GRACE ASHCROFT.

You drool in your sleep.

Don't you dare sleep in those clothes!

Did I wake you?

You're going to end up with a sore neck if you sleep like that.

You're supposed to turn off the alarm clock, not break it.

Are you always this grumpy in the morning?

Keep your cold feet away from me!

The bed's big enough for both of us.

You can rest. I’m here.

Just how many pillows do you need?

Now that you're awake, can you let go of me?

Oh, so even you get bedhead.

You talk in your sleep, you know.

When was the last time you slept?

You kick in your sleep.

If you're not tired why do you keep yawning?

You were having a nightmare.

I'm going to smother you with a pillow if you keep snoring.

Would you stop stealing all the blankets?

I can leave the light on if it helps.

You can use my shoulder as a pillow if you like.

I hate morning people.

Please tell me your not just now going to bed.

Do you often have nightmares?

Five more minutes…

Ugh, somebody turn off the sun.

Can I sleep here tonight?

Can you even find your bed in this mess?

You’re exhausted. Go to bed.

You don't need more coffee, you need a nap.

You can have the bed, I'll take the couch.

You look way too comfortable for someone who has to be at work in twenty minutes.

You're warm. Don't move.

You always look so peaceful when you’re asleep.

Your desk is not a bed.

You sleep, I'll keep watch.

Leon blinks slowly. His eyes shift away from the waving raccoon he is decidedly eyeing up and focus back on Grace who insists he's signing a contract for the pleasure of playing a game he doesn't want on a system he didn't ask for. For all his bristling energy, he's fairly quick to calm back down again as he listens.

Then comes the eye roll and groan. Oh. Oh. That was a cheap blow. He gently places the box back on the table. "Emily is really playing this?" He crosses his arms defensively. He's already resigning himself to playing a videogame when his last time was... geez... Nintendo 64? Picked that up during his time at the academy, and admittedly he picked up another system after Raccoon City. His first was still abandoned in his old Jeep after the city was under quarantine. He played the hell out of Super Smash Bros many a sleepless night in his first stint at a safehouse, when he lost it between moves he completely shifted away from the hobby. Reading was more his thing. Something he could do on long transports and it was easy to place down and pick up again.

it took all of grace's will power to not cackle. she knew he wouldn't be able to reject her gift if she brought up emily looking forward to it. was it a cheap shot? absolutely. but did it work wonders? absolutely! her grin only widened when he asked if emily was really playing it - and she was. that much grace was honest about. the girl loved the game. mostly because she liked all the weird bugs and learning about them. it was a strange hobby, but grace was just glad the girl was having fun.

" hm... not so much adventure as it is kind of like... building a town? except the towns people are all animals for some reason," she cackled then, unable to help herself, knowing exactly what she was dragging leon into.

that poor old man had no idea what he was agreeing to. mostly because emily could talk for hours about her bugs. it was so cute, but grace was not a bug person. she related to Blathers the museum owl that way.

"of course!" grace stated cheerfully, knowing she had won.

So,  she  really  was  that  sweet,  then  ?    And  a  doe-eyed  mama's  girl,  too.  It was endearing how she was so perfectly suited for his own personal dinner menu.

Puck's  insides  twisted,  the  Urge's  wicked  delight  warming  him  from  head  to  toe.  If  the  way  she  spoke  was  any  indication,  this  woman's  mother  was  dead.  What  a  shame  it  would  be  to  reunite  beyond  the  grave  before  she  could  follow  in  her  mother's  footsteps.  Before  she  could  amount  to  anything  at  all.

❝  Oh  ?   That's  quite  sweet,  actually.  What  is  your  mother's  name  ?   I  may  have  heard  of  her,  then.  ❞

                grace  couldn't  help  but  smile  to  herself  in  fondness  of  her  mother's  memory.  she  hoped  she  was  making  her  mother  proud,  but  honestly,  she  felt  like  she  was  making  a  fool  of  herself  instead  most  days.  chasing  leads  that  lead  to  nowhere,  going  into  sewers  with  no  map  and  no  plan.

“  her  name  was  alyssa,  um,  a-alyssa  ashcroft,  she  was  a  pretty  popular  adventurer,  and  also  wrote  for  the  local  papers,”  she  hummed  softly.

she  had  all  her  mother's  papers  saved,  preserved  and  stuck  up  on  the  wall  of  her  small  apartment  here  in  baldur's  gate.  every  time  she  felt  like  she  was  doing  nothing,  going  nowhere,  it  helped  remind  her  that  she  was  in  fact  helping,  and  that  even  little  things  could  change  big  things  in  a  way.

but  it  wouldn't  have  surprised  her  if  puck  had  heard  of  her  mother.  most  people  had.  it  was  a  tall  legacy  to  live  up  to,  after  all.

echo of a vinyl Emily had selected on a loop filters the space ( * the operative still finds it strange , her apartment which is normally so empty to her lit up & filled with chatter. ) her tiers curl when her gaze shifts to the jellyfish plushie seated on the counter ' which had been a neccessary buy , last on the shelf .' she doesn't have to look to know Grace eyes are centered on her expression. " I think I'm an expert on jelly fishes now thanks to Emily. " or atleast she could recite what the info intercoms had said when on their way back , they had the whole hour of sharing which one was their particular favorite.

                “  if  you  hate  me,  you  can  just  say  it  -  ”  grace  joked  when  ada  told  her  all  she  had  was  decaf  coffee.

because  what  the  fuck  was  the  point  of  coffee  if  it  was  decaf?  grace  wanted  her  coffee  strong  and  giving  her  jitters  or  she  didn't  want  it  at  all.  or  maybe  she  was  just  addicted  to  coffee,  either  way,  she  absolutely  did  not  want  decaf  and  simply  made  a  face  at  the  offer.  they  should  have  picked  up  some  drinks  before  coming  back  to  ada's.

“  just  water  is  fine  -  milk  for  emily  if  you  have  it,”  she  added  as  a  next  thought.  the  girl  was  far  too  young  for  coffee  after  all. 

and  as  ada  prepared  all  that,  grace  looked  around  the  apartment.  it  was  humble,  very  undecorated,  but  cute.  it  suited  ada  in  a  way  -  and  the  old  fashioned  music  player  was  a  nice  touch.  clearly  the  child  with  them  agreed,  given  she  was  replaying  one  record  over  and  over  again,  seemingly  entranced  by  the  spinning  black  disk.  she  almost  wondered  if  she  should  buy  one  for  emily  herself  -  the  girl  seemed  to  like  it  more  than  even  her  jellyfish  plush.  or  perhaps  she  simply  liked  new  things.

he couldn't resist teasing her like this—not when she looked so damn cute when he did. grace made him feel a lot of things he hadn't felt for a long time.

grace as was tempted to head butt him when he cupped her face and moved his closer to her own. he was being an absolute brat and that smug smile on his lips told her that he knew it. she grumbled at him under her breath, throwing in some profanities for good measure before finally deciding that he had talked enough and she didn't want to hear another teasing word out of his stupid mouth.

it didn't hurt that he also spoke so sweetly when he said she had no idea he had such an effect on him.

god she was too soft for her own good.

but she gave in anyways, finally kissing him - but only for a moment, teasing him back before pulling away a hairs-width.