A bird? The boy craned his neck to get a look at it. Sure enough, he could just see the top of its head peeking out from behind Gaia's ear. "A cardinal?" The red crown atop its head was unmistakable. "That's awesome!" And appropriate, considering the matching red of the gift giver.
Pausing, he took in a deep breath. Clearing his throat, he said, "I've been thinking and...well, maybe it's not my place to...but um...would you maybe..." He stuttered, trying to make his point without stepping on her toes. "Like to um...practice self defense with me?" Rushing now, he went on, "We could even work your bird into it, if you like. I just think...you know...maybe we'd both benefit from it." They could both use the training in his opinion, but more than that, Nemesis hated the idea of Gaia having to depend completely on Solo. What if one day he wasn't there to be all big and red and intimidating?
