#baronyofthesilverwolf

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Gwen is hanging around with Chuck

As much to check on his mom as to be with him.

March comes in like a Lion and out like a Lamb, they say. Up here in Carthage, it's definitely still furry, if starting to be a little less fierce. Though cold snaps still freeze at night, it's nice enough during the day, and the bright sunlight promises things to come.

"Mom has been talking about putting a garden in. It's still too cold, but she has all these little seeds in egg cartons on the windowsills hoping that they will sprout." Chuck says. "She's on a big flower kick lately."

"This is where I'm supposed to tell you I am way too cool to be into flowers, but.. ah heck with it, I like flowers" She says "And besides, it can look stylish...and if it makes your mom happy, rock on." Crap. Did I just say Rock on? Sure I've got stone skin but that's no reason to talk like a pothead headbanger from the ancient days of like the 80s

He laughs. "This time of year is kinda blah though. As soon as we get the first cold snap, they close the skating pond, but the fields are too muddy to kick a ball around. Not much to do but walk. We could go to the mall if you're bored." Then he shrugs a bit. "I guess that's walking there instead of walking here." A bit embarrassed.

A smile "Yeah, but it's still walking with you, and you're okay. Which do you prefer to do your walking in? around here, or the mall?"

"It doesn't matter." He kicks a bit of ice off the path. "I mean, uh. You know. We can walk wherever." A smile over at Gwen.

"Well, let's walk here then.." She says "You're right, sludge is not great for sports."

"Mom was saying that when she was a kid, they used to have a riding school out here. Not too far from where you live, I think. They closed down for some reason though. Maybe it's spring fever? She's all chatty this past week, talking about when she was a kid. She and Dad went to the same school as me n' Brett." Realizing it was a bit of a non-sequitor, "Just thinking, riding would mean staying out of the mud. Some of the kids who live further out have 4-wheelers, which is cool too."

She ponders mentioning the horses at the baron's place, but how much attention is too much? On the otherh and, it might be source of dreamers "I know a guy who has some great horses. He's kind of private. My aunt? She works for him. I wonder if he know folks who give lessons? " She has focused on the dogs, always worried she's too heavy for the horses, but the truth the horse is a strong animal and she's not mADE of stone, she just has stone like skin so she's learned they can hold her up and she's gotten SOME lessons in riding. It's needful "You want me to ask? "

He looks interested, but then shrugs a bit. "Maybe? I bet that stuff's expensive. Things are opening back up though, so I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get a part-time job this summer. Do you like horses?" They say that all girls like horses, don't they? But Gwen isn't really 'all girls'.

"I like horses fine" And it's the truth and she doesn't admit it with a lot of enthusiasm, "But honestly? My favorites are dogs. Dogs are great" She says "They're smart, they're loyal, they've got personality. They just want to belong. They were the first animals that mankind domesticated you know? They were hunting by our ancestors' sides, they shared the same fires with us, they protected our homes. Now they do that, and so much more. It's... I guess, how some girls feel about horses? I feel that way about dogs." Talk of dogs that gets her going happily "And if you tell me you don' like dogs, I'm not saying we can't talk, but I am gonna shake my head a you like there's something very very wrong. I'm biased that way"

Chuck laughs! "I like dogs just fine. I've never had one, Dad says we would just end up sticking him with all the work. I had a hamster when I was a kid. Or was it a gerbil? The pet store swore it was a boy, but then we had an entire cage of them, and we ended up giving them all back."

"Ah, that's a shame. " She says "I bet they were cute. I'll have to show you some of the stuff I've taught Ivan. He's great" Proud "And well trained. Oh he's gonna be huge when he's full grown." Proud

"Does that mean I get to come over sometime?" He grins at her. "Or you could bring him out if you came to one of the bonfires. Some of the guys are teasing me that this 'mystery girl' I met is in my imagination. And Brett's just a dweeby 7th grader so it's not like they'd listen to him."

She laughs "Oh so they think I'm Canadian huh?" A pause "Wait, what are you sayinng about me to these guys exactly?" A weird mix of emotions on that one

He colors a bit and sticks his hands in his pocket. "Just that you're cool, and fun to hang out with. Y'know. Nothing - nothing bad."

"Are you going to go to Carthage High when classes start back up? I think they're aiming for fall..."

"Probably?" She's really not sure "I'll have to talk to my aunt about it" She admits

Gwen blushes "And sorry not trying to put you on the spot. I just..well, I was kind of surprised I was worth mentioning"

"Well, yeah. You're the only cool thing to happen in 2020. I mean. Not that you're a thing. I mean, uh. Um. Shoot-"

Gwen laughs softly, but puts a hand on his shoulder so he doesn't think she's laughing AT him so much as at the situation "I get it. And thank you. I'm glad I met you too"

His brain threatens to fizzle. Girl... touch... human girl... touch... boy...

"D-uh..." He says, intelligently. "I met you too." Wait, words work like.. how? Heck, he faced down the entire Rome High football team in Regionals, why is this so much harder.

"That is, I like you."

Oh butterflies, tingles...an urge to laugh with delight that the guy would SO not understand so she settles for a smile lit by the joy of it "Mmm thanks" BRIGHT blush

"Cool." He says. What a wonderful, expressive word! "I think the next fire will be on the weekend, if you want to come by. You can bring your dog too if he doesn't spook easy? Meet some of the other kids?" Let me show you off and prove you're real...

"Not to be a wimp, but if my Aunt and others SAY I can, I will" She says

"And thank you, I DO want to go" Assuring. _Boy do i want to go)

He holds up his hands in playful defense. "Hey, it's cool, I get it. They don't know me, I'm just some townie, right? There will be other kids there, girls from school too." And when he drops his hands, he goes for a casual-type motion... try to snag Gwen's hand as they walk side by side, but make it look natural and not awkward...

As she's reaching for his at the same time, they might fist bump awkwardly before course correcting, but yeah, she lets him

Cheeks red, and now he can't make eye contact... but hand-holding: ACCOMPLISHED!

Don't crush his hand. Delicate. Delicate. Girls are DELICATE

"So.. what kind of dogs do you like? I knoww you can't have one but ..is there a breed or at least group you like best?"

Thank God, she said something. Dogs. She can talk about dogs

He has to give it a bit of thought. "I like the ones that have some dog in them? Like, not the little ones that people treat like toys, like celebrity purse dogs that bite and stuff and it's okay because it's just "Lil Baby". When I was little I used to..." He looks a bit abashed. "Nevermind."

"No go ahead, please" She gives his hand a squeeze "I won't tease"

"Well, when I was a kid - like, a REALLY little kid." He is sure to emphasize. "I used to pretend that I had a dog. Remember Clifford, the big red dog? It was basically Clifford, except I called him 'Wufford'. And I would tell stories about how we played and stuff." The color of said imaginary dog is probably close in shade to Chuck's cheeks. "Baby stuff, you know."

But he might take that wrong so she musn't say it out loud. Activiating her filters she instead says

"Dawwwwww!"

Because filters on teenagers do not always work

His head ducks and he gives a sheepish laugh. "Those were my favorite books when I was little. I liked how... you know, did you ever read them? Clifford's owner, Emily Elizabeth - no matter what trouble he got into, no matter how BIG the fudge-up that dog did? She always forgave him at the end, because he's her dog, you know? I thought it would be nice.. to have that kinda unconditional... thing." He sighs. "I grew out of it, though. For Christmas one year I got a Clifford playset, and it came with a little Emily Elizabeth... Dad blew his top because I was playing with a 'doll', and threw out all the Clifford stuff. I was probably too old for it by then anyways."

"Your dad.. is a jerk" She declares "And I loved Clifford. Still do." And they talk about dogs for a bit..and what breed Clifford might be.. if he were normal sized

(End Scene)