When A Self-Proclaimed Mercenary Goes Hunting

Tinkletoes makes a face that silences all. The self-proclaimed mercenary turns his head, taking in all of House’s changes. He raises an eyebrow and says, “You must have those hilts well hidden.”
“Yes. I do.” She proclaims with a lilt of pride.
Tinkletoes steps away from the wall with his drawing on it and looks into the living room from the kitchen. He takes one step, his heavy combat boot meets the stone floor. He takes another louder step with the other foot. Each step is deliberate and each one heavier than the last. He stops at a wall and rams into it with a muscled shoulder. Tinkletoes moves a few inches down the wall and does it again.
“What…what are you doing?” House asks nervously.
“Nothing much.” He answers as he opens the pantry and pushes against its back wall. “Just admiring your improvements House. Can’t a guy do that?”
“Did you see the improvements that I made to my living room?”She asks.
“What’s going on?” Paige whispers.
Dylan crooks a finger at his older sister, she leans down. “House is trying to distract Tinkletoes so he doesn’t break something.”
“Show me.” The self-proclaimed mercenary says. He follows House’s voice into the living room taking slow, heavy steps the entire way.
“It took months to decide between carpet and wood floor. Then Mural Man reminded me that three cats in a house means three times the hair balls. He knows how much I detest having my floors smell like cat food.” House continues to narrate her tour. “I added a closet to the main entry for coats and things.” In her excitement House creates a temporary opening through the wall, leading Tinkletoes straight to her latest addition.
Writer Lady says, “TP.”
The faerie flutters close by.
“Will you please go and find out what’s going on?”
The faerie disappears in a puff of smoke.
“Since Tinkletoes and House seem to be working things out on their own, who wants pancakes?”
All three children call out “I do.”
“Let’s get breakfast quickly before House changes something else.” Writer Lady says. “Has anyone seen my skillet?”
Tinkletoes walks through the opening speaking in brief acknowledgments with a strange sparkle in his eye.
TP appears in front of Tinkletoes.
“Yeah?”
“Writer Lady wants to know what’s going on.”
“Man stuff.”
TP giggles and continues to flutter in front of the self-proclaimed mercenary careful not to fly into Tinkletoes as he’s hunting.
“Are you going to help or just keep flying in front of my face?”
TP disappears in a puff of smoke.
“I thought not.” Tinkletoes continues down one of House’s new hallways. It is unusually long and appears to grow longer with each new step. “How long are you gonna make this thing?”
“Take one more step and voilà.” House says.
Lights go up and Tinkletoes enters to find a wall with six large flat screens mounted to it (two rows of three), a console organizer with LED back lighting, and a large sectional sofa. The ultimate gaming room.
“What’s this?” The self-proclaimed mercenary asks.
“This is Dobby’s room. He wanted something special so when you play together, the men get to have fun without any stupid kittens in your way.”
“It’s kitten proof?” He asks.
“Neither Writer Lady nor the kittens can see this room. It was the first enchantment woven into the room’s design and one of my favorites. That and sound proofing. Mural Man has been helping me. We are having fun putting special touches into everyone’s individual space.”
“Everyone has their own room?”
“Everyone will.”
“How did you get Writer Lady to agree to that?”
“She told me to?”
“Writer Lady told you to give everyone a room?”
“Yes.” House answers.
“What did she say exactly?” Tinkletoes asks.
“I want there to be plenty of room for everyone.”
“That’s not the same as giving everyone an individual room.” Tinkletoes says with a grin.
“Everyone has a room. Dobby has the gaming room, the kittens have a play room with live trees to climb, TP has a bachelor pad, Aunt Purdy, Furnatche, and the kids have an adventure bungalow room, Diomedes has his own study off of High Command, Carp has a space that he designed, Ray’s room looks like a giant cheese puff, Daemon has a sauna room...”
“Wait a minute...you gave the demon a room?”
House sighs. “I created something more in tune with his natural environment. Demons require longer rest periods than other magical beings as well as much warmer atmosphere. Don’t you know anything?”
“What else have you got?”
“Pirate and the Lady With The Long Gold Hair have adjoining cabins that resemble those on a cherished ship from his previous life.”

“Monitor Man?” Tinkletoes asks. “Where’s his room?”

“Mural Man and I can’t decide if I should build one for him or not. He hasn’t been around for a while. What do you think?” House asks.

Tinkletoes looks closely at the gaming equipment, the big screens, the snack area, the self cleaning cat box. “Dobby will love it.”

“Thank you. That wasn’t what I was asking.”

“What do I think about you building Monitor Man a room?”

“Yes.”

“Monitor Man and I aren’t really that close. Why ask me?”

“Mural Man says that even though you act like an obnoxious, self-serving, know-it-all that deep down. It must be really deep down, seriously deep, deep down.”

“I get it House.”

“Mural Man says that somewhere inside of you there is a good man.”

Tinkletoes looks away from the couch and at the ceiling. “Thanks.”

“Should I?”

“Have you and Mural Man worked out a design?”

“A roomy man cave with a custom fireplace and clean lines.”

“Save it.” Tinkletoes says. “He’s not my favorite person but it would be a nice thing to do to keep the design on hand, just in case.”

Tinkletoes exits Dobby’s gaming room through a door on the far end of the room to find himself in a hallway with vintage bulkhead light fixtures and  a steel door in military green.

“Where does this door lead?” He asks.

“To your room.”