myblimpisbigger | Twenty-Seven: In Which Klaus Gets In the Spirit

[Klaus is expecting shit to get real by the actual day of Christmas. Things are already weird: there are new, intelligent imposter drones wandering around (one of which is in his house, which is creepy), the power went all wonky and he doesn't trust it to stay fixed, and given last year? He's pretty sure this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Mayfield plans to dish out.

What does this mean? He's giving out his gifts early! That's right. Baron Wulfenbach, Tyrant of Europa, seven-foot-tall mad scientist, actually bothered to get gifts for the people he's managed to grow close to in this crazy place. Weirdly enough, he has more friends here than he ever did back home.]

A; 729 Anderson Kitchen, Morning

[Dexter, your present is on the table next to the usual morning waffles. Why don't you go over and open it, since it's clearly marked for you?]

B; 729 Anderson Garage, Afternoon

[Agatha, Garviel, Doof, Diana, Dist, Eddie, and Disciple will be getting presents. For the purposes of not driving Inku insane, we'll just handwave a phonecall telling them that said presents are available in the 729 Anderson garage. Oh, and the ones that are erased? Free to show up. He'll have forgotten you almost entirely, but all the presents are marked with a name, so you won't leave empty-handed.]

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[This was unexpected. Klaus was... getting him a present? A Christmas present? Really?

For him?

Depending on how this goes, he may actually progress from not hating Christmas to actually enjoying it a tiny bit.]

Er... Klaus? [So there he is, poking around in the garage of 729 Anderson...]

Ah, hello, Doctor. I was wondering when you'd arrive.

[He picks a present out of the dwindling pile. It's a rectangular box, about eight inches tall and four by four wide. Not large enough to be a ray gun or a doom machine, unfortunately, but he hopes Doof likes it anyway.

You gonna open that, then, Doof?]

For me? Really?

[He takes the box, and eyes it somewhat suspiciously. Shakes it once. And then tears off the paper and opens it up.]

[Inside is a mechanical... platypus. Yes. Standing on its hind legs with an expression that, for a platypus, could be considered determined. It's made of copper, which has been aged such that it's got a blue tinge. There's also a key in its back, meant to be wound.

The important part, though, is the metal fedora resting on its head.]

You'll find that I am fairly good at remembering details, even those mentioned in passing.

[It's... not quite perfectly Perry. He hasn't quite gotten the eyes or the beak shape, but it's very close. Astonishingly so. Even the color. He stares at it for a long time, turning it over in his hands, a look of utter disbelief on his face.]

You.... really remembered? I hadn't thought I had mentioned him much at all. Hardly at all. Not much...

[And if it were possible for his eyebrows to raise higher, they would. He has found the key.

He winds it excitedly.]

[The platypus blinks and makes what is very close to a chittering noise. While its eyes don't move, it projects a very obvious air of sizing Doof up, and its stance seems to be an expectant one.]

It is a learning engine, in essence. I understand the importance of always being on one's toes, especially when one is a mad scientist. And to be at the top of one's game, one must have practice. This machine responds to physical and visual stimulus and should, in theory, be able to present you with a unique fight each time you wind it in which it will demonstrate learning and problem solving based on previous encounters. Unfortunately, it will only stay active for twenty minutes when wound fully, but there is only so much longevity one can build into such small clockwork.

Go on. Attempt to, say, flick it.

You... you built a clockwork nemesis.

You built a clockwork nemesis!

[Delight is finally shining through the clouds of shock. He does indeed attempt to flick the playtpus across its beak.]

Ha!

[Perry the Clockworkpuss is fearless, apparently. Probably because he hasn't yet learned to fear (which is just how it should be if he's a replacement for the real thing). He tilts his head away at the right moment -- for such a small clockwork, he's got a decent range of motion -- and then jumps onto the back of Doof's hand, before scuttling up his arm.

To do what?

Flick Doof on the nose.

It's how he's been taught to attack, okay.]

Twenty-Seven: In Which Klaus Gets In the Spirit

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