Cold Steel, Warm Hearts

Chapter 4: Move-in Day!

Early Saturday morning, Echo and her father finish packing up what they can into his truck, deciding what they can't fit they can bring another day. By around noon they drive to the new apartment. When they get there, she shoot's Ted a message saying that they were there. Shortly after she sends it, she couldn't hold in her excitement she quite literally hops out of the truck.

Ted, seeing Echo's message, shoots a message back saying he will be down in a minute. "Damn, they're here already!" He exclaims as he jumps out of his bed, where he was lounging the morning away. He quickly throws on some clothing.

Echo gets Ted's message back and puts her phone into her bag. "Hey Dad, Ted says he will be down in a bit." She tells her dad, looking over, she sees that he has already started unpacking his truck with her things. Her father, Gulberz Warren, was a brute of a man, well, orc. He stood taller than most, at 6'9'' with pale grey skin and jet-black hair with white streaks through it. He was a clean-shaven man, wearing a pair of worn jeans with black shoes and a blue plaid shirt to tie off his outfit. He was lifting the few large totes Echo was taking with her.

"I hope he is as decent as you say, kiddo," Gulberz said with a concerned look on his face to his daughter, "I know how humans can be..." He trailed off as he set the totes on the ground.

"Oh, he is he just takes a bit to get used to." Echo says as she jumps up to sit on the tailgate of the truck. Speak of the devil, Ted waltzes out of the apartment, taking a moment after he saw the massive orc near the little bunny, pondering yet again how such a thing could have even happened. He shakes his head and walks over to the father and daughter duo. "Oh! You must be Mr. Warren! Echo says a lot of great things about you!" He says cheerfully, outstretching a hand for a handshake, and Gulberz takes it.

"Likewise." He said gruffly, letting go of the brief handshake to pick up the totes once more. "Now, where's Echo's room? These bins won't bring themselves in!"

"Right this way sir!" Ted says, leading the Orc to the apartment door, and through the kitchen. "Don't mind the messy coffee table." Ted quickly turns and sticks his head back outside of the apartment door. "You coming, Echo?" He calls to the small rabbit before popping back into the apartment to show her father where her room will be.

Echo jumps off of the tailgate and puts it up, before following the two medium creatures into her soon-to-be home. She wipes her paws off at the front door, then calls out to the two upstairs by this point. "I'm in now!" She makes her way up the stairs to join them.

Her father sets the bins just inside the bedroom door before he turns to Ted. "Hey, thanks for accepting Echo's application. It's good to know she is in a safer neighbourhood." He says, patting the young man on his shoulder.

Ted smiles and gives him a thumbs up. "No problem, Mr. Warren. I will make sure nothing happens to Echo! She is in safe hands."

Echo, as she gets to the top of the stairs, hears Ted's remark to her father, or rather, she figures, him kissing up to her father. "I can keep myself safe, thank-you-very-much." Echo declares, sending a glare to Ted.

Gulberz, however, lets out a hearty laugh. "Oh kiddo, relax! Ted here is just being honest, right Ted?"

Ted turns to Echo, holding up 2 fingers as if he is a boy scout. "Oh yes, sir! As honest as a scout!" He smirks as he gives Echo a wink. Echo doesn't know why Ted sent a wink her way, but she wasn't going to call him out in front of her father.

"Good! I'll go and get Cottontail's bed!" Gulberz said as scoots past his daughter and back down the stairs.

Ted, staring at the orc as he leaves, waits for him to get out of ear shot before snickering. "COTTONTAIL! Oh, I am going to remember that one!" Ted let drop to Echo as he had an evil glint in his eyes.