House of Madness

Muir gave him a puzzled look, not sure what that meant in this context. He was about to say something when the front door opened and a young female walked in. She was short, not even five feet tall, and dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, both covered in grease stains. She held a motorbike helmet under one arm, her short red hair flying in all directions.

"Hey, gang, I'm home!" she called, kicking off her heavy boots. She paused, staring at the birdman. "Who are you?"
 
Alexander moved towards her and extended a feathery hand, looking down at her with a bright smile. It was strange being nearly two feet taller than someone. "I'm Alexander. Nice to meet you, honey."
 
Tinker didn't accept the hand at first, instead raising her eyebrows at him. "Honey? Sorry, but wrong name, buddy." Then she smirked and held out her hand to him. "Tinker. Nice to meet you, too. Are you a new renter here?"
 
"Yep, Muir's letting me stay until I'm back on my feet," he gently shook her smaller hand. "What have you been up to?"
 
"Sounds like it's going o be a mite crowded around here, then. And work. I just got off my shift," Tinker told him before reclaiming her hand.

"Tinker? Is that you? Good, dinner will be ready in five minutes," Pendle called.

Tinker moved around Alexander. "I need to go get cleaned up. See you at the table!"
 
"See you then!" Alexander called after her. He sat back down on the sofa and crossed his ankles. "You know what we're having? I'm kinda in the mood for something pumpkin spice-related."
 
"I don't think you can have pumpkin spice for dinner, but I do think soup is involved," Mure told him happily.
 
"Oh, I meant the flavor, not literally eating pumpkin spice from the bottle," the avian laughed. "But, soup is fine."
 
"Dinner is ready," Pendle called.

Muir bounced off the couch and headed into the kitchen. "Yum! What's for dinner?"

"Pumkin soup, garlic bread, and chicken alfrado," Pendle told him, gesturing toward the counter where everything was laid out and ready for everyone to help themselves. The plates and bowls were on the long wooden table, ready for each person to claim their place and their items.
 
Squawking happily, Alexander also bounded into the kitchen and looked at the food. He picked up a bowl and scooped a large amount of the pasta in it and put a slice of garlic bread on a small plate. He sat at the table across from pendal and took a spoonful of the alfredo, nodding in appreciation at the magician.
 
"Hmm, it is good to see someone so enthusiastic about my cooking," Pendle smiled, eyes glinting.

"What are we? Chopped liver?" Tinker asked as she joined them, tiny her hair in twin tiny pigtails.

"No, you are people. I will eat chopped liver, but eating people is usually frowned upon," Pendle replied.

Tinker frowned while Muir cackled and Vlad stared out the window dreamily with pasta slowly falling off his fork. "You are way too cheerful when you say that."
 
Alexander swallowed his food just in time for him to also burst into a fit of laughter. He faced the young lady. "You're pigtails are so cute, Tinker!" To Vlad, he said, "Vlad, your alfredo..."
 
"Thanks, Alexander," Tinker said cheerfully as she slid into her chair.

Vlad looked at Alexander, blinking in sleepy perplexity. "Hmm? What about my alfrado?"
 
"You're welcome, dear," the avian laughed at the other magician's sleepy obliviousness. "It's coming off your fork."
 
"Oh, yes, so it is. Thank you," Vlad said. He scooped up another bite, this one making it into his mouth, but as he started to take another bit, he got distrated. Once again, his fork with noodles hung in midair as he stared out the window.

Pendle sighed. "Who let Vlad sit where he could see the window?"

"Sorry," Muir grinned.

Tinker gave Alexander a light nudge under the table with her foot. "So, what, you're jobless? Is that the deal?"
 
"Yeah, got fired from my last job because I dropped an entire carton of eggs...again," Alexander said with a small sigh. He took another bite of the chicken alfredo.
 
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