You are a bum, she told him. But a cute one.


He narrowed his gaze at Michelle giving her as stern as look as he could manage. "Cute, huh? Not really the look I was going for today. Manly and studly, sure. Cute, well, let's just keep that between us," he requested, kissing her nose.

I know you dont get to see your sister very often, she said. But Im glad you wanted me to come along today. Thank you.


"Nothing to thank. Whom else would I want to spend my birthday with than you, hm?" Which was, in most fact, true. That he was looking forward, greatly, to an evening with Amos out of the castle and after curfew with a few bottles of some rather strong liquor wasn't something that Michelle needed to know about; tradition was, afterall, tradition. Almost as if she had read his mind, she pulled away rapidly, his brow starting to knit when he realized that they weren't standing there alone.

"You're Josh Cloud!"

The pronoucement had him looking from his sister, whom he'd just about been ready to greet, to look up at the tall (the very tall, from his perspective) man standing with his sister. His eyes grew a bit large even as Plum was admonishing that she not remind him. He didn't give a heed to that, however, stepping forward and thrusting out his hand with all the semblance he could pull together.

"Mr. Cloud, I've always been a fan of your work. And your columns." A slightly belated happy birthday was given to his sister, though he was having a hard moment keeping his attention from being all consumed by someone with the stature of Josh.