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"Eh heh heh...With your mug? You're always scary lookin'." Marshall joked, not noticing how Oz looked rather sickly. This was only the second time meeting the large gray man, how was he supposed to tell what he looked like regularly.

"So, lets go get our pay-less labor for the day!" Marshall chuckled, hands on the back of his head as he walked over to his long-necked friend.

"I heard that," snorted Gaius amusedly as the two walked over, his long ears twitching up. "If you think you're up to it, we need to finish clearing out the dirt in the stage area and get those supports stuck in the edges. Think you two can handle that?"

"Bah, you're a penguin, not an eagle. You can dig as well as the rest of us!" he teased back, then his expression grew softer. "Yeah, I got it. It really... means a lot. Thanks."

Hiding the sentimental feelings again, he waved a hand at the two. "Alright you grunts, get to work! I want this thing finished before summer, you know!"

"Finished before summer? Psh, you'll be lucky if its done by New Years NEXT year!" Marshall joked as he followed Oz, his shovel resting on his shoulder. "And if you break out into song I'm so outta here." Marshall snickered, glad about how today was going. Calm and peaceful; just the way he liked it.

Gaius chuckled and shook his head. At least the antics meant they were in good spirits, and that meant good work. He only hoped they'd stick to the measurements and he cast a frown down at the table. While they were making good progress... it was still slow, to Gaius' eyes. So much excess effort, couldn't they do things more efficiently? The nails alone were getting eaten up like popcorn...

Of course, what the architect-turned-pegasus failed to recall that these were volunteer workers, not even trained in this field, and of course far differed from the co-workers he'd built beside in years past.

"Heh, we don't have lounges in the UK. Its the west end or pubs...or cabaret," he said, with a mock shudder to emphasis the sheer embarrassment of being a cabaret singer.

Oz's digging abilities put Marshall to shame, simply because he could lift it with more ease after his muscle expansion. He was finding the going a little rough today though, stopping intermittedly to rub at his shoulders or his neck, or to scratch at inflamed skin along his arms. That had only developed in the past hour, possibly from the heat.

"Ah yes, the personalised coconut. Makes me wish I'd made some kind of effort for Christmas," he said, speaking with regret.

A part of him hoped he'd been missed at Christmas or something, but he wouldn't be disappointed if they hadn't noticed his absence.

"I used to love Christmas. Just the whole atmosphere and things. The food, of course. And the lights and decorations. My dog Winston used tp love rolling in all the wrapping paper on Christmas morning," he said, recalling better times with evident fondness.

Oz had come to a stop, jamming his shovel into the ground and resting on the handle. He spoke with such a longing about his past, yet with no hint of sadness. Had the discussion with Zach put things into a new perspective?

"Yeah, I think we can put one of those support things in now," he said surveying their hard work.

Suddenly, Oz felt something warm trickle down his lip. With a damp t-shirt from sweat, he assumed it to be the same substance. But then a metallic taste tinged his lips.

His nose was bleeding.

Oz fumbled about his jean pockets for a handkerchief or a packet of tissues, he was certain he had something, whilst his other hand stopped the flow of blood. It wasn't as bad as previous bleeds have been, but it was almost a year since his last nose bleed.

"I'll be fine," he insisted through a clasped nose.

After finally finding the tissues in the crevice of his pocket, he'd plugged his nose in a temporary, if humorous, fashion.

"See? I'll be fine. This happens some time, the pitfalls of breaking your nose on the field," he insisted, with a forced calmness.

One nostril blocked with tissue did nothing for him. And before Marshall could say or do anything, Oz had already clambered back out of the foundation pit and headed for the wooden beams.

"You just be ready for this, alrght?"