"Next time. We'll just have more hours to practice, now!" The reassurance comes quickly, Pearl sending out a bony elbow to nudge Lucy to life. She doesn't quite trust what's behind that smile.

"And it was a bad day in there, anyway?"

It's not a question if she really knows the answer. Her eyes don't have to scan quite so much as they do. Worrying in Lucy's direction has always been both inevitable and a little tricky.