Morning, Aftermath of Revival/January Event.

[velesdonnersen]

[Tarvek dozes beside Ilsa, on the sofa bed in the home office. She's back, and there's little that makes him even one tenth so happy... The blankets are piled high, pillows are tucked around them, and he can lie half-dozing, watching her through the veil of half-lowered lashes.]

Mmmmmmmm.

Comments

[ooeeooahah]

[ She smiles, shaking her head. ] You'll have your hands full when you have to explain to Herself that the "dog" is sleeping in the house.

Besides, the kids are getting curious.

[velesdonnersen]

[He soon returns, swaggering slightly and grinning. Catherine and Perry scamper in sprightly fashion to meet Florian. Like any good drone child, they are well=behaved and treat Florian well, if with absolutely no recognition he's not actually a cocker spaniel. Not!Betty wanders out behind, with an indulgent and wifely expression of amusement.]

[Tarvek hands Ilsa a large cup of coffee, made as she likes it, and murmurs,]

I just said "every kid should grow up with a dog." Worked like a charm.

[ooeeooahah]

Be careful of his ears, kids - they're sensitive.

[ She nods to the drone wife, and sips her coffee. ]

Did you want me to help dog-proof the house, or the yard, sir?

[velesdonnersen]

[He knows how much she would hate being penned up inside, dealing with Not!Betty in the drone wife's territory. He can spare her that.]

Let's get the yard and dog-house set up first. I can ask Not!Betty to start on the house.

[ooeeooahah]

First thing would be to check the fence, and see if you need anything from the hardware store.

[ Keeping an eye on the drones playing with Florin, she murmurs as they walk. ]

You've told me about the havoc the mimmoths can cause. How much should we prepare for gnawing and prying?

[velesdonnersen]

Gnawing, no. Prying and pulling and tugging and opening? Oh, yes.

[Walking the fence line.] Low place in the ground, here. I think... I think the word here is "rebar" to pound in and close off the hole? And gapping here, between posts. For that we may need chicken wire.

[ooeeooahah]

Hrmmm... for now, maybe. This summer, you might want to dig up a trench for some concrete blocks and rebar for the base.

[ Lowering her voice. ] Would be good cover for any excavating we need to do after the thaw.

[velesdonnersen]

[He nods agreement, then points along the way.] The fence post by the garage wall is set wide. That's another place we'll want to fill in.

[He contemplates the dog house.] That's too close to the fence, too: an actual full sized elephant can't rappel up walls using its trunk as an anchor, but the little fellas can: they're not so heavy in proportion to the strength of the trunk. All he has to do is find a way up to the roof, grab the upper cross bar of the fence, and pull himself up. I've even seen the little mimmoths use their tusks as pitons...

[ooeeooahah]

[ She digs in her pockets for the notepad and paper. Keeping her head down, someone would have to be very close to see the light blue glow around her eyes and the pencil as she makes notes. ]

The gate will need to be reworked, something wide enough for Perry to get the lawnmower through, but with a latch that will not yield to a curious trunk.

[ The measurements she is taking are only accurate to a centimeter, as she is being quick about it, avoiding the spaces where the children are. To an outsider, it might just look as if she is taking dictation. ]

[velesdonnersen]

[After the list is written, he says,]

Want to go to the hardware store with me? [grimace] We'll have to use the station wagon, which means I really ought to invite Not!Betty and the kids. But she'll say no. At the worst she'll want me to take Perry, and the poor kid won't be much trouble if he does go along. It's not like he gets much fun.

[ooeeooahah]

Sounds like an idea. I'd say ask her for her grocery list, if she wants to stay home, but I'd be tempted to add to it.

[ She looks up from her list, and gives a whistle to Florian, curious what he'll make of an imitation of his happy trumpeting tones. ]

[velesdonnersen]

I'll ask her in any case. [Sad] There's so little I can really do for her. The kids are another matter: I don't feel like I let them down very badly. I...make a better father than I thought I would.

But there's no way Mayfield, I, or Not!Betty herself allow me to be any kind of good husband.

[ooeeooahah]

You make an excellent alpha, even within the constraints of Mayfield.

[ She nods her head to the house. ]

C'mon, we're burning daylight.

[velesdonnersen]

[He nods, and soon he's sticking his head out the back door, calling,]

Ok. Meet me out front. I'm getting the station wagon out of the garage.

[ooeeooahah]

[ The four of them are waiting at the sidewalk, Ilsa holding on to Florian around his neck. When Tarvek stops the car, she loads the maximimmoth into the back as if she's been doing it for years. ]

What? It's not like he's heavy, and he needs a harness.

[velesdonnersen]

[Laughs]You are so much better at this "Mayfield suburbs" thing than I am.

Very well. Pet store first? So he's secure before we continue?

[ooeeooahah]

[ She glances at the back seat before answering. ]

Not like it was that much different.

[ No, she's not saying that it was normal except for the incubus father. ]

Need to make sure we've got everything for Florian that you'll need before nightfall.

[velesdonnersen]

[He nods, starts the engine, and proceeds to spin the dials on the radio before he pulls out. Soon they are listening to "Unchained Melody," and it is proven that maximimmoths can trumpet along...]

Florian! Quiet!

[Booo-woot, booo-wah...hoooooonk....]

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa is not helping, snickering at the musical pet. ]

Now if Quinn could hear this...

[velesdonnersen]

[Boooooo-booooo-hooook, hooooooooonk] ARG! [Tarvek flips the radio off.]

Sorry-sorry-sorry.

[From the back cargo section Florian gives one last pitiful little boop.]

Quinn can hear this some other time. In a less confined space.

[ooeeooahah]

[ Still snickering. ]

I know that The Lion Sleeps Tonight is one I want to hear him sing.

[velesdonnersen]

[Face lights. He's heard this at Quinns!]

Weemoweh-a-weemoweh
A-weemoweh-a-weemoweh
A-weemoweh-a-weemoweh

[Hooonk-hooooooooonk.]

{Tarvek starts laughing so hard he has to pull over to the curb.]

Florian *sings!*

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa is laughing enough she doesn't offer to take over driving. ]

[velesdonnersen]

[Just when Tarvek's starting to recover and get his breath back, Florian decides he's bored, and starts to "dance and hum" to himself to keep himself interested. Tarvek starts to giggle again.]

I should have named him "Fred Astaire." If I'd only known...

[ooeeooahah]

Come on, let's go - you can see if they have tap shoes at the pet store.