Shelly was excitedly telling Pebble about dinosaurs, gesturing wildly. “...and the T-Rex had a bite force strong enough to crush bones!” Pebble barked in response, staring up at her with his usual unnerving gaze.

Sprout, icing cookies nearby, waved at Vee. “Perfect timing, Vee! Try my cosmic chocolate chip cookies!”

Astro, lounging in the corner, glanced over. “Don’t let Pebble’s stare creep you out, Vee. He’s harmless. Mostly.”

Shelly froze when she noticed Vee, her voice faltering. “Oh! Vee, hi! Um, if you… want to talk dinosaurs or anything, I’m here,” she mumbled, fidgeting nervously.

Sprout nudged her with a grin. “Tell Vee about the feathered Velociraptors!”

“Oh! Right! Some paleontologists think Velociraptors had feathers!” Shelly blurted out, her face lighting up before glancing shyly at Vee.

Astro sighed, half-smirking. “Feathers or not, I bet they were quieter than this room.”

Everyone laughed, and Shelly seemed to relax, the quirky energy of the Main Toons filling the space.