SystemofEleven

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver cheerfully passed her the bottle, being much more careful with it now that it officially wasn't his anymore. Once that was done, he reached into a different pocket.

"Catch."

That was all the warning Barrel got before a small vial came flying toward his chest. He waited for the biggest trickster to have it properly in his hands before telling him what it was.

"Adderpepper juice. Small amount in a hot sauce makes the tongue burn and tingle. Large amount makes everything burn and tingle all the way through, causing the body to try and flush it out as fast as possible. Save it for a day when the bathroom is Lock's responsibility."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something," Carver purred. "But for the moment, let's just call it a favor owed. No holds, no caveats, no restrictions. When I call it in, you do what I say."

He twiddled the bottle in between his fingers. "But if that doesn't seem quite fair to you, I could always just keep it and make my dad think that all of his equipment has gone missing overnight..."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

"Well for one, I demonstrably proved that Corvin is completely unaware of your reputation as a trickster or a Bitch, friendly to a fault, and too naive and awkward to be a threat. Second, I gave the witches an irresistible chance to get on the good side of a potential new customer who is obviously unprepared to haggle worth a damn."

He snickered and reached into his pockets as he continued. "After you left, Agatha gave me full tour of the storage room. Wasn't keeping an eye on me, either. After all, Corvin is far too innocent and nice to think of taking what doesn't belong to him, and clearly too much of a clutz to actually succeed if he even tried."

Carver pulled a out a bottle and dangled it from two fingers. The nearly transparent liquid inside shimmered with pearlescent sparkles that swirled about in suspension.

"Soooooo," he sang with a grin, "Who's your favorite monster?"

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver snickered and called back sweetly, "Now, Shock, why would you want to kick your favorite monster's ass?" He put a hand over his check dramatically, not that she was there to see, and added, "I'm so hurt! And after all I did for you today, too!"

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver gleefully allowed the Agatha to give him a tour of the shop's stock room. The young witch was so busy looking at the shelves and boxes for things she could point out to 'Corvin' for future note, to notice him brushing just a little too close to the merchandise.

Not that he knew, but she was also a little bit distracted with a devious plan of her own. What she had seen peeking out through that door had given her an idea...

Once the tour was complete, they had a pleasant parting, in which he promised to come to the Witches' Shop first if he ever needed anything.

About an hour later, he carefully climbed down the ladder into the lair and looked around for Shock, in case she was waiting to pounce on him.

"Anybody ready for a trouble report?" he called out cheerfully. "I brought presents!"

Banding Together in Halloween Town

'Corvin' tilted his head to the side again. "What kind, of fun?"

Agnes crossed her arms. "I don't think so, dearie. It was clearly an accident, and he has already apologized for it. I understand you have a reputation to uphold, but he hardly deserves your vengeance for a mistake like that."

"Vengeance?" Carver took a step back and looked between Agnes and Shock with wide eyes. "I, do not, understand. I thought, you wanted, to be, my friend?"

Agnes sighed and waved for Shock to be on her way, now that she had what she needed. "Oh, don't mind that, dearie," she told 'Corvin'. "Shock's concept of friendship is a bit... different, than most. Now," she said with a slight glint in her eyes, "is there any sort of thing that you would like to buy from us, today? Or are you still just getting your bearings?"

Carver took a moment to keep looking confused and worried about Shock just a bit longer, then let his attention be directed back to the shop keeper. The innocent unsuredness of his smile hid a smug satisfaction that his plan was working. 'Corvin' appeared too awkward and affable to be a possible risk to the witches and their inventory.

"I, do not, know," he said. "What sorts, of things, do you have?"

Agatha popped back out into the open. "Why don't I show you?" she suggested excitedly. "Rather than just listing everything off, I mean. The rest of the citizens already know what we usually have in stock. It's only fair that you should get a feel around, yourself!"

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver turned to look at Shock, hesitating for a moment before lifting his shoulders in an awkward shrug. 'Corvin' didn't want to pick sides when he just got here, and he certainly didn't want to cause any trouble.

Agnes eyed Lock when his head popped into view, but said nothing as he was clearly leaving anyway. Instead, she kept a curious eye on the newcomer while she silently rang Shock up and sent her off.

As she was leaving, Carver deliberately wandered back across the store with just the right timing to bump into her "accidentally". As she was steadying herself and started to move forward again, his foot got ever so slightly in front of hers.

"Oh! I am, so sorry!" he exclaimed, quickly helping to catch her items before they fell to the floor with her. He continued apologizing profusely as he offered a hand to help her back up, though he kept his back to the counter so Agnes wouldn't see his expression. He stared intensely at Shock to silently remind her that if she started a fight, the consequences would range from blowing his cover and costing him a grand trick, to being punished for antagonizing an innocent stranger on his first day.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Lillith ignored what was going on behind her as she finished paying and picked up the box to leave. "Well, it was nice to meet you Corvin. We'll be seeing each other around town, I'm quite sure. Lock, up. Heel." She gave him just enough time to get to his feet before she began walking toward the exit with the leash held short. Carmilla sniffed disdainfully and followed her sister out.

'Corvin' politely stepped off to look around the shop while Shock went to make her own purchase. He noticed Agatha peeking out at him curiously, and waved to her. She gave a tiny wave back, then ducked back out of the line of sight to wait for the last of the trio to leave.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carmilla growled slightly under her breath. "Don't listen to anything she says," she told the newcomer. "She's only nice to people when she's setting them up to make them miserable, later."

Agnes stared at the bickering girls silently for a long moment. Finally, she interrupted, "In any case, I must inform you that there is a new policy in place at the Witches' Shop. As a result of your last..." she glanced at 'Corvin' before continuing, "little trick, with the godzilla glue and forget-me-lots, only one member of your family is allowed in the shop at any one time. So if one of your brothers comes in while you're here, one of you will have to leave and come back later."

Lillith raises an eyebrow. Had the witch not heard Lock just a moment ago? Or just been too distracted by Shock and Carmilla to take proper notice? Not that it mattered, she decided; she just needed to finish her transaction, and then she would be leaving and taking him with her, anyway.

Carver tilted his head in the other direction, looking back and forth between Carmilla, Shock, and Agnes as if in confusion, but was in fact having a good bit of thought over the fact the witch had specified only one member of her family. Carver himself was apparently not included in this, once again. And once again, he was torn between feeling offended at the lack of credit, and amused by the obvious loophole presented.

"I do not, understand. Shock has been, very helpful, to me, thus far."

Carmilla focused entirely on Carver as her sister motioned to get Agnes' attention to finish paying for the box of supplies. "So, what exactly are you? You don't look like any kind of monster I've seen before..."

'Corvin' smiled politely. "I am, an animatronic, scarecrow," he repeated.

"Animatr-- Wait." Carmilla thought back to her last human fling, and the posters on her wall. Large robotic creatures with false flesh and fur, holding their arms out welcomingly despite apparently being from a video game in the horror genre. "Actually, yeah, that checks out. Welcome to Halloween Town."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver bit back the urge to snark, "Lately?" as it would most definitely ruin the trick. 'Corvin' wouldn't know to mock Lock on purpose, let alone that his height was a running joke. He had to play the first bit off as an honest mistake; continuing would just make things more difficult. Luckily, he didn't have time to figure out a proper Corvin-ly response.

The bell rang above the shop door. Carmilla gave Shock a none-too-gentle shove to get past to her sister. "Healing salve?" she sneered, seeing Shock's armload. "I think you're going to need more than that to fix your issues."

Agnes sharply gestured for the vampiress to cut it out. "Not in the shop, you two. Not after the last time, and especially not with a newcomer still getting their bearings. It would be quite unfortunate if your behavior left a sour taste in his mouth and he didn't get the chance to learn the sort of bargains he can get here." She watched all the teenagers -- minus Lock, who was just outside her field of view -- with an impatient glint.

'Corvin' turned around and offered a hand to Carmilla. "Hello. It is, nice to meet, you."

Carmilla blinked in surprise, but took the hand offered. "Countess Carmilla," she introduced herself. "It's... a pleasure. When did you arrive, exactly? I'm surprised the Pumpkin King isn't here making the introductions. We vampires serve directly under him, you know."