It's a nice library, especially for such a small town, with plenty of everything, but a focus on science and poetry, a well-appointed children's' section, a nice selection of music and holovids, and comfy chairs offering varying amounts of privacy.
Right now, though, it's closing time; the announcements have been made, the final checkout rush handled, and now the librarian is making one last check before she locks up for the night.
He hesitates, blinks down at the datapad a little more, thinks about it, and then gives a small nod.
Hug.
"You can wear it while we work, if you want, too. You don't even need to worry about being able to hear me, you've picked up enough sign for what we'll be doing this afternoon."
He leans a little into the hug.
"I- if you-" he pauses, takes a breath. "That's okay?"
"Of course. Here-" she plugs the headphones in and clips on the belt clip, a little awkwardly with only one hand, and passes it to him. "You're all set."
He gives her a small, shy smile, and attaches the datapad to his belt, reaches, hesitant again, for one of the discs, although he seems indecisive about which.
"This one's based on traditional Zabraki music, and this one's plain human classical. I expect they're both pretty good."
He still seems to basically choose at random, but does, and slots one of them home, before fixing the earphones so they won't be in the way while he's working. He doesn't put them in straight away, but looks to Pradnakt.
It's fine, Nova, she signs one-handed, giving him a squeeze with the other.
That gets another small smile and him finishing putting the earphones in, and starting the disc. It feels a bit weird, having something in his ears, and it'll take him a couple of tries to get the volume set right with them in. I'm ready? he signs when he's finished.
All right. Squeeze. Let's go.
Their task for the first part of the afternoon is getting the house wired for power, first running a line from the generator over to his house, then setting up outlets in each of the rooms. It's simple work, for him: fetching and carrying, mostly, or holding small parts so they don't get lost while she works, or holding wires in place while she fastens them to the brickwork; it's good to have the music to keep it from getting too boring.
Nine is a little late getting back; Pradnakt doesn't comment on that at all, or on the fact that the droids are still working on putting up the last few doors when they're done with the wiring.
Well, it's not like he doesn't have experience doing boring work without anything else to focus on, but the music is definitely a welcome addition.
He does watch a little cautiously when Nine comes back, and again when the droids are still working on the doors, but relaxes slightly when Pradnakt doesn't comment on it.
Next they finish the surface of the building; Pradnakt mixes up small batches of adobe mud for them to apply to the brickwork and smooth down with tools. She starts with the area around the front door, where she doodles an impromptu decorative curlicue on either side with a finger and then looks to see what Nova thinks of it.
And he probably doesn't have the sign for 'art' yet. Well, she tries it anyway.
He blinks in confusion. And (a little reluctantly) removes the headphones. He repeats the signs Pradnakt just used and then adds means?.
"Artwork." I thought you might like something nice on your house.
Instinct is to say 'whatever you think best'. But-
He stops what he's doing, and frowns at the ground. (Trying to figure out preferences after years of not being allowed them is difficult.)
It's pretty? he manages eventually. It's not quite a yes but it's definitely not a no.
Nova watches her for a second, before sliding his headphones back in and getting back to work himself.
Soon Daisy and Nine come out to help, too, and Pradnakt goes to show them what to do.
Soon after she's back to work, she comes to his bedroom window, and adds more curlicues on either side. Nine, working a little further down, pauses when he sees them, stops to think for a minute, and then starts adding crosshatching to the section of wall he's been working on.
Nova notices what Nine is doing, pauses his own work to watch for a moment, then resumes, not drawing any attention to it.
Pradnakt notices anyway, after a minute, and blinks, startled. She looks over to Nova to see if she can get his attention without going and interrupting him.
He seems to have been paying attention to her and when he feels her look to him, he looks back to her and tilts his head.
View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
