A Birth day

Joseph heard Michael and smiled " thanks that's high praise coming from you" he said as he watched the horde of foot stools come in then Michael said they were missing one. He saw snidely return with a very small foot stool and he walked over " awe shes cute" he said and held out his hands " may I?" ha sked then chuckled " I promise not to steal her away, yet." he said smiling to Michael.

Jack chuckled as he saw more foot stools come running in " more I thought you had those two done?" he asked then shook his head " never mind , how do you neuter footstools, dumb question" he watched Joseph with the small one and smiled " see hes good with small animals and young kids too, gentel when he wants to be and hits hard when fighting." Jack folded his arms and watched as the foot stools ate the treats " will tell her you know she'll send over more to you now." he added. It was now one of the older Foot stools waddled over and sniffed Joseph then began to bump him .

"wow hey , yes I se you there" he said and petted him too , as the others noticed it they too came over to him." friendly bunch " he said pulling a small one out from under his shirt, revealing a birth mark..

"Yet. That's the operative word, isn't it?" Orin laughed. "Not that they aren't all special, but Thimble is a little heartbreaker. I'm learning they all have individual personalities already. Slipstitch likes swiping food if he can reach something he isn't supposed to have, Zipper reminds me of some little streetwise ornery buggar. The kind that has a slingshot in his back pocket, a wad of bubble gum in his mouth, and wears his baseball hat sideways. Snap is a talker. He has to be barking all the freaking time. Hook is always dragging some stupid thing around the house. Not sure what he wants things for, but he always has to be trying to cart something around. Last night it was a wrapper from a package of jelly slugs. Zigzag is a clumsy little fart. He gets running faster than his little legs will carry him and then runs into table legs, door ways, siblings, anything in his way. And Button is overly meticulous about not wanting to get dirty--ever. She's going to be a bit of a diva, I think.

"No, they're not fixed," Michael sighed. "Because my best friend happens to think it's funny that I get saddled with puppies every time the dogs come into heat. He won't tell me how to fix a pair of footstools, so they just keep reproducing. And every time I get another litter, he laughs his fool head off. "Thimble is going to be a good companion if I can find her a home. She's far more interested in cuddling and riding around in someone's pocket than she is in playing with her sibs. She'll play if she's playing with a human, but she's not interested if its another dog. I suppose I could try to enchant her to always be pocket sized, but nobody wants a pink dog that's only an inch and a half long."

"Oh, now don't say that, Michael," Orin said, "She's adorable. I told you I might take one--maybe. If Robert doesn't tell me I can't have one."

Joseph looked at Mikael as he was talking about each small footstool explaining their personality's It was then he looked at Thimble " I could take her, I am working with Jack who knows how to look after small animals and whose teaching me, she'd be looked after" he said smiling as he held her.

Jack looked at Michael " seems she's charmed another" he said and chuckled " of course she can't go any where as of yet being too young" Jack said and watched Joseph nod he agreed.

" of course , looks like they have a few more months yet" he said as he scratched one on its under base making its legs wiggle all around and making him laugh. now standing he handed thimble back to Michael " see you soon little one" he said softly to her and gave her a last pet. then looked to Jack. He also looked around the room seeing all the antiques in the room he said nothing but spotted a book " that an original Mary Shelly's Frankenstein?" he asked and walked over to it looking at it he didn't touch it.

Jack looked to Orin and chuckled " you got competition if its thimble your after, think Josephs wanting her too" he said and then watched Joseph as he looked at the book on the shelf. " hes a book worm, loves his books and taking them to large trees or rock ledges to read them, hes like a mountain goat." Jack told Michael.

"Nah," Orin said. "I rather like Zipper. He's like the little neighborhood menace, and I like his 'little boy' energy."

"They're only two weeks, but you know,..." Michael got an ornery thought, and he looked at Jack, casting him a glance of pure mischief on his mind, and the thought made him laugh with pure glee at the thought of putting one over on Robert one more time. "It's my turn, you know. He thought he'd catch me with the boggart back in May, and it didn't work. So it's my turn. I think I could manage to kill two birds with one stone. I could annoy the crap out of him, and Joseph would get liberal time with Thimble, if you can help me keep an eye out for the pups when you're inside the main house so they don't get stepped on or something. You in, Jack? I mean, we certainly can't let him rest too long on his laurels to that he gets rusty, now can we?" 

Orin laughed at how much pleasure Michael obviously got from mischief.

"Why do I think this one here," Orin gestured at Michael, "is the Prince of Pranks? This sounds like this is a running thing between him and Robert."

"It only goes back 51 years," Michael laughed. 

"Oh is that all?" Orin asked sarcastically, amused.

Jack listened to Michael and laughed " oh its bee too long " he said " oh I'm so in, jess might not be happy about it but she'll understand" he said laughing " tell me what you need" he said and looked to Joseph who was looking at more of Michael's books on the shelf.

Joseph could hear them behind him and he stopped looking and looked at both men " sounds fun" he said smiling " really, the Prince of Pranks?" he asked and looked at all three men in the room " oh I so got to get a piece of this, not to get in trouble " he said looking to Jack who shook his head .

"you won't Robert and Michael have this prank they pull every so often , its along running thing with a boggart of all things last time I helped put it in the shower" he said and looked to Michael chuckling " was successful i have to admit."

"I'm going to haunt him with the puppies," Michael said. "That, and I've been toying with a little hex I might try. Maybe. I probably won't try the hex til the weekend because that could blow up on him in public, and I really don't want to hurt him. Its just harmless fun."

"Should I ask what the hex is?" Orin asked.

"If the hex works, every time he gets a mischievous thought in his head, he's going to grow a set of devil horns," Michael said. Orin laughed out loud.

"You would do that to him? Of all people?" Orin asked. "You've got gonads, I'll give you that."

"Well, you're right that not many could get away with it," Michael said. "But I'd take it off within a day or so. He gets called out on too many emergencies for me to leave it on him for very long."

"God, I want to see this," Orin laughed.

"I think I could make that happen," Michael said.

"Hook, what have you got now?" Orin frowned. He saw Hook had the stub of one of Michae's cigars and he had it in his teeth and he was carrying it around with him. "Get that out of your mouth, you little buggar. That's not good for you."

Joseph could not help but laugh as he heard what Michael was going to do " oh now that will be funny" he said then listened to them talking he looked down at the foot stool and chuckled.

"Hey there, its a good brand but you a little young for that" he said kneeling down and taking it gently from the foot stool, he accioed a treat for the stool instead " here this tastes much better." he said softly and gave him it then watched it run off happily. " Arturo Fuente, Few cigars sell faster than Arturo Fuente cigars, their top quality, you've got an eye for for affordability and a keen eye for quality, but here in the UK its got to be Cohiba Siglo IV. the flavours are little smoother and creamier compared to others " he said handing the stub to Michael with a smile.

Jack looked at Joseph and chuckled " got a point, and how did you learn about those?" he asked this made Joseph blush a little as he stood looking at both men.

"I kinda, stole some when I was younger?" he said sheepishly. " it was like being in heaven when I lit one up, don't do it now of course, too busy and well eagle eyes there." he said and chuckled.

"I have some of those too," Michael said. "I just smoke what I like, whatever I'm in the mood for. I have several different brands in my humidor." The back door slammed, and it made Orin jump, but he noticed Michael didn't seem to take any notice.

"Did someone just come in?" Orin asked.

"Nah," Michael asked. "It's just Snidely. Look for yourself." Orin went to the kitchen window and looked out to the back yard.

"Your hat rack is marching the laundry basket outside for some reason," Orin frowned. 

"Yes. He is. He's making sure the wet laundry hangs itself up properly on the clothesline to dry."

"Your laundry does itself?"

"Well, more or less. Snidely has to order it to go to the hamper, and then he orders the hamper, when it gets full to take the dirty laundry to the washer, but it gets the job done."

"I want this house," Orin said.

"Khaat would never sell it," Michael said. "She's attached to all the magical things in it. Before I realized how much she loves all the things here, I offered to undo the enchantments for her, but she won't hear of it."

"Of course not!" Orin said. "I love this house, and all of its little quirky things. It feels like it just belongs here."

"Michael?" Kate called through the floo.

"Coming, Kate," Michael replied, going to the floo. "What's up?"

"Tell Jack we need him to go make a stop at Sparks on his way back. I ordered six garlic bread baguettes for tonight's affair. You are coming, aren't you?"

"What affair is that?"

"Oh, the Belbys were burned out of Honeydukes earlier..."

"Yeah, I know about that."

"Well, they're staying with Marcus here on the estate. So Angus put 8 full racks of ribs on the grill, some Mexican street corn, a baked potato bar, and Simone is making homemade Ice cream sandwiches. It's grown into a pool party with volleyball and cornhole and some other things. Do tell Jack to pick up the garlic bread from Lizzie and then you and Orin come along."

"I can't, my dear. I've got the puppies now, you know."

"Well, bring them along. Maybe we can find someone who would puppy sit them tonight. We could use you in the kitchen anyway. This rib supper was way too ambitious for Angus anyway."

"Well, yes. It would be. Little git. Alright. I'll ask Jack if he'll get the bread."

"Thanks, Michael." The floo went black.

"You heard that, right, Jack? Bread and puppy sitter."

Jack chuckled as Michael explained about his cigar collection and Joseph nodded bot men didn't jump with the back door went and Joseph chuckled hearing that it was snidely putting out the washing " hand guy to have around" he said then turned to the floo as Kate' voice came threw . Once Michael and Kate finished talking Jack looked at him and nodded " yep got it garlic brad from Lizzie and a puppy sitter." he said looking at Joseph

"I'll puppy sit their not too bad" he said " besides let me watch Thimble" he suggested and looked to them all " hey got to learn some how and these guys are perfectly fine with me" he said " besides I'm just a junior grounds man.."

" in training" Jack cut him off and Joseph chuckled.

"yeah as he keeps reminding me, in training, so i'm not invited to the party so puppy sitting is the next best thing." he said with a smile Jack chuckled and looked to Michael .

"its standard procedure, all new trainees are tasked with simple tasks and are not allowed unless invited or have proven their loyalty, to mingle with first stringers " Jack said " safety policy after what we've had happen lately." he then smirked " so now you have your puppy sitter no reason not to come" he said smirking " might give you time to use that hex you want to use." he then heard the clock chime some where off in the cottage " and well we have to get to Sparks for that bread."

"We'll get the dogs ready to come, and we'll be there shortly," Michael said. "We have to cut up another gross of black socks before we can come. They just finished the last batch."

"You do realize, dont' you that we're talking about 144 pairs of black socks? Or 288 black socks?" Orin asked. 

"Yep. You don't realize how much those dogs can eat," Michael laughed. "We'll see you lot later at the estate."

Angus had rested, and then, when he had gotten restless, he had gone over to see how Simone was doing with her ice cream sandwiches. She was knitting, and the babies had the yarn from her knitting basket strung all over the living room. Angus frowned.

"Is this how you want that?" he asked.

"Well, not really, but they've stopped shoving it in their mouths like spaghetti, and now they're just wrapping it around everything Edward and I own," Simone said. 

"How'd the ice cream sandwiches come out?"

"Good, for as far as they are," she said. "They're just so plain, though. I'm not entirely happy with them."

"You want them jazzed up a little."

"If you can come up with something," she said.

"No problem," he said. He got some dark chocolate and milk chocolate candy bars out of her pantry and some sprinkles and sanding sugar. He melted the candy bars, coated one half of each ice cream sandwiches in a thick layer of dark chocolate and the other half of the same candy bars in milk chocolate, rather like a two toned domino, and then he added colored sanding sugar or sprinkles and decorated them, each one a little different from the others.

"Those are beautiful," she said. "Perfect. You did notice that I did make some extras so we can have some here for us if we want it."

"Then I can take two."

"Of course."

"Thanks," he said. he put the rest in the freezer and took one for Ruby and one for himself and he went back to his side.

"Taste test," he said, handing one to Ruby. "Tonight's dessert." He unwrapped his and sat down to eat it.