AN: This is cheesy and fluffy. It's fiction in the loosest sense of the word, based on a really crappy day my partner had last week and written to cheer her up. Don't own 'em
Gabrielle vs. Mol Wort
Gabrielle was in a foul mood. A really, really foul mood. She'd just finished the latest scroll from her scroll-of-the-season club, and it had been a very dark story. Well-written, excellent in fact, but dark. Now Gabrielle wasn't new to dark, after all her companion and best friend was a reformed warlord. Gabrielle had seen some pretty intense things in her own life too. But this scroll had done something to her. As good (really good) as it was, it had stirred up so many intense, dark, even angry feelings within her. And Gabrielle didn't like feeling this way, but she just couldn't seem to shake this internal dark cloud.
Then, on top of feeling so...discombobulated, it seemed like everything was going wrong today. The proper term would be "a comedy of errors," except that not a damn thing about it was funny. See, after traveling for several seasons with her companion and best friend Xena, they had stopped for a few days in one of their favorite towns to rest a bit. Gabrielle had run out of a very important medicinal compound that helped her focus her creativity so she could write – she was a bard, and not being able to focus on her craft made her a very cranky bard indeed. But here in this town was Greece's greatest healer ever, at least in her opinion, and she had finally gotten to see him. He had referred her to a new apothecary with a note that would allow her to get this miraculous medicinal compound. When she got to the apothecary, owned by Mr. Mol Wort, the not-so-funny comedy of errors began. It seems that Mr. Wort was a retired healer who had begun buying local apothecaries and making them all sell the same things and in the same way. And wouldn't you know it, they wouldn't sell this compound. Well, they would but not at the suggested dose. Apparently the retired healer didn't think it was safe to take more than a certain amount, so he forbid his stores from selling to customers taking more than he thought was safe. Gabrielle tried to argue with Mr. Wort to no avail. He said they were looking out for her health. She said that's what her healer was for, thankyouverymuch, and she would find another apothecary.
Gabrielle was in a really foul mood. Not only could she not get her compound right away, but when she found an apothecary willing to make it for her he told her it would cost twice as much as it had cost the last time. She wasn't made of dinars! If she didn't get her medicinal compound, she wouldn't be able to focus her creativity. If she couldn't focus, she couldn't write or perform her stories. No writing or performing meant...no dinars! No dinars...no compound. How's a girl supposed to cope? Maybe she could calm herself down enough, and work out a deal at the inn/tavern where she and Xena were staying, and tell some tales tonight. What she needed now was dinner and a nap, not necessarily in that order. Xena had told her she'd talk to the innkeeper about fixing the fan in their room – it had been dreadfully hot the night before. By now, it should be nice and cool, perfect nap temperature.
Foul was now officially a severe understatement. The note Xena left in their ridiculously, outrageously hot room, said the innkeeper had to have a new fan built. It might be ready some time tomorrow. Gabrielle thought they'd be better off sleeping outside – at least there would be wind to circulate the air, not like in this room where they couldn't even open a door. Yeah, it was nice to have a real bed for a few nights, but not if it was gonna be so hot they couldn't sleep. So, she started packing their things. As she packed, she thought. It really rubbed her the wrong way that this Mol Wort guy thought he could tell people what they could and couldn't take. The apothecaries job was to make the compounds, not diagnose and determine what someone should be taking. That's what healers are for. True, he was a retired healer, but he was making a decision for people he'd never even met. She'd known her healer since even before she started traveling with Xena, and she trusted him completely. He always remembered her, always asked about her family and her travels. And he gave the greatest hugs (except for Xena, but not many people knew what a great hugger she was). So who does this guy think he is to try to override her healer's instructions? She didn't know him from Zeus!
Gabrielle's mood was rapidly shifting from foul to one of indignation. How many other people were affected by this? Were there other people who couldn't get the compounds they needed because of this? They were cheaper than the apothecary she'd finally found that would fill it, so how many people couldn't afford to go to the more expensive store and get their compounds? This did not sit well with Gabrielle. So, she decided to do what she does best – talk. Gabrielle started with the inn/tavern they were staying at, packing momentarily forgotten. She went to the tavern downstairs and began chatting with the barkeep, where she discovered that she was not the only one with this problem. In fact, the owner was having trouble with one of his vendors – the guy who built and serviced the fans. The owner was taking it easy on the guy because he knew that he couldn't get his compound, but he was having to seriously consider finding a new vendor. A few of the customers overheard their conversation, especially when Mol Wort's name was mentioned, and registered their own displeasure with the service there. Yes, it seemed that this was a bigger problem than Gabrielle had originally realized. But how could she help solve it? Being Xena's protégé, and just being generally pissed off about the whole thing, she briefly entertained thoughts of going all Xena on his ass and beating him into submission. But, that really isn't her strength (even if it is fun to occasionally fantasize about). So, once again, she settled on talking. Gabrielle hatched a plan, and carefully explained it to all those gathered around her, who promptly scattered to enact the plan.
Some hours later, each of the citizens who had met with Gabrielle had gathered their friends and family and taken up stations at Mr. Wort's various stores in town. They made sure to tell all of the customers about their bad experiences, and demanded that Mr. Wort change his rules. Unfortunately for them, Mr. Wort didn't care. He had stores in other towns and even some small villages. He had stores that sold all kinds of goods. He could wait this little nuisance out. But, much to Gabrielle's delight, the owner of the apothecary who had agreed to provide the medicinal compound she needed noticed all of the activity. Being a shrewd business man who also had a heart of gold, he realized that he could offer a solution that would help everyone. With so many customers unhappy with Mol Wort, he could afford to lower his own prices and still turn plenty of profit from the increase in business. He talked to Gabrielle, who quickly spread the word, and soon his shop had a steady stream of customers.
Xena had been watching from the background, proud of how her bard tackled and solved this problem. Agreeing with Gabrielle that it was cooler outside, she finished the packing and met Gabrielle in the tavern. They shared one last hot meal before setting out to find a camping spot. That night they celebrated, and their celebration was...well, their celebration would require an M rating so let's just say both Xena and Gabrielle were very, very happy.
AN2: The dark story referred to is The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which really did mess with my partner's mood for several days. I've never read or seen it, but it seems somehow appropriate because every time I see the title, I think of Gabrielle's dragon tattoo.