April dipped a hand into her coat and rolled up the collar of it with another as she made her way unhurriedly through the streets of Diagon Alley. It was cold, and beginning to drizzle, but she was in no rush to get where she was going. She certainly hadn't been to this part of the Alley before, and she wasn't entirely sure that there would be any return trips in the future.

She stopped for a moment.

Turn right from the main street; go left. Where is this place?

The Ministry was so bloody austere about not using their stock of ingredients for personal use. As if there wasn't an endless supply of things there already? Great employee benefits it seemed. It was restrictions like that that forced April to make trips like this.

Her eyes darted around the alleyway looking for some sign of the SHOP, and in a moment she focused-in on what she had come for. Nudged in between two other buildings was the place she was looking for, she was sure.

She walked the length of the street and stopped in front of the door-entrance. Looking through the shop windows it certainly looked as…interesting as it had been described. Opening the door she stepped in, shaking off the cold from the outdoors.

April sniffed the air.

What was that unholy smell? Oh God. Look at the dust!

Was there anyone here? It seemed as if the counter was deserted and there was a skeleton slumped in the corner.

Should I say something? Guess I wouldn’t be able to find things on my own anyways.

“Hullo?” She called out softly. “Is anyone around back there?”

Atlas squinted and applied a bit more pressure on the object claps between the prongs of the tweezers he was holding in his hand. Last night had been Tuesday meaning he had taken one of his usual garbage picking excursions. The pickings on the wizarding side of London had been sadly meager and so he had bucked up his courage and headed into the greater Muggle London area. It had been surprisingly active for 2 am but he supposed that was city life. A few pleasing discoveries, a Christmas ornament in the shape of a helicopter, missing two propellers and a bag of unopened jelly babies, the later being what he was now investigating.

Somewhere in his travels he had heard that the small gelatin based treats would actually scream when dropped into a vial being heated over flame. This would of course imply some kind of sentient thought on the poor Jelly Babies part and if the stories turned out to be true Atlas would have to begin lobbying for their protection at once. He was poised over the vial, lit from beneath with a modified Bunsen burner when he heard the distinct sound of the shop door being opened, and then closed a few short seconds later. Atlas was just wondering if perhaps his experiment should wait when he heard the distinct clattering of bones followed by the skeletons well worn phrase, “WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!”.

He winced, dropping the Jelly Baby on the table, extinguishing the burner, and hoping that whoever had come in was already aware of Rudolph’s existence and wouldn’t try to curse the skeleton on sight. It took ages to piece him back together when that happened. A glance at the customer brought no memory, unassuming looking woman, fairly young. At the sound of his approach the skeleton lifted one boney finger, indicating the customer and again intoned, “WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!”

“Yes, yes, I can see her. We talked about shouting, you’ll wake the banditos, and I don’t have anymore fire whiskey to bribe them with if they make off with your femur again.” Turning on one heel he now faced women. “Excuse him, he can be a tad excitable. Is there anything I can help you with? Your not Terrance are you?” She didn’t look like a Terrance, “If you are I’m afraid I don’t have your order in yet, something about a gnome rebellion…”

April fidgeted in her shoes as she waited and shot a glance around the shop. There certainly wasn’t anything sinister about the place: maybe a bit more bizarre than most, but undeniably harmless. She relaxed and let the tension in her shoulders slip down. Her eyes landed on the skeleton in the corner again. Had it moved since she last looked at it? Of course not.

She took a couple of steps forward, moving out of the doorway, and found that it was much warmer inside than it had been outdoors. Deciding that it was wholly unnecessary to be wearing a coat, she quickly removed it and draped it over her arm. Finally relaxed, feeling confident about herself, she eyed the skeleton again.

She cocked her head to the side. Wasn’t he sitting befo--?

”WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!”

So much for feeling relaxed. “What. The. Hell.” She breathed silently.

A few involuntary steps backwards and she was back in front of the door entrance. Well at least the thing hadn’t pounced on her yet. Wand, wand, where was the wand? Pocket? No, no pockets. Coat perhaps? She plunged a thin hand into one of the coat pockets and shuffled through it. “Gotcha—“

”WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!”

Wand in hand now, she looked up from her coat. There was a man beside the skeleton this time: presumably the shop-owner. He looked pleasant enough, apart from his particularly boney friend.

“Excuse him, he can be a tad excitable. Is there anything I can help you with? Your not Terrance are you?” She didn’t look like a Terrance, “If you are I’m afraid I don’t have your order in yet, something about a gnome rebellion…”

“Pet of yours?” She managed to squeak out, inclining her head toward the skeleton. She felt more comfortable now that there was a third-party in the room and pulled her wand hand down to her side. “Gave me a bit of a fright you see. I can’t say that I am Terrance, unless you’d like me to be!” She managed a smile and shoved her wand back into her coat.

“I’m actually looking for supplies of a different sort. Hellebore? I wasn’t quite sure if this was the right place to look for it; not much of a shopper as you might have guessed.”

Atlas looked down at the wand the woman was clutching in one hand. Nice make, finely wrought, probably got a fair amount of use for the look of it and the speed at which she had produced it. Rudolph regarded the wand and then, seemingly non pulsed craned his head until his dead sockets met Atlas eyes. “WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE?” To the untrained ear the tone might have portrayed blind panic, but to Atlas accustomed as he was he recognized the gist of the ejaculation to be 'is she serious?'.

Pet of yours?. Rudolph shifted next to him in agitation, one of his fingers coming loose and falling to the floor. Atlas stopped, picking up the digit and lifted the skeletons arms, re looping the attachment wire carefully.Gave me a bit of a fright you see. I can't say that I am Terrance, unless you'd like me to be!

“More of a friend really.” The finger reattached he tested the bond before looking up in time to see lowering her wand, he smiled in gratitude. “Just as well that your not Terrance, don't have their order ready. Won't for a week actually but thats what happens when you order Coracian spice out of season. Thank you Not-Terrance for not cursing him on sight. Takes the better part of a day to put him back together whenever someone does that.”

I'm actually looking for supplies of a different sort. Hellebore? I wasn't quiet sure if this was the right place to look for it; not much of a shopped as you might have guessed.. He wouldn't have, but then again he lacked Apollo's intuition for those sorts of things. He hadn't seen her in SHOP before but again that could mean little. He had an idea that his establishment mostly served as a last resort.

“No, no this is the right place to find just about anything. As long as I can find it myself.” He stratched at the side of his face, mentally running through his latest inventory, at the same time he mentally constructed a quick list of everything a person might need hellebore for. It as an interesting list. “Should have what your looking for.” He turned and began to walk into the shop proper. “Follow me if you would...” he glanced back. “Might want to keep your wand at the ready, if you see a lobster stun on sight.” The recommenced walking. “They've been very uppity lately. How much were you looking for, hellebore is a rather interesting thing to request.”

April watched as he fetched the fallen finger from the floor, regarding the skeleton curiously as he reconnected the bone to its relative joints. “More of a friend really.” Now that she was recovered from the skeleton’s sudden outcry earlier, she was able to see more clearly that he was most certainly not a threat. He was even rather…adorable in his peculiar manners and skin—or lack thereof. “He makes for a tremendous security system.”

“Just as well that you’re not Terrance, don't have their order ready. Won't for a week actually, but that’s what happens when you order Coracian spice out of season. Thank you Not-Terrance for not cursing him on sight. Takes the better part of a day to put him back together whenever someone does that.” April shifted her weight from one foot to the other. It suddenly donned on her that potentially cursing one of this man’s friends might not be the best first customer – owner encounter. Well that was a disaster. Had he taken offence? Well if he hadn’t he—oh. He smiled. Nice smile. “Well I wouldn’t want to add extra work to your load.” She retreated to a different topic, hoping he wouldn’t even remember her touching her wand by the time she stepped through the door on her way out.

“No, no this is the right place to find just about anything, as long as I can find it myself. Should have what you’re looking for. Follow me if you would…” Happy to be getting down to business and finally out of the awkward stages of the incident from earlier, April slung her coat over her shoulder and followed behind him obediently.

By the look of things, the shop seemed to have a very wide collection of everything. Some seemingly useless objects to April, but others fairly absorbing in there own right. “Might want to keep your wand at the ready, if you see a lobster stun on sight.” April giggled quietly to herself, the thought of violent lobsters posing an amusing image. Wait. Was he serious? She hesitated for a moment, peeking ahead to see if any such lobsters existed.

People at the ministry seemed to have the right knack for directing others to the most interesting of places. April somehow got the feeling that it was unwarranted for her to go this much out of the way for an object like hellebore. Ignorance was not always bliss. “They've been very uppity lately. How much were you looking for, hellebore is a rather interesting thing to request.”

“Oh, a bundle or two if you have it. Isn’t it? You should be terribly suspicious of me.” She grinned playfully, hoping to break down the formal barriers. “Not really though, just need it for some stress reliever stuff. Rough time at work and things like that.”

(OOC: Sorry for the shabby post! I'm swamped!)

He makes for a tremendous security system. Atlas nodded ruefully. “It was one of my first thoughts when I reassembled him for the first time. He's a bloody coward though. Scared of his own boney shadow. He'd sooner cower or lead a thief to exactly what the wanted then suffer any abuse. Which is odd, seeing as he's dead and all I wouldn't imagine he'd feel to much pain.” He shrugged. “Have to settle for good old fashioned security spells, and the bandits would give anyone a hell of a time.” He was rambling. It had been sometime since he had really felt up to bantering with customers on any level.

He had also let go of whatever semblence of organization the SHOP possessed and now, although he was fairly certain of the location of the item in question he wasn't positive. He could hear her following they passed a pile of Ellery Queen magazines, the lot of them charmed to reveal the twist ending as soon as you opened the covers, and a set of wizard chess sets that Atlas had never managed to get to stop fighting long enough to actually organize for resale, and various other knick knacks.

At the mention of the Lobster bandits she gave a short giggle, a moment later though he heard her stop, and glanced back to find her eyes searching the floor boards for any sign of them. “So long as you don't flash around anything shiny they mostly keep to themselves. Should they take anything I have some brandy I can barter for the return of your personables. They'll ruin their livers.” He knelt down in the aisle suddenly, removing a box from its shelf, opening it and scrutinizing its contents. 8 dead moths, all of them rare and valuable specimens, and what appeared to be a Hello Kitty doll. That brandished a switchblade when he attempted to lift it from its place. Wrong box. He shoved it back in place and took a quick left down one of the other aisles.

Oh, a bundle or two if you have it. Isn’t it? You should be terribly suspicious of me. He turned on his heel and examined her closely. She didn't look like someone he should be at all worked about, which could very well mean he should be worried. Not really though, just need it for some stress reliever stuff. Rough time at work and things like that.. Well, that was definitely a use for hellabore, and Atlas could think of no harmful uses for the product. His assessment of the woman came back negative in terms of threat level and he went back to combing the shelves.

“Difficulties? Its an amazing stress reliever, my mother swears by it actually.” Lifting a terrarium to the light he examined it carefully and finding no hellabore shelved it again, “Is your job particularly taxing? Or has it just become so recently?”

April was in the midst of investigating the floorboards when she suddenly became conscious of someone watching her. It might have been acceptable to do that sort of thing when no one was looking on, but in the company of another person, she perceived it to all be a matter of acute embarrassment. She looked up to see the shopkeeper shoot a glance at her from over his shoulder and caught his eye. “So long as you don't flash around anything shiny they mostly keep to themselves. Should they take anything I have some brandy I can barter for the return of your personables. They'll ruin their livers.”

“Oh, I-“ she stammered, blushing profusely. “I don’t think we’ll have much trouble. Nothing shiny on me I’m afraid.” He was on his knees now, looking over the contents of a box. April saw a faint gleam of silver protruding from the hand of what looked like a sort of doll. Weird. Clearly not what he was looking for; the box was put back on the shelf.

April didn’t bother to follow him around the corner this time; instead she stayed put, casting a leery eye over the room. She was fearful of touching anything on the shelves, after giving way to imaginations of strange, pug-faced gnomes and murderous stuffed-animal bunnies. If there were in the very least, thieving lobsters around, anything was possible.

Everything on the shelves at SHOP seemed to be in a terrible disorder, April noted, but sometimes things could be found easier when out-of-place. She found a small locket on the shelf adjacent to her, and picked it up. She turned it over in her hands, almost reluctantly now, as if she might trigger some mechanism that would cause the thing to explode.

She looked up to find the shopkeeper staring at her once again, this time a bit more probingly. April found it hard to believe that -anyone- could be suspicious of her, but then again, maybe he had to be suspicious of people. The shop didn’t exactly convey all warm and fuzzy intentions on its part. “Difficulties? It’s an amazing stress reliever, my mother swears by it actually.”

Oh. April had never tried it in her concoction. “Really? I hope it works as well for me as it does for her. It was actually suggested by a colleague of mine.”

“Is your job particularly taxing? Or has it just become so recently?”

Taxing! Ha! You mean a nightmare.

“Not particularly taxing, no, just a bout of tension built up from some of my research.” She was going to mention the ministry, but thought better of it. Not all people were as receptive about it as they used to be.

“By the way, I never caught your name. Mine’s April.”

Really? I hope it works as well for me as it does for her. It was actually suggested by a colleague of mine. Atlas watched her as she turned the locket over in her hands wondering what it was that she did. He didn't recognize her from school, but his mind had been slowly filtering faces and names from those days out and replacing them with inventory lists and spell formulas for his little pet project. He didn't know her from the alley, maybe she worked outside the community, or maybe she was a ministry employee. Either way she didn't seem to be an auror. He hated it when they made random investigations of the place, they always moved things and acted as if they were completely incognito.

She wasn't wearing a uniform...he shook his head it was none of his business and she seemed friendly enough. “Its a good recommendation.” He shufled some more items around on the shelf, opening several books and searching for any hidden compartments. Maybe Rudolph had moved it.
Not particularly taxing, no, just a bout of tension built up from some of my research. A scientist? By the way, I never caught your name. Mine's April.. He scooted up a ladder placed against the wall to his left looking down at her from his higher vantage point. “Atlas. April is a pretty name, not such a big fan of the month though. Muddy. I almost lost my thumb once in April and their was a Pope assassinated then,” he made a face he dug around the top of the shelf, his hand catching around a promising sachtel. “But thats not entirely relevant, or it could be completely relevant.” He turned back. “Your not an assassin are you?”

Opening the bag released the pleasant and familiar scent of helibore. “Succes!” He jumped from the ladder, landing with a loud thud that caused dust to rise up from the floor boards and the stuffed moose head on the wall to open its eyes and sleepily request that he make less noise. “Hellibore, wonderful little plant. How much did you need?” He began heading to the center of SHOP, where the scales were. “You mentioned research? Your a scientist then? Do you mind my asking your specialty area? What are you working on?” It had been some time since he had had the strength or the desire to chat with someone, it was almost pleasant.