fandomtownies | Needful Things, Wednesday

He'll happily sell you your heart's desire. For a price.

It wasn't that Elsa had been waiting outside the shop for the doors to open today, honest. It was just that... Canute needed to be walked, and she had thought to herself, 'maybe,' and that had led to her leaving with both a very large dog and a small wooden box. Which... from there...

Well, she hadn't been nervously waiting outside the door of the shop for long, that was all.

But now that the shop was open, she was taking a minute to tie Canute up outside, and then taking a deep breath and stepping through the door.

"Excuse me, Mr. Gaunt...?"

Leland allowed himself a brief flash of a predatory smile before he turned to look at Elsa, his expression open and pleasant.

"Ah, Princess... Elsa, was it?" He paused a moment, waiting for her to nod. It hardly mattered that she had never told him her name. She was far too focused on the bracelet she had returned for to notice something so trivial as that, anyway. "I've been thinking about our conversation on Sunday. Are you still quite certain that this is what you want?"

Of course she was.

"I understand that this can't be easy for you."

"It isn't," Elsa agreed softly as she held up the wooden box, opening it to reveal her mother's tiara inside. "But it's something I have to do."

She couldn't keep doing this, being half of what she was while forever fearing that she'd hurt the people she loved. She couldn't stand the thought of being alone again when she went back to Arendelle, or what might happen if her powers got away from her.

Arendelle had a prophecy about an eternal winter.

That terrified her for so many reasons

"If you're still willing to make the trade, Mr. Gaunt, then I would be... happy... to seal this deal."

Leland nodded, his expression showing only sympathy, even while he felt the smug satisfaction of a deal about to be closed. He reached behind the counter and pulled out the bracelet, offering it out to her even as he took the box. A more decent individual might have given her one more chance to back out.

More decent individuals didn't know just how much that wouldn't matter, in a few moments more.

"In that case, it was a pleasure doing business with you. I hope the bracelet serves you and that beautiful gift of yours well."

"Thank you. Thank you so, so very much," Elsa breathed, though she sounded distracted as she pulled the bracelet on, and pulled her gloves off again. She had thought... had thought it would hurt more, once her mother's tiara left her hands. She had even made certain to set aside plans to find a quiet place to retreat to so that she could be alone to grieve, to come to terms with what she had done.

But there was an overwhelming sense of calm sweeping over her now, as she turned to leave the shop. What had she been worried about? Things were better now than they had ever been.

She needed to go and hug her sister.

Anders had a heavy heart as he approached the store. He'd scraped two rocks that still bore traces of moss out of the ashes after his ... disagreement with Cassandra, and he'd found four more in the cove that morning before the inky water and cold air drove him away.

He didn't have nearly enough. But he needed that phylactery, so all there was left to do was throwing himself on Leland's mercy.

"Leland?" he said apologetically as he entered the shop. "Hi. I don't exactly have enough rocks, but if there's anything else ....?"

"Anything else...?" Leland looked up from a piece of ceramic that he was dusting, and frowned a little as he took in the sight of Anders and his collection of stones. "Ah. You couldn't meet my price, I see."

That was disappointing. Perhaps Anders would be able to see how very disappointed he was. His mouth pulled into a deeper frown.

"I could be persuaded to trade for something else," he noted, though that disappointment was heavy in his voice, as well. "Something a bit simpler, perhaps. You did manage to find... that many stones, after all."

There were six. Six warranted at least a discount, of course.

"I had enough!" Anders exclaimed, defensive. "And then there was a little ... dispute with Seeker Pentaghast, and, well, sometimes when you argue with a mage things light on fire."

It couldn't be helped!

"You had enough then, but you don't have enough now," Leland pointed out. "If you light currency on fire, you no longer have that currency. You wouldn't expect any other shop owner to sell you something for next to nothing when he had agreed to give you a bargain in the first place, would you?"

And how perfectly unfair of Anders to expect it of Leland!

"Fortunately, I am a reasonable man, and I believe we can work out another price for you. There is another ingredient I need, stones aside, that I am unable to procure for myself. If you're capable of bringing it to me, I'll gladly hand you the item and send you on your way, Seeker Pentaghast and her demands be damned."

"I guess not," Anders muttered, blushing deeply as he stared at his boots. He didn't embarrass easily, but something about Leland's disappointment brought it out in him; he felt like he was six years old trying to explain where all the cake had gone.

Hope bloomed in his eyes at Leland's offer,and he glanced to the man with keen interest. "Oh, thank you," he said. "What is it?"

"There is a different ingredient, worth about as much as the remainder of the stones, that should be much easier for you to get," Leland replied. "Or, rather, I hope it is. It's a fairly specific one as well, though I have cause to believe that such a thing does exist on the island. You see, I require a single strand of human hair, a strand that has never known the sharp edge of a cutting blade."

Of course he was going to phrase it that way. One might easily hunt down a small child before their first haircut, though fortunately for him, there didn't seem to be a wealth of those running around the island.

Leland was certain that Anders could think of one other, however.

Anders screwed up his face, carefully following Leland's words. "Does it have to be head hair?"

It would be a much easier assignment if other body hair was included, was all Anders was saying.

And Leland in turn, was meeting that question with an unimpressed deadpan stare.

"Yes. Yes, I believe it does."

Ah well, he'd tried.

"There is my roommate," he said hesitantly. It felt like a betrayal of Rapunzel to offer her up for something like this. "Her hair's -- probably more than long enough for your purposes. And as far as I know she's never cut it."

"Oh?" Leland's face practically lit up with approval at that suggestion. "Why, how convenient! And do you suppose you'd be able to bring me such a strand of hair? People lose individual hairs all the time, I can't imagine she'd miss just one."

Leland was certainly collecting a lot of magical hair, here. What a fascinating little island.

"Probably not," Anders said, fidgeting a bit with his shirtsleeves. This seemed so simple he was looking for the catch. "Only -- this won't be used to hurt her at all, will it? I couldn't do that."

"Oh, of course not," Leland replied, his eyes going wide in surprise. Why, how could Anders even suggest such a thing?? "It's a medicinal ingredient, where I come from. It's brewed into a salve that eases afflictions of the heart and mind that conventional medicines don't touch."

Going the medicinal route for Hanna had seemed to work quite well. Why not try it here?

"I assure you, no harm would come to your friend at all. As a matter of fact, she would probably be happy that it's being put to use that way. And, moreover, that this trade will be guaranteeing your freedom."

Oh yes, Leland was most certainly going to dangle the promise of the phylactery again.

Anders still looked doubtful for another second, but let himself be lulled. Leland was right, of course. Why would Rapunzel care about a single strand of hair? Especially when his very freedom was on the line.

"Al right," he nodded. "I'll be back with the hair as soon as I can. Thank you for giving me another chance."

"But of course," Leland replied, giving Anders a small bow. "I look forward to seeing you reunited with your item, young sir. Preferably before anything else can be lit on fire, hmm?"

Anders laughed, though the sound was slightly uncomfortable. "That's always my first choice."

Pam was so happy that this store was open again!!! She had come by late last night but it hadn't been open late last night and that was very sad.

But she was here now!!!

"I need more coke I need more coke Ineedmorecoke," she announced, vibrating with enthusiasm. "Hi, are you there? Can I get more coke? I need more coke IneedmorecokeIneedmorecokeIneedmorecoke."

Well! Look who wasn't dead! That had taken far less time than he had expected, for her to finish the kilo. Good thing he had plenty in store.

"Conveniently, I have more coke," Leland Gaunt said, folding his arms on the counter. "And there are things in this town I need. If you're willing to procure them for me, then we can come to a very happy agreement."

"I didn't see anything useful at the house," Pam shared. "I could get some of Cheryl's groovy bears, but she'd probably freak out at me. Plus they're maybe not worth as much as coke. What's the going rate?"

"Not from your roommate, this time," he said. "There is a young lady in town. Her name is Raven. I believe she may have been one of your students, once."

If Pam was at all smarter than she was, she'd be wondering how Leland even knew that she used to teach.

"All I require is a single strand of her hair."

Or she might have asked why this girl's hair mattered enough to pay for a kilo of cocaine.

What Pam actually did was clap her hands excitedly. "DONE!"

And she ran out of the store.

Leland Gaunt had often felt that certain sales were just too easy. But this really took the cake.

He took a bet with himself on exactly how long it would take before she returned. An hour?

Less. Which was saying something. Mostly, "Pam desperately wanted some cocaine."

"Here, I got the hair," she said, bringing in a strand (http://fandomtownies.livejournal.com/7508559.html) like it was some kind of exotic treasure. "From that blonde girl? She was in the park. I think it's the right girl."

Leland was very lucky that it was actually the right girl. Like, those were some impressive odds, there.

Edited 2015-03-19 02:12 (UTC)

"Delightful," Leland said, examining the hair with a decided effort.

Shockingly, it appeared to belong to the right person. Yet another bet he'd lost, in the past hour.

"Very well," he said, taking the hair and setting it down on the counter. "Here's more cocaine. Do remember to come back when you've finished?"

It was quite the experiment, seeing the myriad ways he could make this monkey dance.

Pam was going to strap the cocaine on like a feed bag, thus continuing a decades-long streak of bad life choices.

"Thank you," she managed to say, around a mouthful.

So, that happened.

If Kathy stopped to total up time between visits, she'd be shocked that less than forty-eight hours had passed. Forty-eight hours didn't seem long enough to contain all the internal arguing, the soul-searching, the driving need that had consumed her every waking thought and most of her dreams as well.

It definitely wasn't long enough for her to go against everything she believed in. And yet, here she was, standing in the doorway, a battered letter on green stationery stuffed in her pocket.

"I--I--" Kathy's voice cracked. "I'm here."

Edited 2015-03-18 19:06 (UTC)

"So you are," Leland replied, looking up briefly from a book that he was reading, behind the counter. "One might in fact wonder why you're here, given the rude exit you made before."

The hero types always thought they were so high and mighty. Leland would have been insulted, were he not so amused. One might ask why she was here. But Leland didn't have to. He already knew.

She wasn't going to say she was sorry for that. She wasn't.

"I apologize for my behavior the other day." Apparently she was. And she was even going to mean it, too. "I--I was just surprised by your request. I should have handled it better."

For one fleeting moment, she almost felt like she was talking to her father, her insides a painful mix of defiance, regret, and the need to please.

"I came back because after some thought, I see now that you were right and I was wrong and that your price was quite reasonable overall." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter, still folded. "I have your price right here."

Leland reached to take the letter, an eyebrow raised. He took another moment to unfold it, to read it over, and to nod once, satisfied that it was the genuine article. He had a place to put this, of course. Everything had its place. For now, he was tucking it away into his breast pocket.

"So you do. Or, rather, you would have, if you had been willing to accept my price up-front." He shook his head, making a low tsk-tsk sound. He was appalled by your manners, Kathy. Simply appalled. But he would overlook it, for the most part, just this once. "If you're serious about this purchase, I'll accept this letter as a down payment, and allow you to leave with the mirror. But only on one condition."

The letter was gone now, Kathy. Whether you agreed or not, you weren't getting it back. Sorry, not sorry.

"W-What?" Kathy asked, looking up at Leland in horror. "But--but--you said--"

She was fully aware of how monumentally screwed she was, yes. If he didn't give the letter back, what was she going to do? 'Excuse me, Mr. Trooper? This shopkeeper won't give me back the stolen property I just tried to sell him.' Yeah, somehow she felt like that might not go over very well.

And he did say she'd get to bring the mirror home with her tonight. That was--well, that was everything wasn't it? Her eyes darted over to where it rested on the counter. The mist was swirling inside it now; it was going to show her something, if only she had it to see.

"What--what's the condition?"

In for a penny...

"I am fully aware of what I said," Leland snapped, irritably. "I gave you my price, and you refused it. As a shop owner, I reserve the right to adjust my prices as I see fit. If you want the mirror now, it will be this letter, and one favor to be collected at a later date. I'll take a few days to deliberate what that favor might be, and you can take a few days to decide just how much that mirror is worth you you, and then you will return here, and I will give you further instructions. Is that clear?"

That feeling of talking to her father was even stronger now. And Kathy did as she'd always done, as she always would do in that situation.

She capitulated. Completely and utterly. She'd probably do the same even if the mirror weren't on the line. Some habits were just too ingrained.

"Yes, sir," she said, her voice barely above a murmur. "I'm sorry for questioning. It isn't my place."

It was entirely her fault he was so angry right now. She should be grateful for all he was trying to do for her and instead she was being an immature, rebellious child..

"I'll return on Sunday to fulfill the rest of my end of the deal."

"Good." Leland flicked a dismissive hand toward the mirror. "Then pack up that toy you've found and get out of my shop. I'll see you on Sunday, or you'll lose that mirror. Magical items have a way of knowing these things, after all. And until our deal is complete, that mirror is still mine."

Kathy didn't need to be asked twice. She darted over to the mirror, clutched it to her chest, and ran out of the store at top speed.

Once she had it in hand, she realized that it didn't matter what Mr. Gaunt thought of her, or Mr. Starsmore, or Mr. Spencer, or even her dad. She had the mirror now. She'd be able to see her future unfolding in front of her.

And one more favor and she'd be done with him completely. It was worth it.

Joker was still on his crutches today, but only because he wasn't all that good at walking without them. He'd tried, in his room this morning, and nearly fell over. He just needed practice, that was all. Today, though, he was nervous, and sick to his stomach, and just wanted to get this visit over and done with as quickly as possible.

He ducked into the shop and waved at Mr. Gaunt. "Good day, sir! We have business to conduct!"

"Why, so we do," Leland replied, giving Joker a wide smile. "You've brought payment for the item, then?"

Come on, Joker. Let the Spice flow.

"Did you think that I wouldn't?" Joker asked. "What do you take me for? I promised, I did. It was a piece of cake." Not really, but it was kind of thrilling.

With a grand gesture, he pulled the vial from his bag and held it out triumphantly. ...Which he very quickly began to feel edgy about. He glanced over his shoulder, to make sure no one else was coming in. "Here you are, sir. Payment in full."

Leland noticed Joker's glance, and raised an eyebrow. "A touch late to have a crisis of conscience," he said, holding his hand out for the vial. "Or do you fear being caught? The news-hunting rodents regularly avoid my customers."

"Who says I'm afraid?" Joker snapped. "I'm just... I'm fine. Look, I'm fine, see?" He handed the vial over. "And you, sir, are now the proud owner of what has to be the most expensive spice in the entire multiverse."

...Shit. He only just now realized that "spice" was probably a euphemism. That was some kind of drug, wasn't it? He'd stolen drugs.

Well, too late now. If it was that important, Professor Atreides should have locked it up better. Really, this was her fault.

"Don't worry, no pangs of conscience here. I got what I wanted, you got what you wanted, we're all square, and everybody's happy."

"We are, indeed," Leland said, taking the vial. He didn't like the boy's tone, and wondered if he could jerk the string a bit, make him steal more just to watch the degradation proceed. But there were other, more interesting specimens that he could dissect. The poison was already working its way into this boy's system.

Instead, he gave a smile that had no real cheer in it. "It has been a pleasure doing business with you."

"Oh, it definitely has," Joker agreed. "You're a miracle worker. Thank you so much. I'm not going to forget this."

Except for what he'd had to do to get the necklace. He was just going to put that right out of his mind.

We've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty...

If you want any cursed ones, though, you're going to have to tag in above, instead.

SNOW DAY SNOW DAY I'M HERE FOR YOU FOREVER

Needful Things, Wednesday

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