Dance, Magic, Dance

"If you're going to spend all of your time here and wear clothes for free-" Erica moved a box from a top shelf to the floor. She showed off the pair of khakis and a pink sweater Mitsuko fashioned a few days ago. "You can at least work around here. You can't be anymore useless than Summer."

The blond by the front counter in a white skirt with a yellow shirt lowered her phone"I just sent out three notifications on new items."

"And, you're still here! I thought wizards disappeared when they were all out of magic." Erica walked back to the storeroom, passing by Danny.

"That's not how team motivation works. And, it's definitely how wizards work." Danny kept herself on a sofa by the dressing rooms on the backwall of the shop. She had not yet tried on any clothing, nor had she removed the tags and kept them off, instead relaxing in a pair of yoga pants and a white T-shirt.

"The less I know about wizards the better." Erica came back in with a statue of a gargoyle holding an obsidian skull. "I don't know if this is some nerd thing or a doomsday device. Any notions?"

"It can be both." Danny crossed her arms, but retained her stature draped across the sofa. "But, that one is neither. Well, actually, it is the first one. It's always the first one, but no one would make a doomsday device that obvious. Just throw it away- where did you find it anyways?"

Erica took a seat in front of the counter, pushing Summer's feet to the ground. "It was under the floorboards. Suzy found it when she was investigating a sound she heard to see if it was drug related."

"Was it drugs?" Danny almost pressed her eyebrows together as they drooped.

"It's New York City, so of course it was drugs, but I'm pretty sure it was Bliss'. She was more annoyed than usual after Suzy flushed it. Suzy just said there was no need for crystal meth in a dress shop and went off on something in Japanese for a few minutes."

"Is Bliss trying to test her ice powers with meth?"

"It was weed. Suzy thought it was meth. This is America, so she assumes everything is meth."

"And, she found that thing?" Danny pointed to the statue Erica was looking at from the bottom.

"It's not from my home country. Ancient or from a factory." With the statue examined, Erica moved back to the workroom and tossed it in a trashcan.

A booming wave rang from the workroom. The statue disappeared.

Danny leaned forward from the couch, extending over the sofa. "It's both."

Ding-aling-ling
thunk...thunk...thunk...
"Excuse me, I'm looking for the owner of this shop? I was told I could find a few items that I might be interested in?" came a questioning voice from the entrance.

Merriman Davies stood in the entrance, leaning on his Staff as he stared around the shop. He moved through the shop, the Staff thunking softly as he did, making his way back towards the dressing rooms. He leaned down to run a finger across a shirt, and smiled softly. Looking up, he allowed his eyes to roam across the people in the shop, and then straightened up. His eyes darted to the workroom entrance, and then to Danny.

"A friend of mine from Wales sent me. Said you guys might be able to help me find some stuff," he continued, still staring at Danny. As he did, his eyes began to change, going from pale green and human, to bright blue goats eyes. "Although, it looks like you might be having some trouble. Maybe I should come back," he continued, smiling softly, as he leaned on his Staff, and glanced around the boutique again. He took a deep breath in through his nose, and then let it out through his mouth softly. "Nice place. Can feel the energy from outside, too."

Shaking his head, he blinked, letting his eyes change back to their normal pale green. No need for The Rams Watchman to make an apperance, when Merriman himself could do this.

"I say we beat the crap out of all of them, and take what Gwyn ap Nudd sent us for," came a voice from the Staff.

Merriman lifted a hand to rake fingers through his hair, frowning at the Staff.

"Or, we could be polite, and act like civilized people, since they haven't attacked us or any mortals," Merriman muttered into his arm, as he glared at the Staff for a moment.

Erica piqued up first. "You want Mitsy? Did you want her to make you something? Or, did you special order- no, I can tell your measurements from here and Mitsy didn't make anything in your size."

"When you said you wanted an 'item'-" Danny rose from the sofa to draw attention from the ever some vigilant store manager. "Are you wanting something magical in nature or something that makes you look magical. I'm who you might talk to for the first one, but Mitsy is who you want for the second."

"He has a wizard staff." A flash of light went off from Summer's phone. "I'm tweeting that. It might be great for a photo op and could be evidence if this guy tries to rob us."

"He won't rob us." Erica rolled her eyes. "If he tried, I would just get the Soul Drinker blade we have behind the counter, impale him, and steal his soul."

"Yeah, Erica, 'if'." Danny turned back to Davies. "So, everyone here is being pretty rude and unfriendly. Not sure if the threat of impalement is worse than an unknowing picture, but it is up there. Also, we don't know he has a wizard staff."

Summer looked up from her phone. "He's weird and he has a staff."

"Probably a wizard staff." Erica sided with the employee she never sided with.

"Whatever." Danny turned her gaze from the two employees to Davies. "How can one of the two of us help you?"

Meri turned his head to stare at Erica for a moment, a smile coming to his lips.

"Oh, no thanks. The clothes I have work fine. Actually, an ancestor of mine made this outfit. A long time ago."

He turned back to Danny and chuckled.

"Well, more the first, actually. A friend of mine, by the name of Gwyn ap Nudd, said he left an athame in the area a few years ago, and asked me to pick it up for him. He suggested that I stop by here and ask you guys if you'd seen it. He's willing to pay you for it, though he states that since he never sold it to anyone in the first place, it still belongs to him."

At the flash from the phone, Meri turned, his hand tightening on the Staff as he did, to stare at Summer. He opened his mouth to say something, when the voice sounded from the Staff again.

"Yeah. Just bash them all in the face and take what we came for. Start with the blonde. And blow her phone up when you're done!"

Meri turned his head to face the Staff, reacting on reflex before he had a chance to think it through.

"Why don't you shut up, and stop suggesting we hit everyone we meet?! This is exactly why none of the other magic users we met want to be friends, and why the Red Cap and The Dagda like you so much," he hisses, glaring at the Staff. Turning back towards the ladies, he cleared his throat and tried to smile again. "Sorry about that. I'm not here to rob you, and I'd prefer you don't post that picture of me. My bosses want me to remain... anonymous. And so do I."

He turned his head, facing Danny again. "I realize that I haven't introduced myself. I'm Merriman Davies, The Black Staff." He lifted the Staff, and shook it slightly, before lowering it and offering his free hand to Danny, Summer, and Erica in turn.

Erica continued to show off the men's apparel while Davies spoke. "Well, your ancestor did an okay, job, but feel free to look around. Sometimes we have sales and you can-

"We're having a sale right now!" Summer turned her head to get a clear look at Erica. "I just posted it!"

"I guess if I- wait, did that staff just say 'bash us in the face'?" Erica's finger moved from pointing to Summer to Davies. "Starting with Summer is a good idea, but stealing our stuff is not."

"You have bosses?" Danny got back in the conversation, getting off the couch. "And, you're not here to steal, but you are looking for something we might have? And, if we do have it, how are you going to be getting it from us?"

"I'm getting the sword." Erica began to walk behind the counter, shoving Summer aside.

"While she gets the sword, one thing- what is an athame and who is Gwyn ap Nudd and how does he know about Mitsy's dress shoppe?"

Summer piqued up while Erica dug for the sword. "Oh, I bet it's because of the Instagram account!"

"Wizards don't Instagram- wait, do they?"

Meri stared at Erica and Summer for a moment, before he lifted his hand a moment, asking for silence.

"Ladies, please. You're going too fast for me to keep up," he stated, before turning to face Erica fully. "Grab your sword if it makes you feel better, but, please, hear me out before you stab me."

He lowered his hand, to rest on the bright pink fanny pack under his coat, his fingers touching the zipper, before dropping fully to his side. His eyes slid away from Erica, and met Danny's.

"He sent me with money, to buy it. And a few other items, if trade is acceptable. An athame is a ritual knife. Gwyn ap Nudd is king of the Tylwyth Teg of Wales, and he's a Fairie King. He knows about most of the magic trade shops in the world. As do the other three Fae Kings and Queens I work for," he replied, as he eyed the sofa Danny was sprawled on.

"You know, if we had gone with my suggestion the first time around, we could have just Misted all of these nices ladies, taken the athame, and then left. None of this, 'Oh, I'm not here to hurt you, I just want to talk' malarky that you Mortals are so interested in. Why, I remember back in my day, we bashed people on the head, and took what we wanted, and no one said anything about it, cause they were all knocked out," remarked the Staff.

Merriman turned his eyes on it, and frowned. "Yes. And people died at the ripe old age of 12, had no teeth, and smelled of death and shit. We get it. You're old. Now please stop talking while I'm trying to negoitate the return of Gwyns athame."

Turning away from the Staff, he glanced at Summer. "I don't Instagram, Tweet, vlog, blog, or use social media. Anonymous, remember?"

Erica pulled a jagged, black blade from behind the counter. She pulled a sticky tab from the computer. "This is the wifi code. Where is the incantation that makes this thing steal souls?"

"How did you misplace that?" Danny looked over Davies' shoulder to take in Erica's odyssey. "I feel like we should sell it this guy and his fae bosses. How many bosses exactly?"

The rod kept talking. Every word filled Danny with the action to smack a staff, but she did not quite know what that would accomplish. "Can you tell your friend to keep its crevice close. Thanks. As for the dagger, I don't know if we have anything like that, but we can keep our eyes open for it."

"No, we have it." Erica walked back out with a sticky tab and the sword in hand. "Some demon had it. They left it in the shop when they were complaining about customer service and our return policy. They tried to stab Nancy with it, I told them to leave, a whole mess, but it's in the lost and found, but we don't just hand stuff over."

"Store policy." Danny crossed her arms. "I've met fae in the past. Not a big fan."

Merriman chuckled softly as he watched Erica heft the sword, and then the sticky note. Then he turned back to Danny, and tilted his head.

"Four. Titania, Queen of the Seelie, Mab, Queen of the Unseelie, The Dagda, Lord of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and Gwyn ap Nudd, King of the Tylwyth Teg. And I wouldn't give them a sword that can steal souls. You know how many problems that would cause?" Turning away from Danny, he leaned the Staff against a wall, and, after lifting a shirt from a pile, tossed it over the head.

"That should keep it quiet for a moment. But it'll start talking here shortly," he replied, glancing at Danny. "As for the athame, like I said. I'm willing to pay for it. Or trade. I've got a number of items that might come in handy for you."

He reached both hands down to the bright pink pack at his waist, and unzipped it. He reached a hand in, and began digging around, muttering quietly to himself. "Give me a moment. This thing does take forever to give me what I need," he remarked.

Danny's finger kept up with each name listed before her. "Yeah, half of those sound made up and the other half I just don't like. And, why are you working for them? Are you under their control? Or, did you sell your soul?"

"Long story short- we're not giving you the thing the demon used to clean its nails." Erica stood next to the front door, opening it for Davies. "If you want to buy something, we will accept- well, just about everything."

"No crytocurrencies." Summer put her phone down.

"I mean yeah, no cryptocurrencies, but astral diamonds and divine goblets are fine."

Danny held out her hands to calm Erica. "Hold on. Maybe a trade is in order. What do you have that could possibly get Erica to say 'yes' to a trade?"

Meri looked at Danny and grinned at her.

"Well, they're real enough. I've met them. And, nothing like that. I just made a deal with them," he responded, his grin falling away at the memory. He shook his head, and looked back at his pack. His hand came free from it, clutching a small vial full of warm, golden light.

"I've got a vial of Summer fire. Never burns out, and, when released, is about the size of a campfire. Though, you need the Touch of Summer to make more. Burns through most things."

His hand slipped back into the pack, and came back out clutching three water balloons.

"Three balloons full of Winter ice water. Never get any warmer, as long as it's kept together. Handle with care."

A dagger followed, though that was slid into a pocket, along with a crystal cluster. Finally, out came a wrapped package.

"Ah. This one should interest you the most, since this is a clothing boutique. It's Fairy-made leathers and cloth."

He laid the vial, the three ballons, and the wrapped package on the counter, and turned to look at Erica.

"Any or all of those items, for Gwyns athame," he offered, before reaching over for the Staff. He folded the shirt he had covered it with, and returned it to its proper spot, before leaning on the Staff.

"I think the knife sounds good." Summer looked over to the trio in their discussion. "We should get that, but I don't know what the ice balloons are for."

"Play on your phone, Summer. Ice balloons are probably for freezing over the city." Erica touched one of the balloons, unimpressed. "If he's willing to give all of this up, it's probably safe to say we shouldn't give it to him without meeting his fae friends."

A less than enthused look came over Danny's face. "I don't want to meet fae. I'm just going to say 'no'. Summer can ring you up for a sweater though."

"Not my job. And, you're not my boss." Summer kept her eyes on her phone.

Danny turned to Erica. "Erica."

"I don't think guy is a sweater guy."

Meri turned to look at Summer, then Erica, and finally Danny in turn. His smile had slipped away, leaving him looking resigned, and rather grim. He sighed softly, and tilted his head, as if listening to something only he could hear. Shaking his head, slightly, he shrugged his shoulders, as if shifting a weight to rest more comfortably.

"Alright. Since none of these items interest you, then I guess our business is concluded."

He straigthened up, and moved his hangs to grip the Staff tightly.

"I bid you three a good day," he continued, before turning away from them, and making his way to the door. He stopped, for a moment, staring at the door, and then reached out and twisted the lock on the door. He then swung the Open sign to Closed, and turned back towards the ladies. As he did, a change came over him. His eyes turned into the blue goats eyes again. Where his hands met the Staff, lightning crackled along the length of wood.

He moved back into the store, and brought the Staff up and around, to rap Summer on the leg. The electricty ran along the Staff, and it coursed through Summer, to drop her in a heap. Turning away from her, Meri let the Staff slide out of his two-handed grip, to crack against the sword Erica was holding. He let the lightning build up in the swing, and then flow out when he met blade against wood. He watched as Erica stiffened, and then dropped, the sword still in her hand smoking now.

He turned away from Erica, to face Danny, and tilted his head.

"I am very sorry about this. But I can't leave without that athame," he stated, his voice calm and collected, though his eyes betrayed nothing.

He brought the Staff up again, and jabbed it at her. He aimed for her stomach, letting the lightning build up in the tip as he did. As the Staff met her stomach, he released the lightning, allowing it to course into her. As Danny dropped to the floor, he let go of the power in the Staff entirely. The lightning died away, and Meri sighed softly as it did. Reaching a hand into his pack once more, he dug out six lengths of rope, and, using them, began to tie up the women, as they lay on the ground.

That done, he stood and moved into the back of the store, to search for the athame, Staff still in hand.

Talking about the athame or any of the other magic items or fae was growing tiresome for Danny- and Erica really wanted to just go ahead and stab him. He was not a customer. So, he was not always right.

And he went for the door. "What's he doing?"

"Leaving. Good." Erica cross her arms, setting the sword on the table.

"We need better protocol for how to deal-"

The door locked.

Erica grabbed the sword while Meri walked over to an oblivious Summer. "I can get your measurements if you-"

The jolt of electricity sent her to the ground, and Erica to her defense.

Erica did not fair much better as her sword betrayed her. The electricity surged through her, overwhelming her senses and sending her to the ground.

A turquoise blade appeared in Danny's hand while an assortment of turquoise bars would try to bind Meri's arms to his side. The upper level appeared and wrapped him, but the lower level did not materialize in time- nor did her blade properly parry his staff as it hit her stomach, knocking Danny to the ground.

Danny keeled over, unable to help herself as Meri pulled her hands behind her back and began to tie them in place. "You're never getting it now!"

"Yeah!" Erica rolled over on her back, summoning all of her strength to do so. "We hold the right to refuse service to anyone!"

"I think this guy is anyone..." Summer coughed while adding. "Why did he start with me!?"

Merriman returned a moment later from the back room, wrapping a cloth around the athame, with the Staff held in the crook of his elbow. He stopped, to stare down at Erica, Summer, and Danny, his head tilting to the side.

"I understand that this will probably sour relations between us, but you really left me with no choice. Gwyn sent me for the athame. I couldn't leave without it," he remarked, as he slid the cloth-wrapped item into his pack. Squatting, he used the Staff to slide the sword away from Erica, and tapped her gently.

"When you get free, soak your hands in the Winter water for at least an hour, and then wrap aloe in a piece of the Fairy cloth, and have Summer or Danny rub it against the palms of your hands. That will prevent scarring, from where the lightning arced through the sword."

Turning away from Erica, he, once again, used the Staff, this time to pull Summers phone over towards him. He picked the phone up and rummaged through it for a moment, until he found the picture of him. He tapped a few buttons, and deleted the picture. That done, he slid the phone back over to Summer.

"Didn't need you calling the police. That's why I started with you," he remarked, before standing and moving towards Danny.

He knelt once more, and stared at her. He didn't say anything, but he did reach into a pocket and retrieve the dagger he had taken from his pack earlier. Unsheathing it, he placed it, hilt-first, into her bound hands, and laid the sheath next to her.

"Try not to cut yourself with that thing. It's Fairy-make, and very sharp. Use it to free yourself when you can move again. I'll come back for it soon," he told her, before standing, and making his way to the door. He turned one last time, to look at the three ladies, and bowed his head slightly, before turning away, unlocking the door, and slipping out onto the street. He pulled the door shut behind him, cutting off the sounds, sights, and smells of New York City.

Danny squirmed with her hands and feet, but found the man to be presenting to real harm to them- and the ropes did begin to chafe her wrists. "Is that dagger important? Like on a scale of 1-10."

"I don't know, maybe a 4?" Erica did not like being tied up in the store she was left to manage. "Possibly like an 8? I mean a demon just left it here and never came back."

Summer rolled over to face Erica and Danny. "They come back for important stuff."

"Well, this guy came to grab it." Danny looked to the back room- upside down from her vantage point. "And he found it."

"This is not a good way to start a business relationship!" Erica yelled from the ground. "Whenever this happens, it usually takes quite some time before we forgive that person."

"Gifts are only going to remind us of that time you tied us up and stole from us." Danny propped herself up after Meri explained the use and gave her the knife. She wanted to stab him with it, but was feeling a 'no'. "Tell your stick to watch its mouth or next time it will be kindling!"

Danny struggled with the knife, but eventually got herself cut free, followed by cutting Erica and Summer loose.

"I'm going after him." Danny pulled her bracelet back around. "You two can call the police- or not. You rarely do, right?"

Erica crossed her arms. "Yeah, not often. Police don't buy the magic people robbed the store and stole an evil artifact routine. And, if they do, they typically want to know how we got an evil artifact."

"Sounds about right."