#elsewhere

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Poppy hands out the note "Nobody puts Poppy in the Corner" She crosses her hands and looks at the floor

A gentle tut. "Was she scared? Are pranks funny if someone is scared?"

"Well, 8 out of ten sluagh reccomend?" HOPEFUL eyes

"Are you a sluagh? I suppose that means spider and spoiled liverwurst sandwiches in your lunchbox." A resigned sigh. "So it goes."

"Ugh, not spider sandwiches, they wiggle in my belly and it tickles wrong!" Alarm

"I know, Auntie, but I must respect sluaghish palates."

"Maybe I could be a redcap?" she offers!

"Hmmm... do you want to scare your teachers?"

"sure all the time" A guilty look "but... well, the corner's pretty scary. don't you think?"

"Oh, especially when it is dusty and it tickles my nose and I sneeze and sneeze and sneeze - I guess you must like it, if you wish to return?"

"But she said I was socializing too much, and me who never even kissed a boy! She was hogging all hte time with her lessons awhen my stories were so much funnier, I know because Orwella fell out of her chair down into an obulete .. or maybe it was a crevice? Anyways she's just jealous that teacher" Childish pout "And that's why she put me in the corner. So I gave her some chicken feed so at least the chickens would like her"

Gently. "Was that good sharing?"

"Why, what manners as a cat! Poppy time, and Poppy time, and Poppy time!"

A GASP at the C word!

"Yes, a CAT!"

Poppy grips at her neck "My pearls, my poor clutched pearls! " Horrified "My family has been hounding in the Bay-ou since Pawpoleon Tearboneaparte ruled it"

"Do not cats want attention when their human is set at a task, and spurn the poor soul when their attention is desired? Surely, you must be a cat, if you wish to play in classtime, and seek the corner for recess..."

She lowers her eyes as the shame sinks in.

"Perhaps you could try being a puppy at school, next time?"

"I could be the best puppy ever, specially since I'm the only one." A whisper "I suspect Connor is part horse on his father's side, but I don't judge, and he's a good boy"

"Oh, you could be the best pup in five counties, and get a ribbon from the Mayor of the Five-County Fair!" She squeezes the childling in a hug. "Now, we'll try a little different approach, oui, cherie?"

"Oui, a dithering approach" Hug back, and tears flow "I don't want to bathe myself"

"Tears cleanse the eyes." A pause. "And maybe ice cream cleans the tummy? Should we find out?"

"Think they got stirberry?" A nod nod

"Oh, surely not. Let's find out!" She takes Poppy's hand, and goes to discover what flavors are there!

the world, it turns out, is FULL of flavors. And Poppy will be just bit better behaved in class, least, she won't talk as much when the teacher is

(Fade to 🍨 )