Xander scowled as he watched Buffy gushing over the noblewoman's dress. His gaze swept across Ethan's and fell on something that caught his eye.
He brushed a hand across the front of the costume wistfully, knowing it was more than he could afford.
"Interested in that, are you?"
Xander jumped and spun to see the shopkeeper holding his hands up placatingly.
"Yeah," Xander shrugged, "but I've only got two dollars."
"Then you're in luck," Ethan grinned. "I got this particular costume almost free in a clearance sale. Just tell everyone else where you got it. After all, a business like this lives on word of mouth. Deal?"
Xander looked at the costume.
*All right, Buff,* Xander thought. *You wanna get medieval, we'll get medieval.*
"Deal."
"Xander!"
Willow stopped when she saw the rather large, glowing, and very real sword pointed at her throat.
"I do know of whom you speak," Xander said, "but I am not he."
She gulped.
"Uh, who are you then?"
"I am Ashram, of Marmo."
Author: *hobbles along, with a few plot bunnies nibbling at each ankle while Mini-Skuld is bopping them ineffectively with her mallet* "Hi, readers. As I said above, this is a pretty old plot bunny that reared up again. Figured I'd get it out of the way so it would stop nagging at me."