As You Wish [Open]

[Once-ler]

{Continuation of this topic}

---

It'd taken Greed-ler a while to get up that elevator shaft Maleficent had left him to climb. It didn't help that he didn't know where he was when he reached the top.

The green suited man grunted as he brushed off his dirtied clothes. He'd have to get it dry cleaned in town, if he could. Though, he wasn't sure if the people here would accept the coin Once-ler kept in his pocket. He may have been out of business, but that didn't mean that little ol' Oncie didn't keep some money from his glory days hidden away for emergencies.

He wasn't sure how an elevator shaft led straight into a strange, abandoned, building in God knows where.. Well, at least he wouldn't have to give any awkward introductions to anyone. He wasn't sure how anyone would react to him introducing himself as "Greed-ler" yet. Perhaps he'd have to invent an alias for himself during his time here. For now, he had other things to worry about...

Four problems ran through Greed-ler's mind.

One; he had to find a suitable living space for himself that would accept his coin.

Two; he had to look for a suitable space to open a shop.

Three; he needed to find something to make a Thneed from...since Truffula trees probably did not exist in this world.

And the fourth and most important one. He had to figure out which person in this town was Regina in disguise, and stay away from her as long as possible.

It didn't take him long to find the exit, which was closed off due to the building being abandoned. He shook his head as he worked at opening the door. It was a built difficult, seeing as how the doors were boarded up, but he had all the time in the world.

"Looks like somebody didn't want a certain something getting out." He murmured to himself.

He didn't know how many minutes or hours passed before he finally managed to get the doors open. His bare hands were a bit worn and swollen due to pulling at the boards--no need to damage his nice gloves now, right?

Upon opening the doors, he stepped out into the night air, smiling a bit.

He wondered if it would be appropriate to sleep in an area where no one would notice him. However, that seemed highly uncomfortable and cold. Maybe there was an inn nearby or a hotel or something he could stay at. He needed a place where he could to tend to his coat and somewhat injured hands. In the morning he could search for a place to live and shop to open.

He laughed to himself as he began to walk down the sidewalk, "Greetings, Storybrooke. I've heard so little about you. Too bad, she's going to change all that you're about soon."

Another chuckle came from him as he wandered off in search of a hotel or whatever he could find for accommodations for the night. Hopefully they accepted his world's version of money--unless of course the "mistress of all evil" already converted his money into this world's currency.

[lilred]

It felt so strange living in Storybrooke, now that the curse was broken. Now that they all knew they didn't belong here, and yet continued to stay anyway - for where else could they go? This wasn't there world. And while Red itched to step outside the little town's boundaries and explore, she knew she couldn't leave Granny. Couldn't condemn the old woman to worry sick about her while she was off sniffing out the secrets of this world. And most of all, she couldn't leave Snow here - not when Regina was so angry, and probably more hungry for revenge now than she'd ever been. No, Red had come to reluctantly decide, they were all better off staying together in times like these.

But Storybrooke did get so...boring sometimes. At least in the Enchanted Forest you had all sorts of things going on to entertain you - here, though, Storybrooke...was little more than just a small town in Maine. Even after having its magic restored. But Red's thoughts regarding the little town broke off abruptly when she noticed a flash of green out of the corner of her eye - a bright splash of color that, while not necessarily out of place in a town like this, certainly attracted her attention. The source, she found as she spotted him, was a man. A tall man who would've been dressed nicely had it not been for the dirt that seemed to have accumulated on it. Instinctively concerned, Red tipped her head to one side. On top of that, he also seemed a little...lost.

Well! She could certainly help him out there. This would give her something to do, at any rate, and her curiosity wouldn't let her pass up the chance to get to know someone new. That was the thing about living in a small town, especially one full of fairy-tale characters. You tended to know everyone. Not that the brunette didn't love her fellow citizens - well, most of them, anyway - but it tended to get a little repetitive, after awhile. So she took a moment to adjust her cloak a little before hurrying off after the stranger. "Excuse me! Hey, um - sir? Everything okay?" Red called as she attempted to catch up with him, hopping lightly over the curb and bounding forward until she'd fallen into step beside him. Despite not knowing who he was, she cast the stranger an easy smile before looking him up and down. He seemed to be alright. Maybe he was just a little disoriented - Storybrooke could be confusing upon first impression, especially these days. If he was a native inhabitant of this world, he'd be the first Red had ever met besides Henry, and she wasn't really sure what a normal citizen of this world would do upon being faced with a town full of fairytale characters.

But she was a little too excited to worry about that now. Instead, unable to resist commenting, Red chirped once more, "I don't think I've seen you around here before! Storybrooke almost never gets visitors!" Perhaps now that the curse was broken - or fractured, at least - that would start to change. It sure would take a lot of explaining on all of their parts. But somehow, Red felt like it would be worth it.

[Once-ler]

"How bad can I possibly be? I'm just doing what comes naturally.[/i]" Greed-ler hummed to himself as he walked along the sidewalk, still utterly lost with no clue where he was heading.

He would have continued moving along that way if the voice of a stranger hadn't caught his attention. He slowed his stride to a very slow walk, and then finally to a halt as he soon found the woman beside him.

He turned to her, giving her a small smile. It was time for his act to being. "No, ma'am, I do not live around these parts. You could call me a, ah, foreigner. I desired a change of scenery and I was told about this place. Told it'd be a nice place to live in, and maybe even try to set up a business. Though I believe I have lost my way. I am in Storybrooke, correct? I am in the right place?"

He spoke in a calm tone throughout the entire conversation. He had to make sure that the base of his web of many lies to come was sturdy and believable. He didn't need anyone running off to tell Regina of a sketchy newcomer wandering in to town now did he?

"I was looking for a place to stay for the evening." His fingers moved to his pocket, running over the leafy currency that sat there in a nice wad. Instead of pulling it out, he produced a pocket watch that was attached to the gold chain that ran from his pockets to his belt loop instead.

He flipped it open and let out a slight sigh, "I do hope something is still open at this time of night. It seems like it can get very chilly at later hours of the evening here."

He blinked as he closed the lid of the pocket watch. He gave Red a smile, "My apologies, here I am rambling on without even introducing myself to a generous woman who's willing to help a lost traveler."

He bowed slightly before Red, tipping his hat to her, "You may call me, Xavier. Xavier Greedlīr. Now, if I may ask, my dear, what name do you go by so I may address you properly?"

---

(Pronounciation: Greed-liar. The ī makes an "ai" sound.)

[lilred]

Red faltered a little when the man explained he'd been told about Storybrooke - told? Who was out their spreading word of their little town around? It was puzzling, and it probably should have been something that she was a little more concerned about. For the moment, however, Red was far too preoccupied with the idea of having a stranger in Storybrooke itself - and she was quickly distracted by the question he asked. "Yep, this is Storybrooke! ..Looks kind of...sleepy, I know. But it's charming enough." she replied with a shrug. For someone as restless as Red was, a small town like Storybrooke left her bored more often than not - but in this world, it was the only home she had. And it certainly wasn't without its benefits.

Despite the fact that this man was clearly new around here, up until right then Red hadn't actually given the fact that he'd obviously need somewhere to stay any thought. The moment he mentioned it, however, she brightened. Well! He was certainly lucky he'd run into her, then. She was certain Granny'd be more than happy to accommodate guests at the inn even at this hour, and she was about to go right ahead and tell him so - but then she paused a moment to acknowledge his introduction. Xavier Greedlīr. Red nodded in response, reflecting that at the very least this visitor did seem friendly. The last thing Storybrooke needed around here was another troublemaker to contend with - though the term 'troublemaker' when applied to Regina or Rumpelstiltskin was sort of a major understatement.

"Everyone calls me Red! Great to meet you, Mr. Greedlīr." she chirped in response when he asked for her name in turn. If she was at all aware of the irony of that statement or that the fact that the cloak she was wearing was a...blatantly obvious reference to this, Red didn't show it. It wasn't the full moon tonight, but she'd long since taken to wearing her cloak out of sheer habit. Just in case.

Now certainly wasn't the time to think about that, though, and Red chased those thoughts away with another bright smile. "And as it so happens, my Granny owns an inn just across town! I could take you there now, if you want. I was just heading back with some supplies." She lifted the basket she was carrying a little for emphasis. Contained within were the several bottles of handsoap the inn had needed to restock on - Red probably should have been back a little while earlier than this, but she'd gotten held up a little upon coming across Cinderella and Thomas crossing the square. There was never a bad time to get caught up on gossip with an old friend, in Red's opinion. Granny tended to disagree. But she was certain the old woman would forget all about that the moment she brought a new face back to the inn!

[Once-ler]

A wide, friendly, smile moved across his face as Red introduced herself. He read her body language, and there was no sign of her feeling something was off about him--at least in a threat sort of way.

Wonderful, everything was going just as planned.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Red." He gave her another tip of his hat before readjusting it upon his head. He straightened himself up as he subconsciously adjusted his tie.

The smile on his face grew as she mentioned her grandmother owning an inn. "I would be honored to be accompanied and directed by such a lovely, kind, young woman such as yourself," He replied, "And perhaps on the way you could tell me more about your local townspeople? I think I may be staying for quite some time, granted if I can find a suitable place to start up a business, and I'd like to know more about the people I would be running into."

Though, that was the one problem that struck him. How would he create his Thneeds? He didn't have any Truffula tufts to pick to knit and sew into a Thneed. Perhaps he'd have to find a way to contact Maleficent about that. Maybe her magic could force the last seed to grow...but for now he could sell off some inventions. He was sure he could create some kinds of contraptions in this world. Maybe some smaller axe-hacker machines for yard work. They did have yards here right? Or at least places with trees that needed chopping? Or maybe fruit pickers or something. He had no idea. He'd have to drill the locals about things they would like to see.

[lilred]

Red couldn't help but brighten somewhat at the compliment that was thrown her way, her grin widening a little - sure, it was probably just a way of getting her to warm up to him, but that didn't mean it wasn't nice. Clever as she could be, Red was sort of easily charmed by that kind of thing - it was a frequent source of exasperation for Granny. With a quick laugh, she chirped, "Well, let's go then!" Before adjusting her basket over her arm and setting off down the street in the direction of her grandmother's inn at a somewhat leisurely pace.

At Xavier's request that she tell him a bit more about Storybrooke and the people who inhabited it, Red gave a quick nod. She was one of those people who tended to know just about everything about the local happenings - and boy had there been a lot to tell recently. "Sure thing! As for your business, you'll probably find that easy enough - people are gonna be giving you all kinds of attention once they realize you're here. Like I said, we don't get visitors often." Red wondered with some curiosity what sort of business Xavier was planning to start here. Storybrooke needed something new and exciting, in her opinion - and this man might be just the one to give it to them.

"So if you need a place of business, Rumpel--err, Mr. Gold is the one you want to talk to. He's not really...popular around here at the moment, but he has bought up most of Storybrooke. So he'd be able to rent you out a place." She couldn't help but frown a bit at the mention of the manipulative and dangerous Dark One - he most certainly wasn't someone Red would have normally suggested associating with, but Xavier might not have much of a choice. She'd just need to warn him of Rumpelstiltskin's trickery-laced deal-making ways. ...In fact, Red reflected as they walked, there was a lot she was going to need to warn him about. She most certainly didn't want to scare him off at this point, but...well, she'd never really thought to look at Storybrooke from an outsider's perspective before. And yeah, now that she thought about it? Things could get pretty weird around here.

She glanced up at him and flashed him a slightly sheepish smile at the thought. "Um...first off, I should probably warn you, though...Storybrooke's not exactly normal. And I mean, if you're gonna be staying here, you have the right to know, so...how do you feel about magic?" Best to just come right on out with it, Red figured, watching Xavier curiously for a reaction.

[Once-ler]

Greed-ler held back his growing smirk, trying to keep his friendly smile on his face, as she bought his act more and more. "Wonderful!" He said as she began to lead him towards her Grandmother's inn. He kept an even pace with her so he could walk side by side with her. His gaze moved between where his feet were walking and looking at her while she spoke to him. All the while he kept up his friendly smile and vocal tone as he conversed with her. He needed to keep up this act, make Xavier Greedlīr seem like a real person. Though the one thing he lacked was knowledge about things outside this town. Maleficent didn't exactly brief him on this world at all, actually. He'd have to be a quick learner, which was one of his special talents. Maybe he could sneak back into the library later when no one was watching and do a bit of fast reading…

He was pulled from his thought process at the mention of a name. He raised an eyebrow, taking a mental note of the name, "Mr. Gold, hm? I'll have to keep that in mind." He didn't quite like the sound of her voice and the look on her face as she spoke about him. "By the look on your face it sounds like you don't like him very much, or even like talking about him for that matter. Why is that, if you don't mind my asking?"

He paused for a moment when she asked him how he felt about magic. He was very familiar with magic and the tolls it could take and the things it could do. The Lorax was the first creature to make him believe in magic, even though as a child he enjoyed magic, while his Mother didn't encourage him to believe in his imagination and his dreams...magic was the one thing to keep him believing, even if it was just a few card tricks and disappearing coins. That was all him, forcing him to believe in something because his Mother never believed in him. After reaching his teenage years he'd given up on magic and make believe, but for the sake of making Xavier a real person, for now anyways, it was time to play make believe once more.

"Magic…" He gave her an amused look, "You mean like magic tricks that magicians perform for kids? Faerie tale stories?" He gave a chuckle, but then looked over her face, "Oh my apologies, you're actually being serious…" He thought for a moment, playing with his tie as he did, "I've always been fond of magic…" He finally replied, "Ever since I was a young boy. So the answer to your question is, yes, I am fond of magic." Another pause, "Why do you ask, Miss Red?"

[lilred]

Xavier, it seemed, hadn't missed the wariness in her tone when she'd spoken of Mr. Gold. Just the thought was enough to make Red bristle - Rumpelstiltskin wasn't as bad as the Queen, but not a lot was known about him besides the dark power he possessed. And in a way, not knowing was even more intimidating than knowing what someone was capable of. She was a little hesitant to answer his question, but really, it was only fair. She couldn't leave Xavier to deal with Gold without letting him have some idea of what he was up against. "He's not the most...trustworthy person around here." she explained after a moment, focusing her gaze on the road before them. "I mean, don't get me wrong, most of the people in Storybrooke are great...but there are a few who'll screw you over if you don't keep a close enough eye on them. He's one of 'em."

Hopefully Xavier would keep that in mind - he seemed clever enough, and if and when he did have to deal with Mr. Gold, Red hoped he wouldn't allow himself to be so easily manipulated as others had been.

It was a little puzzling, to hear him speak of magic in such a way - for him to initially assume she'd been joking. Sometimes, it was hard to remember that magic - at least, fairytale magic - was not native to this world. While it was a natural element of the Enchanted Forest, no one here necessarily had reason to believe in it. It was...kind of weird to think about, but she didn't let it trouble her for too long. At any rate, Xavier didn't actually seem opposed to the idea of magic at all, and that was...a pretty good start. Hopefully, then, her revelation wouldn't prompt him to get as far away from Storybrooke as humanly possible. With this newfound confidence that she wouldn't scare him off (well - not unless that tiny werewolf issue came up, anyway), Red responded a little more easily this time.

"Because this place is pretty much chock full of it these days. We're talking fairies, dwarves, enchantments, dragons..." Well, that last example was just a rumor, but she was pretty sure that Emma'd fought off an actual dragon recently. She glanced at Xavier again, trying to discern his reaction to all of this. "I guess...I guess it might be a little...much for someone who's not used to that kind of thing? I mean, it's never bothered me, but I grew up with it." Not to mention the fact that she wasn't even from this world, but she didn't want to overwhelm him with too much at once. So Red paused a moment, allowing that to sink in - and despite herself, she couldn't help but grin a little. "So do I sound crazy yet?"

[Once-ler]

Well, that's one thing we have in common,[/color] Greed-ler thought to himself as Red spoke of how he should be careful of Mr. Gold. It looked like they had the same set of cards in this little game Maleficent was trying to put into action. He wondered if she knew about him...or worked with him...though he doubted that, since Maleficent did tell him to keep their allegiance a secret. However, he couldn't help but think of her when Red mentioned the rumors of a dragon.

He looked Red in the eye when she spoke of the mythical beings that lived in the town. He softened his expression and smile a bit, "I don't believe you're crazy, Miss." His smile grew, "I have no reason not to believe you, and I hope you do not take that as any form of insult. Though I must ask, are these Faeries you speak of...are they in any ways mischievous?" He questioned, "Many Fay encounter stories I've read about in lore have said that they can turn out to be quite mischievous creatures, especially around Humans. For example, I've heard they like to play practical jokes and hiding objects on Humans."

[lilred]

When he reassured her that he didn't at all believe her to be crazy, Red relaxed a little, not so hesitant to speak openly now. She returned his smile, although her expression grew slightly curious at the mention of these 'mischievous' sort of fairy-creatures he'd spoken of. Red hadn't met many of their kind, and she certainly didn't know anything about the race of Dark Fae, like Maleficent - really the only one she knew much about was The Blue Fairy, and everyone knew that she was a complete troll powerful force of good. She'd never heard fairies spoken of the in the way that Xavier referred to them, and it made her pause for thought for a moment or two.

"I've never heard of a fairy trying to harm a human instead of help one. Around here they're known for doing good things with their magic - granting wishes, mostly." Or so the stories went - Cinderella, for instance, sometimes spoke of the fairy godmother who'd tried to help her before Rumpelstiltskin had stepped in. And The Blue Fairy, of course, was the one who'd devised a way to save Emma from the effects of the Dark Curse. Still, Red was perfectly well aware that there were strong forces of good and evil at play both here and in her own world. So who was she to say that the tales Xavier had heard weren't based on some truth? Stories had to come from somewhere, didn't they? Even the ones that got most of the facts wrong had sprung from some grain of truth somewhere down the line.

"But I suppose they're just like anyone else. They can be good or bad - or somewhere in between. Makes sense, right?" The fairytale world had made the whole thing relatively simple with its ideas of 'good' and 'evil', but if there was one thing that Red had learned in this world, it was that there were certainly shades of grey in existence. In fact, most people fell into them somewhere. She herself, for example, couldn't claim to be entirely good...not with what happened every full moon, however much she was unable to control it. Despite these thoughts, Red continued. "Because to be honest, a lot of the magic here...isn't good. And they say that all magic comes with a price." And what did that mean, exactly? It was...difficult to say. It'd probably be a little easier if she had more experience with magic, but all she'd heard was this cautionary warning repeated on several occasions.

She stopped there, though - before she said too much. She wasn't quite sure how much she should tell Xavier about how magic worked here, or how much he even wanted to know, after all.

[Once-ler]

"But that's life, isn't it? Yin and Yang? Dark and light with shadows in between?" He looked up at the starlight sky, "But just because someone walks in the darkness, doesn't mean their hearts aren't filled with light." He glanced at her, his expression becoming even more friendly as he spoke. He looked ahead of them before he asked his next question. "You're a delightful person to talk to, Miss Red, and you seem like you'd be a trustworthy associate...I mean...I hope during my stay here, if everything goes well, we could become better friends."

Another lie...or was it? She really was...a kind person...and he didn't doubt that she'd be a good friend. But...he wasn't the type of person who was able to keep friends...Greed only kept "friends" around that he could use in the future for business--or in this case, those who'd be useful to Maleficent's plan...and...somewhere inside of him...he felt a sick feeling rise when he considered doing that to this woman....but why? Was...was Oncie...or Innocent...were they starting to find a way out?

[lilred]

What he was saying was true, no doubt - there was good and bad, darkness and light, in everything and...perhaps everyone? Red considered Xavier's next words hesitantly. Having come from a place full of fairytales where good always won and happy endings were given, very few had ever doubted the evil of the villains that threatened that happiness. But...they were people too, Red supposed. People who'd let darkness consume them, true - but still. Xavier had given her something to think about, when he mentioned someone who walked in darkness quite possibly having a heart that was filled with light. It was a different way of looking at things, but different wasn't bad - that was why she'd been so eager to meet this man in the first place, after all - because he came from a different place than she knew. "Yeah - yeah, I guess I...never thought of it that way before." Red commented with a light smile, drifting out of her thoughts to return to their conversation.

He'd caught her off guard, with his compliments - and her smile widened a little in response. "I hope so too." she told him earnestly. "I've never met anyone quite like you before. You have a...different way of looking at things than most people around here. I really hope you do decide to stick around!" Her tone brightening again at that, Red just ignored the nagging thought of what Granny would say about all of this. Why shouldn't she be able to make friends with outsiders? If they ever did find a way to return to their own world, well...she could deal with that when it came down to it. Besides, Xavier was charming enough that Red couldn't see Granny having much problem with him.

And speaking of Granny...

The inn, she realized, was looming up on the road ahead of them, and she paused upon spotting it. "Here we are at Granny's! She's sure to have a couple rooms open - they're not huge, but they're nice. And cozy." The place had the charm that reminded Red of the cottage in the woods where they'd used to live - something that Granny had been subconsciously influenced by even when she couldn't remember, no doubt.

[Once-ler]

Greed-ler's gaze moved from Red to the inn up ahead of them. His eyes looked it over as Red commented on the rooms. "I'm sure I can make do, I'm used to living in...small places." Greed shuddered at the thought of how small Once-ler's mind really was...it felt even smaller due to the size of the room Once-ler had locked himself within for so many years after the Lorax left. Any room that wasn't Oncie's mind or that horrid, run down, nightmare of a factory was like a paradise in his eyes.

Honestly, he had no idea how long he'd be staying. He just knew the dark Faerie was probably keeping an eye on him, making sure that he was doing as she wanted him to. Find a place to live, start up his shop, and stay out of trouble until the time came.

He didn't want to risk being shoved back into the stupid beanpole's head again.

"With great displeasure, I must leave your company for the evening, Miss Red, but I leave with high hopes that we meet again soon."