Author's Note: I think someone asked who Travis was…he was the guy at the ball that says something to Charlotte about "you said later!" and she responds "Travis, when a woman says 'later', she really means 'not ever'.", and then tells him that there are other fillies waiting for him to waltz them into a stupor.
"Charlotte?"
The young woman paused and made a face when she recognized the voice. She regained her composure before she turned around to greet him. "Hello, Travis."
"I know what you're thinking," He anticipated, "But you're wrong. I'm not here to ask you to go dancin' or…or nothin! But I do want a favor from you. If you wouldn't mind?" he rubbed at the inside of his hand where the mark was. It was beginning to itch.
"Well, I suppose I could. But it's gonna depend on the favor. What is it you're needin' from me?"
"I heard Tiana's Palace has some open positions for staff…I could really do with a job, Charlotte. If you could just put in a good word for me?"
"Tiana knows you, Travis, I'm sure if you just went in there and asked yourself –"
He shook his head. "We know each other, but we weren't ever close. Not the way you are with her. She might hire me if I go in on my own, but if you suggest me…there's no way she'd refuse. Please?"
"Oh, all right. Don't let it be said I've never done anything for you."
His right hand started to inch towards hers, as though for a handshake. She extended her own hand as well, but a moment later, Travis's left hand gripped his right and pulled it away from hers. He muttered an apology.
"Yes, well," she brushed off the situation, pretending that she'd not found it the least bit strange, "I'll be sure to let Tiana know you're interested. Good day, Travis."
She walked off in the direction of Tiana and Naveen's. Travis sighed and slouched against a nearby wall, staring warily at the insignia on his hand. "What was that about?" he wondered aloud.
"Well, where have you been?" A cursory glance would have made it seem that Doctor Facilier was talking to himself. He was seemingly alone in the graveyard, but nevertheless, he was talking to someone. His own shadow.
Belial had not granted him much more power than he'd had on Earth, but his shadow's new ability to travel miles away rather than a few feet was already proving useful.
The shadow smirked, and pointed to where its eyes would have been, if it had a face.
"Ah. Keeping a watch on the boy. I see…and how's the plan going so far?" The shadow nodded. "Going that well, eh? Seems I found a good little helper this time…" His shadow shrugged, and pointed to his hand.
Facilier's eyebrows went up. "He doesn't know what that does just yet, does he? …No, of course he doesn't. I'll have to pay him a little visit and make sure he does exactly as required of him. His soul alone isn't going to be enough for Belial, especially if I'm to convince him to let my soul go free completely…"
"-So I really need this job, Tiana. Besides, it might be a good way to impress Charlotte," Travis was practically begging.
Tiana considered, her face looking troubled. It was Naveen who spoke first. "Well, you will be on the probation period first, but I think we have a spot for you. After all, we both owe Miss Charlotte so very much, and she did put a word in for you…"
"Naveen, I don't –" Tiana started to say, but Naveen firmly shook his head.
"Just give him a try, Tiana," He whispered into her ear.
"Oh, all right. You've got the job, Travis. You start in two days. Is that all right?"
Travis nodded vigorously. His right hand once more attempted to extend on its own, but he managed to force it back. Instead, he extended his left hand and shook. Tiana saw the struggle, but thought it might have just been a tic, and Naveen ignored it all together. He and Tiana shook hands, and both she and Naveen walked him out.
"Wow. That boy gave me the heebie-jeebies," Louis commented with a shudder. He'd been practicing before the interview, but had come into the waiting room during so that he could listen in.
"Who, Travis? He's not all bad," Tiana insisted. "A little hung up on Lotte, but he's hardly the first. And he's going to be working here, so you better get used to him pretty fast, Louis."
Again, Louis shuddered. "You sure ain't nothin' wrong with him? Seemed touched to me. Like he's spooked himself."
"Spooked of what?" Tiana asked.
"I dunno," Louis admitted. "Just…spooked."
"You are both seeing things," Naveen dismissed. "He is just a love sick young man who wants to impress his love. I see nothing wrong with this."
"I think you've become marriage-obsessed," Tiana shook her head. "You think everyone should be married."
"Well, look how happy it has made both of us!" Naveen said, wrapping his arms around her waist and patting her stomach.
"And to think, he used to run away screamin' from the thought of marriage," Tiana said jokingly to Louis. "You can pretend to be upset by what I said later. We still got other interviews to do and mama wants us to come over tonight."
"All right," Naveen agreed. "I will make you pay for it later."
"What did you do to me?" Travis demanded.
Facilier's expression was a mixture of faked innocence and boredom. "My dear friend, I've done nothing to you."
"My hand…It moved on its own! Twice. One time after the interview, towards Tiana, and before that, towards Charlotte…would it have hurt her if it touched her?" Facilier was silent. "Answer me!"
"Not …exactly," a new thought occurred to the con man. "You tellin' me you had the chance to shake Tiana's hand and you didn't take it?!"
"What? No, I did, I just shook with my left hand instead of my right."
Facilier bit down hard on his bottom lip, his grip tightening on his cane as he resisted the urge to club the boy with it. "If an opportunity like that comes again, you take it, do you understand me? Any time someone wants to shake hands with you, you do it!"
"But…will it hurt them?"
Facilier's voice was oily as he lied. It came so naturally to him that he didn't have to pause to think, the story falling out so easily it appeared to be truth. "Of course not. Now, mind you, it will have an effect. All that it'll do is make it so that those you shake hands with will have to work with us. They'll have to listen to us. And we need that in place for the last part of the plan."
"All right," Travis agreed. He was quiet a bit longer, and then he couldn't bare it anymore. "Could I use it to make Charlotte love me?"
"No," Facilier was caught off guard, and blurted out the truth before he had time to think of how a lie would better serve him in this case. "I mean…well, you could make her completely devoted to you. But it wouldn't be true love. But who needs that anyways, am I right?"
"Oh," Travis said softly, kicking at the dirt. That plan was certainly out, then. "You swear it won't actually hurt anyone?"
"There might be some mild, momentary discomfort, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Come on, now, Travis. I'm trying to help you here, and you're making it difficult. I'll only be in a place to help you once I'm at the top, once I'm in the station I so richly deserve. And most of your job is just handshakes. I don't think I'm asking too much here..."
"And then? What do I get once I help you? How will it be enough to get Charlotte?"
"Because, my boy…" Facilier chuckled. "I'm going to make you a prince."
Author's Note: I'm very sorry it's so short, but I am incredibly exhausted, but I wanted to get at least one chapter out today. I hope it was sufficient and to everyone's liking. Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and watches.