Brought him presents because she likes him, cleaned things out of the fridge because they scared her, adopted the snake because she wanted a companion she could touch...it didn't preclude his possible guilt in mostly harmless hijinks.
As she sipped her tea, she gave Switzer a thoughtful look as he sat on Rory's shoulder. "If he's that much of a pest, birdie boy can always come chill at the bookstore while you're here." Anytime you're here, really. Chantal really didn't mind Tadhg's menagerie.
And speaking of her livelihood, Chantal turned her attention to Cait again, "Owner and operator of Bound By Interest, bookstore downtown." A bit of explanation as her eyes lit up with more than friendly interest, "Tigger's outed your pen name and I do happen to have a handful of your books on my shelves. I won't ask you to come in, you're here for family and not business plus your agent would likely want my head on a pike for not going about things in the proper channels." Oh, how her tone denoted her opinions of red tape and nonsense, "Buuuuuuuuuut...if I bring a few copies of your latest over, do you think you could sign them?"
Since the two-leggeds were obviously talking about him-- because really, why shouldn't they be? --Switzer spread his wings and lifted his crest in proud display, throwing in a wolf-whistle for good measure. He then bobbed his head in Anraí's direction several times.
Once the laughter from that died down, Cait turned her smile on Chantal. "I'd be happy to sign those books for you, Chantal. But really, I'm sure I could fit in a visit to your store with no problem. I love bookstores, especially independent ones, and we're certainly not going to spend the entire trip cooped up in the house." They'd need some breaks from sorting out her brothers' emotional bits and bobs, or they'd all go stark raving.
"And as for my agent ..." Her smile shifted to something decidedly minxish before it disappeared behind her teacup. "... what he doesn't know won't elevate his stomach acid."
"Oh, well...in that case." She grins and lifts her cup in mock salute. "And no, I wouldn't suggest staying here specifically." She gave Tadhg a sharp look before smiling at Cait again. "He's been home alone too long, I'm sure he's managed to just about undo every attempt I made at organizing his messes since the last time he took off for parts unknown."
Not that Tadhg was a total slob, he just seemed to have a system of organization that defied any form of logic Chantal could identify. "Sorry to rag on you on your birthday, Tigger."
But not sorry for ragging on him in general.
"And if you want to flee all this testosterone, you're more than welcome drop by either the shop or my house. Make him give you directions." Touch me not didn't equate to anti-social after all and Tadhg's sister seemed like someone she'd like to get to know.
"Not a problem, I'm used to it." The long-suffering look on Tadhg's face was enough to inspire Cait to ball up her napkin and pitch it at him. Really, did he think he was Anraí of a sudden?
"And we will definitely get him out of the house as much as possible," she declared in tones that said It Would Be So. "He gets to be entirely too much of a recluse with his projects." The addendum even when he's in a good mood went unspoken. "And by all means we should have a just-girls visit ... perhaps for lunch?"
"Oh, boo-hoo." The extent of Chantal's sympathy on this particular issue. She didn't throw anything at him, however.
"I'm not so much worried about him and his hermit ways, I do the same thing. It would be a shame for you all to miss taking advantage of such a mild winter and the beach. Not that I'd get in the water this time of year even with a wetsuit. I'm not insane." She looked at Tadhg as if to imply that he was possibly certifiable for this activity. "And a girl's night in sounds good. My sister is off in the wilds of South America somewhere taking pictures of pygmies so I'm pathetically without girl talk."
If they were all going to keep up pretenses, Chantal wasn't even going to allow herself to wonder if Irish fey folk engaged in girl talk or not.
Girl talk was in fact one of Cait's favorite things, seeing as she got not so much of it growing up with three older brothers. Tadhg smiled to see her brighten at the prospect. "How about we pay that visit to Bound By Interest a couple of hours before closing, and you two can spend some time at Chantal's after that?"
And perhaps he, Da and his brothers could work through a few of the nastiest aspects of what they had to deal with while little sister was away. He knew he'd best not drop even a hint of that motivation around Cait, though. She had what amounted to an allergy for being protected or shielded by the older MacEibhirs in any way.
It's probably a good thing Chantal was very much in the dark about what Tadhg's actual problem was. She'd not take too kindly to the idea of 'protecting the women' from ugly thoughts. After all, she'd seen and experienced some of the ugliest things human beings are capable of...she's likely risk a premonition for the opportunity to smack each and every one of the male MacEibhirs for that line of thinking.
Smiling at Cait she nodded, "I might keep her." After all, Chantal's only real source of girl talk was her sister who, off on assignment somewhere in the wilds of South America, was quite difficult to reach by either phone or mail. "Sandra's gone and I'm starved for attention and real conversation."
Besides, if she played her cards right, maybe little sister will spill a bean or two about her big brother.
Tadhg would insist that it was Cait's age, not her gender, that made her brothers so protective of her. Having a mother like Máire NiStandún MacEibhir and a grandmother like Gaoth didn't usually lead to sexism. But given that Cait was a few months away from turning 55, the MacEibhir boys were probably overdue for getting over the age difference as well.
Cait certainly thought so, but she was too intrigued by Chantal and Big Brother's vagueness about her to worry about ulterior motives. "Real conversation you shall have, m'dear," she said cheerfully. Chantal wasn't the only one who would be digging for more information concerning Tadhg, though Cait's questions focused more on the present.
Tadhg, blissfully unaware of his upcoming dissection by discussion, had instead focused for the moment on playing host. "More tea anyone? I can put together another pot."
Chantal turned to look at her oft-odd friend with a thoughtful look. Stay and continue his reprieve from whatever she walked in on or make her apologies and retreat? Curiosity about his family had the woman opting to stay a while longer...well, that and the tea. Tigger certainly knew how to brew a good pot.
"To the kitchen with you, that way we can talk about you behind your back and you can pretend you don't hear us." Joking, mostly, though the look she traded with Cait said that she would absolutely do such things to the Irishman once he was truly out of earshot.
And then there was Switzer eyeballing Anrai again. "Bird, someday some one is going to use you to stuff a pillow."
As she sipped her tea, she gave Switzer a thoughtful look as he sat on Rory's shoulder. "If he's that much of a pest, birdie boy can always come chill at the bookstore while you're here." Anytime you're here, really. Chantal really didn't mind Tadhg's menagerie.
And speaking of her livelihood, Chantal turned her attention to Cait again, "Owner and operator of Bound By Interest, bookstore downtown." A bit of explanation as her eyes lit up with more than friendly interest, "Tigger's outed your pen name and I do happen to have a handful of your books on my shelves. I won't ask you to come in, you're here for family and not business plus your agent would likely want my head on a pike for not going about things in the proper channels." Oh, how her tone denoted her opinions of red tape and nonsense, "Buuuuuuuuuut...if I bring a few copies of your latest over, do you think you could sign them?"
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Once the laughter from that died down, Cait turned her smile on Chantal. "I'd be happy to sign those books for you, Chantal. But really, I'm sure I could fit in a visit to your store with no problem. I love bookstores, especially independent ones, and we're certainly not going to spend the entire trip cooped up in the house." They'd need some breaks from sorting out her brothers' emotional bits and bobs, or they'd all go stark raving.
"And as for my agent ..." Her smile shifted to something decidedly minxish before it disappeared behind her teacup. "... what he doesn't know won't elevate his stomach acid."
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Not that Tadhg was a total slob, he just seemed to have a system of organization that defied any form of logic Chantal could identify. "Sorry to rag on you on your birthday, Tigger."
But not sorry for ragging on him in general.
"And if you want to flee all this testosterone, you're more than welcome drop by either the shop or my house. Make him give you directions." Touch me not didn't equate to anti-social after all and Tadhg's sister seemed like someone she'd like to get to know.
Reply
"And we will definitely get him out of the house as much as possible," she declared in tones that said It Would Be So. "He gets to be entirely too much of a recluse with his projects." The addendum even when he's in a good mood went unspoken. "And by all means we should have a just-girls visit ... perhaps for lunch?"
Reply
"I'm not so much worried about him and his hermit ways, I do the same thing. It would be a shame for you all to miss taking advantage of such a mild winter and the beach. Not that I'd get in the water this time of year even with a wetsuit. I'm not insane." She looked at Tadhg as if to imply that he was possibly certifiable for this activity. "And a girl's night in sounds good. My sister is off in the wilds of South America somewhere taking pictures of pygmies so I'm pathetically without girl talk."
If they were all going to keep up pretenses, Chantal wasn't even going to allow herself to wonder if Irish fey folk engaged in girl talk or not.
Reply
And perhaps he, Da and his brothers could work through a few of the nastiest aspects of what they had to deal with while little sister was away. He knew he'd best not drop even a hint of that motivation around Cait, though. She had what amounted to an allergy for being protected or shielded by the older MacEibhirs in any way.
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Smiling at Cait she nodded, "I might keep her." After all, Chantal's only real source of girl talk was her sister who, off on assignment somewhere in the wilds of South America, was quite difficult to reach by either phone or mail. "Sandra's gone and I'm starved for attention and real conversation."
Besides, if she played her cards right, maybe little sister will spill a bean or two about her big brother.
Reply
Cait certainly thought so, but she was too intrigued by Chantal and Big Brother's vagueness about her to worry about ulterior motives. "Real conversation you shall have, m'dear," she said cheerfully. Chantal wasn't the only one who would be digging for more information concerning Tadhg, though Cait's questions focused more on the present.
Tadhg, blissfully unaware of his upcoming dissection by discussion, had instead focused for the moment on playing host. "More tea anyone? I can put together another pot."
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"To the kitchen with you, that way we can talk about you behind your back and you can pretend you don't hear us." Joking, mostly, though the look she traded with Cait said that she would absolutely do such things to the Irishman once he was truly out of earshot.
And then there was Switzer eyeballing Anrai again. "Bird, someday some one is going to use you to stuff a pillow."
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