Payment for snooping... ah, learning? Sidone tried to hide the eagerness in her smile as she nodded. "Tea would be lovely, Mr. Russo. Tom?" She called out as she made her way to the workshop. "Tom, do you need help?"

She walked in and startled him into dropping a pipe. "Oh, I-I-I'm sorry, begging your pardon, Miss Faust! I didn't see you there, and--"

Sidone couldn't help but chuckle at the young man's earnest apology and stooped to pick up the pipe. "If anyone should be apologizing here, it's me, Tom. I'm the one who surprised you, after all."

Smiling, she stood and placed the pipe back into his hands. "How are you finding this place so far?"

"Oh, Mervat--that's her name, isn't it?--has been showing me around, Miss, and I do like it very much! I'd be really grateful if Mr. Russo would let me stay on as his apprentice, I would! Only I haven't had a place to stay for so long, and--"

He stopped suddenly, flushing as if from embarrassment.

"Hmmm," Sidone mused. "Tom... Tom... Red hair... Oh! I've got it!" She clapped her hands together. "Do you know a girl named Marka?"

Tom jumped again. "Marka? You-you know her?"

"Know her, yes. We're quite good friends. She's mentioned a Tom, I wondered if it was you."

After the pot of water was boiling hot, Jacques called through the intercom nearby, "Tom? Miss Faust? Is honey lemon alright for tea?"

Mervat hovered near Jacques with what could be taken to be a smirk, "What are you, a waiter now? Guess they got you wrapped right around their little fingers, hm? Well, it's abou' time ye started bein' kind to yer apprentices. I take it yer takin' Miss Faust on as an apprentice? I'll have to warn 'er about yer temper, though I'm sure she already knows about that."

"Mervat, don't you have someone else to bug?" Jacques said warningly through gritted teeth. "And as for Miss Faust, I do not believe she would consider an apprenticeship here. She's not that sort of girl. Besides, I already have Tom, if he accepts the offer. What would I do with two apprentices?"

"Oh, has she... talked about me?" Tom stammered out with an awkward grin, his cheeks tinging pink. Sidone took note of this with a sly smile.

"Have you--oh, no, but it is not my place to say such things, is it, Tom?"

"S-say what things, Miss Faust?"

"No, no, I shouldn't say. It's not my place to ask such things when we've only just met."

"All right then, Miss Faust," Tom replied, his shoulders sagging in relief. It was clear that he wasn't quite ready to verbally admit to anything he might feel for Marka, especially to a virtual stranger.

Sidone spent some minutes helping Tom organize the workshop space. Her hands were lingering over a jumbled mess of wire when she heard Jacques' voice through the... inter-com, that was what it was called. Carefully responding through the mouthpiece, she called, "Honey lemon is fine for me, Mister Russo. Tom?"

"Oh, yes, sir, honey lemon is fine by me as well, sir. Shall we be heading back for the tea now, sir?"

"Yes, yes, come to the kitchen," Jacques said into the intercom, a tinge of iciness due to his conversation with Mervat. "I'll have the tea ready when you get here."

Putting the leaves into the strainer, Jacques poured hot water into each cup. Adding a spoonful of honey to each cup, Jacques stirred it in before carrying the tray to the table and setting out the tea things. Siting down in the chair, Jacques sighed as he added sugar to his tea. When it was mixed in, Jacques took a long sip from his cup, ignoring Mervat's carrying-on over Tom and Miss Faust in the workshop.

Tom nearly fell over his own feet in his eagerness to return to the kitchen and Jacques' presence. Sidone sighed and shook her head, smiling slightly as she followed after him. He was going to be a piece of work, to be sure, but she had to admit that his forthright, eager-to-please manner was growing on her...

Wait, what was that? What was she thinking? It wasn't as if she was going to stay here or anything. Though she certainly would if given the chance--even under Mister Russo's wrench-throwing ways--it was not as if the inventor would actually let her. It seemed as if this potential method of becoming the next Lulalia was to be thwarted, as well...

Sidone could not restrain a sigh as she entered the kitchen and sat, thanking Jacques for the tea. "So, Tom is to apprentice here, you'll get some extra help with your inventions... All will be set right again, will it not?" A sudden thought struck her, and she sat up straighter. "Except for... one thing..."

She hesitated before going on. "Mister Russo, the real reason I came here was to ask for forgiveness for my behavior yesterday... It was completely uncalled for, and I spoke beyond my experience. Please accept my apologies." A pause. "It was just that... I truly thought that Mervat was going to be dismantled, and all her personality and quirks be tossed like scrap metal. However, it was not right of me to assume that you would be so cruel to one of your own creations."

Jacques couldn't help but laugh, his tea sputtering a bit as he was mid-sip when she added to her apology. Dabbing at his mouth, Jacques set his cup down, still laughing.

"What are you laughin' at you crazy jerk? Can't you see she was truly concerned for my well bein'? At leas' someone is," Mervat said with a a tone hinting at a scowl as she hovered in front of Jacques.

"Yes, and that is what is so funny. You? Be tossed into a pile of scrap metal? Dismantled? Oh dear girl, I wouldn't do that to her," he continued, now turning to Miss Faust, "If I really wanted to get rid of her I'd just beat her 'til she's dust. That way I have no chance of her coming back to haunt me!" Jacques managed through his laughter.

Mervat, however, didn't find this very funny and made a point of it by running into his forehead before hiding safely behind Miss Faust.

"Oh Mervat, you know I'm not serious. It may be tempting, but I could never do it. Besides, I'd miss you too much," Jacques said with a grin, "Who else will I have to bicker with?"

"Quite right, quite right. You best be sure to remember you can't do without me you ferocious old loony!" Mervat called over Sidone's shoulder.

"But in all seriousness," Jacques said with a warm smile as he composed himself, "even if I did dismantle her, she wouldn't stay that way for long. Especially, once I give her her present."

"Present?" Mervat asked as she sped over to Jacques and waited patiently.

"Where is it?"

"They're not finished yet, but they'll give you the ability to repair yourself should I ever... dismantle you," Jacques added with a laugh.

Sidone could not restrain her smile of relief once Jacques made it clear that he forgave her, and even did not think much about what had happened the day before. So all of her worrying had been for nothing; not that that was a bad thing, not at all.

"Oh, that is right," she suddenly spoke up at Jacques' mention of Mervat's present. "Is that not what you needed the parts from my father for, Mister Russo?"

The girl smiled over her shoulder at Mervat; she could not help but feel already endeared to the small clockwork contraption. Although it was obvious that Mervat was so much more; she was her own personality.

"It takes an incredibly gifted inventor to create one such as you, Mervat, does it not?" Sidone murmured, still smiling slightly. She did not intend for anyone but Mervat to hear, but who was to say who actually did? Already Sidone Faust was caught up in dreams of someday creating an invention on par with Mervat's developed persona.

"Quite right, quite right," Jacques said with a small blush, hearing her comment to Mervat.

"Yeah, yeah, gifted indeed. He's gifted at being a loony that's fer sure!" Mervat said in a tone begging for an eye roll. "I mean, he's a wonderful, amazing, truly magnificent inventor whom I love very very much," Mervat added swiftly in a tone that clearly said she would be batting her eye lashes, if she had any.

"Oh sure, now you change your story. I'll have them ready for you tomorrow afternoon," Jacques said with a warm smile as he patted her head gently. "As for the rest of those parts, I need them for another invention I'm working on. However, that can wait until this work shop is cleaned up more.

"Now Tom, you do realize you'll have a lot of work to do before you actually start apprenticing, right?" Jacques added in all seriousness, "If you intend to take the position, you'll need to know up front that it'll be a lot of grunt work until I find you fit enough to start handling a tool. If you're alright with that arrangement, then you may start moving into your room immediately."

"Miss Faust," Jacques continued as he sipped his tea, "If you wish to join him, you may. However, I cannot provide accommodations for you, so you will be expected to arrive here bright and early, and not return until late in the evening. However, if you do not object, the offer stands for you as well should you want it."

"Oh, yes, sir, absolutely, sir, I understand, sir!" Tom gasped out all in one breath, nodding his head so furiously that Sidone was afraid it would end up toppling off of his neck. As it was, she couldn't help giggling a little bit at his eagerness. The red-haired young man grinned back at her, obviously not a whit offended, but rather pleased. They smiled at each other for a moment, finding a line of understanding running between them.

"Another invention? May I ask what..." But Sidone's piqued curiosity was cut short by Jacques Russo's next words.

"What... me?" Was all she could get out, gasping quite as Tom had been only moments before. "Apprentice to you?"

Apprentice to an inventor... Not as a shop "maid," but actually apprentice! Learn to work with parts and tools, set foot on the road to becoming the next Great Lulalia... Sidone Faust could not help the wide, spontaneous grin that lit up her face like a beam of sunlight.

Impulsively, she leaned across the table to clasp Jacques' hand. "Mister Russo, thank you! I most certainly do not object, in fact I..."

Then her grasp on the inventor's hand slackened, and she let her fingers fall from his. Composing herself, she stated almost stiffly, "I mean to say that while I would dearly love to accept your offer, I must speak about it with my father first."

Chuckling, Jacques sipped his tea with a warm, teasing smirk at Miss Faust, "Of course. I will await his response to my proposition. Now, Tom, I will give you today to move into your room. Will that be sufficient time? Tomorrow we shall begin out work."

"Ye might want to get it done fast, my boy. Jacques won't wait on his inventions much longer! The wait of today is already getting under his skin. Can't you tell the old bat is about to scream from impatience?" Mervat said devilishly.

"The only one causing me to scream from impatience is you, you need-to-be-dismantled creature!" Jacques said testily with a frown. "I think I may just not give you your surprise. I believe I shall give them to a more deserving servant."

"I-I mean, take all the time you need Tommy by dear, Jacques doesn't mind one wit about how long it takes. You just sit and relax because Jacques is a very kind, understanding person, and doesn't mind delaying his inventions a bit if it helps situate you," Mervat said hastily.

Jacques rolled his eyes with a laugh as he simply sipped his tea. He rather liked this game he had going with Mervat, it was a nice way to keep control of her tongue.

Tom nodded again, a bit more dignified this time. "Yes sir, that suits me just fine, sir! Only I'll have to go back to where I'm staying right now to get my things, sir. Oh, I don't have much, it'll most likely only take me a trip or two back here before I'm settled in. I promise I don't take up much space, sir!"

Sidone rose from her seat, curtsying slightly to Jacques, Tom and Mervat. "I will take my leave now, as well, if you do not mind. I must go speak with my father about these matters... I will return tomorrow morning with my answer, if that suits you, Mister Russo?"

Try as she might to conceal it, it was clear to anyone with eyes that she was practically dying to rush home and tell her father the news.

Standing as well, Tom offered the girl his arm. "Then we might as well walk part of the way back together, Miss Faust. That is, if you aren't minding me escorting you as far as I can?"

Sidone chuckled and took Tom's arm. "Of course not, Tom. I do appreciate your most gentlemanly offer. Well then, until tomorrow, Miss Mervat, Mister Russo."

With a bow and a curtsy from each, the two newly appointed apprentices took their leave.

"So Mervat, what do you think of those two?" Jacques said with a chuckle.

"I like 'em Jackie old boy, I like 'em. It'll be interesting to see wha' they can do, aye?" Mervat said with a laugh.

"Aye. But I can't help but wonder, will they finally be the ones who solve the mystery and tough out the storm?"

"Who knows," Mervat said in a tone hinting at a shrug, had she been able to do one, "But I think that girlie will do just fine after a bit of time. Potential, but insecure 'n' too much of a prover."

"Maybe it'll grow out of her," Jacques pondered with a small smile as he sipped his tea.

The next morning found both apprentices on Jacques Russo's doorstep. As they met there, quite by coincidence, their eyes met and smiles spread over their faces.

Tom was the first to speak. "Did your father--"

"Yes! And did you--"

"I did, Miss!" He gestured to the bag he was carrying.

Sidone laughed out of pure excitement. "Can you believe it, Tom? We're finally apprentices. Well, I am, anyway. But so are you!"

"Yes, Miss Faust, we are!" It was clear that Tom was as happy as Sidone. "Shall we ring the bell, Miss Faust?"

"Go ahead, Tom."

"Oh no, Miss Faust, please, you do the honors."

With a shrug and another laugh, Sidone rang the bell. "Mister Russo," she called out, "We're here!"

"Well it's about time," Jacques called. "Get in here and get a move on."

As the door opened, a one armed Mervat murmured softly to the couple on the doorstep, "You'd best treat lightly today dearies. He's in a foul mood, that one."

"MERVAT!" Jacques called testily from the back work shop, parts being thrown through the archway while loud crashing could be heard from the room itself.

"Coming, coming..." Mervat grumbled as she hurried back to the workshop, where Jacques had created yet another arm for Mervat.

"Okay, I used a stronger and thicker metal this time, so hopefully this time it'll do it's job and work properly!"

"Let's just hope it's not too heavy..." Mervat muttered softly.

"Don't. Start." Jacques said through slitted eyes at Mervat as he went about assembling the arm to her body.

Sidone and Tom looked at each other once more, this time nervousness showing in their eyes.

"Y-yes sir, Mister Russo, we're coming," Tom called out, hastily stepping inside. "I'll just be getting my things set up in my room that Mervat showed me yesterday, sir."

Sidone gritted her teeth and went towards the source of the crashes she heard. "Mister Russo," she asked, keeping her voice calm--she would NOT mess up on her first day as a real apprentice--"Do you require any help? I shall do whatever I can... at this point," she added a little more quietly, remembering that she did not have much practice at all with tinkering and repair.

"Yes, yes, go get settled Tom. Hurry up and begin cleaning all of this mess up for me so I can have a proper space to think in!" Jacques called from his work as he tightened a few bolts.

"Can you make some strong coffee and open those windows over there? After that I'll need you to gather different metals so I can test their strengths and usefulness. The arms I made for Mervat won't move and grasp as I wished them to. Seeing them laying on the table and actually seeing them function are two different things. Just be careful of that machine under the cloth over there, be sure not to knock it over while you're going around trying to find metal, alright?" Jacques added miserably to Sidone.

Tom hurried off to his room with his belongings, casting an anxious glance over his shoulder at Sidone as he did so. Sidone smiled and shrugged at him, trying to conceal her own nervousness. If she messed up... No, she wouldn't! She would do the best job possible and make Jacques Russo see that she was a valuable asset!

"Of course, Mister Russo," she chirped out, heading for the kitchen. "Making coffee is one of my specialties; my father can't get up in the morning without it." She laughed a little as she prepared the kettle over the stove that she found in there. After the water had begun to heat up, she flung open the windows and turned to face Jacques.

"Where can I find the metals you asked for, Mister Russo? Or should I just choose some at random?" She gestured to the scraps of metal lying about the room.

"Anything! Anything!" Jacques said miserably as he chucked the arm across the room and began working on another due to the socket not fitting correctly. "Bring me hinges, bring me metal, bring me anything useful. You're an inventor aren't you? Think for yourself and make a judgment call!"

Furiously, Jacques worked on an arm, seemingly making things worse with his growing frustration.

"Don't mind him dearie, he ain't nothin' but an old crank when he gets frustrated. You'll get used to it," Mervat said as she hovered over to Sidone, "I'll help ye get started."

Sidone blinked. She was only trying to be helpful and a good apprentice... but he'd told her to think for herself, now, and so she would.

"Well," she murmured to herself as she bent to survey the scrap metal on the floor, "I'd go for something lightweight, but still with a bit of substance... like this piece, maybe. Or a combination of these?" She gathered up a few pieces and put them on the worktable in front of Jacques. "And... perhaps some of this, too. Try them and tell me if they don't work, Mister Russo."

Sidone smiled thankfully at Mervat. "What do you think, Mervat? Might those pieces work?"

Just then Tom hurried back to the workshop. "I'm ready to work wherever you want me, Mister Russo, sir! Just point me to whatever."

Sidone thought she heard something at the door, but the sound was so faint that she shrugged it off as her imagination and went to check the heating water.

"The shop! The shop! Clean it, organize it, fix it!" Jacques shouted at Tom as he looked over the pieces of metal and began testing them.

"Tom, dear, don't get frazzled by Jaques. He's in one of his tizzies, you'll get used to them. Just try and organize this shop so it's not a disaster area and try to sweep up a bit. Take your time, love, just do what you can," Mervat called after Jacques spoke before speaking to Jacques with a blaring tone. "Perhaps you should take a break and go take your coffee to the garden."

Sighing, Jacques tossed the parts back onto the table. "You're right. I need to clear my head.. Sidone, help Tom until I get back," Jacques added as he headed to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee to take to the gardens.

"That boy really does need a woman lookin' after him. He'd never get any work done if he didn't," Mervat laughed as she followed Jacques out into the gardens to see if she couldn't scare up some small animals to chase around.

"Y-yes sir! I can do that, Mister Russo. Clean up the shop, that's what I'll do." Looking around quickly, Tom grabbed a broom and began haphazardly sweeping the floor. When Sidone smiled mirthfully at him, he grinned back sheepishly and adjusted his sweeping to a more normal speed.

There was louder banging at the door, this time so loud that Sidone could hardly ignore it. Getting up from where she was piling up some bits of wire, she dusted off her hands and went to open it.

In pounced Marka, her eyes wide. "Sidone! I knew I'd find you here! It's all over town; the inventor who can only invent half the time, taking on a girl as an apprentice! Not a maid, not a housekeeper, a real true apprentice. There are bets on how long either of you will be able to stand one another... Frankly, I put in mine at two weeks and no more. If working with him doesn't drive the notion of inventing out of your pretty head, I don't know what will."

Stopping to take a breath, Marka threw an arm around Sidone's shoulders and marched them both into the shop. "So, I thought I'd drop by to see how you were doing..."

"You mean see how I was faring so you could feed the town gossip," Sidone sighed with a smile.

"Oh, you! Always so suspicious of--Tom?" Marka stopped, staring at the young man holding the broom. "Why, Tom O'Fare, is that you? Whatever are you doing in a place like this?"

"Marka? It's sure been a while, it has..." Tom flushed red enough to match his hair, his sweeping turning mechanical and not very effective except to stir up dust. "H-how might you be?"

"I'm well enough, but what about you? Fancy seeing two people I know and love in the same place under my temperamental cousin's thumb. Don't tell me you're apprenticing too?"

Tom shrugged, grinning so wide Sidone feared his face would split apart.

Marka gasped, then laughed. "Well then, my bet on you is longer than Sid's, only because you're that much more tolerant than she is... No offense, dear, you know I love ya." She hugged Sidone's arm, and the brown-haired girl shook her head with a smile.

Just then there was yet another knock at the door, this time with the hearty proclamation of, "Mister Russo! Are you in, sir? I have a message for you from Duke Marchane!"

"Mervat, can you show the man to the gardens? I'll take his message in here. And if that is Marka I hear, then you best not be harassing my apprentices and keeping them from their work," Jacques added more loudly, teasingly, as he sipped his coffee, looking out over his small courtyard.

"Really, Marka. You should be in 'ere harassing your short tempered cousin 'n' gettin' him to fix me a proper set of arms!" Mervat added as she sped away from Jacques teasing swat and headed off into the house to greet the man at the door.

Pushing against the button designed to allow her to open the door, Mervat looked at the messenger with a weary look, "And just what does the Duke want with Jacques I wonder. Come on, follow me. He's in the garden. Watch you set, you may lose a toe if you're not careful," Mervat added cautiously as she led the young messenger through the workshop and kitchen to the garden, where she nestled back into Jacques side.

"What can I do for you, young sir. Or for you Master, rather," Jacques asked as he looked at the man over the rim of his coffee cup.

"Really! Me harassing your apprentices? Look who's talking!" Marka called back, tossing her dark head with a huff. Her eyes were flashing with a dangerous sort of humor. Tom quickly went back to sweeping, and Sidone had to hide a smile.

The messenger made his way through the workshop, following Mervat with a mixture of awe for the parts and pieces of inventions he saw lying around, and disgust for the disheveled manner in which they were strewn about. When he got out to the courtyard, he bowed slightly to Jacques--just enough to indicate some respectful geniality, and no more.

"Duke Marchane has instructed me to ask you to repair this." The messenger extended a package that he held in his arms; it was wrapped so that it was nearly formless. "Before you ask, I do not know what it is; the Master said that it was for your eyes only. If you can repair it, you will be paid 300 golden leaves. If not, you get nothing. It is as simple as that.

"You may look over the Master's item and give him your answer by tomorrow afternoon. Good day, Mister Russo."

The messenger bowed once more before turning and leaving the courtyard the way he had come through the house.