Dali nodded cheerfully, heading into the kitchen and humming a tune under his breath. There came a small knock on the door.
She frowned slightly at the knock, but was relaxed by the familiar sounds of the house. She went to the door, opening it a bit. Not completely, but enough to look out in a polite manner.
It would take her a moment to see the figure. A tiny mechanical mouse sat in front of her, a piece of paper in his mouth as he looked up at her with wide eyes.
She tilted her head, opening the door wider before kneeling down to take the piece of paper, going to read it.
The mouse studied her with what looked like a frown, his head cocked before it scurried away, its silver tail glinting in the lamplight as it disappeared in the darkness. The note was a symbol. A large circle was divided in half, one side surrounded by triangle and the other filled in with black.
She frowned, standing up straight and inspecting the note, closing the door behind her. She scratched her temple in thought before heading into the kitchen. "Dali. Do you recognize this image?"
He turned away from the stove, brushing his hands on the apron. His eyes glowed as they scanned the image, and his face adopted the look of human confusion. "It appears to be a sun, Aspen," he said after a moment, turning to look at her. "Is this a riddle to improve my problem-solving abilities?"
She frowned slightly, tilting her head. "No, I was just wondering. I don't know what it means." She paused before shaking her head and going to put the paper in her bag. "It's nothing to worry about. I'm sure the answer will come up soon enough."
"Did you draw it?" he inquired, turning his head 180 degrees to look at her while he stirred the soup. A small look of concern crossed his face. "Should I have recognized the image? Are you disappointed?"
A small look of relief crossed his face and he poured the soup into a bowl, bringing it over to her. "Don't fret, little miss. I have the utmost confidence in your abilities of deduction."
She took it and offered a small smile. "Thanks. I appreciate it. I'm just going to be at my desk, so you can power down if you'd like."
He nodded, stepping back from her and heading to his charging center. "Alright. Thank you. Goodnight, Aspen."
Mr. Pemberly was in his workshop when she arrived the next morning, his head tipped back slightly in sleep with his mouth slightly open. A gentle snore escaped his chest, and he leaned back in his chair, looking weary.
