All Mad [Open]

[Kendall Rossa]

Those who made a habit of being around the front office when Kendall was working knew what they were getting into. Those who didn't know just assumed that Hammel had employed more than one receptionist. Both were usually in for a strange conversation. Kendall considered themself professional and efficient, but usually they just couldn't keep themself from pranking or teasing. Just too easy! So very easy, especially with some of the more uptight Hammel staff who came in.

The new students were the best though. Kendall tried to keep it under wraps around helicopter parents (to avoid discomfort for the child), but even then they rarely could keep their sadistic games to themself.

Today, Kendall had felt like wearing a tie. Generally that didn't dictate the outward expression of their gender (ladies could wear ties!), but it just felt like a 'man' day. So Kendall ran their hand over their short clipped hair, dark eyes scanning over the day's to-do list. When the door opened, those same eyes cut to the person entering.

"Good afternoon. How can I help you?"

[Aaron Walker]

AJ didn't make a habit of hanging around the front office. Mostly because he didn't make a habit of hanging around anywhere that was indoors. Especially if it was too small to do a cartwheel or two and not knock anything over. So he really had no idea who the receptionist where or if there was more than one. He had spoken to at least one person once or twice since his start at Hammel, but it had never made much of an impression on him.

But there were times when it couldn't be avoided...like when he'd 'accidentally' burn up his schedule and realized that he had no clue where he was supposed to be and when without it.

"Hey, I mean good afternoon," AJ said as he skipped over to the desk. "I uh...lost my schedule. Is this where I go to get another one? I mean, I would go see the head...person...or whatever. But I figure she's kinda busy. And I hear she's kinda mean too." Of course it could have been someone else that he'd overheard a student talking about the other day.

"Nice tie," AJ added. He was considering starting to wear them himself (brightly colored ones of course) but worried they would get in the way too often. "You ever get it caught on a tree branch?"

[Kendall Rossa]

Kendall started tapping away at the keys of their keyboard. Students lost their schedules all the time, or damaged them somehow. This was definitely easy. "Sure, we can print you off a new one right here." Kendall gestured to a large printer near the corner of the front office. "Last, First name?" They inquired almost boredly.

When the conversation turned to ties, Kendall looked pleased. Smoothing their hand of their tie, they nodded. "Well thanks. I don't do much going around in trees unless I've lost something up there, but I hear bowties are fashionable this year and I bet those are a lot easier to keep out of trouble." Kendall tapped their lips. "Course, you might run the risk of looking foolish in a bowtie. But I suppose there's no way you'd look quite as foolish as you'd look if your average tie got caught on a tree branch."

[Aaron Walker]

AJ started grinning as soon as the person behind the desk started typing away. He was worried that he would have to explain just why he didn't have his schedule anymore. And he was pretty sure that 'i was staring a fire in the courtyard and the wood was wet' wouldn't be a very good reason to give. He was so pleased that at first he didn't hear the question being asked of him.

"Oh...my name?" he said, realizing the receptionist was waiting for an answer. "Walker...AJ Walker...well actually Aaron Walker...Actually I have no idea what it's under. But I think I'm the only Walker here." He occurred to him that it would be cool to find that someone else at the school shared his last name.

"Bow ties," AJ said slowly, pausing as if the idea had never occurred to him. "Yeah, that's be perfect. Only...they make those pre-tied right? Cuz I'm not sure I could do that without strangling myself." He kept a straight face as he said this. He was never one to worry about being fashionable thought, so that didn't bother him. He did giggle at the image of being stuck to a tree branch. He'd been caught before by his pants, or his shoe laces. And that had been difficult enough to get out of.

"Do you loose much stuff up in trees?" AJ asked, still serious. "I loose a lot of stuff while I'm in trees, but mostly cuz it falls out of my pockets. But I usually find it once I get back down on the ground."

[Kendall Rossa]

“You think you’re the only Walker?” Kendall repeated, huffing in disbelief. “Certainly not. Walker is a lovely name, one shared – first and last – by more than one student here at the institute.” They explained. What was this kid, a narcissist? The only Walker, by God. It actually made Kendall chuckle a little. “Okay, AJ. It should be printing.”

Kendall leaned their chin on their hand, looking briefly out the window. “Trees are for cats more than me, I’ve found. I’d certainly hurt myself in a tree, anymore.” They mused, nodding slowly. Yes, trees would not do at all. “But they do make pre-tied bowties, and clippy-on-y kind. Especially now that they’ve become so popular.”

“I don’t suppose you’re naturally sticky. Would that keep you from losing things?”