Another day…

Meggy sat on the steps outside the castle, elbows on her knees, watching Mario and Bob argue over something stupid inside. She didn’t intervene immediately. She rarely did anymore—only when things crossed from annoying into dangerous.

She exhaled through her nose, adjusted her beanie, and stood. “Alright, that’s enough,” she said flatly as she walked in. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the noise. Mario froze. Bob complained. She ignored Bob completely.

Meggy crossed her arms. “We’ve got a mess to clean up, and I’m not babysitting both of you.” She pointed toward the door. “Mario, you’re with me. Bob, don’t touch anything.”

Outside again, Meggy slowed her pace. “You good?” she asked, not looking at Mario. When he nodded, she let it drop. That was enough.

She didn’t smile, but her shoulders relaxed a little. Crisis handled. For now.