Darcy's day ran right to the final chime of five, her gaze locked on the boy dusting off the clocks as she made sure he didn't leave a second before. "You are free to go." She flicked her hand with a scowl, neatly stacking her papers and slipping any necessary receipts into an envelope she could easily bring home. "Merry Christmas, Miss!" The child smiled at her before he raced out, but she still refused to reciprocate. "Hmph."

The keys to the shop in her jacket pocket, she double checked the lock, a habit she'd gotten into for no particular reason other than to occupy her time. An ounce of power she'd received from her lenient mentor, staying after and being entrusted to close up the workshop.

A heart iced over like an eternal winter in her body, the sniveling, distant shadow of one who once had been, a grinch that crushed any semblance of fun she came across, her shoes clicked against the cobblestones as she made her way past the desaturated brick buildings of the street, desolation following in her footsteps as the few passerby that laid eyes on her gave her a wide berth, as if she carried the black plague. But even toxic illnesses seemed to evade her, not wishing to be frozen within. And the teen liked it that way, as a tight smile curled up on her bent up rock of a face.

But unfortunately, a quiet rendition of Silent Night hit her ears, and she flipped her bobbed black hair as she saw them. "Good day, gentlemen." Darcy tipped the brim of her gray top hat, passing by the group of carolers she'd heard, the already shivering singers silenced by the frozen blue gaze that reflected the icy block of a soul she still had. "Much appreciated, thanks." She dipped her head in a curt show of thanks for their compliance. "England would be far better if all silenced as swift as you folks."

The younger boys of the group clung to their fathers, as Darcy continued her reserved, delicate strut along the sidewalk. No enjoyment in her eyes of the cozy displays in the windows of small businesses. The Christmas villages that local shop owners put so much time into arranging meant nothing more than a scrap of dirt on her cheapest work. "Hmph."

...

"Daddy! Look at the little houses!" An excited Darcy pulled her father over to a window with a village inside, a steam train winding about through the town as different lights flickered about, cloudy snow coating the model streets. "Yeah! And there's a little dog inside there." He guided her finger to point inside one of the miniature homes.

"Awww! It's so pretty! Mmph-" She pulled on his jacket and huffed a little as he lifted her from the ground. "We should build one too!! Over the fireplace!" She beamed, gleefully wishing it would be enough.

"Heh, I don't think mother would be too fond of that idea, dear." Her father set her back to the ground, plopping his top hat on her to appease the young girl. "She refused to cook for me for a day after I let you get a suit." He snickered.

"Mommy's no fun though!! Hmph, talking about not having money... what does that even mean?" Darcy scoffed. "Your mother and I love you very much, she thinks everything is more expensive than it is. We'll have that Christmas village if you want it, dear."

...

Her eyes rested on a little boy and his father, peering into one of the frosty windows and pointing at various details in the display. She just couldn't numb the ache in her mind as she watched; the pain it brought her, the loneliness.

"Hmph..." She grunted and forced herself to tear away. She needed to work on something; she needed a distraction. This was a waste of time, one that only brought her longing.