#odyssey

The baby cries. Janice and Greg talk quietly in the next room over.

"Check her diaper..."
"...no, she needs to be burped?"
"It's not my our rodeo, we'll figure it out."
"I wanna hold the baby!" A small fuss from Frankie.

Nothing urgent, but just... family, present.

Citrine realizes that these are sugar CUBES, and she can carry them off, unlike the granular stuff! Soon she is constructing a small tower.

A smile at the sounds of family , "Damn, we did good work" Proud for them all

"Gonna make it work. Even if I gotta hit it with a frackin' pipewrench."

Sluuurrrrp.

"Do you think..." Art starts, then sips his own drink. "Good work."

"Think what?"

He considers. "When we go back, do you think they'll just... fall back into their ways?"

"Chance of that." She shrugs.

"Got a wifi plan, though."

"Really? I thought there was something about the satellite and the veils."

"And change has a way of happening, no matter how much you try'n stop it."

Curious, he leans in across the table.

"Yeah, but we got Wudlig."

"There's a lot to respect about their traditions"

"Why do we need Wudlig? We have Thistle."

a sip

"No offense to Wudlig."

"If anybody can hide somethin' AND have tech?"

"Oh.... fair enough! But he's way back there. Home."

"Home. I can try. Maybe modify a router? Computers aren't my strong suit."

Art fidgets a bit. "Do you think they're still sore at me, up there?"

She harrumphs. "Won't be, once they know what you did."

"Better not be."

"Couldn't have done this without you. Or Shamu."

"Me? You're the won who won over the hearts and minds of an entire clan of hidebound selkie hermits."

Ciaran coughs, and excuses himself.

"Just feed me this coffee instead of fish and we'll call it even" Sip

A wave to Ciaran "Thanks again"

"You did plenty. You won over folks, too. And were furkin' brilliant during the challenges."

"And bringing my family!" She grins. "A plane. Like, duh."

"When did you decide to bring them? When did you call? What did you tell'm?"

Citrine rules over all, from her tower of Sugar. One of the little lizards, this one with jeweled dragonfly wings, has been licking the bottom cube with a long, sticky tongue. Perhaps her rule is not fated to last.

"I called Flo, and she gave me Janice's number, and then I called Janice, and explained that you were taking on this Challenge, and that she should be here." He says, as though it was as simple as all that. "She said she couldn't leave Greg and Frankie behind, so I told her to bring them, too."

Gwen can't help it. She reaches for a cube on the lower part of the tower "mm sugar. Thanks" Takes it, and tosses it into her coffee which she has refilled

The walls come crumbling down! Citrine tries to steady, with a chime of increasing concern, but alas! HER KINGDOM IS IN RUINS!

"Gonna be interesting when this all falls out."

A snort-giggle at Citrine's tragedy.

Under a crumbled stack of sugar, a tongue flicks out, nonplussed. Mlem. Mlem.

"Sorry there, Citrimandyus" Sip hide smirk

"I figured... what is the worst they could do? Send them away at the island doors? But the Chief rules everything, so they'd have to bring them to her. Forced conversation. I'm sorry they showed up late, though. I can't control the airlines... but it looked like you had already won by the time we interrupted."

"I think it worked out fine."

"Oh, the Lady Mer's work was amazing, it really was, but it had no soul heart." A sip "You should have seen the unveiling art. For a moment, there was this ice sculpture that seemed breath taking, but.. distant. Then Thistle unveiled hers and I swear.... everyone just couldn't help but gather around it .... and feel their hearts shiver or jump depending. One by one the selkies turned their back on empty beauty to behold a message made manifest about forest, wave, and family. Omario was FURIOUS." then "So furious, he tried to blame his champion. That did not go well "

"See, if I had failed at my contest? I'd be devastated... but I figure Thistle would forgive me. I'm glad I didn't, don't get me wrong, but... I think maybe Janice got all the good genes in that pool."

"Or is it "Sine" now?" He asks, uncertain. A glance over to the door to the living room, where conversation continues.

"I don't know. I'm actually wondering where I can check on Omario and see what his fate is to be? He's in custody, but the Redfin can change that. I hope she doesn't go easy on him, otherwise he'll just try to assume power again- THOUGH to be fair, his name is mud so..." A shrug "He might not find it so easy to plot a coup"

She shrugs. "I figured the contest didn't mean the same thing to the mer. So I tried to show what it meant to me."

"Reputation matters to him, and, well, he showed his ass."

A door opens, and Saoirse walks in. Her hair is under a kerchief, she hasn't spent the time this morning to redo her tight curls, but she looks happy, even if slightly towards this side of disheveled.

Art stands, and gives the Chieftess a bow.

As does Gwen "Good morning, Chieftess. May I get you coffee?"