"You're not here when he really wakes up around noon," Aura pointed out. "Right between snacktime and naptime when everyone gets it in their head that they want to go outside to play." She paused briefly. "Even. In. The rain." That particular day hadn't been too successful. It had been impossible to keep everyone from getting covered in mud.

Hisoka just watched the two for a few minutes. If anyone asked, he was observing. Really.

Sesshomaru hid his amusement well. "Really?" His lips twitched again. "Hnn. Somehow it does seem like something my brother would do."

He glanced down at the little one when he shifted, yawning hugely to reveal two tiny fangs before relaxing against his big brother again. Sesshomaru just let him.

Kris glanced at him and had nearly dozed off herself when Shippou decided he wasn't sleepy anymore. He turned around in her lap, leaning over to sniff the cat curiously.

"He part of your pack?" Shippou asked, looking up at Kris.

"No," Kris answered, though she did go a little red at the idea. "He's just doing some work with me for a short while."

"Oh." Shippou was quiet for a moment. "'Cause he sure smells like you."

Kris twitched. Her nose wasn't as sensitive as either of theirs, and she hadn't realised that particular fact. Crap. What to do, what to do...

Aura nodded a bit.

"It gets interesting around here once the kids are all actually awake," she said. She looked at him, trying not to look at the pup. She wasn't sure she wouldn't just melt into a puddle at the cuteness. "Anyways, I would think you have to get back to your job... Unless you plan on giving up?" The last bit was more a joke than anything... She'd never met anyone as stubborn as him.

"She is correct," Hisoka said, kneeling down a bit so he could get relatively close to eye-level with the kit. "I am merely trying to help her get some things into order." He didn't explicitly say what his job was with Kristine, but it wasn't a lie, either. He figured that if the kit had any questions about the vague answer, he could ask Kristine himself.

"Not until we're done," Sesshomaru said with a hint of a smile. "Besides, I do not have set hours. I can go whenever I need to be there." He raised an eyebrow at her just slightly, a faint smile hovering at the corners of his lips. He didn't even notice that the pup had curled a hand in his hair.

Shippou blinked. "Why isn't he?" he asked. The world was very simple to him. "You two are friends, right?"

"Sort of," Kris hedged, glancing at Hisoka for help. She had never thought she would be explaining to someone she was planning to adopt why there wasn't a cat in her pack.

"Well, if you feel the need to babysit your brother personally, by all means," Aura replied, mentally telling herself that no, melting was not an acceptable response to him smiling. "I get paid either way." She gestured to the wall that was covered in honeycomb-shaped cubbyholes. "His cubby has his name on it, bags go over there."

"We are only associating for the duration of the job," Hisoka added, trying to help Kristine out a bit. "After that, we will probably not see one another again, so it would be easier for me to remain an outsider rather than pack."

Sesshomaru inclined his head, taking his brother's bag over to the cubbyhole and setting it there. He'd stay for a little while until his brother woke up enough to go to someone else, and then he'd get back to work. He did have a few things to do before the girls got back home.

"Oh." Shippou nodded his understanding, though he went over to Hisoka, sniffing and looking up at him curiously. "So you're not really friends?"

Kris just kind of shrugged, looking somewhat helpless. She didn't hate Hisoka, but she couldn't call him a friend, either. He didn't spend any time with her besides work.

'That was about the point Aura's attention was grabbed again by one of the other children, and she was pulled into another game of chase. Clearly, she hadn't skinned her knees and elbows enough yet, but hey, the day was only just starting.

"I don't think we've been acquainted long enough to really be friends," Hisoka replied. "Perhaps later on."

Sesshomaru chuckled quietly as he watched, going over to a corner and sitting down for the time being. He figured that once Inuyasha woke up more, he'd gather up Hisoka and go back to the girls' house.

Kristine nodded her agreement, and Shippou nodded his satisfaction, relaxing back against Kris again. He eyed Hisoka speculatively for a few moments.

"Soooo... you don't have any prior claim?" he asked. Kris turned rather red.

"I have no prior claim," Hisoka confirmed for the kit. He knew why the boy was asking; it was clear as day that Kristine was going to try to make the boy part of her pack. It would be interesting to see what Aurellia thought of the arrangement, but that would end up being Sesshoumaru's problem. Hisoka was more than willing to let his lordship deal with the human girl.

Shippou nodded happily and snuggled back into Kris's lap, getting comfortable there. Kris couldn't help but smile, holding the kit protectively.

She got home a little before Aura did, having taken Shippou home via running. She got home and merely glanced at Hisoka before taking the kit upstairs to her room.

Hisoka just raised an eyebrow slightly before going back to moving furniture around to make sure there was nothing else underneath. Already, he'd found half a dozen books and three times as many socks--more than half of which had no apparent match in the growing pile. Clearly, one of the girls was a firm believer in 'one can never have to many socks.'

Aura got home about twenty minutes later, after closing up the daycare for the evening. She pulled into the driveway with the windows rolled down and the radio blasting the local country station. She didn't care if the others heard her; it was inevitable anyways, so she may as well be obnoxious about it this once. The station rolled to commercials about ten seconds later, though, so she she turned it down and closed up the car again before killing the engine. Then she went inside.

Kris showed Shippou around the house before herding him away up to her room again. She had to deal with the other two for a little while. She did have to go through some clothes that Hisoka had in a pile downstairs.

Sesshomaru glanced over at Kris, raising his eyebrows when she willingly started to go through the pile of socks on the side table. But he didn't comment, instead looking over at Aurellia when she entered. He looked pointedly at the books he'd set aside.

Aura knew exactly what the pointed look was for, and went over to the stack of books... and started look through the titles, just to annoy him. She grinned when she pulled out a particularly, ah... 'romantic' dimestore novel.

"I wondered where this went," she said. She set it aside, to take back upstairs. It would join the others in the 'not fit for public' box. Besides, the library was running out of space quickly.

Hisoka didn't comment on Kristine's sorting through the socks. He did notice, however, that he didn't have to ask her to do it. She'd started to do it all on her own.

It seemed like progress was finally being made.

Sesshomaru just quirked an eyebrow at the book. He'd already gone through all the books.

"I am surprised women read such... novels." He raised a delicate eyebrow at her, holding out one other book. It was another of the 'not fit for public' books. He'd finished it in one afternoon.

Kris gathered up all her socks, absently plucking a bright green and black striped bra from the bottom of the staircase. It was hers, so she set it on top of her sock pile.

"I've got to have something to amuse me on late nights," Aura replied, taking the book and setting it with the other. She grinned just a bit. "I'm surprised you bothered to keep reading after the first few pages."

Hisoka watched approvingly. He knew for a fact he hadn't mentioned the brightly colored undergarment before. To be honest, he wasn't even all that keen on looking at it; it burned in his vision enough that it actually left an afterimage of itself. It was the first time he had honestly, truly regretted having such good vision.

"I wanted to see why you had so many of these kinds of books," Sesshomaru replied evenly. "I would rather be informed than make blind judgments." It made perfect sense to him. Even if he had just read a whole cheap cheesy romance novel.

Kris put the bra in the hamper and the socks in a drawer. Not necessarily the sock drawer, but a drawer, before she carried Shippou downstairs again. She glanced at Hisoka before she slid her way into the kitchen, her socks letting her slip and slide along the tile.

Aura couldn't help but giggle a bit. This was just gold, there was no way she was going to forget this one.

"Did you enjoy it?" she teased.

Hisoka didn't comment on Kristine's actions. There had been progress today, that was all he could ask for. Besides that, the main floor was pretty much done. He would be able to start moving upstairs soon, and he was sure that part of the house was a wreck.

"It was... enlightening." Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow at her. Well, now he had another idea for rewards for her.

"You are running out of room in the library. I believe you need more bookcases."

Kris started working on dinner, showing Shippou how to cook. It wasn't hunting, but she'd get there soon enough. Shippou helped her with dinner, although how much help he actually was could be debated.

"If you want to bring them in, by all means," Aura replied. She wasn't nearly strong enough to do it herself, and Kris was preoccupied with Shippou, so Aura had settled on 'bookcases can wait.' "Even better if you can find space for another bookcase in there." Getting up, she brushed off her pants and meandered her way into the kitchen to see what Kris was up to.

Sesshomaru watched her go before a faint smirk tugged at his lips, and he vanished into the library. It would seem he had some work to do...

Kris looked over at Aura, dumping more veggies into a pan while rice cooked in a pot next to her. "Hey. Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."

Hisoka got up and followed Sesshoumaru to the library, although he remained in the doorway rather than going in.

"What are you up to now, my lord?" he asked. He recognized the look in his lordship's eyes; he'd seen it before. And his lordship always did enjoy a challenge.

"Fine with me," Aura said, plopping herself down on a stool and just watching. She was no good in the kitchen, but she enjoyed watching Kris work.

"She clearly needs more bookcases," Sesshomaru said quietly. "It would make room for the rest of her books, as I am sure there are more yet in her bedroom."

He was quiet for a few moments. "Perhaps a short outing is in order."

Kris cooked while Shippou went over to Aura, investigating her and getting to know her better.

"You live here too?" He tilted his head to the side.

"Perhaps," Hisoka agreed, nodding. He could see where Sesshoumaru was saying that Aurellia needed more bookcases, but he couldn't help but wonder if Sesshoumaru would just bring in the pieces and make the girl assemble the bookcases herself... or if his lordship would do it for her.

Aura nodded.

"Yep," she said. "I live here too." She was actually a little surprised that Shippou was paying attention to her already; she thought the novelty of the house would last a few more hours, at least.

Sesshomaru glanced over at him before he looked at the bookcases already there. Something nice for her. He'd go out and get it that night.

"Think we've done enough for tonight?" he asked. He knew Aura had the day off tomorrow.

Shippou nodded, watching her. He already knew her, at least somewhat, from the daycare place. So he was more than happy to get her version of the house and learn more about her.

Hisoka considered for a moment, and then nodded.

"The girls might appreciate it if we adjourned early for the day, and let them get the fox kit better settled," he replied, giving them a pretense under which they could leave. That way, his lordship could do what he needed without any problems.

Aura was content to let him ask questions. That way, he could learn what he wanted to know without getting too much or too little. She probably also wouldn't object to letting him sit on her lap if he wanted to watch Kris cook, but that was up to him.