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 watches, curling his legs up to his chest again. He's familiar with the motions some, although not using...well, telekinesis to do it, but machinery and manual labour.
The longer he watches, the more twitchy he gets about not helping while Pradnakt works.
She pours the mix out, and it foams up to fill the hole; Daisy takes the smoothing pole and starts smoothing it out, and Pradnakt sits unceremoniously on the ground next to Nova's chair. "I meant it about wanting you to rest."
He ducks his head, wincing a little. "I- you- chair?" Which probably makes no sense, and has very little to do with what Pradnakt just said, but she's sitting on the ground and that isn't right.
He hesitates, trying to gauge the right answer to that question and then shrugs. "I- yes, ma'am?" (Apart from feeling twitchy and wrong in his own skin for how things have been so far, and selfish for how much he doesn't want things to go back to the inevitable fear and pain.)
"Hmh. You seem nervous, still. Like you're scared of something."
"I- sorry, ma'am? I- just. Not used to not...doing something?" (That's not quite it, but...it's close enough.)
Nod. "Well, I'm not. You're doing what I asked you to, I'm not going to get upset at you for that. But I'm not surprised that you're scared anyway; it's hard to really feel it at first when things change."
He's quiet for a moment before nodding his head. "A-as you say," he agrees quietly.
"And even if I do get upset I'm not going to hurt you. But it's okay if you don't trust that yet; one thing at a time. Okay?"
He's hesitates again before giving another, more jerky nod. "O-okay," he agrees. (His agreement continues to seem more path of least resistance than actual agreement.)
"Nova, I'm not going to get upset at you for telling me things, either. And even if I was, it's important for you to know how you feel about things.'
He doesn't actually have a response to that, except a confused half-nod, half-shrug. (He's used to pushing how he feels away, trying to ignore his feelings and focus on more important things, like what his owners wanted from him.)
"I see we'll need to work on that. But not right now, I should go help Daisy." And she does.
He half-goes to follow her, remembers that she wants him to rest, and stops, somewhat more precariously perched on the chair, watching again.
They continue working on the house: they finish up the foundation, then put together a set of brick molds and start making bricks out of the same foaming concrete. When the first batch are ready, Pradnakt takes them and starts laying out the design of the house: it's similar to hers, with a large workroom in the front, smaller bedroom in the back, and the bathroom and storage area off of the bedroom.
He continues watching, trying not to get twitchy again. (That is...easier said than done.) He does, eventually start to his feet, although he doesn't actually try to help (as wrong as this feels, he knows better than to disobey an order, he just needs to move, to do something).
Yeah.
"Go get yourself something to drink, Nova," she calls over her shoulder.
He winces a little, but nods, and goes to obey. It helps to be moving, and he is thirsty. But-
He hasn't been doing anything, just...sitting. Pradnakt has been working, surely she must be... but there doesn't seem to be a cup for her. He looks around to see if there's another cup anywhere for Pradnakt.
Nowhere obvious. There are cups inside, if he wants to go get one.
He considers using the cup Daisy brought out for him, but- But he was told to get a drink, and he will. He slips back into the house to get a cup, it shouldn't take him too long, and while he's not certain, he's pretty sure anticipating Pradnakt needing a drink isn't bad. (But she keeps telling him he won't be in trouble for doing things? Maybe she means that?)
She doesn't stop him, anyway.
So, he fetches another cup, fills both the cups, and moves close enough that he can offer Pradnakt one when an appropriate moment presents itself.
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