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

[Lucca]

For the third time that day, Mrs. White's expression registered surprise...with a tint of sadness that she couldn't do anything to serve this poor creature! Inwardly, of course, she was glad to not have to go out of her way to prepare tea or any of the other mundane little tasks she hated. "Very well, dear. Let me know if you change your mind," she said amiably, with a smile. She nodded to her next statement about her master. "He shouldn't be too busy." And if he is, tough cookies. "I'll return shortly." The Cat gave Aima one last smile, and then her fluffy tail disappeared out the door.

A few minutes later, Graeme started up with the attention of someone who hadn't really been focusing on his work at all when he heard the door to his office open. His beak split into a cautious, hopeful smile at the sight of her. "Well?"

"She's awake," White replied. "And it seems the medicine has done the trick, because she doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain." But she will be when it wears off! Especially if she foolishly moves around too much.

"Oh, thanks the Suits. Wonderful!" Graeme exclaimed, feeling like he could dance right then and there from the sheer relief. Instead, he just cleared his throat and stood up, pushing the forms to the side. "I suppose I should go check on her, then. Why don't you make some tea and bring it up?"

Mrs. White beamed at him. "Of course, Sir." I hate this job. So much.

[Esfiel]

Must. Find. Way. To get out of here! Though try as she might, she couldn't think of a single thing with her leg like this. She needed something to help her stand up and walk, though a look around the room told her she was on her own. Maybe she could use the sheet to put her leg in a sort of sling so she didn't walk on it, and then attempt to walk out of there with three legs. It was possible, she'd met a rat from Torquehelm who did it everyday of her life! Now I know how she feels, she thought sorrowfully.

Breaking bones was such a nuisance. She'd done it before, but she usually had some type of contraption to make up for it. The thought of actually walking around on three legs had never really crossed her mind before. However, then other problems would arise. Stealing his sheets wouldn't be very kind, and if she ever saw them again, how in the world would she explain it? That was just assuming she could even get out of the house undetected and move fast enough right now to be out of there before Mrs. White or Mr. McDuck returned.

So Aima admitted defeat and sank further into the bed, sulking.

[Lucca]

Just a minute after she slumped down in bed, the door to the room would practically slam open...the Duck on the other side wincing. He laughed nervously and checked to make sure the wood wasn't damaged...he hated spending money, even on small things. "Uh, didn't quite mean to open it that hard..." He was just...anxious about the Card he'd gone and caused all this trouble to with his own ability. Turning, he gave Aima a smile.

"Hello, Aima. I'd like to apologize again..." He took off his hat and began fiddling with it absently, walking closer to the bed. "Mrs. White is preparing some tea for us...but if you have other places to be I won't keep you. Your leg should be set well enough, and I elevated it a bit so you wouldn't walk on it, though...I suppose you weren't awake for that." He gave her a sheepish look, still unable to believe how long it had taken him to notice she was out.

"Still, I hope you'll at least stay for tea. It's the least I can do, really, and I'm sorry the experiment with the tea and the sugar didn't quite end up working out." His fault, again. Sigh. He hated being in debt to people, even if the debt wasn't monetary. Especially then. At least it was very easy to figure out how to repay someone whom you owned money...

**

Mrs. White, meanwhile, was making tea, muttering darkly to herself the whole time. When alone, her dual personalities really showed themselves in all their 'glory', especially when she was feeling ambivalent, as she'd argue with herself.

"I could poison this stupid tea. I should!" The grimace changed into a simpering, worried expression. "Oh, no, no he means well. They all do." She growled again and sliced a piece of bread with unnecessary force, sawing a few marks into the cutting board. "They're fools. Utter fools! The lot of them should just curl up and die in their own stupidity.[/i]" A horrified look. "Oh, no, don't say things like that! Mr. McDuck is the reason I'm not out on the street." A snarl as she picked the kettle up, careful not to spill any boiling water as she poured it into the teapot. "I was doing just fine on the street, thank you very much, and you know it! Miss Can't-Stand-Not-Having-Hot-Baths![/i]"

And so on until she had a little tray ready to take up to the room.

[Esfiel]

A very loud sound was enough to temporarily bring Aima out of her self-pity for long enough to make her jump and have her eyes dart to the door. She blinked at him has he commented about not meaning to open it quite so hard and checked the word. Then he was apologizing and talking about tea.

Tea? Oh no, he made her make tea. Though.. surely she wouldn't poison the both of them. It almost amazed her how paranoid she was being. She didn't usually think anyone was out to get her, but rather than blame herself for the change she blamed the situation she was in and having met Mrs. White. This paranoia would undoubtedly end when she was back in less creepy company.

Not that Mr. McDuck was creepy, just his maid and his ability to ignore the unsettling aura around her. No, he was actually a good person it would seem, he was even giving her hope of leaving! How exciting! Though apparently he wanted her to stay for tea. Whatever would she do while drinking it?

Unlike Mr. McDuck, she had no thought of debts or making things up to her. Had he asked her at that moment she probably would have laughed and told him to get any thoughts of being indebted to her out of his mind. However, she had no idea of what he was thinking and could not tell him to think otherwise.

"Ah, well, these things happen," she replied optimistically. "Really it just seems like we exchanged one experiment for another!" Aima forced herself to smile, hopefully making him feel better while she tried to think up an excuse why she needed to leave right then. "I would love tea, however before I can accept.. what time is it?" Mrs. White said she'd been out for several hours. If that was the case she doubted it was time for her to work. That would make it either late at night or early morning, wouldn't it? Well, she could always lie.

[Lucca]

Graeme smiled hesitantly. At least she didn't seem too angry with him. Sure, at the time she'd actually wanted him to use his Jack ability on her, but he wouldn't blame her at all if she were having second thoughts about it now. "I suppose so," he replied, little Duck tail wiggling nervously as he placed his hat back on his head and took a seat in the chair near the bed, pulling it a little closer. "As long as you don't hold it against me." He didn't think she would...she didn't seem the type to hold grudges, really.

His face fell a little as she asked what time it was. Oh no, did she have somewhere else to be today? "It's almost six o'clock in the evening," he replied promptly, glancing at the clock on the buerau in the corner to be sure. "If you have to be somewhere, then I understand completely and please don't let me keep you." The last thing he wanted was to cause more trouble for her, and after all, her leg was bound up properly so she could walk, albeit a bit more hobbled than normal on only three legs.

"Who wants tea~?" asked a sing-song voice from the door as Mrs. White came into the room, smiling and pushing along a cart with a tea tray on it. The argument had gone in the 'good' side's favor, of course, as it generally did. The 'evil' side was content to bide its time for now, knowing that the reward for patience would be great.

[Esfiel]

Six o'clock?! She jerked up in bed while he was finishing about not keeping her. Oh that lying, rotten-- then the Cat herself came in asking who wanted tea. It.. was almost too funny. Between her sing-song voice and that smile she almost forgot about the aura. Maybe that's how Mr. McDuck put up with her! He just ignored it or really did get used to it. That wasn't her concern now, however, nor was it the fact that Mrs. White probably wouldn't be happy about making tea for no reason when she found out Aima had to leave.

Aima wasn't even sure if it was the same day or the next, but at the moment it didn't really matter to her. If it was the same she was going to be late. If it was the next then she'd missed a shift and was going to be late! Oh ho, how wonderful. She felt like hitting her head against something, but she hadn't been able to really do that since having the metal plate installed in her head.

"I have work," she explained, starting to push the blankets off her. She still considered herself new to the job, but hopefully her manager would understand and forgive her this one (maybe two if it was the next day) time. It wasn't exactly like she didn't have proof of that a mishap had taken place. "I'm sorry, but I'm still new and I really don't want to get fired." She forced herself not to look at Mrs. White.

[Lucca]

Graeme was startled by her rather violent reaction to the time. Oh dear...then she did have somewhere to be! And she had been out for several hours...it had just been a latish lunch they'd been having at that restaurant. He turned to Mrs. White, holding up a hand. "What's wrong, Aima?" he asked, but she was already getting out the answer. His face fell, but then he forced a smile. "Oh, well of course! We don't want that to happen, either. I suppose..." He hesitated, awkward suddenly. What should he say? Surely he was never going to see the girl again, right? And yet he felt like a simple 'goodbye' wasn't quite enough considering all that had happened.

"Let me show you to the door," he offered, giving her a hand out of bed. He would lead her (slowly, to make sure of her foot) down the staircase, not quite as grand as the one at his real house in the Highlands but still rather nice, and to the ornate front door. He paused, orange eyes searching her blue ones. Wondering what would be appropriate and feeling at a slight loss.

Mrs. White controlled the spike of rage and annoyance that wanted to burst out. She'd went to all the work of making tea...for -nothing-? And Scrooge had some nerve, not even acknowledging her! UGH. What she wouldn't do to be rid of this job. Outwardly, she showed no sign of this, her fur remaining unruffled, even, as she stepped neatly into the room and got out of the way.

"Oh, of course, it's perfectly understandable," she said sweetly. And once again, as they went down the stairs...she was left behind. She probably was supposed to change the sheets on the bed or something. Eurgh. Shuddering, the Cat moved to do just that, leaving the tea to sit until Scrooge finally remembered she existed again.

[Esfiel]

Aima thanked Mr. MrDuck as he helped her out of the bed and lead her out of the. She made sure not to actually look at Mrs. White as they passed her, but she muttered a civil good-bye as they did. It was quiet enough that she may or may not have heard her, but as least she'd said it. A less civil good-bye was going off in her head, sounding much like: Whoo! I'm leaving! I'll never see her again! And if I do, I'll sneak right on by!

Once half way to freedom she began to get impatient. She wanted to move faster, but least she fall down the stairs she withheld the urge to do so. That would be fun to explain. I'm sorry I'm late! I broke my leg and passed out from the pain. I didn't wake up until hours later when I was late, and in my rush to get here I fell down the stairs!

No, she'd take this slow.

When they hit the door and it was time for her to make it on her own, she looked at Mr. McDuck. "Thank you for.. everything," she offered awkwardly. Hopefully he'd know she meant helping her after the whole incident. "It was interesting, to say the least. I wish you luck in your aviation deal, have a wonderful night, don't let that tea go to waste... bye!" All while she was talking she'd been inching her way toward freedom, just waiting for Mr. McDuck to say his final good-bye. Once she'd had it she'd wobble her way to work.

[Lucca]

Graeme smiled, feeling finally released as she spoke, breaking the silence that had settled as they picked their way cautiously down the stairs. "It was the least I could do," he said in return, scuffing a webbed foot a bit awkwardly against the polished tiled floor. "Good luck with your studies. Oh, and getting to work on time! If you're ever in the Highlands, well...you can look me up. Shouldn't be too hard to find my mansion if you're looking."

He allowed himself a small chuckle. No, the large building with the gold, orange, and red trim was very noticeable, not to mention it wasn't too very far from where his trading company was housed, with the gigantic version of the logo on his tie. His money bin--the building where he kept all his cash, mostly in the form of gold coins--was also rather noticeable, though of course the security on it was both magical and mechanical, with the best Corvies and Mages checking up on it periodically to see that everything was in working order.

"Goodbye, Lass," he said finally, and almost extended a hand to shake her paw, before realizing that was silly, since she was already trying to balance on only three of them. So he settled for waving as she limped off down the street.

Turning from the door, he saw Mrs. White, his faithful maid, coming down the stairs carrying sheets. Ah! She was always so prompt in her work! This was what he loved about her. He smiled. "Mrs. White, after you finish with that, would you do me the pleasure of joining me in the study with that tea?"

The Cat glanced around, giving the Duck her brightest smile. "Of course, Sir!"

"Good, good. We shall stay here tonight, of course...and make the trip in the morning after I contact our aviation friend. I do believe his particular assets will help McDuck Enterprises," McDuck said, making his way into the study with a spring in his step.

"Very well, Sir," the Tulgey replied, though as soon as she was out of sight, she grimaced. "You'll get what's coming to you...one day...and we'll see what happens to your precious company then!" she muttered darkly, swishing her fluffy tail and setting the clothes in the hamper with rather more force than necessary.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Esfiel and Lucca both receive 9 tokens each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe. This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe. Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!