Employees at Absolutely Fiction Books, a locally owned bookstore that opened in July, are sporting an interesting dress code for the month of October.
One employee, poet and cosplayer Megan Harbuck, was dressed as Hinata Shouyou from the popular manga “Haikyu!!” on Thursday, Oct. 27.
“It’s for the month of October,” Harbuck said. “We thought it would be fun to come in costume.”
Becky Jackson, owner of Absolutely Fiction Books, has dressed as a medieval queen for their bi-monthly event– Story Time. Another employee has dressed as a black cat.
Jackson said employees are allowed to come as any character or in any costume as long as it was done “in good taste.”
“That’s the big deal– to not offend the public,” Jackson said. “And here, anything you wear can be connected to a book.”
Harbuck is no stranger to creating a character costume and displaying it. She enjoys creating cosplays. Cosplaying is the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game, especially one from the Japanese genres of manga and anime, according to Google.
Wearing her cosplays of characters like Radical Edward from “Cowboy Bebop” or Scout from “Team Fortress 2,” Harbuck has been photographed and has gone to conventions like San Japan in San Antonio, Texas.
Harbuck started working at Absolutely Fiction Books in June.
“I was approached by them,” Harbuck said. “I didn’t know it was an interview. I got the job that I didn’t even know I was applying for.”
One of Harbuck’s favorite things about working at Absolutely Fiction is the freedom employees are allowed in the way they dress and in how they do things.
Jackson said she started Absolutely Fiction Books because Lufkin needed a bookstore, and she really loved books. Jackson enjoys seeing the joy on kids faces when they can buy a book they don’t have to return.
Absolutely Fiction Books holds a Story Time every first and third Thursday at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. One book is read at the two different times. In the past, they have held date nights, and they would like to hold another in the future, as well as a relaxing wine night.
Keep up with Absolutely Fiction Books’ Facebook and Instagram pages to hear about more offers.
