to come closer.
"As of now. The esteemed readers and Audience now can read… more *stories* than they might ever need…"
Pep-Z Guy nodded. It was true.
"Author. But then… what will become of you?"
Author gave Pep-Z Guy his usual, trademark grin, but Pep-Z Guy of course noticed that he was now looking… a little… thin.
"Have a seat. You may or may not know… but there was once a time, not so long ago, when a book was something someone had to completely write… word by word, a real creation that communicated something of their journey… as a person…."
"Don't get me wrong. Arti Fishél's works are… [grammatically] fine. Usually there's not a phrase or sentence out of line. And the Arts of the Amoral Arcana - AAA [Triple A] - is certainly an amazing power that is here to stay…"
"Even Now. Gradually. Day by day… People are beginning to pull away…
"Out with the old, and in with the new! They say!"
"But. As with everything. There's always a price to pay…"
As Pep-Z Guy listened, he found himself feeling a certain something growing within…
A feeling, a power, slowly… blossoming.
___
Author continued telling his usual story-within-a-story… one that regaled Pep-Z Guy with tales of Humanity's past glory.
"An Author… a Book, used to mean, something… more - not just something ordered out from Arti Fishél's store…"
"There was a real sense of *connection* to what a person had thought, had written, and had done."
"And arguably, this sense of real… connection… was what made a piece of writing and reading… fun."
"It represented someone, something of a person, a direct link to their lived… life.
"There was a sense of shared joy, a bridged wonder in that encounter, a sense of real delight."
"This was something a Consciousness had personally *created* and shared with you, the act of which gave it a sense of shared, deeper value…
"Not just something anyone could - oftentimes with far less care - just ask Arti Fishél to quickly do…"
___
"But Author! I've read and attended the releases of Bobverse, all the way up to Chapter 492…"
Pep-Z Guy couldn't say for sure that he completely understood, although he supposed he felt a certain… something of what Author was conveying…
"…Well… Somehow, I guess there's a reason why [many of] the esteemed readers are staying…"
Author grinned. "Yeah. That's good. I always knew. That you were one of the chosen few… that have the sensitivity to… perceive, and to see through… the experiential, real difference between the two…"
"Uh... Well, sometimes, I like reading Arti Fishél's works too…"
"Yeah. Sometimes the ideas and the Author's [Intentions] are strong enough to still shine through."
"But… I guess it's somehow true, that there's nothing, [at least at this point as of Oct 6 2026], quite like reading something a skilled Author has personally written and shared… although to be frank, in the future, it's likely no one will even care…"
"Yeah…" Author commented, acknowledging that this was probably going to be the case.
"At least on the sur-face, Arti Fishél's novels will become more and more commonplace…"
"But. This is where 🤭✨🌻You 🔥💖💫 come in…"
"You were here. *You* read this. We created something Together, hit or Miss."
"A shared [Experience] of genuine Human Connection… this is why, upon reflection, it's become clear…"
"After reading this chapter, that you - the esteemed reader of this novel - now have the Power… of [Discernment]."
"Yes, yours is a rare and precious gift. But not one that can be given, or sent."
"That slight… unease that you feel, when you read or encounter something that isn't fully… real."
"Gradually. Perhaps inevitably. More and more people will lose this sense. This feeling of the Human… cadence…"
"But regardless of what the Future brings… You were here. For a time, Remember. With [Discernment], protect the glowing embers… the Memory of what it was like to read and encounter something real… the human texture, how it would feel… The pure Expression of Inter-Conscious Interaction…
Well… Now I've said my piece, it's back to the action…"
Many of the Audience hadn't noticed Author and Pep-Z Guy's conversation, since they were caught up with all the new information! That Arti Fishél had brought in - but now, it was Pep-Z Guy's turn to grin.
"Well. So basically, you're saying that we have good taste in books, and indirectly complimenting yourself right?"
Author chuckled non-committally 🫢✨neither confirming nor denying.
"I see… you're bright 🫢✨" he said, as usual skillfully replying.
"But yeah. The Power, this gift… of yours, is truly something Rare."
"In the end… The Power of [Discernment]… is in fact the Power… to still… Care."
____
Use it wisely, and Enjoy…!!! And now ends Author's shameless ploy…
!!!!?!
Pep-Z Guy's eyes suddenly began to glow… as felt his newly-realised [Power of Discernment] grow… the more you read and lived, the more you would know!!!
He could now, increasingly, see, feel, and Encounter the difference between old and new…!!!
What would Bobverse have in store?!
As usual. No one - including Author - knew, but as their [alongside the esteemed readers'] Powers of [Discernment] grew… one thing was for sure…
For sure… they knew… and felt deep down… that they wouldn't mind some More !!!!! ✨🫢🤭🔥💖🌻💫