Will's Itty Bitty Wonderworld

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Compiling documents is practically my favorite pastime. So, leave it to me."

Gabriella gave a humorless snort and leaned down, taking a pad and pencil and jotting down a few items that had already been taken out as she said in a quiet, dry tone, "Judging by everyone's reaction to you, my guess was compiling blackmail was your favorite pastime."

She unceremoniously dropped the pad and pencil on the table in front of him, ready to give a snarky 'thanks for your help' when someone else burst in.


"Lily whatever she's saying just let me say this is the most outrageous thing I've ever... Gold."

"Oh look, another fan of yours," Gabriella mumbled to Mr. Gold before stepping away to steer yet another potential victim out of Mr. Gold's reach.

"Hello, thanks for volunteering. Let me show you where we can use some help," she said as she'd taken hold of his arm and started dragging him away from Gold. Unaware that he'd been thinking of slipping out, she'd instead dragged him deeper in and toward the person whose name he'd called. "Friend of Lily's I take it? She's just fine, see?" Gabriella gestured toward Lily, not releasing her hold until she'd safely deposited him right in front of Lily.

After that intense exchange between herself and Mr. Gold, Gabriella put on a reassuring smile for Lily to indicate that everything was fine. "Lily, a new volunteer. I think I can leave the assessment of this one in your hands."

Gabriella gave Lily a wink as she took a few steps away to give them a bit of privacy but stayed near enough to make sure the skittish girl would be alright. She also was sure to choose a shelf of items to sort through that gave her a good view of the goings-on near the front of the store, should anyone else need a quick escape from Gold.


This volunteer work was proving to be far more exhausting than she'd anticipated.

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

***Eva enters from the Bakery***

Eva appraoched the burned out store carrying the supplies Ruby had left instead of doing the job herself, knocking on the imaginary door which no longer stood erect or in one piece.

"Um special delivery I guess? Name was Cinderella! Was told there would be payment on delivery..." Eva added as she saw her shoot and took it.

[Medieval Kevin]

He could count the number of times he had been speechless in his life on one hand. This was one of them. He could feel the tension building exponentially as the man just started at him. But it seemed more amusement than anything, as always. He loved having the upper hand. Especially when he didn't need to work for it.

"Oh look, another fan of yours... Hello, thanks for volunteering. Let me show you where we can use some help."

    He was immensely happy when the woman who had been speaking with the pawn broker swept over and took him by the arm and gave him a way out... Or deeper, rather, as she lead him into the shop. Gold didn't stop them. He'd take it if it meant breaking that eye contact. He couldn't have looked away if he wanted too, as if he had been staring down a snake, or some other dangerous... reptile.

"Friend of Lily's I take it? She's just fine, see? Lily, a new volunteer. I think I can leave the assessment of this one in your hands."

    The woman rounded a corner behind a ragged bookshelf and deposited him in front of Lily. His emotions were mixed. "Lily, fancy meeting you here! Sorry about that outburst. Not normally my style, didn't mean to startle you. Are you okay?" He half glanced and saw his rescuer moving to a new vantage point and wanted to catch her before she was out of 'whisper-shot', "Thanks for the help". Turning back to Lily he stepped out of sight of the front himself, using the bookshelf to his advantage. "What's he doing here?!"

[Storyteller]

"What's he doing here?!"

Lily finally closed her mouth, which had been hanging embarrassingly open since Errol burst into the shop. "What is he doing here? What are you doing here?!" Lily exclaimed, careful not to do it loudly enough to be overheard by the terrifying man in question. "Are you checking up on me?" The question was not accusatory, though there was a hint of hurt in her voice. Did Errol not believe she could do this on her own?

[Medieval Kevin]

"What is he doing here? What are you doing here?!" Lily exclaimed, she lowered her voice but the intensity remained. "Are you checking up on me?"

"What? Yes, and no!" He was speaking awfully fast but it was nothing compared to how quickly his brain was leaving him behind. "I mean. Yes him, and no I was not checking up on you... exactly." He tried to let it rest there but he could just see her face setting into that, I call bullsh- "I ran into Ruby and she started asking too many ques-sshes not even here is she?" Wayne said as he cut off his own train of thought. He shut his mouth and set his jaw. His face went blank. All he could do was sigh.

    He glanced her way with a sideways approach. "Look Lily, forget I said anything. I'm sorry for making a scene. Believe me, I'd leave you to it, but I can't go back out that way." Errol finished with hooking both his thumbs in Gold's direction. He took in his surroundings then, taking note of what she was working on. "Place looks good! Ish. You look like you're doing great."

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Thanks for the help"

Gabriella glanced toward Lily's guy and put two fingers to her forehead, pulling them outward in a sort of 'just doing my duty' form of 'you're welcome'.


"Um special delivery I guess? Name was Cinderella! Was told there would be payment on delivery..."

She wasn't the one who'd placed an order so Gabriella only gave a cursory glance toward the girl. But then nobody made a move to accept the order.

With a sigh, Gabriella once again abandoned her post. "Did someone order food?" she called out over the noise of the refurbishing. She was met with head shakes and shrugs. With another sigh of annoyance, she reached the girl. "Hi. What's the name on the delivery?" she asked. Maybe the person who'd placed the order had stepped out.

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

"Hi. What's the name on the delivery?"

The attractive nerdy type woman asked approaching Eva. Was she being pranked? Was Ruby getting her back for something?

"Um Ruby said it was Cin... der... ella?" Upon saying it the second time she new it wasn't right. What had Ruby said to do again,  something, something, tips, something, something Cinderella. "I don't know I'm just the delivery person lady." A blatant lie but she didn't need to know that. "If nobody here is Cinderella I will just take them back to Grannnnnd Coffee." A close slip but luckily she recovered from reveling they were from Granny's though in a town like this a random made up coffee place would probably be easily detected but sometimes you just gotta live the lie. "I mean my manager will be pissed and it'll get taken out of my pay slip but guess its just a never day of being pranked." Eva pouted before slowly turning away.

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Um Ruby said it was Cin... der... ella?"

Gabriella let out a snort. "Oh, of course. Life's a grand fairytale so she must be around here somewhere, looking for her lost shoe," she joked. Not spitefully, but companionably over some funny misunderstanding in her good natured, dry, British way. It seemed the girl wasn't in the joking mode, however.


"I don't know I'm just the delivery person lady." "If nobody here is Cinderella I will just take them back to Grannnnnd Coffee."

The last part in the way the girl had previously broken down the name finally clicked. It had taken her so long to make the connection because nobody called her Ella. She'd always been called by her full first name and preferred it that way. "Wait, Ella?" The girl steamrolled on.


"I mean my manager will be pissed and it'll get taken out of my pay slip but guess its just a never day of being pranked."

What kind of person would take money from a person's paycheck because someone who'd placed an order didn't claim the order? That was no fault of the person delivering. "Hang on, let's not get into dramatics. I think we have a simple name mix-up. Did you mean Gabriella?"

[Storyteller]

No part of Errol's explanation made any sense to Lily. And who was this Ruby? An unfamiliar pang shot through her heart. But Errol looked so earnest and Lily was already so filled with anxiety about Gold that she decided to just let the moment pass. 

"Place looks good! Ish. You look like you're doing great."

"As good as I can be, anyway. Gabriella and everyone have really been great....but then Mr. Gold came in." She sighed, shooting a look around the shelves. "I don't know what it is, Errol. Sometimes I feel like I am really making progress. But that man always makes me feel like I am taking six steps back."

[DarkSideCookie]

Mr. Gold's eyes were fixated on Errol Wayne, at first looking like he was going to pierce him with mental knives, but then his features changed into a sudden warm smile - which might be even more disturbing. Anyways, this was nor the right time or place to take care of the thief problem. So, why destroy the wonderful tense atmosphere around. Gold couldn't help it though to send one last intent look at the young man while he was dragged away by Gabriella.

Every now and then Mr. Gold was catching some scraps of conversation, or a kind of disturbing thumbs up in his direction, some to just assess as trivia and some maybe trivia but quite amusing.

"... ""Oh, of course. Life's a grand fairytale so she must be around here somewhere, looking for her lost shoe,"

Mr. Gold's lips raised to a slight smirk while he continued the desk work in silence.

[Medieval Kevin]

"I don't know what it is, Errol. Sometimes I feel like I am really making progress. But that man always makes me feel like I am taking six steps back."

That was the last thing Errol wanted. He didn't mean to come in here for aparently no reason and then set her back when she was making progress. He had to make the best of this though. He was here after all and he couldn't take that part back. "Believe me, you're not the only one." The man said as he leaned over her shoulder and their faces lined up peering out at Gold from behind the shelf. "I'd be taking a few more steps out the back, if there was one left." It seemed that escape route had been closed by the fire.

    Wayne managed to put a little of his usual jovial manner into his words. He didn't want her knowing just how bad things could be right now. What the hell was he doing here? When has he ever gotten his hands dirty for someone other than himself? What was in this for him? Was there something of value in here they didn't know about? It could easily be missed since the place was likely a total loss as far as the insurance was concerned. If there was maybe he could start poking around, if he got to it first then that would be his gain and nobody's loss other than Golds. The shops owner was already going to be taken care of. It couldn't hurt right? "So, how can I help? Must be some way I can be useful right?"

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

"Hang on, let's not get into dramatics. I think we have a simple name mix-up. Did you mean Gabriella?"

Gabriella? Cinderella? What was it that Ruby said?

"I guess it's possible."

Why oh why couldn't have Ruby wrote a name on any of this stuff, or at the very least given me a piece of paper with it on.

"I'm sorry lady I don't take the orders I just deliever 'em. But I mean you do both have the ella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh-eh thing going on, you know how baristas can be."

Eva shrugged as she felt a slight tinge of heat in her geeks at the attractive woman before her and realizing she had done the whole Rhianna thing.

[Hollywood Heidi]

Gabriella chuckled. "As long as they make me a good cup of coffee, I don't care how they spell my name," she joked, hoping to put the girl at ease. She looked a little uncomfortable. "Now, Rhianna," she teased, "what is this about payment on delivery? I didn't place any orders. No need to have done." Gabriella gestured to the table of refreshments. "As you see, the town has been donating food and drinks. Are you sure this wasn't intended as a donation?"

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

"Now, Rhianna,""what is this about payment on delivery? I didn't place any orders. No need to have done.""As you see, the town has been donating food and drinks. Are you sure this wasn't intended as a donation?"

'Well... shit.' was all that ran through Eva's head. Donations, donations, donations. Would contributing to Eva's pocket fund count as a donation from this good deedd of doing what she was told to do for a change?

"I mean, it may have been possible..." Eva knew she had to think quickly, at least until someone checked in with Ruby to discover the truth of the matter. "...But it's like they failed to let me know to prank me and create some ubridled tension between us.."

'That sounded plausible right? Yeah, plausible. Also she called me Rhianna, she totally went along with it, is that our thing? Do we flirt with each other using Pop Music? Why doesn't being a teenage girl come with a manual on these things?'

[Hollywood Heidi]

Gabriella was starting to grow suspicious. In her mind, she heard the echoing derisive snort of Elle. 'You know she's playing you?' came Elle's voice. 'I suspected,' Gabriella mentally answered in a short, snipped tone that invited her to leave the conversation. 'Suspected? Your softness makes you an idiot. She's playing you. A player can spot another player.'

Gabriella mentally shoved Elle back to the darkness. She narrowed her eyes a bit at the girl, not in a threatening way, but in a way that clearly said she'd caught on to her game and that the girl should start treading carefully.

"That sounds like a very unhealthy work environment. Perhaps I should speak to the manager and make them aware of how you're being treated." Gabriella took her phone out of her pocket and clicked on the internet icon. "I've never heard of Grand Coffee, but I'm sure I can find their number online."

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

"That sounds like a very unhealthy work environment. Perhaps I should speak to the manager and make them aware of how you're being treated.""I've never heard of Grand Coffee, but I'm sure I can find their number online."

Eep. Bluff called.

While Eva was impressed that Gaberiella wasn't as niave as she appeared she was more than slightly freaking out just how to worm her way out of it. Could she double down on the lie,

'It's super new, like only opened in the last couple of hours and is still waiting on the phoneline to be set up.'

No that was stupid there was no way she could pull that off. Was this one of those times where honesty is the best policy?  Gaberiella does seem the sort to respect honesty, it may even score a couple of points in her good books and Eva wouldn't mind being read by someone as cute as her. Not that she was interested or anything. Eva felt the sly burning in her cheeks, guess honesty was what she was going with.

"I-I-" Eva sighed "There is no Grand Coffee. They came from Granny's. I saw an opportunity and I took it." Eva began to use her foot to draw in the dust, her head tilted down looking at the scribbles her foot was making. "Sorry."

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Mmhmm," Gabriella said flatly. Whether it was part of the act or not, the innocent way she bowed her head and toed the floor almost had her feeling sorry for the girl. How did one so young stray so far down the wrong path? She should be getting in trouble for things like staying out with friends past curfew or throwing parties when her parents were out, not conning, for god's sake.

Gabriella heaved a sigh. She pulled the bills she'd stuffed into her pocket in preparation for generously tipping the charitable deliveries and shuffled through it whilst speaking. "While I don't appreciate the attempted con, I do appreciate that you came clean." She pulled a ten dollar bill free and stuffed the rest back into her pocket.

Gabriella held back the money to deliver a verbal tip. "It's not my business to ask what has led you to attempting to con people, but I've a sudden urge to offer advice and I think it's only fair you indulge me." She pinned the girl with a look that said there was no arguing. "Circumstances can rob us of our control, leading us to do or say things we'd never intended and can regretfully never take back." 'Was that a jab at me?' came Elle's sarcastic tone echoing through her head. 'Hurtful,' Elle added, though her tone was smug and proud. Gabriella paused a beat to pinch the bridge of her nose, looking as if she was fighting an oncoming migraine. Considering how loud and intrusive Elle was being, Gabriella must have lost track of time and was most likely overdue for her meds.

"When you are in control, don't abuse it," she continued, her hand falling away from her face. "No matter how rubbish your circumstances are, taking it out on others will only make you feel worse in the long run." She handed the ten dollars to the girl. "That's half what I've been giving," she pointed out as an extra measure of the cost of her dishonesty. Most others would have given nothing and most likely would have called the sheriff.

"Let's set this on the table," she said, taking the delivery from the girl's hands and walking to the table of goodies. "You're welcome to stay and volunteer if you'd like," Gabriella tossed over her shoulder. She grabbed a bottle of water for herself then headed off for the pills in her purse.

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Eva was completely lost and didn't under what she was talking about, control... She was in complete control, she made her choices, it was everyone else who tried to control her into doing what they wanted. They all keep saying do this, be there, stop that... How is it that she keeps ending up the victim of her victimless crimes.

"You're welcome to stay and volunteer if you'd like,"

"Ahhh, thanks but I should probably get back to my previous punishment... Call me if you ever need some street art done."

***Eva leaves Wonderworld***

[Hollywood Heidi]

---

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The rest of Tuesday passes uneventfully.


It is now Wednesday, October 26, 2011, early morning.


Three days after the clock started moving

---

---

[Lady Lee-o]

Another early morning for the girls but Scarlet insisted they get the job done. Still a lot of clean up, repair, and repainting to do. The Amazon's were already at it by the time anyone else joined in. Just a dozen or so sweaty biker chicks covered in dust, dirt, and paint. "We're getting there girls, drinks on me tonight."

"Ha, best declaration you had all week." Terri walked by and punched Scarlet's arm before lifting a piece of timber over her shoulder. Scarlet smirked and took a long drink of water before getting back to work herself.

[DarkSideCookie]

(temp-play by DarkSideCookie)

A little bit unsure yet determined, Mary Margaret stepped closer to the damaged building with the shop sign saying Will's Itty Bitty Wonderworld. A flash of tears welled in her eyes as she looked upon it. She had never actually talked to the shop owner herself but had heard only good about him, about his kindness and his big heart for children. Mary Margaret almost blamed herself for not have been able to make it here already yesterday, but she had a full-time schedule with her class and right after volunteering hours at the hospital. Well, and then in the evening a date which she surely could have traded for something useful to the community. She sighed before shaking her head in determination. This was not about her but about someone who needed help, and she was very willing to give it. Well, in the end, there had been something good about her messed-up dating life as well. She probably wouldn't have run into Emma to offer her a room instead of the cold inside of a car. A smile came back to her features.

"Hello?", Mary Margaret called out once she had entered through the door. "Oh hi.", she greeted a blonde-haired woman already inside before waving to the others in the background as well. "I'm here to help. I think we haven't met yet. I'm Mary Margaret.", she was adding with a lovely smile as she reached out with a hand to the woman next to her.

[Lady Lee-o]

"Hello? Oh hi." Scarlet turned to see the school teacher, they had never been introduced but she saw her around town. "I'm here to help. I think we haven't met yet. I'm Mary Margaret." Scarlet cleaned off her hand before walking over to extend her's to Mary Margaret.

"Scarlet Nicholson, nice to meet you. Yeah, we could use an extra hand. We still have some cleanup, some painting, and my girls are taking care of the repairs." Scarlet led her over to some things that still needed to be cleaned, and next to it were a few paint buckets. "Do whatever makes you feel comfortable, maybe start with the cleaning- not sure what Gabriella wants for the new colors. She should be by soon," Scarlet looked over her shoulder to see some of the girls staring. "These are my girls, Terri, Noel, Kathy, Dani, Dakota, and Helena." They waved hello before getting back to work.

[DarkSideCookie]

(temp-play by DarkSideCookie)

"Scarlet Nicholson, nice to meet you. Yeah, we could use an extra hand. We still have some cleanup, some painting, and my girls are taking care of the repairs."

And yet again, Mary Margaret felt a dash of guilt for she wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time here. It had happened that she had some free periods today, but, unfortunately, she would have to be back at school in a couple of hours, and right after hurry to her voluntary job at the hospital. Anyways, she rather was spending only two hours than not offering her help at all. Mary Margaret could only imagine the misery Mr. Robinson must be going through, having lost not only his business but also his home.

"Do whatever makes you feel comfortable, maybe start with the cleaning- not sure what Gabriella wants for the new colors. She should be by soon,"

She slightly shook her head to focus on Scarlet's words and the tasks she offered to her, as the smile came back to Mary Margaret's face. "Of course! I will do that first."

"These are my girls, Terri, Noel, Kathy, Dani, Dakota, and Helena."

Already reaching out to the painting utensils, she turned back around to greet the other girls as well. "Hi. It's nice to meet you." Quickly drawing her attention back to the cleaning, she spoke up again, almost apologizing. "I will have to be back at school in a couple of hours, but I try to be as helpful as I can until then."

[Lady Lee-o]

"Hi. It's nice to meet you. I will have to be back at school in a couple of hours, but I try to be as helpful as I can until then."

"Any little bit helps, do what you can." Scarlet smiled before getting back to work, making sure her girls stayed on task. They were making a lot of progress and soon this place would be good as new. She couldn't wait to see the look on Will's face when he saw the place. "Water break," She made sure the girls stayed hydrated, so they wouldn't slow down from the work.

[DarkSideCookie]

(temp-play by DarkSideCookie)

"Water break,"

Mara Margaret couldn't help but allow the sudden announcement of a water break to distract her once again from work. As she threw an unobtrusive look over her shoulder back at Scarlet and the other girls, she, all of a sudden, felt something like a longing for being part of such a lovely little community herself; one of the kind that they seemed to have. A community, or rather a family, where everyone was taking care of each other like they all were sharing one heart and soul. This was not a bit a feeling of envy or, perish the thought, jealousy, but rather a feeling like there once would have been a family-like community she was missing deep in her heart. Oh, she probably just had talked a little bit too much to Henry lately. In his little fantasy world, where everyone in Storybrooke was a fairytale character, she happened to be Snow White, a character who was living with seven dwarfs in a cabin in the middle of the woods. Imagine that. No wonder she was daydreaming of such a thing while her own life was admittedly rather lonely as well as far from getting called adventurous. It was a neat imagination, though.

With a slight shake of her head and a dreamily smile on her face still, Mary Margaret turned her attention back to her task of cleaning the painting utensils. This was no time for dreaming. There was a lot of work to do, and she was motivated to help with it as good as possible before she would have to leave again.

[Lady Lee-o]

When the girls each had a bottle of water, Scarlet walked over to Mary Margaret and handed her one. "Goes for you too," She had her own and sat down on a chair, "So, what is your story? You're a school teacher, I know that much." Scarlet knew of her like she said before but she didn't know much else.

"Hey mom, we finished our water can we get back to work?" Terri smirked and wiggled her empty bottle.

"You have jokes, good." Scarlet smirked and tossed her own empty one at Terri, "Throw that away for mama." Before turning back to Mary Margaret with a smile. "Sorry about her, she has a terrible sense of humor."

[DarkSideCookie]

"Goes for you too,"

Scarlet's voice had literally jolted her out of the daydreams that so suddenly had come over her. She chuckled it off shily before receiving the bottle of water. "Thank you."

"So, what is your story? You're a school teacher, I know that much."

"My story?" And yet again, she had to smile, probably because of the story of Snow White and the seven dwarves was still in her head, like given by Henry. "Well, I'm just -"

"Hey mom, we finished our water can we get back to work?"

Mary Margaret turned her head simultaneously with Scarlet.

"You have jokes, good.""Throw that away for mama." Then Scarlet turned back around to her. "Sorry about her, she has a terrible sense of humor."

"A sense of humor is something good though, isn't it?" Mary Margaret said in return as she threw a slight smile over at Terri and back at Scarlet. "Anyways, there's not a lot to tell about me, really. The teacher thing might already be the most exciting part." She had never seen herself as someone who was anything like an exciting person, but never did she feel more regretful about that than right now, for some reason. And yet again, was she shrugging her thoughts off, and instead changed the subject. "You guys seem like a really good team. How long do you know each other?" Mary Margaret asked with curiosity while continuing her work at the same time.

[Lady Lee-o]

"A sense of humor is something good though, isn't it?" Scarlet shot the girls a look as they agreed with Mary Margaret.

"Be careful what you wish for with these ones," The girls ended it and got back to work, Scarlet turning back to Mary Margaret with a smile.

"Anyways, there's not a lot to tell about me, really. The teacher thing might already be the most exciting part." Not much to do when you're from a small town like this, everyone just did their normal everyday things. Scarlet nodded her head, "You guys seem like a really good team. How long do you know each other?"

"Some of us are from a few towns over, the rest I met on active duty. We're all from around this area, so when we got back from the tour we got together. We started an all women's motorcycle chapter, traveled around for a bit but settled here. Not sure why but it's a nice place, even if we're not always welcome." Madame Mayor was not a fan of the motorcycle group, but the only problem they cause were a few noise complaints- and a bar fight or two. "We can get a little rowdy, we enjoy good music, beer, but we also like helping out where we can. Which is why we're here, Willy means a lot to the community."

[DarkSideCookie]

"Some of us are from a few towns over, the rest I met on active duty. We're all from around this area, so when we got back from the tour we got together. We started an all women's motorcycle chapter, traveled around for a bit but settled here. Not sure why but it's a nice place, even if we're not always welcome."

"Oh, tell me about it," Mary Margaret threw in quietly while she had to think of her own unwelcomeness at times. But then again, who actually wasn't in Regina's eyes, unless you were playing by her rules and only by them. Mary Margaret didn't mean to interrupt Scarlet, though, and so she let a smile, that was to show she was curious to hear more of their story, follow her little interjection.

"We can get a little rowdy, we enjoy good music, beer, but we also like helping out where we can. Which is why we're here, Willy means a lot to the community."

"That all sounds really cool. And from what I've heard, William has a big heart, especially for children," she then replied with an expression on her face that gave away how much of a believer in the good she was, although, as for the toyshop keeper, she certainly was right with this assumption. Her trusting in the good, however, went so far as to believe that even Regina, despite all her power games, must have a good core - somewhere deep under the surface, but it surely was there.

"I can't wait to see the joy on his face once he'll get released from the hospital and come back to a place he thinks destroyed." Her smile widened, almost as if her mind was getting sucked right into that certain moment in the future.

[Lady Lee-o]

"Oh, tell me about it," The Mayor didn't have a lot of friends, she had minions and Scarlet knew to be careful around them. Regina Mills could not be trusted but for some reason, everyone just ignored that fact. "That all sounds really cool. And from what I've heard, William has a big heart, especially for children, I can't wait to see the joy on his face once he'll get released from the hospital and come back to a place he thinks destroyed."

"The biggest heart and the kids do love him. I hope I'm here to see the look on his face, it will be worth it."