[FIN] Life is Like a Hurricane [Open/Private]

[Esfiel]

((She is really quite crazed. XD That post is amazing.))

Completely oblivious to the thoughts of Mrs. White, Aima was thrilled to be asked a question about the solar panel in her head. People usually stayed clear of her oddities. Conversation about other things was easy, but strange and unknown were unwelcome topics.

"Yes, it's designed like a solar panel. It uses the sun's UV rays to give nutrients to my body. My main research involves removing the blood from the body and still have it function, so I need other ways to keep myself healthy." She didn't want to ramble too much, least they get bored or get to obsessed... which she was, but they need not know that. The polite thing would be to turn the conversation on him. At least, that's what she heard somewhere. She waited a polite amount of time, for him to insert comments or questions if that's what he wished, before switching the topic with her best manners.. which will not be elaborated on.

"Though what of you? What brings you away from the Highlands and to the Capital?"

[Lucca]

"Oh? Well then, I see! That's very...interesting," Graeme replied, tilting his head as he considered the implications. He couldn't help but wonder why someone would want their blood removed from their body, but he knew enough Corvies to know that sometimes the fact that it -could- be done was enough to merit attempting it to see how. "So then, when you said you were 'half-blooded', you were referring to the fact that you only have half the blood of a normal Pine Martin going through your body? Hmm. You must get a bit tired on cloudy days then." He smiled, this was actually interesting. He wouldn't want her to ramble on about it for hours, but a brief overview of her research was a good, harmless way to pass the time while they waited. After all, it was always nice to learn new things.

"Myself? Well, business has brought me here, as is usually the case," he said, smiling and leaning back in his chair a bit in a satisfied way. "In fact, I've just met with a potential new business partner, and it's looking very promising. I may have agreed to his deal right away if I didn't make it my policy to wait at least three days before accepting any new offer. Keeps them on their toes and me sharp against any rotten eggs of the business world, you know?"

At this point the waitress would return, handing Graeme a copy of the daily paper and taking their orders. Once promising she'd return shortly with drinks and a basket of honey bread, she departed again. Graeme politely laid the paper down for later, since they were having a lovely conversation at the moment.

[Lucca]

Mrs. White seemed very curious indeed in what the Pine Martin was speaking of now. Mostly because it had to do with removing blood from someone's body, which she enjoyed doing greatly. And surviving with half the normal amount of blood...yes, how curious indeed. Her black-tipped paws twitched, pink eyes intense. "Fascinating research," she said softly, politely, though the intensity of her eyes didn't lessen at all. If you find me so disconcerting, chew on that for a little while[/color], she thought to herself.

She got a bit bored a the conversation shifted onto Mr. McDuck. Now why would they want to discuss Scrooge? He wasn't that interesting. Well, maybe when he went on his little adventures, but he rarely brought her. 'Oh, well, I need someone to watch the house', he'd say, or 'This is a place I'll need to fly to/need my Spade abilities at.' As if his useless Spade abilities or his wings could do anything her superior Heart abilities and ingenuity as a Tulgey Cat could not!

But she did show an interest when the paper was brought. Well, since McDuck was otherwise occupied...One paw reached out to pull the paper toward her, and she scanned it quickly, looking for anything of interest. Ah? Here was something...something about how many children had been found dead in the Outer Bazaar in the past month. Apparently more than usual, which was saying something. Such a high rate of crime there...pity Scrooge was too conscientious to ever set webbed foot there. Perhaps, if he did, there would be an...accident...oh, how unfortunate, and him without any living relative except for his cousins, most of whom have no contact information...what a pity...and him the only one who knows -exactly- how much gold in in that vault of his...

[Esfiel]

The longer Aima was in the presence of the Cat, the more paranoid she was getting. Even worse, It talked. Usually it was a compliment when someone found her research fascinating.. but somehow in this case it was just eerie. Especially that intensity in her eyes. She tried her best to stop the feeling from showing, but she was far from a master at controlling her emotions. Not that she couldn't do it at all, just not so well when there was such a degree of it! Mr. McDuck seemed not to have noticed her nervousness yet, but she was positive the evil spawn had and still did. Probably enjoying it, too. Bah!

There must be a way to make this move along faster. It takes time for things to digest.. maybe if she changed the experiment a bit. He wouldn't complain, would he? He probably didn't want to wait for it to happen. Such an important person had places to be.

This is what was going through her head as Mr. McDuck spoke, not that hearing about his business partner was boring.. well.. so maybe it was. A bit. She could admit that, couldn't she? That's why she locked herself away in labs with experiments or ran around the city doing tests. It wasn't his business in specific that bored her, it was the whole profession in general.

Not that he'd ever find out about that.

She leaned forward in her seat a bit, as though interested in what potential this new business partner had. "May I ask what the deal was, by chance? You make it sound so mysterious!" She paused, and appearing to realize how curious she must sound added, "Though I'd understand if you cannot. Some things need to be kept quiet."

Her mind went back to speeding this up. He had to know about the evil in the creature seated with them! Maybe.. maybe she could put something in his drink instead. She could record how long it took to take effect and then the effects to wear off. What to use, though? Well, better question, what did she have on her? There's nothing on the box that's eatable. But I.. I have sugar pills. Not that they actually did anything other than maybe cause a sugar rush if you did not often eat sweets. Though perhaps she could just tell him it did something. That did work, sometimes. Maybe if she told him it would give him more energy, he might imagine that he had more energy. Not exactly real research, but she could live with that.

Now she just needed an opening to suggest it.

[Lucca]

While Graeme considered himself to be a people person, and was quite intelligent (if he did say so himself) there were some things he could be pretty oblivious about. He could generally tell if someone was trying to pull a fast one on him (unless they were really good at what they did) but reading some of the more subtle emotions eluded him. The fact that his friendliness was tempered with caution about spending money on impulse or trusting anyone he'd just met with anything he considered of real value was what allowed him to be as successful as he was. And as friendly as he was when things were going well, he could turn cold in an instant if a deal went sour, or if someone proved themselves to be unworthy of his time. His temper was also legendary, but hopefully that was not something Aima would have the displeasure of seeing. All that to say...if he noticed any nervousness in the pine martin he attributed it to how most people acted around his maid, and not anything more than that. After all, if it was important she would mention it. He wasn't her therapist.

He chuckled slightly at her curiosity. "Ah, lassie, I'm afraid I can't tell you. There's a strict sort of confidentiality that goes along with these sorts of deals until they're sealed or denied. I can tell you that my potential partner works with aviation techniques, and that I actually have had dealings with him in the past as well." He smiled a bit fondly.

[Lucca]

The Cat was paying less mind to their conversation currently than if they had been talking in some foreign language. They might as well be, for all that she bothered to care about buisiness. Why should she understand something that was never going to help her? Sure, it was what made McDuck his fortune, but really? She couldn't care less. She was still reading the paper, paws turning the large sheets as pink eyes scanned the words. An odd light would come in them as she'd read about the tragedies of the world. This was what she thrived on...what that secret part of her that she buried and was careful to keep hidden longed to know, to see, to cause. She could remember well what killing was like. She thought longingly of it sometimes, like she had several minutes previously. Often it was about Scrooge. Wouldn't she love to see him dead, by her paw or another's! She didn't mind getting her paws dirty, after all, but sometimes just watching was enough...

With her late, unfortunate husband, for example...Her fluffy ears perked as she heard an overly-cheery voice. The waitress handed her a cup of tea, and Mrs. White smiled sweetly and thanked her, adding in just a touch of sugar before taking a long sip, eyes closing and a low purr rumbling up. They made good Tulgey Red here. Coming was worth it after all.

The waitress also set out tea before Mr. McDuck and Aima, as well as a basket of honey bread in the middle of the table, saying that their food would be just a few more minutes.

[Esfiel]

"Aviation!" she exclaimed quietly (it wouldn't do to let someone not part of their party overhear it), quite impressed. Who didn't enjoy flying? Well, maybe those people who had a fear of heights, but she wasn't one of them! Maybe she could get herself a pair of wings or.. something.. after her current research. It wouldn't do to have multiple projects going on.

Aima may have added more, but just then they got their drinks. That was just the opening she needed to suggest the change in the test. She blinked at the drinks, and stared at them a moment as though she was thinking or an idea was suddenly occurring to her. When she looked up she let herself be excited. "I've just thought of something.. waiting until you need to relieve yourself may take quite a bit, what do you say to switching it to something similar, but shorter? I know time is precious to someone as busy and important as yourself "

[Lucca]

Graeme smiled fondly, and was about to add more himself before the arrival of their drinks distracted him. "Lovely, thank you," he said to the waitress with a smile. It was especially easy to be gracious to the serving staff, he found, when he wasn't the one responsible for their pay checks. His own wings were tucked tightly but comfortably against his back, as he usually liked them to be except when he was flying. And hadn't be been very glad for the fact that he was one whose wings did not remain attached to his arms in Biped form? It was so much more convenient that way.

He put a few sugar packets into his tea, and, lifting the cup carefully, was about to take a sip when he noticed Aima staring oddly at...him? No, mat the tea. He paused, raising an eyebrow. "Something the matter, Lass? Not the kind you expected or...?" He broke off as she began talking, confusion flitting across his face before it was replaced with realization. Setting the tea cup back in its saucer, he steepled his fingers and leaned forward a bit, looking at her earnestly.

"You're right, and while I'm happy to be helping you out, I really can't afford to be here all day. So..." He leaned back again, then, still watching her curiously. "What is it that you propose as an alternative?"

[Lucca]

In her typical and rather disturbing manner, the Cat's mood did a complete 180 as she bounced back to her 'sweet, rather dotty maid' personality. Still purring, she looked up, eyes bright and seemingly innocent, smiling at McDuck. "Why that's a delightful thing of you to say, Sir, simply delightful," she simpered, one paw coming up to brush some of his gray locks from his face. "You're always so generous." She was able to say this outright lie with a straight face, somehow. After all, her employer was hardly known for his generosity...quite the opposite, really, considering his nickname.

She looked back at Aima to see what she was now suggesting, and while there were no dark thoughts running through her mind at that moment, there was something in her eyes to suggest she definitely wasn't...'all there' at the moment. The purring was a constant low noise in the background as she daintily reached out for a piece of bread. "What lovely bread they have here! I do hope you two will try some. I daresay it's even better than my own homemade bread!" A small, strangely echoey giggle followed this remark.

[Esfiel]

It was like It knew. It knew she didn't like bread, and that's why It seemed so happy about the bread here. It was mocking her, just waiting for her to take a bite, force it down, and then smile and compliment how wonderful it was while she strained not to reach for her tea to drown out the taste.

Aima pretending that her new idea made her oblivious to the bread being dropped off. Who would be surprised with her being a Corvie? Not only was it something to be proud of, but it supplied her with an excuse for almost everything!

"Well, I have these.." She didn't want to outright say 'Oh, I have these pill that I'd like you to take.' She didn't even want to imagine what he would think of that. It would be better if she showed him the bottle. He could draw his own conclusions, which she doubted would be wrong.

She took the box and started undoing it, careful not to undo anything that did not Inside it was the little bottle of sugar pills. There had not been a better place to put them, as she didn't wear clothes. She really ought to invest in a bag of some sort...

Tossing the bottle up in the air for show, it twirled before she caught it. "Perfectly safe. You were quite right about cloudy days making me rather tied. I sometimes take these to give me a burst of energy when I feel I need it." She opened up the container and poured two small white pills into her paw for him to see them. "We could but these in our drinks, and see how long it takes for them to enter your bloodstream. I'll time both how long it takes to for the effects to kick in and for the effects to wear off."