2013.09.13 - Meeting Miss Mode

The reconstruction in her workshop is going well, and since she has to replace the security system anyway, Edna calls Justin Hammer. Because he still deals in weapons. She waits, listening to the phone ring as she taps the end of her long black cigarette holder against her desk. And impatiently she shifts the phone to her other ear, then back so she can take a drag from her cancer stick.

There's a buzzing as the cell phone on the end table next to the couch starts vibrating it's way toward the edge. Justin Hammer, the CEO of Hammer Industries, looks away from the television and toward the device, picking it up and studying the screen. He doesn't recognize the number, and it's not in his caller ID. There's an internal debate on answering it- it's nearing 11PM and he's tired, but he finally accepts the call. "This is Justin," he says into the phone as he grabs the TV remote and mutes it. Only a brief snippet of the 24-hour news station is audible before the background noise drops to silence.

"JUSTIN! Dahling! Wonderful to see you again! Yes, everything is lovely, dear. Just lovely. I'm calling about my workspace. When are you coming to see?" Edna says. The words tumble forward without any sort of preamble or cohesiveness. Mostly because she's reaching for a pencil with her right hand while her left drags a notepad over by an elbow - her head being occupied with holding phone.

There's no mistaking that voice, or the speech pattern. "Miss Edna Mode, what a pleasant surprise," Justin replies with a bit of forced cheer. Edna is a good customer and has bought quite a few high-ticket items from him, but it's still getting late and Hammer had already decided to have a glass of whiskey and turn in soon. "When am I coming to see? Well, I can certainly schedule in something this week. When is a good time for you?"

"An hour, dahling. Yes, one hour. While the sweaty work men aren't here in their horrendeous uniforms, but at least they don't wear capes so there's that," Edna says, replying to the question and even giving details! She's a helper.

Justin blinks, which luckily can't be seen through the phone. "A- An hour?" the CEO says, his tone unable to completely cover his confused and slightly irritated demeanor. "Edna, trust me when I say I'm very excited to see what you're cooking up down there and work with you on any new systems you need, but it's going on eleven o'clock." Hammer has already dressed down and was lounging in just a pair of slacks and an old T-shirt, and doesn't really want to have to get dressed and go back out tonight.

"Yes. It is. I'll order lunch. Is sushi okay with you? Sushi sounds good. I had some last week, in Tokyo. Lovely stuff. Won't be as good, but, what can you do in New York? Morimoto might be available. Lunch should just be starting. I'll send someone down to pick some up, okay? Okay. See you in an hour. Okay, bye," says Edna, words a tumble as she doodles on her notepad, mind already occupied with some new frock of colors. She disconnects the call as she sets her phone down, eyes on her drawing.

Hammer doesn't even get a chance to reply. There's a couple of false starts, but in the end, he's left with a dead phone line and a lunch date at midnight. Great, just great. He's got a couple of meetings and an Expo appearance tomorrow, and it looks like he's not going to bed anytime soon. Taking a moment to rub at his face before he dials again, he calls up Jack, and tells him to bring the car around.

In just past an hour's time, Hammer's black stretch Lincoln Towncar pulls up in front of the estate house on the edge of the city. Jack exits the vehicle, walking around to open the rear door for Justin. The CEO steps out, straightening his suit coat as he does so. He's wearing a light grey suit with a white shirt and silver striped tie, and while he generally wears his suit a bit lazily, it's more sloppy than usual. Taking a deep breath he strides up to the front door, and knocks.

And one of Edna's assistants opens the door. A truly nameless sort of individual, who looks like he's used to the weird hours and so just leads Justin in without uttering much of anything. Their arrival to her study has Edna looking up as smoke curls up from the barely clinging to lit cigarette.

"JUSTIN! Dahling! Come in! Come in! Sushi? Tea? Saki?" Edna bubbles while motioning the CEO in and toward a chair.

Justin puts on his best salesman smile as he enters the study. The diminutive woman's enthusiasm at this hour assaults his senses, but he doesn't falter. "Edna, Edna," he says, holding his arms out in greeting though he isn't expecting nor inviting a hug or anything. It's simply a showy part of his greeting. "Good to see you again. Glad to see things are going well for you." He sits down in the indicated chair, leaning back slightly. "I haven't had saki in years," he comments idly, indicating his preference.

Air kisses, lovely! Air kisses. Edna mimes taking Justin's hands and kissing his cheeks, each one in turn. Of course, this without ever moving from her seat. She waves her cigarette hand at her hired man.

"Go get us saki and the sushi or something," she says to him before turning her bug-eyes on Justin once more.

"It is good to see you. How are things?" She starts in a sing-song conversatinal way.

"Things are good, things are good," Hammer replies, putting his elbows on the arm rests of the chair and steepling his fingers at chest height. "Business has been steady and I'm still getting government contracts." He glances around the room briefly. "So, you're rebuilding your work area? I take it you need some upgrades to your existing security and test systems? Because if so, I'm your man." His words are accented with hand movements as they generally are.

"Yes. Yes. I tried to make..." Edna motions over her chest, like stretching something. "..for Channel. But it went boom. Very Leelo. Very spectacular. I wasn't in the shop, mind. I was in Parson's. But the old things I had, dahlin, they just added to the fireshow, so I need new ones and since I was having to replace them I thought o myself, I could have it bigger and better and I should call Justin. He'll know what size things I need," rambles the designer as if completely clueless about hte double entandres and yet grinning wicked none the less.

And none of those entandres are lost on Hammer. He fights back a smirk and simply nods. "Absolutely, absolutely," Justin replies. "I can hook you up, no problem. I've got some great new stuff I think you'll love. My micromunitions projects have come along nicely, and I've got some new incendiary rounds that will really light a fire under you."

Edna's eyes widen (yes, it's possible behind her glasses!), and she looks positively ecstatic (which took me ten tries and Sif repeating the letters over and over before i could type it).

"Perfect! I trust you to load me with whatever you like. I want upgraded security is all. I don't want heavy-boned flyboys dropping in through my ceiling... unless my ceiling is my ex-ceiling. That would be okay with me, then. But not before!"

Finally, someone who talks more gibberish than Justin does. The CEO smiles, nodding again. "You got it. Ask, and you shall receive. So shall we set up a time to take a closer look at the facilities? Get measurements and start planning everything out?" Of course Hammer wants to land the sale, but he also wants to try and get a little sleep before having to face his more typical work tomorrow.

"Of course, dhaling. Of course. I'm flying to Milan in the morning. So, just come in whenever you want. I'll tell the staff to let you in," Edna says off-handedly, as if he were coming in to reprogram her VCR... err.. DVR. Whatever you kids call it now a days.

The CEO claps his hands together. "Excellent, excellent. I'll have a complete proposal written up for you within the week." Justin chances a glance at a clock in the study. "As always, it's a pleasure doing business with such a talented young woman, Miss Edna Mode." Yes, he's pulling out the blatant compliments to make sure he lands the sale, and didn't just waste his valuable sleeping time.

Edna clicks her tongue at Justin. "You are a liar. I don't like that. I'm not young. I'm old. But not ancient old. Just not young. Youthful, maybe? Yes. Youthful, I'll take, dahling, because I'm young at heart, but really I'm old. So go on. You have proposal to write. I have supersuits to draw," Edna says, waving dismissively at Justin.

That sort of backfired. Justin gives a nervous chuckle, forcing a grin. "Well, ya know, that's what I meant," he says in an attempt to back peddle. "But yes, we both have a lot of work to do, so I'll get out of your hair." Standing the CEO offers one last smile. "Good evening, Edna." He turns and heads back out of the study, thankful to be heading home already, even if he never did get any saki.