So stay away from me / the beast is ugly (scrooge x magica)

[lifesa_witch]

 The carriage ride was so long that by the time the horses stopped, night had already settled in. It was a full moon, allowing the stone pathway to be illuminated. The rider said nothing, simply taking Scrooge's bags and walking on ahead. With any luck, this wouldn't be a return trip - but luck had died long ago in this place.

In the distance, one could hear the caws of several ravens, far away in the dark forests. It was difficult to see the house in the darkness, but it was certainly large and grand. Definitely belonging to someone of high class and lots of money. After all, it was part of the reason Scrooge was here.

Another servant was at the door, waiting for them.

"Either look her in the eyes," he warned, "or have them stay on the floor. Never anywhere else. Just keep your introduction and qualifications short. it is..." He hesitated, glancing backwards. "Often too easy to stoke her anger. And lastly... never ask questions."

Some of these things had probably been told to Scrooge before - he'd been recommended the job, after all. Granted, the recommendation came with the mysterious woman buying up his shop like it was nothing. Still, it seemed at least the servants wanted this to go well.

Whatever "this" was... it was about to begin, if he was ready to enter.

Comments

[richestduck]

Scrooge nodded. "And for everyone else involved would be a nice boon. I'm hoping that getting her to stop turning everything to gold will make things easier."

[lifesa_witch]

"I'm still surprised you managed to get her to agree to that." Clara admitted. "She'd been working on that amulet for years."

[richestduck]

"I suspect that what she's wanted all this time wasn't the Midas Touch itself but wealth and financial stability," Scrooge said. "The Midas Touch can grant the former for a time but never the latter. It's basic economics: Gold is valuable because it's rare and can't be easily produced. When gold was initially brought over from the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese, the price of it went down slightly, but the market balanced itself quickly enough. Since it was a fairly rare commodity, it remained valuable.

"However, introduce someone who can turn anything into gold on a whim, and the price of gold crashes. Even if it's only one person, the fact gold could be created so easily makes it less valuable. Like I told her in the beginning, we were already seeing that value drop. When she stopped using the amulet, the market began balancing itself. It will take some time for gold to become again what it used to be worth, but now that there isn't a constant influx of gold, it's becoming rare once more."

He gave a shrug of his shoulders.

"My goal with her financials was to set up something where she could live like the queen she wanted to be and keep it stable so she and others wouldn't end up living in poorhouses made of gold. I've always had this financial plan in mind but..." He spread his hands. "...unfortunately booksellers don't make that much money. I have investments which I continually reinvest to help keep me comfortable but they aren't much in the long run."

[lifesa_witch]

Clara blinked - she hadn't expected the history lesson or speech. She suspected this was what Magica needed to hear - but equally suspected that stubborn Magica wouldn't listen to a word of it. She only agreed to the contract just to get Scrooge's help, and to hell with the world's economy.

"Always?" She repeated with a bit of surprise. "So... you were waiting for someone to come along with this odd sort of predicament?"

[richestduck]

Scrooge shook his head. "No, I was intending to use that scheme for my family, but you need money to make money in this case."

They pulled up to the bookshop.

"But that's a story for another time. I'll see you in a week, Miss Clara."

[lifesa_witch]

Saying "scheme" so shamelessly... maybe he really was a good fit for the mistress after all.

"Be well, Mister McDuck."

[richestduck]

"You, too, Miss Clara."

With that, he left the carriage and returned to his shop.

[lifesa_witch]

Seven days came and went - the carriage arrived, with Clara inside, waiting for Scrooge. She had to wonder if this time around, things would be any different.

[richestduck]

Scrooge came out after a few minutes, locking the door behind himself to seal up the shop. The shop itself was bare with its inventory safely packed away in storage in case he needed to open up elsewhere in the future.

He struggled with the valise and carpetbag, his limp much more pronounced. It was cold and wet today, and his leg felt as if he were walking on razor blades.

[lifesa_witch]

Clara looked out the window, and saw his struggles. "Oh!" She was quick to throw the door open, and came out to help carry his things. "Please, allow me."

[richestduck]

"Thank you, lass," he said wearily. "I know I should be a gentleman and insist on carrying my own bags, but the valise shouldn't be too heavy for you."

[lifesa_witch]

"Hush hush. I am a servant, it is my duty to help." She was also stronger than she looked lifting the valise with ease.

[richestduck]

The small bag was weighed down with several immediately necessary things. The carpetbag contained the bulk of what he owned including things that wouldn't be usable until springtime.

Scrooge gratefully climbed inside the carriage, glad to be off his feet.

[lifesa_witch]

Without breaking a sweat and no complaints, she headed into the carriage and put down the bag. The door closed, and they were off.

"Hot bricks will be waiting at your bed tonight, that's a guarantee."

[richestduck]

"Bless you."

He would sleep well tonight then without taking a dose of laudanum. He hated taking the opiate even if it was what the doctor recommended for his leg.

[lifesa_witch]

"Oh, don't bless me. It was the mistress' idea in the first place, even before you left."

Here she thought Scrooge knew that, but perhaps Magica liked to keep some things hidden.

[richestduck]

Scrooge's brows rose. "Was it now? I'd always assumed that was your doing or one of the others."

[lifesa_witch]

She shook her head. "She took notice of your leg right away." No doubt because of her own condition.

[richestduck]

"And here I'd thought she didn't notice. Now I feel a bit bad."

[lifesa_witch]

Clara chuckled quietly. "Well, considering all the abuse she still heaps on you... I think the score is still in your favor?"

[richestduck]

"If we were keeping score, probably," Scrooge said. He chuckled. "Though it is nice to know that she cares on some level. To keep me healthy enough to be useful at least."

[lifesa_witch]

"I wouldn't ask her about it, though." She pointed out. "She'll deny it, and then need to prove her denial..."

[richestduck]

"Oh, I'm not stupid enough to bring it up. I don't want her to prove how tough and uncaring she is."

[lifesa_witch]

"Then I think this time around will go much smoother." Clara replied with a bright smile, genuinely believing this.

[richestduck]

"And I learned that if a door was previously closed but now is open, don't go inside without express permission."