#elsewhere

With a bit of coordination, Flo and Rian leave shortly before Greg and Janice arrive.

Greg looks haggard. Janice looks worn out, her face long and drawn with sorrow. They both look exhausted. The presence of Gwen, Trina's friend, is acknowledged but not questioned.

Both girls can overhead bits of the conversation with Frankie. The boy's voice is high-pitched and curious, then confused, then argumentative. "What do you MEAN?" "That's not FAIR!" and so on.

"I know, buddy." Greg repeats, sadly. "I know."

Frankie doesn't seem to have understood the grief yet. Perhaps that is yet to come.

The Smiths ARE grateful for the dishes brought by Gwen from her mom - while not consumed with any great vigor, the parents are eating, which is a good sign. Frankie also goes to bed easily, thankfully to Flo for tuckering him out.

After eating, Janice retreats from the table, and Greg starts to clear plates. He says to Trina,

"I'm heading to bed early tonight, and might not see you in the morning. I'm going to have to head into the office early... the counselor said it would be good to try to get back to our routines as soon as possible, and I have a big case that is waiting on me.

Is your friend spending the night? We don't have the guest room ready, but I can put some blankets and pillows on the couch."

GWEN and TRINA may...
• Go to sleep, and continue in the morning
• Continue to snoop
• Approach Janice
• Sneak out
• Have a pillow fight girly sleepover
• ....other?!

Thistle looks... strained, with her spirals hitting all of the cool, murky colors Gwen may have learned to associate with unhappiness.

Gwen looks at Thistle seeing her condition, and decides she can't make a friend smile but she can be there when she's sad "Want me to stay over?" a whisper

She rubs her face again. "You don't have to."

"Of course I don't. But that doesn't mean you might not want a friend nearby. " She then speaks up "I need to call my mom but I'd like to stay tne night if that's okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's okay."

Greg nods, and soon a bed is made up for her on the couch.

She may have to sleep diagonally to best fit but it can be done, "Thank you, sir." And then she whispers to Thistle 'You think enchanting Janice would help her remember?"

"It might. Or it might make things worse." Defeated.

"It might" Gwen nods "I kind of get it. Feels like quick sand. You make a move, you think it's the right one, and you just sink more. You don't move, you keep sinking anyway. Feels like you can't win so you float and hope somehow a rope appears" A nod "I think she has more news on her brother. I think she can tell us more about Redfins and so on. BUT.. we should wait till Greg is gone. SHe might be miserable if we tell her, but for the baby's sake she might also be the clue we need. I think if we tell her while she's enchanted, it might offer a balm when she forgets again. I.. don't know. I'm not a wise knight. I'm mostly a dog trainer and fighter, not even the best fighter"

"I feel guilty when I enchant her."

"If you like, I'll do it. Trolls sometimes protect people even when it upsets them" a beat "We're assholes like that sometimes"

"Mmph. Nockers are just assholes normally, I'm pretty sure."

"only because the rest of us are thin skinned wimps" A bit of a smile "Ask Willy"

"Eggshells, yeah."

"Mom is knocking herself out again. " Idle chit chat, distraction till they sleep. They can enchant Janice in the morning when Greg is gone

"Yeah? She wprks too hard. How can we help her?"

"Well, Madern is already . Right now she's fussing over spoiling food just right for Lizbet's togail"

"But she's also managing things for others. I think she's going to bat for Artie. I' m sorry the Baron is mad at him"

"I get a boon for my saining, right?"

"If I recall that's not mandatory on the rulers parts, but is often custom. Togail is more iced in. That said, I bet you will yeah. It reflects on Silverwolf"

"So - what if I used my boon to ask for Art to be Sained, too?"

She frowns. "It doesn't seem right, me going first, without him."

"He's the sidhe. He's the only reason I popped, yeah?"

"I don't know about that.. OH not the boon, you should totally ask for something you want and if you want that, go for it. I mean, you might have popped eventually, but I'm glad it happened when it did" She considers "I don't know how Da'an works, but it's possible you have a great destiny , you know? It's not just the sidhe. Mister Tibs.. he's got amazing stories. There have been times a hero of fate's decree or Chance's favor has been a boggan, or a troll, or yes a Nocker. In the eyes of the Dreaming, for all we know, Briar is the most important one of us with a purpose." A pause "Don'T THINK so, but I'm making a point here"

She shrugs. "I'm pretty sure Art's the important one. He's - the Baron doesn;t get it, but he gets these visions, yeah? Real prophecies, and they happen, and I've seen it."

"It's special."

"It is" She agrees "He saved Thanksgiving. And he's probably kicking himself for not seeing all this in more detail. He sees it as his job now. That's probably why he pushed the soothsay ritual too hard. This is supposed to be his gift, what he can give... and he didn't want to fail. I can sympathize, but he's got more to offer than that and you and I both know it. He doesn't"

"I hate this." She hugs her knees to her chest, shoulders curled.

"It totally sucks" A nod "I mean, I believe we can overcome it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't utterly and absolutely suck"

Citrine perches on her shoulder and chimes, patting a somewhat knobby ear.

"Citrine's right. We're here for you"

"I just... (&*$, this sounds awful and selfish, but.. but, like, I was looking forward to getting Sained?"

"Like, having a party, I guess. Maybe having Janice and Frankie come."

"Or my grandmother? I suspect she might be where the nocker comes from..."

"And, I dunno, I get it."

"I need to do this so I can help. So we're just gonna rush it and get it done with, and I mean, it's fine..."

"It's fine. I'm fine."

"I guess it doesn't matter, does it?"

"I wish I were wiser, but ... I think it matters. It's just it doesn't change what needs to be done. A thing can be important and still have to be given second place"

"I know. I know it needs to be done." Scowling.

"Stupid of me."

"If you're stupid I'm stupid. i've been resentful for less. Like if I dropped my guard something bad would happen, and I dropped my guard and bad happened an I just wanted to murder everyone who told me to relax and ease up becasue I wanted to scream 'see, see, this is why I can't have nice things why I can't relax'.. it's.. it's not a healthy way to think, but I thought it. And this THIS is important. it's your saining, and your family and it's all muddled. You're not stupid to be frustrated. "

"Shouldn't have built it up in my head as something special."

"It IS special" Gwen says "It's just..shitty that this bad stuff happens on top of it"

"Like I'm..." She cuts off. "I just have to do what's needed."

She shakes her head.

"Don't do that... don't live for necessity alone. That's banal. You're a crafter, an artist. "

A wince.

"Sorry"