It used to be a house. Well, technically, it was still a house.
Let's start over.
It was a townhouse in Old Town Valesport, the part of town where the streets got narrower, where the buildings got shorter, where the street lights had never been updated because no one wanted to ruin the ambiance of the old inefficient gaslamps. And on this street of townhouses, this townhouse in particular had been owned by the same man for a very long time.
He did not leave his house very often, these days.
Too many books, had been his problem. So many books that the floors had started to creak, so many books that he'd had to take the furniture out of his once-grand foyer. So many books that he'd had to empty the logs and the ashes out of his fireplace, and start keeping books there, too.
The foyer is a bookstore, now, the sort of bookstore with a hand-lettered sign out front that a person might miss if they walked by too fast. 'Cozy' was the nice word for it, and 'cramped' the less nice. Anyone with meat on their bones would have to traverse the shelves sideways, and anyone wearing a coat or carrying a purse would run the constant risk of knocking something over.
If the door is open, the owner is very probably at the front desk, an old wooden thing with an inkwell that looked to weigh as much as a small car. If he's not, one can always ring the bell - or simply yell. It is a very small building, after all, and he still lives on the second floor.
For people who love books, from the leatherbound to the tattered paperbacks, it is hard to imagine a more perfect place. For those who seek knowledge, the shelves may well hold what you seek. And if you ask the owner - well, you've probably nothing to fear. He's trying to behave himself, these days.
Let's start over.
It was a townhouse in Old Town Valesport, the part of town where the streets got narrower, where the buildings got shorter, where the street lights had never been updated because no one wanted to ruin the ambiance of the old inefficient gaslamps. And on this street of townhouses, this townhouse in particular had been owned by the same man for a very long time.
He did not leave his house very often, these days.
Too many books, had been his problem. So many books that the floors had started to creak, so many books that he'd had to take the furniture out of his once-grand foyer. So many books that he'd had to empty the logs and the ashes out of his fireplace, and start keeping books there, too.
The foyer is a bookstore, now, the sort of bookstore with a hand-lettered sign out front that a person might miss if they walked by too fast. 'Cozy' was the nice word for it, and 'cramped' the less nice. Anyone with meat on their bones would have to traverse the shelves sideways, and anyone wearing a coat or carrying a purse would run the constant risk of knocking something over.
If the door is open, the owner is very probably at the front desk, an old wooden thing with an inkwell that looked to weigh as much as a small car. If he's not, one can always ring the bell - or simply yell. It is a very small building, after all, and he still lives on the second floor.
For people who love books, from the leatherbound to the tattered paperbacks, it is hard to imagine a more perfect place. For those who seek knowledge, the shelves may well hold what you seek. And if you ask the owner - well, you've probably nothing to fear. He's trying to behave himself, these days.
The Bookstore
A small set of stairs with wrought iron rails will bring you to the front door, painted red. A sign to the side says simply 'Tsundoku', painted over the image of an open book. There is a doorbell, but a smaller sign, with tidy handwriting, informs visitors to let themselves in during operating hours.
Inside, the first thing one sees is the front desk to the right. It is crowded with books, loose papers, and antique pens. The owner is probably sitting there, in an old leather chair with a small set of shelves behind him. If he is not, there is a small bell on the desk, the kind one might find at a hotel. There is a cash register, but it is old and manual and accepts only coinage.
To the left of the front door are the shelves, tall enough to reach the tall ceilings and piled high with books. The shelves are just far enough apart to traverse, but larger folk may find themselves having trouble. If one makes it through the shelves, there is an old fireplace on the far-right wall, books stacked along the bottom.
Straight from the front door, one finds a door into the hall. This is the passage into the house, and it is not recommended to venture forth without permission from the owner.
Inside, the first thing one sees is the front desk to the right. It is crowded with books, loose papers, and antique pens. The owner is probably sitting there, in an old leather chair with a small set of shelves behind him. If he is not, there is a small bell on the desk, the kind one might find at a hotel. There is a cash register, but it is old and manual and accepts only coinage.
To the left of the front door are the shelves, tall enough to reach the tall ceilings and piled high with books. The shelves are just far enough apart to traverse, but larger folk may find themselves having trouble. If one makes it through the shelves, there is an old fireplace on the far-right wall, books stacked along the bottom.
Straight from the front door, one finds a door into the hall. This is the passage into the house, and it is not recommended to venture forth without permission from the owner.
The House
His home is surprisingly spacious, for all that the front of the home is compact. Once in the hall, the first door to the right leads to the bathroom, with all necessary amenities and more. The clawfoot bathtub seems large enough to hold five people, and the showerhead seems to have been added after the fact. His soap is shaped like snowflakes, and smells like preserved lemons.
The second door to the right is locked.
On the left is first and foremost a wrought-iron spiral staircase leading to the second floor. Second to the left is the kitchen, which may have been well-appointed a hundred years ago, but now is a touch inefficient. The fridge, at least, is gleaming and new, even if the stove is cast iron.
There is a door to the backyard at the end of the hall, with rosebushes and an old oak tree. A small and neglected wooden swing hands from the largest branch of the oak.
The second story houses the master bedroom, the master bath, a guest room, and an office. All remain locked during operating hours, unless the owner deigns to unlock them.
The second door to the right is locked.
On the left is first and foremost a wrought-iron spiral staircase leading to the second floor. Second to the left is the kitchen, which may have been well-appointed a hundred years ago, but now is a touch inefficient. The fridge, at least, is gleaming and new, even if the stove is cast iron.
There is a door to the backyard at the end of the hall, with rosebushes and an old oak tree. A small and neglected wooden swing hands from the largest branch of the oak.
The second story houses the master bedroom, the master bath, a guest room, and an office. All remain locked during operating hours, unless the owner deigns to unlock them.
Current Status
It is currently tea-time on a Thursday. The skies are gray, raindrops collected on leaves, but it is no longer drizzling. The store is open, and Jean Cernunnos is moping.
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Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by tindome - 11-06-2014, 10:35 PM
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RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 10-14-2015, 09:41 AM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Blade - 11-21-2015, 05:17 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 12-14-2015, 11:56 AM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 12-14-2015, 01:55 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Blade - 01-16-2016, 03:57 AM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Tindome - 01-20-2016, 11:36 AM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 03-09-2016, 04:07 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 03-09-2016, 04:48 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Blade - 03-09-2016, 05:52 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Tindome - 03-17-2016, 01:04 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 05-16-2016, 10:49 AM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Tindome - 06-27-2016, 06:40 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 07-05-2016, 08:37 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Blade - 07-12-2016, 07:03 AM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 08-10-2016, 12:43 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Tindome - 09-01-2016, 01:46 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by kaythebold - 09-12-2016, 10:25 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Tindome - 09-13-2016, 12:08 AM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Blade - 09-13-2016, 06:12 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 09-14-2016, 11:28 AM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by kaythebold - 09-14-2016, 05:53 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Tindome - 09-18-2016, 02:49 AM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Blade - 09-20-2016, 04:01 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by megs - 09-28-2016, 03:18 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by kaythebold - 10-01-2016, 04:21 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Tindome - 10-25-2016, 02:33 PM
RE: Tsundoku - Antique and Well-Loved Books - by Blade - 03-14-2017, 07:16 PM