Costs have been unpredictable in Kirkwall of late, stretching even to their familiar social haunts, and Petrana is more than willing not to find out upon sitting down that their dinner might cost three times more than it had the week previous. (Alright: the proverbial week previous. They've been busy.) Perhaps it's the out of the ordinary strategizing that helps her fix it in her mind to clear her evening, to not linger too long in her office—

Julius is well set up when she arrives, but she isn't late in letting herself into their shared quarters, slipping out of her shoes and sitting down on the edge of their bed for a moment to discard the day.

“Oh, hello,” is delivered warmly to Vysvolod, shoving his great head onto her knee, and then: “Darling, this looks charming.”