Thaddeus had to grin at that, eyes crinkling at the corners in genuine amusement. "Beasts are not my forte; there was a reason I never took Care of Magical Creatures in school." He was, frankly, awful at dealing with creatures; breeding and handling just simply eluded him, and he had never been extremely outdoorsy either. "You do a perfectly good job without me, I assure you."

Thaddeus sobered. "I agree." A moment, as he mulled something over, then Thaddeus cleared his throat. He was not good at emotions, but if Josephine's loss had taught him anything, it was that the future was a precarious thing and could not be predicted, no matter what they taught in Divination. "Please, Percy..." The words stuck in his throat, and he forced them out awkwardly, "Be cautious -- I don't know what Mason and I would do without you, you know?"

Face burning, Thaddeus clapped Percy on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, I am late for a... meeting. We'll catch up later, maybe for drinks?" It was probably the most pathetic excuse ever, but Thaddeus was brimming with anxiety and needing to escape to a safer, more secluded place to get himself back together. "Maybe we'll be able to celebrate this damned fog lifting soon," Thaddeus said, forcing what he hoped was a cheery smile as he checked his silver pocket watch. "I must go. Tell your family hello for me, please."

With that Thaddeus beat a hasty retreat, headed back to the safety of his study, where he could spend countless hours overthinking everything and fiddling around with his notes for a new exhibit.