in which the genie's lamp is returned;
Who: Murdock Varletti (ALADDIN) and Velvet Lyon (SCHEHERAZADE)
What: The long-awaited conclusion of the lamp plot, in which the lamp is returned to the Atheneum... reluctantly.
When: The day after Murdock and Allison stole the lockbox from Kilroy's office. (i.e. BACKDATED LIKE WHOA)
Where: Velvet's office; the Pentamerone
Rating: PG for a shockingly emo Librarian
MURDOCK: Oh man oh man oh MAN. Murdock was on proverbial Cloud Nine at the moment, and nothing could knock him down! He'd been practically walking on air since he took the lock box from Kilroy's office, and not even his failure (despite hours of effort) to open it could dampen his spirits. Eventually he had simply decided to get on the next plane to LA and bring Perry the lamp - if he couldn't use the lamp to summon a genie, then the reverse would be just as acceptable! Their plan had been to steal away to California once the lamp was found anyways, and Perry would be pretty happy about the surprise, he was certain!
A bag had been hastily packed and he was half out of the door when he stopped abruptly, given pause by a stray thought that nagged at his conscience - he should at least let Velvet know he's leaving. She is his Librarian, after all, and she'd probably be horribly upset if he just up and disappeared. So it is that - with lockbox under one arm, since he'd be damned if he let it out of his sight - he went tromping upstairs to the Library floor and made a B-line for Velvet's door, which received a cheerful knock.
VELVET: If Murdock was on Cloud Nine, Velvet was in, roughly, some level of Hell a la Dante. She had just barely settled into her new position as the Arabic Librarian, in charge of a motley crew of Tales (that were, for the most part, her senior) when the most catastrophic mess the Atheneum had ever seen in its hundred years fell into her lap: the disappearance and scattering of the magical objects. And, of course, she would be in charge of one of the most powerful of those objects - the Genie's lamp.
Perry had been none too happy when she informed him what had happened, and although the Librarians certainly had their suspicions as to who to blame, no fingers could be pointed just yet. It was all running around, hauling flying carpets, coaxing magical trunks, pleading with recipients and trying very hard to stay alert for clues - and ignore the disdain of the Tales who thought the Librarians (or worse, Velvet herself, as was the case with this reincarnation's Morgiana) should have handled this much better. Combined with the stresses of everyday life - midterms, rent, work, skeezy men on the subway - Velvet was at her wit's end.
Murdock's knock came at a particularly inopportune moment; having just finished some entirely non-soothing tea, Velvet was trying terribly hard to not burst into weary tears. Lifting her head out of her hands, she called, doing her best to compose herself, "Come in?"
The minute she saw who it was, however - regardless of whatever ridiculous greeting was spewing from his lips - her expression changed from just barely calm professionalism to dark and cloudy and most definitely not in the mood. "No. Out. Get out," she said, pointing at the door, biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling. Murdock may not be a 30% essay, landlord, three hours of hemming or a sleazy old man on the 2 train, but he was definitely up there on her personal list of stressors.
MURDOCK: "Oh yes!" Murdock countered cheerfully, exploding through the doorway with all the theatrical aplomb that was possible with a small chest tucked under one arm. His mood seemed to make him particularly oblivious to Velvet's sourness, or at least irreverent. "You say out but you don't mean out - I know you better than that! See, you're in a poor mood but I feel fantastic, and seeing as how I've got all these happy feelings to spare, I figured that you would be a worthy recipient. So 'lo, I give unto thee my excess good mood, Lady Scheherazade, O' Librarian My Librarian!"
He's already sweeping through the room like a whirlwind, nimbly evading any sort of efforts that might be made to shoo him back out the door he slipped through. "Besides, I have important news! News that may, in fact, be marginally upsetting, but news nonetheless. Oh, but where is my head? I should be asking about your current plight, all that nasty 'missing items' business the journals have been abuzz with! I suppose the brass must have their knickers all in a knot about that one, right?" He delivers this all with a knowing, mirthful little smile, that of a child with a juicy secret. However, he also refers to the brass with a nod to the other offices next door, unintentionally classifying them in a different sort of rank than Velvet. He means, of course, the grown up Librarians, and is blissfully unaware of what effect such innocent connotations might have.
VELVET: Of course Murdock completely ignored her - really, Velvet couldn't expect anything less. All the same, once he starts in on his elaborate speech, she buries her face in her hands again - not, as she so often does in Murdock's presence, in exasperation, but in despair. Oh, how she despairs of this grandiloquent burden on her sanity! Such is her despair that she cannot even manage to look pleasantly surprised when Murdock interrupts himself to ask how she is. Instead, she just mumbles from her hands, "Yes. Yes, Murdock, our knickers are in a knot. A big, fat," there's a slight pause where anyone else would have used a word unfit for children's ears, "Knot. And," she continued, wearily, lowering her hands and looking balefully at her non-assistant, "If you cared one iota about this institution and a little less about yourself, you'd understand why. But!" A sigh, a hint of a sniffle and a rub at her cheek. "You don't. And I really don't care what your news is, Murdock, I really don't, so please, please just leave me alone. Please." Throughout her own little melodramatic speech, it would have been obvious to even the most self-absorbed twit that the Arabic Librarian was at the end of her rope, on the brink of tears, and really, seriously, shouldn't be pushed or bothered. Poor thing.
MURDOCK: Murdock, being the aforementioned 'most self-absorbed twit', was actually given pause by Velvet's wavering tone and distraught mannerisms. His strutting to and fro around the small office slows to a standstill, which placed him in front of the large desk at which she sits. His expression became notably perplexed, head cocked curiously to one side - for a long moment he seems purely baffled as to why Velvet would be reacting to the situation quite so severely. It's difficult for him to comprehend the misery of others when he was so knee-deep in joy.
"I care." He says slowly, his tone mildly hurt at the implication otherwise. "I mean, maybe not so much about the institution, yeah, but I care about you." Murdock realizes that the usual bravado in his tone has been replaced with an uncharacteristic tenderness, and he quickly adds on an awkward, "Because I'm your assistant, and all." Cough. Eyes down. In a quick shuffle to regain some face - though without reverting to his full overbearing persona - he drops into the chair across from her, crossing his arms on the desktop and offering a sympathetic smile. "I think maybe you should talk about it. Bend my ear. The doctor is in." His chicanery has a softer edge, as though unconsciously responding to Velvet's jangled nerves. The lockbox is left in his lap, momentarily forgotten.
VELVET: "You're not... I really...!" Velvet protested - first, predictably, to his claim to assistanthood, and secondly to the doctor being 'in' when she most definitely requested he be out. But it's futile, and in her distress, it seems even more futile and in spite of Murdock's gentler tones, it is so absolutely and utterly frustrating that she just... "All right," Velvet said - not quite snapped, but she really doesn't look pleased with the other Arabic Tale, and sarcasm is beginning to creep its way into her voice; her arms are crossed, lips pursed. "There are magical items, they're missing, and opportunists like you are just scrambling to get them, and it's really very difficult to try and get a hold of them before they make a fuss in the mundane world, or somebody unsavory gets a hold of something immensely powerful and then poor Mr. Holiday has to go granting wishes like the enslaved djinni he once was." Her pitch raised considerably, and again she looks on the brink of tears, or possibly even hysterics - her arms are no longer crossed, but gesticulating passionately. "All right? Could you imagine what might happen if someone awful got a hold of the lamp?! It isn't just, 'give me a million bucks and some playboy bunnies', Murdock! Perry isn't just a spirit in a bottle! It's no wonder he wanted to just keep the lamp himself, and honestly Edward probably should have because a fat lot of good we've done him... and I just... I can't... oh, nevermind," she ended in an attempt to stop choking up, settling on one last thin, bitter sting as she wiped a few stray, unbidden tears from her eyes. "Now you know. Don't let me keep you from running out there and trying to find the lamp."
MURDOCK: Murdock looks rather pleased with himself when Velvet accepts his offer, settling in to what he seems to think is a standard listening stance, elbow resting on her desk, chin balances in one open palm, and a look of exaggerated sympathy pasted across his face. Of course, it isn't long into her rant that this playful posture starts to shrivel up. He winces at the direct attacks on his person, but even moreso, feels the creeping guilt of irony. It takes almost every ounce of willpower in his being to not look down at the lockbox in his lap, though his fingers begin to drum softly on it self-consciously.
He shrinks back a little with each livid barb, almost looking as if his head could just absorb right into his neck, turtle-style. Not only are Velvet's comments hitting home, but he's slowly and begrudgingly realizing that in his entire quest to get the lamp, he hasn't even considered how it would affect others. Not Perry, not Velvet, not anyone. He even has a sharp pang about Allison. Oh god, and then she's starting to cry... It feels like an icy hand has reached into his chest and starting choking his soul. He's responsible for this. He could make it better with a simple gesture. He could help and set things right and be a hero... But... But...
Murdock's eyes finally drop to his lap, giving him the impression of looking as guilty as he feels. "Actually..." He begins meekly - so meekly that his voice cracks in the first effort and he has to repeat the word, which is dredged up from the depths of his being, kicking and screaming. "Actually, Vel... That's what I wanted to come talk to you about..." He lifts his eyes to meet hers, forcing a weak smile to his lips and trying to drum up some bravado to cover up how excruciatingly painful it was to say the following words. "I figured you might need a bit of help with the roundup, so... Uhm..."
He draws in a deep breath, exhales, and so much effort that it seems to be made of lead, he hefts the small lockbox out of his lap and onto the desk. "I found the lamp for you."
VELVET: To be sure, Velvet's glower flickered uncertainly when faced with this oddly remorseful and meek response Murdock was giving her, but nothing, really, except perhaps a bit of foresight and less involvement in her own distress, could have prepared her for that revelation.
"YOU WHAT?!" she cries - no, shrills - jaw agape, leaping to her feet, snatching up the lockbox. It is a bit hard to tell the emotion behind her shout, but it probably isn't 'falling over with gratitude'.
MURDOCK: Hoboy. Murdock hadn't really had much time to anticipate how this situation would play out - it was sort of an impulse maneuver he would kick himself for forever and ever - but there was at least some vague concept in his head involving extravagant gratitude and gratitude-inspired-making-out. This... is not the direction in which things seem to be unfolding.
"Well," he began, with a little more aplomb this time, now that he was slowly regaining his wits, not to mention put on the defensive. His tone was struggling for feigned modesty, but was rife with hints of apology. "I knew that you were having some trouble with everything, and hey, if you need a lamp found, you go with a professional lamp finder. I can do this sort of thing in my sleep. You didn't even have to ask. And besides, that's the sort of thing an assistant does, right? Helps out in a crisis." He gives the box a firm pat, then adds in consternation, "I, uhm, haven't been able to figure out how to get it out of the box yet, though."
VELVET: "I am not an idiot, Murdock Varletti!" Breaking out the full names means t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Indeed, Velvet looked shocked, and where she didn't look shocked, she looked livid, turning the lockbox over in her hands and alternately gaping at it and glaring at Murdock. "You went behind my back and...! You are absolutely...! There are no words."
Her lips pinched into a white line, Velvet slammed the box back onto the desk and stood there for a moment with her eyes closed, very clearly trying to get a grip on her anger - though, by the way she was shaking, now, it didn't seem to be going very well. Unable to calm herself down without bursting into tears from the release, her eyes snapped back open and she started in on Murdock again, effectively cutting off whatever protests he may have started in on. "How do I even know this is the lamp?! How do you know it's the lamp! How did it get in this box! Who had it?! Where's Perry?!" she demanded in an angry stream, trembling hands going to her head; confrontation really isn't one of her strong suits - the poor girl is shaking like a leaf.
MURDOCK: The tenuously hopeful look on Murdock's face quickly melted back into the wincing guilt, as Velvet's rage proved to have a very similar effect to her tears. "Yeah, but I--" He began timidly, only to curl back at the show of uncharacteristic anger. This wasn't right at all - historically, finding the lamp meant that good things were supposed to happen to him. He was mere steps from fulfilling his wildest dreams, why the hell was he giving it up?
He sat slumped in his chair, doing what he could to avoid Velvet's accusatory glare. "It's the lamp. I know. I can... I don't know, I can tell. It's a Tale thing, I guess." Yeah - maybe a few truths would placate her. "Kilroy had it, he put it in the box. He and May were using it, but I found out so I went in and stole it." He was on a role, but for the last question, he decided to fall back on the little white lie - he was being uncharacteristically altruistic already, so he might as well keep it up by disavowing Perry's involvement. "Perry didn't know about it. About what I was doing, at least."
VELVET: Between the shakes and Murdock's penitence, Velvet really couldn't keep up her anger for very long; seeing the other Tale avoid her gaze first made her angry, yes, but then she bit her lip and before she could even manage a sarcastic yeah, right thought, she was slumped in her own chair, shoulders bunched up tight, elbows on the desk, hands pressing into her face. "The Wonderlanders had it? They made wishes? Oh, god... what did they wish for, do you know?" she asked, staring worriedly at Murdock through the interstices of her fingers. A beat, and then she sighed, lowered her hands for the umpteenth time, still chewing on her bottom lip and looking just as distressed about the reappearance of the lamp as she had about its disappearance. "And you can't get it open... god, I should call Perry... or Anser... maybe Noah... no, I should handle this, it's my..." the Arabic Librarian cut herself short with another sigh, giving no further voice to her insecurities about her position. Instead, she fell silent, staring at the lockbox. Now what?
MURDOCK: Murdock breathed a discreet sigh of relief as Velvet slumped herself - sure, she was back to the first distraught state, but he was quickly realizing this was preferable to the rage. "I don't know what they wished for, but the world hasn't gone topsy-turvy, so it couldn't have been anything bad, right?" He offered a reassuring smile, gaining confidence as he went on. "You can probably ask Perry what wished he granted - and hey, when you call him you can tell him you got the lamp back. He'll be pretty amped about that, right?"
He leaned forward to jungle the padlocks on the box idly - he wasn't going to try to get in, as he'd already given it his best go. "I'm sure you can get one of the witches or something to zap this open, right? Or you could leave it in there, for some extra protection when you hide it again. And!" His enthusiasm in the pep talk began to grow, in a determined effort to a) cheer Velvet up and b) regain some of her favour. "And, you get to tell the Librarians that you got back the most powerful magical item, right? That's going to count for a lot. I mean, that's pretty impressive, right?" He beamed at her hopefully, just as eager himself to find some good to take out of this situation.
VELVET: In response to Murdock's optimistic view of Perry's reaction, Velvet only nodded distractedly, still lost in her own ruminations over the lamp. That, however, was broken when he jangles the padlocks; she refocused on Murdock, and gave him a withering look. "I didn't get it back, I just... Murdock, what were you going to tell me when you came in here?" she asked, frowning as she remembered just how cheerful he was when he came through the door.
MURDOCK: Murdock's gaze snapped up from the padlocks to meet hers at the question, a brief flash of incriminating guilt before he segued smoothly into some cover. "Oh, well, I was coming to give you the lamp, of course. I sort of figured you'd be a lot happier about it. And that it wouldn't be..." His eyes dropped heavily back down to the box between them, the corners of his lips sagging in a look of longing. "Quite so hard to, you know. Give up." He exhaled again, but made a desperate effort to dismiss the thoughts of all he'd just thrown away by clapping his hands together brusquely. "But, it's back where it belongs. Right?" Expectant eyes turned to Velvet for validation, and despite his machismo, there was a definite need for reassurance here.
VELVET: In spite of the lie - and of course Velvet knew that it was - her resolve to be authoritative melted in the face of Murdock's obvious pain over disconnecting with the lamp. Her shoulders relaxed, and her expression softened into a sad, almost nostalgic smile. "Right," she affirmed softly, anger and distress dissolving. If you were to pinpoint anything as Scheherazade's weakness, it would be this - faced with a Tale struggling against everything in his story. "I..." she started, glancing to her cellphone on the corner of her desk. But she let the idea go, and instead turned her gaze back to Murdock, half-smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry. Thank you, very much, for bringing this back, Murdock."
MURDOCK: There we go! As painful as the forfeiting of the lamp was, hearing that earnest gratitude seemed to do wonders for Murdock's disposition. "Oh, hey..." He blustered with theatrical modesty, waving a hand. "Don't mention it. I mean, what else would you expect? This is the sort of behavior you get from men who are hopelessly head over heels for you, Vel. Dogged devotion comes with some obvious perks, as you can see. And its not like I'd ask you for anything big in exchange or anything! Why, I am so lovestruck I bet you'd be able to even the scales by simply buying me a cup of coffee!" And BAM, he was back: the far more recognizable Murdock, sliding into a familiar role to escape the painful reality of what he'd just done.
VELVET: The sheepish and shy smile turned into a familiar little smirk, holding back laughter and complementing the good-natured eye-rolling that went along with it. "Maybe another time, Murdock," Velvet declined, but gently, drawing the lockbox towards her. "I need to take care of this." A glance towards her mobile (with the number of a certain genie stored within it) cast a brief shadow of dread over her face again, but she shooed it away long enough to shoo Murdock out of her office. "Thanks again, though."
MURDOCK: Murdock couldn't help but cast one last longing look at the lockbox as it was slid away, but he pulled himself out of the seat nonetheless. "It's a date, then." He managed to retort confidently, given that she hadn't in any way said no, per se. He pointed a finger sternly at her as if to emphasize the point, simultaneously backing out of the room as he did so. "And you'd better be there, cause frankly, if I had got the box open, you know that 'date with Velvet' would have been all three wishes. So I figured, hey, if she just says yes to one, then what do you need a lamp for? So, voila. Lamp." He flashed a playful grin even as he pulled the office door open, pausing just long enough to add with a wince, "Oh, and... when you talk to Perry? Don't tell him this came from me. Not involved. Just... keep me out of it." He looked suddenly nauseous at the prospect of Perry finding out he'd given up the lamp, and proceeded to slink out of the room, likely to go beat his head several times against a relatively solid surface.
What: The long-awaited conclusion of the lamp plot, in which the lamp is returned to the Atheneum... reluctantly.
When: The day after Murdock and Allison stole the lockbox from Kilroy's office. (i.e. BACKDATED LIKE WHOA)
Where: Velvet's office; the Pentamerone
Rating: PG for a shockingly emo Librarian
MURDOCK: Oh man oh man oh MAN. Murdock was on proverbial Cloud Nine at the moment, and nothing could knock him down! He'd been practically walking on air since he took the lock box from Kilroy's office, and not even his failure (despite hours of effort) to open it could dampen his spirits. Eventually he had simply decided to get on the next plane to LA and bring Perry the lamp - if he couldn't use the lamp to summon a genie, then the reverse would be just as acceptable! Their plan had been to steal away to California once the lamp was found anyways, and Perry would be pretty happy about the surprise, he was certain!
A bag had been hastily packed and he was half out of the door when he stopped abruptly, given pause by a stray thought that nagged at his conscience - he should at least let Velvet know he's leaving. She is his Librarian, after all, and she'd probably be horribly upset if he just up and disappeared. So it is that - with lockbox under one arm, since he'd be damned if he let it out of his sight - he went tromping upstairs to the Library floor and made a B-line for Velvet's door, which received a cheerful knock.
VELVET: If Murdock was on Cloud Nine, Velvet was in, roughly, some level of Hell a la Dante. She had just barely settled into her new position as the Arabic Librarian, in charge of a motley crew of Tales (that were, for the most part, her senior) when the most catastrophic mess the Atheneum had ever seen in its hundred years fell into her lap: the disappearance and scattering of the magical objects. And, of course, she would be in charge of one of the most powerful of those objects - the Genie's lamp.
Perry had been none too happy when she informed him what had happened, and although the Librarians certainly had their suspicions as to who to blame, no fingers could be pointed just yet. It was all running around, hauling flying carpets, coaxing magical trunks, pleading with recipients and trying very hard to stay alert for clues - and ignore the disdain of the Tales who thought the Librarians (or worse, Velvet herself, as was the case with this reincarnation's Morgiana) should have handled this much better. Combined with the stresses of everyday life - midterms, rent, work, skeezy men on the subway - Velvet was at her wit's end.
Murdock's knock came at a particularly inopportune moment; having just finished some entirely non-soothing tea, Velvet was trying terribly hard to not burst into weary tears. Lifting her head out of her hands, she called, doing her best to compose herself, "Come in?"
The minute she saw who it was, however - regardless of whatever ridiculous greeting was spewing from his lips - her expression changed from just barely calm professionalism to dark and cloudy and most definitely not in the mood. "No. Out. Get out," she said, pointing at the door, biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling. Murdock may not be a 30% essay, landlord, three hours of hemming or a sleazy old man on the 2 train, but he was definitely up there on her personal list of stressors.
MURDOCK: "Oh yes!" Murdock countered cheerfully, exploding through the doorway with all the theatrical aplomb that was possible with a small chest tucked under one arm. His mood seemed to make him particularly oblivious to Velvet's sourness, or at least irreverent. "You say out but you don't mean out - I know you better than that! See, you're in a poor mood but I feel fantastic, and seeing as how I've got all these happy feelings to spare, I figured that you would be a worthy recipient. So 'lo, I give unto thee my excess good mood, Lady Scheherazade, O' Librarian My Librarian!"
He's already sweeping through the room like a whirlwind, nimbly evading any sort of efforts that might be made to shoo him back out the door he slipped through. "Besides, I have important news! News that may, in fact, be marginally upsetting, but news nonetheless. Oh, but where is my head? I should be asking about your current plight, all that nasty 'missing items' business the journals have been abuzz with! I suppose the brass must have their knickers all in a knot about that one, right?" He delivers this all with a knowing, mirthful little smile, that of a child with a juicy secret. However, he also refers to the brass with a nod to the other offices next door, unintentionally classifying them in a different sort of rank than Velvet. He means, of course, the grown up Librarians, and is blissfully unaware of what effect such innocent connotations might have.
VELVET: Of course Murdock completely ignored her - really, Velvet couldn't expect anything less. All the same, once he starts in on his elaborate speech, she buries her face in her hands again - not, as she so often does in Murdock's presence, in exasperation, but in despair. Oh, how she despairs of this grandiloquent burden on her sanity! Such is her despair that she cannot even manage to look pleasantly surprised when Murdock interrupts himself to ask how she is. Instead, she just mumbles from her hands, "Yes. Yes, Murdock, our knickers are in a knot. A big, fat," there's a slight pause where anyone else would have used a word unfit for children's ears, "Knot. And," she continued, wearily, lowering her hands and looking balefully at her non-assistant, "If you cared one iota about this institution and a little less about yourself, you'd understand why. But!" A sigh, a hint of a sniffle and a rub at her cheek. "You don't. And I really don't care what your news is, Murdock, I really don't, so please, please just leave me alone. Please." Throughout her own little melodramatic speech, it would have been obvious to even the most self-absorbed twit that the Arabic Librarian was at the end of her rope, on the brink of tears, and really, seriously, shouldn't be pushed or bothered. Poor thing.
MURDOCK: Murdock, being the aforementioned 'most self-absorbed twit', was actually given pause by Velvet's wavering tone and distraught mannerisms. His strutting to and fro around the small office slows to a standstill, which placed him in front of the large desk at which she sits. His expression became notably perplexed, head cocked curiously to one side - for a long moment he seems purely baffled as to why Velvet would be reacting to the situation quite so severely. It's difficult for him to comprehend the misery of others when he was so knee-deep in joy.
"I care." He says slowly, his tone mildly hurt at the implication otherwise. "I mean, maybe not so much about the institution, yeah, but I care about you." Murdock realizes that the usual bravado in his tone has been replaced with an uncharacteristic tenderness, and he quickly adds on an awkward, "Because I'm your assistant, and all." Cough. Eyes down. In a quick shuffle to regain some face - though without reverting to his full overbearing persona - he drops into the chair across from her, crossing his arms on the desktop and offering a sympathetic smile. "I think maybe you should talk about it. Bend my ear. The doctor is in." His chicanery has a softer edge, as though unconsciously responding to Velvet's jangled nerves. The lockbox is left in his lap, momentarily forgotten.
VELVET: "You're not... I really...!" Velvet protested - first, predictably, to his claim to assistanthood, and secondly to the doctor being 'in' when she most definitely requested he be out. But it's futile, and in her distress, it seems even more futile and in spite of Murdock's gentler tones, it is so absolutely and utterly frustrating that she just... "All right," Velvet said - not quite snapped, but she really doesn't look pleased with the other Arabic Tale, and sarcasm is beginning to creep its way into her voice; her arms are crossed, lips pursed. "There are magical items, they're missing, and opportunists like you are just scrambling to get them, and it's really very difficult to try and get a hold of them before they make a fuss in the mundane world, or somebody unsavory gets a hold of something immensely powerful and then poor Mr. Holiday has to go granting wishes like the enslaved djinni he once was." Her pitch raised considerably, and again she looks on the brink of tears, or possibly even hysterics - her arms are no longer crossed, but gesticulating passionately. "All right? Could you imagine what might happen if someone awful got a hold of the lamp?! It isn't just, 'give me a million bucks and some playboy bunnies', Murdock! Perry isn't just a spirit in a bottle! It's no wonder he wanted to just keep the lamp himself, and honestly Edward probably should have because a fat lot of good we've done him... and I just... I can't... oh, nevermind," she ended in an attempt to stop choking up, settling on one last thin, bitter sting as she wiped a few stray, unbidden tears from her eyes. "Now you know. Don't let me keep you from running out there and trying to find the lamp."
MURDOCK: Murdock looks rather pleased with himself when Velvet accepts his offer, settling in to what he seems to think is a standard listening stance, elbow resting on her desk, chin balances in one open palm, and a look of exaggerated sympathy pasted across his face. Of course, it isn't long into her rant that this playful posture starts to shrivel up. He winces at the direct attacks on his person, but even moreso, feels the creeping guilt of irony. It takes almost every ounce of willpower in his being to not look down at the lockbox in his lap, though his fingers begin to drum softly on it self-consciously.
He shrinks back a little with each livid barb, almost looking as if his head could just absorb right into his neck, turtle-style. Not only are Velvet's comments hitting home, but he's slowly and begrudgingly realizing that in his entire quest to get the lamp, he hasn't even considered how it would affect others. Not Perry, not Velvet, not anyone. He even has a sharp pang about Allison. Oh god, and then she's starting to cry... It feels like an icy hand has reached into his chest and starting choking his soul. He's responsible for this. He could make it better with a simple gesture. He could help and set things right and be a hero... But... But...
Murdock's eyes finally drop to his lap, giving him the impression of looking as guilty as he feels. "Actually..." He begins meekly - so meekly that his voice cracks in the first effort and he has to repeat the word, which is dredged up from the depths of his being, kicking and screaming. "Actually, Vel... That's what I wanted to come talk to you about..." He lifts his eyes to meet hers, forcing a weak smile to his lips and trying to drum up some bravado to cover up how excruciatingly painful it was to say the following words. "I figured you might need a bit of help with the roundup, so... Uhm..."
He draws in a deep breath, exhales, and so much effort that it seems to be made of lead, he hefts the small lockbox out of his lap and onto the desk. "I found the lamp for you."
VELVET: To be sure, Velvet's glower flickered uncertainly when faced with this oddly remorseful and meek response Murdock was giving her, but nothing, really, except perhaps a bit of foresight and less involvement in her own distress, could have prepared her for that revelation.
"YOU WHAT?!" she cries - no, shrills - jaw agape, leaping to her feet, snatching up the lockbox. It is a bit hard to tell the emotion behind her shout, but it probably isn't 'falling over with gratitude'.
MURDOCK: Hoboy. Murdock hadn't really had much time to anticipate how this situation would play out - it was sort of an impulse maneuver he would kick himself for forever and ever - but there was at least some vague concept in his head involving extravagant gratitude and gratitude-inspired-making-out. This... is not the direction in which things seem to be unfolding.
"Well," he began, with a little more aplomb this time, now that he was slowly regaining his wits, not to mention put on the defensive. His tone was struggling for feigned modesty, but was rife with hints of apology. "I knew that you were having some trouble with everything, and hey, if you need a lamp found, you go with a professional lamp finder. I can do this sort of thing in my sleep. You didn't even have to ask. And besides, that's the sort of thing an assistant does, right? Helps out in a crisis." He gives the box a firm pat, then adds in consternation, "I, uhm, haven't been able to figure out how to get it out of the box yet, though."
VELVET: "I am not an idiot, Murdock Varletti!" Breaking out the full names means t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Indeed, Velvet looked shocked, and where she didn't look shocked, she looked livid, turning the lockbox over in her hands and alternately gaping at it and glaring at Murdock. "You went behind my back and...! You are absolutely...! There are no words."
Her lips pinched into a white line, Velvet slammed the box back onto the desk and stood there for a moment with her eyes closed, very clearly trying to get a grip on her anger - though, by the way she was shaking, now, it didn't seem to be going very well. Unable to calm herself down without bursting into tears from the release, her eyes snapped back open and she started in on Murdock again, effectively cutting off whatever protests he may have started in on. "How do I even know this is the lamp?! How do you know it's the lamp! How did it get in this box! Who had it?! Where's Perry?!" she demanded in an angry stream, trembling hands going to her head; confrontation really isn't one of her strong suits - the poor girl is shaking like a leaf.
MURDOCK: The tenuously hopeful look on Murdock's face quickly melted back into the wincing guilt, as Velvet's rage proved to have a very similar effect to her tears. "Yeah, but I--" He began timidly, only to curl back at the show of uncharacteristic anger. This wasn't right at all - historically, finding the lamp meant that good things were supposed to happen to him. He was mere steps from fulfilling his wildest dreams, why the hell was he giving it up?
He sat slumped in his chair, doing what he could to avoid Velvet's accusatory glare. "It's the lamp. I know. I can... I don't know, I can tell. It's a Tale thing, I guess." Yeah - maybe a few truths would placate her. "Kilroy had it, he put it in the box. He and May were using it, but I found out so I went in and stole it." He was on a role, but for the last question, he decided to fall back on the little white lie - he was being uncharacteristically altruistic already, so he might as well keep it up by disavowing Perry's involvement. "Perry didn't know about it. About what I was doing, at least."
VELVET: Between the shakes and Murdock's penitence, Velvet really couldn't keep up her anger for very long; seeing the other Tale avoid her gaze first made her angry, yes, but then she bit her lip and before she could even manage a sarcastic yeah, right thought, she was slumped in her own chair, shoulders bunched up tight, elbows on the desk, hands pressing into her face. "The Wonderlanders had it? They made wishes? Oh, god... what did they wish for, do you know?" she asked, staring worriedly at Murdock through the interstices of her fingers. A beat, and then she sighed, lowered her hands for the umpteenth time, still chewing on her bottom lip and looking just as distressed about the reappearance of the lamp as she had about its disappearance. "And you can't get it open... god, I should call Perry... or Anser... maybe Noah... no, I should handle this, it's my..." the Arabic Librarian cut herself short with another sigh, giving no further voice to her insecurities about her position. Instead, she fell silent, staring at the lockbox. Now what?
MURDOCK: Murdock breathed a discreet sigh of relief as Velvet slumped herself - sure, she was back to the first distraught state, but he was quickly realizing this was preferable to the rage. "I don't know what they wished for, but the world hasn't gone topsy-turvy, so it couldn't have been anything bad, right?" He offered a reassuring smile, gaining confidence as he went on. "You can probably ask Perry what wished he granted - and hey, when you call him you can tell him you got the lamp back. He'll be pretty amped about that, right?"
He leaned forward to jungle the padlocks on the box idly - he wasn't going to try to get in, as he'd already given it his best go. "I'm sure you can get one of the witches or something to zap this open, right? Or you could leave it in there, for some extra protection when you hide it again. And!" His enthusiasm in the pep talk began to grow, in a determined effort to a) cheer Velvet up and b) regain some of her favour. "And, you get to tell the Librarians that you got back the most powerful magical item, right? That's going to count for a lot. I mean, that's pretty impressive, right?" He beamed at her hopefully, just as eager himself to find some good to take out of this situation.
VELVET: In response to Murdock's optimistic view of Perry's reaction, Velvet only nodded distractedly, still lost in her own ruminations over the lamp. That, however, was broken when he jangles the padlocks; she refocused on Murdock, and gave him a withering look. "I didn't get it back, I just... Murdock, what were you going to tell me when you came in here?" she asked, frowning as she remembered just how cheerful he was when he came through the door.
MURDOCK: Murdock's gaze snapped up from the padlocks to meet hers at the question, a brief flash of incriminating guilt before he segued smoothly into some cover. "Oh, well, I was coming to give you the lamp, of course. I sort of figured you'd be a lot happier about it. And that it wouldn't be..." His eyes dropped heavily back down to the box between them, the corners of his lips sagging in a look of longing. "Quite so hard to, you know. Give up." He exhaled again, but made a desperate effort to dismiss the thoughts of all he'd just thrown away by clapping his hands together brusquely. "But, it's back where it belongs. Right?" Expectant eyes turned to Velvet for validation, and despite his machismo, there was a definite need for reassurance here.
VELVET: In spite of the lie - and of course Velvet knew that it was - her resolve to be authoritative melted in the face of Murdock's obvious pain over disconnecting with the lamp. Her shoulders relaxed, and her expression softened into a sad, almost nostalgic smile. "Right," she affirmed softly, anger and distress dissolving. If you were to pinpoint anything as Scheherazade's weakness, it would be this - faced with a Tale struggling against everything in his story. "I..." she started, glancing to her cellphone on the corner of her desk. But she let the idea go, and instead turned her gaze back to Murdock, half-smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry. Thank you, very much, for bringing this back, Murdock."
MURDOCK: There we go! As painful as the forfeiting of the lamp was, hearing that earnest gratitude seemed to do wonders for Murdock's disposition. "Oh, hey..." He blustered with theatrical modesty, waving a hand. "Don't mention it. I mean, what else would you expect? This is the sort of behavior you get from men who are hopelessly head over heels for you, Vel. Dogged devotion comes with some obvious perks, as you can see. And its not like I'd ask you for anything big in exchange or anything! Why, I am so lovestruck I bet you'd be able to even the scales by simply buying me a cup of coffee!" And BAM, he was back: the far more recognizable Murdock, sliding into a familiar role to escape the painful reality of what he'd just done.
VELVET: The sheepish and shy smile turned into a familiar little smirk, holding back laughter and complementing the good-natured eye-rolling that went along with it. "Maybe another time, Murdock," Velvet declined, but gently, drawing the lockbox towards her. "I need to take care of this." A glance towards her mobile (with the number of a certain genie stored within it) cast a brief shadow of dread over her face again, but she shooed it away long enough to shoo Murdock out of her office. "Thanks again, though."
MURDOCK: Murdock couldn't help but cast one last longing look at the lockbox as it was slid away, but he pulled himself out of the seat nonetheless. "It's a date, then." He managed to retort confidently, given that she hadn't in any way said no, per se. He pointed a finger sternly at her as if to emphasize the point, simultaneously backing out of the room as he did so. "And you'd better be there, cause frankly, if I had got the box open, you know that 'date with Velvet' would have been all three wishes. So I figured, hey, if she just says yes to one, then what do you need a lamp for? So, voila. Lamp." He flashed a playful grin even as he pulled the office door open, pausing just long enough to add with a wince, "Oh, and... when you talk to Perry? Don't tell him this came from me. Not involved. Just... keep me out of it." He looked suddenly nauseous at the prospect of Perry finding out he'd given up the lamp, and proceeded to slink out of the room, likely to go beat his head several times against a relatively solid surface.