#elsewhere

"Come along now, come along wee ones, onward we must go, no time to tarry." Bluebell calls cheerily as she herds the childlings towards the car, though her ears are slicked back, at odds with her smile.

"For we have much to see, and much to do! A day at the zoo awaits for you, for Rochallor and Blossom, and sweet Briar too."

"It's the dead lady isn't she? Joe says that's why we gotta go" Roch says

"Dame Calanthe will save us" Blossom says

Bluebell, to give her credit, doesn't do more than bat an eye at this statement. "If you say so, surely it will be so." She agrees with Blossom.

Briar, on the otherhand, "Damn Calanthe wouldn't cross the street to whizz on you if you were on fire!"

Blossom glares at Briar, for once she gives the witheringg look, though obviously it has no power of Birthright behind it "Dame Calanthe keeps us ALL safe with her magics and tries very hard and we should ALL be very grateful!" her voice raised a bit

"Well now, into the car, my lovelies."

A minivan, and an entire row just for Blossom.

Briar scowls, but Bluebell interrupts, "For if we leave now, why, we have time to stop for Happy Lunches on the way?"

Blossom gets into her row

Roch says "Uhm.. you can have whatever next seat you want, Briar, because you're terrifying and could eat my tail"

but mostly because she got yelled at and he sympahizes

"Which seat do you want?" Briar asks, suspiciously solicitous... and then promptly, "TOO BAD, THAT'S MINE!" And 'steals' his choice.

And if Roch picked the one he houghtt she'd like annyway who is to say , but somehow Briar and Blossom may end up a bit further away from each other so they can't hurt each other's feelings "Drat. Joe really liked that spot more than anything"

"Yeah, well, tell Joe where he can stick it! HA!" Briar laughs at herself, even as Bluebell scolds lightly.

Soon they are on their way! A day of delights waits them... and whatever dangers or mischief they can get into at the discovery zoo, well, we must only imagine it pales in comparison to the storm that looms back home over Silverwolf Manor.

And if a Shire pony ends up in the pettting section stealing pets from others... well, call security!

****************

Nadeen's phone buzzes. It's a text from Sylvi. TXT: Hey. I meant to come by the house, but things got busy at the theater, and then there were things going on here (DG). You okay?

TXT: Won't be at the house today

Apparently, Sylvi's been left out of the loop about current SW drama.

TXT: Put me down for four. I don't know which of us it will be. Things are in Flux

TXT: Have you mastered Spring yet?

TXT: Then no, there's nothing you can do

A pause.

TXT: If things go wrong... help Flo and her son

Another pause.

TXT: WHere I need to be. I'm sorry. Busy. dasviDAniya

And her Cell is set to BUSY

"You crazy Slavic wench..." Sylvi mutters at her phone.

Another text...this time to Dagmar.

...Dag's cell beeps in the sidecar!

What Connor does with this...

He peeks!

Who calls?!

SYlvi sent a text!

((look up a few lines))

((Ahhh)

If the phone isn't locked...

TXT: STAY ALIVE, NO TEXT N DRIVE 🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 😍 🌭 👋

TXT: K, Connor. 👍 Have her get back to me as soon as she can. Can you tell me where you're going?

TXT 🐺

TXT:

TXT: :female_elf:

TXT: 🌭 🌭 🌭 🌭

TXT: ❤️ 💕 🫐 😍