Nathan gives Mendez a thumbs up as he clearly has it under control. However, when Mendez turns back and speaks, Nathan perks a curious eyebrow to him that is accompanied by a dumb smirk on his face. "Sure thing," he says, following the glance Leah's way. He breathes a laugh and gives her a gentle elbow to the side. "And so the tables have turned," he muses. "He can give as good you can, clearly."
#Leah'sHouse – September 27, 2020
Sofia smiles kindly to Tara, a reassuring look to ease any concern that the young woman may have lingering about the skirt. She turns to Mendez as he begins his approach, her smile now directed at him. "Hello!" She greets cheerfully, just before she is interrupted by the sounds of Zoe. And it is at that point that Sofia's heart melts for the adorable little creature. "Awwwww," she coos, extending a hand to give the gzzk a
Mendez offers a stern dip of his head in response to the greeting. "Sofia." he greets in turn, the young woman not having been forgotten since the wedding. "Little bird." he adds as his attention shifts to Tara and he sets his bag of presents down beside the tree. He doesn't take the extra time to remove the gifts and set them neatly beneath the tree. That would require a little more effort than he can afford given the state of his
arm. But despite still bearing some scars from their battle with House Bar'adon, he seems to be in high spirits. Well, as high as they get for him, anyway. "Merry Christmas." he offers the pair in that usual deep, monotone voice of his. The chirp of an unfamiliar critter causes his eyes to dart to the floor, brows perking up slightly. "I take it this is Zoe?" he asks, Leah having already bombarded him with far more adorable
Leah rocks gently in place from the elbow prod, nose scrunching up in mock annoyance. "Quiet, Spark." she teases, putting some added flair to the nickname he admitted to her. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"
Tara nods her head slightly. "Merry... Christmas." she replies hesitantly, sounding unsure whether that's the correct reply. Zoe's interruption and the subsequent question from Mendez causes her to look down at the small, blue creature, which looks like it might be about to pounce his leg. She nods again in confirmation and crouches down to join Sofia in reassuring the gzzk. "It's ok, Zoe, he's nice." she says, voice soft and patient as
she pets the nervous critter. She shoots a glance up towards Mendez and then scoops Zoe up into her arms, standing up again and adjusting her hold to bring the gzzk up closer to the towering man so it can have a closer look, one hand scratching its neck soothingly. "It's ok." she repeats in a whisper to the gzzk before looking back to Mendez.
Nathan squints at her. "Whatever side is winning," he replies, reaching over to press a finger against her forehead and rock her back with a smirk. "And the fact that Mendez got you all flustered like that, makes me think that it's his side I want to be on now. Because whatever he's got to tell me is going to be funny. As. Hell." He gives her a mischievous wink as he steps away, putting his arms out to the side and
Sofia shuffles back to let Tara scoop up the gzzk, before standing up and, once again, straighten out her skirt. She smiles up to Mendez. "Merry Christmas," she responds, before she glances back to Tara. "She's a mischievious little angel. And adorable to boot," she says to Mendez, having already reached over to give Zoe some more scritches on the head.
Mendez allows the smallest of smirks to tug at the edge of his mouth from Tara's assurances to the small creature. Even if he doesn't quite show it, there's still something reassuring about it all. Tara hanging out around the Christmas tree, celebrating the holidays in an ugly sweater as music and the smell of dinner fills the house. There's just something so... normal about it. And that was exactly what they fought for. To give
her 'normal'. Maybe 'normal' isn't something one should need to fight for, but life isn't always fair and, seeing her here like this, there's not a broken or bruised bone in his body that regrets fighting for this. He lifts his good arm, hesitantly bringing his hand up towards the curious creature to give it a chance to sniff him out, as animals tend to do.
Leah's head lulls back lazily from the prod and she's quick to turn to better face Nathan. "Traitor! He's just trying to get you riled up." she lies through still-reddened cheeks that probably give her away. But his challenge is met with a playful, light shove, right to the fluffy reindeer nose.
Zoe hesitates, shrinking back against Tara a little, but after a few more quiet reassurances the gzzk's head extends forward, ears standing curiously as it sniffs Mendez' hand. It's head soon turns to the side and it gives him a lick.
Tara smiles from behind the blue furball as she watches. "This is Mendez. He's our friend." she explains, leaning her head to the side a bit to study the gzzk, continuing to hold it up to give it a chance to get used to him.
Nathan dramatically staggers back, a laugh escaping him. "If anything, you're the one who's getting riled up!" He's quick to disengage from the furious Leah, motioning to the scene of the giant teddy bear known as Mendez being giving an affectionate lick by the small, nervous gzzk. "He looks as cool as a cucumber. So, like I said. His side."
Sofia makes a little more room for the gzzkit and Mendez to interact, finding something about this giant goliath of a man petting this dainty little creature, adorable. She merely smiles and shoots a glance towards Leah and her brother, her eyes squinting at the latter. She mouths something along the lines of, 'Behave, you turd.'
Nathan manages to just catch his sister's look and gives her a shrug, a look of faux innocence etched upon his face and a silent reply. 'I'm not doing anything!'
Mendez' hand remains in place as he allows the gzzk a few moments to get accustom to him before hazarding to lift his thumb and give Zoe a stroke along the top of its head, far more gentle than befitting a man of his size. "I saw our snowman." he says absently, his focus remaining on the small blue creature as he speaks. "What do you say we work on getting him a new head after dinner?" he asks, eyes briefly turning from the gzzk
Leah gives a furrow of her brow. "Wha-... no I'm not!" she snorts defiantly in an attempt at dismissing his assertion. "If he's a cucumber, then I'm-..." she stammers, opens her mouth to continue, then quickly closes it. Nose scrunches up in frustration and she quickly shoots a glance off towards the trio by the tree to see who Nathan is mouthing his defense to. When she realizes it's Sofia, she's quick to mouth her
counter-attack to Nathan's defenses. Unfortunately, it seems that inaudible rambles are possible, too, and it's unlikely that Sofia is able to get much from the constant, silent movement of her lips. Though given the animated expressions and gestures, culminating by her pressing her palm against Nathan's chest and giving him one final little shove, it's unlikely that she's trying to confirm that he's behaving. "...an
icecube!" she effortlessly transitions from her silent ramble to Sofia right back into finishing her previous thought without missing a beat as she tilts to face Nathan once more, "Which is soooo much cooler than a cucumber." It might not be much of an argument, but she does her best to sell it with a smug smile and a tilt of her head, arms folding across her chest.
Tara 's smile widens briefly before her expression turns serious and she offers a firm nod in response as her attention turns up to Mendez again.
Zoe purrs quietly and rubs its forehead against Mendez' hand, seemingly having made its decision about him. It starts to squirm a little in Tara's arms and she loosens her grip in response, blinking in surprise as the small creature leaps effortlessly over to Mendez, scrambling up his shoulder, it's floofy tail brushing against his face as it settles in between the collar of his jacket and his neck.
Nathan is shoved to the side as Leah intercepts between he and his sister, actually caught a little off-guard by her small shove. "Wha-". He watches her silent ramble towards his sister, switching between the pair of them before he tries to interject with his own silent counter-points.
Sofia blinks in surprise as Leah leaps into the fray, eyes widening as she's suddenly on the receiving end of an infamous Leah rant. Her mouth kinda falls open as she's caught between trying to say something and just being caught in a miasma of confusion. "Uh-...". When her brother gets involved, she kinda just shuts off as she watches the two pantomine what can only be described to her as incoherent babbling.
Nathan turns back to Leah as she concludes, placing his hands on his hips as he looks down at her. "You know what? You're right. You are an icecube. Because icecubes melt reeeeally quickly when they get all flustered. Just like you did a few moments ago." He meets her own smug smile with one of his own, nodding in affirmation of his flawless counter-point.
Sofia just stares at the pair the moment they resume bickering with one another, a look of confusion on her face. She decides to just slowly turn away from them and resume fawning over the gzzk. She makes a silent vow to drink a little more this night to cope with her brother's and Leah's antics.
Mendez offers his own, equally serious nod in turn. Snowman making is serious business, after all. The creature's sudden leap seems to catch him offguard a bit, getting a little, instinctual jolt out of him. But once he realizes what has happened, it finally teases out the smile that had been threatening to escape. A low snicker even follows as he cranes his neck in an attempt at looking to the creature out of the corner of his
eye. He tries in vain to tilt his head away from the tail before very quickly accepting that this is just the way things are now. "Friendly little thing..." he offers in a mutter, his good arm absently lifting to continue petting it. Actual smile now firmly etched into his features, he turns his attention back to Tara. "Might be a little difficult with-..." he gives a small roll of his injured shoulder for emphasis, the
movement slow and gentle, both to avoid hurting himself and to avoid disturbing the creature's new resting spot. "Could probably do with an extra set of hands. Know anyone who might be able to help us...?" he asks, brown eyes shifting briefly in Sofia's direction as he delivers the question with the grave tone that it deserves.
Leah scoffs as if Nathan's argument is so obviously paper thin. "Icecubes don't get flustered." she asserts confidently, forgetting for a moment what the actual point she's arguing even is. That's beside the point anyway, because she's winning. Maybe? "Point is-..." she stammers, looking unsure for a moment about just how she's going to finish that sentence before winging it with an equally confident shrug, "...you're both idiots
and deserve each other." she settles on, shooting a glare Mendez' way as well, despite him paying their discussion absolutely no mind by this point.
Tara looks briefly concerned that Mendez will disapprove of Zoe's climbing, hands lifting a little as if ready to take the gzzk back, but when he smiles she relaxes, her own smile resurfacing in response. As her attention is brought to his injured arm it falters and fades, her gaze falling to the floor until the question that follows causes her to look up, following Mendez' glance towards the woman next to her. She hesitates a little,
eyebrows furrowing as she tries to formulate the question - of course, Sofia probably heard them talking.
Zoe seems to be quite happy with its new perch - high up, and comfortably warm between the padding of the jacket and Mendez' body heat - the petting just seals the deal. The blue tail continues to swoosh idly as four dark eyes survey the room, studying the bickering pair on the couch for a moment.
Nathan rolls his eyes and now switches to mimic her pose of arms folded across the chest. "He'd probably treat me better," he responds, turning his nose up and away from her. Clearly these two are the most adult in this room. Totally. One hundred percent. "You know, maybe I'll just go get that information from him now. Skip the waiting and go straight for loading the cannons with the ammunition that'll make you squirm."
He turns back to her with a smug and victorious sneer on his face that is somewhat lessened by the goofy waggling of his eyebrows. "How about that?"
Sofia takes a moment or two to realise that Mendez is not so subtly directing the question both at Tara and herself. Finding herself under the eyes of Mendez and the hesitance of Tara's unanswered question, her cheeks flush a little. Shaking her brother and Leah's antics out of her head, she quickly recomposes herself and smiles brightly, straightening up a little. "I'd be more than happy to help! Uh, on one condition,
though." She leans forward conspiratorially and says in a low voice to avoid the bickering pair from hearing. "We get to pelt those two with snowballs." She flicks her head towards the pair, an uncharacteristically cheeky grin on her face.
Thiago gaze shifts from the hesitant Tara to Sofia. When she mentions a condition, he gives a small lift of his brow. Once she voices it, he gives a glance back over his shoulder, peering past the fluffy blue feather duster swooshing back and forth across his face. It only takes a fraction of a second of watching the pair who are facing off in equally irritating smug poses before his attention shoots right back to Sofia. "Done."
Leah is unable to restrain a genuine smile from reappearing at Nathan's faux offense. "Uh huh..." she dismisses his initial statement. But when his threats continue renewed panic enters her expression and she grasps at his hands, as if to prepare to hold him back in case he tries to go marching off towards Mendez, smile teetering on her face. "Okay! You win!" she whines, hoping to keep him in place. "Just-... let it go!" she
Tara smiles faintly, looking a little relieved when Sofia pre-empts her question, although the addition - and Mendez' response - causes her eyes to widen slightly and lean to the side to shoot a less-than-inconsipcuous look towards Leah, as if pondering whether she can abide such a grave betrayal. As she returns to her previous position her face carries grim determination, looking silently between Mendez and Sofia.
Nathan laughs as she grasps his hands, letting her pull them down and keep him rooted to the spot. Her obvious panic and flustered look wears him down and he gives her a few nods of his head. "Alright, alright, you win, you win. Can't say no to that face," he says with an accompanying chuckle. He peers off towards the trio and his expression changes to mild confusion then embarrasment as he misinterprets their glances.
The plot goes unnoticed! However, he looks back to Leah and gives her a small shrug of his shoulder and a small flick of his head towards them. "We should, uh, probably be social. Shouldn't we?"
Sofia smirks at Mendez and, seeing Tara's look of determination, accepts it as her agreeing to the condition. "Then you've got yourself a deal, Mr. Mendez," she says, sticking out her hand to shake his. The height difference adds a layer of absurdity to the gesture, but the look of her face and sparkle in her eyes shows that she probably acknowledges this. "It'll be the best looking snowman this side of the Terminus."
Leah follows Nathan's glance over towards the others and she, too, seems to misinterpret the ten eyes on them (You, too, Zoe?!). The smallest hint of red creeps into her cheeks and she sucks in her lips, giving Nathan's hands a quick, gentle squeeze before releasing her hold on them. "Yeah..." she says, green eyes turning to meet Nathan's. She holds his gaze for a moment, expression softening as the lighthearted bickering falls to
Mendez reaches out, his own big mitt nearly entirely enveloping Sofia's as he gives her hand a firm shake. "Sounds like a plan." he manages before Leah's father chirps up, causing him to give an unamused glance in the man's general direction. Her offers his co-conspirators one last look as a silent farewell before starting towards the kitchen, unperturbed by the furball on his shoulder. "Careful, Frank. I don't need both arms to
Francois is far too familiar with the gentle giant to take the threat seriously, an amused snicker that's nearly lost amongst the Christmas music his response.
Leah's expression falls flat and she tilts her head to one side in mock annoyance as her father and Mendez begin their own bout of bickering. As her bangs fall into her face she quickly swipes them back behind her ear. "It's still not too late for you to run for the hills." she offers with a snicker.
Tara seems unsure what to do as Mendez departs - doubly so as Zoe is going with him, still comfortably snuggled in. She remains where she is, standing silent next to Sofia, a bit of tension entering her posture as she tries to figure out what to do or say.
Nathan manages to sneak in a squeeze in response and he looks at her attentively as she is about to speak. However, the cut off by her father and Mendez brings a bemused smile to his face and he allows a deep rumble of a chuckle to escape from him. And, as response to her latter statement, he merely shakes his head and says, "Nah, never. This is the most normal I've felt in a long time."
Sofia gives a surprisingly firm shake back, although her gaze does slip down to her hand simply disappearing in his. She stifles a giggle before she chucks a glance over her shoulder towards the kitchen. She merely watches Mendez go, offering him a silent little wave of her hand before she tucks them both behind her back, interlocking them there. She leans toward Tara and says softly, "He kinda reminds me of my older