Davin watched Jansen curiously from behind his book as the elf ferverently worked at the task before him. In one hand he had Karli's favorite sweater, in the other a threaded needle and before him on the foot stool was laid out a barrage of Manx's mending items including a few dozen bells. Jensen barely slowed in his endevour as he fixed one bell after another to Karli's sweater using far more thread and a many more added stitches then Davin felt was required, none-the-less the halfling stayed quiet, pretending to study as the elf carried on.

Making himself take noticeable recognition everytime Jansen swore when the needle skewered a finger, Davin turned one more unread page as he slowly watched the pile of bells deminish to three. Lacking much more free space, the tally of affixed bells seemed to please Jensen as he tossed the sweater onto the couch beside him with a defined clatter before brushing all of Manx's things back into their box.

"Are you quite done yet?" Davin inquired with mild annoyance.

"Crowing right I'm done," Jansen replied, picking the sweater back up and displaying it for Davin. "Flipping runt won't be sneaking to far in this now will she? No more late night visitors and morning surprises," he grinned triumphantly. "She wants to act like both a wild animal and Grim's pet so be it. Think of this as her belled collar," he smirked, giving the garment a good shake for emphasis.

"And we're expected to sleep when now?" Davin inquired calmly as he cringed at the noise sent up by the sweater, laying the human sized book down beside him.

Receiving no response as Jansen continued to stare at the sweater most deviously, Davin shook his head, slid out of his seat and proceeded to take both himself and his book up the stairs. Laying the sweater out on the couch beside him, Jansen smoothed the garment out maticulously, admiring his handwork.

As though on cue, the front door opened as Grimsby entered with Karli in his arms, Manx quick to follow with Granite in tow. Smiling at the quartet as he pushed Manx's sewing box under the couch with his foot, Jansen left the sweater where it lay and casually made his way into the kitchen.

Setting Karli down on her feet, Grimsby then unloaded his rucksack into Manx's custody, before trading in his boots for a soft pair of elven shoes. Manx immediately tossed her cloak over the stair rail before carrying the newly aquired goods up the stairs. Removing Granite's spiked collar, Grimsby felt oddly unsettled as he noticed the total lack of noise from Karli and hanging the collar on it's peg by the door he turned to see the motionless spritelet half clothed, dress shirt on the floor beside her, as she stared slack jawed at the couch before her. An interestingly intense mix of rage and disbelief crept across Grimsby's face as half a dozen intentful strides closed the gap between himself and the sweater a familiar cry on his lips.

"Jensen!" he near bellowed, grabbing the sweater with a glance towards Karli. He wasn't sure if she was registering anything. Tossing the sweater over his shoulder, Grim dropped to one knee and turned Karli to face him, placing a finger under her chin and shutting her mouth. "Jensen!" he bellowed over Karli's head before tilting his head down and regarding Karli from beneath raised eyebrows.

As was expected, several footsteps were heard barrelling down the stairs immediately following the outburst. There was no need to check as to who, as anyone in the house was always quick to respond to possible conflict.

"Don't worry Karli, we can fix it," Grimsby told her gently, blowing into her face to force the girl to blink. Blinking, Karli's brow furrowed and her attention went to her most prized possession as she reached a silent hand out towards it.

"I can understand if you're angry at him Karli, I wouldn't even blame you if you wanted to cry," Grimsby told her reassuringly, his jaw clentching momentarilly as Jansen failed to appear from the kitchen. He hoped she would in all honesty; he hadn't caught her crying for some time now and if this didn't pitch the little girl over the edge, Grim was reassured there were a few dire issues he'd have to uproot at a later date.

Pulling the garment slowly from Grimsby's shoulder, Karli left her in-town shirt on the floor as she closed her fingers around a few of the bells that were making noise. As though knowing and excepting a bitter defeat, Karli pulled her favorite sweater over her head, adjusting it to ensure her wings were well concealed. Staring at the ground, without a characteristic word but much clatter, Karli made for the stairs.

Watching Karli with concern, Grimsby didn't budge from his spot on the floor as she passed, remaining silent until she reached the foot of the stairs.

"I'll be up shortly and we'll fix your sweater," he promised the young girl before getting to his feet after she disappeared from sight and heading straight for the kitchen. Immediately he found himself confronted by Manx as he went to push the door open.

"Don't even try it, don't defend this and know there will be no stopping me this time," he warned Manx straight, not giving the woman the chance to speak.

Nodding, Manx hesitated before stepping away from the door. "I'm going to check on Opie," she told him quietly as she moved. "If you guys wake him up, I will be peeved with more then just Jan," she finished as Grim brushed past her.

Arguements were always numerous and many between the pair, this one was no exception. With nothing resolved as usual and time passing at a far quicker pace then Grimsby was aware of, by the time they got done exchanging words, warnings and swings, Karli had decided upon her own accord to go to bed.

Drawing back the curtain that seperated Karli's cupboard turned bedroom within his room, it was to discover her fast asleep on a dry pillow with no sweater to be found. A short noiseless search was to no avail, whether she had stashed it or destroyed it wouldn't be on Grims' plate of answers for a good while still.

Tucking the child in comfortably and replacing the curtain and smoothing it out, Grimsby took a seat on the floor for quite a period before crawling over to his storage chest and popping the lock. Poking about inside, somewhat buried but not out of reach, he located a picture book he had been holding onto for Karli's next special occassion. Slipping the short volume behind the curtain, he readied himself for slumber, numerous contemplations concerning the upcoming day playing through his head.

Karli had woken long before Grimsby. Pulling himself from bed, he hurriedly dressed then took a glance about the room for any hints as to what she had planned for that day. With no visable indications of her days intentions, it wasn't until he had opened the door that he discovered his day would not be an easy one.

Having the room at the end of the second floor hall had it's advantages and if it hadn't been for that advantage he may have been aware of Karli's activities long before it had caused the yelling and argueing eminatting from the main floor. Quickly to the stairs and closer to the source of the noise and threats of throttling, Grimsby gave a heavy sigh as he vaulted over the railing before getting to the bottom platform and hoisted the jumping, jangling sprite into his arms.

A dread silence, peppered with the most muted tinkling overtook the circus of noise and Grimsby gave Karli a stern look as the silence gave way to raised voices again.

"Get her out of here!" Jansen roared feeling it safe to remove his hands from her ears.

"It's yer own crowin' fault Jan!" Manx was quick to reply and the flurry of voices all kicked up again in a din of annoyance and aggrivation.

"It was your bright idea!"

"What have I done to deserve this!?"

"Can't we all go one day without an arguement!?"

Every member of the household seemed to be on high alert. Jansen, Manx, Grimsby, Davin and even Karli who was occassionally adding in arguement words one at a time all seemed uninclined to refrain. The only intelligent one out of the group seemed to be Granite, who regardes the group dully from under the table, before flopping onto his side and relaxing in such a way as only a members of the canine family can.

A slamming of the door seemed to grabbed everyone's attention including Granite who snapped to attention, eyes towards the door. Trying not to jostle Karli less her sweater kick up the arguement again, it was noted that Manx was the missing member and Grimsby raised a single eyebrow as he then turned to regard Jansen.

Muttering vulgarities to himself, he rushed towards the door after Manx, Grimsby curling an arm around Karli's head as he passed, pressing the small girls face against his chest in an attempt to block Jansen's unflattering dialogue.

"You," Grimsby began, dropping Karli to the floor. Immediately the tone was responded to in the common eyes to floor manner. "Make your way up those stairs and take that sweater off. THEN wait for me, because we're going to remove those bells," he informed her heavilly. "It was wrong of him to put them on, but driving us all crazy with them doesn't make it better..."

Her shoulders dropping, Karli sighed and took a few small steps towards the stairs.

"Take your time..." Grims added.

"No!" Karli suddenly blurted, jumping up and down a few insanely noisy times, causing Grimsby to cringe visably, before tearing towards the kitchen.

"Karli!" Grimsby shouted, darting after her.

He knew where she was heading, the path of least resistence towards outside. She managed to get into the kitchen before him and at that point he knew that if it wasn't for that sweater he'd have a dificult time locating her. Out Granites access way in the back door, she tore into the back yard.

"Freeze!" he bellowed as he flung the door in to discover Karl was about to slip between the hedgerow and off the property.

For a split second the tone seemed to work as Karli paused and glanced back at him fearfully. His mood seemed apparent, punishment looked to be around the corner; Karli made for the closest tree knowing Grims wouldn't dare chase her to any absurd heights.

"Don't you dare little miss," Grimsby warned her trying to close the gap between them before she got out of arms reach from the ground. Karli's small hands and speed by which her small stature allowed her move took the upper hand in the situation and she managed into the tree like some festive half mad squirrel hording bells instead of nuts.

"Get down here," he ordered her, leaning against the trunk of the tree and staring up at her.

Shaking her head, Karli took a few more feet of height in the branches incase Grimsby was angered enough to actually dare the heights after her.

Stepping out into the yard, Grim turned Opie to face him, holding the infant effortlessly to his chest as he approached the tree. The faint jingle that now surrounded Karli was carried to his sensitive ears with every movement the child made, reassuring him she was still confined to the branches of the old oak.

“Karli,” Grimsby called up, stepping under the canopy of the tree and gazing up through it. “Come down here. I’ve brought Opie out for some air, come down and play with him for awhile,” he tried, seeking out the little girl’s figure within the above bows. A small volley of acorns rained down from above in response, causing him to scowl as he shielded Opie with his free hand.

“You have two choices,” he tried next, finally having located her. “You can come down here and play with Opie or I’ll send Granite up to get you and you can spend the rest of the week in the bedroom, practicing your drawing.”

A very noisy commotion was the response this time as he saw her shift her position, climb higher and find a flatter branch to sit on. Secure in her new spot, Karli hooked her knees around the branch then let herself fall back, stretching her arms above her head towards the ground. Wiggling a little, she slid the sweater off with a great celebration of noise, catching it in her hands before it could fall. Curling herself back up, she laid the sweater in the crook of the branch and stood. Grim made a noise of aggravation as yet again, she drew herself higher into the tree, beginning a skilful journey along a main branch that stretched out like a broken arm. He realized what she was about to as he noted her speed increase and the direction of her gaze.

“Karli! Don’t you dare! You can’t fly yet!” Rushing up to the tree, Grim contemplated actually climbing up, but remembering Opie found him a valid reason not to lose his common sense. “Granite!” he called towards the house, whistling.

Grim’s efforts were too late as Karli spread her wings instinctively and began sprinting towards the end of the branch.

Falling back on the next best plan, Grimsby vaulted over the makeshift fence around the property and made towards the area he may have to attempt catching the child, gauging her current to rectory. Muttering to himself, he unbuttoned his shirt down three and slipped Opie into his new hovel.

Spotting her cue, Karli leapt into the air, leaving the branch behind. Not hearing Grim as he swore loudly below, so focused on her objective was she; Karli studied her first interaction with free air instinctively and spread her wings thoughtlessly, aiming simply to carry herself to a neighbouring tree on the next property.

Granite suddenly tore out of the house into the back yard, digging ruts into the yard as he came to a skidding halt. Surveying the area for trouble, when he found no apparent intruders, he galloped towards Grim figuring it must be play time.