#elsewhere

The door opens, "You rang, your yappiness?" Gwen looks down

Briar has a dirt smeared shirt, a bloody lip, and a wide grin. "This place ain't half bad!"

"It ain't. You get in a fight?"

She sniffs the air. "You got spaghetti?"

"Had."

A groan like the world is ending. "Yer killin' me!"

"I might know where more is... but what happened ?" Gesturing to the bloody lip

A snort. "They sent some clod to walk me home, Like I need a babysitter. I ditched 'em half a mile back. Did you know you got cats in the yard? I foller'd one up a tree, little shit was black as sin, but it shook me out of the branch! Come daylight, we should burn it out!"

Now, who was the poor escort who got ditched? Hmm Hmmm 👀 towards Mr D

"We are NOT burning trees"

"Another cat?"

That said, while Gwen has more questions ... she goes to the oven and opens it where the last serving of sphaghetti and several garlic bread bits await.

Then she returns "I tried to keep them on a low heat" Offering them up

The plate is snatched without so much as a by your leave and she starts shoving a handful of noodles into her mouth. "Yuh, a black'un. Green eyes like a demon."

"That is not statickitty" Gwen observes the obvious

Soon the garlic bread is gone too, and the paper plate - well, it had sauce on it, which makes it part of the meal. A belch of appreciation.

"Maybe that was a regular cat."

"Yeah, like a regular cat could knock me outta a tree." Briar gripes. "Either way, I'll have it's guts for breakfast if I see it again."

"I'm a dog person myself" Gwen shrugs as if absolving herself of all blame for anything cats do "But we probably shouldn't murder someone's pet, Briar"

"I don't tell you how to do YOUR job." She grouses. "Tell you what, if I cough up a collar I'll apologize real nice like."

"Your job is cat killing? " Gwen gives an older sister tut tut

"When I want it to be!"

"They kill local birds and shit. I'm practically a forest ranger."

"Did you see the Gemjays? They could use humbling" Gwen comments

"Looks like I'd crack a tooth on 'em. Or maybe they're just crunchy like rock candy. You want me to set up a snare?"

"I bet Blossom could catch a bunch with that overgrown pigeon she's always cooin' over."

"Probably... but we'll leave them be for now. I get the feeling they'll simmer down eventually" But she's not sure she should add that that will be when Thistle is done here

"Well, I want any cast off feathers."

"They might make good toothpicks, or those froofy pens old timers use."

"Just don't wear them in your hair, that's a Amerindian thing" Is she joking?

"What of they're on a hat?"

"Ohhh, maybe if there's an amythest one, I could make Art a fancy quill...."

"Well, I guess that belongs to little old ladies" Gwen admits

A crow of laughter. "I saw feathers on Marigold's favorite sunday hat, I'mma gonna tell her you said she's OLD!"

Gladiola's eyes shoot a dark look at that "I would not do that if I were you."

Then she takes a breath "MY mother's not old.. she's a classic"

"Aww, gee, Rocky." Briar pouts a bit. "You know I ain't gonna harsh my gravy train like that." Somewhat of an apology. "I'm jus' funnin' ya."

"Sore point" She risks giving Briar ammo but hell with it "I worry Mom's not going to take care of herself while I'm gone. Who's gonna check her? Ernie? Ffft. He's a creampuff. I mean, he did okay on the luck dragon quest, but he's not up to talking to mom"

"Speakin' of gravy train, did you know they feed their dogs KIBBLE here? The Baron would eat his HAT if I tried that."

"She gots Flo when the Baroness isn't primpin' for a party. That lady ain't half bad for a mudblood. She hops up and down the stairs for the laundry and saves Marigold's knees."

"I don't even hide behind the washer any more." Clearly a martyr.

"You don't?" Impressed "Huh. You're getting too big and brawny for that anyway I guess" A compliment

"How bad can kibble be?"

"Kibble is sub bar and does not maximize the nutriional benefits dogs can get" Gwen says

Briar scoffs at Thistle. "How about I feed you nothin' but cheerios and say, but look, the box has like, all the essential vites and nootch in it?"

"Well, I did live on cheerios for a week once..."

Briar wrinkles her nose. "Nevermind, I'll take the kibble."

"Proteins important for working dogs and the like..." Gwen goes on "See, Canine nutrition is actually more nuanced than most folks know..." And she starts to go into one of the few areas of science where she herself is well learned

Briar twitches a bit, and looks for an escape route.

Seeing this, Gladiola sighs "if it were up to Briar, of course, they'd all just hunt and get meat the old fashioned way... Deer, goats, joggers"