Motivation [Finished]

[Kari Muffin]

(( OOC: XD so, it's probably a good idea to throw an adult at this thread. Nerissa has no patience for children. ))

Nerissa had finally slipped away from that overbearing bitch at the palace and had finally managed to get to Capital City. Now she could freely look for information. She had to figure out if things in Corivistowne were still in tact, not to mention she could see if she could follow a few rumors.

Of course the fact that she was still a child put quite a few kinks in her plans. People didn't respect her. People didn't listen to a word she said. And most of all people constantly asked if she was lost. Convincing the carriage driver that she knew what she was doing had been like pulling teeth.

And now there were a few people staring at her. Just what she needed. Of course she was a grand total of three years old, so people had every right to stare assuming she was a normal child.

She wasn't, and she made that clear to anyone who spoke to her.

[Lucca]

Graeme McDuck strolled briskly down the street, a rather stormy expression on his face. He'd been having a bad day, or rather a bad night, as he'd spent all night at the company sorting out some sort of clerical error that had cropped up in his marketing department. And upon getting home, hoping to finally be able to sleep in his lovely large four poster and lose himself in dreams of gold and profit margins that were higher than the day is long, he got more bad news. His maid had politely and sympathetically informed him that their state of the art rug cleaning device had broken down, and right on the day she was supposed to clean the hallways, too! The worst part of it was that Graeme didn't know anywhere in the Highlands to get a piece of Corvistowne mechanics like that, so he had to come all the way to Capital City to do shopping. Shopping meant spending money and that always put him in a sour mood.

But the price of the repair put him in an even worse one. After giving the Corvie working the counter a piece of his mind, Graeme had stormed off, in need of something to distract him. Perhaps a new top hat, or...something caught the corner of his eye, a flash of color, and on a hunch, he turned to look, pushing his glasses further up his beak.

"What's this?" he muttered to himself. It was a colorful young child, and while this in and of itself was not unusual (especially as Graeme had little to no use for children normally) his instincts told him there was something odd about this one. No parents or guardians in sight, and a look of such frustration and bitterness that if she weren't obviously young he would have sworn she was a woman in her thirties.

He approached her casually, swinging his cane. This could be just the sort of distraction he needed...oddities tend to attract interest, and anything interesting could potentially turn a profit. "Hello, young Lassie. Aren't you a bit young to be wandering around a place like this?" He gave her a kindly smile, gesturing with a hand at the crowded street.

[Kari Muffin]

The deer mix's tail twitched furiously as she continued to glance at the various names of the shops. Which one would supply things that she could possibly use? And which ones would sell them to children?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed some strange bird walking towards her. Her eyes narrowed. A Highlander mix, huh? Highlanders always did have their heads ups their asses. And of course this one just had to talk to a little lost child. And Lassie? What the hell?

"I'm not wandering. I'm looking for a particular place, Sir. I'm not as helpless as everyone seems to think I am," her nose wrinkled a bit. It was a good thing her fangs were retracted, otherwise the small forced smile would have looked far more threatening. "You wouldn't happen to know where an Apothecary is, would you? I've been trying to find it for the past half hour but people like to direct me to the candy store instead."

[Lucca]

It was best, the Duck had thought, to approach her as if she were a typical child, and then, depending on how she responded, go from there. He hadn't expected quite such a biting reply though...and yes, as a businessman, Graeme knew forced smiles when he saw them. Apparently his instinct that there was more to this apparent child than met the eye is completely correct.

"Ah. No, I suppose you aren't then," he replied thoughtfully, leaning a bit on his cane. This was very interesting...very interesting indeed. He might as well show this child to where she wanted to go. After all, information was free, even from him (unless it was special information) and if nothing else it would prove a nice distraction. He rather hoped it might turn out to be even more advantageous, though. "An apothecary?" He considered for a moment, as that wasn't something he often needed to go to...well, but there was that time where he'd needed the antidote to a particular poison he knew was present in the region he was travelling in, and he'd stocked up at...

"Yes, actually, I believe I do. Please follow me then, Lass," he said with a smile, turning and walking at a leisurely waddle in the direction he'd been sulking off to a moment before. (After all, no matter how old her mind was, she still had the small, awkward legs of a young deer). "My name is Mr. McDuck, and what might yours be?" Though he wouldn't honestly be surprised if she refused to give it to him. What spunk! Whatever else this person was, she wasn't a three year old. At least, not any version of one he'd ever met.

[Kari Muffin]

Her tail trashed in annoyance. What was this man's angle? What was he planning? There would be no other reason to actually take interest in her unless he was planning something. A small amount of fur along her spine stood on end as she hesitated for a moment.

Did she really want to follow this man? He was old, but it was bad to judge other cards by their appearances. But on the other hoof he was the only one who seemed to be willing to "help" her and not treat her like a child.

Fine then. She would follow him. Trotting up besides him she looked up at him carefully. Her slitted eyes narrowing slightly. McDuck? What sort of last name would he have had if he wasn't a duck? "My name is Nerissa." At least that was what her overbearing mother called her. She wasn't particularly fond of it.

[Lucca]

There was a moment where Graeme thought the little Deer wasn't going to follow him after all, and he was genuinely surprised at how distressed the thought made him. Maybe he needed a vacation? He pushed the rim of his lovely gold top hat (his accountant said it was too garish, but then what did -he- know? He dressed like he was going to a funeral for every buisiness meeting) up a bit to get his heair out his eyes, and was encouraged when he heard the little clop of hooves on the pavement behind him. A glance back left him once again in awe of the intelligence in those young eyes...it was almost uncanny, but it seemed like she was trying to -read- him.

He nodded briskly when she gave her name. "All right then, Nerissa, come along, it's just around this corner." He couldn't help but wonder if her parents were worried. And if they were, maybe they would offer a reward for her safe return, and since she was a decently high Rank and a Heart at that--now, now, don't get ahead of yourself, Graeme! She doesn't seem to be running away from home, no satchel or food on her, and she gave her name far too easily. Don't count your gold before it's mined!

[Kari Muffin]

Though she hadn't bothered to tell anyone where she was going and her mother was probably worried out of her mind, she wasn't a run away. She had every intention of dragging herself back to the palace once her mission was complete. In reality she probably could have done most of the work she had planed back at the palace, however her mother didn't want her to play with chemicals or experiment on her darling idiot brother.

And maybe while she was in the capital she could find out a bit about the current situation in Corvistowne. Hopefully nothing horrible had happened.

Maybe she should try to engage in conversation... possibly convince the man to buy what she wanted for her? Or at least pretend to buy it. Not many people were willing to give children dangerous chemicals, powders and poisons. "I hope you don't mind me asking, Sir, but.... I wouldn't expect a Highlander to be willingly out of the Highlands. So what... are you doing in the Capital that you have time to show me to the Apothecary?"

[Lucca]

Graeme was...a bit taken aback by the question. From what he'd seen of this girl so far, she didn't seem to be the sort to be overly involved in pleasantries or conversation. She must have an angle, the cynical part of his mind argued, but he ignored it. Intelligent and odd or not, no three-year-old could best him in a battle of wits. He had nothing to fear. He kept a close eye out for anyone that looked like her around, in case this was one of those things where a child sidles up to a stranger and gets in good with them, only to turn around and scream bloody murder and get the innocent victim arrested for kidnapping. Or, worse, -fined- for it.

In the mean time, of course, he answered the question. "Ah, actually, I run a very successful buisiness in the Highlands, so I often come to the Capital looking for new opportunities to expand." He paused, rubbing the bridge of his beak a bit, expression darkening as he thought over the past day. "That isn't why I'm here today, though. I needed some repairs done that no one in my homeland can really manage. But there's someone here I can always trust to get the job done." And, now it came down to it and he was cooled off...he felt pretty badly for yelling at the poor fellow, who after all was just trying to make an honest living. And his work was always top notch and worth whatever Graeme paid (usually less than other Cards would since he was such a faithful customer).

But he didn't have time to dwell in remorse, as they came upon the shop momentarily. "Here we are, Nerissa, lass," he said cheerfully, swinging his cane to point at the sign above the somewhat-unimpressive storefront, which nonetheless marked it clearly as an apothecary. "Now eh, what exactly is it you're looking to buy?" He pushed the door, making the little bell above it ring cheerfully, and held it open for the Deer, gesturing inside. Let no one say Graeme McDuck isn't a gentleman.

[Kari Muffin]

A successful Highland businessman? This meant one of two things. He had quite a bit of money to spend, and that he was good at reading people. That was probably why he was engaging in conversation with her in the first place. Of course. That made sense. What was his angle though? It was still difficult for her to figure out.

But the had arrived at the Apothecary so she had no time to dwell on things. She paused when he opened the door looking up at him with a curious expression. Well that was... nice. She muttered a small thanks before moving into the store.

"A particular powdered poisonous flower," she commented once she was inside. "It's actually medicinal when turned into tea, and I wanted to see if it would cure my brother's stupidity. Or at the very least stimulate something in him."

Her nose wrinkled. She should probably sound more genuine, but it was hard giving a damn. That idiot could have been so useful, instead all he did was desperately try to cling to her. Of course he was still child but... he... argh. He was the dumbest child she had ever had the pleasure of meeting. It made her sick to her stomach to be related to that, and she was fairly certain that even her mother was disappointed. And that. That took a boat load of stupid.

[Lucca]

"You're quite welcome," he replied jovially to her muttered gratitude. He was somewhat...amused that he had managed to catch her off guard. Was it because he was treating her more like an adult than most did? Then again, it could just be the fact that he was more old-fasioned than a number of the Cards around. So few people saw the need to be friendly to one another unless it involved money or politics and, while he himself was guilty of the former reason at times, the latter was quite beyond him. He was always willing to help a fellow Card--well, as long as it didn't cost him money or too much inconveniance, that is.

He followed her into the shop and listened as she explained her goal. He chuckled slightly. "Sadly, I'm not sure stupidity is a curable disease," he remarked, eying some 'rare' dried flowers from the Villa (rare here maybe, but in the Villa they grew everywhere--he'd nearly gotten lost in a field of them once). "But I suppose it is worth a try." He looked at her curiously, noting that she seemed to be pure Avington...but her drive reminded him quite a bit more of many of the Corvies he'd met. From the labels of some of these, though, it seemed this shopkeep was prone to slightly overcharging customers by trying to lie about the true value of the items. He'd have to watch his back and make sure Nerissa didn't get overcharged for her powder. He was tempted to ask he what it was called, but if she hadn't told him yet, then perhaps she just wanted to seek it out herself.