#odyssey

Second cup.

"Hey, Thistle? Are you okay?"

"Furkin' peachy."

Art puts a banana fritter, a scoop of eggs, and some toast on a plate, and slides it over. "Eat? You need your strength."

"My stomach is knotted up."

"Well, can't blame you for stress"

Niamh slides her a glass of juice. "Drink, wi? Or the little one will worry." Looking to Cirrine. "Drink, for both your little ones."

"Thanks, okay."

Juice. And fritter!

"Citrine is a silly creature. I haven't seen other Neverlanders here, but I like the little gem-dragons and butterfly-dragons..."

She piles the eggs on the toast, and takes a bite.

Art looks reassured and checks in with Gwen. "How are you doing? Sleep well?"

"You should see what is under the water." Niamh says to Thistle.

"Better than I did the other night" She says

"Oh! Probably amazing chimera... maybe I could find a snorkel or something?"

"If there's some tubing, I could probably rig something up to work..."

"We can take you. I can take you... after, of course."

"Of course."

"Are you ready? It is okay if you are not." She says. "Sometimes you are not ready, but things will happen anyways."

"I've been feeling not ready for days now. The baby came early to start with, and then this, and then my Saining wasn't supposed to be for another few weeks... but what can you do?"

"Your best?" She offers.

"Pretty much."

"Then it is time."

She finishes up her meal and goes to clean her dish

Niamh offers a hand to Thistle, if she wants to hold it! Sometimes people hold her hand when she's worried, so she offers the same.

Thistle takes the younger girl's hand. The nocker's own is calloused, more than her age would indicate.

And when done she returns "It's time?"

Niamh nods, and leads Thistle outside. Art swallows his last bite of toast and gathers his notes, hastily following.

"Good hunting." Aoife says!

However, there is still ample space on land, and there is a gathering space set out, perhaps used as a music or festival venue at other times.

Indeed, though the Chieftess has a solemn feel about her, through the small crowd of onlookers is a bit of a festive air - excited to watch, and to see the results, or just to catch a glimpse of the visiting fae, a rarity on this island.

"It is beautiful" She mutters

Thistle's eyes widen - taking in the beauty, filing it away in her precious hoard of mental images.

But... she focuses. Her spirals can't seem to settle on a color, with too many emotions vying for supremacy.

"CLeasing breaths sometimes help me" Gwen says gently to her friend

"I can't fuck this up." Thistle isn't a troll, but Gwen can almost hear the (like everything else) worry.

A frown at that tone, but instead she puts a hand on her friend's shoulder "We are going to win this. Because we havve to"

"We have to."

"And we will. Art and I believe in you. You and I believe in Art. And I hope you two believe in me. We're creatures of Belief.. that's a power"

"You, I'm not worried about. I know you - you're doing this for me, and you're doing it for Silverwolf."

"Don't mess with a troll when they're doing something bigger than themselves, and trolls are pretty furkin' big to start with."

A smile, then "I'm not as worried about you either. Not just because your'e sained, but ...i used to fuss and worry over you all the time you know? Too much. I admit it. But I've always believed in your artistic skill. And you can be fierce and crafty when you're standing up for someone you care about. You care about this little girl, your sister. " A nod "So I don't worry as much as I used to. "

"I care about Janice, too. Not sure when that happened."

"She tricked us all by not being a monster" she mutters "Dirty pool that"

"Saoirse isn't a monster, either."

"Dammit, there's got to be a solution where everyone can win."

"But it probably involves people not being so stubborn and stuck in one decision."

"Oh no, if we make an exception for specific circumstances than we lose the ability to be judicious with everything else!' and clutch pearls." She rolls her eyes.

"Agreed"

"Seriously - allow Janice to visit here a few times a year with the kids. Have Grandma go up to, like, the Jersey shore and rent a beach house for a week. When the kids get bigger, allow them to come down more. Dad doesn't need to know much beyond that they're her family. Hell, in a few years I'll be at college, so it won't be as important that he's close to Carthage, not once I'm eighteen."

"You've always got a place with us if you want it" A nod "I hope you .. i hope you stay with silverwolf. "