All work and all play!!!

[Camisya]

Ludwig looked over his shoulder at the over sized grandfather clock on the far wall. Well it was originally a grandfather clock. It had actually been completely stripped of the outer casing and had several strange looking contraptions poking out of it instead which were supposed to be able to predict weather patterns, market trends and the exact time that he would next have visitors. It was going to make him his fortune at last. All three things people really wanted to know! But all he had managed to make it do so far was let out a huff of smoke every 32 minutes. He wasn't sure why.

Besides he had no idea what would even happen if it tried to predict a visitor. Nobody ever wanted to come all the way out here. So far from the village, in this little cottage deep in the woods, just to see some mad inventor with a penchant for making things that didn't work!

Right now he was just looking at the time. 2 hours he had spent now, trying to work out what the hell he was building this time and what it was supposed to do. Sighing he looked back down at his workbench. Among the scattering of tools there was an odd little device he had wrangled together from his imagination. It had come to him in his sleep that there might be a demand for a plug shaped object that wobbled about when he turned it on. He had no idea what made him think that though...

With exasperation he finally gave up on this new project and threw it into the biggest pile of junk in the room. A massive heap of metal, wood and copper wiring and all other materials all muddled together taking up a whole corner of the room. Aptly labeled 'CRAP THAT DIDN'T WORK'

Around the rest of the room was anything that Ludwig saw potential in. The room was unfortunately sparse. Large wooden workbenches ran from end to end holding the occasional colorful fluid in large chemical sets or a device, half finished, with springs and cogs sticking out, all of which were supposed to revolutionize the world in some way but had remained forgotten as Ludwig lost interest in trying to figure them out one by one.

Here was a chair he had made, for example, that was supposed to be far more comfortable than the current notion of what a chair should look like... Instead of being upright and hard, Ludwig's chair was laid back with handles to better get on and off. It even had straps on the ceiling so you could put your feet up and relax in style! But the locals had called him and idiot when he had showed it to them.

And over there was an egg shaped device that was cleverly able to tell when an actual egg was cooked. If you put it in with your eggs it would shake violently to inform you that your breakfast was ready! But again, Ludwig found that when he turned it on, it would just start to shake straight away and wouldn't stop!

'What would anyone ever need that for anyway, even if it had worked!!' The townsfolk had said to him as they laughed him out of town for about the millionth time

It was useless. He had never been able to make anything in his whole life that actually did what it was supposed to...

Still, Ludwig could never quite shake the feeling that his inventions had a place in the world. None of them seemed to do what they were supposed to, but Ludwig was sure all he had to do was figure out what they could do instead...

 

[Sugar_Cookie189]

Uhhh come on. l swear, the village was this way. Nina walked through the forest, her head turning side to side, making her long, wavy dark brown fly around her as she looked around for the egde of the forest. This was only suppose to be a small trip. she thought to herself, as she switched the basket of freshly picked apples from one hand to the other. The only reason she was even out this far in the forest is because of these damn apples. Oh but were they wirth it! They grew deep in the woods, about a 4 hours walk away from her home. Only a few people knew about them and the ones that did tried to be the first ones here to pick them all and have them to themselves. Not this years though. Nope, luckly, she was the one to get there first and pick them all. When she got back to the village, she was planning to cook a bunch of apple pies for everyone!

Sadly, that just wasn't going to happen today. She had left a bit later them she had planned on, thinking she had enough time to make it back before night fall, but picking the apples had taken more time then she first thought. So now here she was, wondering alone in a forest, freezing do to the chilling air.

Nina stopped, a large tree blocking her path. With a sigh, she set the basket down and grabbed the dark green skirt to her dress and pulled it over her calf length boots. She climbed up and over tree trunk before dropping her skirt again and picking up her basket. The village can't be to far aw- Her thoughts were interruped when she saw a large house. Her head cocked to the side as she tried to figure out who would live so far out here. Well... maybe that's where the toy maker lives!

He had come to town a few weeks ago, talking about a new invention, but once again it ended up with every laughing at him and walking away. It was quite odd to her. They never gave him a chance to show what it could do. "Maybe he'll help me." she thought as she walked over to the house, going straight to the front door.

Nina brushed her skirt a bit before brushing her white top as well. "He couldn't possible that heartless that he would turn away a young women." She reached her hand out and knocked three times, very firmly on the wooden door.

 

[Camisya]

As Ludwig sat there, contemplating another of his experiments, a strange whirring started up from behind him. Ludwig turned around and tried to find the origin of the noise... Walking around the room he worked out this noise, getting louder and louder, was coming from nothing other than his clock!

'Well, what the hell is it doing now???' He exclaimed, examining the face closely. Finding that it was no longer displaying the correct time but instead had jumped forward about a minute. The hour hand was rushing about madly and uncontrollably. Then all of a sudden... It just stopped again. At that exact moment, three knocks came at the door!

'What in the blazes is going on in here today! No one ever knocks on my door!!!'

Ludwig was halfway to opening it when it suddenly occurred to him. He had done it! The prediction device had actually worked! The clock had told him someone was coming and now, someone actually had!

'Haha!' he shouted out, opening the door to find the young woman outside caught completely off guard. Without bothering to wait for introductions or to ask why he had a visitor, he immediately drew this unexpected woman indoors...

'You see that over there' waving his hand in the direction of the wall. 'It worked! It actually did what it was supposed to do! Not very well, granted, but even so...'

He looked at his completely bewildered guest. 'Do you know what this means? maybe some of my other toys will work as well! You! You made it work!. Ha, you can make the others work as well. I would bet my sanity on it!'

'Oh i'm so sry,' Remembering his decorum, 'Where are my manners. I am Ludwig. Toy entrepreneur and inventor extraordinaire! Who are you... And why in god's name are you here? Oooo, are they apples...'

 

[Sugar_Cookie189]

Nina jumped a bit as the door opened up wide and she was pulled inside before she could say anything. It was more then odd, but she didn't snap at him, or try to pull away. lnstead, she followed and put on a smile as he pointed at a clock with excitement. Wow, he's... look at him! He seems like he's about to jump out of skin he's so happy! She thought, a bit shocked as her smile became wider. When he was finished with his little episode, she grabbed the basket with both hands as she put it in front of her.

"Well, umm Mr.Ludwig, l'm so glad your little... clock is working. I mean, l could never make something like that sir." she said to him. "But, it's sweet that you think l'm the one that made it work, though umm l doubt that l'm the one that did it. lt's probably just the timing." she told him kindly.

When he introduced himself then asked who she was, only to see her apples, she looked down at them. "Yeah, apples. I just picked them a few hours ago." she peeked at him. "There incredible see. l mean there quite addicting." she said before she reached into the basket and pulled one out, holding it out to him. "Would you like to have one of them."

"Oh, and l am Nina. l'm one of the villagers from town. You know Mr. David. I'm his daughter!" She said quickly, as she brushed her hair back, "Anyway, umm well this is embarrassing, l kind of got lost. It got to dark and when l saw your house." she shrugged. "Do you think you can tell me which way the village is? l think l can make it by morning if you show me now."

 

[Camisya]

'Oh no... No no no no no. We can't go back into the woods at this sort of time!' Ludwig protested. 'It'll be pitch black soon and the wolves come out after dusk! We, or more pressingly I, could get eaten alive out there! You'll never make it back in time. No you will stay here tonight. I insist. I can take you back first thing in the morning. They wont even know you were gone. I have a cot around here somewhere you can sleep on...'

'Oooo. Actually you can help me load the clock into the carriage then as well. I'll need to take it into town again to show people that I can do something right!'

Ludwig saw Nina's face drop at this new revelation that she couldn't get home again till the morning but an idea had formed in his head. He was absolutely convinced that this girl was the answer to his prayers. She could find a use for his contraptions. He was sure about it. He didn't know why. He just did.

'Why don't you take a look at some of my inventions? That might cheer you up a bit!' Ludwig gleefully proposed, his face lighting up.' You look like a smart girl. A head for mechanics, yes? Maybe you can think of something i didn't!'

 

[Sugar_Cookie189]

Nina felt more then a bit upset at the fact that she would have to stay the night, but she raised a brow. She wasn't sure if he was just kidding about the wolves or not? Either way, she didn't want to be rude and end up getting kicked out without knowing which way to go, so she put on the same sweet smile she used so many times before to win over a man. "Oh well, l would never turn down a room if l were lost besides, l am a bit on the sleepy side." she told him gentle as she looked him over. He seemed to be acting like a excited little boy!

When he talked about moving the clock, she looked over at it, seeing how big it was. "Ummm, ohh o-okay. I mean, sure Ludwig. l'm sure l can help you." Nina looked back at him. "l mean, at least l'll try too help you, sir!"

"Look at your inventions, well if you want me too. I mean yeah! I think it would be cool to see some of the things you made out here. I mean you brought a few things to town, but you always left before l could see what they were." Nina said as she turned away from him and walked to the living room. "You wouldn't mind showing me what some of these things do, please?" She battered her eyes back at him as she set her basket down on a small table.

 

[Camisya]

Wonderful!' Ludwig announced 'It would be my honor to share with you my devices'

Walking out of the room he returned momentarily with an collection of objects. He was moving so hurriedly that he had left a trail of odd things behind him as he strode. Things fallen from his overloaded arms as he rushed back to the living room to show Nina his toys.

'Look at this one for example!' he said excitedly, sitting next to her on the couch, holding up a pair of handcuffs with a long thin chain. 'Its a necklace I think is going to be the next big fashion accessory! Nobody ever thought that handcuffs could be fashion i'll bet!'

'And this one too... its a banana holder for the fruit bowl. This has a twist though. If the banana isn't peeling properly, you just turn it on here and it vibrates to loosen the skin a bit! No one else would ever think to use vibrations to peel a banana!'

He showed her object after object, each one getting more and more bizarre, from the double wristed watch (for when you don't need to use both hands and don't want to have to remember which wrist you put your watch on) to his vibrating egg timer. Nina sat there and looked at them all. Sometimes with a very odd look on her face that Ludwig couldn't place...

When he was done, he sat down next to the girl on the couch and sighed. 'Its a shame i can't make use of any of them though. I can make things well, but i can never seem to make them useful for what i want. There's always some big flaw that everyone laughs at' Ludwig looked downcast...

 

[Sugar_Cookie189]

Nina sat down on the couch as he left the room. She leaned back against the cushion and fixed her dresses skirt as she crossed her leg. She turned her head when she heard him come back into the room, dropping things out of his arms as he ran towards her. "Oh, ummm Ludwig," she whispered, as she looked at everything he brought as he sat down. She didn't think he made that many things and she certainly didn't expect him to want him to show her all of them!

He showed her objects from new fashion, to vibrating egg timers, all things that seemed... Well, wow! No wonted people laughed at him, thinking he was crazy. Once he was done though, she backed up from him and cleared her throat. "Well, people are just rude and don't know what to think about these things." she reached forward and grabbed the egg timer.

"I mean a egg timer! That's quite the idea!" She turned it on, only to gasp as it started to move right away. Quickly, she dropped it on the couch between them and looked at him. "l thought you said that went off when a egg was done. There are no eggs cooking right now." Nina said, watchimg as the invention moved around wildly on the cushion.

She peeked at Ludwig and smiled a bit, trying not to be ride. "l mean, l bet if you work a bit harder on it, you'll get it working. I mean, your clock thingy does."