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That pulled a laugh out of her. "Well... hmm. I wouldn't mind helping, but in order to maintain the illusion, I would have to remain in the area. Unfortunately, I can't just create a permanent illusion here for you and leave."

"Ah..." Hector looked at his surrounding work, sizing it up again and thinking. "So... I should create, like, a 'nest' for you around here, is what you're saying."

Her avatar's eyes bulged a little. "I... uh... you'd be willing to do that? To just give me a place of my own in your castle?"

Oh, maybe that was a bigger deal than he'd thought it was.

Yeah, it definitely was. What was wrong with him?

He'd done this before with Gina, too, he suddenly recalled. Just inviting people to stay in his home as long as they wanted.

Gina had probably been more deserving it, though. When it came down to it, he still didn't really know all that much about the Sparrows or Pauline herself.

Eh, but it would be aboveground. After all that craziness they'd been through together in Lorent, he felt like she was pretty trustworthy.

Hmm.

He scratched his neck. "Well, if I were to give you your own, er, spot here, what would you need in order for it to be comfortable?"

"Ah, wait a minute. Trying to use my desire to leave home as a means of learning more about my kind, is that it? That's rather underhanded of you, Lord Goffe. I thought you were the more straightforward and earnest type."

Um. That hadn't been it at all, but now that she mentioned it, it didn't sounded like a terrible strategy. She obviously found her father a bit stifling, and he did want to learn more about the Wrobels.

Still, though, that wasn't his priority. "...Look, I just want my castle to be as impregnable and cool as possible. And having a Sparrow around seems like it would help with that."