#bergen_county

A nod and she steps upstairs with Adam, leaning into his familiar touch.

She can feel his cheek rest on her hair, just short of her horns, and upstairs they go. Adam opens his door. "Nab?"

"Right here" On a lamp, in..small form

It takes Piper a moment to notice her, having been looking for a human-sized figure. "Hey there, you're shorter than me again."

"It's what I'm used to" She smiles "But I do like the option!"

"Hey." He smiles, then laughs a little. "There aren't many people who can say that, Nab." Teasing Piper.

"ha."

"Size queen." She teases Adam, relaxing a bit as she steps into the room and finds a chair.

"HA!" Adam laughs, a real laugh!!

And Piper grins as well.

A snort

"Oh, jeeze guys... what the fuck, right?" He flops on the bed.

A laugh, some of the tension draining away. "What a NIGHT, am I right?"

"Crazy times" She says "next time we find a lamp, chuck it into the lake"

"Right?? BOOM." He mimes passing a ball "SPLOOSH!!"

"Do you think..." She reaches over, and leans to examine that sword again, one hand resting lightly on his thigh. "Did the Genie just... see the sidhe that was in you all along? Like it's always been there, but something is trapped? It's like... like a... an egg shell, that's too thick to break through? Or did he.. somehow... MAKE you one, like your family?"

A grunt. "I don't know. I wish I did!"

"I mean.... this -feels- right?"

"It couldn't have been in all along..." Nab says "I don't think.. otherwise it would have been visible to kenning before. I'm just glad you're not possessed"

"Trumpets...." She says, thoughtfully. "Maybe you've got some music in your blood after all?"

"This has been a crazy couple of years...." Adam sighs. "And I'd like it if I could learn more about music and stuff. I've focused on sports for the last couple years. I'm good at it. But....."

"Do you remember how you willow whispered that one time? A cookie, was it? Maybe you could ask your new voile for answers... this sword looks... specific. Like, maybe it belongs to you." Letting go and sitting back up. "I mean, it all belongs to you, but I've never heard of trumpets being associated with Fiona. It's generally red and silver lions, sometimes hearts or flowers in motifs that I've seen." "I mean, not that I'm any sort of heraldric EXPERT." A shake of her head, shortened curls bobbing.

Adam's eyes go WIDE and he sits up slowly.

"Yeah.... yeah!"

"You think he can do more cantrips now?" Nabuni says

"How??"

"Uhm, I don't know. Do you FEEL different? I just saw... this bright light. Like, almost blinding. Then I came in, and you had these clothes, and everyone was squinting, and the Genie said what he said... but do you FEEL any different?"

"No!" Sad.

And.. Adam gets a Text

"You look the same to me..." Reaching a hand up to touch his cheek.

And she draws back to let him answer.

He was moving to hold Piper, then the text, and he pauses. Checks the phone.

From Gerd TXT:Know you might be asleep, or busy but when you have time I'd like to meet you about something important

"Oh fuck."

"What's wrong?" Nabuni asks

"What is it?

"Gerd." He shows them the phone.

"This is a bad thing? Gerd is bad?" Nab looks confused

She looks confused, but then she sits up straigh. "Oh! Adam, I'm sorry. I had a message for you. I just... got distracted."

"S'ok, Piper."

"She's kind of ..."

She pauses a moment, collecting her thoughts, then repeats back, "The chief says... I have spoken to Anne-Marie and Dirk. Dirk has agreed to give Adam a window of safety for twenty-four hours so that Adam may deliver his apology to Anne-Marie." A glance to Adam. "I think the was it, word for word. Tove says that skalds have to learn to memorize things by rote, so I figure the best I can do is at least remember messages..."

"Less I got to do with her, the better." He temporizes.

"24 hours? Good. At least I can get some sleep before it."

"Do you need to get back to Gerd now? Or can she wait?"

"She can wait." Firmly.

"Ooookay." A nod, going along with that easily. "I wish I could be more helpful. My cantrips are all - well, they're not useful here. I can't read your future on your palm or give you good luck to help out or ask questions of your new voile. Maybe you have the wrong Wayburton-kin over."

"Zane's the one who knows magic, after all."

A lazy, cocky grin. "I don't have the wrong Wayburton over."

"Technically I'm a McCormick, on Marsha's side." She grins back. "You should ask him for help though. Unless..." A glance at Nabuni. "Do you know anything like that? Like a willow whisper?"