Strangely Normal [Vyn]

[Lucca]

"Hmm," Eldy hummed neutrally. Her ear went back at the thought of her mother...homesickness clawing at her suddenly and threatening to make her sad. She didn't mind if Hatter knew she was a spy...she even had some real experience with the matter, now, and thinking of that gave her a bit of pride. Obviously, she was better at that than any sort of diplomatic speaking. But she knew that. Eldy knew her limits. One of them, obviously, was stretching her sense of belief in weird things she'd never seen before. Part of it was, probably, due to fear of the unknown, though the Feline would never admit to herself she was afraid of anything at all. She had to be strong, and she'd had to toughen herself to survive the life she'd lived so far. Part of this little adventure would be learning just how much of her current personality was false, a shell she'd surrounded herself with to survive...and the gradual cracking of it.

But for now...for now she was speaking of Jokers. Heh. She frowned, studying Hatter's face. Was there a subtle shift in his demeanor or was she just seeing things? She shrugged, though her tone was a bit less flippant when she spoke again. "There are a lot of strange things in the old Court records. Doesn't mean they're all true." She paused, staring into her tea thoughtfully, and voiced some of the thoughts she'd had earlier. "It just seems...really paranoid, to me. Implausible. That there would be a Card who could go around and take the form of anyone. Your mother, your brother, your lover, your best friend, the Queen of Hearts...and then to think that they could be anywhere, anyone...it just seems...I mean, you can't go around worrying about that all the time. You'd start seeing Jokers everywhere, you know?" She looked up at him, but there was something a little different in her eyes. Something Eldy herself wasn't aware of. It was possible, entirely possible, that she refused to allow herself to believe in such things because the thought scared HER.

[Vyn]

Hatter's expression softened considerably as he listened to Eldy speak. He may have been a little touched but that didn't mean he was mean-spirited. Her words made sense and, even if she didn't admit it, he could almost sense the fear in them. These were the reasons why he was forced to hide himself, these were the reasons why he'd never knowingly encountered another Joker. They were forever anonymous -- everyone and no one at the same time. It was a terribly lonely existence sometimes, but that was for later brooding.

For now, however, he had company and he would wear a cheerful face for her.

"You make a fantastic point, Eldy." He grinned and sipped his tea thoughtfully. "You've got a wonderfully analytical eye, you should really treasure it -- especially if you intend to make a career out of your spy work. Just don't let it blind you to the fantastical things that are around you." He reached out, ruffling the fur on her head. "You're bound to see a lot more if you're not always doubting it and that is also good for spy work."

He paused to sip his tea, just in time for one of the grandfather clocks somewhere in the vast house to loudly announce the impossibly late hour. Had they been talking for that long? He knocked back the last of his tea and smiled at Eldy. "I think it's about time to get some sleep. You were exhausted when you arrived and here I am keeping you up with my stories. Come, I'll show you your room."

[Lucca]

If Eldy HAD, by some chance, guessed at or was told Hatter's secret at some point...he had nothing to fear from her. She wasn't the type to tell other people's secrets. Even Apocalypse, who she hated and feared, she'd kept her word to and not told Hatter about what he really was. Of course, Eldy was still completely blinded by her own fear and skepticism, so she didn't even start to guess at Hatter's secret.

She smiled at his compliments. That was...nice. She wasn't used to hearing such things. But...she nodded, a bit reluctantly. "You're right," she said, letting him ruffle her fur. It made her feel a little warm. It also made her miss her mom even more. "I guess...I guess I'm just so used to seeing the same sort of things, you know?" She shrugged, sipping more at her tea, the combination of homesickness and thoughtfulness cutting down on her need for chatter.

Of course, the momentary silence was broken by the loud chiming of the clock, and Eldy's ear flicked. She sat up, about to protest she didn't really feel tired anymore...but that simple action made her aware of all her aches and pains and the odd heaviness to her eyes. Odd how she hadn't noticed it at all while exploring his house. She nodded sleepily. "Thank you..." Slipping off the chair with most of her usual grace, the Feline would follow her host upstairs and curl up on the bed for a much-needed rest.

The next day, Eldy was pleased to see that Hatter had even called in a carriage, which she appreciated. The exercise was good for her, but the callouses on her paws were still forming and there was only so much walking that would be reasonable. On impulse, she gave him a quick hug, as best she could with only an Animal form. "Bye," she muttered, a bit awkwardly. "Thanks again. For, you know, letting me stay over."