[audio]

[anunluckypenny]

Crazy week, huh?  People dying, people coming back to life for a day, the network turning into a weird version of The Sun.  I'm not a fan of gossip.  What people do, who they do it with--that's all their business, no one else's.  

I'm even less a fan of murder, but I'm sure the police will take care of that.

Coming back to life, though... that's really something.  I ended up running around the garden most of the day.  Maybe this doesn't make sense, but being alive seems to make everything brighter.  Things taste better, flowers smell better, running is more fun.  I never would've guessed that I'd actually miss getting my heart rate up and needing to breathe.  It was a nice day, but being like this--being dead, I mean--isn't bad.  It's way better than not being in the City would be, and I still get to do the things I care about and meet people.

[Her voice takes on a gloomier tone that is very unlike Penny.]

Jenny went home.  I checked the Hall and there she was.  I'll definitely miss her.  I didn't know her for very long, but she's always so sweet and cheerful, and she's pretty much the only person I've ever had a serious conversation about freeing the animals in the zoo with. 

She said I could be part of her family, too--that I'd make a good sister.  I've never had anyone invite me into her family before.  Having a family...

[There's a brief pause, a sniff, and then, with forced brightness:]

So!  Charlie, Sophie--shopping tomorrow, right?

Comments

[anunluckypenny]

I really enjoyed it. It was an amazing day.

A horse? You have a horse, in the City? I'd love to go--are you sure?

[primrosella]

I do, yes! His name is Valor, and he's my horse from home! My best friend brought him here for me one Christmas, and I've had him ever since. And he very much likes to get out for a ride, too, so we'd both be more than happy to go.

[anunluckypenny]

That's incredible! Your friend--wow. That's the best Christmas present ever, isn't it, getting a horse across dimensions or universes or whatever.

I would really, truly love to try riding Valor. Thank you so much, Rosella.

[primrosella]

Of course, Penny. I'm sure we'll all have fun at it.

And I'm so very sorry about your friend, too.

[anunluckypenny]

I hope so. I'll try not to do anything dumb like slip off of Valor.

[pause] It's... you know, it is what it is. Everyone here has to learn how to cope with people leaving.

[primrosella]

Oh, you won't! He'll be quite careful with you, I'm sure. He's really only troublesome to the people who deserve it, you know.

[SHE'S KIDDING. REALLY.]

...Yes, that's true. And the longer one stays...well, it's not that it gets easier, exactly, but one does rather go through a great deal of goodbyes.

[anunluckypenny]

He's a smart horse, isn't he?

You've had to say goodbye a lot, Rosella. I'm sorry.

[primrosella]

He is. He's so very clever, and so very loyal, too.

Oh, no, it's quite all right! That...just means I've said a lot of hellos, too, and had plenty of wonderful friends along the way.

[anunluckypenny]

Do you go adventuring with him at home? [And does the horse carry some things, or does Rosella keep everything in pockets?]

That's a good way to think about it.

[primrosella]

I wouldn't call it adventuring, really, but we did have great fun together, riding all over the countryside! I always had to be home for dinner, of course, so I was never gone too very long.

[anunluckypenny]

That sounds so neat--riding around the country all day, going home to... do you have a castle?