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

[velesdonnersen]

[Snorts.] Drones. What can you do? It's not their fault they're stuck with basic programs and nothing more.

[He leans over and picks up Florian, and hugs him. Suddenly his eyes are bashful, and he looks even younger than he really is.]

They're right about one thing, though. He's mine. Isn't he?

[She can hear the faint trace of uncertainty, as though he's never been quite sure whether he'll manage to hold on to what he has...or keep who he loves. Then Florian wriggles and starts searching Tarvek's shirt pockets, apparently looking for treats.]

Erk. Raisins. He wants raisins. I'll have to see if Not!Betty has raisins...

[ooeeooahah]

Fruits are easy enough to get here - it's the hay I'd be worried about.

[ It took decades to build that uncertainty into his makeup, and Ilsa sighs inwardly that it will take more than just a few months to turn that around. ]

[velesdonnersen]

This one's an easy solve. He's small: lawn clippings, greens from the grocery store, carrots and other root vegetables, and rolled oats ought to provide a good start.

I wonder if I can teach him to use cat litter?

[He's grabbing up a pitcher of orange juice from the refrigerator, dumping muffins into a bread basket, and tucking in butter and honey. When finished he smiles at Ilsa, whistles for Florian, and heads out the door into the back yard.]

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa sighs, glad that she had warm clothes for today. Another reminder, she spoke up as they were in the back yard, watching Florin wuffle through the snow. ]

You know more how devious or curious he's likely to be, but I'll help you secure the house this weekend. Then we can get back to finishing your lair.

[ She nudges him playfully. ] Gonna need the closet space, the way you keep making clothes for me.

[velesdonnersen]

Look! He's making a snow-burrow!

He's pretty curious. Capable of devious, too.

[Smiles, fondly.]

A lair. Lord, I miss having a lair.

You can have all the closet space you like, leibchen. It will just encourage me to design more clothes for you.

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa leans against him, aware of the drones inside beginning to stir. ]

You need your own work-spaces, out of the traffic patterns. Having everything in the garage means the drones can get into everything.

The tunnels should be done in the spring. [ She smiles. ] The closet in the corner of your basement bedroom is just the icing.

[velesdonnersen]

[He smiles. The truth is that living in Mayfield keeps stretching his understanding of the world. Having a place of his own, for example: in Sturmhalten he had rooms in the palace, but the palace wasn't "his," and never would have been in many ways: it belonged to the family for posterity. A job? He would have had position, and rank, and hard work that needed doing, but he would never have had the fascinating luxury of going to a day job, coming home in the evening, and just...being free. No duties, no life-long oblications, no plots, no schemes, no way to "take over the world." Not even a clear way to "show them all."]

[He slips his arm around Ilsa, and smiles.]

You'll have to help me plan it, schatzi.

[Suddenly he shivers, not in fear or stress, but with blinding contentment. The best of both worlds is possible.]

Oh. I can decorate it like the palace back home. Roi d'Orage era furniture, tapestries, paneling... I'll get a poster bed with brocade curtains.

You're going to like this, love. I'll drown you in luxury...

[ooeeooahah]

Definitely will make is easier to figure out where we are when I wake up. [ Using a teasing tone, ] I didn't realize you didn't' care for the modernist theme.

[velesdonnersen]

[One eyebrow raises, and the look on his face is sardonic at best.]

There are elements to admire. The better stuff -- the pieces you call "Danish Modern" -- are handsome in a rather stark manner. But the majority of the furniture here is of cheap materials which have been poorly assembled, using heavy-handed machinable decorative motifs to disguise the tawdry material and workmanship.

Love... "Formica"? Steel and aluminum? And the "Colonial" look? What colony ever had upholstery with wagon wheels printed on it?

No. I miss good wood, sound structure, and I would not mind the occasional bit of carving or a touch or two of gilt-work. And...

Love, velvet is *nice.* I *like* velvet.

[He sounds a touch forlorn.]

Gold braid isn't bad, either, you know. A bit hard to clean. But it's *shiny.*

[ooeeooahah]

Ah, 'bibiiiii... you really haven't been teased enough.

[ Ilsa checks on Florin's progress in the burrow. ]

He isn't able to dig under the fence, is he?

[velesdonnersen]

I've been more "tormented" than "teased." Though..

[Sad]

My older sister, Anevka used to tease me. Even her...

Anyway. No. I haven't been teased much. And what Violetta thought was teasing usually left bruises. And broken ribs.

[Considers Florian.]

He probably could, in theory. I hear that elephants in India can excavate, using tree branches. But I don't think he would dig out. He's not like a dog, always wanting to see what's under the earth, in case he can chase it, bark at it, or bite it.

[ooeeooahah]

That's a relief. I know how to get a fence dog-proof, even in this time-frame, but it's messy and expensive.

[ Her tone flattens, slightly. ]

The drones are downstairs. I think your "wife" may be slightly annoyed.

Hard for me to tell.

[velesdonnersen]

We can go in, or I can tell the family we're going to do some work.

Which would you like?

[ooeeooahah]

[ She's trying. Really, she is. But it's still a little early in the morning for her to deal with the passive-aggressive jabs she's been getting from Tarvek's assigned mate. She's also wanting coffee before facing the empty spots that the drones represent. ]

I'll watch Florian while you warn them about the new member of the family.

[velesdonnersen]

[He nods. He's kiss her if this were not Mayfield, in public, with Not!Betty watching through the kitchen window.]

Ok. Want me to bring anything with me when I come back out?

[ooeeooahah]

Coffee?

[ Rather hopefully asked, as she takes the last of the muffins from the basket to share with the maximimmoth. ]

[velesdonnersen]

[Nods] I'll fix it the way you like it, liebchen.

A wrap? I think you have a spare sweater in my closet.

[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...