Owl Post

[sweetpinkpixie]

Since 1536 the Owl Post Office has been serving the greater London area, by helping you deliver what you need to be delivered. Whether it’s a letter or a package, our owls can do the job. We have five owls who can provide a variety of delivery services. As you head through the foyer inside the Owl Post Office you will notice the newly renovated shop. All new furniture has replaced the old and very dated.

Off to the left and the right of the entrance is a bright and long row writing desks. Chairs are lined up in various spaces to seat down and relax. In the back corners on either the left or right are post office boxes, available for purchase. Ask the staff on duty for more information. Straight ahead from the foyer is rather large open space greets those entering the Owl Post Office the only real landmark is a long, rectangular stone Owl Post service desk. Written across the front panel in large, curvy print are the words "Owl Post Office". Against the wall there are three boxes; your letters, when placed in there by an employee, will vanish (to the mailroom of course).

If you approach the desk and find it empty, there is a small silver bell just off to the left. Just one ring please the enchanted bell will make no discernible sound when pressed. Next to the Owl Post service desk, several large racks have been set up. Neatly stacked inside each slot are various postcards, each depicting a different area of Diagon Alley and other notable landmarks of the greater wizarding United Kingdom. Quidditch and Gobstone team postcards can be found here as well. There are many to choose from!

Text Cut: inventory

Postcards: 3 Sickles

Letters:
Economy: 3 Knuts, 4 Knuts, 12 Knuts, 16 knuts
Standard: 4 Knuts, 6 Knuts, 12 knuts
Express: 6 Sickles, 12 Sickles

Packages:
Small: 5 sickles
Medium: 10 sickles
Large: 15 sickles

Post office box:
Small 5 sickles/Monthly
Medium 10 sickles /Monthly
Large 15 sickles/Monthly

Custom stationery and letterhead design
baseline of 12 galleons; final price will depend on clinet

Wax & Wax Seal Stamps
Standard wax seal stamp: 2 galleons 14 sickles
Custom wax seal stamp: 6 galleons 15 sickles
Wax seal stamp with 5 wax sticks: 4 galleons 9 sickles
Single wax stick: 2 sickles and 28 knuts

Quote:

Originally Posted by SENDING POST THROUGH THE OWL POST

To use the Owl Post system across the Wizarding Word, please complete the following OOC steps:

1. Fill out the Owl Post survey the necessary information (note that not completely filling out the survey may result in your letter/package taking longer to deliver).
   • Remember to include the username of the person the letter is intended for in the "To" section.
   • Remember to include a link to where the recipient is located in the SSRPGs so the delivery can be made easily.
   • If you are sending a package and wish to use images as visuals, remember to upload to your own image hosting account. Hotlinking images will result in your owl post not being delivered.
   • If you have a certain date OOC that you would like your letter to be delivered by, specify that in the last question of the survey.
2. OPTIONAL: Post in this thread purchasing the Owl Post delivery service. We would love to role-play with you!

This shop is STAFFED by sweetpinkpixie.

This shop is part of the IC shopkeeper opportunity. Please check out the Shopkeeper Listing for characters employed here!

[Chelliephone]

Summer was the most delightful time within the Alley, she was finding. The sun was shining today, the weather warm enough that she could settle on a blouse that showed the spider slowly stretching itself across her back. There was also so much activity happening, the students home for the holidays just taking over the streets. Ece liked children, but her particular line of work was not something that warranted visits generally from the young ones. At most, she'd had a few filter in and out to ask for directions - which she'd happily supplied. It was after 3 or 4 of these such moments this morning that she had decided her services were not needed in the office for the day, so perhaps it was a good opportunity to visit her fellow proprietors and see if anyone DID need anything.

Or even just company. She was perhaps the slightest bit lonely, and hopeful to begin making friendships with her others in the Alley.

Heading towards the Owl Post first, a small canister of assorted shortbread in her hand as an offering, she pushed her way through the door and danced her away through the lines of writing desks. She didn't particularly need immediate assistance, considering this was just a social call, so Ece was hesitant to ring the bell. Instead, she chose to just mill by the front, carefully perusing through the assortment of post cards. She was probably due to send Kelya something of a check in, perhaps she could find something suitable here.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

Summer was the most delightful time within the Alley, she was finding. The sun was shining today, the weather warm enough that she could settle on a blouse that showed the spider slowly stretching itself across her back. There was also so much activity happening, the students home for the holidays just taking over the streets. Ece liked children, but her particular line of work was not something that warranted visits generally from the young ones. At most, she'd had a few filter in and out to ask for directions - which she'd happily supplied. It was after 3 or 4 of these such moments this morning that she had decided her services were not needed in the office for the day, so perhaps it was a good opportunity to visit her fellow proprietors and see if anyone DID need anything.

Or even just company. She was perhaps the slightest bit lonely, and hopeful to begin making friendships with her others in the Alley.

Heading towards the Owl Post first, a small canister of assorted shortbread in her hand as an offering, she pushed her way through the door and danced her away through the lines of writing desks. She didn't particularly need immediate assistance, considering this was just a social call, so Ece was hesitant to ring the bell. Instead, she chose to just mill by the front, carefully perusing through the assortment of post cards. She was probably due to send Kelya something of a check in, perhaps she could find something suitable here.

Entirely too efficient a businessman to require assistance in shop, Zachaël had finally shed some of his social hurtles over the years to make for good company. Though his confidence would wane on occasion around certain sorts, Sophia had nonetheless seen to it that he was well adapted. Though, perhaps, there was something he could receive assistance on...should he unearth some of the complicated subjects that had his heart in a twist. The good sort of complicated but still the sort to put him in a proper twist.

Each summer only made the entanglements more and more prominent.

A subject that was mostly in the back of his mind as he appeared from the storeroom with a box of stationary he had just finished pressing and packaging in hand. "Ah, Ece," the former snake greeted. He could call her Ece, yes? "Post cards today? That entire display is Owl Post exclusives. I personally recommend the Diagon Alley watercolor series. Each hand made right here in shop once the artwork is received from the artist, a charming and delightful woman who works at the Scamander Zoo."

[Chelliephone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Entirely too efficient a businessman to require assistance in shop, Zachaël had finally shed some of his social hurtles over the years to make for good company. Though his confidence would wane on occasion around certain sorts, Sophia had nonetheless seen to it that he was well adapted. Though, perhaps, there was something he could receive assistance on...should he unearth some of the complicated subjects that had his heart in a twist. The good sort of complicated but still the sort to put him in a proper twist.

Each summer only made the entanglements more and more prominent.

A subject that was mostly in the back of his mind as he appeared from the storeroom with a box of stationary he had just finished pressing and packaging in hand. "Ah, Ece," the former snake greeted. He could call her Ece, yes? "Post cards today? That entire display is Owl Post exclusives. I personally recommend the Diagon Alley watercolor series. Each hand made right here in shop once the artwork is received from the artist, a charming and delightful woman who works at the Scamander Zoo."

While her browsing had simply been meant to be a passing of the time, she found herself more and more engrossed with admiring the artwork of the cards - and before she knew it, she had carefully selected four and pulled them from their slots for purchase. Kelya was really the only reciepent of anything she ever sent, but a small stock meant that perhaps she would be a better sister and send correspondence monthly instead of just... whenever she happened to have the thought.

Or perhaps it would just simply remain good intentions and she could hang them up around her apartment as artwork instead. Hearing the Postmaster's voice, Ece's head turned and she offered a smile. "Hi Zachael." She was absolutely fine with him using her first name, and she certainly hoped her doing the same was of no offense. "I actually was just popping in to say a hello, but the beautiful display certainly caught my eye. How did you connect with such a talent?" She loved local treasures such as this, and the news it was such had her selecting a few others. Perhaps now she could both send AND display on her walls for her own enjoyment. "I think I will get this if I can trouble you for a moment to ring them up." She smiled at him, placing them on the counter in front of him and pulling out her own coin purse from her pocket.

"How is the summer season treating you thus far? Busy as ever?"

[sweetpinkpixie]

No offense at all. He simply often found himself entirely too tongue tied around woman. He did have a casual and suave air about him thanks to his bohemian style (today's aesthetic being more earthy in tone), but he just had never been able to talk to women with ease. Not until they broke through his shell like Sophia had managed to accomplish despite absolutely abhorring his fashion aesthetic. "Oh, I see," he smiled before shuffling over to the kettle and giving it a firm tap with his wand. "Coffee? Tea? I usually reserve it for paying customers and consolations but I think I can make an exception in this case. I was just craving a spot of roasted almond black tea myself."

There may be some biscuits in the back as well...assuming one of his employees had run the necessary errands. It was possible they had not yet had a moment yet.

"Art classes," he chuckled somewhat sheepishly. "I attend a few in the evening every now and then. Connect with all sorts of talent that way." He was not particularly gifted artistically but he did enjoy the creative process of it all. Rather than a brush and paint, his skills lived and breathed with a gouge chisel, whittling knife, and wood. He would be the instructor for wood carving or beginners for a future class in the near future, actually. "I take it back, you are a paying customer so no exceptions with the tea or coffee," Zachaël chuckled as he accepted her postcards and shuffled back over to the register. "Your postcards come to a grand total of 4 Sickles and 14 Knuts."

Running a hand through his luminous brown curls, the former Slytherin summoned a cloth to apply a bit of elbow grease to the counter to remove a couple of smudges from small children trying to use it as a jungle gym. "Never quite as busy as the holiday season or the month of September," he mused. September being when new parents could not resist sending care packages to their children and all those immediate check in letters. "But certainly not slow." Smudges gone, he returned his attention to his fellow Proprietor and sighed. "Real shame about the infestation." To her eventual establishment. "Gutting the place was certainly not the way any of us were hoping to welcome you to the Alley."

[Chelliephone]

Being tongue tied was certainly something she could understand, especially around women. Though, she was self aware enough to know it was exacerbated more when she was particularly attracted to them. Thankfully her career had made her much better at "faking it until you make it", in regards to social interactions in general. Which she hoped she was also doing a fine job of now, considering dropping into his work place to bother was making her slightly more self conscious than she had expected. Though, at least he didn't seem to mind. Or perhaps the bohemian style, that truthfully she rather thought made him seem more of a calming, approachable presence, just masked any annoyance. At the offer of tea, she relaxed a little more - a small laugh escaping her throat as she nodded. "I appreciate the exception. Some tea sounds wonderful." She didn't think she'd ever had the flavor he'd named, but she wasn't picky.

And if his employees had not made the runs yet, thankfully the tin she'd brought as a gift held just what they'd been supposed to grab. Which she now laid on the counter and pushed towards him, "this was for you as well. A thank you gift, of sorts. For you and the other proprietors all being so welcoming." It was unnerving to start your own business, even more so somewhere you hadn't been. They'd made the transition smooth, despite all the calamities that had befallen her poor little storefront already.

An eyebrow raised at his admission, her lips still pulled upward into a smile. "That is genius. Though I imagine it's maybe not just for business sake? Are you an artist as well?" People with artistic talent were the ones who most got jealousy from her. The ability to create things from nothing (or junk, in some cases) was truly impressive. With another laugh, Ece opened her beaded coin purse and pulled out the requested amount and slid it across the counter to him. "Thank you, sir!"

It was so odd to her that September itself was so busy, though that was just the naivety of not having her own children to miss throughout the year. "I also would have thought it would be the months following December that would be the busiest, as parents would have more time to miss their kids." But maybe when you had a child, you just biologically missed it once it was out of your site. At the mention of her current calamity, she smiled ruefully and raised her slim shoulders in a shrug. ''I appreciate everyone's kindness and well wishes, but it's alright - it couldn't be helped. I'm just glad it was my shop and not somewhere already open." Truly, the infestation just gave her time to be even more intentional with her interior, hiring and opening plans. "And thankfully it was only Nesting Occamy. Bundimun can be so nasty I'm just glad it didn't spread any further."

[sweetpinkpixie]

If only it were as simple as a matter of attraction which was a far cry from Zachaël's perspective. The truth of the matter was that he came from a family with a very overbearing matriarch whose expectations and presence sent ripples of fear through Zachaël as a young man and still managed to silence him with one intimidating glance even as an adult. He had always been more of a soft spoken sort, but the woman's energy was second to none. The woman had style as well, though her aesthetic was entirely the opposite of his own, and quite beautiful in her terrifying ways...so there was something to attractiveness playing a factor, he supposed. Not his tastes in that regard, but he could still very easily objectively appreciate beauty and style regardless. All this to say that, simply, women intimidated him and he had psychological war flashbacks in their presences more often than he liked to admit.

"Please, take a seat in the consultation section." The area towards the front window with the more comfortable chairs that were in desperate need of reupholstering but he had not been able to decide on a fabric for them and certain influential voices in his life were quite firm on him not mixing textiles to create a more eclectic space. "I'll bring the kettle around in just a moment along with some biscuits."

Though first...there was a tin to collect. A tin of biscuits? Was it tacky to offer the very gift she had bestowed upon him with their tea since she had purchased them and it was hardly his hospitality? Then again, these looked nicer that the budget biscuits he had been ordering to help cut costs. "Great minds," he recovered, tapping the lid of the tin with his fingers before adding her money for the postcards to the till and then moved to grab the kettle from the small wood burning stove and summoning a pair of tea cups and saucers to the table. "Do you take sugar or milk with your tea?" He only took milk with his and his coffee rather exclusively black.

"I am a student of the arts," Zachaël chuckled while slipping into the seat opposite her. "Zeke kept on pestering me about getting a hobby so...I found somewhere offering some classes and now I am an amateur artist. As delightful as it can be...I do believe I prefer whittling to painting, but the variation is nice."

Pouring a bit of milk into his cup and stirring the contents with his tiny spoon, he shook his head to toss his curls out of the way before lifting the cup towards his lips and blew gently. "Tends to be a wave every 3 months or so, but it is truly hard to top the holiday season. Really have to keep an eye on the owls so that they don't overwork themselves....and several are just stubborn enough to do it too." Which would partly explain why his shoulder did not have one currently adorning the man's shoulder - it was a mandatory rest time in their coops. "Indeed. That's the last thing they Alley needs now that finally all the damages from the war have been repaired." Not to sound tone deaf to her plight or anything. "Fingers crossed that you'll be properly settled in by the summer holidays then. Oh...and should you require any wood crafting for the apartments during their upkeep, I could offer my and my partner's services."

[Chelliephone]

She glanced back towards where he indicated, which did look very comfortable and the state of the upholstery went entirely unnoticed by her. Giving a nod in agreement regarding finding a seat over there, brunette ponytail bouncing as she did so, she collected her newly purchased postcards and carefully slid them into her purse. "Sounds wonderful!" was the simple response before she carefully made her way to settle into a seat.

She did not find it tacky at all for them to share the gift she'd brought in. Considering she'd been hoping to be able to sit and visit and have tea anyways, perhaps it'd been more of a tacky offering - perhaps even could have been seen as manipulative, though that had not exactly been her intention. She thought, anyways. She smiled at his comment, a small laugh escaping as she nodded. "I hear tea and biscuits are big here, so it was one or the other to bring you." at least until she knew his personal tastes, if they even got close enough for her to do so. She truly was very eager for friendship but she was being cautiously optimistic. The other proprietors did not know her well, still. "Just milk, please." Coffee was one she would do milk and sugar with, not overly fond of that bitter taste, but teas were generally more subtle so she'd rather save her sugars for something more worth it.

"What a wonderful hobby to have though!" To be able to create such beautiful things with one's own two hands was a talent she would never cease to be envious of. "I look forward to seeing your designs on postcards as well. She grinned at him, taking a sip of the tea he'd provided after unable to help herself from enjoying the aroma for a moment - cup close to her face. Was there anything more delightful than the scents of certain teas? "Variation does seem like it would be nice, especially in the event of an artistic blockage of one medium or the other. At least you'd still have another form of creative expression to fall back on." Hers lay in interior design - though she was much better at just transfiguring pieces and staging, taking photos of the layout, for her look books. Her drawing was elementary level, at best.

"I'm not entirely surprised at that. All of those people who have gifts to send all over. I imagine due to the amount they have to send, you end up with people who usually send their own owls." She knew her sweet tawney needed some extra help around the holiday season - particularly as she was not used to making multiple trips in such a short span of time. Though that realization made her feel especially bad for the Owl Post owls who still had to make such frequent trips. She was sure her caretaker here though did a more than adequate job of monitoring their health, at least. The idea of him being tone deaf to her situation at all did not cross her mind - because while she perhaps had not been there, she had heard how devastating the effects of the war were everywhere - but especially the UK ministry, shopping centers and schools which had acted as ground zero. "Absolutely. So there was at least a silver lining." and who didn't expect hiccups when starting a new business? Perhaps not something as grand as this but... Still. "That's my goal as well. Preparations are looking good so... I think that'll be doable." The offer received a grateful smile from the woman and she gave a nod. "I will absolutely not be shy in coming and asking if a need arises." In fact, she should work on inventory of her available furnishings soon so if there was anything - she had ample time to request.

[Stefan]

What would his parents think about this? Mackenzie Mordaunt, employed in the Owl Post for summer earning a bit of gold for himself, versus staying cooped up in his room until September came? They would be shocked, that's for certain since this was not the kind of action they'd expect from him. That, and the fact that he still hasn't told either parent that he's employed... working with his hands. Well, perhaps it has something to do with the fact that he felt the pressure of doing something, anything, after seeing how successful Noah has been thus far. Deep down he wanted what his brother has now, and in hindsight, it just might be what Catherine was so irked about all these years.

Just in time after he'd cleaned the floor of owl droppings, Waful, the snowy white owl returned to the establishment, and instinctively Mackenzie stretched out an arm for the creature to perch on and reached into his pocket for treats. "Well done, W." he murmured and watched the owl take its prize.