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Post by Vyn on Dec 13, 2007 14:53:28 GMT -5
With his legs folded around his stool, Hatter arched over a table with a variety of tools and metal scraps surrounding him. To most, it would've been a dreadful mess that was the Mad Hatter's workbench. Among the mess of scraps and cogs and screws was a selection of tools just as odd and hard to understand as the rest of the items found upon the slab of scratched and dented steel - undeniably his own inventions. He was truly a mad genius and, as such, lacked even the most basic concepts of organization. The closest thing one could find in the way of organized belongings was quite possibly his tea cabinets... but really, even then it was hard to decipher the order he had invented for himself. His Dormouse was running around beneath the table, its whirring gears audible to the unusually distracted scientist. Typically Hatter was the epitome of focus when he had a creation in mind, but that was not so today. No, he had an ear out for something else today and it simply wouldn't leave him be with his work. A certain lady was on his mind, plaguing him in the most delightful ways. If only he hadn't just returned from 'business' he would've thought to set out and see her again. Yet, alas, he had business to take care of still. So many thing seemed to get ahead of him while he was away... Abruptly his thoughts were split once more, something that should've been quite impossible considering his current level of distraction, but this was something he simply couldn't ignore: Dormouse was growling lowly, aware of something Hatter himself had missed. "Hmm? Wot's the matter with ya now?" And then it came to him, a low tap-tapping on the door that signified the arrival of company. "Nn, that would do it, wouldn't it?"Prying himself away from his work that was going no where fast, Hatter lifted up and made his way to the door in pursuit of his knocker.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Dec 13, 2007 16:43:29 GMT -5
Loreta had no choice of her assignments. She was simply given a message and told to go somewhere. Today's lovely assignment was a bit more than she expected. She had only been to Corvistowne a few times before, and had heard some pretty amazing rumors. This assignment had everyone back at the job working. Plenty of people were jealous and thought Loreta was in someone's favor. Loreta was just horribly confused by the whole ordeal. She was the fastest messenger, and could careless about favor. She just wanted money for her work. However, she was told to be cheerful and happy. She could do that, of course, but it would take a little effort. She had a pretty bad hangover today. Not enough for it to show, thankfully, otherwise her boss wouldn't have given her this job. Upon her arrival she knocked softly on the door with her beak. A good minute passed before she had to knock again. She took a hop back when she heard the door click open. "Good Morning! I have a delivery here for The... Hatter?" Loreta said with a quick glance at her messenger's bag. The Hatter? This was why everyone at the agency was so uptight about her making the delivery. She was bound to screw it up. After all, she was only good for speed. Loreta suddenly felt her migraine start up at the thought of screwing up. Thanks Boss. Thanks.
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Post by Vyn on Dec 18, 2007 12:17:19 GMT -5
With a bursting grin, Hatter swept his hat from his head and bowed slightly. A dramatic greeting from a very unusual man. Just getting a glimpse of him was odd enough, but his mannerisms always seemed to take the cake. He wore a firm grin upon his features that showed no signs of wavering and quickly spoke up.
"That would be me, but please: Hatter will work just fine."
Pausing for a moment, Hatter studied the strange avian with a look of curiousity and interest. He was, of course, rather found of his fellow avians and especially so the quirky ones such as the Torque in front of him.
"My that's a nasty loss, your leg. Did you pick a fight?" Oh yes... That was a bit rude, wasn't it? She was always telling him not to make such personal remarks. Ah well, too late now! "Hum, what delivery was it that you had for me?"
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Post by Kari Muffin on Dec 18, 2007 12:34:21 GMT -5
Loreta stared blankly for a moment. She hadn't exactly expected him to be so bright and cheerful and... weird. She certainly never expected a greeting like that. Now as for the leg comment she could hardly be offended. Usually people just stared at it until she said something. Lore would have rolled her eyes if she cared enough.
"If I lost it in a fight I would have an interesting story to tell! Unfortunately I lost it because my father was an idiot when he bound my leg. Big enough an idiot that it rotted off when I was a little girl."She shrugged. Well he wanted to know why not tell him? "But anyway your message and package..."
The heron dug around in her bag for a few moments. Where was the package? After a good and frustrating minute and a half she found the small package and letter attached to it. "'Ere ve go!" she said with the package in her mouth. This was when hands would be useful. He still had to sign for it too, and her stupid clip board was on the bottom of her bag.
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Post by Vyn on Dec 18, 2007 12:52:20 GMT -5
Hatter listened attentively to the messenger, an eyebrow cocked with interest. Ah, a poorly bound Torquehelmer? Now that wasn't something he'd heard about often, now was it? Surprisingly, he found himself smiling even wide. If that was at all possible.
"Ah, truly a pity but not a boring story either. You've still got a tale to tell of it, after all. Just, not exactly a very dramatic one." He mused on this for a second. "Unless you were to take your father's leg in vengeance. That would make for quite the unique story, I must say!"
Once more he was forced to pause for his delivery. Removing the package and letter from her beak, his attention was momentarily consumed by the item. Now what had he gotten here? He couldn't remember if he'd ordered any parts or the like, so what had he received then?
Curiousity nearly drug him away from the door without a second thought of the heron. That is, until he started to turn and caught sight of her once more from the corner of his eye.
"Oh, yes... My manners. So sorry: thank you for the delivery, is there anything else?"
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Post by Kari Muffin on Dec 18, 2007 13:08:05 GMT -5
"I took his eye actually." She shrugged that off. "Well, first off I need you to sign for that." She dug around in her messengers' bag for her clipboard. Once it was produced and properly signed she slipped it back in her bag, pen and all.
Well, since she was here she might as well ask. All he could do was politely kick her off his doorstep. Worse had happened, so she couldn't really complain. "Well, even if I'm the fastest messenger because I have less weight to carry and all, I was wondering um.. what would be an average price for a mechanical leg that was still light weight enough that it wouldn't hinder my deliveries?"
If she had tail feathers they would have twitched an anticipation. What exactly would this chipper man say to that? He was a mechanical Corvistowne after all, so he had to know at least a general price. Though... is work would probably be the most pricey. Damn. Look at that goal fly out the window again.
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Post by Vyn on Dec 18, 2007 13:58:11 GMT -5
Were his hands not full with the package he would've applauded her decision. Had his father caused him to lose a leg in his childhood, Hatter would've taken the bastard's eye as well. Or his leg, as he had suggested earlier. Of course, the loss would've been far more detrimental for him, considering he had been born a human.
"I suppose I should return that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, but honestly, an eye for a leg seems a good exchange." His words were a strangely morbid look into Hatter's personality that few would have ever seen. "Your plight, however, will be easier to fix than his own. Glass or mechanical eyes never work quite as well. Mechanical legs, though? Not nearly as hard to get one that functions properly."
Her further questioning caught him in the middle of a near rant about the mechanics he adored so. Slowly he smiled and withdrew a bit, pulling the door open more widely.
"Come in, come in. We'll discuss it. You don't have work to pursue after this do you? I wouldn't want to make you late for further deliveries, but mechanics are my specialty -- especially in your case."
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Post by Kari Muffin on Dec 18, 2007 14:19:49 GMT -5
Hell yes! Score! Loreta grinned for once. It was an actual sincere and happy grin. Not many people approved of her violent reaction to her father. They usually gave her some sappy lecture on being forgiving. She much preferred scarring people who crossed.
And then letting her inside the house? Well that was just absolutely fantastic! It had been a while since she was invited into any place. "Oh, my boss was actually nice to me and just gave me deliveries for Corvistowne. I'm free for the rest of the day since he never expects me to properly clock hours. Never thought it would be great to have someone with no faith in me."
Her boss would let her get away with murder and still work at the delivery and messengering service. If she wasn't the fastest it probably would be different, but no use in thinking about that now, was there?
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Post by Vyn on Dec 20, 2007 10:57:08 GMT -5
Hatter laughed aloud as the Heron stepped inside, closing the door in her wake before moving to place the package and attached letter down on the table. He would deal with it in a moment, once he'd taken care of entertaining his guest and answering the lot of her questions.
"Sometimes its best to have people underestimate you. It opens up opportunities such as these and, for today, it gives us the wonderful chance to talk at leisure. I hate to rush through things."
As he spoke, Hatter shifted about and brought things to a mild sense of order before showing the Heron to a chair that would accommodate her body structure and her lack of a leg.
"Would you like some tea..." He trailed off for a moment, questing for a name he didn't have before flashing the Torquehelmer a bashful but handsome smile. "I fear you appear to know my name, but I do not know yours. What should I call you by, hm?"
He cocked his head lightly to the side, that curious smile still firmly in place.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Dec 20, 2007 13:09:10 GMT -5
She blushed to some degree under her feathers, thank heavens they were black. It had been a long while since anyone was polite or charming in her general direction. And frankly? Offering her a comfortable chair was one of the greatest things anyone could have done.
"Most people call me Lore, but if you want you can call me Loreta." Loreta grinned. He had offered her tea then? She wasn't one for tea, she'd rather have some shots or something, but she had to be a hospitable guest. She didn't want to be kicked to the curb when she was so close to actually finding a realistic goal. "Tea would be lovely, Thank you so very much."
And maybe tea would help with her still obvious migraine. It wasn't going away like she had hoped. She could ignore it like she usually did, but when would it decide to stab her in the back then? How long would she be able to keep her composure? Stupid freaking vice.
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