#baronyofthesilverwolf

"Never doubt yourself for being assertive." He grins back, and brushes a kiss on the back of her hand before releasing. Sure, her hands are probably dirt and oil streaked, but he doesn't seem to care.

A nudge from the floor catches his attention again.

"But I did have a reason to stop by, not that I need one." Art adds, "Julius mentioned you were going to find a permanent place for this little bear. Did you decide where he's going to go?"

The sidhe reaches down to tickle the ears, and gets a playful bat in return. "I think what he's not saying is that he doesn't want to add 'chimera wrangler' to his title, this place seems to get... er... livelier by the day. Though, it may just be that the friendlier Chimera are the ones that pop up in Summer, and the ones that show up in the unseelie months are less likely to hang out in the Manor."

"Well, I was thinking my sister, actually."

A soft tug on the hem of Art's shirt, making sure it hangs correctly.

He brightens up. "How have the swim classes been going for her?"

She GRINS.

"I'd say she took to it like a duck to water, but I'm guessing it's more a seal."

"Which... is good, it is."

He returns the grin. "How is Janice taking it? I know she initially was against swimming lessons for Frankie. Of course, he seems to have turned more landward lately." A glance over at the small bike frame in a corner that Thistle was 'just tuning up' for her little brother.

"Janice has been getting on better with her pod, so..." She shrugs. "I think it's less painful than it used to be. I miss them when they go down south, but it's overall good for everyone?"

Gwen is further back but she gives Buttons a hug at mention of Thistle's sister. "See little guy. It's good."

Art kneels and gives Button a pat on the head. "Hear that, little one? You have a new friend to meet."

His button eyes gleam!

"She's four. Which seems criminally big."

Art rocks back on his heels. "That can't be right. We were just in the islands..." Mentally counting, and he looks stunned.

"Four, did she get permission for that?" Gwen jokes.

"Illegal."

"mm I'm starting to understand Mom giving me the side eye when I go do grown up things." Gwen reminds herself to hug her mom again soon.

"God. We're grown-ups."

A pause.

"Art, you ever think about moving out? Getting a place?"

Gwen arches a brow

"What? You live here, and I know you aren't gonna leave your mom since you just got her, even to stay in town."

"Mom doesn't need me as much anymore and I take time out of the hold to patrol, keeps bedlam at bay for us non-sidhe, But nah. If I got a place it would be very close. I guess I AM a Mama's girl, and I'm woman enough to admit it," Gwen chuckles.

"Yeah. But maybe I think it could be nice to move out. Mom doesn't... know-know, not really? Not unless she's enchanted, and... I dunno, it might be..."

"You don't want to over do it," Gwen nods "I get it. Though damn, Caesar and the Baroness set up a pretty sweet deal at those apartments for Changelings. "

She nods. "I know. "

"Okay okay, just being Practical there, and yes Gwenish. In this economy blah blah blah..." She shrugs "But then again, you're a nocker, for all I know you could buy a plot of land and adobe some shit."

She rolls her eyes. "I can't afford to buy land. Jeez."

"But I could probably afford rent with a roomie."

"mm" She looks over at Art, then smirks, "I see, you have a plan."

She scowls at Gwen.

Gwen tilts her head, not sure what she said wrong, "Okay. Sorry, I'm tall but clearly something went over my head."

She pokes Gwen in the ribs. "Y'don't have to say everything, granite-head."

It's like poking a brick wall, but Gwen grunts as pained just to be polite, then says "Sorry. Daireann can be blabbermouths at times."

Art glances between them, then looks down for a moment, brushing his fingers over the hem of his newly mended shirt.

"I'm not really sure what comes next. I love learning. There’s so much to know, so much I want to understand. But school never quite fit. I didn’t exactly shine on paper, and I doubt anyone is lining up to hand me a scholarship. I guess I always hoped the path would just appear. Like in the tales."

"Look, normally I joke about this, but Art, you ARE a sidhe, and they have connections. I say you Arcadian Nepo the hell out of whatever path you want. Ask the Baron or Baroness for aid, see what contacts your House might have. That kind of thing."

Thistle, hearing this, can’t help but remember a specific day in their shared physics class—Art grumbling about how Newtonian mechanics lacked imagination, then trying to justify a pendulum's swing with Dreaming logic. She’d had to poke him in the ribs more than once to keep him from launching into a tangent about ley lines and fae resonance fields when the teacher just wanted the equation for acceleration.

Art nods thoughtfully.
"I could ask for help... Maybe even convince them to fund some independent study. Just imagine—diving into a library and never emerging into the sun. That sounds like my kind of education." He smiles, clearly picturing himself lost in books and research rather than classrooms.

"...You could be a librarian."

"And your family is poor enough for Pell grants, if you went somewhere affordable..."

"I get it seems a raw deal, bein' sidhe and all. I think most of them tend to jack hosts that have money."

“Being a librarian sounds... peaceful, and right up my alley. But I wonder if formal schooling really fits someone like me. It can be so rigid, so focused on things that don’t capture my attention.”

Art shifts uneasily, then looks toward Thistle with a faint, almost shy smile. “and... why would I want to leave Carthage? There’s so much here that matters… and, well,” his eyes flicker back to her for a moment, “it’s not like anywhere else feels quite right.”

A glance to Gwen, "How IS the heir to the Chesterton fortune doing these days? Are you still in touch?" Thoughtfully

"I mean, I'm planning on going to tech school. So. Not college."

"oh yeah, he's first string on his football team at college but also a making good grades. Well, except for one class that's driving him nuts but he's holding on. His girlfriend seems really nice."

"But... tech schooll here though, right?" To Thistle

Eyes widen. "You could restore books! You're good at it, and you could have people send'm here..."

Snort. "Of course here. The one out Route 20."

He considers this! "I wonder... maybe I could apprentice under the Baron at Earthrunes. It's one of his specialties. Some might sniff at him for being a Liam, but.. well, a Beaumayn can't really throw stones where reputation is concerned." A small grin.