#baronyofthesilverwolf

She shakes her head. "Divorce is really fuckin' stressful, and Brett's got puberty shit going on, too."

"The weird thing is it was like he WANTED me to start a fight."

"And maybe you defending your mom wouldn't be so bad, so his shit-talk has consequences."

"Maybe? Maybe he's got to find a way to get his anger out."

"Sometimes it just builds up inside, and if you can't vent proper... boom."

"Clearly, it can't go towards your mom. That's a bad target. And it might be he's feeling like... stressed that he loves his Dad, and trying to square that with everything else."

"He's not into sports, though. That's how I work out a lot of my extra energy... aggression, I guess."

"What is he into?"

"Jeez, who knows? He used to like to come to my games, at least to watch, and helped me practice. He cooked with mom, too, and took home ec before dropping it. Now he just holes up and plays video games, or hangs out with Flynn. They smoke some pot, not that I'm a narc or anything."

"..Flynn?" She frowns.

"Why did he drop home ec?"

"Yeah, they're buds. You know him, the freshman with the frosted tips who thinks he's god's gift to.. everything." The jock rolls his eyes a bit. "Brett dropped it last year. He didn't say, really. Something about cooking being lame."

"Like... I dunno, maybe cooking would help. Making stuff, trying, like... challenge recipes or making tik toks and shit?"

"Flynn is a dick, and encourages other people to be dicks."

"Maybe...." He thinks. "If there was a way to make it cool, or something? Like, how many super spicy wings can you eat? That's like, a bro thing. But someone has to cook the wings."

"Exactly!"

"Or, like, smoking stuff?"

"Everything is better with fire."

He grins. "Good idea! Not sure if it will help him with being a bitch, but maybe it will distract him or put him in a better mood."

A blink, and he snickers. "Flynn smokes plenty. Between you and me though? It's gutter trash weed. Even if we didn't sign a pledge and it could get me booted off the team if caught, I'd not be caught dead smoking that skunk."

"...maybe he could make edibles?"

"Oh, hey. I mean, if it redirects?"

Weed, of course, being legal in NY state, though technically only for those over 21.

"I'll just need to find a way to suggest it. He might shut it down entirely if it comes from me." A sigh. "Flynn hangs out in the art wing. Maybe you could try talking to him? I'm more likely to end up shoving him in a locker, he just hits me the wrong way. I can handle Brett talking shit about the family. NOT an outsider."

She grimaces.

"Yeah. Um."

"I'd really owe you one."

"Yeah."

She rubs her arm, anxious. "I'll try and talk to him today."

He grins and gives her a mock punch in the arm. "You're a real pal."

....meanwhile....

Art trots over to Gwen. "Morning! Want to hit the cafeteria? Lance snagged the last of the frozen breakfast discs, and I didn't have time to make more before the bus."

"Lance is a bit of a jerk" She observes "Sure... how have you been?"

He shrugs. "Good, you guys have had all the excitement. I've just been studying, and looking for a new job now that the Elf gig is over until next Yule."

"Oh, you might want to talk to the Baroness" She whispsers "She wanted to.. oh. I shouldn't say"

He tilts his head, hair that's growing longer and is now fine and shiny rather than Artie's lank locks, falling gracefully over his forehead. "Oh? You can't just do that. Now I'm going to be WONDERING about it ALL DAY."

"oh fine... geez, stop with the cute man pout... " She sighs. Sidhe beauty is annoying in that it's inescapable "remember the internsip at the public library?"

He thinks a bit, "I heard something about that. I figured it was for college students." A sigh. "I still feel bad about what happened there."

"Well, I think she feels you've earned a shot to work there." She adds "Heard her talking to mom about it"

"Really?! Like, for real? I'd do it for free!" He blurts out.

"Hey, hold on before you agree to that... it's worth some payment. and also I could be wrong"

He grins. "Can you blame me? It's an amazing opportunity. All those books... and a chance to give back to the Library." Oh, what a dreadfully SEELIE though.

A smile "giving back is important, yes. But I'd say you've been paying a lot forward"

"I have been trying." He nods, and a touch guilty, "Does hoping for good karma degrade the action, as something not done truly altruistically but in hope for a potential reward?"

"No, not if you're self aware, and square from he start. You were told if you stepped up your game good thigs would happen, and you have, and you're no more gguily thann those who trried to use it to encourage"

"I have been hoping that if I have better attitude, maybe it will color the shape of my visions and make them easier to comprehend. Lady Nadeen is helping me study the arts of Seers as well."

"It's a good one to know, lots of responsibliy" She nods "And Arthur, maybe I'm biased because you helped save tthe puppies? But I think you've been a real asset to the hold , more so than ever. And you work well with trinia.. oh... " A thought "I need to ask her for help later"

"What for? She's pretty busy these days, you know. Working with Wudlig AND Willy, and she has orders to fill for the Sniffers, she thinks that she can make a mark 2 that works more efficiently, and she said she'd help me with the art fair..."

"I want to ask for her help taking Blaine down"

He almost chokes on the bite of the bagel he bought in the cafeteria. "What?!"

"Shhh" She huffs then quietly, in whispers, explains her plan

"That... might actually work. I mean, if he got mad enough at seeing his words laid out like that, you might even trick him into exposing himself as the dastard he is." Also hushed, but excited. "You can count me in, if I can help someway. Even though I'm no good at art."