"You said that before," Ashleigh remarked, as unconvinced now as she had been when Higgs had made the same argument over the journals. She still didn't believe that animals were classy. Obviously, some drooled less than others, but she'd still rather avoid them where that was possible. That included Pushkin, who Ashleigh failed to find as adorable as everyone else seemed to. "He's your cat," she pointed out. "Let him rub his nose against you."
She looked around the house as she stepped out of the fireplace, impressed with the scale and the tidiness. It wasn't decorated to her taste - but why should it be, when she didn't have to live there? She assumed that Higgs and Marcus found it pleasing and wasn't so self-obsessed as to think it mattered that she'd prefer a more muted or complimentary palette. "It's very nice," she said as she followed Higgs into the kitchen. "I'm impressed." She didn't say that she assumed he'd had help, but she did. Even stripped back to the structure, it was impressive.
"Coffee, please," she answered. She set her gift bag on the table and removed two wrapped presents. "One selfish and one not," she explained. She was aware two presents was more than strictly necessary, but it had felt strange only to bring something she intended to use herself far more than she thought he would use it. "Which do you want first?" She liked curry, but she waved the question away. "You don't have to feed me."