<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Helena sighed audibly, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration when Mateo tried to sit on her. "It's quite all right. It bothers you more than me, I'd think."</span></span><br/><br/>Mateo was conflicted in his feelings towards Helena and Clay. His mother had told him that he had to watch what he did because the dead were always present. As abnormal as it may sound, Mateo had always been skeptical that spirits and demons and all really existed. Something about sitting inside of a ghost makes you rethink your whole belief system. Since he learned that the dead really did exist, he was naturally inclined to be respectful to them. Though sometimes it was difficult. The dead were supposed to be, wise, unafraid, honest and careful, but something about these two undead folks seemed, less than serious, bold, quick-tongued but oddly unfocused. Maybe they got all of their serious out of the way when they were alive. Maybe they got tired of serious and realized that eternity's a long time to hold a frown. Maybe they were just weird, who knew.<br/><br/>Clay's abrupt motion (very out of place for zombies) brought Mateo out of his little bit of undead moral analysis.<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">â€œWhelp, you lot are boring my balls off!â€ he announced cheerily, â€œSweet Pea, Mat, Ronnie MEIN FUHRER,â€ then added in a slightly softer tone, â€œDidnâ€™ notice you creep in! Morning! Boo,â€ he shot Helena his award winning grin, â€œsee you on the other side!â€ he then gave a wave, Veronika a salute, and jogged back upstairs, trying to ignore the squirming sensation under his skin.</span></span><br/><br/>Strange. Was the first thing that came to Mateo's mind from that performance. It wasn't unlike Clay to act impulsively and randomly as he had but the motions were uncharacteristically strained and unnatural. He seemed to force the playfulness in that little exit. He was hiding something with that little improv act.... or maybe Mateo was still pissed about him eating ALL THE FREAKING BACON: and raw at that! Everybody knows that bacon's main appeal is it's smoky taste and crispy feel, just come o- ahem. Mateo focused on his eggs and chewed quickly and excessively. Focused solely on watching the antics and hearing the small talk go about him and contently so. That was until something a bit unique happened.<br/><br/>Jayce's voice announced his unnatural appearance in the vicinity of the scary monsters.<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">"Morning, all." he said, "We've decided to join you this morning. How are things?" he awkwardly said, "This is Kala Mylune. She's kind of new here. I hope you welcome her to the house."<br/></span></span>We ? Mateo turned his head and the fork in his mouth fell to the floor. The clatter it made as it hit the floor emphasized the silence. It seemed strangely coincidental that the construction seemed to quiet down significantly. "Wow, she<span style="font-style: italic">does</span>exist" he said, a mix of actual disbelief and exaggeration in his voice to break the awkward silence. Drake was the first to start the introduction process that always follows in weirdly formal and uncomfortable situations like this<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">"Hey. Good morning! Finally decided to turn off your computer? Kala, was it? Come in! Have a seat or whatever. Make yourself comfortable. The scary Zombie dude just left in a hurry. He was getting kind of fidgety."</span></span><br/><br/>Helena was the one to follow up.<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">"Hello, Jayce, Kala. It's nice to see the two of you down here," she said, giving Kala a smile she hoped was warm and welcoming. She'd always been better at the mocking ones. "It's very nice to finally meet you," she added for good measure</span></span>. Helena seemed to be a bit unfamiliar with this formal approach to conversation but at least she gave it a serious try. It only seemed proper that Mateo do the same.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">With a quick glance through the doorway, Helena turned to Jayce with a more serious expression. "Do you think I should go check on Clay? If he's having a fit, I'm the least likely to be eaten in the process. Or would you rather do that yourself, as our caretaker?"</span></span><br/><br/>The second statement, though it may have been said with good intentions, sounded almost hostile with this new found formal tone she had fabricated out of the thin air to which she was so accustomed to being a part of. Mateo quickly intervened, he sat his carefully tongue-cleaned plate on the ground and stood up, gave a loud burp, walked up to Kala and extended a hand "Hey!" he said a little too loudly for the situation, he personally believed that his voice just carried more, " I'm Mateo, or Matt, Matthew, whatever, you have a problem with any of these guys you can come to me, ok? " he said jokingly.... mostly, looking over at Jayce and then Helena.