"Singing's plenty of fun, but it's not as important as sleep."

...shrug. "For me singing more important. Can sleep if you want."

"He's not tired or fussy or out-of-sorts or anything, and it's not like I've been giving him coffee, he legitimately doesn't need much sleep."

"He doesn't seem like there's an emergency, but it can't be helping that this is, well, a prison colony and not really intended to host children. I'd like his parents' contact information, please."

"Uh, write Finis and Nell Way, c/o Amriac, they conjure their mail. I don't think they have a stable address."

She writes this down, and confirms the spelling.

Yep, she got it. Does she want to stay for a while and observe?

Wouldn't hurt.

Then she will watch Timothy summon some friends for a demon and talk to them in Greek and take them off to meet their friend and Mingling cling contentedly to Timothy and witness one-sided but weirdly conversant communications between the gagged demon and the visitors, and then Mingling singing a hauntingly pretty sad song while some angel meets a friend without facilitators required, and then Mingling bouncing to Timothy and saying "Cam? Cam? Cam?" as they go off to meet another demon prisoner for lunch.

Timothy kisses this demon and murmurs "I think we've worried some sort of child agency."

I should've thought of that, they'll assume he's a human and needs three meals a day and at least eight hours of sleep and this is not exactly a hotel.

I should've thought of it too, 1802 doesn't have anyone who'd care but they'd wonder.

Mingling would like a winghug from Cam.

I'm not sure the child services lady would like that. She might not care, but, might.

So it would be useful information about whether she is mean or nice.

If she cares she's that much more likely to kidnap you.

She would do that?

If she thinks Timothy isn't taking good care of you, maybe. You don't look upset or malnourished but she can't go solely on that.

Kidnapping is not a very okay way to help people. He clings to Timothy. 

There are times it makes sense. This isn't one and she is only probably good enough at her job to know that.

Nod. Sigh.

They eat lunch.

"Maybe we'll take the afternoon off, have Ister make Mingling something pretty."

"Ooooh." Can it look like the courtyard of my house I miss it.

It can! He might have to clear it up later but for now it'll look exactly like that.

The child services lady goes away after a bit but makes sure Mingling knows the name of the communications officer of the prison and where she works and that she is a good person to tell if he needs anything.

The prison bureaucrats do not really want a courtyard in their arcology.