I sighed and rubbed my temples, feeling the familiar stir of frustration. "Loki!" I called out, my voice echoing through the shop. "Get in here and explain yourself."

There was a moment of silence before a soft, rhythmic clicking filled the room. Loki appeared, skittering out from behind the counter with an almost mischievous glint in her eyes. Her spider companions followed closely behind, their tiny legs moving in perfect synchronization.

“What’s up, boss?” she asked casually, her tail wagging lazily.

I pointed towards Evelynn, who had her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised in question. "Explain to our esteemed guest here why she keeps finding spider web balls in her garden."

Loki blinked and tilted her head as if in deep thought, then her eyes widened. "Ohhh, you mean my babies' practice balls?" She grinned, showing off her sharp teeth. "They're learning how to aim, y’know? Gotta keep their skills sharp if we're gonna protect this place."

Evelynn looked like she was on the verge of disbelief. “Practice balls? In my garden?”

Loki huffed and sat down on her haunches, her spider entourage mimicking her motion. "Well, it’s the best spot! Nice and open. Plus, you've got all those flowers, and they make for great targets. It's really more of a compliment, if you think about it."

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"How about," Evelynn countered, "you find a less intrusive place for them to practice? Preferably outside of my personal space?”

Loki's ears drooped a bit, but she nodded slowly. “Alright, alright, I'll tell the little ones to use the woods instead. But don’t say I didn’t try to train them to be accurate! If some giant monster comes crawling out of the forest, you might wish they had better aim."

Evelynn glanced at me, an incredulous look on her face. "Is this really the kind of 'protection' you’ve got going on, Gavrin?"

I raised my hands defensively. "In my defense, Loki does have a point. But," I turned to Loki, "you need to respect people's spaces. Find somewhere else for target practice, or I’ll have to limit your web ball privileges.”

Loki’s eyes widened in horror. “No! Not the web balls! Fine, fine. I’ll relocate their training to the far edge of the forest.” She shot a glance at Evelynn. “But you better appreciate it when they save your life one day.”

Evelynn finally let out a reluctant laugh. “Alright, deal. Just... keep the spider antics to a minimum around my place, will you?”

Loki gave a mock salute with her paw. “You got it, Teach.”

I couldn't help but chuckle. “Alright then, crisis averted. Anything else I should know about?”

Evelynn shook her head with an amused sigh. "Not for now, but I'll keep an eye on your little entourage. If they step out of line again, you'll be hearing from me."

Loki trotted off, her spiders clicking after her in a tiny parade. I watched them go, feeling a mix of exasperation and pride. This was just another day in the ever-complicated balancing act of life in Schoolville.