"You still don't have a couch," Rile said as they walked down Magazine Street.

"I don't care," Alex said. "I'll find another temp job and soon I'll have enough money. Not paying rent rocks."

"Show me your money," Rile said.

Alex dug her cash out of her jean pocket and shoved the wad into Rile's hand. "There. It's not enough for a decent couch."

"Watch and learn." Rile turned into another store.

Alex looked at the combination of thrift store merchandise and barely antique furniture. "He might have a chance. Might."

"Thank you for the recliner," Cale said. "You should have tried it first since you'll be using it, too."

"No. It's yours," Alex said. When he looked like he was going to protest, she said, "Payment for helping me. I don't stay in debt to anyone."

"You weren't in debt to me," Cale said. "You're on our side. We help each other."

"Alex shrugged and pointed to Rile examining the couches. He shunned the patterned ones and pushed on the cushions of the solid colored ones. Only one had wooden feet, although they weren't carved, but solid blocks. The salesperson approached him and the two discussed. Alex crossed her arms on her chest and watched.

"Let's see if he can pull it off," she said.

"Rile is very good at bargaining," Gabe said. "He might succeed. Thank you for the recliner."

"The one you were sitting in is for my apartment," Alex said. "I need at least one." She ignored his gaze on her and watched Rile.

The salesman shook his head and pointed at the couch. Rile said something and pointed at something else on the couch. They spoke more. Rile pushed on the cushions. The salesman ran his hand along the back of the couch. Rile sat on the couch and bounced with a frown on his face. When he stood up, the salesman sighed and held out his hand. Rile accepted it.

"He did it?" Alex asked.

"He completed his mission," Gabe said.

Alex tilted her head up at him and Gabe grinned.

Rile joined them after paying and filling out the paperwork. "I believe a crawfish lunch is in order."

"I believe you're right. I'll buy a few pounds and we'll take it back to my apartment. Cheaper that way."

*****

The brothers looked with interest at the old grocery store. The tile floor was ancient and yellowed, but not warped or cracked. The shopping carts were just as old, their wire frames battered with squeaking wheels as the New Orleanians pushed them down the narrow aisles. Little old ladies in flowered house dresses shopped side by side with tattooed men in sleeveless shirts. They politely ignored each other until a lady needed help. Then a man would reach up or down the shelf and hand her the needed item. She would thank him, he would answer, and they resumed ignoring each other.

"In the back," Alex said. "They boil the crawfish there."

They stood at the deli counter, straight from the 1950's, with curved glass and chrome. The glass was clean and the various meats had signs stuck in them proclaiming the price per pound.

"Eight pounds of boiled crawfish, please," Alex said to the man in the white apron.

"Dat enough, chere? Dey awful big men," the deli counter man said.

Alex pulled out more cash, this time from her bra. "How much is it?"

"I thought you gave me all your money," Rile whispered.

"As if," Alex whispered back.

"Why you payin' for dem men? Men should be takin' care of you, chere," the deli man said with kindness, smile lines deep in his face.

"I know better than to trust men," Alex said. "They helped me move. I'm paying them back."

"You around da wrong men, chere, if you payin' dem back," the deli man said. "I sell you ten pounds fer da price of eight. I see you help Mrs. Bonifay. She a firecracker, dat one." He weighed out the crawfish and slapped a price tag on the bag.

"All men are the wrong men." Alex felt a funny little twist in her heart. "For me, anyway, but thank you. That was kind of you." She handed the deli man a twenty dollar bill. "Please use this for Mrs. Bonifay's crawfish next time she shops here."

"Of course, but, chere, not all men," the deli man said, but Alex had turned away.

"I'm not a man," Rile told Alex. "I'm an Agama."

"Shut up," Gabe said. "We all are. Cale and I helped Alex. You annoy her."

Alex groaned, "Stop the brotherly squabbles. You're worse than kids."

*****

Back in the car, Alex moved her seat up so that it didn't jam against Rile's knees. Gabe held the bag of crawfish. Cale gripped the seat in anticipation.

"Here we go." Alex jammed her car into gear. "Let the games begin."

"How durable is your vehicle?" Gabe asked as Alex cut off a truck.

"Why? Scared?" Alex asked.

"I am not afraid," Gabe replied.

"I am," Cale called from the back. "Does your car have the impact resistance of those much larger vehicles that threaten us?"

"Aren't you the mighty Guardians of the universe? Surely God won't let you die in a measly car crash." Alex leaned on her horn and floored the accelerator.

"Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Cale closed his eyes and gripped the seat harder.

"It's a big video game," Rile said.

"There are no extra lives in this one," Cale said.

"Have you been playing video games again?" Gabe twisted around in his seat to fix Rile with a stare. He was jolted back in his seat as Alex swore at a driver and hit the brakes.

"That was for you, Cale," she said. "I let that jerk cut in front of me."

"Thank you," he replied weakly. "Are we there yet?"

"Yes, yes we are." Alex coasted into the driveway of the carriage house. "We all survived to eat crawfish. My place or yours?"

"Ours, since you still have dirty dishes," Gabe said.

"Don't need dishes for crawfish, just newspaper and paper towels," Alex said.

"Interesting. Still, we should host since you paid," Gabe said. "Next time I will pay."

Alex exited the car and released her seat so that Rile could maneuver out of the back. Gabe and Cale piled out and led the way to their apartment. Cale handed Alex the Times-Picayune weekend edition and she covered their table with it.

She dumped the bag of crawfish in the center of the table and said, "Have at it."

When they looked at her in confusion, she said, "I'll show you how to peel them. You take from the center pile and eat until you're full. Easy." Alex held up the little red crustacean. "First, you squeeze them down the middle until they crack. Next, you rip the heads off. Then pinch the tail off so you can peel the rest of the shell off easily. Eat the delicious meat. Like little lobsters."

"What are lobsters?" Cale asked.

"Crawfish for the rich and snotty," Alex said.

Rile said. "There's a lot of waste with the head."

"Real Cajuns suck the head. I don't."

Rile grinned and proceeded to suck the head of the crawfish. "It's delicious."

"Too spicy for me," Alex said.

"You're not authentic," Rile said, wicked grin widening.

"The humanoid dragon from another planet is? Suck a crawfish head, Rile."

"I believe I will. Many of them, in fact."

*****

Gabe and Cale also enjoyed sucking the crawfish heads, but didn't flaunt it. In easy silence, Alex and the brothers finished all ten pounds of crawfish.

"Watch." Alex rolled all the crawfish heads and shells inside the newspaper. "Voila! Instant cleanup."

"I'll take it to the outside garbage can," Cale offered. "I need to visit Dr. Dewey."

"I'll start building those shelves," Gabe said. "I'll bring up the wood and tools from Dr. Dewey's garage."

"I'll walk upstairs and unlock the door." She started up the outside stairs and turned her head to see Rile behind her. "What do you want?"

"I'm bored. Interesting things happen around you."

"There's an old Chinese curse that says 'may you live in interesting times.'"

"Their food is pretty good. Their sayings might have some wisdom."

Alex started back up the stairs. She unlocked the door and entered.

"May I come in?" he asked with fake politeness.

"Certainly. My tub might need scrubbing."

"You should get a job as a comedian."

"Who says I haven't?"

"Because you haven't starved to death."

Alex sighed and entered her kitchenette. She started washing the dishes and utensils in her sink.

"Where's the towel? I'll dry," Rile said.

"In the drawer to the right of the sink," Alex said. She turned at a scratching on her front door.

"I'll get it." Rile opened the door. "It's the carpenter." He blocked his brother's way.

"Please let Gabe in," Alex called back. "My hands are wet."

Gabe pushed past Rile, his own hands full of wood and tools. "I'll build the shelves in the corner, Alex."

"Shouldn't you ask her where she wants them?" Rile hissed.

"It's the best location," Gabe answered. "I know."

"That's fine," Alex called again. "As long as they hold books, I don't care where they are or what they look like."

Gabe favored his brother with a triumphant smile and dumped the tools and wood. "Hold up this plank while I nail in the cross piece."

Rile hissed at him again and walked off. "I'm helping Alex in the kitchen."

*****

Alex handed Rile the last fork when she heard another scratching at the door. She opened it to see Cale with his hands full of metal tubing and pieces of paper.

"Dr. Dewey printed out the instructions for a shower and bought the pieces," he explained.

"You?" Rile said in disbelief. "You couldn't build a toy to save your life, Cale. You are the worst carpenter in the world. Why do you think Father shuffled you off to the healer and then to the priest?"

Cale hissed at him. "Because I have an aptitude for healing, Rile. While I'm not skilled at building, I'm willing to learn and not hiss off my tongue constantly. I promised Alex I would help with the shower and I will."

"I'll take someone willing to learn over hissing any day," Alex said. "Rile, please help Gabe. Hold those pieces of wood."

Fifteen minutes later, Alex watched a metal piece disappear, clanking down the drain. Cale's claws scrabbled uselessly after it.

"Maybe it's not important," she consoled him.

"Or maybe it's the vital piece to this shower." Rile poked his head in the bathroom.

"Out." Alex pointed a glowing finger at Rile. "I have powers and I'm not afraid to use them."

"Can you use them to fix your shower?" Rile entered the bathroom and took the plans from Cale. "Hmmm, nothing like this on Olam. Still, I'll be more help than Middle Brother Who Better Be A Healer Because He's Useless Building Anything."

Alex leaned her forehead on the tub edge. "Make him go away."

"It's not that easy." Cale patted her back.

"Do you want this shower device or not?" Rile asked.

"If taking a bath wasn't sitting in one's own filth, I'd kick you out," Alex said. "But sadly, it is. I want that shower." She rocked back on her heels.

"Hand me that pipe," Rile ordered.

"I obey only because I adore showers."

*****

An hour later, Alex screwed her eyes shut and turned the knob. Water flowed through the shower head.

"It works. It really works." She opened her eyes and felt the water.

"Don't sound so amazed," Rile grumbled. "You owe me."

"Fire truck," Alex said. "I do. I pay my debts."

Cale hissed at Rile, who smirked at him in response.

"Why do you bring up vehicles that respond to emergencies?" Rile asked.

"I saw the term on a singing video on the internet. Starts with 'f' and ends with 'uck'." Alex grinned.

"Why not curse? You curse at New Orleans drivers," Rile said.

"You aren't a New Orleans driver. They can't hear me, so it's marginally acceptable," Alex replied. "I don't curse if the recipient can hear me."

"Why?" Rile asked.

"I never ask 'why' in my life," Alex said.

"Why not?" Cale asked.

"It's pointless. Asking 'why' means you want to know. I don't want to know. I have a single purpose in life: take down the bad guys until they take me down. Especially pimps. Don't need to know any 'why's' or 'why not's'." Alex fiddled with the knobs. "I need a shower curtain."

Cale rummaged in the bag. "Dr. Dewey's wife bought this for you." He pulled out a thick fabric curtain decorated with the sailing ships and seagulls.

"A little odd for New Orleans, but okay," Alex said. "I'm hanging it up and kicking you out. I long for a nice, hot shower. Let's see how much hot water this apartment has."

"I want one, too. You wouldn't have a shower if it weren't for me," Rile said.

"Ick, use your own shower." Alex backed away from him. "You do have one, right?"

"Yes, although it looks very different. It's a small cubicle." Cale pushed on Rile, who planted his feet. "Out, Rile. Alex needs peace to enjoy her shower."

"Rile, come here and help me with these bookshelves." Gabe's voice carried well.

Alex locked the bathroom door behind them and the sound of water beating against the shower curtain carried dimly through the apartment.

*****

A/N: I've been negligent in not dedicating chapters to faithful writer friends. If I forget you, PM me and the next chapter is yours! First is

For her enthusiastic support!

@DianaTheThird - who has dubbed me her brutal editor while she sticks eyeballs on me! All is meant in the gentlest way

Are y'all enjoying the world and relationship building? Or are you bored? The plot will start moving soon!