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?"

[manicuredangel]

"Ah... To be honest, it's an Oscar Wilde that doesn't exist in my world." He looked a bit sheepish. "It's a first edition, too."

[willbegone]

"Oscar Wilde?" Valjean was unfamiliar with the name. "What sort of writings is he known for?" Given the amount of free time that he seemed to have, he was always on the lookout for new reading material. Perhaps he would have to look into the writings of this Oscar Wilde.

[manicuredangel]

"Oh! He wrote poetry and novels." He smiled. He missed his first editions. But having something new... It was beyond priceless.

[willbegone]

There had never been time for things like reading poetry or novels, because most of Valjean's time was devoted to looking after Cosette or being on the run from Javert. But things in Wonderland are different, and Valjean's finding himself with copious amounts of free time. "You seem fond of his work, which is recommendation enough. I will have to read some of his works."