wiggleon: (Default)
Principality Aziraphale ([personal profile] wiggleon) wrote in [community profile] middaeg2020-01-10 10:59 pm

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
thisisamazing: (side)

[personal profile] thisisamazing 2020-01-15 11:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Sharpshot looks up from where he's curled around Hiccup's neck and squawks at Shiro like he's a little guard lizard. Hiccup looks up, then shakes his head.]

Oh, no, I'm fine, thanks. Just waiting to congratulate Aziraphale.
blackbonded: Do not take. (The wrong line)

[personal profile] blackbonded 2020-01-18 11:34 am (UTC)(link)
Uh...

[ He stares down at the squawking little thing like he's having second thoughts about coming around this table. ]

Okay. [ He finally manages without taking his eyes off of the lizard-thing. ] I'll just let him know you're waiting for him.
thisisamazing: (casual)

[personal profile] thisisamazing 2020-01-18 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sharpshot squawks louder as if in response to the staring, crawling up to the top of Hiccup's head and digging his claws into his hair.]

That's okay, you don't have to bother him. I can wait a little while. [An awkward pause.] You're staring.
blackbonded: Do not take. (Default)

[personal profile] blackbonded 2020-01-21 05:01 am (UTC)(link)
[ Shiro follows his progress wary of what it's up to when his staring is pointed out.

Right. ]


Sorry. [ He says, yet he can't seem to tear his eyes away from the little critter. ] I've just never seen anything like that before.

[ He's heard of dragons from the Coven but he's just never come across one. ]
thisisamazing: (new dragon who dis)

[personal profile] thisisamazing 2020-01-21 11:10 am (UTC)(link)
[Sharpshot holds eye contact, not blinking, perched atop Hiccup's head like he belongs there, tail thrashing. Hiccup doesn't seem bothered by the lizard's actions at all.]

He's my familiar. Plenty of Witches have them.
blackbonded: Do not take. (I'll always welcome you)

[personal profile] blackbonded 2020-01-24 08:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ He doesn't, at least, he doesn't think so. ]

I'm still trying to catch up with all the new information.
thisisamazing: (side)

[personal profile] thisisamazing 2020-01-25 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sure, nobody has a familiar quite like Sharpshot or Toothless, since dragons are people here, but he's gotten used to... well, people being used to seeing them around the city.]

Hasn't it been a few months? I don't think we've had new arrivals in a while.
blackbonded: Do not take. (Default)

[personal profile] blackbonded 2020-01-25 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ His mouth goes flat and his temple pinches down, uncertainty reflecting off his eyes. Did he... know him? ]

Not for me.
thisisamazing: (what the what)

[personal profile] thisisamazing 2020-01-25 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[They've spoken once. But it's more that Hiccup knows they haven't had new people through the mirrors in a few months, thinking only new people would still be getting used to Aefenglom.]

So when did you get here?
blackbonded: Do not take. (I think I'd like that)

[personal profile] blackbonded 2020-01-25 07:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He doesn't remember that conversation or any other since the new year. Shiro weighs that against their current interaction and guesses if he knew him, he would've said so by now, but so far, he hasn't gotten any indication they might have known each other, so he goes with a vague answer and moves on. ]

A while ago.

[ He picks up the empty plates and sets them on the cart before turning to him with a polite smile. ]

Can I get you anything else? Would you like another type of tea?
Edited 2020-01-25 19:19 (UTC)
thisisamazing: (how to explain this)

[personal profile] thisisamazing 2020-01-25 07:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[It was a short one, to be fair. And he hasn't made an attempt to get to know him. It's... awkward, with Keith gone, to talk to any of his friends. So if Hiccup wonders what's up, he doesn't say anything, just hums out a noncommittal noise and reaches up to stroke his fingers over Sharpshot's scales.]

No, I'm fine. Just- waiting for Aziraphale.
blackbonded: Do not take. (I think I'd like that)

[personal profile] blackbonded 2020-01-25 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He nods and grips the cart's handle. ]

I'll nudge him this way in a moment.

[ He tells him and pushes off to the next table where he dons the same smile. ]