Alissa patted his arm, "You won't have a choice....but I'll help if you want me too," she offered.

"Oh, I couldn't ask that of you, but thank you anyway for the offer," Randy replied with a smile. "I'd like to see him try to push me down the stairs."

Alissa giggled, "I don't think anyone could, poor Ellen would have moved if he'd just asked, there was no call for him to do that,"

"Certainly not. I'd have had a few choice words for him if I had been there to see it," Randy responded in a vaguely threatening tone, ears, tilted backward ever so slightly.

Alissa giggled and reached up, not quite tall enough to touch his ears, "You're ears moved! How do you do that?"

Randy blinked at her. "Oh, you noticed that, did you?" He knelt down and gave his ears a wiggle just for her. "I've always been able to do it. Sometimes it happens whether I want it to or not," he said with a shrug. "Most people don't seem to notice."

"I think it's interesting," she said running her finger along the edge of one, "You're a lot nicer than my last tutor,"

Randy gave his ear a very small flick before standing again. "Am I?"

"Yes, you didn't yell at me for not reading the book, or hit my hands with the rod," said Alissa.

"I'd find that approach to be counter-productive," Randy stated with a frown. "Being hit certainly never made me want to read."

Alissa shook her head, "It just made me want to cry," she confessed.

"And we can't have that, now, can we?" said Randy. "I shall do my best to help you."

Alissa gave his arm an impulsive squeeze, "And I'll try to be a good student!" she said eagerly.

"I am sure that you will." Randy gave her a tentative pat and a smile.

"We should probably get back inside, I need to learn my piano today, you can listen if you like," said Alissa.

"Alright; I'd be happy to listen," Randy replied. "How far along are you?"