#askdowel

"Naw, please, continue. This is en'ertainment."

He's out in back, packing up a shipment of parts, when Gage hears the familiar squawk of a Dowel too close to an Em. With a roll of his eye and a shake of his head, he finishes the label he was writing before pushing the box back and heads up towards the front. He was the one who was supposed to act like the child; he was the only one with the face for it.

Still, he's amused more than irritated and grateful for something to shake up today. "Dowel, I swear to god, if -" But the threat fulls dead when he rounds the corner and all he sees is Dowel, looking somewhat ashamed, but alone near his desk. No Em to be seen.

"Where did Em go?" Gage demands, worried that Dowel had scared er right out the door.

Dowel clicks his fingers together, clearly trying to think something up. Gage waits, tapping a toe. "Um... I was just... going through and heard something and when I looked it was Em down there" he points timidly under Gage's desk. "I wasn't going to prank you."

"Yeah, and I'm sure your holding one arm behind your back for no reason, either. Okay,buddy, you know the rule - go to your room until Shi gets back."

"But, but Gage I don't want to. I hate it when you tell me that. It's not - "

"Dowel - go!"A short whistle of steam escapes Dowel, but he gets moving, still trying but failing to hide what's behind his back.

"And leave that glue in the living room where I can find it." Gage calls after him. Another whistle and a thunk where the bottle is put down.

Gage waits for the Dowel's door to be shut to go around to the front of his desk. "Em?" he asks.

Em is huddled under the desk, hands clamped over er eyes. "Is he gone now?" E lets er hands drop to er sides when Gage confirms that Dowel was safely stowed away.

"What the hell were you doing down there in the first place?"

"Um... checking out the real estate? Heard good things..."

I don't even care if they interact or not (though that would be rad.