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A. Z. Fell & Co OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Who: Aziraphale & EVERYBODY, consider this an open mingle post
When: right before the snatched plot
Where: A. Z. & Co, the book shop / café
What: The opening of the book shop! Finally
Warnings: N/A for now
“Welcome!”
Reads the white and golden banner in front of the shop. After much work, panic, steps back and indecision Aziraphale has finally decided the book café is finally ready to actually be open to the public. You shall find the angel at the entrance, nervously playing with his ring between greeting people and making sure everyone has everything they need. He’s made sure to tell everyone about the opening, putting up as many posters and sending as many fliers as he could afford, while also relying on the good old mouth-to-mouth to make sure everyone knew when the great opening was going to be. It will last a few days, as these things tend to do, so nobody should worry if they aren’t able to make it to the big opening on the first day. It’s not like Aziraphale expects a big success, money is definitely not the reason he’s doing this. But if it’s enough to keep his little book café open, he’ll be delighted.
Aziraphale and those who’ve agreed to help and work with him will be seen puttering around the place, making sure everything is as perfect as it can be.
a. The books
A. Z. Fell & Co is a pretty big business- but no one who knows Aziraphale should be surprised, because the more space he has for his books the better. And the shelves are as filled as they can be, he’s definitely made sure of that. It’s taken him… a lot of time, and a big part of his money (bye sweets he craved, bye expensive foods, how he misses miracling things his way) but his collection has ended up pretty nice if he says so himself.
Most of the books are from the city itself. There are a few story books, magic books, some theater plays and everything else Aziraphale could get his extremely demanding hands on. Back home he’d specialized on antique books, but he can’t be as picky in this place… but he’s definitely tried his best to get as many old books as he was able to. He visited many libraries during his visits to Dorchacht, both before and after the revolution, so even though he hasn’t managed to bring as many books from there as he’d have liked to there’s definitely some as well, if anyone is curious about it.
But a lot of the collection is from books from all over the many universes people have been pulled from. Aziraphale got some books from his own book shop back home, thanks to the mirrors. But people have also offered their own, and even written their own versions to be featured. It’s a perfectly imperfect collection that not even all the antique books he had back home could compare to. Not even the signed first editions. The angel is still very humbled at how much people have offered to help. And if anyone needs help with the translation, the enchanted reading glasses should do the trick, deciphering every language into one the wearer is able to understand.
Now, Aziraphale’s priority has always been to keep the books safe. And to that purpose, he will do his absolute best to make sure the books are kept in the store, where they belong, where he can take care of them. And so, even though using spells to attack has hardly been his priority, he’s asked some local witches to help him cast spells on the books so they cannot be damaged or stolen.
He’s asked different witches, so not even he knows what the spell could be. Ink exploding right on the thief’s face, the book howling bloody murder, some may even snap their pages shut on people’s faces and noses- Aziraphale would be against anything seriously harming anyone, but hey, if they were trying to steal his books, maybe they deserve it!
b. Study table & writing workshop
Right on the upper level, there’s a table labeled for studying. The first thing that anyone will notice if they approach the table is how sounds seem to be… muted, somehow. Not entirely gone, you can still talk if you so wish to, but anyone looking for some calm, or a place where they can get some respite and simply read a book will certainly enjoy how Aziraphale did his best to soundproof this room as much as he was able to.
And near the blessedly silent table, Aziraphale has set up what looks to be a little writing workshop. Many people have shown interest in writing stories about their own world, and even sharing the books they remembered reading, and it’s brought him close to people he’d have never met otherwise. So, his pet project is to allow everyone to share their stories. Culture, history, recipes, mythology, fiction… Aziraphale has yet to find a genre that doesn’t have its hidden gems, and so every kind of book is welcome.
He has enchanted some quills to write whatever a person narrates for them whenever they are activated. It doesn’t last as long as he’d have liked, so people have 15 minutes worth of spell before the quill needs to… recharge, so to speak. So nobody should expect to write an actual book, just a short story at most, for now. But he’s still rather proud of how much he’s advanced with his spells, so he’ll proudly tell anyone who wants to use the quills how they work, and give a little notebook for free for people to try it out and tell the story they wish to tell, and he has no qualms about people writing anonymously if they so wish. It is meant as an exchange of cultures.
c. The food
Ah, here’s the other love of Aziraphale’s life. The café is meant to be a place where people can enjoy a drink and some food as they read (though he will remark to please, be careful with the books!). So of course, they sell beverages and pastries. And since Aziraphale’s tastes lean towards haute cuisine, they are sure to be quite something. The angel will also make sure to congratulate the baker, making sure everyone knows Caren, alongside some other local bakers are to thank for the pastries.
He’s right next to diplomatea, and he’d never dream of competing with his friends, so even though he offers his own brand of tea (and British people who visit may recognize certain flavors, as Aziraphale may not be British by birth but is definitely a Londoner by heart), anyone coming from the Everett’s with their own tea is more than welcome. There’s also coffee and cocoa, if anyone so wishes.
However, he’d thought it would be fun if he gave the pastries a little kick for the opening. So even though people can absolutely delight in versions of the pastries that haven’t been enchanted (he’d never rob anyone from enjoying food), every pastry also comes with a batch with a surprise spell in it. Aziraphale is a very easily distracted sort of fella, though, so there can definitely be many mishaps…
These spells are very simple, basic spells. And effects may vary slightly depending on the person, so go wild with how badly it affects the character.
- Sfogliatelle : Fluffy and delightful, these are a favorite of Aziraphale. And so anyone who takes a bite will feel… rather content. Quite happy, actually. With their worries slowly fading away, people who take a bite will feel quite pleased with everything and everyone and will not hesitate to let everyone know. People who go for the Sfogliatelle will also feel quite affectionate and just simply- quite vocal, about everything and everyone they love.
They just have to let them know.
- Bombolone: A filled doughnut that can come in two flavors, chocolate and custard. Anyone who takes a bite of this deliciousness will feel quite high. Literally, that is- they will suddenly find themselves able to fly, thanks to a simple levitating spell. Nothing too crazy, just a feet or two off the ground at most, but isn’t it fun to pretend to be Peter Pan for a while?
- Biscotti: Not going to lie: these are pretty delicious with hot cocoa. And that’s the thing, though: anyone who goes for the enchanted biscotti will not be able to lie. IT can be for a few minutes, or even for a few hours but they will simply not be able to tell a lie anymore. Guess they will have to test how good they are at omitting the truth if they want to hide something…
So eat, drink, read… and hopefully have fun! Go crazy tagging each other
When: right before the snatched plot
Where: A. Z. & Co, the book shop / café
What: The opening of the book shop! Finally
Warnings: N/A for now
“Welcome!”
Reads the white and golden banner in front of the shop. After much work, panic, steps back and indecision Aziraphale has finally decided the book café is finally ready to actually be open to the public. You shall find the angel at the entrance, nervously playing with his ring between greeting people and making sure everyone has everything they need. He’s made sure to tell everyone about the opening, putting up as many posters and sending as many fliers as he could afford, while also relying on the good old mouth-to-mouth to make sure everyone knew when the great opening was going to be. It will last a few days, as these things tend to do, so nobody should worry if they aren’t able to make it to the big opening on the first day. It’s not like Aziraphale expects a big success, money is definitely not the reason he’s doing this. But if it’s enough to keep his little book café open, he’ll be delighted.
Aziraphale and those who’ve agreed to help and work with him will be seen puttering around the place, making sure everything is as perfect as it can be.
a. The books
A. Z. Fell & Co is a pretty big business- but no one who knows Aziraphale should be surprised, because the more space he has for his books the better. And the shelves are as filled as they can be, he’s definitely made sure of that. It’s taken him… a lot of time, and a big part of his money (bye sweets he craved, bye expensive foods, how he misses miracling things his way) but his collection has ended up pretty nice if he says so himself.
Most of the books are from the city itself. There are a few story books, magic books, some theater plays and everything else Aziraphale could get his extremely demanding hands on. Back home he’d specialized on antique books, but he can’t be as picky in this place… but he’s definitely tried his best to get as many old books as he was able to. He visited many libraries during his visits to Dorchacht, both before and after the revolution, so even though he hasn’t managed to bring as many books from there as he’d have liked to there’s definitely some as well, if anyone is curious about it.
But a lot of the collection is from books from all over the many universes people have been pulled from. Aziraphale got some books from his own book shop back home, thanks to the mirrors. But people have also offered their own, and even written their own versions to be featured. It’s a perfectly imperfect collection that not even all the antique books he had back home could compare to. Not even the signed first editions. The angel is still very humbled at how much people have offered to help. And if anyone needs help with the translation, the enchanted reading glasses should do the trick, deciphering every language into one the wearer is able to understand.
Now, Aziraphale’s priority has always been to keep the books safe. And to that purpose, he will do his absolute best to make sure the books are kept in the store, where they belong, where he can take care of them. And so, even though using spells to attack has hardly been his priority, he’s asked some local witches to help him cast spells on the books so they cannot be damaged or stolen.
He’s asked different witches, so not even he knows what the spell could be. Ink exploding right on the thief’s face, the book howling bloody murder, some may even snap their pages shut on people’s faces and noses- Aziraphale would be against anything seriously harming anyone, but hey, if they were trying to steal his books, maybe they deserve it!
b. Study table & writing workshop
Right on the upper level, there’s a table labeled for studying. The first thing that anyone will notice if they approach the table is how sounds seem to be… muted, somehow. Not entirely gone, you can still talk if you so wish to, but anyone looking for some calm, or a place where they can get some respite and simply read a book will certainly enjoy how Aziraphale did his best to soundproof this room as much as he was able to.
And near the blessedly silent table, Aziraphale has set up what looks to be a little writing workshop. Many people have shown interest in writing stories about their own world, and even sharing the books they remembered reading, and it’s brought him close to people he’d have never met otherwise. So, his pet project is to allow everyone to share their stories. Culture, history, recipes, mythology, fiction… Aziraphale has yet to find a genre that doesn’t have its hidden gems, and so every kind of book is welcome.
He has enchanted some quills to write whatever a person narrates for them whenever they are activated. It doesn’t last as long as he’d have liked, so people have 15 minutes worth of spell before the quill needs to… recharge, so to speak. So nobody should expect to write an actual book, just a short story at most, for now. But he’s still rather proud of how much he’s advanced with his spells, so he’ll proudly tell anyone who wants to use the quills how they work, and give a little notebook for free for people to try it out and tell the story they wish to tell, and he has no qualms about people writing anonymously if they so wish. It is meant as an exchange of cultures.
c. The food
Ah, here’s the other love of Aziraphale’s life. The café is meant to be a place where people can enjoy a drink and some food as they read (though he will remark to please, be careful with the books!). So of course, they sell beverages and pastries. And since Aziraphale’s tastes lean towards haute cuisine, they are sure to be quite something. The angel will also make sure to congratulate the baker, making sure everyone knows Caren, alongside some other local bakers are to thank for the pastries.
He’s right next to diplomatea, and he’d never dream of competing with his friends, so even though he offers his own brand of tea (and British people who visit may recognize certain flavors, as Aziraphale may not be British by birth but is definitely a Londoner by heart), anyone coming from the Everett’s with their own tea is more than welcome. There’s also coffee and cocoa, if anyone so wishes.
However, he’d thought it would be fun if he gave the pastries a little kick for the opening. So even though people can absolutely delight in versions of the pastries that haven’t been enchanted (he’d never rob anyone from enjoying food), every pastry also comes with a batch with a surprise spell in it. Aziraphale is a very easily distracted sort of fella, though, so there can definitely be many mishaps…
These spells are very simple, basic spells. And effects may vary slightly depending on the person, so go wild with how badly it affects the character.
- Sfogliatelle : Fluffy and delightful, these are a favorite of Aziraphale. And so anyone who takes a bite will feel… rather content. Quite happy, actually. With their worries slowly fading away, people who take a bite will feel quite pleased with everything and everyone and will not hesitate to let everyone know. People who go for the Sfogliatelle will also feel quite affectionate and just simply- quite vocal, about everything and everyone they love.
They just have to let them know.
- Bombolone: A filled doughnut that can come in two flavors, chocolate and custard. Anyone who takes a bite of this deliciousness will feel quite high. Literally, that is- they will suddenly find themselves able to fly, thanks to a simple levitating spell. Nothing too crazy, just a feet or two off the ground at most, but isn’t it fun to pretend to be Peter Pan for a while?
- Biscotti: Not going to lie: these are pretty delicious with hot cocoa. And that’s the thing, though: anyone who goes for the enchanted biscotti will not be able to lie. IT can be for a few minutes, or even for a few hours but they will simply not be able to tell a lie anymore. Guess they will have to test how good they are at omitting the truth if they want to hide something…
So eat, drink, read… and hopefully have fun! Go crazy tagging each other
Momiji Sohma | Puca
[Someone, of course, has to help out with the footwork involved in getting ready for the shop's first day! Aziraphale has plenty on his plate organizing it all and seeing that everything is in its place. So, Momiji's spent the past couple weeks running errands: retrieving ingredients, placing orders, or finding finishing touches on the angel-owner's request.
And, come opening day, he's on-hand to lend a hand and make sure everything's run smoothly. None of it's very fancy work! But he can be found running to restock pastries behind the sales counter, directing guests between displays when Aziraphale isn't on hand, or clearing off tables.
It's actually cozy enough work, though the little rabbit likely looks a touch harried and sleepless. He's still recovering from this month's full moon, so forgive him if he seems distracted or hands you the wrong drink or points you in the direction of Aefenglomian poetry when you wanted East Asian cooking. Thankfully, he isn't taking any orders, at least...]
2. Stories & Sweets
[Later on, there's time to get off his feet and curl up with a big tome of fairy tales. He bundles into his seat, knees tucked to his chest, with a big mug of cocoa and a little plate of biscotti beside him. (Those seem like the safe option for getting in a relatively uneventful snack, from what he's seen!)
By the time he's halfway through his drink, his eyelids are heavy, and he's more drowsing whenever he looks back towards the pages than anything else. But he'll still perk up and wave towards anyone he knows or anyone who's just looking for an open seat:]
You can sit there, if you want! I'm just pretending to read, now, anyway--
[He announces cheerfully and then blinks hard, perplexed. "You won't interrupt me" is what he'd meant to come out of his mouth, but, lax as his concentration is at the moment, the other person definitely would! Sneaky biscotti.]
1
When Momiji hands him the wrong item for the second time, Shiro smiles and shakes his head, handing him back the drink. ]
Relax.
no subject
[Momiji does not relax! He does, though, give a quick, quizzical blink at the drink passed back into his hand, before it hits him what's happened and he winces.
It's not like the menu here is all that complicated, this is silly--]
Sorryyyy, what was that supposed to be again?
no subject
[ The orders now where just special tea blends people wanted to try. There was still pastries left and Earl Grey to keep them for a bit.]
no subject
[He does, though, at least scan the layout of the bookshop. Business does seem to be well in hand, and he had mostly just volunteered to be on hand if anything needed retrieving last-minute...]
I'll take a break in a little bit.
no subject
We've got time now. [ He shakes his head at him, somehow not surprised by his answer one bit. ] How long have you been at it?
no subject
[Technically a little before, since he showed up in case there were any last-minute emergencies before the doors opened.
The puca roll his eyes melodramatically, setting down the mix-up mug and shrugging.]
Fiiine, I can go get a snack or something.
no subject
Don't make it sound like a punishment.
[ He shakes his head at hi before going to the sink to wash his hands. ]
Here, I'll take over while you take a break.
[ He dries his hand on a clean towel and goes in search of some form of recipes for him to use. He might not be a great cook but he can follow instructions. ]
2
Oh? And why is that? Are you not enjoying the book? I could recommend another one if you'd rather.
no subject
[The mild confusion on the puca's face turns into a redfaced stare when he looks up and realizes he's just accidentally insulted the shop's owner on his first day. He definitely hadn't meant it like that!]
Noo, it's good, just! I think the cocoa's making me sleepyy--[That last syllable elongates a little bit weirdly, against his will, before he's forced to conclude with a sniff:] Er. Sleepier.
So, I was just people-watching, mostly.
no subject
That sounds like fun. Hopefully people will keep coming in and out to make people-watching entertaining, indeed.
Are you enjoying the food? I tend to enjoy anything sweet, so I am quite a biased judge…
no subject
[Aziraphale's question prompts a grin.]
Me too! I wanted to try all of them, but it looked like it'd be hard to read all floaty.
no subject
[He agrees with a smile. It's hard not to smile around him, Aziraphales's found, and since he quite enjoys making himself happy the Puca is a most welcome addition to book cafe.]
Now, be honest with me- do you actually enjoy reading?
no subject
[His grin quirks mischievously at its corners. That probably wouldn't work, magic-wise, and also he'd never do that to one of Aziraphale's books, but it is very funny to imagine.
As far as that next question goes, his nose wrinkles a little at that "be honest," but he answers:]
Mn, I guess so! If it's a good book. But I don't think "fairy tales" means the same thing here as at home at all--