The Rare Book Shop, Monday Night

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

After a very busy day of reorganizing his shop and learning how to use his new cash register (the kind that has a shiny metal case and keys that go "ka-chunk" and numbers which pop up inside a little window), Aziraphale hangs a new sign on the door.


THE SHOP IS ALWAYS OPEN

The proprietor would like to invite any students,
teachers, or townspeople in need of reading material
to browse the shop at their leisure.
Locked cabinets require assistance from the proprietor.
All prices are clearly marked.
If the proprietor is out, please note your name and purchase
in the book and leave payment in the till.


Satisfied with his new arrangements, Azirphale settles in for a quiet cup of tea and begins to think back on conversation he had one of the students on the previous night. He contemplated things he generally didn't contemplate: free will, choices, the fairness of the Ineffable Plan.



How do you know what's meant to be part of the plan and what isn't? Is it all part of the plan, or are only some things destined and others random? Is it really Ineffable? If it is, how can you know what the right choices are? Are there are really any choices after all? What if I have fallen? What if it starts with one small act of disobedience, followed by another small act, and another, and another, none of them seemingly important on their own, but which when put together create one great unforgiveable act of disobedience? Dear God, what if I am evil!.

Comments

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor, looking exhausted, knocks on the door.]

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale starts, surprised out of his reverie by the knocking. He puts down the teacup and the book that he wasn't really reading, and walks over to the door. Seeing The Doctor, his demeanor brightens somewhat.

"Doctor! Do come in. You look, if you don't mind my saying, terrible."

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[He laughs.] I could say the same for you, though I'm sure I've got more bruises. Just stopped by to get my key.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"Of course, let me go get it. I have some cake if you'd like a piece, from the coffee shop." He heads off into the the back room behind the curtain.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'd love a piece, thank you. [He moves his shoulder and winces at the pain.]

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale returns from his kitchen and presents the key. Noticing The Doctor's wince, he frowns. "Were you injured?" He cuts The Doctor a piece of cake and pours him tea, waving him to have a seat in the armchair.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor sits and blows on his tea, lightly.] A bit. One of the bloody undead pulled my shoulder out and then I had it rather uncouthly and quickly put back in its place by Ms Valentine.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale reaches between the chairs and places his hand on The Doctor's shoulder. A warm sensation spreads briefly through The Doctor's arm. When the sensation has subsided, the pain has as well.

"All of the students are all right, I hope."


[OOC: I got carried away for a second with the capitalizations there and almost typed "The Doctor's Arm".]

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[Impressed, the Doctor pushes up his sleeve and looks at the fading bruise.] Nice trick. Don't suppose you'll tell me where you learned it. [He pockets the TARDIS key, somewhere where he'll remember to give it to CJ take this as you will.] The students...are all alive. From that point, I can't tell you about some of them in terms of mental health. Or some of the professors.

((No need to capitalise 'The'.))

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale chuckles at the question. "No, I'm afraid I can't. Do the students have someone at the school they can talk to? About what happened?" smiles "Or the professors, for that matter?"

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Well, there IS the guidance counselor. [He smiles, thinking of Death.] But many people who should talk to someone refuse to realise they need help.

Sometimes myself included.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"Doctor, you're welcome to here any time, if you need someone to talk to." Aziraphale pauses, and cranes his neck to peer out the front window.

"Doctor, there's a woman beating her head against the door to your TARDIS."

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[smiles at him] Thank you, Mr Phale.

WHAT? [stands up and looks] Oh no...CJ!

[He turns quickly to Aziraphale and nods.] Excuse me, and thank you for the tea and cake, and for taking good care of the TARDIS. [Then he rushes out the door...]

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale blinks at the Doctor as he rushes out the door. Well. I do hope Miss Cregg hasn't hurt herself..

He sighs, and sets about cleaning up. Then he settles back into his favorite chair, tries hard not to look at the empty one beside him, and goes back to not reading his book.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

((CJ's at the TARDIS (http://www.livejournal.com/community/fandomtownies/106386.html)))

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Do you notice CJ at the TARDIS, or shall I?]

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

((Could you?))

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

In the process of raising her hand to knock, Shane hurriedly steps out of the way as the professor she'd served a few nights ago at the cafe (and also helped - along with many other students and people from town - during the zombie seige on the high school) come bursting out of the shop.

Turning to watch him rushing off, she thinks it's probably best not to try to say hello, since he seems to be especially concerned about a woman who's banging her head against a phone booth across the way.

Frowning in befuddlement, she turns back and catches the door before it has a chance to close. "Hello?" She calls hesitantly.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale turns from where he's cleaning up the Doctor's barely-touched cake and tea. Seeing Shane, he smiles. "Please, come in Miss McCutcheon."

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Hi," she says, smiling as she steps inside. "I hope I'm not bothering you or anything. I know it's late. I was just on my way back from dropping something off for Deb and was wondering if I could ask you about something..."

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"Of course, please come in! The Doctor and I were just sharing some cake and tea, but he had to...leave." He peers past Shane and out the door. "Well, it seems as though everything is settled out there."

He motions Shane into the shop. "Would you like a piece of cake?"

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Oh, no... thank you, I'm fine," she says, politely refusing with a grateful smile as she follows him. "Umm, you said that I could come in and read any of the books here that I wanted, right?"

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale stops clearing away the dishes and smiles at Shane. "Yes, and I meant it. Are you looking for something particular, or would you like to just browse?"

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Well... actually," she begins haltingly. On each of her wrists, she wears a silver bracelet inscribed with various symbols. She pulls both bracelets off and holds them up. "I was wanting to find out what these say. A friend of mine gave them to me for protection and... they really work. I was thinking of getting a tattoo with these symbols, but... my friend told me it would probably be a good idea to find out what they mean, first, just to be on the safe side."

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"May I?" Aziraphale holds out his hands to take the bracelets, one at a time. He turns them over carefully, looking closely at the engraving, and then returns them to Shane.

"Let me see what I might have."


[OOC: Do the symbols actually mean anything? I know she got them from Red, but I'm not familiar with his fandom.]

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Thanks," she says, smiling. She holds on to the bracelets but doesn't slip them back on, just in case Aziraphale needs to look at them again.





[OOC: Well, basically, from what Red's mun mentioned, they're meant to protect the wearer by making them invisible when they're in immediate danger - apparently he picked them up in Calcutta. I suppose you could just ad-lib something ... y'know, protection, blah blah, mystical-sounding things, yaddah yaddah... hehe]

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale pulls a couple of books from their shelves and places them on the counter, flipping through the pages.

"Ah, here we are! They appear to be Hindu. The...combination of the symbols is meant to provide protection from danger." He reads a bit more, looking for a moment very much like a reference librarian. "I...think they're intended to render the wearer invisible to anything that may be an immediate threat." He closes the book. "Where did you get them?"

[OOC: And don't you know, I totally tried Googling for ideas! *nerd*]

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"From Red," she says with a shrug. "He said he picked them up in Calcutta and that he thought maybe the engravings were... Sanskrit?" She asks, mulling over the unfamiliar word as creases form between her brows, looking up at him inquiringly. "But that he wasn't sure."



[OOC: Nerd! Hee! XD]

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

He nods. "Yes, the writing is Sanskrit, which is one of the languages used in India. May I see them again?" Aziraphale holds the bracelets in his hands, staring at them, a little frown on his face.

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Shane watches him intently, eyes ricocheting from the books laid out on the counter in front of him to his face. She tucks her hands into her back pockets as she watches. "What is it?" She asks, biting her bottom lip.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

"Hm? Oh, nothing bad. I'm just quite interested by the fact that they do indeed to seem to carry some power. But it appears to be benevolent. I would say that it's very likely they will afford you some protection." He looks sternly at Shane. "But I wouldn't take that as license to go about doing anything dangerous."

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"I won't," she says, shaking her head emphatically. After a moment she looks down, pressing her lips into a thin line, a faintly guilty look on her face. "They helped... they helped me save someone's life."

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

He smiles and hands the bracelets back to her. "Then I'm very glad you had them. And that you had the courage to make use of their protection."

Aziraphale looks curiously at Shane. "Is there anything you need? Is there something you'd like to talk about?"


[OOC: Totally forgot: you do know why he gave Shane that particular book the other day, right?]

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"So am I," she says with an enigmatic smile as she slips the bracelets back on, the silver seeming to meld to the shape of her wrists. "I was just wondering... Red said that he could make the ink... y'know, for the tattoo, but that a mage would probably have to do it for me..." She leaves the comment hanging.


[OOC: Because of her own history... right? O.o]

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale blinks at Shane's unfinished sentence. He isn't certain what she's asking him for, and decides to take the easy way out by feigning ignorance. "I believe there may be some witches...mages at the school. Or, did you have someone in mind?"


[OOC: *cheers the obscure history knowledge*]

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"I figured I needed to find somebody mystical and... you're about as mystical as it gets around here," Shane says with a gentle grin as she shrugs.


[OOC: heehee!]

[(Anonymous)]

Aziraphale's eyebrows shoot upwards. "Me?! Miss McCutcheon, I really know nothing about...tattoos. I wouldn't have any idea what to do!" Despite his protests, however, he's pleased that Shane would choose him to help her with this.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Why is that anonymous? *kicks LJ*]

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

[OOC: Because we're breaking zee LJ? XD]

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Well, I don't think Red meant that you'd have to do it," Shane says evenly. She pulls one hand from her pocket and scratches thoughtfully at her cheek. "He didn't really give me too many details."

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale considers this. "Why is it that you want the tattoo?"

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Shane chews on her bottom lip for a moment and considers how to answer his question. She winds up settling for honesty, as she usually does. "Because I might lose these someday and I might wind up in a situation where I need them," she says. "Like maybe if something happens next weekend."

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale laughs. "Good heavens, I hope nothing happens next weekend!" He smiles at Shane, then walks across the room and reshelves the books.

"Yes, then, Miss McCutcheon, if that's want you want. I'll help you."

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"In this town, I'm starting to think anything can happen," she says, chuckling. After a moment, she sobers. "I just wanna make sure I can be there to help when people need me."

Shane smiles and leans forward just slightly in something mysteriously resembling a bow. "Thank you," she murmurs.

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Aziraphale smiles again, and inclines his head. "You're quite welcome. Now, as it is quite late, shouldn't you be off home?"


[OOC: And mun is sleepy, must sleep now, sleeeeeeep....]

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I should take off," Shane says, grinning almost bashfully. "Got used to zombie hours during the weekend. I'll get out of your hair." She turns and heads to the door, but glances back at him before she goes, offering him a genuine, grateful smile. "Thanks for your help, Mr. Phale."


[ooc: lol - same here... sleeeeeeeeeep...]