Needful Things, Monday Afternoon
How very embarrassing, to find one's self tired today in such odd little bursts. Leland Gaunt was more amused than displeased to discover that the vagaries of this island might apply to him; it was a curiosity, nothing more. In any regard, his shop was open, and he had such lovely trinkets to sell.
NEEDFUL THINGS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORE
You Won ( Read more... )
NEEDFUL THINGS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORE
You Won ( Read more... )
The weather was warmer today, and she was well-rested; it seemed like the perfect time to shop. Okay, maybe she was still a Princess. An antiques store shouldn't be too expensive, after all.
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She was watching him carefully, and decided to risk it.
"It's safe here," she said. "There are people -- there are all kinds of people. If you're afraid of -- of something you are? People here won't be."
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And then, nerving himself up again, he nodded.
"I beg your pardon," he said, "It's just that... I've been so many places where that isn't the case, and I've heard things about this island that have given me hope that it would be different. But it's difficult to not be... guarded."
He hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head.
"It's harder when you don't know for sure, when the only clues that you have are dreams. Beautiful, terrifying, wonderful dreams."
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She bit her lip. "What happens, in your dreams?"
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He just shook his head. Which could mean any one of a million things, really, but sometimes it was just best to leave the adorable little mortal types to assume the worst had happened, and he simply didn't wish to discuss it.
"But the dreams? Ah, the dreams. Most people think I'm mad when I talk of them, of the great bird coming down from the heavens in a lightning strike, with wings of green and gold that crackle with raw electricity. But they feel so real, I can't shake this crazy idea that there might be something to them..."
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"Quezacoatl," she said, a weird surge of giddiness rising up in her. "I've -- I don't think you're mad. I know that bird. That's Quezacoatl. I've --"
She was flapping her hands excitedly to try to backtrack enough to explain. "I mean, it sounds like him? He's -- he's gigantic, and his head is -- totally smooth, no face, and there are dark black markings on him. Right?!"
How many gigantic green-and-gold electric birds could there be!? But then, there were infinite universes here.
"He's a Guardian Force," she said. "I don't -- I mean, I don't really understand them? They're not connected to Sorceresses, exactly. They're just these -- these ancient beings of energy, and they can Junction with people, and -- and it's kind of like the two beings have this weird symbiotic relationship going? But that's -- I don't know why you dream of him, but that's Quezacoatl."
He had helped her. Now she could help him. Fandom really was amazing some days.
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He raised a hand to his mouth, a slight tremor in his arm as he did so, and his gaze fell out of focus.
"The markings, the face... he throws back his head and he knows he owns the sky, and lightning itself bends to his will... And you... you know what he is."
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A fair trade: a conversation with Quezacoatl, for the book of ancient sorceresses. They both won.
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He wrung his hands together, pulling a deep breath and pacing for a moment.
"How ridiculous of me, to want so many answers, but to be so afraid when I've finally come so close, I know."
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She gave Leland a wry smile. "Just because he isn't scary to me, that doesn't mean he isn't scary to you. What if I brought him by, and you both talked? Not about the dreams, if you weren't ready. Just ... about anything. And then you could decide."
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He held up his hands quickly, as though just realizing how that must have sounded.
"Not that I don't trust your judgment, of course! And I'm actually ashamed to ask. I feel... I feel as though it's something just out of reach, and I ought to be able to speak to this bird without help. Is that wrong of me?"
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"It's not wrong," she said, softly. "I'll ... I could borrow it. Bring it in here. Would you need it for very long?"
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How fitting.
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She weighed her options, then decided. "I'll borrow the book, and you borrow Quezacoatl," she announced. "I'll come get him back when I'm done reading it."
Yes, she'd like to have the book. But she could take notes and make copies of important pages, and then he could have his priceless item back.
And they'd be all square.
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"That would be... that would be perfectly wonderful," Leland murmured. "Thank you, Ms. Heartilly. Thank you so, so much. I can't even begin to express just how much this means to me."
Doing so would spoil the surprise!
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