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[a_royal_bastard]

Alistair had long since known the hut he'd been living in was too small for the amount of people living there. It'd been small when it was just Duncan and he, but with Zelda now, he truly was beginning to feel it. Though she hadn't complained, he knew they could have better, and he knew he was more than capable of providing such a thing

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[patration]

"Zhao," Zhuge said in greeting, pressing his hands together in a bow, the movement scaring the pigeon away from his shoulder, young and not yet quite accustomed to the man's propensity to move while in good company. After the gesture, one which he kept to in spite of the fact that it was considered far from necessary on the island, Zhuge glanced up to peer at Alistair's work, offering a small smile to the dog as well. (In the time since his arrival, Zhuge still hadn't quite managed to grow accustomed to the idea of domesticated dogs and cats, but neither was he shy around any of them, taking to the creatures as well as any other animals.) "Good morning, Alistair."

His gaze shifted over to the hut. "You are... moving?" he asked, pulling out his fan and gently waving it as he stepped to take a closer look, gaze approving. "It is bigger. Can I help with your work?"

[a_royal_bastard]

"Would you like to?" Alistair asked, watching his friend look over the hut. It was a lot of work for one person, but he knew he could do it. He didn't want to impose. "I'm just working on repairing it so it's fit to live in."

[patration]

"I enjoy... building. It is interesting to learn where to put the weight of the house," Zhuge replied with a broad grin, gesturing to the whole of the structure. His expertise had never fallen closest with construction, but often as a boy, he'd run through the halls of the palace, wondering at the columns, some thin and delicate, others thick and carrying any number of details, inlaid with gold. At first, he'd only thought them stylistic differences, but tantrums were quick to run high in certain wings, and Zhuge had certainly witnessed enough roof tiling gradually slipping with an angle too great. "I can help. It is more easy with two people."

Nodding, he slid out of his outer robe, laying it carefully in the grass.

[a_royal_bastard]

Alistair had been intent on doing the job without the help of the building crew, though he supposed it wasn't cheating if he recruited a friend to help instead. He had the barest of knowledge on what he was doing, and having someone along that had experience seemed like a smart idea.

"Thank you," he said, and he was truly grateful. He knew he didn't have to offer such assistance. "I was just beginning to look for any wood that might need replacing now."

[a_real_viking]

Hiccup and Toothless were just walking along the beach when Toothless noticed the dog first. Initially, he tensed back on all fours, staring at the dog before he realized that its tail was wagging and was presumably saying hello. Knowing that there was no threat, Toothless immediately switched to curiosity and lowered his head closer to the dog's to get a good sniff of him.

"Hey," Hiccup called. "Sorry, don't mind him."

[a_royal_bastard]

The best way to know a Mabari was completely out of his element was what Alistair was witnessing now. The second it was clear the dragon didn't seem threatening, he treated it like any other beast they happened across on their walks.

Back home, it'd be a fight in the making.

"Maker," Alistair breathed out, still not quite used to the idea that he shouldn't immediately go to grab his sword, which was put aside nearby, just in case. It took him a moment to glance away from the two toward Hiccup, whom he remembered briefly meeting before. "Don't worry about it, Duncan's obviously fine with it, as well. Hiccup, right? How are you today?"

[a_real_viking]

"Yeah, Toothless too. He's usually pretty easygoing these days." At the moment, Toothless seemed half ready to sprawl on his stomach and get comfortable with his new conversational partner.

"I'm doing all right, and yeah, Hiccup. You're Alistair right? How's it going?"

[a_royal_bastard]

It was strange, watching the dragon almost act like his own hound. It went a long way in terms of making him feel less uneasy.

"Alright. Busy fixing up this old hut," he replied, and there was a small bit of pride in his voice as he said it. It would be more than livable when he completed what he aimed to do. "Bit of a move in the future for me, once it's done."

[needthepractice]

There was something to be said for being neighbors with your own partner. It was certainly closer than Beckett had ever lived to any of the guys back home - Ryan, Esposito, Castle or even Lanie - and at first, she wondered if it was because she preferred it that way, having a refuge to come back to away from everything that reminded her of work, of the job, of that whole portion of her life. But being here, living so close, it had actually been something that she'd adjusted to. She'd adjusted to a lot of things, now that she thought about it.

She wasn't running in the direction of their huts today, instead choosing to run in the opposite direction on her normal morning route, reversing her path and the circle she usually traveled. It was how she happened to run into both him, and Duncan, and stopped to catch her breath, bracing her hands on her hips and smiling slowly in answer.

"Looks like you've got a project going," she called out.

[a_royal_bastard]

Duncan was on his feet and heading right to her before Alistair could even respond, greeting her in a way he greeted everyone he'd come to know well. Alistair just rolled his eyes at the hound as he placed the board down to greet her properly as well.

"Kate, it's nice to see you," he said, smiling. Glancing at the hut, he added, "Indeed, I hope to make it a home as soon as I can repair it. It's much bigger than what we have now."

He just hoped Zelda would like it.

[needthepractice]

"So you're abandoning me now?" Beckett protested, hands dropping from her hips in order to give Duncan a thorough petting, finding the spot behind his ears she knew he particularly enjoyed. She was grinning, though, because Castle had been on her to either expand or move entirely, and it wouldn't be fair to begrudge Alistair that opportunity. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't give him a little grief about it.

"How much work does it still need? Maybe some of the building crew guys could give you a hand."

[a_royal_bastard]

"There's plenty of empty huts around here if you wish to join us," he said with a small laugh, watching Duncan eat up the attention - as usual. Admittedly, it'd been nice, having such pleasant neighbors. This area seemed a little more quiet than where they were now, but he was sure, in time, that might change. You couldn't beat the view, either way. "Sadly, I thought Zelda might enjoy a hut where there's a bit more room. Duncan here takes up most of the floor."