#bergen_county

"Thank you, son" As he departs, Brenda shakes her head at him, then sits down at the table with Piper, "Help yourself to extra sugar or a drop of honey if you feel fancy." And a nod to her comment, "Adam is, well, my son wants to be a hero, and there's no crime in that, but sometimes it causes him to underestimate others own experiences. He's also on the protective chivalrious side. But he's a good kid turning, I hope, into a good man."

She wraps her hands around the cup. "He is. And he will be. I... like him a lot."

"I figured," She nods "Piper, I'm going to be honest up front and explain that if I were still human, my response to this whole thing would probably different, not ..furious or bitch queen different, but different. I think, you can count on me having a little more empathy now. At least, I hope so."

The big horned woman takes a sip.

She follows suit and takes a sip of the tea as well. "I'm sorry for staying over without asking." A respectful nod to Brenda. "But I'm not sorry I stayed over." Polite, but honest.

"I'm going to ask you some questions that are really going to be patronizing, and you may think they're not my biz, but .. this is my son, so I would say it is my biz. " A sip "Are you are using some sort of Birth Control? I know, despite Adam's protests, that it takes two to tango, but we both know who carries the load, so to speak."

Piper actually relaxes a little, as it seems that Brenda is going to ask sensible questions rather than behaving like some harpy or similar. "Oh, yes. I've been on the pill since... well, since I needed to be. And Adam is smart, too. He uses protection. I would have insisted on it even if he didn't. It gets drummed into us as fauns, practically. If you want to swim in the pool, swim safely and don't taint the waters."

"He did?" relief, and then a nod, "Okay, I am... very glad to hear it. I appreciate he's being aware of his side of things. And I'm very glad to whoever drummed it into your head. I was worried I would have to and.. was not looking forward to that"

A small smile. "That'd be my moms."

A smile spreads across Brenda's face, "They clearly love you very much or they wouldn't have done such a good job." A breath "THe other thing is, I have to warn you a bit, Adam is..." A breath "My son is not as worldly as he thinks he is. He is not as hip, or cool as he'd like to be, and he may have trouble with assuming intimacy comes with... he may have preconceived notions. As a satyress, I'm only begining to understand our kith has our own... differences? But even if you were a ordinary plain jane gal, I would give a speech about how one of you might see what forms between you differently from the other. Sex can be a wonderful part of romance, but it can also complicate the hell out of it"

She exhales hugely in a whuff. "You're telling me... I tried to keep him an arms-length away... so that he wouldn't get attached. And then when... things change, he wouldn't be hurt too bad. But he's like... a puppy." A pause, thinking, and a shake of her head. "No... not exactly. But he wants so bad to be a part of things, and to prove himself, and he's just so sincere... it's hard NOT to want to scoop him up."

"Look, there's a part of me that wants to say 'you break my son's heart I'll wreck you'.. which is NOT fair. But ...my mood swings are more exaggerated now, but that's not just, and in the end it will just make .. it casts you as a villain you aren't, and it makes him the victim, which... if he is, it's still his choice to give his heart up and I am ignoring his free will and agency to pretend otherwise"

"I don't want it to sound like I'm toying with him. I.. really do like him. Just not sure if it's as much as he... thinks he likes me. If that makes sense?"

"It does." she says sympathetically "But ... and I can't believe I'm saying this, for your own sake, as well as his, you need to be ready to pump the brakes. If he insists you are his damsel, to use Tifanny's term, and you aren't, the last thing you need is to be cast.. FORCED into a role that makes you miserable. "

"I tried to suggest an open relationship. And I think he did look around... a little, at least... but the second I call his name, he dropped everything to turn my way. And that without even... that's just him. It's sweet... and I don't want him to lose that... THAT part of his innocence." A sigh. "I may have spent time with more people... relationships? It's only like, my 2nd or 3rd rodeo. That's still not a whole lotta rodeos in the whole scheme of things."

"Wow. I feel like a hypocrite." She says but does not explain, "I'm very glad he has a relationship with a real person. But yes, satyr ..mores are different for most of us. I'm adapting. But it's tricky for jme to sort it out and I'm an actual satyr. What he says he understands and what he ACTUALLY understands may not be the same thing. Let him know you will be seeing others, but..."A sigh "Take steps to not rub his face in it?"

She nods. "I'll do my best." And a bit of a sympathetic look for a moment. "That's really all we can do, after all, isn't it?"

"Yes." A troubled look indeed, and she's not sure it's entirely about Adam, then she says "Now, the last thing. How can I help you two get... time for private moments? If your'e going to do it, I might as well try to help it be as safe, secure, and as private as you need"

"I... was a little worried about Mr. Thomas. I mean, I'm sure he's a very nice guy... but trolls are just so... protective. I didn't want to risk offending him. ...I'm sure we can find our way...." Thoughtful.

"I'll handle Kyle. He's a good man..." the conspirtorial "And I can tell it was not just height where inches got added. My GOD... happy days, almost too much of a good thing"

She covers her mouth to help stifle the audible giggles that surely would have Adam, dying of curiousity in the hallway, wondering. "Now that IS a problem worth... tackling."

Outside, Adam paces with resentful restlessness. He fidgets, and then grabs his phone to text.

TXT: Dude, DUDE! ZANE! Last night.... DUDE! I gotta talk to you!!

"Let's just say I'm impressed with what I can handle now" A blush, "But my point is.. he's.. I have ways of distracting him, but also talking to him. I'll make sure he understands. He may not like all he hears, but he'l lgrasp it. Also, he may surprise us all"

She nods. "I.. maybe we can go out for dinner sometime? Or have you over? I mean, you've visited the Wayburton's before..." Then she trails off, remembering that maybe she wasn't supposed to know about that. Then, "Or I could come by some time. During the day." A smile.

"Sure. Oh.. mmm " A thought "Adam is going to be fussy and try to buy dinner for you when you to go out, isn't he?"

"Oh! Zane!" She sits up straight. "I'm sorry Bren- ah, Mrs. Thomas. I don't mean to be rude, but my coz has gone missing in a bit of a satyr tizzy, and we're supposed to be helping look."

But she does add, "And YES. I have to have a cobra-strike hand to get to the bill, and even then he intercepts.."

"Oh? Goodness. I'll keep an eye out" she says

"his father was like that" A sigh "Sweetly annoying. I got around it by saying someone got me a restaurant gift card."

That said low

And... Adam? gets no text back

"Fucker, did you shut that shit off???" Frustrated (not really at Zane, but....) he goes pacing again.

"Then" She adds "I told him I had to use it, did he want to come with me" SHe smiles "he still paid tips, but it worked otherwise"

She grins back, conspiratorially. "I'll use that idea. Thanks." A glance at the door, hearing mutters and pacing...

"Oh good grief, he's going to grouse a trench at the door way" She rolls her eyes, then she looks to Piper "Piper, thank you for letting me have this talk with you, for your honesty, and for setting my mind at ease. Oh, you'll understand if i have somoene else babysit Lily? I don't trust Adam not to distract you. Speaking of which, if you want to go out and assure him I didn't use torture on you, that's fine. Or I can get you another cup of tea and he can stew" She's good with either

She smiles - a little disappointed about Lilly. "Well, if Adam is off gallivanting about elsewhere and you need a sitter in his absence, I hope you'll still consider me. After all, I have to keep my pocket change up so I can keep toe-to-toe on paying my half of our dates." Piper starts to step for the door, but then impulsively turns and give Brenda a sudden hug.

"Mm. Sorry, I couldn't help it. I guess I miss my... miss having other Satyrs around, y'know?" A little embarrassed.

She returns the hug, though it takes a moment as she's surprised, then she says "I see that. And.. Thank you. Your family has been very kind. As have you." A laugh "I like being a satyr. Poetry is fun again."

"I'd like to hear yours, sometime. If that's okay. After all, all music is, is poetry through an instrument, and poetry is music given words."

Adam fusses and fumes, but in the next room.

"Thank you. And..sure. It's a bit ..spicy, but I imagine you won't clutch your pearls"

A smile. "I look forward to it. Pardon me now... the damsel awaits."

Snerk "Right." And she waves

Piper steps out into the hallway, and looks to Adam. "Did you survive the wait? Here I am, all in one piece. She didn't even bite my head off."

Adam strides over and kisses Piper.

"Mmmph!" Surprised, but she kisses him back.

A good kiss, perhaps making a point but not forcing it. "Hey. Ok? For real?"

"Of course. You didn't think your mom would actually do anything, did you? She's a cinnamon roll!"

"At least, once she decided I wasn't trying to break her favorite son." A small smile. "Really really. I'm fine."

"I..." He looks to the kitchen, torn, back to Piper. "Did you get your bra back?"