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The bookshop was filled with books normally, yes, it was a bookshop after all–-ust not one who’d sell books. But there was a distinct difference between a bookshop filled with books inside a bookcase, and scattered around every nook and cranny. Nooks and crannies onlyone fluffy angel can find. The angel in question in a pile of Oscar Wilde books, he was so focused on organizing them, he didn’t even hear the bell ring, notifying him that someone entered.
“Angel—oh.” The devil stood (mainly because he couldn’t sit anywhere with the books everywhere) close to Aziraphale. “Gabria–-Jim” He gestured with his fingers' quotation marks while saying ‘Jim’ “Messed with the books, I see.”
The angel looked up and removed his reading glasses. “Yes, he rearranged it so it’s in order of the first letter of the first sentence. It’s truly been awful.” He placed the book he was reading down.
“What’s that?” Crowley tried to lean a bit more down to see the title, but alas, the sea of books were too great.
“Ah! ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’—first edition, 1888, Oscar Wilde. I also have the first hard copy edition, 1927. The 1888 version was signed by Mr Wilde himself.” He gave (what was close to) a happy wiggle of being able to talk about his books. He’d gladly listen to his angel talk about his books to see the pure happiness on his face.
“Well, that can’t be the only book you were looking at.” He found his usual chair and moved the books onto the floor (or what was left of it), and judging from the lack of protests, Aziraphale hadn't noticed yet.
“Well, there’s his first, and only novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray', both the censored and the original story are in my possession, 1890 and 1891. The original Mr Wilde gave me himself, terribly sad that he had to cut so much from it. It really fleshed out Basil Hallward's character more, same with Dorian Gray. Alas, it was too homoerotic for the public.” Crowley laughed.
“That was homoerotic? Ha! I’d love to see them read the gay sex today,” Aziraphale gave him a hard side eye.
“Foul demon. Oh!” He grabbed a book nearby. ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’! I watched the show when it came out in 1895! One of Mr Wilde’s finest works! 1897, copy I’m afraid.”
“Mmmm got a lotta his work I see?”
“Oh yes! He was an amazing poet you know,”
“Mmmh,” His gaze dropped to a book by his feet, he didn’t notice it when he sat down. He bent down a bit and picked it up to see that it was–
“The Divine Comedy? Angel I-” he cackled, as the angel in question flushed a pale red. He wasn’t as embarrassed owning that book as he would if the demon picked up a very certain book right next to that one.
“My dear! The Divine Comedy is a warning to obey Her! It’s not to promote Down there!”
“Oh! If you have this you must have Inferno!” After some silence from the angel, drowned out by the demon's laughs, Aziraphale gave in.
“It’s by the door over there- but I have them just because they’re a work of art!”
“Of course, of course,”
“Hm, it’s true!” Aziraphale got into a standing position, “Dante Alighieri was a good poet too! Just….. Some of his poems Up there wouldn’t really…. Enjoy.” The demon kept looking at the books at his feet to try to see what other books his angel reads. He picks up the book nearest to him.
“Mmmm 50 shades of Gray I swear I’ve heard of this one”