#baronyofthesilverwolf

"You are also welcome to join in." A hand lightly touches her arm, as she says with unaccustomed serious tone, "My workplace is a safe space for all. I know you will respect that. And we all will respect you, and your wishes." And her eyes crinkle above the mask, showing a smile. "And we'll stop for milkshakes on the way home."

"oo good bribe" She says then says "Sorry. I'll set a new example for any rookies you might have. " Duty filters on

Where they end up is not actually a studio as Gwen might expect, but an open courtyard at a park. It's still warm enough to gather outside... if only just. The air does have a bit of a nip to it. A young couple pauses where they were sweeping leaves aside, and wave. "Namaste, Guru Bindhiya!" One of the ladies calls over. The first is who might be expected, willowy and slender, but her girlfriend is more of a rounded physique - nearly as round as she is tall, and not that tall to start.

Bluebell inclines her head, and opens the trunk, pulling out a stack of tightly rolled yoga mats that she juggles to carry. "Would you help me carry these...." Bluebell pauses, still out of earshot of the others. "Pardon, remind me of your name?" A chance offered to choose. "Was it Gwen, or...."

"Gwen" Gwen says happy to keep it. Common enough name and she won't slip up on forgetting to answer it

and "yes, of course" she grabs things to help carry easily

As they set up, the rest of the class filters in. A few more females who fit the 'babes who brunch' stereotype, but also a darker skinned teen with a turban which he takes a few moments to affix more firmly with hair pins, and one figure with startling purple hair who smiles shyly at Gwen, and has a pin on their lapel that proclaims "They/Them". It is a small town, and perhaps there are not many who follow unconventional lifestyles here - but for those that are, they have found a tribe of a sort.

"Mary and Terri there..." Bluebell introduces the earlier ladies. "Bethany, Hildi, and Olivia... Jamie has the purple hair, and Deepan coordinates the best with masks that match his dastar." Indeed, there is a constellation pattern on the fabric, and a sun and moon on his mask!

The mats are set up six feet away, and Bluebell announces, "My cousin Gwen is joining us today, but she may just observe. Does anyone mind?" She pauses, giving anyone a chance to object, or for Gwen to say hello - though not intending to put her on the spot, as Bluebell sets up her own mat, a small speaker, and a few other things at her place in front.

"Namaste, everyone, Nice to meet you, I'm really new to this," She admits

"Um." Terri raises a hand a little. Something about the lady reminds Gwen of Marigold - just a bit, and also of Dolph, the boggan gent who tends the horses. Close, but not fae. "Matthew and Nathan aren't here yet. They never miss class."

Bluebell frowns a little, and nods, but looks concerned. She glances back towards where they had parked, around the corner from the district building.

"I can go look for them" The troll offers, "I can take care of myself and it's no trouble"

Bluebell's relief is evident. "Hurry back though, they may just have had other plans. You'll miss the best part of class otherwise." And she turns back to not leave the group waiting.

"Let us start with Warrior Pose, and into Sun Salutation..." Her voice projecting, gentle yet carrying even through the mask, as she starts the stretching routine.

And she goes out looking for..well, two guys she guesses.

Around the corner, Gwen does immediately see something amiss. An oversized Ford truck parked in the spot closest to the district building and pathway, and marked as a handicapped spot. Another car pulled up along side it - the driver has rolled down his window, and is arguing with the owner of the truck. "Can't you just pull around to the other lot?" Says the driver of the van with the blue disability placard hanging in the window.

"And I told you, until my boys are done playing football, I ain't moving. It's a free country." Mr. Ford Bronco leans against his hood and doesn't look likely to move.

"Hey, can't you read?" Gwen says coming up, "There's a sign right there. You need to move this. I know a police officer and she will ticket you in a heartbeat"

Speaking to the oversized forrd driver

Bronco smirks at her and thumbs at his own bumper sticker - it shows a black and white flag with a stripe of blue. "My brother in law is a deputy. Ain't no one ticketing me." The other driver looks pained and says, "Sorry miss. It's okay. We can park around back. It just takes a little longer." A second voice from his car. "Matty? Matty, why aren't we in our spot. That's our spot, Matty. It's our spot." An adult voice, yet oddly childish.

Bronco says, "If you'd stop bringing your half-wit out in public, you'd not have any problem." He smirks as the other car pulls away with a rapid squeal, and parks in a further spot. "You'd understand if you saw it, lady. Ain't no accounting for some folks." Checking Gwen out. "You go to school here? College?" He has to be at least twice her age.

Her eyes narrow, "I tried to be nice." SHe looks at Matthew "mathew, right? You got a phone with a camera on it?"

Getting out of the car, he is holding the hand of a larger man. Hulking, almost, but he slumps over a bit, trying to take up less of a looming silhouette. "I do... C'mon Nathan, we're gonna go see Miss Bindi." He coaxes gently, though the larger man - Nathan? Has a confused look as he looks at the truck. "I like trucks. But that's OUR spot, Matty."

"It's okay, really." Matthew reassures Gwen, not making eye contact with the truck driver. "That's just Chet Chesterton shooting his mouth off. Don't let him ruin your day." Apparently this isn't a stranger, OR a strange interaction to him, resigned, as he tries to lead Nathan towards the yoga area.

"Can I borrow it so I can record this jackass? I want the world to know what an ass 'Chet' is." She looks at Chet "Chet? Seriously? That's your name? Were your parents drunk did the latching just go very very badly?"

Matthew was reaching for his phone and offering it over, when it filters through to Mr. Chesterton, who by the way would have told you he was both a Junior and father of a "The Third" if given a chance, realizes that he had been insulted. "Well now you listen here, Miss... what even are you? Mexican? You think you can waltz in here and start threatening me? My family was here when Carthage was founded!" Puffing up at her.

"Yeah?" She takes the phone "Well, guess what Genius, I'm an American Indian, you know, like in, my ancestors had a thousand year head start on yours when it came to getting here? So don't try that proud colonozier crap on me" She turns the phone on and shows the spot "Hi folks. This is the car of Chet Chesterton..of Carthage New York... parked ILLEGALLY in a handicapped spot... when guess what, someone with challenges actually needs it. Want to tell the world again why you're breaking the law, Chet? Why you won't move when asked nicely?"

She records the sign he's breaking the rules, the car plate, then Chet's face

Chet's face is clearly visible. No mask, after all. And his scowl as he realizes she called his bluff. "You're not allowed to video me-" For a moment it looks like he's going to take a swing at her but then he backs down. "You'll see. When the votes are counted for REAL. Carthage used to be a better place. a CLEANER place." He spits on the ground in Gwen's direction, and turns, opening his driver's side door.

"That's right mister 'My Brother in law is a deputy'.. just keep showing your real side"

And he finds a ham-handed fist pushing the door shut. Nathan looms there, and looks down at Chet. "Spitting is rude. It's not nice. You gotta 'pologize."

"Get your GODDAMN r-----d hands off my car!!" Chet yells, and now he does pull his arm back, fist balled up.

"Nathan, no. Let's go, please." Matthew pats him on the arm.

And suddenly it all goes south. Gwen charges between Nathan and Chet interposing herself "It's okay, Nathan. It's okay. He's leaving and we're good"

The large man is startled, and... smiles at Gwen. "Pretty. Sparkles." He reaches to touch her arm, and Matthew takes advantage of the distraction and leads him away , though Nathan tries to crane back to look at her as they head towards the class.

"You'd BETTER go." Chet is red faced and sputtering now. "And you get going with 'em, Pocahontas." Bluster back up now that it's only one girl. A big girl, but just one, and a girl.

"Ooo that's original! Insult me by calling a .... legend. Yeah. She was a legend. You know I can't think of a legend named 'chet'" she says "I can think of a biological function that comes close, but not a legend. Get the car out of here or I put this on Tiktok AND Youtube and folks will blame you for making this town look bad"

He sputters, and mutters a few common insults that those of low IQ result to, but peels off, truck nuts flapping behind his bronco as he goes.

"Oh, I'm also part Scandanvian! My ancestors beat yours here TWICE... Viva VINLAND you jackass come lately!"

"Okay" she admits "That was petty of me"

And he's gone - just in time for a couple teens to watch after him, bewildered, holding a football and some pads. "Oh, fuck. What did Dad do this time?"

She starts to whirl on the guy, then catches herself. Her father was .. well, less said the better. She remembers to stop recording if she hasn't already. "If your dad is Chet Chesterston..well, which do you want first? The handicap spot stealing? The tormenting of a mentally challenged guy, the racist shit ?"

The elder holds up his hands defensively. "I.... hell, lady. I'm sorry you had to deal with him. But we gotta LIVE with him." The younger remarks, "At least only you have to share his name."

"So you guys aren't like that? Sorry, like him?" She looks at the guys more carefully

They do LOOK like him. Same pale skin and blond hair, though the younger has his cut rather rakishly.

"You mean a piece of shit?" Chet the 3rd asks. The younger starts to argue, but he shakes his head. "He didn't use to be this bad. But then the plants kept closing due to the virus, and he can't go into the office any more, and he just gets stuck at home watching Fox news and getting more and more pissed. At least when he was working he could yell at his employees. Now he's got nothing to do all day."

"It's not an excuse. But, I'm sorry." He offers. "I'm Chet, but I prefer Chuck. And my younger brother is Brett, who does NOT go by Buck. And we'd both rather be playing lacross, but the teams got shut down, so all we can do is chuck footballs and knock each other over in the park all day."

"Lacrosse? Cool" She shakes his hand "Sorry if I came on hostile , Chuck" and a nod "Nice to meet you, Brett. Wish it were under better circumstances"

"I'll try to keep him from coming by here. We don't live that far, I'll say we need the cardio for touchdowns. We ain't got anything against the big guy, you know. Even if he is..." Chuck stumbles, not wanting to say the word that he's grown up knowing. "Uh. Different. I used to watch then doing the yoga stuff, but I kinda felt like a creep, y'know? Just watching like that."

Brett snickers. "You ARE a creep, dipwad."

He gives his brother a bit of a good-natured slug in the shoulder. "Are you new around here?"

"Real creeps don't usually worry if they';re creepy or not" she says, a bit disturbed that chuck can look like his dad and yet not all together.. horrible "And yes. I'm new to the area. In fact I .. oh, Yoga. Sorry I should get back. " She looks to see if Nate's vehicle is now in the right spot

The car is where they parked it earlier - not the right spot, but the guys made it over to Yoga at least. The sounds of mellow music carry - class is still ongoing!

"Oh. I guess you better get back" Chuck hesitates. "Just ask for her number." Brett snickers, and moves out of range wisely.

"Well, if you come to yoga next week, maybe I'll see you?" He offers instead? "If you're new, maybe I can show you around. Make up for dad being a dick."

"I'll have to ask my ..." What's the best word for this "Guardians. But maybe... "A thought Musing makes folks better. Hope, Trust.. the good things. Maybe I can try and even if it doesn't work they deserve some praise "Look, Chuck, you don't have to make up for your father's failings, but I do think it's great you're you know, you've learned who you dont' want to be." she runs a finger along her hair nervously Do I sound like a dork? I sound like a dork "so whoever your'e going to be, I can see why people would want to know him. You're a good person. World needs more of those. "

And then she gauges his reaction

He smiles, and runs a hand through his hair as well, subconsciously mirroring her. Something flickers a bit. "I appreciate that you even were willing to give me the time of day after you got "Do you know who I Am'd" by my dad." Maybe he will get to hang out with her again, if that bit about her parents wasn't just an excuse to get away.

"Well, how about... I'll give you my number. If you want to, you can text me? And if you don't, I get it." A flicker... of hope!

"Sure. My phone is a brick, but sure"

He types it in for her and grins. "Okay, We'd better get home before Dad remembers he left us and comes back." A wince.

"Hey, maybe you could even teach me some Lacross some time. I'm trying to get ..well learn more about my heritage and... It might be fun" She says "Yeah, gotta go. Nice meeting you too Bret" and she moves quickly to the yoga class

Chuck looks a little confused by that last, but waves good naturedly. He's going to have to look something up when he gets home. and it's not even HOMEWORK. But... maybe worth it. And the boys head off.

"Continue on through your chakras, you all know this one - Downward dog, to cat and cow. The full barnyard, and repeat." Bluebell had the class continue as she moved to help Nathan. Terri smiles from her pretzel'd position - she KNEW they wouldn't miss class.

Matthew tries again to apologize, but is repeatedly shushed. "Remember my rule. No apologizing. We all have our own battles. Natty, wee one, I'm so glad you made it." And she doesn't even flinch when he gives her the most delicate of hugs, like a giant would handle a china teacup. "Miss Bendy."

"It's Bindhi, Matty." His brother corrects gently.

"Miss Bunny." Nathan beams. Bluebell just smiles. "Nathan is allowed to call me anything he chooses." And she pats his cheek. "Do you remember how to do the cow stretch? You like that one." It turns out that the large man DOES remember, and while he is certainly not very agile, or graceful, he can stretch on all fours and give a good MOOOOOO. Soft laughter breaks out, but none of it mocking.

Following along with different levels of flexibility (or practically fluidity for one of the blonds), Bluebell moves from mat to mat, gently encouraging as Gwen watches. There are those flickers again. But Nathan nearly glows.

Gwen takes a breath, and tries some beginner stuff. She feels like a brick wall trying to flex but then, Nathan definitely shows how not to be afraid about it.

After what feels like only minutes, or maybe ages to Gwen, a soft chiming sound gently interrupts the stretching and movements. Bluebell rings the bell three times, then presses her hands together. "Thank you all for joining us. Soon we will need to look at inside accomodations, but I promise, no one will be left out. Namaste."