#bergen_county

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It's been a day... or has it been two? Since they came back from the lodge, following Adam's Adventures in Hoboland. Piper is still in her bedroom. Not feeling well, she said, and returned to bed, and hiding from her own thoughts. Time is a figment of imagination, a Jeremy Bearimy in these crazy times, and in her own fog, she curls up in her bed, headphones in, and hides from... everything.

A knock on the door

Silence?

"PIper? It's your Aunt Marsha. Baby I love your privacy but I'm getting worried. Please talk to me?"

A shuffling as she pulls on the nearest clothes. "Come in, I'm decent."

"I know you are... and a great personality" Her Aunt TRIES to joke coming in

She is flopped over on the bed in a rumpled extra-long t-shirt that has probably seen a few wears, and some pajama shorts. Pulling out her headphones, she tosses them aside, but it doesn't sound like there was any music on.

"Hey," Her Aunt sits next to her "I would ask if you're okay, but you're clearly not. Zane's being really tight lipped. At least where you are concerned. Talk to me?"

She considers sitting up, but instead rolls over a bit and rests her head on Marsha's thigh. "Did the count come out? They called him." Making some assumptions perhaps about what Aunt and Uncle have heard about the recent events.

"Him.. who? I mean.. I know which Count you don't want to see, but why would they call him? For what? CCertainly not you"

"Not for me. For the wizard. The one who tries to reave the bale." A bitter laugh. "It was my idea. Maybe he'd rather have had his head crushed by the Chief. Might have been a better end."

"Oh!" Her eyes widen "OH!" Marsha cuddles her, "Oh my. No wonder you.. you brave brave girl" A squeeze!

Piper is no stranger to hugs, but this is... well

might have caught her offf guard

"I don't feel brave. I feel like shit." She is a bit surprised, but returns the hug. "I've thought that I'd rather bite it before going back into the mirrors, but... I sent someone else there." A sniff. "Maybe I didn't SEND him, but they'd not of thought of it... and I feel like shit, even over a piece of shit like that. 'Scuse my french..."

"You had them send for the man who scared you the most ... who could do what you saw as the worst, in order to save us all from some ....well, I don't know all the story actually, but will workers can suck out Balefires and that's not small"

"They coulda... locked him up, cut his tongue out, broken his fingers. I don't know... maybe Zane would... how to keep them from doing their voodoo."

"Zane is smarter than he thinks at time,s and not as smart as he thinks as others, but he doesn't have experience with prodigals"

"Yeah, though it's best not to let him know or he'll get a big head."

"Bigger" She smiles "And i say that with a mother's love. No. You suggested the right thing. Though from what I understand, the KNIGHT who showed up to flicker flash the will worker away didn't even stay five minutes. So.. you see, the Count never arrived himself. "

"He didn't?" A tension seems to seep away from her.

"According to Gerd, and Gerd had a brat from hell phase, but she's not really one for lying just to lie..and she's turned out.. well, I think she's a good kid"

"Mmm, I don't think I know Gerd." She sits up and runs a hand through her mussed hair. "The... important thing is that the wizard is gone. Gone, gone and no way back."

"Liams are soft on mortals but even they have limits on reavers. Further, he will likely make sure it is to the Chieftain's approval, the wizard's fate. PIper, you look at me, just because you called for the only help that you knew that could handle something, does NOT make you judge, jury, and executioner. We each have our own sins to bear, and no one elses. I've got mine, but with the power of rule comes the responslibitiy of it, which is a fancy way of saying, while I adore the Chieftain, and am NOT happy with the Count, what happens here on out is on THEM, not you. Not me. Not anyone among us common folks.Sometimes? It's good to be the peasant" A smile

She gives Marsha a big hug back. "I don't deserve such good family."

But, it sounds more thankful, then deprecating.

"I mean... maybe I deserve Zane sometimes." A small smile.

She laughs "Funny, he says the same about you" Wink and hug "oh baby if you think I'm an angel, my sister has been kind enough to edit my history to you"

"She hasn't told me all that much." She admits. "Maybe she's blocked out the memories?"

"She's have reason" A chuckle "Not that she was an angel either. Let's just say as a kinian daughter I sometimes decided ANY attention was good attention."

"Well, at least you grew up knowing what it was like, so you can make sure Lydia's got a good path set out. Or you can sit back and watch her make the same mistakes if they're simple funny ones.

A frown, sitting up. "I should call Adam...." She glances towards where her phone is in the corner, screen dark. Reluctant.

She laughs at that first comment and whispers "In truth, sometimes she has pulled some funny ones." then at the reluctant thing, she says "Ah, Adam. Well...being support can be draining and if you're not up to it, you're not. Brenda is in a bad place too. I think you and I are watching their family from different angles. "

"He.... I don't get it. I know he was in a bad place, with everything going on... but he tried to tell us to shove off, go to the lodge to deal with the mess, while he stayed behind to... talk to some random old lady. He said she needed him, but she wasn't... Auntie, I'm trying not to be mean, but she... she was homeless, but she'd been for some time it looked like, and she wasn't going anywhere. She wasn't hurt, or in danger, or nothing - but he wanted to throw off any obligation to go help the lodge versus a mortal stranger he just met." A shake of her head. "He thinks he might have Fiona blood, but maybe he bleeds silver and blue, not red."

"Oh! that.. sorry, some of what Zane DID say makes sense now" Marsha ponders

She quickly adds, "I'm not saying he SHOULDN'T care, but... if the Chief hadn't made it there in time? If the Lodge.. if the fire went out? Dreamers are harder to get to, the world is darker and colder every day, and folk here might be LOST for lack of a fire..."

"Maybe .. she touched a cord, a .. maybe he saw a bit of himself in her? I don't know... but while your boyfriend is handsome and brave, I do think he can be a bit.. ah.. narrow of vision?"

"Zane had to... don't be mad, but he had to lay a workin' on Adam to get him to come with us. I expect he'll be sore about that. But... if he hadn't, I was ready to do it myself."

"No need to share that... and, well, maybei t's good for Zane he had to. Zane's study lead to a lot of power... and I'd like him to find his limits rather than being happy everytime. " Marsha says "I know that makes me sound like a bad mother but..." A breath "Your Uncle has had an apprentice that did not see the limits he should have"

A curious glance over. "Not one of the coeds, was it?"

"no another satyr.. long story.. " She waves it off, "And not fully mine to tell"

"Well now you know you got the curiousity nibbling at me. But you've respected my stuff more than is fair, so I'll not nag you on it. "

"Appreciate it. Maybe your uncle will tell you" She says "now, am I wrong are you , curious or no, in a better head space now?"

She sighs, and nods. "I should get into better clothes space too. And I'm sure I could use a shower... thanks, Auntie."

A sniff, a nose wrinkle, "Well, I didn't want to SAY anything...buuuuut" then a smile and a nod

She chuckles. "Tell you what, you let me go shower, and I promise to not make you lunch. Oh... I have to get some flowers delivered." A wince. "I forgot mother's day."

And she heads off to shower, and to borrow a computer to order the biggest two bouquets (and chocolates) for her moms. And a call - from the house phone, not quite ready to answer her texts from Adam yet.

Marsha offers to help for rapid delivery if need be

Very much appreciated!

Soon flowers will be on their way