Kierra

Store brand emblazoned on the side, they do the same thing the guys who came with the shed did. Motioning they're going to turn and back in, I give them a salute in acknowledgment.

"Bastion, can you and Maii be on standby to help me with all the mud about to be brought in?"

He looks from the ground into the house with a scrunched up face before nodding. The other sectional is against the far wall with the small coffee table out of the way. Letting him go so he can go alert the coyote, I start directing the guys around.

"Alright, the rain has fully stopped so that will help even more but I want you guys around just in case they need help or start slipping. Also don't want them getting stuck when they go to leave. Think you can spread out without looking imposing?"

With my attempt to lighten things up, they all give assorted smiles and place themselves around. End up looking back to my door frame though with slight worry pinching my features.

"They should be able to get through, right? Not like it's one whole single piece."

"Well, how big ‘a one did you get?"

Xavier looks at me in mock criticism, so I give him a smirk.

"Had to be big enough for your ass, so it's pretty big. Thankfully though, it's not pink, red, and yellow."

Actually not sure if the pillows in the picture came with it, probably said in the description and I just read over it. Trying to picture it again, it would have at least four.

"I'm not actually sure how many pillows are going to be with it...wasn't paying attention to those. Bad enough I still have a habit of favoriting items that I'd love to get and can't because... Well, could probably get away with it now since I actually have the people to fill them. Those items, however, really wouldn't fit here."

Faline and I both did it and talked over some of the items we'd find, listing the pros and cons since it was just the two of us and a cat.

Cat.

Crap.

"Bastion, can you get Tigger into my room for me before those guys start coming in? Don't need him trying to be all lovey-dovey."

Hearing his voice from inside saying he's on it, I smile. Asher plants his butt next to me, acting like the proverbial guard dog. One of these days I'm going to have to learn to get used to it, I'm sure, but not today. Tapping the end of his nose, I let him know he doesn't have to stick around if he doesn't want to. He wants to. Of course he does. Anything to be a pain in my ass.

I get a large canine grin from him just as the truck backs up as close as possible. Can't get too close from the trees growing the way they do and big rigs aren't known to be very flexible, so since they can't bend, they're not very close. Probably would have been able to get up closer if the makeshift garage weren't there. Oh well.

Only issue is the mud, and it can be cleaned up easily. Laying a hand between large black ears, my nails tease into the fur while watching the strangers come out and do their thing. Three guys, they must travel in packs. Were there three last time? I can't recall, and I'm not making hot chocolate this time. They should be glad I'm being civil at all.

With a laughing wolf at my side, I wave and smile as they come up. Immediately a picture of a cat pops in. Lynx or bobcat, with his coloring it could be either really, since Were-animals tend to be bigger anyway.

Pushing away the scents that are digging into my nose, the WereCat is clearly tensing, having come to a den of canines. Granted there's a cat that lives here, but isn't right now, is beside the point. Catching his dark eyes, my head inclines with a small easy-going smile. Faline is the calming one, not me, but I try my best and hope I don't chase him off.

Might also explain my lack of dating, you think? Nah. A stray thought from the black wolf beside me is caught; grumbling that I don't need to be dating. His ear gets pinched.

Signing some electronic papers, I ignore the laughing eyes at my bare feet. Actually forgot they were bare. Shows how much I've been paying attention. Big cat comes closer to get a sniff, then goes back to the opening truck.

I don't take offense. Can just imagine the hostile people they've had to deal with, and it's still pretty early.

"Where do you want it?"

Motioning him to follow me, he eyes Asher.

"Don't worry, if he bites, he's getting snipped."

Making the finger scissors with a grin, I get multiple looks of horror. Laughing warmly, I try to not think of how it looks with a single female and four adult males. I lead him in and show him where and how I want it.

Oh God... I need to scrub my brain.

Mentally I try to do so as Asher gives his warm mind-belly laughs. The sound of belly laughter, just in my head.

"So that's why none of us have had any luck, you want pussy. Literally."

My face lights up instantly as I gape at him openly. His thoughts had gone out to every animal, so everyone hears him. Even the WereCat blushes before darting back out.

"You. Are. So. Dead."

Stepping toward him in threat, he moves out of the way, running out the back with his amusement trailing with him. I send him a visual of a shaking fist as he hightails it. Stepping out front doesn't help, my face refusing to stop glowing as every canine here openly laughs at me.

Human males look a little confused, but their cat buddy just shakes his head at them with a small smile. I hear them ask if he knows us, he waffles a hand back and forth. Well, not lying. He doesn't know us specifically, but he knows what we are.

Since he's a feline, not sure I have much threat coming from him. Only emotions I'd picked up were his obvious embarrassment and wariness. Have no intention of harming any of them, but I know trying to put it to voice can make things worse.

After bringing in the carpet, they ask if I want them to lay it out or do it after. Looking at all the mud, I let 'em know I'll do it. They apologize for the mess, but I wave it aside with a smile.

"My fault for not putting in more stone."

The outside walkway is actually decorative stone, just can't be seen with all the mud, dead leaves and pine needles around. I'm not ridiculous about keeping the path clean, never usually use it anyway; it was here when I bought the place. Not wanting to drench the ground in salt to prevent ice, I just leave the foliage over it to make it less likely for water to pool and allow it... If that makes sense. Did to me when I originally thought about it.

One of the movers keeps making conversation with me, not sure what his deal is till I catch a whiff of his sweat when he comes too close. Think someone is misreading the situation here, so I move farther out of the way and plant my butt on the railing. There, still around so as not to be rude, but not close enough to make anymore easy chitchat.

Pulling my legs up, I cross them and lean back onto the pillar. The ice that had formed has made it and the railing slightly damp, but it's no biggy. Casually watching them as they bring in several pieces, I relax a little more.

Xavier gives me a raised eyebrow at all the items so I give him an innocent grin and shrug. Smaller pieces means it gets through doorways easier. WereCat seems to be the leader of the group, calling me in and pointing out the small niches on the pieces that allow for dismantling and putting back together.

Detachable yet still able to become one long piece that won't move unless someone runs and jumps onto it. Sadly I can see that happening, so I ask about the knobby feet of it scratching on the wood floors. Just by the look he gives me lets me know that my floor is going to be scratched all to hell.

He suggests getting those little coaster-like things made for larger objects to be moved around easier. Problem is, I don't want it to move, but the coasters will lessen scratches made. Decisions decisions.

His flirty buddy is pushing his luck though. Having heard me asking about the scratching and moving pieces, he again takes things wrong, making sexual innuendos whenever he thinks his buddies can't hear him or seem innocent enough to be said in front of them.

Dude is going to get hurt, if not from me then by one of the males around also hearing it. While talking to the leader cat, I look him dead in the face and whisper into his head.

"You, I won't harm, but your buddy is pushing his luck. He seems to have figured out everything that goes on here and he couldn't be further from the truth. I'm sure your nose can tell you that, let alone how diverse critters here are."

His eyes widen in alarm, but he quickly looks down so his expression isn't seen by his friends. Head pointed down, his eyes swing back up and he speaks low.

"How did you do that? You aren't in form for it."

Since my hair has clustered into the thicker curls that it likes to do, locks laying over my shoulders, I casually reach up and lay a finger over a silver streak, tapping it till recognition dawns. Smiling, I incline my head. Not hiding any longer, so telling him is no skin off my nose.

"That's why they're here. Protecting you."

I scowl at that before sighing. Pretty sure that's what they think they're doing, so I shrug. Annoyance clear on my face.

"Didn't think a feline would know anything about it, really. I apologize."

He looks confused for a moment but pushes it aside. Head coming back up as he looks to be casually talking.

"Probably wouldn't have, but there's a lot of rumors flying around these days. Just about every Were-animal in the city that isn't a wolf has been questioned by them about seeing...well...you."

Nodding, I motion to his small paper pad. Giving it to me, I write down my number and hand it back, just signing it as Silver as I had with the Red Wolf Alpha. He looks at it confused.

"I'd like to hear the rumors going around, but now isn't the time. You're the first feline I've come across that isn't fanged and on perpetual PMS. There a Pack you belong to in the city?"

He shakes his head. Not surprising, both bobcats and lynx tend to be solitary.

"Alright, give me a call sometime so I can pick your brain."

I grin to let him know it's a joke, so he gives me a lopsided smile in return. Looking over just in time to see his buddy look annoyed, having seen me slip over a piece of paper that I'd obviously written on, I let out a small groan. Seems whatever he sees me doing is misread all to hell. Clearing my throat, I look back to the cat.

"Think I may have caused some friction between you and your friend. Again I apologize, especially if he is the type to assume his own stories instead of listening to what's really there."

He sighs as well, giving a curt nod. Since everything has been brought in, there's no reason for them to stay. Each piece had been brought in still wrapped in plastic.

They'd cut open the sides so they could connect everything, but most of the plastic is still attached. Some pieces were dropped down so they walked on it instead of the floor. I appreciate the effort.

Just to try and smooth things over between the males leaving, I snag the flirt before he can step off the porch. He looks back with an annoyed look that he tries to hide behind professionalism.

"Feel I have to clear something up here. The males here? They're visiting cousins for the holiday. My sister isn't here at the moment, but there's more than one female living in this house. You saw me pass my number, yes, but for friends we have in common, not for a date. I'm sorry you got that vibe from those here, I just wanted to clear that up before you go."

None of it was that much of a lie, just skirting around truths. Depending on the type of person he is will now show by his reaction. At first, he doesn't look like he believes me, but then he starts blushing.

Guess it sounded honest enough. I pat him on the back and send him off, telling him no worries. A sheepish grin is given before he takes off. I heave a heavy sigh and slump my shoulders.

"I get demoted to cousin? That doesn't sound fair."

Narrowing my eyes, I point at the maned wolf threateningly. Don't know what I'll do, but I'll think of something.

"Alright, if you guys want to see it, shoes off."

With that, I turn and go back in. Have to move the middle piece out so I can get the rug rolled out to lay in the center space. It feels funny, but it is kinda nifty.

Doesn't quite look like the advertised picture, but that's not surprising. Rolling it out, the tufted brown pieces need to be fluffed a bit so they're not flat. Can hear the guys come in behind me making assorted appreciative sounds.

"First rule: No shoes on this rug. Want to keep it nice as long as possible. Why? Because I said. Besides, unless you new guys have some seriously funky feet, everyone is usually barefoot."

I get chuckles as they help peel off the rest of the plastic. Bastion and Maii had been keeping up with the mud build-up, so there isn't too much on the porch either. I give each a hug and a thank you which has them both blushing. D'aw.

"Since you guys did all the work, you get to sit on it first."

Both grin and take off for it. In the shape of a blocky ‘U’, the left long side goes almost the whole length of floor space from bookshelf to bookshelf on the wall. Not up against the wall, there's about a two-foot gap between the back of it and the wall bookshelves.

The bottom of the ‘U’ has the same distance between the back of it and the outer wall and bookshelf. The right side of the ‘U’ is the wider section that isn't fully covered by backing, also only about half the length of the opposite side. Once the rug is in place in the inside area, the footstool-like piece is put in the middle of it. Almost directly centered. Sweet.

Once the boys are all comfortable I motion the guys onto it. It did indeed come with throw pillows, about a dozen of the damn things. Many are a smaller size with the larger ones being the main focus for the center ‘corners’.

A dark forest green that's that felt-like material, I purposefully avoided leather. The middle rug, once all fluffed out, does kind of resemble fallen leaf ground cover.

While they get all cozy, I move my original couch over. Not too close, but basically having it fill the space as a large square of furniture in the room. Asher's end of it gets pointed towards the large end of the green.

Leaves a space of about four feet between their edges. The longer part of the ‘L’ points towards the back wall, it also has a couple foot span between its back and the bookshelves on the inner wall. The small, out of place, round carpet and coffee table get situated back with the brown sofa like it had been before.

Nice and cozy without being too crowded. Until bodies are piling up, then it might be a little cluttered. Can't wait to see Faline's face when she sees it.

Catching a smaller pillow out of the air as it comes flying at me, surprise lights up my face. Surprise, yet wicked cool. Turning, they all look innocent, but I know Xavier's antics by now. Flipping it over, I fling it much like a frisbee back at him. He catches it just as easily as I had.

"You are many things, Xavier, but innocent isn't one of them."

He gives hurt-face as Bastion giggles at him, but when the boy looks away I see the very not innocent glint in the man’s eyes. Dog. Even whisper it into his head. He clutches a hand over his heart, giving the whole act of being wounded.

Rolling my eyes, I ask him if he's explained the set-up below to the blue and purple-headed wolves. He nods, having told them when their stuff was taken to the basement. Good. I'm tired, but I want to get some painting done.

I close and lock the door, letting them all know that Asher had gone out, probably to hunt. The eagerness on Shade and Zypher's faces is apparent and very obvious.

"You're welcome to go out at any time, just be aware if you're out when everyone's asleep, you might end up staying out for a while. When you get back, straight to the shower before you go anywhere else."

Again sound like an old marm, but eh. Maii looks out the open back door, also eager. I tell him he can go too if he wishes, he isn't a prisoner. He should know that already, but he's still wary.

Looks torn between wanting to go out and spend more time here. Bastion talks him into going, promising he won't touch the puzzle while he's gone. Smiling, he bobs his head and heads below as well.

"You going out too, mutt?"

"You've turned into a rude little thing, haven't you?"

I snort at him.

"I've always been rude, if you haven't seen that by now then you're seriously blind, buddy."

He pouts at me but shakes his head to the going out, rubbing at his neck again.

"Does it hurt?"