#anywhere

"Is our guest gone yet?" Blossom fussing a bit to Marigold, "You know, Buck?" She doesn't refer to him as the OTHER centaur.

Marigold looks a bit surprised. "Are you not enjoying the visit, sugarplum? It's not often you get to chat with another of your kith. Now, when I get in a room with another boggan I haven't seen for a while, oh, we can chatter for hours..."

"I'm the Silverwolf Centaur," Blossom sniffs, "Julius has been hanging around iwth him, and the Baron seems to like him even though he's a big hulking clutz who probably can't even jump a proper hurdle, why he doesn't even know how to handle a begining bird, and his dressage is ugly" There, she said it

"Oh, bless." She is pulled into a hug. "Does having Linnea and Danica around make Gwen any less special? Or did we decide to throw away Nadeen with the bathwater just because Art appeared? More is merrier, but YOU are Blossom, and no one is as special as you."

Marigold suspects, and gently remarks on, "Rochallor has been awful busy lately with his new friends, hasn't he?"

Mollified, though she's not sure GWEN is special, she's kind of like a pet rock who takes care of the dogs, but probably best not to say that, "I just...well, yes. Rocholar used to fetch things for me, and with Buck here it seems like the only thing folks want me for is the chores. I don't mind the chores, I do them very well, but no one THANKS me or tell me how good i am at them any more" No mere pampered princess she, she's a pampered princess who DOES stuff.

"Sometimes when chores are part of our daily work, it just becomes part of who we are, and what we do. It's nice to be thanked for Breakfast, but when breakfast just shows up every day, it's hard to remember that someone specific is behind that. I don't mind, mind you, just an example. Thanks are nice, but they're more often to be offered when you do something special or extra, when you go above what is asked for, and offer a little bit more. Whipped cream on your pancakes, mmm?"

"Oh" A guilty look, a rare thing "Whip cream, yes," A cough 'And, thank you for the pancakes" There. Moral lesson learned, surely she'll get praise for that too. What's the point of self improvement if you don't have folks applaud it?

She gets a kiss on the top of the head. Not many more of those from Marigold, perhaps, the Centaur filly is already nearly as tall as the sweet boggan matron.

"Now, Buck is new around here too. Perhaps what he might like is someone who knows Silverwolf as only a Centaur may to show him around. Are there favorite trails you like to run? Places that are particularly pretty to sight see? Maybe he would like to see your pretty birds. I hear that the DeBuke's do hawking too, though I imagine it's... well. Of a different standard." Marigold cuts herself off before gossiping too much in front of the impressionable child.

"Well, I am getting good" She admits "Lessons and practice, I'm going to be as good as the lady, one day" No question who 'the lady' is. Blossom is not sure she wants ot share all her trails, but some are too small for the big lunk anyway, and thus need not be shared "I do know a trail that leads to some nice views over the woods... " she was showed it, of course, but it IS likely Buck doesn't know, "But what if I'm TOO nice and Buck wants to hang around?"

"Then you will be praised as being such a marvelous hostess that anyone who meets you wants to become part of Silverwolf. With more people, our blessings grow, and our freehold is stronger."

"Well, I guess I'll always be the FIRST Silverwolf Centaur no matter what" She puffs up abit.

Rochalor comes in grinning like a fool "Hey, guys. Joe heard there were pancakes?"

Blossom sighs. Roch can appear just as she's getting ALL the attention

Rochalor is wearing a new Shirt, clearly a gift from Tex or Amy

"Certainly. Pancakes, waffles, bacon and eggs... help me with the plates, will you, dears?"

"Okay, but the plates aren't as tastey" Rochallor immediately helps but also talks "Nick is busy hanging the moon for Amy, and he even put her on a pedstal so she can touch it if she likes. She might be working on remotes but they're allt of doltish stuff I don't know about there."

"That's lovely, dear. I do hope everything is going well. I worry about Amy, having to travel back and forth with that wretched virus still on the loose. We really must keep an eye on our loved ones."

Marigold knows that in the aftermath of any TeeVee special is that actual hard work. Uprooting a life takes time, starting out on a new endeavor is risky, and lots of loose ends to tie up have Amy running back and forth from the Big City... and Nick is helping as best he can! It might not be a happily-ever-after, but it's certainly a happily-moving-forward.

Blossom says "Well, ROchalor, I'm not ddoing your job at the stables just because you found folks. It isn't fair to me"

Rochallor answers both "Two of em FOUR If I can get some glasses. Amy is got her cake hole covered, makes it very hard to eat but you know." A bit of a guilty look at the notion he's been shirking work "Don't worry, they get their hay day, Joe will help me"

Marigold pauses a moment, trying to figure that one out, but then shrugs, and offers syrup or berries for the pancakes.

"Rochy, sometimes life happens, and that's not a problem. Why, don't you help out the Thanes with their horses when they are in a hurry? I seem to recall you taking that monstrous horse of Danica's out for a ride and full brushdown when she was pulling double-shifts at the precinct. Share and share alike, counts for work and play both."

"Sure, are the thanes still rrrr ggrr arrh, or they more 'hey' 'daw' what'sup sis?" He asks

"They will be fine, Rochy. Don't worry your sweet little head about it." She pours milk, or juice, per preference for the kids. "More bacon, Blossom?"

"Yes, please" She says, and then says "It bothers Dame Gladiola. SHe wants EVERYONE to be happy and then blames herself when she can't fix it. That doesn't make sense to me"

Rochollar bites his lip. Marigold said not to worry about it , so he TRIES not to

"Clearly she inherited that from her mom. We boggans always have to get involved, after all. My Gwen just has a big heart. I know that Linnea and Danica will find their way."

Rochollar does smile at that "Gwen says that you're the boss fight of all moms, and no one gets past you without cheat codes!" Okay, there maybe something lost in translation there "She even gave you an Indian name"

"She did? That's a surprise. Then she should give one to you too, little ones. You are also brave and strong warriors!"

"Yeah!" Blossom says perking at this.

Roch looks sheepish , even guilty "My courage is slow, it always catches up with me after I've done something else if it shows up at all"

He gets a kiss on the top of his head. "You are brave in your heart, and that's what counts."

"Thane Dancia said deeds mean more than words" Blossom says a touch confused

"Everyone has their opinion. Sometimes people disagree. Often, in fact. You'll have to find out what feels right in your heart."

Rochollor says "Well, I know one thing we all agree on... Pancakes!"

Marigold has snuck smiley faces onto each plate!

Rochlllar grins "We are what we eat, let's be smiley"

"That's my boy." Marigold says approvingly.

"And my Blossom." She doesn't forget the filly either!

Blossom perks up. She lives for her props , and she says "May I help you with clean up?"

And THERE'S that glowing smile. "That's sweet of you, Blossom! I appreciate your help. Actually, would you mind taking a basket over to the work crew down the road? They got an early start, but I wanted to send scones and coffee."

"SUre! I'll get it to them faster than ANYBODY" She bounces on her hooves

Soon Blossom is saddled up with scones and thermoses!

And out she goes

Gently to Rochallor, "Did you get enough to eat, Rochy? Everyhing else okay?"

Rochallor says "I worry that after the credits it gets harder" He admits "I really like Namy and Ick" Then he adds "And at the same time, I haven't made up for the bad I done helping the Hunter bounty Blossom"

"Mmm." She says, noncommittal. "Is that so? Well, we'll have to see about that, won't we. Off you go now, I've got cleaning to do." The set of Marigold's chin says that she has something in mind, but she's not peeping yet.

"You should get a cat to stroke when you talk like that" he observes, but off he goes!