#rutgers

The interplay with Flopsy worked like a charm. Oh sure, views on Carrots had to be down played, but Syvli felt more engaged in the conversation, and was able to put that back on paper

And her classes have turned around!

well, turned for the better!

That one big final project seems to have been the stumbling block. With that done, everything feels like it's wrapping up smoothly.

Sam... is being weird.

Not a weird that Sylvi hasn't seen before, of course.

And she's been busy, so that's good. Spring is busy time for track and field, and so she has lots to do.

Sylvi notices this when she comes back to the apartment after a class, but it's kind of what she was expecting. She has picked up several flavors of wings on the way upstairs. "Hey! Troll snacks," she announces as she lays them out on the kitchen table.

That chicken place nearby has been a goddess send

That does get her poking her head out from her room, where she had been hiding ... studying for finals.

"Buffalo?"

"No, chicken." She winks while delivering the corny joke. "Of course. I wouldn't dare bring wings home without that. But I got sweet-n-sour and fire, too."

"So three flavors. Come an' get it!"

Sam has done fine, great in some classes, merely okay in others. Her work at track amazes

"Oh, the sweet-and-sour is good, yeah, I always forget I like it." She snags two paper plates and offers one to Sylvi.

"Thank you!" she accepts the plate and takes two of each flavor before grabbing a seat.

Mirroring with two of each. "Y'want some soda? We are low on Dr. Pepper but have lots of Coke. And Symon's Mountain Dew."

"Coke, please. Don't wanna take Symon's stuff."

Floppsy hops up "Do we have any enchanted Carrot juice?"

"Thanks for reminding me, though...." She gets back up and puts a couple of the sweet-n-sour wings in a tupperware and pops them into "Symon's cabinet" to age.

"Well, of the 'never-food' variety, so gimme a second, Professor."

She gets a cup, goes to the fridge, and spends a tiny bit of her glamour as she goes through the motions of pouring something into the cup. She then offers it to Flopsy. "Give that a try."

"Dunno why he bothers. He's at his girfriend's place again."

"Too kind," Flopsy drinks in the glamour, and the imagined carrot flavor "Oh delicious. "

Dag drops into a chair with her own food, after depositing a coke by Sylvi.

She cracks the can of Dr. Pepper and takes a swig.

"Very welcome," she says to the chimera, then retakes her seat and starts snacking.

A nod to Dagmar. "We've gotta try again with him. I mean, it's been over a year, and she's not doing him any favors."

She makes very short work of her six wings, and is eyeing the styrofoam containers. "I had thought... I dunno, it was dumb."

"I'm just glad she seems to have not gotten too involved with the twins in the hospital."

"Doubt it was dumb. Grab some more food, and tell me."

Flopsy continues to drink/sup, but one ear angles in on the conversation

"There's this necklace he wears..." A faint frown.

Six more wings, neatly picked.

"Yeah, I know." She leans forward, getting more serious. "That's the key, I'm sure of it."

"Wish I was better with magic, sometimes. Like - I can DO some magic, but I don't get into the weeds with it like you or Sy."

"Hey, I can't blast people with lightning, so you got that going for you."

A crooked little grin. "Yeah, that part is fun. But subtle and mystic, it ain't."

Sylvi looks thoughtful. "I might have something I can do...but he'd have to cooperate. And...it might not be ethical."

Flopsy's OTHER ear angles up at the word 'ethical'

Harrumph. "Not sure if I am too worried about ethical."

"You see the latest damn shiny he got her?"

"I swear, he coulda bought a CAR for that money. I mean, a shitbox, but a CAR."

Sylvi looks even more serious. "Yeah, I've seen it. I saw what she did with it, too."

"I mean, if we're talking about the same one."

Her features sharpen and eyes narrow.

"Whatcha mean?"

She finishes her last wing and gets up to get more. "So, Symon showed it to me before he gave it to her. Then a few weeks later, I was at the mall, and I saw the same thing at one of those jewelry stores that buy stuff. I asked the guy about it, and he described her to a tee as the person who sold it."

A dangerous flicker in those golden eyes, and her mouth draws down into a tight line.

Sylvi nods, agreeing with the expression.