Alex was just in the process of tidying up his workspace, rearranging several files that pretrain to Shadow's research, as well as placing several files within a folder labeled "Kitty Trauma?". They were tossed to a nearby desk that he had added that overlooked the wide-windowed view of the city. A brief glance was given in curiousness thought to the vague on goings that he could make out; a figure slipping from the nearby bakery. A pair of lovebirds enjoying a morning kiss. And what appeared to be a cat digging within a distant dumpsite.

That caused an unwanted shudder to quake across his broad shoulders.

As he moved about behind the desk, fingers flicking open a stationary folder that was without a label to begin anew a self-assignment that was not yet labeled, a subtle knock was heard eminating from the door. His gaze snapped up towards it in alarm, but quickly grew hopeful that it was his loveable dragon. A finger traced across the surface of his work desk, curling about the front-edge and down underneath in search of a small button that would release the door. Finding it, he gently pressed it in to allow the visitor in.

"It's open," he called out, the clear pitch of a low-rumbling buzz signifying his words to be true.

"Daaaang... people should hire you for interior design, man..?"

He attempted to follow where Lain was happening to look when she spoke, emeralds sparkling with a hint of mirth (and perhaps admiring his own work). The vague hints of sleep that was evident within one eye was rubbed out behind a fist as he moved to settle within the tall-back chair. Its age spoke as he did so, creaking audibly as he rocked back and swiveled to the left. Sneakers were still adorning his feet as he stretched out across the surface of the desk for support.

A hand gesture was motion for 'Enter, take a seat'. Although his first inkling was, 'You're not Shadow?'

"I get by. I'm actually working early, with the hopes I'll fetch a nap while the sun burns away the impurities on the street," he mused, fisted hand lifting to brush away stubborn locks of lavender so to regard her better. Lain coming by was a rare thing, and never it a treat by experience. "Need something?"

"Oh?" was the only thing he could manage to say to basically all of that. Combined. It expressed a great deal of concern for himself. And suggested he was hanging on by the seat of his pants. He just? couldn't? believe it.

While he was nearly bounding over himself with words to begin the amazing spree of insults, he bit down on them and allowed herself a chance to explain. After all, even the crazed desired an explanation for nightmares. Though, his assumptions were to go rampant before he asked.

Watching her on the bed, a finger lifted nonchalantly in accusation of her actions. "You realize Shadow could be under the covers, don't you? You saw her with the same outfit she had on the other night. We do things," nodding.

His hands folded calmly upon the desk, masking the panic that was causing his stomach to tie up in knots. He wasn't looking forward to this? discussion. "All right? well, I'm going to give you a heads-up. I generally deal with the magical side of life. Dreams are a little out of my league."

Humor seemed to surround him as he watched Lain going nuts on the bed, and only because he knew Shadow wasn't anywhere to be found in that particular bed, either. Although, the humor was extending to the fact that if she were in there, Lain would probably be running like shit-mad, right then?

He'd have to remember to ask Shadow to spend a few nights over, just in case. No doubt Marc was having a trip when it came to discovering that the pair were recently beginning to hit it off. Quite nicely, he'd have to admit. Something he really looked forward to, for a change.

Fingers absently curled about lavender locks that were previously brushed aside, emeralds falling dull as she held out for him. Not one to generally disrupt requests, he leaned forward within the seat to snag the piece of paper from her. Crumpled as it was, it was set to the desk and smoothed over a general detail, looking it over as he listened to Lain's synopsis.

He jumped at the idea of toying with her, at first. "Well, Lainbat, I'm going to go out on a limb here. Your brother? He's a piece of paper," It was held up as he said this dryly. "Yes. He's a piece of paper, and it seems this Paper Brother of yours has begun to invade your dreams, to tell you a story of the how's, and why's. And if you do not listen and act, soon, you may? become a piece of paper, too."

He didn't have a random light flashing underneath his chin at the first utterances of explanation. Which was the reasons why he surveyed the desk as he spoke his opinion aloud to her.

The serious tone, and stoic expression remained intact as he looked from the desk, to the paper, and then up to her. What was she going to expect from a brief explanation as that? Any further detailing that he was fingering was lost, the moment that the nearby window was tapped. A small ferret, although large for its own breed, was stationed on his hind legs just outside, waving what appeared to be a notepad thumbed some-odd pages with various writings. Alex rolled back in his seat, unlocking the sliding door for the ferret to make way inside.

"Whew! Thank god you're in, Boss. The outsides sure are cold this time of the night/morning!" Rodrigo commented, briskly shaking his torso out to send a small splattering of water sailing each way like a personal ferret-sprinkler. Lain got a look from black, beady eyes as he hopped up onto Alex's lap, and then onto the desk. "It's you," he observed awkwardly, eyes narrowing as the notepad was tossed onto the work desk. "Boss said you were like Ayaka: out on vacation for good."

Alex frowned as Lain coined to usage of 'King Rodent', something that had Alex lifting from his seat and dismissing himself to the bathroom in quite a rush. Rodrigo seemed flushed, even for a ferret, in a state of furious anger. "Avast, Elf! You shall not insult the Grr~rreat Feretto(!) by thinking I, so lowly a peon on the Ferret-Chain of Command, as the King!" A tiny paw was in the air, shaking viciously at Lain.

There's a good chance his small words of "Petwie!" was his attempts at spitting in further disgust.

It was thankful that the Netheran returned only after the shrill blast of the tiny animal's voice, a large tome in hand. It, along with the once-crumpled note were tossed onto the desk before he returned to his seat. Rodrigo curiously inspected the book as it crashed across the surface, ears flicking each which way, his whiskers frill.

Several pages were opened, and thumbed through. They seemed to resemble various styles of writing, each and every containing various small passages that resembled each other ("The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" had nothing on these babies.) It was simply a matter of compare and contrast, he figured. Nothing too hard for even a lazy bum such as he. "Well," he began, fingers trailing a particular passage some pages in. "It would seem as though your brother wrote this in a feudal fashion. Clearly resembling an oriental style.

"If I had to guess, at least. The only thing around these parts resembling such would be Mount Yasuo." He looked from the page, to Rodrigo to double-check that source, and then up to Lain. "As good a place as any, I'd say."

Alex glanced to the snatched note, the book, and then back to note. In fact, he was quick to pry it from her fingers so as to manage another look-see. He appeared intrigued, curious eyes leaping from symbol to symbol in a search or explanation of the questioned asked.

"Oh well sure. It's actually quite easy, if not puzzling," quietly spoken as his gaze lifted to Lain, and then back to the note. Baffled, was his precise expression. "'You will die in seven days?' Not boding too well for you, Lain. Especially if this is an old note. Although, it may explain a few things." Stoic as ever.

The note was set gently to the desk, his hands moving to close the book on up as he glanced to Rodrigo glaringly. "And you, I presume you have details?"

The ferret stood erect on his hinds, lifting his hand in a prompt salute. "You bet, Boss! Got the map drawn out for you, just like you asked! Not too far a distance, if I do say so myself!"

Alex's eyes fell away from the ferret, and to the small notepad that was set up for Rodrigo's size. It was barely larger than that of his thumb, and caused a deepening frown to draw wrinkles across his face. "You're kidding.."

Rodrigo nodded to Alex's question, and disappeared down the length of the desk as Lain spoke, no doubt disappearing from view to avoid having to suck it up while she explained a brief time of her life.

Alex, while resembling such a notion, was not so quick to go high-tailing it, considering that he was much bigger and a little harder to hide. At least not without weaving a small spell. Something that he was not feeling up-to-par for. His laziness was still vast.

"Your ear?" he queried, eyes flicking aside to the left, and then back. While he couldn't place a precise remembrance on it, he had thought that was because of the Warf Rats, engaged in a scuffle and had it bitten. There was something he was missing, but something told him to refrain from asking. "Oh, I see.."

Glancing to the note in hand, he moved to pass it over to her, a hand lifting in a general wave of understanding. That, or was a subtle way to ask her to hold off. He moved off for the back, pulling the book into hand as he moved across the desk. "And that's a nightmare? I really would have sworn, you beating the crap out of people is a good thing. I swear, everyone's getting far too soft around here. You're going to wind up weakening me, in the process." he mused, although it carried with it a very heightened sense of truth. He disappeared for a few moments before returning silently.

There was an evident frown, though, one that was making a reappearance across the board as they continued to converse. Frown-lines weren't something he was hoping for this morning, but it was becoming quickly obsolete to avoid it. His gaze settled for the nearby bed as he listened to the tail end. "Just promise me something, yeah? If you're going to start getting involved with these people, you tell me long before hand so I can come with you. While you nearly killed all three of them, someone beating on you for any length of time? well, I'm not impressed with this guy."

He paused, sighing, nodding his head a few times as he offered his assistance to some aspect. It was the least he could do, and probably the most Lain would allow. Even though she generally refused even his aid on nearly every occasion. "In any case, that's about the best I can help you out with. Yasuo isn't going to allow me to even enter its boarders, what with all those wards. And losing every pint of blood from my system is not what I'd call a good evening," not having to explain that his blood was infused with various sources of arcane energy was a blessing, after all. "So you'll excuse me if I don't offer more frontal methods of assistance. Less you want to take a talking ferret with you?"

An audible squeak protested that.

Alex chuckled merrily, "Just let me know how it goes, eh?" He moved towards the door and tugged it on open for Lain. "If you don't mind, now? I was kind of hoping to catch up with Shadow. I wanted to make her some breakfast and surprise her with a few treats."