#odyssey

"And I'm not going to argue that it's not better to have you guys all talking than what was before."

gladiola arches a brow, but, she says "If I may, is he to face any formal punishment at all? There is no denying Janice and Thistle had the greatest right to offense, but ... i wasn't making it up when I said he incurred Silver wolf's wrath as a whole. "

“He will not go unpushished. He is to be grounded.” Saoirse says.

“Grounded?” Art speaks up, a little incredulous. “Like.. like a naughty kid?”

Snerk!

Meanwhile, Citrine is having fun dangling her legs into the water, where the little fish nibbles harmlessly at her limbs. A bell of laughter, and Miri-bri chortles a laugh in turn, seeing the sparkling chimera with the eyes of the very young, no enchantment needed.

“He will be grounded - tied to the earth. He will not be allowed the sea. He may choose to remain here, with his family to watch over and guide him as we failed to properly in the past. He may continue to serve the Redfin from a position onshore. Or, he may choose to leave - to another island, or elsewhere, but without his Selkie skin. If he chooses the freedom to travel the sea, he will lose access to the Dream.

The grounding will be for a period of no less than three years. For acting to steal a child. For working harmful magic. And for conspiring against his kin. If he acts with dignity, honor, and humility during that time, he will have his skin reinstated. If he does not…”

Saoirse shakes her head. “Then, it will be offered, in proper time, to an appropriate heir.”

"That... Janice, how do you feel about this?"

"Oh"

"What 'oh'?" A look at Gwen.

"Sorry I ... I mean, I think I get, not as well as a selkie would, but I get why that would be a real punishment. If someone cut me off from the woods entirely or told me I had three years before I was trusted with my duties as a troll and knight, I'd feel it. Not that this is for me to approve or dissaprove of"

Janice speaks up to answer. “To a non-Selkie, it may not be clear. Consider, rather - not that you have been denied the forest, or your duties. But if you had been, if possible - un chrysalised. Your fae nature, and all that makes you, you - Dame Gladiola. Your strength, your magic, your memories of past lives - taken away. Such it means, to have your skin taken from you.”

Niamh adds, “Our skins are our souls.”

She shivers "Ah, I get it now"

Janice adds, “In a way, to stay here, seeing all that there is, knowing still the Fae world, but being unable to touch it, may he a harsher sentence than to leave and Forget. As I did. Though, I had Greg by my side.”

She hugs the infant close for a second.

"I can't say I'm THAT sorry for your brother, but now that i know how to word it, I can grasp better the nature of the punishment."

Saoirse looks to Thistle. “What say you? You fought him, and won. Do you find this punishment to fit the crime?”

"It seems fitting, yes."

Art looks a bit stunned by the realization. Perhaps thinking of the muted and bleak world that would be left if an Arcadian sidhe were ousted - would he even still live? A disquieting thought.

"He'll be angrier than a cat in a dishwasher, but hopefully he'll grow from it."

“If he does not, if he repeats or makes new mistakes, I will regret the necessity of harsher punishment.” Saoirse states with a firm, cool tone.

"Yes, Chieftess" respect

Janice asks Thistle, “would you be okay with us splitting the year here?” Tentative.

“You're part of the family. You'd be welcome… but I know you have school, your mother, Silverwolf…”

Her knobby fingers work nervously at the hem of her doublet, yanking on the peplum. "I think it makes a lot of sense."

"And you missed your family, and this means Frankie and the baby get to know them, and you don't have to be so lonely..."

Janice gently asks, “but I asked how you felt.”

"Or forgotten. And being forgotten like that hurt you, like... like a bleeding wound you didn't even know about?"

“Which is why I don't want you to feel left behind. It hurts.”

"It's the solution that makes the most sense. And it's not the whole year."

Gladiola takes Art's hand to squeeze. Drawing on strength NOT to give her two cents

He gives Gladiola a surprised look. “We need to make sure Thistle has a way to visit. And not through blind teleport.”

Good , Art did it first whew, "Of course she'll miss you guys, Janice, even if it's only for a season, but Art's right, we'll find a way to visit. Heck, knowing Thistle she'll probably buiild some sort of star gate out of matching ceramic arches, or at the least a submarine... or just get plane tickets"

"I can't flicker flash yet! I can barely hopscotch..."

"If there were a trod..." SIgh.

"Plane tickets in winter then" Gwen nods "In exchange, you send us goofy selfies and maybe the occasional souviner"

“Plane tickets we can handle.” Janice offers the baby over to Thistle. “But if you feel that is too much, or too far? I can come down myself, less often perhaps, but it would be nice for Miri and Frankie to learn of their heritage.”

"Miri-biri!" She takes the baby to bounce.

"I'll admit, I'm... anxious?... about you being so far. In some ways, it feels like I've only gotten to know the real you these past few months. I spent a few years hating you."

"And it'll be different, not seeing Frankie every week, or... just-because, you know? But it's not all year."

Janice winces a little. “I admit, I was not the most approachable. …You were the reason that Greg could not stay here, and it was not fair to be resentful of a child.”

"But I'm older now."

"We'll need to find a way to smuggle Frank's dog OR If you prefer Silverwolf could dog sit during the winter"

“You are still the child of the man I love. And the step-daughter I cherish.” Janice looks over at Gwen. “Oh, Frankie adores Misty.”

“Dogs can fly commercial airlines. Generally there is a waiting period or quarantine, but we could likely avoid that. It would need to be up to Frankie. She might be miserable here… all that FUR.”

"I knew he would" A smile "Dogs rock"

No biases here!

"Misty is a good protector. Maybe she'll learn to swim?"

“There is nothing that could hurt Frankie on this island. We are SAFE here.” Saoirse says with fierce determination.

"Misty is also a companion and playmate."

“He will have dolphins and porpoises to dance with through the waves…” Saoirse offers, then sighs as Janice raises a brow. “…and his dog, should he wish it so.”