entranceway | [video]

[Jefferson toys with the idea of publicly announcing his arrival for a long while. He had lived too long a hermit outside the fringes of Storybrooke society, and the idea of rejoining the thriving masses does not sound very appealing to him. Besides, there are other dangers to consider. Would the Queen of Hearts still be looking for him? Is the same Queen even in regency? He knows full well that nothing ever remains the same in Wonderland, and to expect the same as when he was here before would be absurd. He finally decides it is worth the risk.

How could he flush out his target without causing some sort of stir?

The video begins with Jefferson facing the camera directly, hands folded calmly in front of him and a darkened room behind him. He smiles easily, but there's something a little nervous in his demeanor. As far as anyone knows, he is new to Wonderland after all. A certain amount of uncertainty is to be expected. Little does anyone suspect how much time this man has spent in this nonsensical place. Or, at least, a fair facsimile thereof.]

Greetings, residents of Wonderland. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Jefferson, and I am a merchant by trade. Mostly rare fungi, but occasionally I dabble in trinkets... and hats. [He pulls a black silk hat into view of the camera briefly to illustrate his point.] I seem to have lost something of mine, and I wonder if any of you have seen it. It's about the size a breadbox. Cylindrical. Soft. Shabby-looking, I'm afraid, but very sturdy. If you feel you have found it, please contact me. I would hate for my something to cause a problem for anyone, so the sooner it can be back in my hands, the better.

[The smiles comes back, a little wider and more confident.]

And now Wonderland, I must ask you a very important question....

How do you take your tea?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh thank whatever gods there are that this happened at such a fortuitous time. Gold's down a lot of luck right now, which is why instead of the standard greetings, all Jefferson gets is:]

We have a bit of a situation.

[Hi. Lovely to see you. I NEED YOU TO DO A THING FOR ME.]

[Any reaction other than this would have been too weird for Jefferson to process. Despite Rumplestiltskin's reputation, Jefferson hasn't had many transactions with him that have gone any way but professionally. He respects a man who keeps to the deals he makes.]

Ah, Mister Gold. Or is it Rumplestiltskin again now? [Lovely to see you, too.]

Other than the obvious? What is it?

Whichever pleases you most. [it's a hard storybrooke life, honestly.]

I trust you remember the Wicked Witch of the West.

[after all, he'd sent him to Oz to steal the damned woman's shoes and to avoid going there himself. Cowardice when it's practical is all right.]

[That's the truth, and one of the many reasons why Jefferson is only known by one name. He's uncomplicated like that.]

She's a hard person to forget. [haha of course he remembers. As if he has any choice but to remember everything. However, he does have distinct memories of that particular trip to Oz being a particularly lucrative transaction even if he only returned with half of what he'd gone in for.

...wait.] Don't tell me that she's the situation.

I believe my insistence on never setting foot in Oz spoke volumes about what my relationship with her was like.

[His expression twists unpleasantly.] But she is here. And she does have a few particular inclinations, which I'd be happy to explain in person, but I doubt that's a risk you'd be willing to take.

[for reasons.]

[Considering the risk involved in the jobs that Rumplestiltskin has actually hired Jefferson for in the past, if he says that the portal jumper won't be willing to take the risk to meet him in person, that's a good enough warning for Jefferson.]

So she left Oz to come terrorize the poor people of Wonderland. [He's not quite sure how much sympathy to have about this situation.] Is there something you need me to do?

She has big plans that will, undoubtedly, cause her more harm than good, but the fact remains that she has the Dark One's dagger, and with that it doesn't matter what her plans are.

[you can see where this is an issue for him.]

She has the dagger? How is that even possible? I thought that was the most highly guarded artifact in the Enchanted Forest and beyond. [Not that he's doubting you, Rumple. He's just surprised. In the list of "most dangerous magical objects" that the former thief's ever been even remotely in proximity of, the Dark One's dagger pretty much topped the list.

It seems to Jefferson that it matters very much what the Wicked Witch's plans are.]

Do you want my help, or this just a courteous warning?

[Because he wouldn't come out of retirement at Regina's request ~~again~~, but Rumplestiltskin had always been fair. He couldn't NOT ask.]

She has her ways. [he isn't even going to mention the fact that this is the second time it happened. the first time had much more dire reasons than this.

this was really just unfortunate luck.]

And, given our history, Jefferson, I believe it's safe to say it's both.

Edited 2015-05-25 01:22 (UTC)

I'll check out the situation, but this place and I have history, too. I can't guarantee how effective I'll be. There's just something about this world--

[He's giving it to you straight, Rumple. His last two missions to this place failed miserably.]

Since she has control of the dagger, are there any tips you can give me since meeting in person isn't an option right now? If I were her, I wouldn't let that thing out of my sight for an instant.

Edited (icon & typo) 2015-05-25 08:10 (UTC)

Oh, I'm well aware. And I'd hardly set you up for failure if the alternative wasn't far worse.

[There's a moment of quiet contemplation, as he remembers the first time this happened.] She does keep it on her, at all times. However, you do have a certain advantage- I doubt she'd recognize you.

[I'm not asking you to flirt with crazy to get my dagger back

but I'm definitely asking you to flirt with crazy to get my dagger back.]

[This is not easing back into his old role-- his former occupation in which he was at least 40 years out of practice. This is jumping in feet first with a rock tied around his ankles. Facing the Wicked Witch to retrieve the dagger was Clock of Evermore-level trouble, and Jefferson hated the direct approach. It's not that he is incapable, but he's ~~nearly~~ kept his promise to his wife and ~~almost~~ always put the welfare of their daughter first. She could not lose her father forever, and jobs like this did not usually end well.

But Rumple knows the thief's terms from when they worked together before. As he's said, he wouldn't ask unless it was of critical importance.

You better not be playing him, Dark One.]

How's your spinning nowadays, Gold? [or more explicitly, how's your magic in terms of recompense?]

[unlike certain people (regina), gold has some measure of integrity. and jefferson's better kept on his side, because he's... you know, capable of being a thorn in his side if given reason to be.

also, he's almost a friend.]

As potent as that tea you used to make. [hey, if you can't get on in her good graces with a little attention, there's always the tea.] I'm certain we can work something out.

[Despite their lack of communication during the dark curse in Storybrooke, Jefferson would still count Rumplestiltskin as almost a friend as well. Fair business partners were hard to find. Best to keep the good ones close.]

That's good to hear. [Yes, he's already considering that option if Plan A fails to get him close enough. It's the quick and dirty way, but there's no guarantee that it'll work on a witch. Possibilities to consider.] I'm certain we can. I'll be in touch.

For all that I know that this is your worst nightmare, it's quite fortunate you turned up.

[That's as close as he's getting to a "thank you" at this moment. True gratitude comes after.] Good luck.

Sounds like I'll need it.

[He doesn't need thanks. Whether or not this works, the two of you are eventually going to sit down and talk about compensation.

However, he's gotta admit it. Falling into a pattern this familiar does make for a nice distraction.]

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