"Only road signs and buildings back home," she answers, and looks around until she finds one of the pencils she's been using to measure and mark plywood.
"Here - this was what our group used before we joined Rick's, so our own people could find us if we got separated."
A circle with three short lines through one side of it. "We'd put the lines the direction we went."
He draws an arrow with two lines through the center.
"When I was homeless we'd mark restaurants and buildings with this. It means they'd let you use their restrooms."
A circle with double lines through it. "This meant they were quick to call the cops. Anyway, this isn't painting landscapes, so when are you going to teach me that?"
He lifts one right back and moves away, back upstairs to his room. There are pictures on the walls in this room, the strips of photos taken at his party. There's a sketchbook here (he has one at Broken Hollow too, but this one is more full). There's a nest of blankets.
He comes downstairs with paper and a packet of brushes and paints.
"I like it here. I wanted to capture how the place looks right now."
"Oh, you liar!" He teases, pointing at her with a brush. "I should've known!"
He suspected. There are little tells he's learning to see in her, just like he's sure she's learning to see them in him. This used to scare him; it doesn't with her.
"They might like music," he says. "There were studies done in the old world. And I made the mistake of telling K that, so if he ever accepts having his own apartment again I'm sure it'll be full of music and plants again."
"You like most of the guys I'm seeing. That's actually a relief. I'm afraid of what'll happen when I bring one home you hate." Which could happen. Jesus trusts so much more readily than she does.
"From your track record so far, I'm going to assume that you won't let me," she huffs at him. She didn't like any of them at first. She doesn't like anyone at first.
"You should. I'm going to be helping him run the Submissives resource center. And he lost Scott so...I think he's going to be at Broken Hollow more often."
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