Kierra

I had to work with Maii on doing crap like that. When he first came here, he was so scared of me that not only would he not really look at me, but he'd kept dropping to his knees whenever in human form. Faline had helped me, having to do the same with him when they had met.

"Are you going to keep collecting the strays of the world?"

Asher's amusement is tinged with something else, but as soon as it's there it's gone again. His low whispers play in my head.

"They keep finding me, not the other way around."

"Yes, but you keep them. I have yet to be able to drive out the last adult you brought in."

My sudden laughter in the near silence has Maii jumping up and shifting immediately. Whoops.

"Oh, Maii, I'm sorry. Blame Asher, he's being mean."

The small, white-masked coyote peeks out from inside the shirt he had on, the visual so cute I burn it into my brain to sketch out later. My fingers itch to hold pencil or brush.

"Does he do that often?"

Zypher sounds amused as he watches white-tipped ears pop out of the bottom hem. Sable-colored with lots of black on his back, white underparts as well as his ear tips and the almost skull-looking mask on his face. Bastion helps him out with a smile and picks up the clothes afterward.

"Sort of. He's really skittish. From what I understand about Shifters is until they reach their twenties, they have issues with controlling their shifting. Maii doesn't speak, so none of us know much about where he came from or how old he is. I'm guessing late teens though."

Shade looks over at him curiously while asking a question that kind of irks me.

"You took in someone you know nothing of, who doesn’t speak, and doesn't have control of themselves?"

Crossing my arms and running my eyes down him when he looks back at me, my scowl is very evident.

"Took you in, didn't I? What do I know about you? Seems you have no control of your rudeness, and you rarely talk either."

The shame and embarrassment crossing his face as he drops his eyes makes me feel a little guilty. Using someone's emotions against them like that is a terrible thing to do. Still only a few feet from me, I go up to him and touch his arm.

"I'm sorry. When I get defensive I don't have much control of my mouth either."

I give a crooked smile, hoping he sees my sincerity. Seems to when he returns the expression. Looking over both of them again, I try to figure out what they did before coming to me.

Zypher is a couple inches over six-foot with thick shoulders and a muscular build pegging him as someone physical. Both are tanned and tattooed, hadn't seen it at first with their coats on. Both are wearing jeans, boots, and t-shirts too.

Shade is also muscular but in a much slimmer way. His shoulders wide, but not as wide as his brother’s, and looks to be six-foot exactly. With their attitudes, they could really have been anything, yet the tattoos throw me off.

"So just what did you guys do before coming here?"

I ask, but I'm focused on their ink. I have a thing for tats, what can I say. Have a few of my own that end up covered most of the time. Which was kind of the point since for the longest time there the job market was all 'showing tattoos is taboo' bullshit. A smirking older bro is who answers me.

"We moved around up north quite a bit. Most recently I was a bouncer at a club that Shade bartended at. He may be shy, but when put behind a bar, he becomes a totally different person. That’s how we ended up being at the bar today. We didn’t know you were there, we were looking for work."

Nodding, my eyes go to Shade’s sky blue ones, his blush looking adorable on such a dominant appearing male. Complete personality change, interesting. Should have figured those lines for Zypher, he has that look about him.

"Do you have anything you need to get from somewhere?"

They both nod, so I look out the window again then back to Xavier.

"Feel like driving? Rain has slowed way down."

He smiles and jumps up. Knew he would, seems to like driving the jeep, although I pictured him more as a motorcycle guy. Gathering coats back up, they head out.

"Don't forget to drop the tape off to Benjamin."

"Aye' aye Cap'n."

Dude is older than Asher by quite a few years yet acts like you'd expect a twenty-year-old to. I need to get a dart gun for moments like this. He just gets waved out instead.

Since it warmed up quite a bit from hours before with all the snow, I leave the door open. Tigger might go out to the porch, but with it raining, that's as far as he'll go. Maii is coming out from the bathroom all dressed again, looking a little sheepish. I give him a warm smile. Asher lays his head back down, eyes dropping to doze.

Grabbing up the papers that need to be filled out for the boys to go to school, I fill out as much as possible, asking them a few just in case they might know, like allergies or health problems. As far as Bastion knows he doesn't have any of either, and Maii shrugs. Very helpful.

I'll be very happy when he learns to write, it’ll make things a lot easier to answer. Only takes at most ten minutes to get 'em finished and put up on the fridge in a clip. Don't need them getting lost in the mess that has become the desk.

While the boys go back to their puzzle, I get back on the computer to check just how much I have in the bank. Last good shopping trip took a big gouge out of it. With all the people I seem to keep 'collecting', as Asher would put it, another couch is needed.

Since the television hasn't been getting used, the question comes up of unplugging and putting it against the back wall, flush to the bookshelf. Flatscreen and stand aren't all that big or wide, so should work. Don't see myself doing much reading anytime soon, so having some shelves blocked isn't that big a deal.

The animal encyclopedias that I had taken down for the Imp get left on the coffee table now so he can read through them, any other books I'd need for anything are put elsewhere as well. Might need to stick a sheet or something over the television so it doesn't reflect light everywhere.

Dreading opening the account page, I do it quickly. My eyes widen, then narrow as I look at the balance. That isn't right, it should be way lower. Pursing my lips, I grab my phone and text a certain Vampire.

Sending the question of him dropping money into my account, I feel conflicted about it. It's blood money, but money is money in this world. If you really think about it, all currency is gotten by blood in one way or another.

During my wait for his reply, I bring up another tab and start looking through cheap but real sturdy couches. Another ‘L’ shaped one would be good, but I think I need something bigger since everyone but me is over seven-foot. Major exaggeration there, but that's what it feels like most days.

The reply comes, and I frown at first at the response, but then just shake my head with a small lip lift. His wink face response kinda says it all. Small emoji of rolling eyes gets sent back, shortly followed by a thank you.

For there to be that much in my account, he's had to have been slipping it in since we first talked about this whole mess. Considering he's not supposed to be doing it, period, not counting human laws here, Benji could get in deep shit if he's found out. I know he'd cover up where the cash is going, so I don't have to worry about that, but I still do anyway.

Out of curiosity, I bring up the ones I made for Bastion and Maii. Sure enough, both of them are larger as well. Bastion's being moreso since his is older. Faline's has been added to as well.

When stealing money from major players like that, you only want to do small amounts at a time so it isn't noticeable. Really only get caught if they have very attentive whoever's looking after them. Small amounts usually get counted off as either little bank mistakes or one of their own siphoning and stealing from the collective. Least that's what I think, I could be totally wrong.

Closing bank pages out, I go couch shopping. Still plan on going cheap, but if sturdy is wanted, it won't be that cheap. Looking up a used one does not sound appealing at all when you'd be bringing in other people’s funk. Even without super noses, it would be obvious.

Spending a couple minutes on yet another tab looking through pictures, I finally find what the couch is called that I'm looking for. Feel pretty stupid for not already knowing it when I own one. ‘Sectional sofas’. Have to get up and retrieve measurements real quick, getting weird looks from sleepy ocean eyes that I ignore. I look for immediate delivery as well. The biggest problem I'm gonna have is my OCD kicking in when mud gets tracked in. Can't be helped and I know that, but that doesn't stop the craziness from rearing its head.

A white couch is also not a good idea. Slipping a look over to the giant black mass that has covered the end with not only his scent but small tufts of very black fur... The couch itself is a darker shade of some kind of brown, yet still shows all the shedding. Yeah, anything white is a no-go. Would be anyway when you call into account an orange tabby, a spotted and striped ocelot, and my painting. That last one is a big one as I don't always realize I have wet paint on me when I plop down. So even though it's mostly brown, it does have a spattering of other colors.

Picturing in my head of how things need to be moved around, I pick out one that is a close color to what I have, but then change my mind when I see the dark green one. I think it'd look okay, but I'm no interior decorator. Meh.

Shaped more as a squared ‘U’, just with one side a little shorter. That end doesn't have much back to it so it looks like a bigger cushion. Also comes with one of those pieces that I think started out as a footrest but morphed into its own large sitting spot.

For shits and giggles, I also get an area rug for it too. Weird looking shag thing that looks like leafy ground cover; a 'Safavieh Handmade Decorative Rio Shag Natural Area Rug'. Quite a fancy mouthful for a multiple brown-colored area shag, but whatever.

I think it'll look good with the green and brown couches, but again, I'm no decorator. Once ordered and paid for, immediate delivery requested since it’s local, which of course raises price - it's in transit. Woot. Now to move stuff out of the way.

Hope they're able to get through the front door...would really suck if they couldn't. I'll be all sad-faced. Having sent an email out earlier to the Rockford Art Gallery director, I check for a response. Nothing yet. Kinda figured, it's still pretty early.

Might be why delivery had cost so much. Oh well. Putting the computer on standby, I get up and start moving things. Asher grumbles when I make him move. It wasn't necessary, I just felt like annoying him. So of course in retaliation, he goes in and starts rolling around on my bed. Not like I've been using it, so go right ahead. Not hurting me none.

Definitely going to have to cover the television screen. Changing my mind, since I don't want it getting knocked into on accident, the whole T.V. and stand setup gets wheeled into my room. Asher is all up on my pillows, having moved them to the center of the bed where he's laying on them.

"Talk about a pampered pooch..."

My jab just gets a snort. The stand is moved to the wall behind the door, pushed into the corner. Just enough space between the end of it and where the door would go if opened all the way. It never is, but better safe than sorry.

Once the ‘L’ sofa is moved to its new spot with the coffee table pushed aside for now, the small rug under its feet going with it, the back door is opened. The easel goes out and gets set up after checking to make sure the rain isn't blowing towards the porch. Don't want to start anything with it yet though, since when I start I'm not going to stop.

Having totally spaced out, I tell the boys that a new couch is coming. I know Asher can hear me, so I don't bother going back to tell him. Grabbing some juice then plopping down with my sketchbook, I lose myself.