[Closed] Smoke and Mirrors [Kari]

[Vyn]

Kaden always knew when Peaches was coming by.

They almost had a schedule, and the rare occasion of Marchie joining everyone upstairs for tea usually symbolized the day starting off well. Most of the time Kaden stayed out of the way and just watched -- Mother had trained that into him well when he was at the Bed and Breakfast -- but today he had other plans.

The young adolescent had heard Papa talking to Peaches about how she could walk through mirrors. Kaden was absolutely enthralled by the prospect. He wanted to know how she could do it. He wanted to do it too! So this time, he decided he'd get the chance to pull her aside. Maybe when Papa was cleaning up? Or when Marchie got distracted and urged Hatter to come help him with this or that.

Something was bound to happen, it always did.

Fate worked like clockwork, too, and before long he found the tea table empty save for a happily tea-sipping Torquehelm. Papa had hurried away after Marchie with the promise of being back 'in just a moment' and Kaden had his moment to pounce.

The sixteen year old dashed happily into the room and chirp-squawked lightly. "Hello Peaches~!"

[Kari Muffin]

Peaches often came to chat with Hatter. He just had the magical ability to make things better. Whatever it was about him, she always managed to smile when he was around, even if she was feeling absolutely miserable before hand.

Today was not one of those days. She happy as she sipped her tea. Her face fell briefly when Hatter departed hurriedly. He and Marchie were probably going to be at it for hours. That or fifteen minutes. She crossed her legs and straighten her skirt, honestly not expecting anything to happen.

And then poof! Kaden appeared.

He was a cute kid. No wonder Lore actually liked him. It was amazing how she acted towards him and Hatter.

"Hey Kaden," She said with a wicked looking grin. "What's up with you? Plotting mass destruction?"

He was a lot like his dad in that way. Only he seemed to do it a bit more on purpose than his father did.

[Vyn]

Kaden flashed a massive grin at Peaches, despite the undeniable cheer in the expression Kaden couldn't help but kick the mischievously wicked hint that usually accompanied it. He was being good today, but he was also probably the only one who'd realize that.

Bounding happily into the room, Kaden fluffed up his feathers and stole one of the abandoned chairs for himself. "Actually, not today!" He chuckled and continud to grin. "I'm thinking of something a little more..." He hesitated as he thought, "Uhh, educational?"

Nah, he was probably still plotting mass destruction... but he did want to learn something anyway.

"I had a question I've been thinking on for a while and I think you can help, Peaches, please?" He squirmed excitedly in his seat. Even if he did want to learn to further cause trouble, Peaches would help, right? And he'd asked nicely too!

[Kari Muffin]

She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head as she watched the boy. Oh really now? He had a question to ask her? Educational? She figured that it would probably be some sort of horrible idea. She chuckled at the thought. Of course it was. This boy brought chaos wherever he went, and he wanted to learn something from her.

"Oh dear, Kaden, what exactly do you want to learn from little old me? Clearly it must be something only I can help you with otherwise you would have bothered your more than skilled mother and father." Peaches said as she leaned forward, pulling her tea cup closer to her. A smirk was plastered on her face.

"And why do you think I would help educate you?" she threw out there. She was an honest to goodness awful person when it came to teaching anyone anything. So, why would Kaden come to her?

[Vyn]

Kaden squirmed in his chair as Peaches spoke. He liked her a great deal, which must have been a genetic thing as both Momma and Papa loved her too -- 'cept Momma didn't like Marchie, even though he, Papa, and Peaches did. He thought about this for a moment before shaking it off and continuing.

"Well, see, you're good at sneaking -- real good -- and I want to be better. I'm pretty loud, after all." Momma would probably like it if he could sneak better... or if he could just manage to be less loud in the restaurant... Musing for a later date. Peaches had another question for him which completely caught him off guard... "Well... I would hope you would because you like me?" If he had a lower lip he would have quibbled it, instead he gave her his best bird-puppy-dog eyes ever. "...Right?" Kaden didn't even begin to think that Peaches wouldn't help educate him because she didn't know how to educate him, because surely if Peaches could do it than Peaches could teach him how to do it.

Or, at very least, that was how his logic went.

[Kari Muffin]

A chuckle of amusement escaped Peaches as she eyed the boy. He was giving her the puppy face. It was terribly adorable coming from him, but it would have no effect on the outcome of this little plan he had.

She was going to be nice, and not string him along. "What exactly do you want to learn from me other than sneaking, I can't imagine you don't have something in mind with that look on your face." She said as she tapped her gloved fingers on the table. Was it possible that he had over heard about some of her abilities?

Then again it wasn't like she kept things a giant secret in Hatter's house. She was more comfortable here that she could let information slip. Not all of it of course, there always had to be mystery between friends and strangers. And anyway, what would Loreta think of this development?

[Vyn]

Kaden didn't have to think on it, he already knew. Sneaking wasn't exactly something he was perfect with, but when he tried he could be quiet and spy just a little... Or, well, conveniently happen upon information-rich conversations.

It was how he'd found out Peaches could walk through mirrors and he was desperate to know more. "I want to walk through mirrors like you can!" His eyes sparked with utter curiosity, feathers fluffed up with excitement as he peered hopefully up at Peaches. "Will you help me, please please? I'd do anything to learn, anything at all!" He though hard for a moment, brows furrowed as he tried to figure out the best form of compensation for Peaches. "I'll be your slave for a week, or... longer! Or something! I don't have any cash that isn't mum or dad's but I can work!"

Kaden may not have had much attachment to the concept of his rank and suit -- Hatter's absentmindedness on the subject had played such a huge part in destroying his connection to that -- but he was nevertheless an able-bodied club and had the suits' drive toward hard work.

Even if he did put most of that drive toward causing trouble.

[Kari Muffin]

Peaches did believe in some of the stereotypes of the ranks. But then there were the people like Kaden who just took a stereotype and threw it to the wind. It couldn't help but make her smirk.

He must have overheard one of her conversations with Hatter. Though it was nice to know that someone was interested in being sneaky. She crossed her legs and brought her finger up to her lips, still smirking she hummed to herself. She'd pretend a bit that she was deliberating his fate.

"I don't need a slave, and I don't want money. How about you get your mother to cook me one of her specialty meals for free? That can be payment for the knowledge. Though I have to warn you, I'm not a very good teacher. I can explain and show you what to do, but I can't make you understand it as well as an actual sort of teacher would."

[Vyn]

Kaden held still, eyes wide and his heart pounded with baited breath. Oh she just had to give in! He wanted to learn so badly she couldn't just say no! His fate was very much in her gloved hands he wanted to know everything!

And then she gave in and all the air rushed back into his lungs, causing him to smile his most winning smile as he bobbed his head in glee.

Of course he could get mom to cook! She liked cooking and she loved him, she always made him free meals... Why wouldn't she make Peaches one as well? "Thank you thank you thank you!" It didn't matter that she wasn't a good teacher, Kaden was very often told that he was a bad student. In fact, he'd been kicked out of just about every single school they had tried to enroll him in. Through a patchwork of public schools in Corvistowne, though, he'd managed to get a good amount of knowledge under his belt. "You'll be great! Better than an actual teacher because an actual teacher would be mean and stuffy and force me to take a test on stuff that doesn't matter! No teacher could ever be as fun as you are!"

[Kari Muffin]

Peaches shook her head a bit. "This isn't going to be all fun and games Kaden. It's going to be a bit harder than just wanting it." She was trying to be a responsible adult about this sort of thing. Magic could be dangerous, and frankly she didn't want Kaden abusing the power. She was sure that a lot of trouble could come out of being able to go through mirrors.

And trouble was Kaden's middle name. "You absolutely have to promise me, Kaden, that you will not abuse this power. If you do, I'm not going to be the one punishing you. There are things out of understanding, sometimes, when I use the mirrors for spying. It's probably better if you only use the power when you absolutely need to."

Of course he probably wasn't going to listen to her warning. Not until he got hurt. Hopefully there would be no pain involved.