#elsewhere

Oh, what a world, what a world...

And he does look a bit nervous at the dog, then observes "Huh.. wait, are you showing me how you got this way?"

Bursts of little belling laughs, and the caws from Gemjays who have retreated to nearby trees - they are critics, it seems.

"Dingbat, are you teasing Ivan?"

Zip! Citrine beelines over to jingle at Thistle, before alighting on her shoulder.

...a piece of peppermint may now be stuck in the Nocker's hair.

An orange-haired Nocker emerges from the house, looking around.

"My apologies" The Mountain says

"Oh! Uh - hey?"

Ivan looks at Thistle to see if this stranger is allowed to approach

A polka-dotted mole pops out of the yard as Thistle walks through, chittering angrily at her footsteps before burrowing back down out of sight as it catches a glimpse of Ivan!

"I'm with Mrs. King and crew?" He says incase mortal neighbors are about

"Ohhh. You need Gwen?"

Her eyes widen as she spots something.

"Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you if you have a moment?"

A small trail, almost cartoony, follows the mole's underground path until it disappears to the other side of the fence.

Ivan gives a look at the troll. He has calculated how to disembowel this troll in the time this conversation has taken place

Her spirals shift yellow, her tone wary. "Me? Why?"

"It's about the.." He looks at the Nevers "Decor?"

She wrinkles her nose and quirks an eyebrow, head tilted. "THAT is phase 2, but if you are really interested, I do take commissions."

"No major aesthetic work until I get the wiring in hand, personally. Huh. You nesting or something? I figured the big purple star meant something else. Did Art brag on me? He's a sap." From yellow to a warm coral.

"Can I get closer without your dog tearing me into tiny shreds?" he passes out the last of his candy to the nevers Then "I know art. we're in the same club. I taught him a few things. "

A little crab, small enough for Ivan to eat in a bite, trundles along the edge of the lawn, and clacks his pinchers like a maraca. It pauses to peer at the yard, then heads inward towards Thistle.

An amused snort at the crab.

"Ivan's Rocky's, he's not mine."

Vali's not stupid... he sees no obvious device per se on the nockers. maybe something in the house. He looks at the crab, and snerks then says "Okay. Taking one step forward"

And Vali does.

A low growl goes into Ivan's chest

"And taking one step back" Vali does

The growling stops

"Anyway, I couldn't help notice a lot of.. Wyld life" he says looking at the chimera, "Any idea why that is?"

She looks around. "Uh... this seems mostly normal? Maybe a little lively, but that's probably because the three of us are new here. Once they're done rubbernecking it'll go back down."

"You do seem to have a low Never population."

"Do we?" He looks about to make sure no mortals appear to be listening, then says quietly "Because what's going on here is rather intense by our usual standards. Not even nearly normal... though normal is relative. You're not building some device to attract them are you?"

Honesty is sometimes the best policy

"Why would I do that? They're honestly kind of nuisances."

"You are, you flock of fleabrains."

"Mmm" he says

"Now, if you have a Never problem, I do have the plans for a Playground that mostly keeps them occupied and out of your hair when you need to work."

A soft feeling against Vali's leg, something twining around by his feet.

He's already kenning the nocker, when he has to look down

"Mostly. They get bored kinda easy..."

Lovecraft is not normally particularly friendly to those other than Symon, but the presence of the dog may account for her keeping close to 'familiar troll'.

A look at Lovecraft "all right, Lovecraft. If you need me I'm here" then to Thistle "Very tempting. Are you staying here with Gwen all summer too?"

The shadowcat hisses towards Ivan, just making a point, but then her ears cant forward towards Thistle.
"Caaaaat. Niiiiip." She mrows.

"Nah, not all summer. I have stuff to do at home."

"But I am not leaving Rocky in a (^&^ing shanty."