Smelling the Roses

[Mary Ann London]

"Yeah, but the colder it gets, the worse it gets."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Oh, like a hibernation thing?"

[Mary Ann London]

"Best guess. They said it was psycho-what's-it, but they're not the ones feeling it."

[Brigid Plunder]

"At least it's not pic-a-nic baskets?"

[Mary Ann London]

"Well, I am smarter than the average bear, but my life's ambition isn't to live in a park."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Plus I think they expect you to wear more than a tie and a hat."

[Mary Ann London]

"Not when I'm covered in fur they don't. And even if they did, forget that. It's uncomfortable and clumsy and a thousand pounds of bear is pretty darn clumsy as is."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Wow, you really do get pretty big."

[Mary Ann London]

"Close to eight feet tall when I stand on my hind legs."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Bet nobody messes with you after they find that out."

[Mary Ann London]

"Not directly, no. People still think they can mess with me indirectly."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Your nose good enough that you can still tell?"

[Mary Ann London]

"Only every once in a while. It's one of the things I'm working on in power control."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. I couldn't quite tell what they were having you try to do."

[Mary Ann London]

"Trying to tap into my senses without going all furry. Looks a lot like doing bupkiss."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Yeah, well, at least it's not something they can yell at you for."

[Mary Ann London]

"Not yet anyways."

[Brigid Plunder]

"I mean, looking like you're doing nothing, since that's what they told you to do."

[Mary Ann London]

"Oh. Yeah. Doesn't mean they wouldn't find a way to yell at me for it."

[Brigid Plunder]

"True, at least the way they were acting today."

[Mary Ann London]

"Maybe they'll get whatever issues they have worked out. If they don't, we can always go to the Headmistress I suppose."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Eesh, I really don't want to do that. Have you heard what they say about her?"

[Mary Ann London]

"Well, I've heard some juicy ideas about what she and Professor Weaver get up to in a locked room under the point, but what have you heard?"

[Brigid Plunder]

Brigid blinked in surprise.

"Well, I didn't hear that."

[Mary Ann London]

"Well, I heard that she and Professor Weaver were seen walking across the grounds a few nights ago and the Headmistress was wearing nothing but feathers and Professor Weaver was wearing a bathrobe." She raised her eyebrows, "Now if that isn't strange, I don't know what is."

[Brigid Plunder]

"Okay, see, I was going off of the whole bit where she can read your mind without even trying."

"But that's... weird."

[Mary Ann London]

"I thought so when I heard it. Just weird enough to be true."