Alexa stares at the dice, before picking one up, noting its face, and contemplatively tossing it down again. The same face stares up at her again, and she turns away from the dice with a small huff of irritation.

"In my own name," she retorts, "and in the name of... Hmm. I do not know your name yet, do I, girl? Spot will not do. Hmm. Rusty?" 

Two barks.

"Not Rusty? Okay. We can figure it out later."

She flicks a particle of rust off the wire brush and holds it out to the figure. "Realistically speaking, magus, there are two, three ways this ends. If you do not help, I will stay until you drag in an esoteric to evict me. And if my friend is harmed in that, my wrath will be terrible."

She lets her words hang in the air and adds, deadpan, "This would be detrimental to our team spirit."

Her tongue still chokes on the next words. Don't let them know you care for it. That's a lever they can push, someone they can threaten to get you to be a good soldier. The only way to keep them safe is to keep them away.

"But, if you were to help me fix this dog, you would earn my friendship. That is valuable coin, to be sure. And it would mean I have no reason to dig through your toolbox."

"What do you say, friend?