OPEN TO ALL: The Grand Opening of Phoenix Effect

[khirsah]

Where: Phoenix Effect, a brand new coffee shop -slash- bookstore in the French Quarter
When: Monday evening
What: The grand opening

It's funny. No one can really recall what the space looked like before Phoenix Effect was there.

It's the French Quarter--every bit of usable space has been taken ten times over. And yet somehow, a brand new, incredibly large, impressively immaculate coffee shop -slash- bookstore is just...there. Smack dab in the middle of the Quarter, with two stories, balconies lined with tables, gorgeous wrought iron, a golden-hued facade, and music drifting soft into the air. The chalkboard sign outside is simple:

PHOENIX EFFECT
Grand Opening
"The past is always tense, the future perfect." 

Many people are passing it by without a second glance. But any reincarnate in the area feels compelled to stop, give it another glance, turn around and go inside. All the doors and windows are open to the beautiful night, and the warm-wood-and-funky-painted walls exude a welcoming energy. It's almost like coming home.

People are everywhere, milling about and enjoying the free food and drinks (which are all excellent). There is a central courtyard that has been cleared of tables to become a dance floor. Twinkle lights and colorful flags festoon the indoor-outdoor space, with balconies above looking down on the action. There are comfy couches and bookshelf after bookshelf lining the walls with pretty much any book you can think to want. (Literally.)

The decor is a mix of time periods and styles that all seems to blend together seamlessly, and in one corner stands a friendly young woman handing out log-in details for a private usernet you can sign up for, just for Phoenix Effect customers. Even if you've never cared about that sort of thing before, you feel weirdly excited about setting up a profile and giving it a go.

All in all, it's a beautiful space on a beautiful night with a lot of new and familiar faces.

Text to Diego

[nola_vax]

 Hey, bro, remember how you were always on me to go to Europe?

Text to Charlie

[nola_moana]

It's Harlow Day, right? When are you seeing her? Are you excited?

Charlie - Charlie's dorm room

[nola_maya]

Not a lot scared Harlow. She'd just moved 1000 miles by herself with just enough money to support herself for a couple of months and pay for some community college credits and she wasn't all that worried about it. But now, standing outside her best friend's door, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She was kind of convinced that she could hear it, actually, since a girl gave her a weird look as she walked down the hall.

Except maybe it was just that she'd been standing there for a while without knocking. Right. Get your shit together, Harlow. There are no monsters on the other side of that door, just the sweetest, best person you've ever known. Nothing to be scared of.

She didn't give herself time to argue with herself any further. Harlow knocked.

Samuel--Home

[nola_quicksilver]

The front door rattled when Oliver kicked it shut behind him. Belatedly, he remembered that this particular pair of shoes loved leaving prints on the plain white paint, but oh well, what's done is done, and his hands were full.

"Hey, Sam," he called into the apartment at large. Oliver assumed Samuel was home because he was emailed a detailed spreadsheet listing Sam's upcoming work schedule on the first of every month. Also, his bedroom light was on. "A new coffee place just opened down the street and they're giving out free coffee."

Carefully, he started setting down the six huge lattes he'd poached from the frazzled barista who'd been distracted by trying to create legible foam art. The lid on one was loose, sending a splash of coffee on the counter, but even still, Oliver put his hands on his hips and looked down on his bounty like a proud father.

Six! This might be enough to get him through the overnight shift at the tattoo parlor.

But then, with a pang of conscience, he called out, "I guess you can have one of mine."