Murphy returned Eva's hug enthusiastically, nearly lifting her off the ground in the process. He'd missed her spunk. Many of the magizoologists back in Colorado were much too serious for his liking. He was eager to fall back in step with with the small group of 'children' he had grown rather fond of.

The young woman's joke had him erupting in a belly laugh. "You've had another ugly mug to tie you over, 'ey Miller?" He beamed at Beau fondly, taking full stock of him as if he were assessing his health before reaching out to return his handshake. Wallace never had the best restraint, so his squeeze was rather bone crushing.

"It would take more than an overcrowded boat to drown the likes of me," he teased, though he hadn't been sure that he wouldn't die of dehydration from all the puking he'd done. "I had a few loose ends to tie up back at the zoo. Avery nearly let the fucking Nogtails out." Beau would likely remember the squinty man from his days in Colorado. If he wasn't so skilled with birds, he would have lost his positions ages ago. "And Fergus's tutor was still to be around for a few weeks."

Scratching at his beard, he finally looked around, taking in the outside of the aviary more fully. He hadn't yet made his rounds around Podmore Zoological Gardens; he'd been on a mission to locate the pair first. However, he had taken note of its size. "This is a mighty grand zoo you've got here! I can see why you dragged Miller here." The last comment was accompanied by a wink and a sideways smirk.