#anywhere

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In Fenix Freehold, Jessica is glancing over a gift left for the hold. Looks like a mask of Quetzicotal, one of the more famous aztec gods. Native crafting, excellent stuff, but left without note or message...

Her expression serious as a judge, she turns it over in her hands, examining it and, when it comes to that, Kenning it.

Dross, it could be used as such, some artistry is in this

Jessica shakes her head. Use it as dross? Only in calamity.

Yes, that might cause what one would say is a diplomatic fox pass..wait, she's been around the pooka too much

She sighs.

"Insidious."

And her phone rings? It's such a mundane thing it startles her

She almost fumbles the mask, but gets it set down and answers the phone. "Hello?

"Jessica? Hey, it's me Siv. I'm sorry to bother you but I could use some help finding how to handle dad? We've patched things up but it occurs to me you know him better than I do in a lot of ways and maybe you could help me out in managing him? Well, not managing him, but not stepping wrong? Avast but he's a hard one to predict the wind on some days. Seems to want to keep me small forever but I ain't obviously on account of being sixteen and all. Now I shouldn't have been on the rig, I see that, but he was just as upset about me tanning myself I think and yelled at me out of the blue startled..out of the blue-ha, odd pun there, out of the blue and liked to scared me to death. You ever have any trouble with him like that where you're just being a girl, not even with boys around and he gets all snarly?"

Jessica sighs. "Oh boy. Yeah, ok. Hang on." She leaves the room and finds her own quarter to speak privately. "Did you say you were ON the Rig?"

"Yeah, well, it's the place that got the most direct sun for tanning, so there I am, towel under me, so I don't cook, enjoying a good tan because Teenrave says a moderate tan is in again, even got just a bit of lotion, when father comes out bellowing my name like the bleeding four horsemen's horn just sounded"

Quiet on the other end of the phone. "So... you were -trying- to get tan. Like... shorts and a teeshirt?"

"Well, it was a two piece actually, was thinking of going for an all over but Sally Mae loaned me an old one of hers that fit well enough."

"So anyway, there was da, yelling at me asking what I was doing and... somedays I just don't know what's the matter with him. He's such a dear most times, then he gets crazy ivan pulls around without a how do you do. He says he wants to protect me... and I'm like from sunlight? There wasn't a lad not of the lodge for miles"

"Oh boy. Siv."

"You said -On- the Rig?"

"I know right? THanks for the sympathy.. but more important is advice. I kind of like to know, I'm sure ma would be on it, but just in case she missed it- " A low whisper "Is da on any pills I should know ab.. yes, on the rig. Sunniest spot for hours. I mentioned that already"

"No, but I think he's going to be."

"Ya? Why? What's wrong wit him" Worried for their father

"You. Well, us." Fairly.

"Siv, it's tough for me to say; I moved out to Rivervale when I was 17, right after high school and, may I say, over the strenuous objections of my birth-mother."

I was about your age, but I knew how the world worked and I -still- managed to get in trouble the same -night- I moved out. I stayed out past when I said I would, didn't come home till daylight, and ... wow. Talk about angry."

"Thought I'd be discovering the freedom to be Fae and troll 24/7 and instead... grounded."

"At 17? Wow, he really tows that line. Can you tell me why he's such a misandrist? I mean, he really hates men"

"He hates men who might hurt his daughters." she corrects.

And then sighs.

"Oh for the love of..." SHe sighs "Yeah, mom pretty much flat out said part of the worry was lads and how they might take things this way or that, and father's worried about me being tricked or seduced I guess. You know, I hope to be seduced one day. I would think all girls want that when they're ready. And maybe i'm not ready but I'm not going to glaze over the first sight of a manly smile"

"You know that, and I know that, but they are imagining all kinds of hurt for both of us and so they -can't- see that."

"Listen, Siv, once I was 18 I realized I needed a little space, and Dad was still too.... it was so soon after getting home, and getting me close... there were fights. Angry ones."

"So you're telling me that da is going to take all the protective urges he can't use for you anymore and double down on me?"

"Probably. I forged papers, joined the Peace Corp, and moved to Africa, if it helps."

"Oh sweet Freya's tits, Jessica, pardon me language, but if I try that after you already pulled it I doubt it will work so well. Heck, he might get his head shrunk in Zwoambie or some other place I never heard of. Being the younger sister SUCKS some days, you know that? " Feeling sorry for herself "Besides, I do love the idiots and I like it here. I want to travel, but this is me home port. And my damn 'special needs' make him double crazy"

"You doing anything to take care of those needs?"

"Avoiding mortal places that seem to banal, getting tired of being cooped up because of though. I'm sained, and yet I know fledges that go further than I do without so much fuss." An old gripe but a new ear, "Seems I'm as vulnerable as any sidhe to the stuff, on account of my odd birth perhaps? But you don't see Sir Fussypants ap Fiona being told to stay at a hold all the time just because he might run into a MAGA type"

"Sir Fussypants isn't a King." She points out reasonably. "Listen, I've thought a lot... I mean a lot... about this. Want another insight? A freebie?"

"At this point, I'll take any crumbs I can get."

"It's my fault he's Fae, right?"

"'Fault'? that's an odd way to word it"

"Well, my birth, he says, triggered his Chrysalis. And that made it... well, impossible, for him to be a father and husband, ironically. And he Oathed to House Liam, and then all he hears is how he's no kind of troll either. "

"So now, he's got a wife, -two- daughters, and a safe place to live and be productive. Think he wants to risk all that?"

"Oh he is bonkers, he's super trollish. ALl protective and duty bound.. who's saying he's no kind of troll? I'll shove a cutless for far up their arse folks will think the point's a figurehead"

A chuckle. "-I- hear you. But we can't deny that to everyone around him, especially those that don't know him, he's Oathbroken, Siv."

After a beat. "Mom called him a bum. I thought of him like that, sometimes, growing up."

Quietly.

"Sis, you didn't know the truth then? How could you? Don't flog yourself now, we need you at the oars"

"Oh, I know. And I don't beat myself up over it. But that's how it happens."

"Good to know yhou don't beat yourself over it. Da takes too much on himself that you don't need to follow the tradition. And Ma? Well, i think she's almost embarrassed she was a good girl when she was my age. Not so much advice to give me" A chuckle "What she doesn't know is it tells me plenty, and much of that reassuring, you know? But it's Da I seem to be driving mad and he's threatening to drive me mad right back. I'm even a bit hurt he's taking Olgar on that video game quest and not me, and after we worked so well together Da and I. Mutant Cannibals with chainsaws and all. "

A long pause. "He's taking Olgar.... -where-????"