Grey Day Downtime

[Kender Bard]

~Trinket, where are you?~ Locket called out as she searched around the house for her daughter. Her sons hadn't known where Trinket was and she wanted to speak with her about a few things.

~In Uncle Brad's room~ Trinket answered back.

Locket smiled and rolled her eyes. Of course. She probably could have saved herself some time and checked there first. She changed direction and made her way down to Crawford's room. That had worked out since she'd planned to make a stop by to see Crawford anyway. It was, after all, Grey Day and while she wasn't planning to full-out offer to do anything for him, servant-style, this year she had wanted to spend some time with him and see if there wasn't some way she could brighten his day.

Meanwhile, in Crawford's room, Trinket was reading aloud to Ciel from the book she was trying to master with considerable success. It was a harder sort of book for a girl her age but she was breezing through it at a nice pace and enjoying regaling the tale to the infant who made a more appreciative audience than, say, Nathaniel. "The lady walked to the window and looked out. There were so many people in her land and she only knew her family. Her father-"

"Daddy!" Ciel interjected with a smile.

Trinket was used to these outbursts and ignored it, "-her mother, her el... elder..." She stared at the word a moment. "Elder brothers." She glanced up to see Ciel was starting to get distracted. "The dragon," she added, making up a bit. Ciel's eyes locked back on her and she smiled, satisfied.

[Darastrix]

Crawford was, as usual, at his desk.  His own workload had increased along with Nagi's, and like Nagi, he found it to be a welcome distraction at times.  His reaction to Farfarello's death hadn't been as visible or visceral as some of the others', but he still felt it.  More than he'd expected at times.  His family, too, was both a comfort and distraction, and he was giving only half of his attention to the papers in front of him, the rest focused on Trinket as she read to his son.

He arched a brow at the addition of a dragon to the story, lips twitching faintly as he signed a page and turned to set it aside.  As he did so, he noticed Locket's arrival and raised both brows in silent question.

~Do you need me or Trinket?~

[Kender Bard]

~Trinket~ Locket answered, pausing to watch her daughter with merriment.

Trinket was absorbed in her storytelling, having fun deviating from the tale more and more. "She wanted to see more of her land but her mother and father would not let her." She partially closed the book as the words of the actual tale distracted her from the one brewing in her head, not to mention she was getting a slight headache from reading. "So she snuck out that night to the family pet dragon and climbed up on his back. Together, they took off flying!"

Ciel giggled happily and Trinket did the same.

"Did you know dragons like to swoop down on little girls and boys?" Locket interjected, making a flapping motion with her arms as she went to her knees next to the pair. "Rrroar!"

Trinket laughed more and threw her arms around Locket's middle, bearing her mother down. "Don't worry, Ciel, I'll save you from her!"

Locket hugged her daughter tight with a grin and glanced back--and upside down--at Crawford. "I've been slain!" She righted herself and smoothed down some of Trinket's hair that had gotten mussed from the play. "Trinket dear, I was just thinking that some of your clothes aren't fitting like they should. Will you go through them and lay out what's feeling off so that I can have it sent to be tailored?"

"All right," Trinket agreed, extracting herself from Locket and brushing off her dress. She carefully picked up the book and put it on a clear space on Crawford's desk. "That book's a little fuzzy," she warned him and left to do as bade. Curious, Locket went over and lifted the cover and a few pages.

"Looks fine to me," she declared.

[Darastrix]

Crawford watched the scene play out with a faint smile, shaking his head at Locket's antics. It was a bit disappointing to have Trinket leave, but he couldn't have her in there all day.

At her comment about the book, he blinked down at it in bemusement, then his eyes widened in understanding when Locket made her remark. "Here," he said, slipping off his glasses and offering them to Locket. "Put these on. Since you don't need them, you'll see what she means."

[Kender Bard]

Locket smiled in delight; she'd always wanted to put those on! Slipping them on, she blinked rapidly and hastily took them off. "Oh goodness, that made me dizzy," she said, handing them back and then rubbing her eyes. "Do you think Trinket needs spectacles?"

[Darastrix]

"If words on a page are looking fuzzy to her, most likely," Crawford replied, taking his glasses and slipping them back on. "She can try my spares on later and see how much they help. She might need a different type. I have trouble seeing at distances, but I can read without glasses as long as the page is near enough."

As he spoke, he looked back to where Ciel had been sitting to make sure his son wasn't getting into anything now that Trinket had gone.

[Kender Bard]

Ciel was moving closer to Locket, reaching up to take a handful of the soft material of her dress's hem. Locket glanced down and smiled, scooping the child into her arms. "Well when she's done sorting her things, I'll have her come back to check," Locket agreed. "In the meanwhile, what can I do for you? You know today is your favorite day of the year." She grinned brightly. "Grey Day! I could watch Ciel, or get you some tea, or hide all your paperwork and we can pretend it's done for the day..."

[Darastrix]

Grey Day already?  Well, that might explain why he hadn't heard much out of Schuldig that day (though he was just as likely ignoring the holiday and was off playing Lustful with someone).  Even with the portal closed, it seemed time was still sneaking up and flying past more quickly than Crawford realised.  He considered the presented options, dismissing the first almost right away.  In years past, he might have preferred to send Locket someone as far from his rooms as possible so he could continue working in peace, but he was neither as work-obsessed nor as opposed to Locket's presence as he had once been.  That said, he wasn't quite ready to put his work aside for the day.

(He wasn't obsessed, but he did still have a sense of responsibility.)

"Tea would be appreciated," he said.  "You can take Ciel by the nursery or to Delilah or Filly on your way."

[Kender Bard]

"I'll be back in a moment!" Locket remarked, ferrying a squirming Ciel out of the room. Some time later she returned with a teacup on a saucer, steaming as she balanced it carefully and brought it over to set down near Crawford. "Your tea, my lord," she told him with an exaggerated bow and a grin. She looked around and settled herself somewhere comfortable to sit. "Forces but your boy is growing every time I blink! Then again, that's about the rate the triplets are going aren't they?" She gave a sigh. "I don't remember time ever going so fast when I was their age."

[Darastrix]

Left alone, Crawford returned his full focus to the task at hand, and was working steadily by the time Locket returned.  He arched a brow at her bowing and resisted the urge to shake his head.

"Of course not," he replied, setting his pen down to pick up his tea.  "I imagine you were too impatient for 'later' for time to seem anything but slow.  I doubt it seems very fast to them, either."  Ciel, he thought, was still young enough to not really even notice time unless he was waiting for something.

[Kender Bard]

"Of course I was!" Locket laughed. "Sometimes I still am. I was rather impatient when they were still itty bitty babies, but I like where they're at now and they're growing much too fast for my liking." She stopped laughing and a serious expression passed over her face. "Come to think of it, I feel like I'm growing older faster than I ever expected." She smirked suddenly. "Not that I'm saying I feel old or anything. I'm not your age yet, after all."

[Darastrix]

"I'll be sure to pass that along to Delilah," Crawford commented.  "She and I aren't exactly far apart in age."  He doubted Delilah would actually be bothered (he knew he wasn't), but still.  He was obligated to threaten Locket with something.

"But I suspect you're noticing a slight gain in maturity rather than age.  Between motherhood and what we've all gone through in the past couple of years, it's not surprising.  But don't worry," he added with a faint smirk.  "I'm sure you'll fine ample opportunity for immaturity yet.  Having Schuldig around is a fair guarantee of that."

[Kender Bard]

"Delilah's too pretty to be old," Locket replied in counter to the threat. Her smile grew at his other statement. "Maturity is only good in small doses for Soahcians. Otherwise we grow ill and dull and we die of boredom." She pointed at him. "You should be more immature!"

[Darastrix]

"As I am not Soahcian, there is little danger of my dying of boredom for not being immature enough," Crawford said, arching a brow. Besides, he had his moments, though they were usually private and with his wife. And none of Locket's business, but he had more sense than to say that to one of the Curious.

"And someone has to keep you all in line. I sacrifice my hypothetical immaturity for the greater good."

[Kender Bard]

Locket's impish grin softened into something warmer. She got up from her seat and moved closer to stand before him. "You're very good at that," she said. "And about looking out for all of us. You know, I didn't much like you when we first met. But nothing ever stays the same and I care a great deal about you. In fact, you're like the uncle I never had in a way." She giggled and gave him a quick hug. "I'm so glad you're here with us."