2nd Book || But He Was Intelligent [open]

[manicuredangel]

Who: Aziraphale and anyone
Where: The Library
When: Early Evening pretty much any day. ffff
Rating: Shouldn't be more than PG13
Summary: Aziraphale has found the library and is setting up camp there basically.
The Story:

It was probably a mistake for Crowley to have told Aziraphale about the library. He spent every evening and night here amongst the books, reading. The angel did not like change. And ending up in Wonderland suddenly was indeed a big change. The only thing that kept him calm were the books (and the copious amounts of red wine he consumed since arriving here). He would explore some in the morning but he would always make it back to the library in the late afternoon and remain there until it was morning again.

He was no closer to finding a way out than when he got here. But at least he had new books to read and old books to reread and he could immerse himself in books.

Comments

[willbegone]

In life, sometimes one has to look for the good in a situation; for Valjean, the good parts of being in Wonderland included the provision of a library, food that was hot and substantial, and for the most part, company that was pleasant and polite.

The library was also quiet and peaceful, which Valjean appreciated, and as it turned out, he was not the only one who seemed drawn to the place. There was another man there who appeared to be rather immersed in the books. And, rather than disturb his peace, Valjean merely stepped up to a nearby shelf, selected a book that looked interesting, and took a seat.

[manicuredangel]

It was a few minutes before Aziraphale finally looked up and noticed there was someone else there. Admittedly, he only looked up because he'd finished the book he was reading.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry," he apologized. "I didn't see you come in."

[willbegone]

Valjean didn't mind the pause in the least; it gave him time to take in the cover and the forward to the book he had selected.

"It's all right. It is very easy to become absorbed in reading, particularly when the material is of a compelling sort." It was true that in the past, Valjean had not had very much time for reading, but in Wonderland, there was little else to do to pass the time. And so he was just beginning to rediscover the many charms of books.

[manicuredangel]

He smiled warmly. He was very glad to share his love of books when his personal collection wasn't threatened. "Oh yes. The end of this one was riveting."

[willbegone]

If his first impression of Aziraphale was to be trusted, the man did seem rather studious, so Valjean supposed that whatever book he was reading, it was something along those lines. Peering at what he could see of the cover, he asked, "And what was the subject that so thoroughly captured your attention?"

[crybabybootleg]

Jacuzzi was wandering the halls alone, terribly out of sorts. This certainly wasn't the Genoard place, or any other mansion on Millionaire's Row. Which... didn't make any kind of sense, how or why he'd shown up here.

The hallways were fancy, plenty of mirrors lining them, and the rooms behind many of the unlocked doors were pretty dolled up too. It was bewildering.

The young man didn't look like he belonged here any more than any of the other occupants he'd seen in passing. So far, not wanting to be caught intruding, he'd ducked behind curtains or doorways or little alcoves to avoid the people passing. There were also little screens built into the walls, keen things, where he could see other people's faces occasionally talking. Like a mini-movie theater reel.

Jacuzzi Splot decided he was far from anywhere he knew. He happened upon a large room full of books, floor to ceiling, which impressed him a good deal...not that most of these were probably the kind he could read and enjoy, because he'd never exactly been aces at school, but none of them seemed like the slim, cheap pulp fictions and adventure stories that were illustrated easy reads and entertaining to swipe off newsstands for a lark.

It was still pretty impressive, though. So he tiptoed around with his hands in his pockets, playing at unassuming as he could, eyes roaming high among the shelves until he all but tripped full-bodied right over the chair Aziraphale had seated himself in, catching himself just before he wound up sprawled across the angel's lap.

The young man instantly fell into blubbering apology.

"Oh cripes, I'm sorry! I'm really so sorry! I didn't mean to knock right into ya! I should look where I'm goin', shouldn't I, I- S-sorry, I was just leaving!" He announced, backing away with his arms waving before him, "I'll leave right now if you want me to!"

[manicuredangel]

Aziraphale was enjoying a book of poetry when he suddenly had a view of an awkward young man instead of the book. He blinked in surprise, but he didn't seem angry in the slightest.

"Oh, you're fine dear boy. No harm done." He offered him a friendly smile. "Are you quite alright?"

[crybabybootleg]

"Y-yeah, I'm fine!" He nodded hurriedly, cringing shamefaced regardless of Aziraphale's patiently unruffled feathers. "Just peachy, ah- I wasn't trying to interrupt your book, Mister, ah-?"

Jacuzzi didn't know his name, but at least he seemed to sag forward a bit in relief when he realized that the poor person he'd tripped over seemed to hold no hard feelings.

"I'm sort of...lost around here, I think."

[manicuredangel]

"Oh! Terribly sorry! I haven't yet introduced myself. I'm Aziraphale." Though the way he pronounced it, it could have easily been misheard as "Ezra Fell". He chuckled lightly, the sound warm. "Where are you trying to go, dear boy?"

[crybabybootleg]

Usually, the sort of folks he was used to hearing call anyone 'dear boy' were old and patronizingly generous people. The sort whose kindness a street punk like Splot felt bad about taking advantage of, especially in the middle of a depression.

Funny thing was, Mr. Fell here didn't look all that much like someone's grandpa. And he didn't seem the shady kind of false-nice, either!

"I'm Jacuzzi Splot!" He offered meekly, barely managing to make it through his own name without a nervous stutter. "I don't really have any clue where I'm going, that's just the trouble! "

[strategisch]

Armin has never been in a library before.

Well, to be more accurate, he has. But that library was one shelf. Sort of. Half a shelf. It was a sad, sad pathetic little thing. Like the starving child in Africa of libraries that you should feel bad about every time you keep a book past its due date.

When he entered the Mansion's library, something in his brain sort of snapped. His pupils expanded to the limits of his irises. He may have started drooling a little.

Where-- where do you possibly begin? He bonelessly wandered to one shelf, nearly ran into it, scanned the titles, and then wandered to the next. When he finds it, he might start off by reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica.

[manicuredangel]

He looked up from his book to see the young man and smiled warmly. He could see it in the boy's face, the love for books. The angel already knew his way around the library, and so decided to offer help.

"Hallo, dear boy. Can I help you find something?"

[strategisch]

Armin nearly jumps out of his boots at being addressed, and looks towards Aziraphale dumbly. His mind had already glossed over at the prospect of reading possibly for the rest of his life and never being done, and then he was looking straight into the eyes of an honest to God angel... It was a positively out-of-body experience.

Armin certainly can't see angelic auras on his own, but Aziraphale was still exuding a sort of... Tea and Jaffa Cakes vibe. It was weird. And Armin's never tasted either of those things before.

"T-there are... so many..." he stutters, miming like an idiot at the vast shelves, doing absolutely no favors towards his own actual intelligence.

[manicuredangel]

Aziraphale chuckled gently. "Yes, there really are. It's wonderful."

It reminded him a bit of the library in Alexandria. It was such a wondrous place with so much knowledge. Aziraphale had wept when it burned.

[strategisch]

Wonderful. That is a perfect word for how Armin feels right now. And to think he'd been so depressed, with this wonderful gem sitting right under his nose.

"I've never seen so many books in my life... I have no idea where to start...!"

[no_eels]

Toothless doesn't often go to the library. There isn't much there to capture the Night Fury. But in Hiccup's absence, the dragon's been investigating different places in the mansion. He holds out hope that his Viking will return. In the meantime, Toothless is sniffing the book shelves when he comes across Aziraphale, surrounded by books.

He pauses, eyes wide, hoping not to startle the Viking he doesn't recognize.

[manicuredangel]

Aziraphale had been deeply lost in a novel when he heard the snuffling sound of a large creature. He slowly looked up to see something he had never before seen, which was saying a lot having been stationed at the gate of Eden. It seemed reptilian, but far larger than had ever walked the Earth. Well, his Earth, that was. Eyes in front, it was definitely a predator of some sort, but its posture... It was either afraid of humans or intelligent.

He offered the creature a small smile. "Hello there, big fellow. What brings you in here?"

[no_eels]

It was the smile that told the Night Fury that approaching was, more or less, all right. He hadn't yelled, frozen in place, reached for a weapon, or any other such show of discomfort. And Toothless had seen the range of it, by now. He approached slowly, all the same, just to be on the cautious side, looking at the book that Aziraphale was holding in his hands with a visible curiosity.

[manicuredangel]

He didn't really know how to react to such a large creature, but he'd found over the millennia that animals tended to be drawn (positively!) to his angelic aura. He offered a hand for the oversized reptile to sniff.

"Do you like books?"

[no_eels]

Toothless made an indistinct noise in the back of his throat. He couldn't read, but he knew Hiccup liked books. That made books all right. He moved forward the rest of the distance and sniffed Aziraphale's hand carefully. Like some of the other Vikings around here, something about his scent didn't really add up. But he didn't let it bother him, instead sitting down next to him and lowering his head, brushing his snout against the Viking's hand again.

DID YOU SAY BOOKS????????

[nascensibility]

[Like certain apocalypse-averting angels, Evelyn rather enjoys the library. She's enjoyed it since her very first day in Wonderland, and has subsequently enjoyed it ever since - it being a very particular wonderful haven for bibliophiles and avid researchers alike.

Her own 'camp' isn't far from Aziraphale's, actually, off to the side of one of the sitting areas, cloistered near a window with a desk and some writing materials. Bearing a stack of books and turning a familiar corner, she's a little surprised to see a new face behind the rows she knows so well.]

Hello there.

MAYBE

[manicuredangel]

[The angel, currently enjoying a fantasy novel, looked up from his book at the sound of a voice and smiled warmly.]

Hello, dear girl. Do you need some help with those?

NEW BFF

[nascensibility]

[Evelyn hefts her stack expertly, like any experienced librarian, and shakes her head.]

No, thank you. I've got it.

[Although she does deposit the things on a nearby table, seeing as it's terribly rude not to introduce oneself to a new resident.]

You must be new to Wonderland. I haven't seen you around the library before.

[manicuredangel]

[He gets up, because it is also rude to continue to be seated when introducing oneself.]

Yes, I am. Relatively at least. I am Aziraphale. [Though the way he pronounced it, it could very well have sounded like "Ezra Fell".]

[nascensibility]

[...interesting name. It almost sounds Biblical. She offers her hand for the obligatory shake.]

Evelyn O'Connell. Have you settled in well?