Taking A Break

"Hey, working hard?"

Dave looked up and smiled. "Hiya Tink. What's up?"

She flitted over to his desk. "Just got the purhase confirmation and delivery estimates for Mr Patton's Bulma and Android 18."

Dave looked it over. "Well he didn't waste anytime. Everything looks to be in order... I take it his payment is already processed and ready to go?"

Tink nodded. "Yeah. Everything's A OK. He transfered our fee half upfront fee as well as title to the characters if he doesn't claim in 30-days after completed commission at the same time he made payment for his consultation."

Dave nodded. It didn't happen much anymore but when they first opened they'd run a foul of a few sketchy types and few nonpayment clients. Now any new clients hiring them for major work had to agree to those terms. Repeat customers with good credit however did not. "Well he certainly seems eager." He authorized for RealDreams to make delivery of the characters anytime during standard business hours. "Looks like we'll get them either later today or tomorrow. Bulma and 18 are both popular Characters so RD keeps quite a few "in stock". Hmmmm... looks like 16 and 17 are free so let's put them in there and get the rooms ready for their new occupants. They'll likely only be with us a few days."

Tink nodded. She looked at him closely though. "That the scar?"

Dave touched his ear tracing the new scar. "Yeah... does it look weird?"

She shrugged. "Nah, not bad. Harls was kinda pissed but you want Kaska to know it's you when she sees you. It makes sense to keep any scars you share. " She stuck out her pierced tongue. "Plus you know some chicks dig scars!"

He chuckled. "Thanks, Tink."

She smiled. "It's not like you don't have others tough guy. Wouldn't most clients be surprised if they knew mister "sensitive artist" was a reformed hoodlum? Hahah!"

Dave chuckled. "I wasn't a hoodlum... just a punk thug. Rebel without a cause was what Uncle Charles called it once."

She flitted over and kissed his cheek. "Well you still get my motor humming tough guy. You need a break?"

Dave chuckled then stretched. "Maybe... I ain't taken lunch yet... I need a massage is what I need. You ladies really put me through the wringer last couple of nights!" He started working at his joints. "Maybe mentally I knew that and it affected my proformance in the virtual neuro link?"

Tink rolled her eyes and pulled his arm. "Excuses ain't very "bad-ass". Suck it up before you ruin yer old rep." She texted Harley real quick to tell her she was forcing Dave to take a break and eat lunch and join them if she hadn't yet. He was a bit of a workaholic like his old man. Walt was still only "Semi-Retired" though now he only worked three-days or so a week if it could be helped and even took vacations... oh, how the mighty had fallen.

Dave snorted as she led him to the break room kitchen area. It was a big room with a kitchen at one end, then bunches of tables and chairs for everyone and several vending machines along the wall. "What "rep" the J's got kicked outta more schools. Granted most weren't for fighting and more the other thing..."

Tink smiled and grabbed their lunches checking her phone. "Harls says she be along in a minute. Speaking of your- wow!"

Dave nodded looking at the lunch Melfina had packed for them. Granted they were still pretty simple and basic but seeing as she was just starting, and "work lunches" were always something that the three of them had struggled with it was impressive to them! "You said it! She even wrote a little menu slash note!" He showed Tink the cute little note wishing them a good day. "What was that about my cousins?"

Tink smiled. "I said it before but I'll say it again. Picking Melfina might have been the smartest thing you've ever done."

Dave shook his head. "Nope. Second smartest." She blinked and he smiled. "I chose you. That was the smartest decision I ever made... course that also means I peaked at 5, so yeah..."

Tink rolled her eyes but blushed and her wings quivered which was always a dead give away when she was happy. They'd been together a longtime. "Whatever. You were an early genius is all. Don't let it go to your head... yeah, your cousins. Word is some of them rolled back into port from their latest adventure."

Dave grinned. "Probably with their ships holds fair fit tae burstin' with swag and booty! Yar! Behold! The fabled lost condiments of Atlantis... oh and some hotties we picked up along th' way too!" He laughed. "Or something like that!"

Harleen, no she had her glasses off so Harley had heard that and grinned. "Aye! Those were th' guid times! Yar! Your Dad and Uncle Chuck leading the combined fleets! On the sea! In the air! In space!" She excitedly took her seat. "Even you couldn't be pissy on a pirate adventure-... wow! Real lunches!"

Dave and Tink smiled. "Yup! We just said the same thing... also I wasn't "pissy", Harls!"

Harley rolled her eyes but smiled. "Exactly what someone who went through such a stage would say... but I don't want to get into it over this awesome lunch. I know it, you know it that's good enough. Let's eat!"

Dave sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's just it's embarrassing to look back at it. "Oh look at me! My happy home life is pretty weird even for Prime snd I don't understand how to reconcile the difference as a little crybaby bitch! Oh my friend had a terrible accident which changed her forever because I was a blind, self absored little asshole who didn't notice his best friends problems and issues so I gotta be dark and edgy to support her which is actually kinda fun don't tell anyone and I like it which means I'm still a self-absorbed asshole! Oh, my parents finally let me have another character but they picked it for me instead of letting me choose and it's a really cool and retro, hot jester chick with some cuckoo issues but I totally dig it and her but I have to be a jerk because I didn't get a say and regret that the rest of my life too! I don't have any friends outside of my family so I have a great excuse to get kicked out of one school after another like a little shit but it's okay. I can always get into another because my daddy's rich and powerful! I-"

He sighed seeing them stare at him. "I'm being a jerk and interrupting a fabulous home-made lunch made by my awesome new friend when my two best friends just want eat and enjoy having a meal together with me."

Harley smiled. "You said it, not me." She took a big bite. "'o 'o wahbah 'awk aboot eet?"

He chuckled. "Nah. I don't need to talk about it... I guess I- looking at Casca's life growing up, or Kaska's life growing up I guess my issues were so ridiculous and got me thinking about them and feeling down again. Hell my dad's and mom's childhoods were kinda messed up when you think about it! Harls yours were just awful. My problems were all so petty and mostly revolve around me being a spoiled little shit." He smiled. "Not that I'm much better now because I'm not, but at least I'm somewhat self aware and trying to be better... maybe?"

Tink smiled and patted his hand. "You do just fine. You're hardest on yourself about it... and you're a sensitive caring type in your way. Prime is... well it's an odd place to grow up for a kid and your childhood was more confusing than other kids."

Harley nodded. "Wha' she sayd!" She swallowed. "And yeah. The fact yer aware of it makes you two or three steps ahead of most folks. I just try to keep ya honest about it because that's whatcha want. Otherwise ya wouldn't be this way and ya wouldn't care! It ain't "pass or fail" like you keep trying to make it so don't be so hard on yer self. 'Kay?"

Dave nodded and smiled. "'Kay." He took a huge bite of lunch. "Dish ish weally gud!"

They all grinned.

"This is really good!" Hilda said holding a hand infront of her mouth.

"They came out well," Dorothy added.

Melfina smiled but shook her head. "Thank you for saying so but I'm still learning and it's probably too simple. Just some rice balls in a few flavors and extra soup. I overcooked the eggs a little bit and the vegetables and meat side were some of the leftovers from last night cut up a bit. Not very "creative" or interesting. I will keep trying to improve though!"

Hilda smiled. "You're doing fine. Both of you are working hard."

Dorothy looked at the garden. "You're working hard too, Hilda. You seem especially motivated as well. Is it because you didn't sleep in your bed last night?"

Hilda choked on her soup. "Dorothy," Melfina chided gently. "You shouldn't just ask things like that..."

Dorothy looked at Melfina. "How should I ask them then? I'm sorry I don't know how. You tell me. Your bed was also unslept in this morning. As I am the one currently making the beds it's hard not to notice and comment on it. Is that to be the common practice?"

Melfina blushed but patted Hilda's back. Seeing as Hilda was still coughing... "Yes, I... think that might be a common occurrence from time to time... in this home. It's probably worth noting but unwise or improper to comment on it's frequency or regularity to often depending on who's involved."

Dorothy tilted her head. "That's... a somewhat vague and confusing answer but I understand that depending on who it is in question it they may or may not be bothered by the question. I apologize for the questions strangeness."

"That's uh quite alright Dorothy," Hilda said having recovered. She took a drink of water to wash it down.

Dorothy nodded. "So am I correct in assuming you didn't make it back to your bed chambers last night after I helped you and David to the Master Bedroom yesterday?"

Melfina handed poor Hilda a napkin as she suffered a similar fate with the water. She looked at Dorothy and wondered whether she had done that on purpose or not. It was hard to say. Her face revealed nothing.

[David Stark Pepper Tinker Bell Harley Quinn Melfina VSD02C Princess Hilda and R. Dorothy Wayneright

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