#◇ threads: declan & maria 01 ◇

[dxrknessexplored]

@tealeavesandthorns asked “Why is the plural of moose still moose? Why not meese?”

Train of thought entirely interrupted; it took more than a second for the words to filter through and process properly before Declan was even able to understand what Maria was asking. Eyes glanced towards the woman to see if there was a drink in her hand. Not that she needed to be drinking to ask such a question. It just was one of those out of left field moments. Instead, he watched as she softly pet Eli's head as it remained settled in her lap. The paperwork was set to the side, and he shifted in his seat.

"I actually know this one," he offered with a small laugh. "If you really wanted to know that is, and we are just tossing rhetorical questions out into the open." Declan waited to see what she would say. He had read a bit on the country as a whole prior to the move, and oddly enough, that little tidbit of information had come up and lived buried in his brain since.

[dxrknessexplored]

"Really?" Declan hadn't thought much of the life or what he did. The man enjoyed it, loved it even. There wasn't a thing about the life that he would give up. But, it also threw him when people were that excited about it all. Then again, he guessed if people lived in the city or something of that nature, their entire lives, it might seem like an exciting life. "Well, if he wants to come on down, even if it isn't to learn about anything but just for a visit, he's more than welcome to."

He chuckled softly at the way that she assured the decision. There wasn't much arguing with that in the end now was there? Declan knew when to back down, and this certainly was one of those situations. Even if it felt a little odd with getting such a large sum of money from her.

"Sure, why not? Betcha would be a natural at it." It wasn't like he was going to let her do anything too dangerous. And he would be there every step of the way so that she didn't end up getting too nervous or hurt herself. Eli was enjoying himself, and while Declan debated on getting up, he knew that it would be difficult to get onto the couch and share the space.

"Figured you might," he offered with a laugh. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure we got plenty of things here to bring with us. In fact, could probably get everything together tonight and be ready to go whenever you want tomorrow." He could get up a little earlier than usual and get chores done early. "If you want to, though, I'm not gonna stop ya."

"Do you have any idea how excited he would be if I told him you invited him down?" Maria grinned at Declan because of course she'd told her mum and dad all about Declan and Eli and the menagerie of animals that were on the farm.

"I'm incredibly sure and if I wasn't occupied right now I'd seal it with a kiss." Maria admitted as Eli lifted a lazy eye up towards her but didn't move and if anything snuggled further into her. "Me, in a tractor?" Maria laughed and shook her head because it seemed such a big piece of equipment and kind of scary.

"Oh I love that idea." Maria nodded. "We could even take some cocoa in a thermos and oohh maybe I could make some sandwiches, or I could nip to the bakery and get some of those lovely little cakes. Might be a stretch to bake anything before tomorrow now." Maria grinned. "I can get Eli some of those handmade biscuits he loves too."

[dxrknessexplored]

"Nothing wrong with that. Almost feel like it sort of happens naturally once things get going. Get one animal, get comfortable with it, and suddenly, you have five others that you gotta learn how to take care of," he offered with a small laugh. At least, that was how it happened with him. He had sworn after taking care of the pigs when he was younger he wouldn't have any, and yet, there was a small grouping that lived on the far side of the property. "I'm available any time. He can come down and see what it involves." Was it too much extending the offer? Maybe, but Declan wasn't going tonretract it because it may be a little awkward. Besides, he genuinely did want to help, and if ultimately, that was what was decided as a want, then he would provide as much support as he could.

"If you're sure..." He could see that she had her mind made up about it. In the end, Declan wasn't exactly able to deny her, and even if it was a little more difficult to accept money than he wanted to admit, he didn't want her upset either. And some extra cash would make life easier. "We can get you in a tractor and moving things around. Makes everyone ten times as strong. You'd be surprised." He teased lightly. Some things just had to be done by hand, but where he could, he would use a machine. "Then that will be the plan for tomorrow. We can take the UTV out and go to the edge of the property, show you were a few more projects I had in mind would be once I can get around to it all." It sounded like a good day. If the weather held, they could even have a picnic in one of the more quiet spots.

"I think it'd start with dogs and end up with all sorts, my mum is an author, a romance author so I think she'll keep writing forever. I think my dad needs to find something to do after lawyering- I know he's all justice this and that but I think he deserves to just chill and he can still do some good stuff." Maria rambled a little and then rolled her eyes, she didn't really worry about her dad, she just wanted him to be happy- as did her mum. "Thank you, I'm sure he'd snap your arm off for that." She chuckled.

"Declan, I'm really sure." Maria said, "I've never really had anything I've wanted to invest in properly before. My dad tried to get me into some properties but I was never interested. I did try to invest in a library once but technically that was a donation." Maria chewed her lip. "I just- I know you can do it on your own, and I know you have everything in hand, but I'd like to help and lord knows I can't lug hay bales around." Maria chuckled. "And I don't know how many cuddles the horses really need. I'd love to see it tomorrow. I feel like there's still so much I haven't really seen." She admitted to him.

[dxrknessexplored]

"Hm, you got it. Think I can manage that." A small chuckle left him at the mention of setting up a sanctuary. Yeah, that could be understood. "She sounds like a smart woman. If he does decide he wants to do anything, I would be happy to help. Setting things up can be overwhelming. Be a nice little retirement if it is something that he wants." Declan wouldn't mind. Spending time away from the farm was always hard. And she likely hadn't been serious about it all, but the offer still stood. He would figure out how to make it work if the seed of an idea ever took form.

Everything that he had, he had worked for, not having any business partners or the like. The decision had not stemmed from being too prideful. More from the fact that he felt confident that he knew what he was doing and where he could end up. That hadn't meant that there weren't difficulties and bumps in the road along the way.

Maria seemed so certain about it. If he denied her, denied the offer, he could end up hurting her feelings far more than intended. A thought that circled his head as he took in her expression. He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, thinking it all over.

"Are you sure?" The momentary worry was her feeling like she was throwing her money away at nothing in the end. Then, it was followed up quickly by the thought that she may not want to see the end of the project. A silly thought given how much time she was spending here at the farm. She felt like she belonged as much as he did, and he would prefer to have her there far more often. "Can take you out there tomorrow and show you what I'm thinking." He closed the notebook he had been working in and stood up, cracking his back.

"You know I think I do." Maria said eyeing him. "I don't think my mum would ever actually put a stop to it. He's got more than enough money to set up a sanctuary there if he wanted." Maria admitted with a chuckle. "And my mum loves them, dad's getting closer and closer to retirement, he hates coming into the city and he's going to need something to occupy him."

"I-" Maria looked a little sheepish then because no she didn't need to do it and she always found money such a sore spot. Her family had so much of it and sometimes it was all she could do not to give and give and give to help people but she'd learned a long time ago, especially in Gotham that she couldn't do that. Also people could get touchy about money, prideful. "I know I don't have too Declan, I want to though. I mean I'd like too."

And maybe there was a part of Maria that hoped one day she could settle in here with Declan, that he would invite her to live here. Whisk her away from the city but so she could still keep teaching. There was no point denying how head over heels she was for him anymore, because she was head over heels and he made everything so easy.

"The money is just sitting there, it'd be better invested in something and I can't think of a better investment." She said, besides she'd already invested in Harvey's farm and business.

[dxrknessexplored]

"Want me to hold you to that?" He teased right back with a small grin. The ease between them was something so deeply appreciated and nothing ever taken for granted. The comment about dogs sparked an idea in his mind, but he kept it quiet and pushed to the back for now. "Don't think that's stopped anyone before. Dogs have a way of just mysteriously showing up," he joked. Lord knew it happened on the farm he grew up on. Couldn't ever turn them away.

"What?" He shifted fully in his seat down, attention off of the numbers and fully on the woman residing on his couch. Declan never expected her to contribute to anything. Things ran well enough, and he enjoyed her company. Frankly, if he could have had her here more than he did, he would. "Maria, you don't need to do that." Not that he didn't appreciate the gesture, but he didn't want her feeling obligated to do such things. Somehow, he felt like he might be fighting a losing battle though. So, there would have to be a plan b in place.

"Remind me and I'll make it up to you later." She said blowing him a kiss. "I don't mind it, as long as I'm cuddled up next to one of you. We always had dogs growing up, my dad still has a couple at the house and my mum has told him that he can't adopt anymore, I don't think that'll stop him though."

"Well, what if I invested?" Maria offered. "I don't mean all of it, I know you'd never take that anyway, but I've got more than enough savings and with the amount of time I spend here-" Maria said looking over at the stack of books on the side, more and more seemed to be creeping into Declan's place. "May as well do something with the money rather than having it sit there."

[dxrknessexplored]

"Wasn't exactly my strong suit growing up," he admitted. "Far better with the hands-on than the book. But, I'm sure we can find something that goes over it. Gotta be some books readily available." Which she knew at this point. Not to say that he was a horrible student. Declan could pick up on things quickly when they related to something he needed to know for the farm. That tended to be what the focus of any intake was now a days. He was decent with numbers, too. Always had been.

"So, you're saying I'll never get it." He chuckled as he looked towards the dog who had closed his eyes and settled in for what looked like a nap. "We both know if it was up to him, he wouldn't ever be done cuddling. You might be stuck there for the rest of the night." Not that it was an issue when it came to the interactions with the dog.

"Making headway. Think I've got all my key deliveries set up for the next year and budgeted properly. Think I'll be able to afford expanding the pasture for the horses this year. Been putting that off for too long." There was always work to be done but that was a big project.

"I don't think I'd be surprised at all darling." Maria replied with a chuckle because though Maria might have been, booksmart, Declan was smart, smarter than he ever gave himself credit for and she loved listening to him talk about something he was knowledgeable about.

"So I knew about singular and plural words being adopted the same and to do with the mutations and such in language but I had no idea the word came from Native American, I really should do more research into the history of language their because it's fascinating. When I was younger I was just so focused on Latin and ancient Greece that I sort of forgot that." Maria added. "I think this young chap deserves a gold sticker." Maria said happily, resting the homework on Eli's head she peeled off a gold star and popped it onto the work. "I think you probably deserve one too but you might have to wait until Eli is done with his cuddle." She chuckled gesturing to the dog currently snuggled up on her.

"Hows yours going anyway?" Maria asked gesturing to his paperwork.

[dxrknessexplored]

"Yeah. Might be surprised what's rattling around this dome. When it's actually working, that is," he teased lightly as he knocked a knuckle against his skull. When she had given confirmation that she wanted to know, he continued on with the explanation. "It's because of the origin of the word itself. Don't remember exactly, but I know it wasn't old English like most words. Came from the Native Americans. Don't ask me which. But because their word was the same plural or singular, it was adopted as the same."

It might have been the only time that Declan had something over Maria in terms of language or any of that. Sure, he was smarter than he gave himself credit for most of the time, but he didn't mind saying that she was the one with greater knowledge and was the brighter of the two.

"Beyond that, I couldn't tell ya why they didn't have a different plural form of the word over the singular. But that's why it is that was in English."

It wasn't entirely out of left field if you had any idea of the story Maria was currently reading. One of the very imaginative kids in her class had decided to write, for his homework, a story, complete with illustrations about a Superhero Moose. Whose antlers shot laser beams.

Maria loved the imagination of the elementary school kids, it was unparalleled as far as she was concerned. She loved that almost as much as she loved this with Declan, just being, him doing paperwork, her marking papers and then Eli with his head in her lap.

"Really?" Maria asked looking over at him, a curious sparkle in her eyes as she watched him. "I mean I do want to know, of course I want to know." Maria said the workbook still in her hand, the other on Eli's head. She did so hate how everything could be googled nowadays, it took the mystery and folklore out of life.