"He means well," Clara quickly assures him as the man blinks down at Heiji, grunting softly. "Look! He hasn't shooed you away yet. That's a good sign."

The groundskeeper cracks his neck two times, the sounds audible and somehow more aggressive than they usually are. Knowing how that would be interpreted, she quickly throws her hands up and says, "That's him showing interest in what you said! I swear!"

"And?" The groundskeeper's voice is rough and gravelly, years worth of smoking getting the best of him, but he sounds distinctly polite. Curious even. "In return?"