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Needful Things, Monday

Leland Gaunt could have retired years ago. Millenia ago. But he hadn't, for one very important reason.

Leland Gaunt loved his work. That quote about loving one's job and never working a day in one's life? It was so very, very true.

NEEDFUL THINGS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORE

You Won't Believe Your Eyes

He couldn't wait to see what new delights this day would bring.

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Carmilla took it, very carefully, not wanting to damage the fragile papers. If her heart was still working it would've skipped a beat as she recognized Elle's handwriting. Even almost 150 years later, she still sometimes dreamed of the notes they would write one another, notes Mother had destroyed long ago, along with Elle herself.

"It does seem that way," she murmured, dazed. How could this be? Carmilla, I am so sorry, the letter began, words she had longed to hear.

"Of course, the letter is old, and the paper is likely very delicate, so I would have to ask you to not hold on for it for too long," Leland noted, and then he raised an eyebrow. "Unless you've taken an interest in that particular item?"

Of course she had, hadn't she?

Edited 2015-03-17 02:13 (UTC)

Of course she had, even if she couldn't believe what she was holding was real.

"Might be an interesting read," Carmilla said, trying for bored, but the slight quaver of her voice gave her away. "How much for it?"

That quaver was Leland's favorite sound. That quaver was what victory sounded like.

"It's priceless," he replied, smiling to himself. "And so it isn't for sale. Not for money, at any rate. I purposefully don't put price tags on my merchandise. You see... I like to barter, to cut deals. I like to hold out until the highest bidder can make me an offer enticing enough that I can't possibly refuse it. Have you got any such thing to offer?"

How much was this letter worth to you, Carmilla?

It was on the tip of Carmilla's tongue to say she could just take it and speed the hell out of this place, but she somehow got the feeling that would be a bad plan, and she'd lose this chance forever. She'd lost Elle. She couldn't lose this one last chance to see her words again.

"I don't have a lot of money," she said. "But name your price and I'll get it, somehow."

"My price..." Leland pursed his lips thoughtfully, and then he smiled as though inspiration had just hit him. "This letter is written by the woman who stole a vampire's heart. It would be fitting, I believe, to exchange it for that which runs through it. A vampire's blood, for a vampire's letter. A fair exchange, wouldn't you say?"

Carmilla had been around dark rituals enough to know that handing over her blood, especially to someone who somehow knew she was a vampire and had a letter from Elle she hadn't even known existed, would be a Very Bad Idea. Extremely Bad, even. Completely stupid.

And so she held out her arm. "How much do you need?"

"Not much." Leland's smile was downright predatory. Ah, he loved it when they knew how stupid their choices were, and they still stepped into something horrible all the same. He slowly, deliberately took a moment to straighten a few of the papers in the box, and then tucked it away under the counter again. When he straightened, he had a small vial in his hand, which he set on the countertop between them. "Fill this. And then the letter is yours."

Carmilla didn't even hesitate to bare her fangs and bite into her wrist, tearing the skin open as she reached for the vial with her free hand. Bad idea bad idea bad idea...but the rational part of her had been firmly stuffed in the closet by the rush of feelings for Elle and the memories of their time together before she'd been stupid enough to tell her what she was and to defy Mother.

It didn't take long for the vial to fill up, and wiped her wrist on her pants, not wanting her blood to stain the letter. "There you go," she said.

"Excellent," Leland purred, reaching to take the vial and stoppering it the moment it was in his hands. "And just like that, the letter is yours."

If all of his customers were so eager to make a purchase this way, it would take all of the sport out of this sort of thing. But every now and again, this really was rather refreshing.

"Nice doing business with you," Carmilla said, barely paying attention to him now that the letter was hers. She was going to go back to her room and read it over and over again. She couldn't believe words she'd always wanted to hear were in her hands. She half-expected to wake up in her bed from a dream any minute now.

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Needful Things, Monday

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB

Re: Shop with Leland - NFB