Therian

Bringing The Change (Open to Leigh and Willow)

Ever since that day where he and Willow had cleaned out the storage room in the store, many changes had come along for the little bookstore. With some help from their investor they had been able to purchase the building which was nextdoor and a few days ago they had knocked out the wall and begun on renovations. It was exciting, turning the little book store into a cafe too was an expansion he never expected to be able to achieve but it felt special. He and Willow had spent the last few weeks interviewing for the positions which would cover the cooking and serving in the cafe part, but they still had a lot to figure out.

The shop had been closed for a while as the renovations took place but they had took the time to work on an online presence along with plan out the layout of the store. It had kept them busy and today would be no exception, he thought as he headed down the path towards the familiar building, he had a bagel he was eating in one hand a tea in the other. He liked walking to work in the mornings and seeing how busy the city had gotten, even before they had closed for renovations they had been getting more customers and interest was picking up. It felt like a good time to own a business and he felt optimistic about the future for once.

When he reached the door he headed inside before waving hello to the builders that were in that day to take care of the painting of one of the walls. He shrugged off his backpack before heading to the new staff room, this was one of the first places which had been renovated and it was fitted with a couch, little kitchen area, desk space and everything he and Willow would need to manage the place. He pulled out his laptop and fired it up as he waited for the redhead to arrive. Today would be the day where they finalized the layout plans for the furniture ready for it to brought in soon and he knew how much Willow enjoyed organizing stuff.

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CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Willow Eleonora Braelynd on October 10, 2020 at 9:54

Willow was one of those people who was always organised and on time. That loves to make a to do list, feeling happy when each one is ticked off. Way to make sure everything is all on track. Maybe it was part of her having OCD or a perefectionest. Nobody ever complained but instead praised her for it. The Celestial was one who took charge in the orgnaising and planning systems in the shop. She'd even figured out how to make different spreadsheets and used different software to log in the books they already had and people had taken out. Surprising herself even. How quickly she’d picked up the world of modern technology opposed to other people back in the castle whose not quite adapted so easily and quickly as her. Willow loved to plan things months back to when her and her boss Leigh spent most of one of their free Saturdays turning the storage room that was untouched for years into something they were both proud of. A room that was in deep need of deep cluttering. Both of them were motivated and full of potential ideas of what they could do next. How the book shop could be changed and expanded for the better, to bring in more customers too. It was not an easy thing to do. Something that they spent months on in the making yet today it felt like it’s finally coming to life. 

Both her and Leigh had ideas of what they could do next to the shop with big dreams that came with changes. Some they had first thought they wouldn’t be able to do. How Willow knew that expanding the shop they wouldn’t be able to do on their own. With the limited space they had till the building next door came for sale. Meaning they were expanding the shop how both her Leigh wanted to but without taking any space from the book shop part. Willow always dreamed of working in a bookshop with a little cafe attached to it. Just like ones that she had seen online in pictures but not seeing one in life before. How back in her time book shops were only small and dusty buildings, some were quite dark. Yet Leigh’s book shop was now bigger and full of light along with now having their own little coffee shop attached to it. Willow helped her boss with the planning and organising part of it but she always made sure not to overstep since it wasn’t her place. Yet she knew that Leigh never minded her giving ideas since he knew how she loved projects like these plus some interior designing always needed a woman’s touch to it. 

The Celestial was all excited over it still. She’s probably annoyed her brother and a few other Celestials by now but she couldn’t help it. Checking the time she saw she was running a little late. Well not late but she always liked to be a little early. To her on time was late and early was on time. Having found herself lost in writing down and making a few mind maps. Working alway in the communal kitchen they all shared in the castle. Choosing to pour herself a coffee to go and grabbing a box of homemade cookies she had baked the night before. Knowing they were leigh’s favoueite and she wanted to surprise him. Willow grabbed her bag and all her other bits, checking once again she had everything. Before making her way out of her home and to the bookshop which was a bit of a walk how she lives in the west part of the city. Yet she never minded the walk, always enjoying the fresh air. It wasn’t too long till she arrived at the shop, seeing the familiar place that's had mant changes inside. Pushing open the door, she greeted the builders with a friendly smile. Knowing them by name by now. Always liking to remember things like that. Willow walked through to the staff room where she knew her boss would be. It was one of the places she was happy that was added, somewhere she was able to relax without having customers watching on. Opening the door she looked and saw the familiar sight of Leigh with his tea and his bagel. His morning ritual. “Hey Leigh, sorry I’m late. I got a bit caught up with writing down the idea” She grinned happily, greeting him how he was waiting for her bubbly self to arrive. 


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on October 18, 2020 at 19:07

Business wasn’t as easy as most people made it out to be, everyone talked about starting their own business and how they would make it work but actually doing so was much harder, there was so much to think about and at times it even stressed Leigh out, especially when he was employing people and their livelihoods depended on his own success. On the other side though, it was exciting to have something completely your own to work with, it made him feel proud that he could come this far and it definitely made good use of his intelligence. Some people saw it as settling when he decided to become a book store owner rather than to chase down some heavy mathematician path but he felt like he made the right decision, there were good people here and he was happy to share his love of reading with the world.

Leigh relied on Willow a lot, she was the only other person who really understood how much this place meant to him and they spent too much time together here. The average day was filled with jabs back and forth, discussing weekend plans or what they were having for dinner that night, turned out they both liked cooking. Or rather, Willow was pretty good at it and Leigh was trying to learn how to do it, but it gave them a topic to cover. He was taking a bite of his bagel when he saw the redhead wander in and he lifted his other hand to wave at her to avoid talking with his mouth full, when he was done he set it down on the table and smiled “It’s not really late when you technically don’t start for another hour” he chuckled, her contracted hours were later but she had agreed to come in early for this brainstorm day “Thanks for coming in early, I have the feeling this one is gonna be a good one” he nodded.

With that he started laying out the plan documents he had gotten on the table while gesturing towards the little makeshift kitchen area they had “Feel free to get yourself a drink while I finish my breakfast” the most important meal of the day as he likes to remind her, he drank a sip of his tea and then finished up his food before putting the wrapper and empty cup into the recycling “If only tea tasted this good when I made it myself, I could die happy” he commented in amusement before leaning forward on his chair so he could examine the layout he had in front of him, he could already hear the sound of the builders getting to work in the background “So hopefully today we can get a good idea of how we want to set everything up once the cafe is built...figure out...how the two functions can be integrated without causing any damage to the stock” he nodded slightly, he wanted the place to be cozy and welcoming, somewhere people wanted to spend more of their time.


CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Willow Eleonora Braelynd on November 11, 2020 at 22:12

Willow always tried to be helpful. Being the one who others come to for help or to put herself out when she could see other people need it. Just wanting to make things easier for everyone. How she’s never the one to say no to taking on extra shifts or staying later to help out. Always there to help out Leigh. Willow knew that he had been more stressed out lately with the expansion and renovations that were happening in the shop. Giving him a helping hand to take the pressure off a little whilst trying no to over step at the same time. Willow knew that her boss was one to take on more than he could cope, not able to say no even when he’s taking on more. She always wondered how he did it, that she wasn’t one to handle under too much pressure. That's why she likes her little job at the book shop. It was a refreshing and rewarding job, plus all of the customers were lovely. One of the many reasons why she loved her job. Thankful to have it, she didn’t know what she would have done if she didn’t have it. With how it’s helped with her healing after all she’s been through in the last few decades. It’s somewhere that she’s able to escape and not think about it. Away from the supernatural world and all of the drama that comes from it even if it's just for when she’s there. It’s still something that helps. 

Soon as she arrived at the shop she headed to the back to the staff room to where she knew she’d find her boss. As expected he was tucking into his morning bagel and tea. Willow smiled to herself to how predictable he was but too how much they knew each other after working with each other for a year now. Sometimes they would work on split shifts but she always enjoyed Leigh’s company and it was always more fun when they worked together. Sometimes if she wasn't busy and she was on her own then it was a little more boring. Willow knew that soon they’d be working with each other more that he was hiring more people with them expanding the shop. How they knew from the start they needed some more people, that they wouldn’t be able to cope with just the two of them. She was happy that he was hiring people but knew that Leigh was stressed over it. Remembering him saying before how easy it was for him when hiring her. That he’d seen her shining personality and self, that she’s right for the job. The Redhead smiled and waved back at her boss letting him finish eating before she’d go in with her different ideas and plans. 

“I guess I’m an early bird” She mused softly, always cheerful first thing in the morning. People back in the manor always commented how she’s always so happy first thing whilst for them it took them after their morning coffee to be alive. “It’s no problem, you know me I’m happy to help” She added. “Lucky for you, I’ve made a few notes and stuff of different ideas I wrote down” Always coming prepared, along with her love for organising and planning too. “Will do” Willow put her notebook with her notes and plans on the table. Before walking over to the coffee machine and pouring herself a cup of coffee. Preferring coffee to tea first thing in the morning. Willow laughed hearing Leigh’s comment about his tea. “People always say tea or coffee always taste better when someone else makes it” She didn’t know why but always did. Making her way back to the table to put her coffee down and took a seat opposite Leigh. Leaving enough room so they had enough space to put down the plans and piles of paper that they needed. Willow was happy hearing that they were getting down to the final decisions. Feeling lately it’s taking forever but she knew things like these took a while to come to life. “That’s great” Almost cheering with excitement knowing that he was feeling the same. “I agree, we got to be careful” She nodded knowing they didn’t want to take away and change the whole shop completely. “We still want to keep our regular customers happy” Being one of the main things they had to think about not wanting for it to change completely and people who love coming be upset. Needing to listen to their customers but that's what her and Leigh are here today to plan and think about properly. 


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on November 15, 2020 at 16:56

Leigh loved the shop and everything they had managed to achieve with it so far, but he also knew it was a time for change and moving forward was a good thing. The small place they had been working with, they were now beginning to outgrow and the timing of the place next door coming up for sale seemed perfect. There was a lot of work going on to expand into new building, it would mean they would have more room for staff, along with a whole new space to design a floorplan which allowed people the space to explore and enjoy the shop. It was excited though a little nerve-wracking because he knew they needed to get it right. “Me too” he responded and chuckled slightly “Which I think makes us a minority in the world because most people hate early mornings” he chuckled, he always got more done when he got up early.

“Great, because honestly, I’ve got no idea where to even start” he confessed with a soft laugh shaking his head slightly as he glanced up at her and then back over to the table “I mean I have some ideas of what I’d like but it’s a lot you know...I want it to be perfect and for us to have new customers and for the old ones to enjoy it too” they had a fair few regulars who bought their books from them routinely and he always enjoyed seeing their faces when they came in because usually they would stay to chat a little while about the last story they read and whether they thought it was worth other people getting. Leigh decided on a lot of the books he would read off their back of people’s reviews and reactions.

He chuckled slightly and nodded “No one likes to do the work by themselves huh?” he chuckled as he sipped his tea before looking over the plans “So we’re having the kitchen area for the cafe set up over here, we’re gonna convert the staff room there to house all the equipment and knock down this wall to open up the space” he pointed his finger to the spot on the overhead plan of the building. “So the cafe needs a sensible layout...I want it to look open and not...separated” because the whole point was to merge the two things, books and the cafe “At the same time the shop needs to function as it always has, our regular customers might be interested in using the new services but we should assume they still want everything they had before” which meant they needed to change the layout and use the space better while still maintaining the spirit of the place.

“So we’ll have more space once the builders are done knocking down the wall between the two buildings, then we need to figure out how that changes our layout and overall feel” he nodded slightly “And we also need to decide if we want to up our stock intake...I was thinking maybe a more young adult-focused section because we’ll probably attract some families and younger customers” he nodded as he looked up at her waiting for her to propose ideas she had.


CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Willow Eleonora Braelynd on December 14, 2020 at 21:33

At first when she had started working at the shop she thought it would be a simple few hours here and there. Not knowing that she’d be working a lot more than she first thought but she didn’t mind. If not she actually loved it. It helped to keep her busy. She always hated being stuck at home with nothing to do at least when she was at work she felt that she was useful. Sometimes she would come in on her day off for something to do. Willow could see how far the shop has come since she started working there. Along with all the potential that's to come. She was both happy and excited when she first heard Leigh saying that he was ready to go ahead with his plan for expanding the shop to add a little coffee area to it.  It was a long time coming, it could have been longer even. The idea of it all was still all new and fresh. Still so much they still had to do but that what today was for, she was excited to see what they could come up with today. “Yet you're still a zombie before you have your morning tea and something to eat” She added teasing him catching him out of being all of a morning person. Whilst for her she was energetic without a boost of caffeine whilst others so relied on in the mornings. “Yeah we have to get it right for it all to be perfect so people can still recognize it still” All making it more difficult and stressful for them both but it is something they had time to figure out. “I’m sure that we’d be able to plan it out” Willow didn’t want to put so much pressure on her boss than there already was. She knew that he was already a little bit stressed over the whole renovation as it is. 

“I’ve gone solo for some group projects before”  If she was really motivated on something she would be able to do it all herself. It had happened in the past when she was wanting and waiting for something then others weren't pulling their weight. So she ended up doing it herself. Normally it was with Elias who she’d just take over but her brother never minded.  This time is different because it's something they were both passionate about. She didn’t have to worry about having to do it all herself, plus she wouldn’t wouldn’t want to overstep since it wasn’t her own business. She was only someone who could give her say and advice which she liked. Willow listened to Leigh’s ideas, looking over to where he spoke of things going where. The Celestial was trying to imagine in her head for what it would look like. “I agree it’s good to have it all open and full of light” Nodding her head agreeing with him. “We’ll have it seperate but not completely separate, people can see and then decide to go in or not” She could already see some of their old regular customers not being happy with it at first. That some people didn’t like change but it was going to be with the present. Willow knew many Celestials were still stuck in the old ways whilst she was the opposite. “We just gotta decide on what walls to knock down so we don’t get it wrong then it’ll be too late” She laughed softly already seeing that was something that could happen but be

With all the changes she was happy they could get some new books in. “Like comics or is it Manga these days?” She looked over to Leigh checking to see if she had it right, those types of books she hadn’t yet to look into. “I was thinking too we could have different cooking books, maybe even some bakeware that could inspire people to want to get into cooking and buy new books?” Not knowing if it was a good idea or not since they weren’t a giftware shop that maybe it wouldn’t work. “Also I’ve noticed in other places that there’s always a lot of Harry Potter merchandise that people are always interested it that series” Having a soft spot for Harry Potter it was one of the first series she had read and got invested in when catching up with all the books she’d missed out in her lost years. Plus she knew it went along with Leigh’s idea of bringing in younger customers. Branching out to different generations and ages. 


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on December 19, 2020 at 19:45

He laughed softly giving a guilty smile and a shrug of his shoulders when she pointed out he was basically a zombie in the morning until he got his morning tea and food “Well I’m not going to deny the importance of breakfast” the responded raising his brows slightly, he always made sure to eat in the mornings so he had the energy he needed to get through the day. He nodded as he pushed his glasses up on his head so that he could read the plans clearly “Getting it right feels like a lot of pressure” he commented in a soft voice, it was a lot of risk to take and he definitely had his reservations about it all.

He nodded when she mentioned liking the idea of opening out the space and making it feel more spacious despite adding more to the place “The list of things we wanna make happen keeps growing huh?” he laughed under his breath, in a way that was a good thing because it meant they cared so much about the shop and their customers. “I guess our overall goal is to try and tempt more customers to come in, with double the space comes double the rent which means we need to be getting double the customers” it seemed doable, they’d been getting an increase in customers recently and he liked to think the new cafe would bring in people that never thought about coming in before.

He laughed when she mentioned knocking down the right wall “I think we’ve got that one covered, once this middle wall here is dealt with we should have this whole area free, I don’t think there’s any need to expose the back rooms because we’re going to need both a kitchen area for the cafe” he pointed out the general spot where he was thinking that would be located “and we’ll keep our current staffroom back here” he nodded slightly, it had always been quite large for the two of them so he was sure it would be fine to accommodate a few more people. “Cook books are a good idea...they’re often on the high rating charts because everyone buys them as gifts” he chuckled slightly “So maybe we should lay out the shop in different themed racks”.

He let a playful grin cross his lips when she mentioned Harry Potter merchandise “I did like the idea of expanding into the nerdy lines...maybe some comics and trading cards” they had a lot of room now so they could definitely fit some cabinets “You must be a ravenclaw right?” she teased playfully with a smile.


CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Willow Eleonora Braelynd on January 15, 2021 at 22:12

Willow knew that Leigh’s body isn’t able to function properly before it’s first cup of tea and breakfast whilst for her she could do without. “Sometimes I forget to have breakfast, or just snack on a breakfast bar” She admitted waiting to see the look of horror on her bosses face to how she knew what he was like when it came to breakfast. “There’s people who I live with who have smoothies for breakfast. I couldn’t have that” She wasn't one picking up on the new modern breakfast thing, she’d have an odd one occasional but for breakfast she wouldn’t be able to stomach it. Willow sipped her coffee whilst watching Leigh start to look at the plans as they started all of the workload they had ahead of them today to get ready for the start of renovations. “Everyone makes some mistakes along the way. As long as it’s not a big one, it can be easily changed” The Celestial pointed out trying to put pressure of Leigh’s shoulders who they were both worrying about all no renovations. If people would be happy for the changes or somethings not right. 

It was no secret that she loved to plan, organise and design some things. With Leigh catching her out already. “You know me, I don’t know when to stop when I start a project” She admitted sheepishly but knew he didn’t mind it. “I think interior designing is one of my new hobbies'' Having fallen in love whilst carrying out research, one of her favourite sites was pintertest. Able to get many ideas from there that they could use. Willow nodded her head agreeing with Leigh as he spoke of they needed to bring in more customers with all of what they were doing was costing more money. “We gotta do something that makes us different from other book shops around to attract more people” Willow knew they had been busier lately than before but after everythings finished she knew they needed a lot more customers to make any profit. “I know this is far off but when we do the opening we can make some flyers and posters promoting it. Putting them up around nearby so people know” Giving different ideas of what they could do. Willow knew that these days there were a lot more ways of reaching people. The internet being one something that before in her time it wasn’t about. 

“You never know” She teased softly back to Leigh who was laughing at her comment.  “We don’t want customers seeing through into the kitchen” She laughed looking to where he was pointing at the works going on. “Right” Almost making a mental note of where things were going and staying. Willow waited eagerly to think what he was going to think of her ideas. Seeing from his reaction they were good ones. “Of course” She grinned proudly. Anyone with love for books belonged in Ravenclaw. “Big question is are you a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw like me?” She smirked, teasing intrigued to know. It reminded back to when they were discussing Harry Potter whilst clearing the store cupboard up. That they could speak about it together forever if they didn’t have work to do. “So the first thing we need to do is to look at the plans and then to decide what we're going to put where we can map it out more detailed later?” Looking over to Leigh moving her focus back to the plans that were all laid out in front of them.  They didn’t have time to be distracted by discussing books or any other nerdy things today. 


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on January 16, 2021 at 21:50

Leigh lifted his gaze to give her a slightly judging look when she confessed that she often forgot to eat breakfast “You know it’s the most important meal of the day right?” he commented raising his brow slightly, he always tried to make the effort to have a meal in the morning because he felt like he worked best when he had it. He raised a brow when she said people had smoothies for breakfast “I mean I’m a fan of smoothies but I wouldn’t want that much sugar first thing in the morning” he chuckled, he was more of a savory fan, besides smoothies weren’t very filling either, he would be hungry again before long. When she pointed out there was some room to make mistakes he nodded slightly “Yeah you’re right, this place is just my pride and joy you know, it’d hurt me to feel like I ruined it” he nodded slightly, he’d made this place from nothing.

He gave a wry smile when she admitted he had her pegged when he said she liked to keep adding to the list for a project “That’s a good thing though, means you’re never gonna settle for less” he nodded, he liked to see it as an iterative process, you worked on something, then released the changes, then you made new ones, a constant state of improvement. “Yeah? Can’t say I have a huge eye for it myself but I’m trying my best” he smiled slightly “Maybe if I give you a budget you could go and shop for some of the finishing touches...pictures...lights...maybe a few pillows here and there?” Willows seemed like she would be better at choosing bits to bring it all together than him.

He nodded in agreement “So the plan is to expand the offerings a little to encourage not just interest in books but also...merch related to books” it made sense “Maybe we could offer some of those trading cards you can stock behind the counter” the ones kids would buy packs of in order to try and get their favorite one. He nodded when she suggested the idea of getting flyers and posters to give our “That’s a good idea, we’ll have some spare time before the reopening to offer them out to people...maybe we could put some kind of coupon on there to encourage people to come to check it out” he stroked his chin as he considered it “Maybe a free coffee?” he wrote down on the list to look for a graphic designer who could do the poster design.

He grinned when she confirmed she was a Ravenclaw “You give off all the Ravenclaw intelligent vibes” he admitted with a chuckle but he licked his lips and smiled when she pointed out that he was on the fence between the two “Hufflepuff” he confirmed which a laugh “Too cute for my own good I guess” he teased playfully, he enjoyed the lighthearted talk they had going on during the day, it definitely helped the time to pass faster “Exactly” he responded and nodded “If we can at least get the floorplan done then we can pass that onto to builders who will make it happen, after that we can focus on decor and painting and the likes” he had hired a decorator to help with that but he was sure they would do some of the arrangement themselves “So I like how this is looking so far, I’ve tried to optimize floor space since we’re gonna need to fit in tables...I’m thinking they can go here” he pointed out the spot with the pencil he was holding.


CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Willow Eleonora Braelynd on March 15, 2021 at 17:03

Soon as she mentioned that she skips breakfast at times she could almost feel Leigh’s judging gaze looking over her. Knowing what he was going to say and she was right. “I know, I know it’s bad. But sometimes I forget then I look at the clock then it’s too late” Willow knew it was a bad habit that breakfast is the most important part of the day. Sometimes she would keep a stash of breakfast or snack bars to have behind the desk at work then to just snack on. “It’s more effort too” Some of the other celestials always make a mess in the kitchen at meal times then they would leave it. Then she’d find it would be down to her to clean up because she couldn’t walk past and leave it. “Do you like brunch?” She asked looking over to Leigh knowing it would be a yes. “I’ve seen there’s places that do Bottomless Brunch in the city” It always amazed her of all the new things and trends there are now that she’s missed out on. There’s so many things she still wants to try out. Bottomless Brunch was something she’s been wanting to try out for a while but didn’t want to go alone. It’s been a while since her Leigh had a catch up outside of work. Mostly it was because they worked opposite shifts, with how it was normally the only two of them working in the shop. Until they hired any more people, sometimes at times it felt like she lived at the bookshop with how much time she’s spent at work. Not that she ever minded or was complaining about. 

“We won’t ruin it, don't worry” Willow gave him a reassuring smile knowing he much he worries and over-thinks things, especially lately with the building and refurb stuff. She knew how much the place meant to Leigh and her too. Seeing how far it’s already come. “You know me I’m a perfectionist” She laughed softly. She always liked to make sure everything was perfect even if it was in the smallest thing. Soon as she heard Leigh suggesting leaving her to all of the shopping bits for her to get, she was already excited thinking about it. “Yay, I’ll be starting to look on pinterest for ideas” The Celestial loved any excuse to do any type of shopping, especially when it wasn’t her money too. Willow knew that maybe Leigh didn’t have the same eye for interior designing as her. That maybe it needs a woman’s touch for the little things. 

She’d seen in a few shops where people would try to promote a book whilst selling at the same time different things too like notebooks or cups. Mostly it was harry potter or disney related. When Leigh suggested trading cards she was a little confused about what he meant. “Trading cards?” Looking puzzled knowing it was something she’d not learnt about being a thing these days. Still she was trying to learn and be up to date with things she’s missed in the years she was locked up for. Both of them were trying to think of different ideas they could do to help promote the place. “People do love coupons and free coffee,” She said when handed out a coffee card where you buy 6 then get the 7th free. It was kinda a fix as she’d had to buy so many coffees before getting one free. 

Most people guessed straight away that she was a Ravenclaw, it was a no-brainer. Willow waited to find out which house Leigh was in. “Our houses both get on so that works too” The celestial grinned and laughed with Leigh as they carried on speaking of what their Hogwarts houses would be. Willow looked over the piece of paper that had the floor plan on, she was trying to imagine it almost to how it would work. “The tables would look good there, spaced out a little bit so people have their own space. Maybe a few sofas and coffee tables if there’s groups of people '' She liked the look of the floor plan with how they’d set it up so far. It was a small space but they wanted to open it up so it makes it look bigger. 


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on March 19, 2021 at 22:24

He chuckled at the way she immediately got defensive when he judged her breakfast habits “No wonder you’re about ready to bite someone’s head off by lunchtime” he commented and chuckled under his breath, she must get hangry by the time she was able to go and get some food. “Brunch is basically just a reason for rich people to go out and get drunk early in the day” he commented shaking his head in amusement because he’d never been all that convinced by the idea of it “I’ll bet one of my friends is wild about it though, she seems like the type” Leigh tended to avoid any unnecessary social events so it was a no brainer that he would avoid something like brunch, but in this case, it could be fun “Wanna plan our next company meeting at one?” he commented and grinned playfully, he was happy to treat her.

He giggled a little shyly when she assured him they wouldn’t ruin the place “I know that...it’s just my brain likes to play the game of what’s the worst thing that could happen” he poked his finger against his temple as he spoke to emphasize what he meant and sighed under his breath. She got it though, as she said she was a perfectionist and so was here, to the point where it could honestly make him a little paranoid. “Pinterest?” he questioned when she said she was going to use it for inspiration “Should I be using that for research too?” usually Leigh just went to Google and searched for stores and went through product listings but perhaps there was a better way to do things.

He raised his brow when she asked him about trading cards “I’ve seen lots of the kids collecting them...all sorts of things from monsters to soccer players” he nodded slightly, people seemed to love gacha type systems where you would buy a pack of something and then hope for a rare or special one, it was a trend that never seemed to dye down. “People love free stuff, full stop” he chuckled slightly, a reward system seemed like a sound way to secure regular customers and encourage them to make an extra stop “I was thinking if we keep a counter right here” he drew a circle on the floorplan “Then it would make it easy for customers to come in and get take away coffee in the mornings” that way they could capitalize on the people heading to work in the area.

He grinned slightly “Well that’s good...wouldn’t want the two of us getting into a fight” he commented and chuckled as he looked up at the redhead for a moment with a cheeky grin, they were friends of sorts, you kinda had to be when you spent so long working alongside someone and he enjoyed her company honestly. He leaned a little closer so he could check out the idea he was showing her and nodded slightly “I like that...I don’t want to place to feel too formal...we want to encourage people to make themselves comfy and stay a while” he sketched down some spots on the place to show a comfy nook alongside some regular tables at the side and nodded “This is starting to come together” he commented and grinned.


CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Willow Eleonora Braelynd on May 16, 2021 at 19:56

“I’m not that bad” The Redhead rolled her eyes trying to defend herself even when in reality he was right, it was worse if she’d not had her first coffee of the day. Or if someone would get on the wrong side of her whilst she’s on her time of the month. There'll be hell to pay.  “Okay maybe me skipping breakfast is bad” Knowing there was no getting out of it. “Sometimes you want breakfast but you leave it too late then by then breakfast is over but brunch it’s different” It sounded like a win win. Willow was waiting to see if Leigh would give in and say yes. The Celestial knew that he wasn’t a sociable person unlike her. Who would rather stay at home with a good book instead of going out for lunch. For her she loves things like these. She was surprised and excited that same time when hearing Leigh was agreeing, and letting her have a meeting there too next time. “Really?! It’ll be great” She grinned already looking forward to planning it. That it will beat them having a meeting here in the staff room plus to get away from the place too.  

Willow knew that he was forever worrying about the place more at the moment with all the renovations that were going on. “You’ll have stress lines if you carry on any more” She pointed out seeing how stressed he was getting about it. “We’ll make sure that it won't be happy” Willow reassured him softly. “You know me and my check lists” Knowing that she’d even have a checklist for the checklists, the celestial couldn’t help how organised she was. It was just who she was. Soon as she’d mentioned Pinterest, she could see how confused Leigh was. Knowing that he’d not heard of it before. “Pinterest is somewhere you can search and find different design ideas or looking for inspiration. When you find something you like you can make and add it to different boards. So you keep it all together. You should take a look” She loves using Pinterest, like many she has different boards for everything. 

The Celestial was confused when he spoke of trading cards, it was something she’d not heard of. “So kids these days buy and collect these cards. Then in years to come they are worth more money?” She wondered curiously looking over to him trying to wrap her head around it. Trading cards weren’t for her but she knew that these days they had to cater for everyone. She couldn’t agree more when he spoke of people loving free things. “Yup, that’s right” She grinned a little how people were a sucker for free things. Willow looked over to where Leigh was drawing on the floors so she got an idea of where he was thinking of putting stuff. “So we keep it separate from people who just want to grab a coffee, then it won’t be interfering or getting in the way of people who are checking out books?” Trying to wrap her head around it. 

“Both of us aren’t much fighters” She pointed out the truth, although it was something she’d been working at changing with the one to one training she was having with Eirik. “Yeah you don’t want it to look too formal, you want it cosy” There’s nothing worse when going to a coffee shop then the atmosphere is not nice. “There’s so much to think of, but it’ll be worth it” She smiled softly that it’ll be worth all the hours and stress when it’s done. “Do we still need to pick a colour scheme or is that for later on?” Still there was so much they needed to do, both of them still trying to figure it out.


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on May 22, 2021 at 8:54

He laughed softly when she said skipping breakfast was bad “I guess as long as you don’t go all day without eating, it’s excusable” he teased lightly and shrugged, he preferred to space his meals out but even he was guilty of skipping lunch sometimes because it was too late in the day or because he’d gotten distracted by work to even think about being hungry. He chuckled slightly when she got excited about the idea of getting brunch “Sure, we deserve a reward anyway, both of us have been working like crazy” credit to how much they both cared about the store and this phase of change.

Leigh lifted his hands and pressed them against his temples when she said he would get stress lines “I knew the risks when I decided to start a business” he commented and chuckled slightly as he rubbed in circles a little “At least our hearts are in the right places….wanting to do right by our customers” he murmured softly, Leigh had gone into this business despite the fact he could have been better off working a corporate job because he wanted to share the joy of books with others around him. He quirked a curious brow as she explained what Pinterest was “Sounds...interesting” he commented and chuckled “Though I’ve never really been good at the whole...aesthetic thing” you could say his tastes were perhaps a little basic.

He nodded when she asked for more clarity on what people did with trading cards “Some of them are even shiny and that makes everyone jealous” he laughed softly, he’d done some research on supply and demand in university and how something of seemingly low value can be increased by marketing techniques that make things limited and collectible so it fascinated him a little. He nodded in agreement as the two of them went through the floorplan “That’s the idea, I like the idea of keeping things separate so that the different functions don’t bother one another too much” especially because it was important to him that current customers didn’t feel like too much had changed.

“Not everyone can be a fighter, some of us have to be on the sidelines cheering the others on” he commented and smiled to himself “But it never hurts to know how to take care of yourself either” he’d done a bit of training here and there with Eun but the dhampir was basically raised on fighting and there was only so long the kitsune could get knocked on his ass for before he hit his tolerance limit. “I like cosy places” he commented and smiled “I definitely think we should prioritize comfort over style for the chairs” if you were going to read a book you didn’t want it to be in a chair that would make you sore. He continued to jot down the notes of the ideas they shared “By all means if you have any ideas let’s get them down now” he commented and nodded slightly “Though colors aren’t really my forte” he murmured softly.

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