Do you want to keep that? she points.

He looks over again and then shrugs. Don't mind? he responds. Looks at Nine. Think it makes him happy to do it?

It's your house, though.

He nods slowly (that's still a mildly alien concept). Really don't mind either way? This seems to be a genuine feeling. And- if he wants to- He pauses. Isn't sure how to word the next bit. (That it's kind of nice having something on this (his) house because Nine chose to do it.)

She shrugs. All right.

She goes and talks to Nine anyway, just briefly, but when she returns to her work he goes back to crosshatching.

He blinks a little, wondering if that was the wrong answer somehow. But when Nine continues crosshatching, he goes back to his own work with a small smile on his face.

Yeah, all right.

They finish the outside of the house, then get to work on the inside. We can color this, later, she tells Nova, when they have a spare moment.

He blinks, nods, signs, Okay. (But again with the lack of comprehension as to why he's being told that.)

You can pick the colors yourself, or ask one of us to pick.

He nods, a little more thoughtfully this time, but still a little bit lost. Understood, he signs instead of 'okay'. I'll...think about it?

Okay. There's no rush.

He nods again, managing a smile at her.

She smiles back, and gets back to work.

She sends Daisy in to make dinner when they start on the final room, and the sun is low in the sky by the time they finish it. Good job, guys.

That gets another small smile, and a feeling of not-yet-identified-pride.

Let's go get dinner. Nine, do you want to come?

    I'll go look at the art some more, if that's okay?

Sure, go ahead.

Nova watches the conversation, and then heads back towards the main house - he doesn't actually pause to wait for Pradnakt this time.

Good. Very good.

Daisy has dinner waiting for them: creamy potato soup with garlic bread and salad.

He gives Daisy a small smile, and inhales - it smells good. He switches the datapad off, and unhooks the headphones, and takes it off to set carefully on the table while they're eating.

He still chooses to sign his gratitude to Daisy.

You're welcome, she signs back, obviously pleased, and brings the food over; Pradnakt only serves herself, this time, and then offers him the soup ladle.

He takes it a little cautiously, and serves himself - it's less than what Pradnakt or Daisy might've put on his plate, but he's still worrying a little about not finishing meals. (And there's conflicting thoughts - 'better to go hungry than waste' warring with a slightly stronger 'they'll let me have more if this isn't enough'.)

Pradnakt nods - approvingly, if not quite happily - and offers the salad tongs and plate of garlic bread in turn before starting on her meal.

Today really went well - it seems like making sure you have something to do and being careful not to overwhelm you really help, yeah?

He takes a little of both, and starts eating himself. The food is nice, although the garlic bread has him reaching for another piece before he's finished everything on his plate he enjoys it that much (with a brief, cautious look to Pradnakt, just to make sure it is okay).

He nods slowly in agreement, and smiles a little wider. Good being... he hesitates, trying to find the right sign, settles on: to be doing things.

She grins and nods encouragingly, when he goes for another piece of garlic bread.

"Busy?" she offers the sign. Yeah. There's not that much work around here, though. We'll have to find you a "hobby" - something to do because you like it, not because it needs to be done.

It's not quite the word he was looking for, but- It'll do. He nods, and repeats the sign to himself, testing how it feels to sign.

I like helping, he points out quietly. The animals, and the garden?

We could expand the garden. But even with a bigger one I'm not sure there will be enough for you and Daisy both, she's the same way. There's plenty of things you could try if you want a useful hobby, though.