#baronyofthesilverwolf

Soon, both girls are on their way to school, each bracing for a visit with Janice after

It's easy enough to coordinate. Watertown is only about a 20 min drive from Carthage proper, and hearing that Trina and a friend will be in town for whatever reason (why, Carthage doesn't even have a department store. Even a Target run requires Watertown, and Gwen has a learner's permit and her mom's sturdy sedan), Dad insists that the two come by for dinner.

Gwen is an overly cautious driver, which means it might be a 25 minute drive, and Trina may feel a certain level of frustration.

Trina fusses at the caution, but she does manage to hold her poison tongue.

Good lord, she drives like an old lady! But finally, she pulls in, just 5 minutes late... which in teen time is LOTS

To be fair, Gertrude only goes so fast. But Thistle always pushes the poor old scooter to its limit.

"Okay, we're here i think? " SHe says stopping the car, making sure all that needs to be off is off

"...Yeah, this is Dad's."

She stretches her legs

'Dad's' is a lovely 3000 sq/ft colonial with neatly trimmed hedges and an attached garage and lovely tall maples in the palatial, fenced-in back yard.

"Looks nice" She says "Do they have a dog?" Eyeing the fenced in back yard

"TREEEEEEEEEEEEENA!"

A young boy with a head of curly red hair comes flying out to wave at them. He doesn't resemble Trina very much at first glance - his skin is a few shades darker, nose a touch wider, and those CURLS- maybe Trina's hair is red originally too? Who knows?!

...but he greats her with such enthusiasm!

The tall Native American girl looks at the low ground torpedo that shoots towards them, red hair like a blazon "And who is this young brave?"

"I'm FRANKIE. Who're YOU? Trina never brings friends over! Do you know about Bey Blades? Want to see my room??" Rapid-fire interrogation, but friendly!

"I'm Gwen. Well she has now. I know little about Bey BLades. Sure if it's okay with the grown ups and your sister" She answers in response

"Frankie-STEIN!" She scoops up the human bullet and swings him round.

There weren't any Nevers in the car...

Well, at least none that Gwen saw.

Gwen blinks as the never speaks up

"You were right, Trinia, he's a cool kid"

"Of course! i have the BEST little brother."

This never has a teal-tinged color to it, quite pretty, and chirps in silver tones as they flit around Trina's head!

Frankie GRINS and whoops as he is spun. "Are you staying for dinner? Mom's making jerked pork!"

Curiously, she kens the kid. SHe came for Janice but you never know .. and she made the mistake of not kenning Katrina before and that lead to a lot of sorrow

"Yeah. We had to go to the Target, so we're doing dinner. Jerk pork, huh? Maybe it just needs a Snickers."

"Sounds nice"

"Janice likes fancy spices."

Frankie has a... not quite even a glimmer, but a glint of glamour about him. If there is a fairy soul in there, it's not emerged, but often one cannot tell until Chrysalis. As far as Gwen can determine, he may be kinain? But if so, it's just a touch, not distinct enough to make out a kith.

"Mom always makes good food." Frankie 'agrees' with Trina. "I had dinner at Jonny's house, and his mom made a tater bake and it only tasted like cheese. I mean it was good, but...."

Mmm she makes a note of it.

"Well, cheese IS good."

"You have a good holiday, Frankie?"

"Come ON it's cold out! Yeah! I got a Playstation 5 with the new Crash Bandicoot game! Mom only let's me play for an hour though. It's a good thing it has saves??"

Trina got gifts from Dad as well! They were marked as from both of them, of course, but Trina can see her dad's influence. A gift card to the craft store, and a new tote for carrying art supplies! She suspects that Diane communicates with Dad because there are no overlaps, clothing and practical gifts from mom, and cash from dad, but both with feeling.

The gift card to a spa from Janice was well meaning, but how would JANICE know that Trina has dyed her own hair since she was 10? Though, she can use it for product, so it's not a BAD gift, really.

Gwen might be impressed! She knows that PS5s are expensive and can be hard to come by - why, Chuck was telling her that his younger brother, Brett, threw a bit of a tantrum on not getting one for Christmas himself.

"Yeah, always good to have saves. Then you can die and come back as a ZOMBIE."

"Brains?"

Inside, Trina kicks off her shoes. No dirt on Janice's pale carpet.

She wipes her feet on the mat, then takes her shoes off as well, revealing some rather embarrassing socks. Mom thought they would look cute. Had Gwen realized she'd be taking her shoes off, she would have worn something besisdes the pInk socks with big red heart designs

The teal never sneaks in with them, zipping back and forth as it explores the house.

"Heh." A t the socks.

Then again, Trina's have Sushi Cats on one, and argyle on the other.

"Laugh it up" She says under her breath "I can be revengeful, but laugh it up" A wink though

Frankie ran outside in his socks, so no boots to throw aside as he tugs at them! "C'mon, I put the games in the Rec Room..."

Janice appears in the hallway to the kitchen. At the younger end of mom-aged, with richly brown skin and tightly curled black hair that is under a colorful scarf. "No nintendo unless you've finished your homework... Trina, glad you could make it! And you must be Jen."

Appetizing savory smells from the kitchen! "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Gwen."

"Gwen, this is Janice. Dad's wife."

"Gwen, nice to meet you" She offers a hand

Tall girl

"Gwen, sorry!" A smile, a bit bashful. "We have juice, coke, ginger-ale..." If her smile falters a touch at the introduction, it doesn't give her pause as she lists beverages and gives her hand a shake. Janice's hands are soft and smooth, well-moisturized. Not the callussed hands of Gwen, hardened from sports, hard word, and spear practice.