#anywhere

"Is there any kim chi?" He offers, throwing her a bit of a bone. "We can both have that."

"well, yes, " She smiles, "Yes there is. " A pause, "Thank you, Symon."

"Now go wash your hands"

"Yes'm." He sighs, and slinks off to... probably... wash his hands.

(Scene?:) )

A bit later, there is a shriek, fortunately not in the same room, "Oh for the love of... Symon, talk to your Cat! She's done it again!"

It would appear Lovecraft had left near her bedroom door a dead rodent Chimera she hunted while they were shopping. Aka 'a mall rat'.

(End Scene)

---------------

At Rivervale, Siv warms by the fire. Actually spent a lot of time pacing, nearly a half hour, after getting home. The 16 year old is very thoughtful

She waits, seeing if Sylvi has shown herself.

Dag is chilling on the floor, dividing her attention between Siv and... oh... fascinating green fire...

Siv looks to the stairs again and again. A deep breath.

After a while, the door of Sylvi's room (which has been Siv's room, too) is heard to open and close. And she comes to the top of the stairs, looks down, and sighs. Then she treads down the stairs heavily.

Siv turns, and says to Sylvi, "Sylvi. We need to talk." A surprisingly calm, mature tone.

Well, for a 16 yearold.

A glance from Dagmar... nope. Fire to watch. She holds her hand clooooooose.

"Yup." Tromp, tromp, tromp. "We do. Hey, Dagmar." She comes over to a table and settles there. "Okay, Siv."

A deep breath, "Do you know why I was upset with you earlier?"

She shrugs. "I can guess. I wasn't exactly nice."

"Actually, you came across as downright dismissive and imperious. I'm not sure why you thought 'Suck it up' would help, but you spoke to me the way I wouldn't talk to a dog." She pats Edelwiess.

Sylvi's jaw is tight. After a moment, she nods. "Okay. Now...do you know why I said those things?"

"Or more to the point, do you care?"

"We're not done yet, because you deserve to know the other half of it before I hear all the whys"

Noooope. Fire.

"The other half of it?"

"Now, I handing you the pendant back, I can see why you thought that was babyish, but at the time, I realized I didn't like the cost of that particular thrall collar... it's not one I was willing to pay. So that didn't ire me as much as i thought it would. But then you ordered me, with an adult troll present already no less, to the front seat. You weren't my captain, you aren't my chief. It wasn't your place to tell me, quite literally, my place. The situation was under control, and I was not under yours. But you treated me like I was. And that's the other half of it." A tapping of fingers on the furniture, "I'm not sure you realized how you came off. So I thought I would bring it up. Now.. your turn."

"It's not a thrall collar." Sylvi's eyes flash. Then she takes a breath. "Okay...here I am, the most experienced at being a Troll in this world out of the three of us. And it's my job to make sure you two are learning how to navigate things. And...you get into trouble. And what was I doing while you were in trouble? Texting a boy." She's scowling. "I wasn't paying attention, and I let you get hurt. So, okay, I was pissed, and scared, and embarrassed, and trying to fix things. And it came out in my words. So...sorry." It's not a gentle apology.

More of a tense and ashamed one.

"Who would have thought something would go wrong going to the bathroom?"

"Oh Fi," Siv says, "Easier to be mad at you if you're not blaming yourself. You nut." SHe nods to Dagmar "It's like she said, Sylvi. It wasn't even a half block distance and pretty straight line of sight until I went in. "

Sylvi gives Dagmar a look. "You know better than that. Mall bathrooms? Danger zones, regardless."

"Yeah...but I didn't know you'd gone, and I should have. I wasn't paying attention, and I should have been."

"No. I should have said "hey, I'm goin to the bathroom'. That was my mistake. Even if we weren't worried about my newness to this world, it would be polite to let folks know I was hitting the head."

"I mean... usual awareness, maybe.. but... it's a bathroom. She came out half dead!"

"So...okay. You could've check in about where you were going, and I could've paid more attention in general. And...just so you know...what happened to you isn't normal. I mean...that was a lot more of an effect than would normally happen with an old banal woman like that."

"Yeah, Dagmar. It...doesn't usually happen like that."

She takes the necklace off and offers it to Siv again. "It's not any kind of thrall collar. It's just...you need it more than I do, because they hurt you faster than they hurt me."

She shakes her head at the offer, "The reason it felt like aa thrall collar is because it seemed at the time a sign of your authority over me. And... I know you felt dutybound, and I'm sorry you were put in that position, but that's not an authority I recognize. Adviser? yes. Escort and guide? Absolutely. But keeper? No."

A puzzled look, watching in silence as she collects data.

"And... I think my vulnerability "Geeze that hurts to consider
" means all the more reason why I have to stand some on my own."

"Not keeper." Sylvi bristles. "But...dammit, Siv, you're part of my household!"

"I do what I can to keep you safe, and you do the same for me!"

"Is this because she was born in the Dreaming and not here? Is that why she got sick?"

"...sorry."

"Sylvi, if I treated you like you were Gerd, would you resent me?"

A look to Dagmar, "Nope, not sorry, Dagmar. We both screwed up, but you didn't do anything wrong. And ..it maybe that."

Sylvi frowns. "That is so totally not a fair comparison. Gerd and I both grew up in this world, so it's a level playing field except for our ages. Totally different situation."

"is it? Because I think it fits. You and I should be equals, yes, with expertise in other areas. Heck, I listen to Dagmar's warnings to because I know she knows better even if they seem a bit pessimistic," A look to Dagmar "Bet you didn't think I listened did you?" A flash of a grin, then back to Sylvi "You can't keep me safe by ordering me around like you might Gerd. I'm a wilder. I will fade and wither if I never get to ...grow as a person, and that includes mistakes. "

"Not pessimistic. Realist."