Already the figure beside the priest was bubbling with happiness but hearing that he seemed happy to walk with her, she was overjoyed. She moved the bag to her outside hand, letting it swing a little as they walked.

She eyed the place as they walked, trying to take in anything that seemed important but also wanting to figure out what made Whitby special. It was important that this town saw how big hearted and hard working Malachi was and she wanted them to love him like she did.

"Oh yes. I've worked on my skill, I think I could do it for some money. A shop though ..." she shook her head. "It would cost extra for a place to work from, I'd be busier, and I feel like I'd have to devote myself to it more than I'm ready to. I want to be able to drop everything at a moment's notice if I'm needed elsewhere. And it is more something to keep me busy, at least for now. An ad in the paper should be enough."

She stepped around a small puddle and watched him out of the corner of her eye. Nettie had written to her small circle of friends whenever she moved someplace new, just to keep in touch. They had wanted her to remain in London, but she couldn't. While it was never said, she worried about her uncle and feared he was a bit vulnerable and could be easily taken advantage of. Being nearby, she would keep an eye on things and protect him if need be.

There he was, getting ahead of himself again. Malachi's smile displayed an embarrassment he did not mind feeling, for a change, and he nodded along in clear approval of Nettie's plan. It made more sense, the way she wished to go about it. He had already been thinking long-term as soon as she'd said it, in part because it pleased him to think of her finding that kind of success in a place like this -- a place he actually wanted to be in, himself, and that he hoped she would learn to love as well.

"It seems to be a good plan, to me," agreed Malachi. "Let me know if I can help you with any of it. Not that... I would be all that helpful with the actual work, I suppose."

No, he would sooner stick his fingers through with the needles than sew a garment properly. Dexterous as his fingers were, they were better suited to the turning of thin pages these days, or the caress of... ah, not that, not that. In came distraction. He swatted it away (metaphorically) as best as he could and focused on the street ahead of them.

"How is your father?"

A normal question, if one he only asked on occasion. Malachi did care for their family, and appreciated hearing about them when he could, but felt that it was not his place to inquire too often.

That little sign of embarrassment on his face made her cover her mouth to hide a small giggle. It was rare for her to see him falter at all in such a way, even if it was so minor. Her hand patted his shoulder for a moment and very quickly, wanting to keep any physical contact quick and appropriate as much as possible.

"Thank you. And don't worry about it, I am an adult now if you recall. I can handle myself."She stood up straight and tried to make herself as tall as possible, not that it probably made any difference to him. " I'll be able to do it on my own, if not it'll be my mistakes that make it fail. Either way, I want to do it on my own. But you can always just be supportive, I'm happy to have you near by to talk to. You're like a mountain that keeps me above the flood." She smiled brightly, grateful he was so willing to help even though he had to be very busy usually.

Then he asked about her father. She was quiet for a moment. It was as if someone dropped off something disgusting and everyone tried to ignore it as long as possible hoping it would disappear or be taken care of by another. She then sighed and shrugged. "Father's fine. His usual self really. Both of them are." There was true disappointment in her voice. If only the man next to her had adopted her, then she could call him father. It was a small secret wish of hers as impossible as it was. "I only told him I was coming here so they'd know. Not that I expected them to truly notice." She also wanted to make sure she could reach her money out here already having planned to get her monthly stipend transferred out to here, so she wouldn't have to depend on Malachi's kindness. He had his own life here and she wanted to help that grow.

No matter how old Nettie was, Malachi would always worry for her. He knew how capable she was, how little she truly needed his help, but he was nothing if he could not care for the people he loved. Of which there were... relatively few, he supposed.

"I'm happy to be your support, then," he accepted with a small smile, warm where it reached for his eyes. Nettie would make an excellent seamstress, with or without his help.

Her silence was not entirely unexpected, at the mention of her father. Malachi could not claim any comfort in speaking of the man himself, but he was glad all the same to hear that his brother was not doing any worse. He did not press his niece on the subject, and instead offered a nod of understanding. The rest of their family was... well. Their care left a lot to be desired. He was grateful, at least, for the solace he found in Nettie.

"Perhaps one day," started Malachi, "they will come to realize there is more to life than money."

He was not all that optimistic about it.

Determined not to let the subject linger, he pondered over a question that had plagued him for the last several days, that he could not exactly ask anyone else... and Malachi's expression grew somewhat uncertain.

"Nettie," Malachi slipped a hand into his pocket as they walked, where his fingers toyed with a little cloth pouch.

"Have you ever found me to be too... intense?"

Nettie looked at him softly and nodded. "You're always my support. I wouldn't be who I am now without you." She had so many memories of him being there were her own parents failed. It was all the more reason her place was here with him and she didn't regret it for a moment.

As they walked, her head turned to him at his words and immediately away again. "Yeah, maybe.." and maybe pigs would fly and she'd ride a whale across the ocean. She gave a little bob of her head. "We can hope."

When he stopped and posed a question. She stopped too and looked up, searching his eyes for the reason behind this question. "Too intense? I've known you all my life. I will be honest with you " She took a deep breath and put down her bag slowly do she could grab both of his shoulders. "You are too cute, and too kind. And I worry you are too shy, and too quiet. But I've never thought for a moment you were too intense. But maybe it's because I know you. I can't see you as any other way. If..someone said that, they are probably intimidated by your height and quiet nature and misunderstood. If they say it again, I'll tell them how wrong they are."

She smiled slightly. "Some people don't give you a fair chance, it isn't your fault. Your brother should have been there to give you confidence as a kid and be your support. " She sighed and looked away before grabbing her bag. "Some people don't deserve the good ones in their lives ."

As much as it comforted him to hear Nettie's positive view, Malachi was aware that, if anyone, she was the one person alive that would be biased in his favor. But who else was he meant to ask? Father Richards, who knew him as little as anyone else in Whitby? The little bird that had planted that insecurity within him in the first place?

Nettie's hands found his shoulders, and he allowed himself to relax the tension oft kept bound within them. His smile returned, smaller now, but genuine in its imperfection.

She was too kind to him. Perhaps a part of him had just wanted to hear what he already knew: that it did not matter what he was too much of, if the end result was still the same.

Malachi gave a hum once she'd released her gentle hold, and he moved to continue their walk.

"Perhaps. But I was not his responsibility."

If there was anything his brother should have done, it was to provide that support for his own daughter instead. Levi owed him nothing; Malachi was but a stranger that'd lived in his home, or so it had always felt.

"Enough about that," he dismissed, "thank you. I just wanted to hear your thoughts. Tell me about you, have you met anyone, done anything?"

"No. But you were the one who needed someone there more. I will not pretend you've not been at a disadvantage, and it seems like it keeps happening. It really riles me up to think of how mistreated you are."

Nettie frowned slightly and pursed her lips. She recalled an incident with a rock and lots of crying. While it had upset the child version of Nettie, the now-adult was Somewhat happy she had done it.

She stomped a boot slightly and clenched her fists before looking up at him. "I am going to work so hard here so that you are treated right. I refuse to think they will see you and get to know you and still treat you like a stranger. Before this year is out. I intend to have a few people call you friend and mean it from the bottom of their hearts."

She sighed when he dismissed her and shrugged walking again. "If I did meet a boy, I don't think it would be worth talking about. I would have left him back in London, but luckily I haven't. Not with any seriousness anyway." She'd had some hopefuls try to court her and politely met with them but none turned her eyes and thus they were abandoned the moment she moved.

"As for doing anything. Oh same old, I suppose. I had been learning about art and reading some books Beatrice recommended. But that has just been a hobby we began. I'm sorry I have been so boring." She laughed and glanced to him. "Anything of interest you'd like to share?"

Malachi had long come to accept a few fundamental truths about life.

First, that people were always cruel. It did not matter how similar or different you were from them, in that regard, it only determined the methods of their cruelty. Whether an insult was based in fact or fiction, borne of jealousy or fear, whether it took flight with the wings of blind hatred or specialized itself to fill the holes in you that your differences bore; he was not alone in being disadvantaged.

Second, that he still had a life to live in spite of it.

Nettie's promises were optimistic, and largely unneeded, but Malachi appreciated them nonetheless. He did not require friends, nor any other connections really beyond those that served the church, but the romantic in him (ironic as it was) did not exactly enjoy the solitude he'd come to know either.

Malachi huffed, amused by the thought that Nettie would ever call herself boring.

"Hearing about your life could never bore me," he assured. "And besides, boring is good. It means nothing's going wrong."

It pained him just to say that, and he was sure Nettie knew. A priest's life was meant to be boring, but his life had been anything but, before the seminary. Malachi considered the question when it was returned, but... the only things of interest, to him, were things that should not exit a holy man's mouth.

"I've met some interesting people here," said Malachi. "I'm sure that you will too. This place seems to be full of them."

Whether the lot of them were interesting in a positive way or not... remained to be seen. But they stoked his curiosity all the same.

"A lovely bird flew into the church the other night, before it found its way out. I'm afraid that's the height of excitement around here -- I've been somewhat boring myself."

Nettie cracked a small smile and nodded with him. "You're right. Nothing of excitement isn't a bad thing. But, this is exciting.. I am here. I'm in a new town, and I get to see my favorite person in the world. So this is exciting a little. And things are still new for you, it'll settle soon..." She said, striving to push the positive.

"Interesting people? That's nice to hear. I will be looking forward to meeting them. This town seems full of surprises, by the way you talk about it."

Her head tilted as she watched him as he spoke of the bird. She wondered but waved her free hand a little. "It is always exciting when something wild gets indoors. Luckily, you weren't hurt. Stay safe and as boring as you wish to be. I'll support you whether you are boring or feel like stepping out of your comfort zone. Sometimes we step into something scary to grow." She said, and looked forward as they walked. "So show me around, once I find a place to stay, you will know where to find me all the time. And maybe I can treat us to dinner, since you must be starving."

Oh, dear. The thought of Nettie meeting some of the people he'd met was not one that he particularly liked, but he did not dash her hopes. There were just as many decent people in Whitby as there were anywhere else -- Malachi was just yet to meet them.

That was not entirely true, though, and he tried to get it out of his head before it stuck. He would have no issues at all with his niece meeting someone like Father Richards, or Mrs. Higgins, or... well that was about it, but he felt good about that number.

Nettie's statement about wild things caused him to cough, and Malachi covered his mouth. That was his own fault, he supposed.

"Yes," he dipped his head. Safe and boring. He could manage that, or he could at least try to manage it for Nettie's sake. He'd made it this long without stepping too far outside of his comfort zone; only had the rest of his life to go.

"I'm content as I am," assured Malachi. "And only more so, with you here. Although... I haven't the first clue where one goes to find a place to stay. I'll take you to some of the shops, we can figure it out from there."