He brightened, tilting his head. "Yeah! You could eat with us, if you wanted." * * * She stopped in her tracks, looking over at him. "There's a dog?" she asked lowly, her voice soft. * * * She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "Well... what are you interested in?"
She tilted her head, looking uncertain. "Won't you eat with everyone else? We all eat in the main room." *** He looked back at her, holding his stick. "Yeah. The guard dog." *** He didn't seem like this question for some reason. "I just help out."
"I just mean, like... near us," he said, drawing a circle in the air. "Our clan tends to sit on one side, and your clan tends to sit on the other, you know?" * * * "What's the guard dog's name?" she asked, still quiet as she walked up to him. * * * She paused, considering him thoughtfully. "You do help out," she said gently. "I've noticed that. You're invaluable to your clan."
She nodded slowly as she hung up the last sheet. "Yeah, I get that." *** "Cody," he replied. "He's black and brown." *** He frowned, reaching up and rubbing something on the back of his shoulder. "I guess."
"So you'll sit with us?" he asked eagerly, looking over at her with warm eyes. "You'd like the others, I'm sure." * * * "Oh, wow," Aisling said, almost to herself. "That's... that's wonderful. What kind of dog is he?" * * * She noticed this, but didn't comment upon it. "I'm going to go fix the house. Do you want to come?"
She gave him a grin, picking up the basket. "Sure, I'll sit by you." *** He shrugged uncertainly. "Brown and black." *** "Sure," he decided. "In case you need my help."
He brightened, looking down at her. His face was a serious one, but his smile was lopsided and sweet, with his dimples exposed as he beamed at her. "Really? Great!" * * * She frowned before shaking her head slightly. "Does he bite people?" she asked curiously, pulling her long brown hair back. "What do you mean when you say guard dog?" * * * She laughed slightly. She seemed less nervous now than she had all week, and her shoulders relaxed as she looked up at him mischievously. "If I need help?"
She tilted her head slightly, looking up at him thoughtfully. She smiled slightly before shaking her head and looking down. "Yeah. It'll be no problem." *** "He only bites the bad intruders," he reassured. "Not us. We'll be okay." *** He was looking down at her with pursed lips. "In case you need any help."
"They'll like you," he said thoughtfully, stretching his arms and rolling his neck. "And then Lucy can start looking for a car for you." * * * "How can he tell the difference?" she asked, tucking her hands into her pockets. * * * "With fixing things?" she asked, heading out into the hallway.
She tilted her head. "You think they'll like me? I've been told I can be overbearing." *** He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not great with animals." *** "Right," he said, following her.
"You?" he asked, sounding surprised. He took the basket from her gently, leaning it up against his hip, and began to head down the stairs. "You couldn't be overbearing if you tried." * * * She squinted at him distrustfully. "Do you like animals?" * * * "Hm. Fine. What needs to be fixed?"
She rolled her eyes, following with a grin. "How kind." *** "I like birds," he replied simply. *** "I'm not sure. I hardly noticed the leaky faucets."
"Kind?" he asked amusedly, craning his head over his shoulder. His teeth were straight and white and he gave her that sweet smile again, his dark brow raised. "You live a pretty miserable life if this is what constitutes as kind." * * * "What kinds of birds?" she asked simply, looking over at him with interest, her brow raising skeptically. "Like, falconeering or something like that?" * * * "Well..." she said, dragging the words out thoughtfully. "I noticed quite a lot of problems in the bedroom. Maybe we could go check there?"
She stuck her tongue out at him. "I was being sarcastic." *** "Any kind, really," he explained as the approached the second building next to their own. "I like collecting their feathers. *** He nodded quietly. "Wherever you want to go."
He laughed deeply, his shoulders shaking with the motion as he got to the bottom of the stairs. "I'm glad to hear it, although I am a little insulted that you don't think that I'm kind." * * * She frowned, her dark brow knitting itself worriedly. "That hurts them, Dion." * * * She gestured with her head, moving into the main bedroom. Emerson was sitting in his spot, jotting down notes and muttering distractedly. At the sight of him, Lucy grew a slightly pinched look on her face, and headed towards the back corner of the room where some old beds sat patiently.
"I am neither confirming nor denying your kindness," she said simply. "As to keep my neutral position." *** "I don't pluck them. I find them on the floor." He offered a small smile. "I'm not that bad with animals." *** Jaz glanced over curiously before following. He noted the look on her face but said nothing. "So what's the problem I'm here?"
"Yes, heaven forbid you give away your emotions," he replied flatly, looking over at her with one brow raised. * * * She paused, eyeing him almost suspiciously before giving him a small smile back. "Right. Well, where do you generally find them, then?" * * * "These beds squeak a lot," she explained. "That wouldn't be a huge problem, but certain people want the babies to sleep back here, so there's a lot of tossing and turning. It's been keeping people up."
"Yes, heaven forbid you give away your emotions," he replied flatly, looking over at her with one brow raised. * * * She paused, eyeing him almost suspiciously before giving him a small smile back. "Right. Well, where do you generally find them, then?" * * * "These beds squeak a lot," she explained. "That wouldn't be a huge problem, but certain people want the babies to sleep back here, so there's a lot of tossing and turning. It's been keeping people up."
"Neutral stance," she said playfully, raising her eyebrows at him. *** He looked thoughtful. "In the woods a lot. Sometimes here. Depends on the type." *** He pursed his lips, kneeling to look at it. "I see. Let's fix it, then. Is it the frame?"
"I see," he replied, setting the basket down. "What would a negative stance entail?" * * * "Do you identify them?" she asked, raising one eyebrow. "What birds the feathers come from and all that?" * * * "I'm not sure," she said with a frown, slipping under the bed, lying on her back. "I mean, it's either the mattress or the frame, so might as well check both."
