Nova works alongside Nine, falling into an easy rhythm with it. (And as it goes up, there a certain sense of satisfaction at being even a small part of this.)

He gives Daisy a small smile when she joins them.

She smiles back. "You're doing better today; I'm glad," she says, quietly.

He looks down a little, shy rather than avoiding. "M'trying."

"Good."

"I have something for you, for later when you have some time."

He blinks. "I- um, o-okay?" He doesn't quite seem to understand what she means by that.

"I'll show you when we take a break."

He nods, and looks to Pradnakt to see what needs doing next - if they're done with the bricks.

Almost, and then she declares it to be lunchtime, and Daisy goes in to get started on that.

"Good job, you two," she tells Nova and Nine.

He might not be used to praise, but he is responding positively to it, and this praise gets another shy smile. "Thank you, ma'am," he murmurs.

"You don't have to call me that, you know."

"I, um-" He blinks at his hands, shrugs. "You- hadn't. Said." (And he hadn't wanted to assume.)

"Ah. Well, now you know. You can call me Pradnakt, or Dusk if you'd like."

"I- o-okay," he agrees with a small nod. (Whether he'll remember that, is another question entirely.)

"All right. Let's go in and get washed up. Nine, are you coming?"

    "May I go see the artwork, instead?"

"Sure. Just stay on a path; I won't be able to find you very easily if you get lost. Did Daisy show you where they are?"

   "No, M- No. We didn't have time."

"All right. Well, that one's a good one to start with," she points.

   "Thank you," and he heads off that way.

Nova frowns a little, watches after Nine. "I-, uh, artwork?"

"Mmhmm. I make it; the piece in the front is one of mine. We can go have a look sometime, if you want."

"Oh," he says, eyes drifting in the direction of the aforementioned piece. "I- okay." (It is more thoughtful than anything else, and a little 'this isn't a decision I know how to make')

"I'll probably go anyway, if Nine wants to see them." She starts for the house. "Since some of them don't really make sense without an explanation."

He nods, and follows her quietly, thinking. (If it was happening anyway...)

Good.

She sends him to wash up, and then washes up herself; lunch is biscuits with lentil gravy. (Daisy wants to know where Nine is, but seems satisfied with Pradnakt's explanation.)

"So," Pradnakt says eventually, "we'll probably have your house ready by sundown, but it seems like you did really well last night with me; how would you feel about that as a regular thing, for now?"

He hesitates when she asks that. Tries to work through how he might feel about that.

It's definitely a positive feeling, even if it's somewhat confused. He's looking for a possible trap, but he can't deny that he slept better. (Can't deny that the...comfort, he gained from it.)

"I'd call that a tentative yes, at least. We'll set the cot up in your house anyway, though, so you have somewhere to go if it doesn't work out."

Nova relaxes a little at not actually having to find a proper answer to that. He nods. "I- as you-" he stops, thinks. "Okay" he agrees instead. (Having somewhere to go...does sound nice.)

"Good." And she goes back to eating.

He hesitates for a moment longer before continuing eating himself. Not that it takes too much longer before he's full again.