[OPEN!] At least this maze has plenty of escapes...

[fire_water_wood]

((OOC: S-sorry it's taken so long to get this posted, guys!  I really did think I'd done this already...  OTL))

Characters:  Harlequin and the people of the Winding Way
Content:  With this conversation, Harlequin has agreed to help Gintoki with that HVAC project by mapping out the air circulation ducts throughout the ship . . . from the inside . . .

Comments

Yup, I think I do! ^_~

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin had no idea how long he'd been at his work this time around, but he'd started shortly after dinner, and he was starting to realize now how really hungry he was. Had he been out all night and now it was almost breakfast time? Goodness

Y halo thar. XD

[fire_water_wood]

The carpenter looked at him askance but . . .

He shrugged and waved the youth further into his shop. "Don't promise anything - toys and the like aren't really my normal product - but I can take a look at it." He led the way over to a work table and cleared a space.

good eeeeeeevening~

[flight_15]

Ichigo carefully laid Harlequin down. "See, uh....the thing is, this puppet's kind of magic. I don't think there's going to be any difference, just....be careful with him, okay?"

!!!! *squeals like a little girl!*

[fire_water_wood]

((OOC: LOL sorry....I'm sure I've told you that story. If not, remind me! "!!! I teleport behind /that/ guy!" - "He /instantly/ knows you're there, and turns slowly to face you..." .......okay, stopping now LOL))

The carpenter looked for a moment at the thing - why had someone painted it with closed eyes? He bent down to examine it, picking up the smashed arm at the elbow to look at more closely.

Harlequin had lost consciousness again for a moment, but AGONY flared through one arm suddenly as it was picked up, and he squirmed with a gasp of pain, eyes fluttering open.

"Ah!" The old carpenter dropped the damaged wood, springing back from the table with his arms up in warding. "I-it moved!" And its eyes opened - how the hell was that even possible?! He looked at the youth, half-questioning, half-accusing as he pointed at the...the thing on his workbench. "What the hell?! I-Is that thing alive?!"

yes I have heard that one :3

[flight_15]

"Told you it was magic," Ichigo said. "Yeah, it's alive. Long story -- I'll tell you once he's fixed. Think you can do it?" He wanted to be told up-front, now, whether this man could do it or if he'd have to find someone else.

ACK sorry, thought I'd replied already!

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin lolled his head to the side to look at the carpenter and attempted a reassuring grin. "S-sorry. D-didn't mean to...to s-startle you, sir."

"W-what bedevilment...??" the carpenter wondered under his breath. He glanced at the youth, pulled a deep, steadying breath, and stepped back up to the workbench, forcing his mind to settle and look again critically at the wooden doll. He...shook his head. "I . . . I could carve new pieces to replace what's been smashed up, but I'm no sorcerer to animate the new parts."

Harlequin grinned and...w-well, no, he did not shake his head. He could feel the split up the back of it, the open edges of the crack resting on the table surface so that his head wouldn't roll quite as easily. He swallowed, wondering how long that would take to heal and close. He'd have to be sure to keep his hat on so he didn't worry his friends in the meantime. Refocusing, he told the carpenter, "N-no need. Once...o-once the...new parts a-are attached, t-they...t-the magic anim-mating me w-will...will i-

np!

[flight_15]

Well, that was good, at least. "Do it," he said to the carpenter. He'd worry about paying the guy once the man got started.

Ichigo looked back down at Harlequin. Was there anything he could do to help with the pain? "Hey -- is there anything I can do?" he asked.

[fire_water_wood]

Don't leave me?

Harlequin couldn't help it - he was scared. He was trying really hard not to be . . . but failing. H-he hurt so much, and he knew how long it took to carve even one limb and make sure everything matched and lined up, let alone replace half or more of his body, if the pain was any indication. It might be hours before the carpenter had finished all the pieces, and likely Ichigo would need to leave before that, even if he didn't want to.

But Ichigo looked like he felt terrible enough as it was. Harlequin didn't want to add to that, so he just managed a small grin and shook his head minimally. "I-I don't...t-think so. T-this...this might take...a-a while, though..." He looked at the carpenter.

By this time, the older man was beginning to really settle with the idea of working with an animated project. It wasn't like he'd never heard of magical constructs after all, just never in his life thought he'd ever actually see one, let alone be asked to work on it. He...carefully - well, as carefully as he could -

[flight_15]

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise. That much?! Under any other circumstances, he would have argued, but....it was his fault this had happened, and he needed Harlequin fixed up as soon as possible, and he didn't have time to haggle over it. Besides, it wasn't like he'd starve or anything if he didn't have money. He could spare it.

He nodded to the carpenter. "I'll pay. But for that, you'd better do a damned good job." His eyes were deadly serious, and his reiatsu spiked. To an ordinary passerby, one who couldn't sense spiritual energy, this would translate as a very intimidating aura around this man. Ichigo wasn't threatening the carpenter, not really, but he was worried, and that worry translated into anger.

Fibro-fail TT~TT

[fire_water_wood]

The carpenter hesitated . . . b-but he'd not be cowed, managing a grimace of his own even in the face of the youth's intimidating irritation. "For that, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone else who'll do any job at all. I told you, I'm not particularly a toy-maker - no one here is - and this is fined-detail work you're asking for." Huffing to let go of the rest of his own nerves, he turned for his stockpiles of wood to start rummaging for the best pieces to use for this bizarre project. It was too damned early for this. He'd only had one cup of coffee yet for heaven's sake!

Harlequin had curled a bit, unnerved by the threatening ire in both men, relaxing when nothing came of it. His eyes found Ichigo, and he gave his friend a small grin.

Re: Fibro-fail TT~TT

[flight_15]

Ichigo took a step back as well, letting the tension disappear. He looked down at Harlequin, and muttered, "You're going to be okay."

He had to stop this habit of attacking people in his sleep. It had just been weird before, but this was dangerous. Damn Isshin.

At least the carpenter was working. "Hey," he called. "There anything I can do?"

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin gave him a reassuring grin. "I-I know....t-thank y-you...Ichigo..."

The carpenter poked his head back around the doorway from another room. "Nope, unless you got whittling skills. You're looking at at least most-a-day's worth of work if I didn't have other things I've got to work on today too...which I do." The tone of his voice was that he'd brook no argument - he had some important pieces that needed to be finished for some of his miner friends. Their livelihoods were on the line, now more than ever with the crap that company guy was pulling on them. "Come back tomorrow, maybe noon-ish?"

[flight_15]

Ichigo hesitated for a long moment, looking down at Harlequin. If it wasn't for the fact that he had a morning shift today that started in half an hour, he'd have stuck around, but... "Sorry, 'Quin." He wasn't sure if he was apologizing for having to leave, or doing it in the first place, or both. He looked up at the carpenter. "I'll be back tomorrow."

And he walked out.

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin did his best to fight down the FEAR and the oh gods, NO, please don't leave me! reaction, managing to not say anything and just nod instead. He knew Ichigo was an important member of the crew and needed back at the ship. Far be it from him to keep the radio op for something as silly and time-wasteful as babysitting a broken puppet while it was being repaired. And no, there was no bitterness or sarcasm in the thought.

But when the door closed behind his friend, leaving him in this foreign place with in the hands - and at the mercy - of a stranger, h-he...he couldn't help it any longer, rolling onto his side as much as his broken body was able. No matter the effect that water had on a Living Marionette, they were quite capable of tears, and Harlequin finally relented to his - soft sobs of pain and fright he tried to muffle behind his good hand so as not to disturb the carpenter. It was going to be a very long day indeed...

[flight_15]

Ichigo was back sooner than could have been expected. He had a bag full of food and a flask of water -- he knew Harlequin ate like a normal person, and had to be hungry. Rapping on the door was only a courteous gesture, as he didn't pause on his way in, looking around for the puppet. "How's he doing?" he asked.

[fire_water_wood]

The carpenter jumped, head snapping up from his work, then growled as he looked back down. Good - his hand had slipped, but somehow the carving tool had failed to put an unwanted gouge in the design he'd been working into the side of the chest in front of him. Satisfied, he turned that half-glare up on the young intruder. What part of "tomorrow" had he been ambiguous about? He grunted and thumbed over his shoulder at the workbench. "Haven't finished. Told you I wouldn't have. It's over there." He frowned in mild curiosity as he spotted the food bag the kid was carrying. What, had he brought his lunch to come spend with his puppet? ...whatever, so long as the kid didn't get in the way of his work