Locke grumbled to himself, as he pushed open the door to the dry cleaner's to step outside. His beloved dark beige trench coat had been the unfortunate victim of a carriage splashing mud all over him, leaving him no choice but to have the garment dry cleaned. It left him wearing a different winter jacket, a dark peacoat with military style epaulets on each shoulder, coming down just below his waist. Neither the chill in the air nor the lightly blowing snow affected him, so he wore no hat and had tucked away his gloves in the messenger bag on his shoulder. From the dry cleaner's, it was a short stroll through the Marketplace over to the Silver Lark. He walked off the street, up to the porch, and banged out a patterned knock on the door. The accompanying phrase, though, was merely muttered under his breath. "Shave and a hair cut..."

Two short yips completed the pattern, and a woman's voice was muffled from somewhere deep in the house. Sianna had been just about to slip several loaves of bread into the oven, and took care to make sure that the door was latched properly before tugging the apron off. It was discarded to the back of a kitchen chair as she made her way down the hall. "Branan, Caoimhe... gabh sios." The mismatched canines were nudged out of the way as she turned the handle and opened the door. Just a crack and first and then wider as a familiar face came into view.

"Ahhh Locke, my lad... sae good tae see ye."

He hadn't expected someone else to chime in, let alone a dog, so he chuckled to himself as Sianna came to the front door. Locke took a half-step back, hands folded behind his back, smiling widely. "Good evening, Sianna. It is good to see you as well. I did not know you had dogs."

Sianna glanced down to the pair at her feet and then back up again. "Oh, aye? Well neither did I until a certain ballerina we both happen tae ken bought them for me." A light chuckle as she commanded the dogs in Gaelic and then stepped aside. "Please, won't ye come in and bide a while?"

"Quite generous of her, that." He unfolded his hands and entered the cottage, his well-polished shoes clicking softly on the floor. A quick glance to the left, and he subtly shifted his movements in the opposite direction of the fireplace, before setting down his bag. With a quick zip, he opened the bag and retrieved his black leather gloves, slipping them on.

Another laugh, this one brighter than first. "Oh aye, she's verra generous. And determined. Would no' let me protest it one bit. Said it was an early present for th' bairns." Still standing in the foyer, she glanced about trying to decide what would be the best suggestion. Coming up short, she resigned herself to simply asking. "Is there something I can do tae make ye more comfortable?"

"Where shall I put my coat and bag?" He kicked at the latter object, still on the floor, nearly tipping it over on its side. "Other than that, I should be fine. Your comfort is of more importance than mine now, savvy?"

If it would have been possible to bend over, she would have done so to retrieve the bag. But late pregnancy was inhibiting much of her abilities. "If ye gie them tae me, I'll be more than happy tae hang them up for ye." Regarding him a moment, she grinned wide. "Aye, savvy. And I thought she was th' determined one." A bright blue eye winked at him as she held out her arms.

He zipped up the bag, then handed it to her by the strap, waiting until it was draped over her arm for easier carrying, before he unbuttoned the buttons on his coat and removed it. He folded it neatly in half, before offering her that as well. Beneath the coat, he wore a plain black dress shirt with a tie similar in color to his cobalt eyes. "Thank you most kindly." The wink and seemingly cryptic comment from Sianna had him arching a white eyebrow. "Beg pardon?"

She grinned but feigned innocence. "Oh, dinna mind me. It's just th' hormones talking, ye ken." Coat and bag in hand, she took them to a free peg along the wall and hung them neatly. Returning back, she ushered him into the parlor. "Ye look verra nice, though ye didn't need tae dress up just tae visit me."

Into the parlor he went, adjusting his tie just so at the mention of his wardrobe. "I always dress to impress. No matter the bloke or bird. How else would the world know how fit and fetching I was?" He did a little spin in place, before turning to face her once more and grin.

She giggled in his wake and took a seat closer to the fire so that he could claim the chair farther away. "I dinna think yer fit and fetching-ness hinges entirely on yer fashion, laddie. Least no' as how I've seen in." Positioning a pillow into the small of her back, she folded her hands atop her belly. "Though I feel verra special tae have ye visit."

He shuffled over to the chair and sat down, the grin fading just a touch at the thought of one of the reasons he had come by. "I wish my visit had come sooner, when the circumstances were...better. I am sorry to have heard bad news about your brother. I met him but once or twice, but he was a good bloke, to be sure."

Her smile froze momentarily, the irises of her eyes darkening to the color of blue steel. "Thank ye, laddie. But hope still burns bright." Blinking quickly, she shook her head as if erasing those thoughts before the maudlin overtook her once more. "But 'tis sweet of ye tae make a trip just tae tell me sae in person."

"Not just for that, though it is prominent in my mind." He quickly switched the subject, running a gloved hand over his spiked-up hair as he did so. "I had been planning to visit you even before Katarina told me the bad news."

Her lips twitched slightly at the revelation, and she smoothed the invisible wrinkles from her tunic with slow, hypnotic strokes. "Aye? For anything in particular or tae ease the hermitdom?"

"Well... ye could get her one of those toys that says it can read yer mind. Several of my students had them. Ye think of something and it asks ye questions tae answer until it guesses. No' tae mention a tour guide tae th' city. Th' visitors' bureau should hae one. " Lost in thought, she did not capture the change in his expression.

"A fossil or rock could suffice for th' museum. Like those ones that are sliced open tae reveal crystals of quartz and such inside. And ye could gie her a silver snowball charm for her tae wear on a chain or bracelet."

He looked down to the paper again, scribbling more of the ideas down. He muttered to himself as he did so. "Magic 8-ball, check. Tour guide, check. Quartz crystal, check." He looked up at the last suggestion, seemingly puzzled. "She already wears a lot of jewelry though, does she not?" He remembered the spoon ring and her locket, reaching up to touch his own snowflake earrings subconsciously.

"Aye, a point. But I dinna think she has ever received anything like that from someone she was no' related to, aye? She might enjoy it verra much." She smiled softly at the gesture. "Or ye could get her a snowball incubator for her refrigerator so she always has one handy." Playing it off as if she was absolutely serious.

"I could always just put a snowball in a box, but alas, it would likely melt before she'd even think to open it up." He wrote one more thing down, then folded the paper neatly into quarters and stuck it in his back pocket, before laying the pen on the desk. That task completed, he headed back for his chair.

"Ye dinna plan tae be wi' her when she opens them? Would no' be verra hard tae indicate which one ye wish her tae open first. Though choosing th' snowball may verra well derail the rest of yer intended plans."

"I haven't thought that far ahead," he said, dropping into his seat with a sigh. "She will be spending the holidays auditioning and on Hope, and I most likely will head up to Port Leicester to see my family." His lips twisted into a half-grin, half-grimace. "I do believe you are correct though. It should not be hard to indicate which gifts should be opened in which order."

"She will no' leave before Yule. Will only be over th' new year tha' she's awa'." She beamed at his statement. "Though ye are wise tae realize I am correct. Will save ye much if ye learn that lesson verra quick. Jus' ask Katrina. She's verra well acquainted with it." Folding her hands, she gave him a knowing appraisal. "Aye, that she does. And besides, she canna practice every hour of every day between now and then, aye?"

He mock-pouted, eyes almost as sad looking as Sianna's dogs might've been when they were hungry or wanted out. "Just my friar. All the birds I know know everything. Suppose it would do me well to tap that fount of information on a regular basis, aye?" Given more information on Katarina's travel plans, his smile took on a slightly goofy quality. ""Good to hear that, though. There will be time then. Though I will have to hurry to procure the necessary goods to pull this off."

"Some birds might think they know, laddie. Only a rare few of us actually do though, aye?" She offered him a kind smile and then finally dropped the weight of her hair. "And ye are more than welcome tae stop by and... become as informed as ye feel ye need tae be." When the buzzer in the kitchen went off, Branan shot up like a horse from the gate and took off to investigate. Caoimhe simply stretched out further, lazily protesting. "Aye, plenty of time. Nearly two weeks and that should be enow time if ye dinna dawdle." Gripping the arms of the chair, she scooted to the edge of the cushion and stood slowly. "Now if ye'll excuse me a moment, I need tae fetch something from th' oven."

He nodded as Sianna exited the room. While she was busying herself in the kitchen, Locke glanced over at the large dog on the floor. Tentatively, he rose from his chair, slowly approaching and kneeling before it. He held a gloved hand out for sniffing.

Caoimhe's tail wagged happily, lowly thudding against the floor . Lifting her head, she sniffed twice and then licked his hand. The aroma of fresh bread wafted through the house and in no time at all, Sianna returned, Branan quick on her heels. "Ahhh, I see ye've made friends, have ye?"

He petted Caoimhe's head, turning his upper body to face Sianna. He was beaming. "I never know if pets really like me or not. We weren't allowed them in the places that my family lived, and...I never had them in the other places that I've stayed since. What are their names?"