Ever since Caitlin left the shop, the Kaiser brothers had been left to run the front desk as well as everything in the back. As it was, the front door sounded a bell that alerted Ethan, who had been in the office, that a customer had arrived.

As he moved down the hall, he overheard Duci calling out his brother's name. That would account for the curiously interested expression he wore when he entered the front shop. "Hello, there." He said with a charming smile. Ethan was easily the more handsome brother, and his younger face added to the appeal.

He didn't look professional in the least, however. He'd just come from a date at the beach and still wore his grey swimming trunks, a white sleeveless shirt, and flip flops. "Did I hear you right in saying you're looking for Brad?" He chuckled, looking Duci over discreetly. "He's just in the back," jerking a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the hallway. "Should I go get him?"

She tentatively lifted her hand, snagging a lemon bar gladly with a wry twist of her lips. "Thank you," the blonde murmured, inclining her head in his direction. The look of dawning comprehension crossed her angelic facade at his following comment. So that's why he liked Shane so much. Her lips tilted sideways almost sadly, but she hid it with a bite of her lemon bar. "You write compositions?" Both brows lifted with appropriate awe. "I bet they're beautiful.." Duci added as a second thought.

Bradley smiled wryly. "I haven't written in a while. A very long while, actually." He shrugged, not liking to boast. "But thanks, maybe I'll bring my guitar to the inn sometime and play something."

Squints at him suspiciously. "Whyever not?" Takes another delectable bite, pausing to chew and swallow before she continued, "But you must!" she urged, meaning about writing more songs. Bobs her head up and down earnestly. "I'd really like that, and I'm sure the rest of Rhy'din would, too." Grins, tilting her head to the side. "What kind of music do you play?"

He took a bite, not in the least bit surprised that it was delicious. Bradley chewed quickly, swallowed and answered with a grin. "I don't really have a genre...it's more like, contemporary. But if the mood hits me, I'll play country, or maybe even a bit of rock." He chuckled, popping the rest of the lemon bar into his mouth.

Ethan's holed up in the office, peering through the slats of the blinds into the back room where Bradley and Duci were talking. Brad sure was on a roll--two women? Never would have thought he'd get over Stephanie, but now this. What was the world coming to?

She watched him with rapt interest, gauging his reaction to the treat. Seeing he was pleased, she preened happily, clasping her hands together beneath her chin excitedly. "Country?" she tittered, raising her brows again as she tilted her head the other way and squinted at him with one eye. "I suppose that's not too hard to picture you playing," she teased, pointing up at his head. "I can easily picture you sitting on a hay bale, cowboy hat on your crown, with a pair of ripped up jeans and cowboy boots, smokily playing a song about broken hearts and late night drinking." Throws her head back with girlish laughter.

And she couldn't help but think that was a mighty fine looking picture, too.

Maeve would have made a decently silent entrance into the glass shop, having come around to the idea that it was all right to let herself in, save for the fact that she tripped over the door jamb on the way spilling the bag of odd wood toys and plastic dumbbells she was carrying. "Jislaaik!"

That made him laugh outright, head shaking. He had a deep laugh, like his brother. "I wouldn't go quite that far, darlin'. But I did grow up in a small town and I do know a thing or two about broken hearts." The laugh died off into a chuckle, a hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. He decided to snag another treat, a sugar cookie this time, to fill what may end up being an awkward silence.

The sound of the front door jingle made Ethan topple out of the chair he was balancing on to peek through the window. He hit the desk with a dull thump, followed by an 'ow'. He might have been worried about an intruder, but the foreign expletive gave her away. Ethan poked his head out of the office. "You ok babe?" He moved down the hallway and into the front shop, a fat calico trailing him.

A wild smile bloomed across her face as she grinned at him. "Oh boy, with those rugged good looks, that doesn't surprise me in the least," the blonde teased again, winking at Bradley good naturedly. She leaned forward slightly, anticipating his reaction to the cookie, but the clattering from the front office, followed by a foreign word, had her looking over her shoulder with surprise. However, Ethan's voice made it clear that a) he knew who it was, and b) that she'd be taken care of. "Is that Maeve?" she asked tentatively, turning back to Bradley curiously.

Tripping and spilling things happened all too often to the Myobian. Ethan earned a smile turned sheepish at his appearance and question. "Ja, Ziyo, iz I am of the albatross breed on land I skeem. Howizit, biscuit?" Her own second greeting directed to Lola with a hand reaching to scritch the cat behind the ears for a moment. She started gathering up the odd toys again.

He was looking mildly concerned, too. But when Ethan hurried to Maeve's aid, he nodded. "I assume so. I don't know any other clutz that doesn't speak english." Snickering, Bradley stuffed as much of the cookie into his mouth as he could. God, he might get fat if Duci ever brought him more treats. "This is good," he mumbled around the cookie in his mouth.

Laughs into her hand at his comment, blushing slightly. She uses lots of nonfat ingredients! So.. At least they're of the healthier variety? Beams, puffing her chest out a little bit with pride at his affirmed enjoyment. "I'm glad you like them.. I wasn't sure what you liked."

Ethan stooped to help gather up the trinkets. "Maybe you should have pretended to need a revival. Mouth to mouth would have been fun to try," teasing her playfully. Lola purred happily in Maeve's presence, mashing her head against Maeve's leg, then rubbing her body along while begging for more attention. "The fattie is just trying to get you to pick her up. I won't carry her anymore..she weighs more than me."

"I don't normally get things like this. I cook for myself, you know." He was going to have to tell her soon. It wasn't fair to either woman. He sighed inwardly--outwardly still grinning. "But I could get used to this." So not helping.

"I may be gazuka sometimes, Kapok, but my ears are being tops!" Yelling down the hallway when she heard Bradley's familiar voice and his even more familiar teasing. Maeve happily traded holding the toys with holding Lola. "She iznot fattie, Ethan. She iz full in the blood and the fur." Nuzzling the cat and standing back up. Lola's thick fur was also useful for hiding her blush at the mouth to mouth comment.

"Ah, crap." He ducked his head a little, shoulders hunching. "She heard me. I'm kidding!" That last bit called out louder for Maeve's benefit.

Giggles again, lifting her brows in mock surprise. "Oh, gods forbid, how do you survive?" Winks again, before blushing slightly. "I like to cook. I cook a lot of food... I've currently been sending food to three other people who live alone." Looks a little sheepish, before looking over her shoulder at his hunching. Chortles softly. "She's got good ears," Duci muses with a sideways twist of her lips.

The Myobian's ears did serve her better than her feet. She picked up what sounded like a second, feminine voice trickling in too. Cat eyes went to Ethan for the answer. "Whoizit?"

"You're insane," Ethan challenged, snorting in amusement. "She's a whale. Your love for animals blinds you." He laughed, holding the bag for Maeve as they moved down the hall. "Is it safe to come in?" Asked of the two in the back, a wicked grin on his face.

"Huh?" Dark eyes moved to his girlfriend's questioning expression. "Oh, I'm not sure actually. A friend, I assume." This was spoken quietly, hopefully for Maeve's ears only.

Rolls her eyes at Ethan's comment for Bradley's benefit. Leans forward, whispering conspiratorially, "He likes to make your life difficult, huh?"

"Hey now," feigning offense. "I'm a damn good cook if I do say so myself. I can make some great spaghetti. Then a roll of dark eyes as his brother's comment. "Yes, he does. He made things especially interesting when--" he cut off quickly, clearing his throat. Thankfully, Ethan and Maeve had joined them. "Hey you two. Maeve, this is my friend Duci. Duci, this is my brother's girlfriend Maeve."

Coming to Lola's defense, talking directly to the cat. "He iz the looney, biscuit. He iz for mixing up the whales for the kitties." Now returning her conversation to Ethan following him down the hallway. "Oh! A chommie! Kif! Kapok whyizit---" Having missed Ethan asking if it were safe Maeve was already within seeing distance from Ducii and Bradley. She stuttered upon seeing Bradley's attire. "Kapok! Whyfore you have taken an allergy to threads?" Though a quiet laugh escaped her in her
surprise.

"I figure if the women are distracted by my chest, they won't look at my face." A crooked smile for Maeve, taking a few steps toward her to pull the small woman into a tight, but quick hug.

Wicked twist of her lips as she nods at Bradley. "I don't doubt that at all." The skeptical doubt was pretty clear on her face, nevertheless. She lifted a brow at how he suddenly cut off his sentence, but shrugged her shoulders. Giggles into her hand at Maeve's reaction, giving Bradley and appraising look regardless. Turning back to Maeve, she extends a hand. "Hi Maeve! It's nice to meet you," the blonde smiled warmly for her, before snickering at Bradley's comment.

"Don't worry, she blushes like this when I'm shirtless, too." Ethan commented.

Lola didn't care much for being bustled about in the commotion. Maeve set her down before she could mew and in time to have her arms free for the hug with a laugh. "You are deurmekaar, Kapok, you are legendary!" Thank goodness Duci started with the introduction sparing Maeve from having to acknowledge Ethan's shirtless comment, verbally anyway as the deepening blush spoke volumes. "Howizit, tannie?" Giving Duci's extended hand a sideways high five instead of shaking it.

"Indlebe, Kapok." Innuendo often sailed over the Myobian's dark head. She tugged on her own earlobe to again help translate.

A cheesy smile lit Ethan's face as Maeve misunderstood his brother. He deliberated for a few moments before slinging an arm around her shoulders and ducked his head to whisper quietly in her ear. After explaining what it is that Bradley had meant, he kissed her cheek and straightened.

"Really?" interest piqued as she turns back to Maeve excitedly. "That must make life so much more exciting! What kind of animals do you guys have?"

She had been around enough to have the O.K. to use the side door and so that was exactly what she did. A slight push had the door opening wide, letting in the figure of the petite blonde. The wall of heat that hit her gained a grin across her lips, and Shane was immediately thankful of her chosen wardrobe: cut-off jean shorts and a white tank top. Hair was pulled back in a messy bun, fingers moving up to slip a few of the many rebel strands behind the cusp of an ear as she took in the collection of people, that grin taking on a small secret curl.

A soft gasp and a scowl at Brad when Ethan explained it. However, Maeve wasn't very good at scowling but she sure did try! Blushing once more she sputtered out the next few words until she got into the flow of talking about one her most favorite topics, her animals. "Oh! Ja! Iz we have all sorts, most being from my plattelands in Myobi. Iz in Afrique. But we are having the birds and the wild cats and the monkeys and most that you could be skeeming!"

Bounces in spot, clasping her hands beneath her chin. "That's so cool! I've seen many picture of animals from the African plains and jungles, but I've seen only a very few smattering of them..." Pauses, squinting thoughtfully. "I have a pet polar bear," she interjected with a sage nod.

"Elephants, too," Ethan tossed in, the glancing over his shoulder to the newest addition. He smiled at Shane pleasantly enough, but wondered if perhaps he and Maeve should duck for cover.

"You have a polar bear?" Eyebrows rising in surprise, a quick glance over his shoulder. Then a double-take, smile faultering for a nano second. "Hey you, thought you were having a girls night with your roommate."

"Howizit so, chommie!" One thing the Refuge didn't have quite as much of were animals made for cold climates. They hadn't figured out yet how and if they should reconcile the Refuge's imitation of Myobian weather to accomodate animals outside the county's region. "I should be wanting to see it, if it does not mind you? You could be sighting at the Refuge soontimes when you are wanting!" Bopping up in excitement again and almost knocking Ethan under the chin. She smiled at Shane but looked up at Ethan the way she usually did when she needed him to explain something to her.

"Elephants?!" she squeals, eyes widening with surprise. "I've always wanted to ride an elephant," she admits sheepishly, before looking to Bradley and bobbing her head fervently. "Uh huh, her name is Mez. I had a hard time choosing a familiar.." Furrows her brows together for a moment, before she turned her head to look toward Shane. Her grin faltered as well before she smiled, raising a hand and waggling fingertips in her direction with a sigh of defeat. "Hey Shane," she greeted in a friendly tone before looking back to Maeve. "Really? I'd love to show off Mez someime, she loves meeting new people! And I'd love to take a peek at the Refuge, too, that'd be a great treat!" Her excitement returned, her face blooming with another gleeful grin as she bounced up and down for a brief second. "Does this mean I can ride an elephant?" Hopeful look as she bats her eyelashes like a little girl.

Each person got their own little glance from earth-and-skies, but when Bradley did that double-take, she only had eyes for him. In fact they practically twinkled as she caught sight of his face and that smile brightened, though soon enough it was shared with all the others. "Hey there." She moved on in now, making her way around machines and tables, coming up along to one side of Bradley, look lifted up to him now. "Yeah, we were goin' to, but she went out for walk. Said she needed some alone time to think." Looking back to the others now. "How's everythin' goin' tonight? Not interruptin', am I?"

Ethan would have been happy to translate, but Duci seemed to be picking things up quite nicely. He just grinned, watching the pair of women while trying to keep an eye on Brad and Shane in his peripheral vision. His arm was still around Maeve, holding her close to him.

A quiet laugh. "Ja, iz if they are in the spirits for riding. It iz I am not tricking them out if it does not suit them." Cat eyes taking in the two women and Bradley. She angled her body to mouth something so she hoped only Ethan would see her silent question: "two chickies?"

He knew it wasn't right to not properly greet Shane in the way she would have wanted, but he also didn't want to just dump everything on Duci all at once. This is what he gets for procrastinating. Bradley grinned lopsidedly at Shane, but crossed his arms over his chest so he didn't touch her. "No, not interrupting at all. We're all just chatting. Sorry your evening got spoiled, though." His eyes held an apology, and a promise of explanation later on.

Shakes her head at Shane's question. "Nah, course not. We're just discussing Tamarins and animals." Ducks her head slightly, blush renewing at the mention of Tamarins. Looking back to Maeve, she nods slowly. "Of course, I understand." Looking between the other four, she suddenly felt properly inadequate and awkward. The atmosphere of the room decidely took a darker turn, and she had a feeling this wasn't going to end in the perfect, picket fence way she pictured. Whatever that was.

Oh yes, she definitely got the hint, but how she handled it would be a mystery. Despite being a lover of truth and expressing it, Shane was strangely in tune when it came to masking her feelings, though only when she really wanted to of course. It was probably a good thing that one of those times was now. If anything, Bradley may have been able to feel the shifting in her general air, but only since he had been the only one who has really spent any amount of time with her, but otherwise her lopsided grin kept place.

A glance up to Bradley with a small shrug, taking a casual lean against a nearby table with a hip, arms moving to cross over the concave curve of her middle. "Nah, it's alright. She just needed the time, is all. Thought I'd just come say hello." Eyes went on over to Ethan when he spoke and that grin lit up a hint brighter, one arm unlacing so that a hand could extend toward Maeve with a slight forward lean. "Hey there, Maeve. It's a pleasure." Good thing Ethan introduced her; she wasn't quite sure what she would have said beside her own name.

Ethan was under the impression that Bradley only had one girlfriend, but this was getting interesting. He shrugged in response to Maeve's silent question. He felt the room grow dense with tension and he hugged Maeve closer. Clearing his throat, Ethan thought it best to just act like nothing was wrong. "Uhm, Isi. This is Shane. Shane, this is my girlfriend Maeve."

Maeve lifted her arm to rest against Ethan's spine. This was one of those times her lacking skills in successfully reading people put her in the most blissfully oblivious spot out of the lot of them. Shane's hand got a sideways high-five too and she smiled brightly. "Howizit, Shane! Duci iz in the right for we were chuffing over the animals. Are you having any in your homestead too nowtimes?"

He snickered quietly. "She wants to know if you have any animals."

She grinned as she took back her hand, slipping it back into the fold of arms across her stomach as she returned to her lethargic lean. Head tilted to one side a slight amount as she kept her eyes on Maeve, flicking up to Ethan as he translated, giving a quiet chuckle and a wink before looking back to Maeve. "Animals? Nah. Just got my kids. And in kids I mean instruments. Could open a whole shop with the slew of them." Grin tick. "What about you?"

Bradley was feeling overly awkward. He didn't know what to say, or whom to address. He noticed Shane's body language which was loud and clear to him. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face again. "Duci," he said suddenly. "Can I talk to you in the office?"

"You birth music?!" Cat eyes darting back and forth between Duci and Shane excitedly. Between the polar bears and instruments Maeve started coloring them into the vivid comic strip medium her imagination loved so much.

Tilts her head at Maeve, looking back to Shane with a twist of her lips at Ethan's translation, followed by another defeated sigh. Glances down at her wrist, as if she had a watch on, and chuckles nervously. Looks between Bradley and Shane furtively, pressing her lips together in a thin line before smiling. "Well.. I should probably.. head out.." awkwardly before Bradley interrupted her. "Um, sure," meekly, absently soothing at the silk fabric. Though, it was hard not to snicker at Maeve's comment, grinning broadly.

Dark eyes lingered on his brother's troubled face, then dropped to the floor as Bradley invited Duci to the office. Again, trying to ignore the obvious, he dipped his head and pressed a kiss to the top of Maeve's head. "I don't think you need a translation for that one, Shane." Nervous chuckle.

Shane laughed lightly at Maeve's outburst, enjoying the way she constructed her wording. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Though they are more like orphans that I find, really. Always been a sucker of the strays." She was still chuckling quietly even as her eyes flicked up over to Bradley. There was a whole myriad of thoughts within those atlas eyes, but not a word was said. Smile was brought to life as she looked over to Duci, not one inch of cruelty or angry within those features of hers. "Was good to see you, Duci. Hope to catch you around again sometime soon." Even though this wasn't the best of situations, she still liked the other woman. Then a glance over to Ethan and Maeve, smirking at the former. "Nah, think I caught that one just fine."

"Just a sec," he muttered, words slurring together as he stopped focusing on enunciating clearly. His movements were jerky as he yanked the leather apron off from around his frame and grabbed the shirt he'd set aside when he began working hours earlier. After it was in place, he gestured for Duci to follow him and closed the door behind them.