Harvey's Hardware, for all your pipe bomb needs [OPEN]

[eyeforaneye]

Harvey's Hardware seems like a perfectly innocuous establishment in the southwest corner of Ealing. Old, not terribly well taken care of, but stocked to the brim with a huge assortment of tools and supplies of varying quality (and age). When was the last time anyone came to inspect this place?

Regardless, upon stepping inside you'll find no one named Harvey on the property at all. Instead there's a surly young man behind the counter, someone who looks both tired and wholly too alert at the same time, armed with a thermos of coffee, a stack of manuals on fixing god knows what, and a book of Gaelic poetry.

[A]

Maybe you're just perusing the shelves, minding your own business, when you hear a voice from the till: "Loitering's prohibited. There's a sign outside that says so. If you need something specific, ask." Rude tactic but you'd be amazed at how much product Sasuke can move out of this place by being pushy.

[B]

Maybe instead you were lured in by the sign in the window that advertises a 'buy one get one free' deal on all items of equivalent value in the store. Maybe you even went so far as to ask about the promotion. The answer?

"That sign is from 2009. The guy that worked here before me glued it on instead of affixing it normally. The boss found out last year when he tried to remove it, and that's why he isn't here anymore." All that to say... "That deal's invalid. No discounts."

[C]

Or maybe you're just here to ask for recommendations or buy some hardware. Up to you! Feel free to message me if you have something specific in mind that you want set up.

Comments

[whatmatters]

Ringer eyes the box with vague wariness, wondering what might have been inside it to justify the labeling and his wish to be parted with it. Her mind wanders to internal organs of some kind, or a furry thing, before she dismisses the thoughts. It's not some medieval witch's lair. Hopefully it was simply something delicate which he'd rather not think about. "Thanks."

She begins grabbing her things to move from the box to the counter without really thinking about it. Aside from the brief digression, she's thinking on his words and whether she's truly depriving herself of allies. The answer is yes and she knows it, but she's fairly confident that the acquaintances she's depriving herself of are not the sort she really wants to know anyway.

"You're part of the Clan." Which, although not a particularly cohesive group, may state his allegiances or prevent him from gaining certain allies in its own right. Without judgment, she adds, "Are you more concerned with your own death or the demise of a certain group?"

[eyeforaneye]

'A certain group'. There's a particularly ominous air attached to the phrase and he wonders if it's a reference he should be getting, one related to possible rumors about him or just a general call to the hatred many Clan members feel towards vampires, hunters, or even fae. Sasuke settles on the latter.

"The life of myself and the lives of those close to me, those are what matters. If I learn of something that's threatening one of those or did in the past? Then that life will matter to me too. Specifically extinguishing it.

It's as simple as that."

[whatmatters]

Ringer shows no particular change in expression or manner as she thinks on his words. Her 'certain group' is humanity and in preventing their demise. In that sense, anyone who kills them becomes the certain group whose demise she seeks. They're alike in that, though the party whom Sasuke's concern extends towards is considerably smaller. She won't fault him for that. At least he's willing to protect his people.

She finished moving her items to the box and looked up at him before finally replying, sounding none too bothered by his answer. "I'll remember that."

With their transaction mostly completed, Ringer reached into her pocket and fished out her wallet. She glanced at how much she had in notes. "Do you take cards?"

[eyeforaneye]

"Aa, we take most cards but the machine is broken so I'll need to enter in the information manually. I'll print a receipt so you know I'm not cheating you." Not that he would. His honesty really is his best trait if he's to have one at all.

"Whatever hunt you need all of these items for, you should be cautious. Things have been tense lately."

[whatmatters]

"Oh. I'll pay cash." Although paying with card meant the chance of being known regardless, the idea of manual entry was a little too much attention paid to her real name and other such details. Particularly if he needed her address. Instead, Ringer slid a couple large notes out and set them on the counter for him. Carrying around 50 and 100 pound notes always made her feel pretentious in a way she wanted to distance from.

"Tense?" This was something she could use. Information. Ringer had been trained up physically from an incredibly skilled hunter. She had a natural talent for shooting and had been playing chess and other such strategy games from a young age. She had the skills and was gaining the resources over time. It was information that the girl still needed most.

[eyeforaneye]

"Aa. A few recent disappearances, more whispers regarding changes within Islington. I couldn't say if the two are related or not, or if the movement of vampires means the introduction of a new group or simply a resurgence of an older one, but it's best to keep those in mind whenever you go out.

Could mean that they're scattered. That's the best case scenario." He makes no comment on the bills save for holding them up and checking for watermarks, ensuring they're legitimate before he's willing to continue processing the order.

[whatmatters]

"Good to know. What's the worst case scenario?" Ringer could imagine all kinds of worst cases for the nest of vampires. Unfortunately, it was difficult to know what was practical or realistic where those things were concerned. Besides, if the vampires could help decrease the number of fae in the area, that would be a benefit of their expansion that she was willing to overlook. Even though they were natural predators to humanity. It was a complicated relationship.

The notes were valid. She made no comment at his checking their authenticity. It was all business.

[eyeforaneye]

"Worst case..." He doesn't sound particularly affected by his words, divorced from emotion in a way that's more forced than naturally clinical as he notes his satisfaction with the money and digs out change for her.

"They've called for reinforcements to both entrench their hold on their territory and perhaps also to expand their reach in response to the recent claim. It'll have them on guard and nearly impossible to attack."

[whatmatters]

"What about the Night Council?" It was both related and not. Ringer knew the Council liked to control what they could. If Islington was trying to make a move, they likely had the Council's support or blessing, which could mean even more trouble. Although she felt no more fondness for werewolves than any other creature, she worried that they might be driven out completely. The enemy of her enemy and all. The werewolves were the closest thing she had to a natural ally at present.

Ringer accepted her change and pocketed the money. She slid the box to the counter's edge, waiting to conclude their conversation before she left entirely.

[eyeforaneye]

"I couldn't say, though if I had more information I wouldn't mind giving it to you. As it is I don't have any particular in with the vampires and most of what I have instead are speculations."

A pause. "That and more weapons to defend yourself. I'll begin delivering them to Hillingdon House upon request so let me know if your arsenal ever needs bolstering." Gotta' get that lackluster business plug in somewhere.

[whatmatters]

"Thanks." The information was better than nothing, even if not quite what she'd hoped. Ringer gave a nod of acknowledgement, her version of a smile of gratitude, and collected the box into her arms. The ability to have supplies delivered might be helpful too. If nothing else, she had made an acquaintance and possible future ally. "I'll let you know when I need more."

With that, she turned to go, having what she'd come for and more.