After being in the dark theater, the sunlight blinded Kev as he stepped outside. An instant wall of heat hit him. He rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the bench under the oak tree.
After waving back to a few of the groundskeepers that passed, he pulled a joint from his silver case and leaned back. It was a beautiful day, maybe a bit hot for his taste, but he hadn't heard anyone else even mention the heat. He'd thought that wearing clothes over fur would make the summer unbearable, but he was the odd one out again, it seemed... he really should figure out if they sell deodorant in this world.
Kev's thoughts drifted as he puffed on the joint. He was imagining what the insurance company mascots might be when he thought of a gecko, and much to Kev's dismay, that gecko reminded him of Lanon...
He really did need to think of a way to help out around the club. It didn't sit right with him, to just exist, hoping that Fang wouldn't grow bored of him. He wanted to show Fang that he was useful, to take some of the burden away from the wolf and show him exactly how much he loved him.
Washing a couple of dishes wasn't enough, and neither was moving some drums around on the stage. He couldn't just keep rambling ideas off either and causing more work for everyone. Yeah, the day-off policy might be popular, but even that had its detractors. And the park restaurant... he had just blurted it out and run with the idea...
A chill ran through him despite the sticky heat that surrounded him. Did Ralph only play along because he didn't want to anger Fang? The duck laughed about Fang losing it during that birthday party with the strippers, but Ralph had worked with Fang for years. He would know what lines he couldn't cross.
Ralph would be exactly the person to talk to right now. He would be able to tell Kev exactly what he could do to help, give Kev some direction on what to do and who to talk to. And Ralph would probably know about the off-limits door on the second floor. If Cindy wasn't available, then the duck might be the next best choice.
Too bad I don't know his number, Kev thought as he stubbed out his smoke and tossed the butt into a can. Or even know where a phone is... maybe Gus or Kaiote might have one.
He put the thought aside and headed up to his apartment. It was nearing noon, and he was hungry again—a well-known side effect of his smoke break.
Home sweet home, he thought as he let himself in. He cranked the player piano, letting the scroll from earlier play again while he boiled some noodles.
If he couldn't talk to Ralph for a while, there must be a manager he could help in the meantime. He couldn't be so useless that there really was nothing he could do.
Dale was behind the bar, but his job wasn't just slinging drinks; he was Fang's security camera, an observer. Kev wasn't much of a drinker. Sure, he enjoyed having a drink or two with dinner, but he wasn't into drinking. It would take him weeks to learn the drinks, and Fang might not want Kev serving them.
If serving drinks was off the table, then so was housekeeping. Kev could imagine Fang's dismay if Kev had to clean the bathrooms or wipe down the bar top after a long night. The wolf wouldn't stand for it. He would probably have Cindy ban Kev from even cleaning his own apartment. He was so glad he had stress-cleaned that first day. If Max was forced to clean Kev's apartment when Kev had no responsibilities... he probably wouldn't be so friendly.
And on the topic of not-so-friendly was Reepia. How could Kev even begin to ask her if he could help? She would laugh, insult him, then threaten him, in no particular order. What could he hope to achieve by even trying?
Lanon was a big no too. Kev shook his head as he plated his pasta. Just... no.
Rex was a big no, too... too. Kev stood at the counter and ate.
That would leave three options, each of them with a chance of catastrophic meltdown.
The most obvious would be Asmodeus. Kev loved music and had played for most of his life. He wasn't great at playing, but he could help in other ways. However, that was the issue. He really didn't want to be Asmodeus's butler. He liked the toucan well enough, but the dramatics were only palatable in small doses.
Kaiote was also an interesting choice, but the potential downsides were too high. His background wasn't in computer science or programming, and he doubted she needed help routing the wires for the servers. They had looked quite organized compared to the rest of Kaiote's live-in office. And if Kev somehow compromised the entire jamming field... he'd probably want to curl up and accept that he was just a pet.
Finally, there was Horns. Kev finished his bland lunch and washed his plate. Horns would be fun to work with, but he didn't want to distract him. Kev could only imagine the moose needed a quiet office somewhere that he could focus in. If Kev joined in, they would probably just smoke and talk all night... That wouldn't be working. It would just make him a distracting pet.
He rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. He needed to stop feeling so useless. And yet, the lack of ideas just left him feeling frustrated and restless. He decided to split the difference and head down to the private billiards room. If he couldn't be helpful, he could at least keep his hands busy.
The walk down the stairs and to the far side of the east wing went quickly. Kev found himself unlocking the private room before he knew it. Everything seemed back in order after the raid. The remnants of the broken pool cue were gone, and the table itself was back in its proper position. He couldn't even see any marks on the floor from where its heavy legs had screeched along.
Kev found himself still feeling down despite the horrible round of pool he played. None of his shots wanted to connect, and the pockets seemed to spit out every ball at least once. He couldn't concentrate. The image of the blue bedroom simmered below his attempts to aim, jumping to his mind whenever he tried to shoot.
He put the cue on the table and stepped out onto the patio. It felt a bit surreal that he'd thought he was going to be arrested the last time he stepped out here. The early afternoon side yard was peaceful. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the towering trees that bordered the lawn, dappling the grass in shifting patterns of light and shadow. The shimmering blue water of the pool was just visible off to his right, around the corner. The only sounds were the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant, rhythmic snipping of a groundskeeper's shears.
Lighting a smoke, he jumped as he heard the door open behind him.
"Mr. Kev, you didn't lock the door," a dry rasp called.
"Hey, Talon." Kev bent down to pick up his dropped cigarette. "How'd you find me?"
Talon stood in the doorway, clad in his usual off-duty attire of a crisp, white, sleeveless undershirt and black slacks. The simple clothes emphasized his lean, powerful build and the smooth, dark feathers of his arms and shoulders. He held a set of darts, their metal tips glinting in the afternoon light. "I came to put these back."
"Do you fly down here and practice at night or something?" Kev asked.
"No. The door is locked," Talon said simply, before walking out and standing beside Kev. After observing a few of the grounds crew passing by, he quietly said, "Madam Cindy told me to learn to clean up after myself this morning before waking sister." Talon looked down at the sharp projectiles in his hand.
"What do you mean?" Kev asked.
Talon clenched his fist around the darts. "I dropped these yesterday when we escaped up to the balcony. Madam Cindy wanted me to know it was sloppy."
"Hey, it was a stressful situation," Kev said. "And it sounds like she covered for us."
The eagle shook his head and put the darts onto the stone railing that encircled the patio. "It was sloppy. I should have just pocketed them. Or had you hold them. There were so many different things I could have done."
"Well, you'll know next time. Shouldn't be a big deal, right?" Kev grinned.
"No. It is a big deal," Talon said, looking out towards the treeline. "I owe Mr. Fang my best for this opportunity he has given me."
"Come on, Talon," Kev said. "You should relax a little. You're doing great. In fact," he took a deep breath, "you have every right to be mad at Fang for attacking you last night."
Talon blinked a few times and looked down at the human. "What? Why would I be mad?"
"Did he give you a concussion?" Kev questioned. "Or did you black out?"
Talon cocked his head to the side just the tiniest amount.
"He threw you through a door," Kev finally said. "Do I need to bring you to see Vlad?"
"NO," Talon quickly said, the idea of seeing the doctor clearly not something he enjoyed. "I remember. It's nothing I can't handle."
It was Kev's turn to be confused. "Are you okay? I don't think anyone should be okay with being thrown through a door unless they're a stunt double."
Talon shrugged. "I signed the waiver when I was hired. I was caught off guard last night. They told me it happened often."
"I think I should read this waiver at some point," Kev murmured.
Talon continued, "I had expected to be attacked so many times that I let my guard down. I was on my way to see sister, and if I was ready, I might have faired better." He looked back out to the trees. "This is why I can't be sloppy."
"I would never use that word to describe you," Kev said, looking out at the trees as well.
The two of them stood side-by-side on the sun-drenched stone patio, a study in quiet contrast. Kev, in his loose flannel and jeans, leaned against the railing, a thin curl of smoke rising from the cigarette held loosely in his hand. He looked relaxed, almost pensive, his gaze fixed on the distant greenery. Talon stood a little straighter, his own casual clothes doing little to hide the coiled, professional tension in his posture. He wasn't leaning; he was observing, his sharp eyes scanning the manicured lawns and the dark treeline beyond, a silent, feathered sentinel.
"You know," Kev said, his voice quiet, "I'm really happy Fang hired you."
"I do hope you feel safer," Talon rasped.
"It's more than that." Kev kept his eyes on the treeline. "You're a good guy, and I feel like you're easy to get along with."
Talon was silent, so Kev continued. "I hope I'm not too difficult to get along with," he glanced over finally. "I don't really know, but what I'm trying to say is, I'm glad you're here instead of someone else... like Rex."
Kev noticed a faint smile touch Talon's beak at the words.
"I am glad too, Mr. Kev," Talon said. "When I first met you, I thought a lot of things."
Kev frowned. Saying he "thought a lot of things" felt a lot worse than saying he thought Kev was some sort of gold digger or just a fling.
"But you are a very good swimming teacher," Talon continued, his gaze shifting back out to the trees, "and you're good with Sabrina."
Kev grinned and looked back out to the tree line. "Are you saying some people don't understand Sabrina's charm?"
Talon managed to hold in a laugh, a quick breath coming out his nostrils. "Sister is a hellion."
Kev sighed and turned, putting his cigarette stub in the small trash can near the door. "We've got some more time to kill before opening. It's only... almost two."
As Kev looked up from his watch, he froze. There, in the room, was a new person.
Talon surged forward, shouldering Kev aside to get in front of him, his wings already spreading, a hiss coming from his beak.