It doesn't take too long. "Oh! Thank you, Nova."

(He may get the impression that she's somehow not as surprised as she seems.)

He does get that impression, but it's not for him to be confused about why she is acting like that. And he has no idea what to do with the gratitude.

"I- you- it's the least I could do?"

"Well, I appreciate it." She takes the glass, drains it, and offers it back.

He takes it back, and just kind of...loiters, not entirely comfortable retaking his seat. He does sip at his own water.

She keeps working, and soon the layout is complete. "What do you think?"

He blinks at the question, looks, opens his mouth to answer and then shrugs. "I- it's- fine?"

"Yeah. It's only temporary, anyway, it's okay if you don't love it as long as there aren't any problems." She dusts her hands off on her pants and looks around. "You know what it could really use, though, is a fireplace. Over here, maybe?" She gestures to the space next to the door between the main room and the bedroom.

He blinks at that. (No-one let him anywhere near fire if they could help it.) "I- if you- think that's best?" (He's definitely trying to suppress his own desire for it there.)

"Mmhmm. It gets chilly here at night, and you'll want someplace to practice later."

He still can't quite wrap his head around being allowed to use his flames, nods anyway. "As you say," he says eventually.

She brings over another batch of bricks and lays out a circle intersecting the wall. "Much better. And that looks like a good place to stop for today. Do you want to do anything while Daisy makes dinner?"

"I- can help?" he offers quietly. (He's not sure how much of a help he can be, but.) He doesn't really have anything else he...wants to do?

"We can ask, I guess. If that's what you want to do."

He shrugs a little helplessly, not entirely sure what the right answer should be. "I- whatever- I don't- mind?" (He's pretty sure he's continuing to fail to make sense.)

"You're a guest, Nova; if you don't want to, you don't have to at all. Even if you wouldn't mind."

He blinks, shrugs, isn't sure how to respond to that - he's happy to help, he's been sat around all day, and that isn't right. He's not used to being asked to make decisions about what he does.

...yeah.

"How about we go for a walk, and you can let your fire out for a bit?"

He flinches slightly at that. But... But he does feel...Better, after letting his fire out. He nods cautiously. "I- please? If- that's- okay? And- if Daisy doesn't need help?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine. One sec." She goes over and signs to the droid, then gestures for Nova to follow and sets off.

He follows after her, staying at a 'respectful' distance (that happens to be just outside of arm's reach).

That's fine.

They haven't gone far when she lets the anti-fire effect fade.

For a moment, there's nothing, he's just stood there-

Then flames flicker over his hands, and he can't help but give the tiniest smile down at them.

She gives him a minute, and then walks on; there's a good spot to sit in the shade, a little ways further along.

He follows, continuing to watch the fire dancing on his fingers. It's at once familiar and soothing and utterly terrifying. He keeps waiting for Pradnakt to yell at him about it, because everyone yelled at him about it (except the librarian, and so far Pradnakt).

She doesn't yell; she doesn't even look. When they get to the spot she has in mind, she climbs up to the upper ledge, giving him some privacy on the lower one.