#baronyofthesilverwolf

"Right, well, it's just cause of novelty. She ain't here often."

"yeah, that's one thing Nadeen's rep is good for, weedin' out the riff raff."

"Lixbet ain't bad. She never ate my pigments."

"You shouldn't store 'em like jelly then!"

She rolls her eyes.

"Anyways. Just telling you, you been conscripted. Be ready, an' shit."

"RIght, cool, smog snake."

"Yuh." Briar stomps off.

Zelda levels a glance at Thistle. "Well, you're a wilder, so I won't bother saying shit about being careful. Just remember proper hazmat gear, s'allright? I don't want to train up any new furkin' apprentices. As you HEARD, APPARENTLY, I'm OLD!" This last shouted at the empty doorway.

"well, you are, which means an impressive run of not being fatally exploded."

A narrow glance, then a sharp laugh. "You ain't half wrong. Now, Whatcha thinking here? If you can suck the thing into a canister, you might contain it, or you might condense and strengthen it, give it corporeal form. Or maybe it will grant you furkin' wishes, though I wouldn't bet my ass on it. Maybe you could weaponize it, though I bet your Lady would get all stuffy-assed about it. Eh. Maybe not, she ain't no touchy-feelie-seelie."

She wavers her hand. "Could try kickin' it off to the dreamin', but then it could be a threat there, too."

"I am inclined to see if it'll burn up."

"Yeah, might be too disperse for that, or might not. If it could get condensed - like, lure it into a smaller space, indoors? Then again, then you're stuck in there with the firestorm." A cackle. "That's one to tell in Goblin Town, roast beast and roast wilder, like a bad luck turducken."

"Ha!"

"But more like..." She frowns, and squints at her kiln.

"Stick it ina FURNACE, amirite? Something designed to handle that much fire."

A scoff. "That's a good way to need a new forge. Then again, there's OTHER furnaces around. Lesse... " She ponders. "Bet you could find them around town, 'specially in the industrial area."

"It's BIG, so need a BIG.. yeah... ain't there an old steel plant?"

Zelda considers. "It shut down back in the Panini days. Couldn't keep up with the supply chain issue. Not sure if they ever parted out and sold their equipment off."

Also thouightful. "There's the Slack Chemical Co - they deal with all sorts of noxious shit, but who knows if it might feed on it? And the propane storage and dispensary - if you needed more combustion... And that machine shop over on West End. But I'd rather you didn't blow 'em up. They do good work."

"Worth lookin' at the old joint. And it's out in the fringe, so not too many people close if it blows up."

"Suppose it's worth a shot." Begrudgingly. It doesn't DO to give kids too many compliments, swells their heads and then their welding masks won't fit.

"I'd worry about Slack, I think you're right. We'd get some Tim-Curry-voiced abomination insteada just a REGULA smog monster..."

"Man, that thing gave me the heebies when I saw that movie."

"Citrine likes the fairies."

A snort. "She would. Say, how's the little git doing? Is the smog schmutzing up her gear assembly?"

"I've been trying to keep all the little idjits close by." A frown. "And yeah, she's gotten gummed up, but I am stayin' on top of maintenance. She'll probably need an oil change once this is through."

"Ain't drek, that'un."

"Oh, nah. You ever imagine a jingle bell snoring?"

"THAT is what I get."

A chortle. "Better'n Adler. You'd never think a little fuck like him could make such a goddamn racket."

(Fade, to admiration of Citrine!) 🧚