#baronyofthesilverwolf

Kat gives her a worried look. "Is this about what Kristen said? Look, I know you're teammates and all - we all know how it goes, Jocks before Smocks - but I swear, believe me, nothing happened. Other than maybe a suspension worthy offense at best, but I didn't do anything with Chuck." She rubs at her cheeks with her sleeves a bit.

"No....Kristen's a bitch. Please open the box?"

Kat braces, as though expecting - well, not an insult towards Kristen. What reputation DO the ladies sportsball players have around here, that she's being painted by the same brush? She may wonder.

The artsy girl glances down the hallway once more before returning the box to Gwen. It's... empty? But there is a hole in the corner that looks ripped, or chewed perhaps. "Do you think there were rats?" Kat recoils a little.

"Maybe.." She kenns "But I don't see what I dropped.."

The locker gleams, as does Kat - now that the influence of the art teacher is further away, Gwen can practically sense the ideas burbling from within her as a potential dreamer, ready to be mused.

Traces in the box, and what looks like... footprints! Tiny clay-dust footprints that follow around underfoot (like a Family Circus drawing that shows where Little Billy has been and ends... near an open zipper Gwen's own backpack, set aside as she helped the others load up the locker. She's sure it was zipped shut before.

Kat fidgets. "Um, DID you actually need any pads? I should get to class."

"You go ahead..and Kat? I'm sorry I let Kristen get to me . You seem cool"

She grabs her backpack

"Yeah... and, thanks. Chuck is a good friend." She says, emphasis on the latter.

A smile "Yeah." And she makes sure that box is closed adn the locker is too and heads to her next class

As she gets further away she whispers to her backpack "Don't know who you are, but hope you can hang trhough one more class"

Kat hurries off, and Gwen can hear soft rustling from within her bag. "Oh, chock-chock." Crunching. So much for that Snickers she had in there... not that it would have survived contact with Briar anyways.

A sigh There is a weird conspiracy to stunt my growth.. .if it weren' for Marigold I'd be anorexic

"Yes, Chock Chock ... eat anything that's not meant to be food in there annd I may take offense. got it?"

Her last class flies past - she may not have absorbed much US History, but it's all written in books anyways. She finds she has a text from Chuck, and a stowaway, to deal with as she may.

Still, Chuck didn't cheat on her... and she's helped a part of the Dreaming. She'll check texts, and see who that stoway is, but hey.. for now? It could be worse

It could be worse! But for now, it's not. Sometimes, that's all the luck a teenager needs. The rest is up to her!
(Scene!)

"Okay" Before Gwen gets to the hold or picked up, she looks in her bag , trying to find a place alone "Out of there"

"Nice girl won't hurt Bink now, would she? Good nice rock girl, understands." Comes the voice, followed by the speaker. A miniature person, made of stone, or perhaps ceramic or clay - and only about a handspan in height, from his rounded shoes up to the tip of his pointed cap.

Gwen actually finds 'Bink' adorable, 'Well, you did eat my candy bar, but we'll let that slide. Hello, Bink. I'm Gwen. You're..cute."

"Bink knew that you would be good, yes yes. You are rock, and rock trusts rock. And you are bright, sparkle-good. Not like bad cold man. He made the nice warm rock cooking room go bad."

"Yeah, I felt it" She shivers at the memory and wonders if she needs the balefire "How long ago were you dreamed, Bink? " She has a theory

"Ages and ages! Moons upon moons! Ever since there were gardens to watch over, have been my people." He proclaims proudly, but tugs at his beard as he adds, "Rainbow brought ME, Bink, to live in her garden. She dreamed up my whole clan, many many we were. But she grew big, and stopped making houses and toys for us, and telling people of how we moved at night when no one looks. Rainbow no longer remembers us. Bink was the first, and Bink is the last. I followed her to warm-rock-room, and she made pretty-pretty for a while. But the Cold Man doesn't want her to make stone from her dreams, only from his."

"Is Rainbow...Kat?" Rememberin the hair "She changes her hair now and then?"

He squeaks! "No, not cats! They chase us and bat us. Terrible, terrible. A terrible name. But she was our girl." He nods, agreeing despite his dismay.

"She dreamed us all up, Tink, and Wink, and Fink, and Zink, and Jink- the entire clan, all faded away, just dust."

"oh Bink. I'm sorrry. I'll do what I can to help her, but with an autumn person it's hard. I"ll tell you what, if you can follow rules I know a place you should be safe. "

"You have a garden for Bink?" He jumps in surprise, peering up at her with eyes just showing, wide and hopeful, under the brim of his cap.

"I have to get permission, but yes, I think so" She nods

"Now, I have to check texts, but you can come with me." A nod "Good?"

"Good, good good." Surprisingly spry for a chimera that appears to be made out of stone, he scrambles up until he is perched on her shoulder, and holds onto her backpack strap for support. "Bink has no rabbits or squirrels... They make best-best friends to ride. But new friend Gwen will do. Up-up, Bink can see everything."

"Mmph" She says a bit amused. And ..well, waits for her ride to home if she's supposed to get one, or she gets into the bus before it drives off or not. Orr she walks home if neither... she's good

She makes the bus just in time. It doesn't take her all the way home, but it gets closer, and cuts her walking time down to about 10 minutes, which will be nice in the winter.

As she sits on the rumbling bus, Bink chattering somewhat aimlessly in her ear about the scenery going past, she checks her messages. Several texts from Chuck.

"Sorry about earlier, w/Kat. Ur not mad r u?"
"Looks like you left already. 😞 Call me?"

Txt: Will do. And... was mad ish. less so

His response is almost immediate, he must have been watching his phone.

Can I come by? Meet u somewhere?

She can't help but be pleased by his quick reply

TXT: Need to check wiht my fam, somethingg came up. See you in an hour maybe?

TXT: ❤️ sorry if I let Kristen get to me. I know you were just trying to help Kat

TXT: 💕 TY. Will xplain in person. i know it looked bad.

TXT: L8tr

annd she pus it away... feeling much better. Yes, it looked bad. But then SHE might have looked like jelous GF. Right now she's more mad at herself than Chuck.. and she'd like to Yeet Kristen across the lacrosse field

It's a shame that Kristen really is good at Lacross. She makes a decent team leader too, even if she sometimes plays favorites about who to put on the field.

And off the bus she gets anndn starts to head home

It makes Gwen wonder. Is Kristen like a snooty Ailil sidhe? Or is it Calanthe that behaves like an immature high school snob?

"BOOF." Ivan is sitting at the bus stop waiting! Clever boy, he has learned where she gets off.

Could be worse... Kristen could be sidhe...thenn I'd have bitches at both ends then a grin "Ivan!" And she pats her legs "C'mere boy, let me give you some pets. I got a new gguest, don't chew on him"

"Oh, dog is BIG big. But Gwen friend is big-bigger. You tell him not to chase Bink?"

Ivan gallumphs over and thuds into Gwen's legs, his tail waving. He looks up - HE can see the chimera as well as she can. His tail wags more!

"This is Bink, Bink this is Ivan," She pats him all over and scritchesand scratches "And Ivan is a good boy, arenn't you, my cuddly comrade? Da!"