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Now that Quixana was so thoroughly mobile, shopping had become much easier, Cressida reflected as she stopped to sort through a rack of minature jeans. Though that had just seemed to make things worse in Anemone's case, really. But her darling little Xana was different, an unusual child she suspected, ever polite and obedient except for a rare streak of mischief. Still definitely a little boy, he could be trusted to get up to a little discrete something every now and again, especially if he was playing with his best friend Walter. Glancing down at the little brown-haired boy, Cressida smiled and pulled a pair of jeans from the rack. "What do you think, darling?" she asked. "For when you play outside with Walter and Oblivion.

Xana eyed them thoughtfully. Then he glanced at Courage and tilted his head as if asking a silent question. She nodded, purring lowly. He laughed and reached out to pat her head. Then he looked up and grinned. "Yes, Mommy. Good for playtime."

They won't get ripped and who cares if they get dirty? Courage stretched her front paws out a bit, wiggling her backside in the air. She yawned. What else do we need? I would like a nap.

A look of annoyance crossed Xana's face at his daemon's words. He wasn't at all tired and he hated taking naps. How could she like such horrible things? It was like betrayal. The thought passed as soon as it occured and he dutifully translated for his mother. "What else, Mommy? Courage is sleepy."

Cressida smiled gently and draped two pairs of jeans over her arm to join the rest of the burgeoning summer wardrobe. "We need to get few bath things. Annie bit the head off or your rubber ducky, remember?"

He sighed and nodded mournfully. "Yes. Poor Daffy." Then he brightened. "A new one? Get Meme her own, please. So she won't bite mine again."

"Of course, darling." Reaching down, Cressida offered her hand for holding and, within five minutes, the little trio had migrated to the land of suds and towels.

Xana gleefully seized on a bright blue duck immediately and held it up hopefully. "Please?"

A blue rubber duck obligingly raised better into her line of vision and Quixana stood below, holding it high for the little girl. He beamed. "Ma'am, I think she'd like a ducky," he offered.

Who obligingly appeared in the next heartbeat, cheeks pink. Cressida and Courage came to a halt from their sprint from the next aisle and already the woman was giggling. "Quixana!" she scolded. "Don't do that to Mommy." He looked sheepish immediately, scuffing his toe against the floor. Sighing, she crouched and kissed his forehead. "You worried us." Then she glanced up to see the others and smiled, ruffling her child's hair as she stood. "But if you came over here to say hello to this adorable little girl, well... You're as bad as your father. Anything for a pretty face."

"Her Mommy asked what to get," he explained. "Everyone needs a ducky."

"I suppose that's true." Sharing her smile with the other woman, Cressida nodded. "I'm sorry, miss. My name is Cressida and this is Xana and Courage."

"Oh, dear." Cressida's eyes were merry, though, and she nodded understandingly. "Madison and Melodious must be like Xana and Annie then. Annie is my daughter," she quickly clarified.

"Meme," Xana added helpfully.

"She and her daemon Terror were, um... Found by my fiance. Believe me. You get used to it very quickly. How could you not, though? They're so precious."

Courage arranged herself delicate between Cressida and Trinity, tail curled delicately around her feet as she watched the interchange. Catching Melodious' eye, though, she bowed her head in greeting. Hello.

Xana gave a polite little bow himself and smiled up at Madison. "'Lo," he said. "They've got other things. More duckies and whales and fish and things."

"Would you like some help? Xana seems taken by your little girl and we're here to shop, anyway..." Cressida trailed off hopefully.

Xana nodded furiously. "Please?"

Both Cressida and Quixana's faces lit up with eerily alike smiles, brilliant as a handful of Christmas lights; while they were obviously not blood related, there was no trick to knowing they were each other's. "It'll be no trouble at all!" Cressida neatly shifted her purchases on her arm and stretched out her free hand to chuck Madison beneath the chin. "We'll make sure this little princess gets everything she needs."

Courage rumbled out a feline laugh as her Forgotten just barely stopped himself from clapping, instead choosing to bounce on his toes a bit. "Maddy's gonna need lots of things," Xana offered helpfully. "She needs blankets to keep her warm and pretty dresses and toys. I bet you'd like blocks, Maddy. I like blocks a lot."

"Hmm, we'll need a cart or something, though." Cressida looked around vaguely as if expecting one to appear out of thin air to aid the shopping adventure. As luck would have it, whatever karma Cressida carried with her rewarded her look with something as close as possible to magic - a slightly awkward teenager wearing the store's colors pushed a cart into view. While it was still holding a selection of blankets clearly meant to be restocked, the young man offered a sheepish smile to Cressida's instantanous one and promptly began gathering the blankets into his arms. Then he nudged it over towards the women and their children. "Oh, thank you ever so much!" Cressida regarded the event as if it was common and the helper received another luminous smile for his trouble. He walked off, overburdened, looking slightly punch-drunk.

Xana paused in his attention to Madison to send a narrow-eyed look after the boy while his mother happily dumped her purchases in the cart and then unfolded the seat. He was just being helpful, Quixana, his daemon assured him. Chivalry isn't dead at all. In fact, Mother seems to inspire it. Xana considered this and finally bowed to the wisdom. Then he rubbed his fingers through Courage's fur at the back of her neck in admission. He looked back up to Madison. "D'ya wanna ride in the cart, Maddy?" he asked. "It's like a ride and Melo can follow along."

Xana promptly moved to stand at the carriage's side as honor guard to Madison. He reached up to touch her foot and smiled brightly. "See? Like a ride." Courage padded over to stand beside him and he set his other hand on her back once more. "D'you want toys first?" he asked.

Laughing, Cressida shook her head. "I think Trinityblue should decide that, angel," she suggested. "What do you think? Clothing, toys, bedding? What all do you need?"