#anywhere

"Iowa, but not to the DeBukes, just close. It's complicated but..." SHe rattles off about her grand adventure in the video game land and all it does and such and excitedly says "So it turns out we could have died more than once! ANd then limbo" More serious "Naturally he's looking for a way to free folks if he can. ANd Olgar is an ace in the hole I suppose to get them out if must?"

Her pride in their father is evident

"Oh Jeeze... wow..." Jessica is silent for the telling, and after, for a moment.

"Ok, Siv, see... Dad never got along with Olgar. Dad's -very- Seelie, and Olgar is very-not, and besides that there's... other stuff. It makes sense, Dad going to help those people and it sounds wicked cool that you were part of that first part but... for him to suck it up and ask Olgar to help? That's big. That's... huge."

"Oh Olgar seems right nice to me, he's pretty much putty in Kerri's hands, and Sylvi pouts and has him in check too. Ha. Tough guy." THen she looks around to make sure Olgar didn't over hear that, and admits 'not that I'd tease him so to his face mind"

"I know." with... warm fondness?

"But he's still a problem for -Dad,- no matter how much -we- like him."

"Sort of like how your boyfriend is the Unseelie Tattoo artist hurumph" Mimicing dad's tone

"Yeah, Siv." Quietly. "Exactly like that."

"I like Duff, I wouldn't date him if I didn't. But Dad doesn't even like the idea of him. Duff's a lot, I think, like the idea mom and others had of Dad after he Chrysalized. A bum, untrustworthy, flaked out on those that..." She pauses. "... that needed him and lit out."

"So if you could fall for someone going to Harvard, that might be easier for him." Not without humor.

She laughs "I'm having too much fun flirting light to get snared yet thank ye. There's this boy who I'm seeing sort of... name of Kelly. He's a .." One can hear the blush "Kestrel Pooka. Tell me that ain't gonna catch my attention?"

"Siv.... you know that Mom and Dad say the Kestrel is their Oathbird, right?"

A long pause , very long as the phone fumbles, "What? No? You're not playing wit me head now?"

"Nope. Ever heard a hawk cry at night out there?"

"Well sure. Mom takes me out to the woods to walk a lot"

"At -night?-" She stresses.

"Oh, right... wait, sorry. Kestrel's a land bird. They don't hunt at night, Siv."

"At Beltaine, the Lodge bloomed, right? Um.... you know, the old wood got new, um, juice?" Awkwardly.

A smile then a chuckle "You make it sound like da took a pill"

"Not a pill. That's just... them, together. Only happens on holidays, Beltaine most of all. Took me a while to figure that out."

"Huh, well, you can't see it, but I'm both happy for them and blushing a bit" Ahems "I didn't know their oathbird was a kestrel. I can't se e it after all, only they can, but..oh my. I've liked Kestrels because of the ship, but they probably named it because of that. THat's going to make claiming it a bit trickier."

"Yes, to all of the above, and believe me, I didn't think today would include talking about mom and dad's, um, private lives." A deep breath. " BUT.... you see what I'm saying. You show up with a guy named Kestrel? Please tell me this wasn't, you know, on Beltaine?"

"He..he was on Beltaine. He's name's not Kestrel, he's a Kestrel pooka...his name is Kelly, but yeah, a friend of Colton's who came over because Firnost wasn't having a proper Beltaine"

"Oh Jeeze....."

"Well, it doesn't mean anything..." A pause "Does it?"

"To you, to this Kelly guy, or to dad? Or mom?"

"So you're saying dad sees a boy who turns into a kestrel as a Bad Omen?"

"Maybe not as a bad omen, but as a threat? Maybe."

"Oh sweet Odin's beard, of course dad will break out the tarot deck of doom with any excuse a boy might bring. That's it...he's going to throw me into an abbey. I've heard the Liams have connections. He'll throw me in an abbey and I'll have to wear some silly penguin outfit but that's okay, because he'll think 'i'm safe'"

A sigh from the other end of the line. "Well. I'm dating an Unseelie troll and you're flirting with a pooka Kestrel, their Oathbird. Look at it from his point of view; he probably feels ganged up on."

A long pause, "So... the peace corps eh?"

"Worked for me, your mileage may vary."

"As I don't know places granting letters of the marque, it's starting to look good," SHe admits, "You know, he makes it very tempting to hook up with an Unseelie Satyr Biker "

"Jeeze, Siv, do you want to kill him?"

"Noooo" A sigh

"Ok, then, don't even hint."

"Options are africa or a bloody penguin suit.." Mutter grumble gripe with a facial expression she can't see but might resemble a bit too close to da

"Paternal Insecurity is very annoying" She finally states the obvious, "But..thanks for leaving me know about their oathbird and all. And for letting me vent."

"Anytime, Siv." Fondly. "Look... how did ou leave it with dad?"

"Oh, he apologized, said the right things, seemed so down I worried if I looked in his eyes he'd be super sad. Said he'd defend my right to wear what I like or something akin- but I am not going to hold him to that because you know, some things are too much to ask of a father. He did explain the rig was special, like the ship- and that explained a lot, but he felt superbad about the rest. I'm still not sure I'm any 'freer' than before, but I'll be making a push for it when he and Olgar get back. Ma seems to be giving me more room bit by bit, bless her. I know she's nervous about me too." A pause "And you? How are things with the hold and your boy friend and all?"

"Oh, fine. You know, as much as a place on the edge of war can be." With a chuckle. "Listen... go easy on him, ok? Her too. I know they are -trying.-"

"VERY trying" but she yields, "You're right. Your'e right. THey love me and sometimes I'm so annoyed with how they treat me like a fragile thing that I forget they're fragile too, in their way. I..." A pause "I have an idea! A gift! I can swing it in trade I think. Jessica, you want in on it? It can be from both of us"

"What is it?"

"I don't know if you met Tove , but she's a master at wood art, and you know how mom likes that. Anyway, what if I were to get her to do two Kestrels made of wood together? All lovey dovey? or lovey kestrely. You think they'd like that?"

Jessica thinks about it. "Yes, I think they would.... under other circumstances. My concern is that they'll see Kelly and you there."

"Oh for... " She growls a bit "Darn it. They make it very hard to do nice gestures for them. You have any ideas then on what I can do besides remain unsullied to make their day?"

A laugh from the other troll. "Welcome to my world?"

"Be loyal and true. Work hard. Let them know what's going on in your life, share it with them freely. Be respectful. Love them."

"I try. I do. I do sometimes but then they freak, I try. I do." Siv says to each in turn "Easy for you to say, they love the painting you had Earl do. Always makes mom smile"