(It is just before Christmas. Our office is small and has a Secret Santa every year. [Coworker #2] and I have similar nerdy interests, but [Coworker #1] does not.)

Coworker #1: “I don’t know what to get [Coworker #2]. You like the same kinds of things she does. Any ideas?”

Me: “She likes Zelda and Nightmare Before Christmas and Avengers; you could try going to [Alternative Store #1] or [Alternative Store #2].”

Coworker #1: “I don’t know what any of those words you just said mean.”

Me: “Well, she also likes Harry Potter. You could get her something from that. I think her house is Ravenclaw.”

Coworker #1: “Now you’re just making words up.”

(At the shop where I work, I have a broader range of general knowledge than my coworkers, so they often ask me my opinion on weird or unusual donations, to the point where I’m known as the “official valuer” of stuff no one knows how to price. Usually, it’s collectibles I look up on the internet on my phone, or technology, as I’m the youngest one there, but today it’s a little different.)

Manager: “Here, [Coworker], look at this ring. Do you think it’s silver?”

Coworker: *checks the ring* “I don’t think that’s a hallmark; it’s got some kind of weird writing on it, but I can’t make it out.”

Manager: “Oh, yeah, that is writing. It’s weird, though; it’s like Welsh, or something.”

Coworker: “Give it to [My Name]; she’s got good eyes.”

Me: “Yeah, the person with glasses has good eyes, okay.”

(I take the ring, look at it for a second, and then burst out laughing.)

Manager: “What? Does it say something stupid?”

Me: “It’s Elvish.”

Coworker: “What?”

Me: “Tolkien. Lord of the Rings?”

Manager: “Oh, never seen it.”

(I guess I can see why she didn’t recognise it, but why did she think it was Welsh?)

This story is part of the Tolkien-themed roundup!

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(I am a woman in my mid-twenties. I recently decided that I wanted to learn about superhero comic books. They seemed like something I would like, so I started into the comic book world, not knowing what I was really doing. I read books from the library for a while and learned about the universes a bit, and then, feeling that I had a little bit of footing, went to a comic book store to buy some of my own. I get to the comic book store and realize that it’s more overwhelming than I ever imagined. I have come from a meetup with friends, so I am wearing makeup, heels, and a dress. I go up to the desk and smile.)

Me: “Hi. I’m new the comic book world, and I was wondering if you’d be able to help me choose.”

(The words are like magic, and the man’s smile lights up, and four other customers also flock to me.)

Store Employee: “What have you read, what do you like, and what haven’t you liked?”

Me: “I’ve mostly enjoyed superheroes.”

Store Employee: “DC or Marvel? Which heroes?”

Me: “I tend to like heroes that are good to their cores. So, I haven’t enjoyed Deadpool or Iron Man, because they’re selfish people that just end up helping by accident. I like Captain America a fair bit, but my favorite is Hawkeye, because he’s good without needing praise. I like Marvel more, because DC has intricate villains, but really vanilla heroes. That’s why I like Hawkeye. He’s clinically depressed; no one has diagnosed him, but he still fights through and saves people.”

(They spent fifteen minutes telling me about their favorite series and helping me navigate all the different sub-universes within the universes, and they were fantastically helpful. I also had three of them ask for my number.)

(I’m well-known around my work as being a Pokémon fan, having been one since before I started working here about 17  years ago, so it is no surprise when I start playing “Pokémon Go”. A coworker’s little girl, who’s about four, is obsessed with Pokémon as well. One day, my coworker swings by our work while I’m working, to drop some supplies off. As she and I are chatting, her daughter is running around the place playing “Go”.)

Me: “Did you pick up [Item]?”

Coworker: “Yeah, it’s on the back table.”

Daughter: *running up to us* “Mommy! I caught a Pidgy!”

Coworker: “You know, [Daughter], [My Name] plays Pokémon, too.”

Daughter: “We can play together!”

Me: “That’s okay, hun; I’m supposed to be working.”

Daughter: “Okay!” *runs off again*

(A few minutes later she runs up to us again.)

Daughter: “I just caught an Oddish!”

Me: “Exciting! Those are kind of uncommon.”

Daughter: “Yeah!”

(She runs off again, and we resume talking, and [Daughter] returns again in few minutes.)

Daughter: “I found a Jigglypuff!”

Me: *to coworker* “Excuse me; I’m gonna go catch this too…”

Coworker: *laughs*

(At my school, there is a storm drain in the middle of the playground. Nobody thinks much of it until we hear someone yell.)

Kid: “HEY, THERE’S A POKÉMON CARD IN THERE!”

(Everyone rushes over and looks down. Sure enough, there is a Pokémon card lying face down at the bottom of the storm drain. Every day, for about a month, everyone tries to open the cover or stick things through to try to get the card, but to no avail. One day, everyone is called by the principal into the auditorium for a surprise assembly.)

Principal: “Today I want to talk to you about safety. I have noticed for a while now that everyone seems to be crowding around the storm drain at recess. That is very unsafe, and there is no reason why anyone should try to mess with the cover… because I got the Pokémon card.” *he pulls a worn, crumpled up Pokémon card from his back pocket* “As you can see, it’s just a Pidgey, nothing special.”

(Thinking that this was just a way to get us to stay away from the storm drain, we still looked in to check at recess. The Pokémon card was gone.)