#anywhere

"Oh, come on. I haven't been ordering you around. It was just...just that one time. You almost totally blinked out, and I was scared. Don't you get it? It's not like I want to make a habit of it!"

"Don't yell. And Sylvi, it's ..." A deep breath, "I shouldn't judge by one event, but I DO want to lay some ground rules. You see? I value our friendship too much to risk."

Sylvi's struggling to hold back a response. She clamps her lips shut and nods tightly.

"And yes, I know, ground rules should be a mutual thing too. Otherwise I'm being a hypocrite."

The wilder sighs "I.. hope I'm sounding grown up, I'm trying to."

She chews on a hangnail, watching again - tense, waiting.... and slowly growing puzzled as things head towards conversation, not escalation.

"Tell me what you're thinking." Sylvi's tone is carefully clipped.

"I mean, in terms of ground rules."

"Okay. I need to tell you where I'm going, and probably how long I'm planning on being gone if I need to do the bathroom or a drink of water, at least in the mortal world. It's going to be a hard one to remember, and I hope in a year won't be needed."

Wariness at the clipped tone, almost hyper-vigilant.

Siv assumes that one is agreed on when she pauses and no reply. Then continues.. "You don't order me. You guide, you advise, you threaten to call one of the elders. But you recognize that in the end somethings are my choice."

"Sound balanced so far?"

Sylvi listens, considers, and nods. "Reasonable."

"Also, I'm going to have to tell my mom and dad,a nd make it clear that this is what we've decided and if they have a problem with this, well, if the alternative is the wedge that would come between us and risk our friendship, at least on my side, or my mom escorting me everwhere.. well OR dad. then I'll risk the embarrassment of being the only 16 old with her parents always around. they should have worded it more clearly to begin with I think. "

"I don't think they exactly thought you'd get so close to going poof so quickly. None of us did. If it weren't for that...we wouldn't be having this conversation, Siv, you know that. We were cool before that, weren't we?"

"Way cool" She hugs her, "You and Dagmar are like my crew!"

And might try to hug Dagmar too if she gets in one arm's reach

"Um..." she gets hugged.

"So...okay, I get bossy when I'm stressed. You're not, like, the first person to point that out. I...don't know if that's going to change, but it's not about you, Siv. It's just...that's how I am."

"Well, I suppose, weirdly enough it makes me feel better to know that others have to put up with it," A wink, "But don't be surprised wheen I keep you in check. You're not 'Chief Sylvi' yet. Mom's got a lot of good years in front of her. "

"Oh.." to herself, a question answered... and another raised.

Sylvi shakes her head. "I think it's more about my Dad. If somebody doesn't listen to him on the trods, he says, he makes them listen, or they end up with a bad case of dead."

"Oh, is that where you..." A pause, "Your dad is a bad ass, but maybe for friends borrow more from your mom? I'll do a lot more for a cookie than a scowl" She admits

"...and your mom better have a lot more good years in front of her."

"More than before I'm told" Pleased.

A quiet scowl, fading back.

"Yeah, that part's kind of weird, the being younger thing. But cool."

"Dagmar?"

"Huh?"

"What's wrong? You looked upset. Did I put my foot in my mouth?"

"No, it's fine. You didn't do anything."

Sylvi looks over at Dagmar before the 'Fire.

She looks uncertain and.. small?

A frown. "Dagmar, what's going on?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, there's practically question marks and a dark cloud hanging over your head. What are you thinking about?"

A nod at what Sylvi said

A frown, then - coarse, dismissive. "You guys are just weird. How you talk about stuff."

"Well, I did grow up on a sea ship, you're lucky I don't say 'avast' and 'arr' more than I do" Good humor attempt

"How we talk about...what stuff?"

A flash of a smile at Siv.

A slight good-natured rolling of eyes at Siv.

"Like... touchy-feely crap. All that junk." She chafes her upper arms, body language at odds with her jocular tone.

Sylvi looks at Siv, then shrugs at Dagmar. "She started it."

"I totally did." Siv says unrepetent

"I'm not... I'm not sayin' it's bad."

"Well, if it's just weird, I can live with that. " A smile, "i'll try not to hug you in public?"

"Well...if we didn't talk about it, things would be pretty damn awkward when we have to share a room, right?"

"Okay."

"Dunno, you can ignore people pretty good if you put your mind to it."