The dinner smelled good, and Jeff was happy to follow Lucy and Melody as their host lead them into Melody's dining room. There was a lone table there, though there were no chairs. At first Jeff was about to ask about why there weren't chairs, but then he remembered the form that he and Lucy had taken on thanks to the trick that had been pulled on them the night before, that lead to all of the Chapman family to become Slug People. Their unique anatomy in their tail and no bones below their waist was something that made using chairs difficult to impossible and at the same time they could rest on their tails as they did so. They then settled into positions that would place Lucy next to Melody as they rested down on their tails to begin eating.
"Yes... but some never have that much in the way of talent," Melody answered with a small shrug and a weak smile, "I could draw all I want... but it would never look like what I'm trying to draw."
"Aren't there styles of art that don't necessarily look like anything?" Jeff wondered, intending for it to be something that would make Melody feel a bit better, and strangely to give something more for Melody and Lucy to talk about.
They'd asked plenty of questions on Slug People and possible ways to defeat Cupple and save Megan and Jenny from his influence. Those were all things to be expected, but they'd also reached a point where there wasn't too much more on those fronts that could be achieved, at least for the day. They needed to wait a man that Melody's father said did have more information could come and talk with them. Thus, there wasn't too much else that could be done for the night, and Jeff had also noted Lucy occasionally making looks to Melody, both as they talked at her father's house and as Melody had worked on preparing the dinner they were now quietly eating. It would represent a change for Lucy, but Jeff didn't get any sense of duplicity from Melody and that had been a good part of his willingness to let things play out between Lucy and Melody.
If his sister wanted a relationship with Melody and wasn't being controlled, he wasn't going to fight her over that. If it was Lucy's choice, it was then something that Lucy wanted and was a big part of who his twin sister was. That was the key thing that he felt he needed to protect for her. The only thing that Jeff could really do was make sure that Lucy didn't rush into anything without thinking. So far, though, those threats really weren't too bad and the three were able to eat in peace. Jeff also felt good as the food that he chewed on and swallowed reached his stomach. However, one eye noticed a frown on Lucy's lips.
"There are styles of art that do not rely on picturing things realistically," Lucy spoke with one eye looking to her brother while the other eye turned to look to Melody, "but that's often a style and shouldn't be something should be pressured. If Melody doesn't want to be an artist... she shouldn't be forced to be an artist."
"I wasn't trying to do that!" Jeff said quickly, "she said she couldn't make her drawings look like what she was trying to draw. I was just trying to point out that she wouldn't have to do that necessarily in order to be good."
"I'm aware of abstract art," Melody commented, "and I would even agree that I could venture into that sort of thing if I wanted to... but... I suppose my interest in art styles is more realistic than what would be found in abstract artworks."
"But you like art..." Jeff began.
"I like art, yes," Melody nodded, "often because those that work within the style of art that I've been the most attracted to have talents that I personally do not. And it is something that has left me wanting to be able to meet various artists and see what they were thinking of when they painted or sketched..."
"Lucy is an artist... and is a great artist," Jeff told Melody.
"Yes," Melody answered with a blush, "I know."
That was something that alerted Lucy, a bit. There were no questions about Lucy's art or interest in it, but just a standard mention that Melody knew that Lucy was an artist. It raised some questions in Lucy's mind as they continued to eat. Though, for the moment, things ended up staying rather silent. Lucy wanted to ask her question on that issue, and partially sensing that Jeff didn't mean any harm with his commentary on art and practice, but she remained a bit embarrassed on how to bring it up for the moment. So the three of them ate quietly and at least enjoyed being in good company.
"Mmmmm... that was good," Jeff spoke and rubbed his stomach in a circular pattern, "that felt good after going through most of the day without eating..."
"Yes, it was good," Lucy added agreement as she and her brother rose up fully onto their tails, mirroring a standing stance for humans.
"I would imagine that just about anyone would enjoy something after going through most of the day without eating," Melody gave a semi playful chuckle.
"It would have been good otherwise," Lucy assured Melody as they began to follow Melody back toward the kitchen to place the dishes in the sink or to get them ready to be washed.
Melody placed the plates in the sink, and it wasn't long before warm water was run over them. The last things handed over were the glasses, and they were soon being rinsed as well. The last of it was Melody taking the eating utensils and placing them in the cups. Once done, Melody slid around the counter and looking to both Jeff and Lucy.
"It's getting a bit late... and after moving around town today, I'm sure you're both a bit tired," Melody said slowly.
"A bit," Jeff admitted, while looking to Lucy, "though would there be places we could go to sleep? I mean... I love my sister, but as a sister."
"And I love you as a brother," Lucy nodded, "so would it be possible that we could have separate rooms?"
"Yes," Melody nodded, "that can work... I have a guest room that you can have Jeff. The bed is comfortable and there is a pretty simple thermostat just inside the room that you can use to keep the room as warm or as cool as you would like..."
"Thanks," Jeff answered as Melody lead them in another direction and going through the dinning room and into another hallway that went east.