#bergen_county

Though, back shortly thereafter, having stashed it safely in the fridge or pantry as appropriate.

Sylvi grins at Piper's rush. "You get Tove chair, Tove food...you been adopted or something?"

"She can be my Auntie T, certainly. I think she's worried I'd starve. Don't be silly, I know how to cook. First, you open up the ChowTown app..."

She laughs. "C'mon, help me find Rikki. Do you know where her apartment is?"

"Yep, they're on the first floor. Baz, you coming with? She's single..." A wink. "And I don't think you've met a pooka yet. Have you?"

Sylvi follows Piper's lead.

"No. what's the big deal about pooka?"

A snerk.

He follows

"Ooooooh...okay, pooka. They have trouble communicating. And...well, they're tricksters."

"So.. like internet trolls.. uhm " A blink "Pranks"

"The embodiment childhood laughter and playful animal dreams... or think about Coyote the trickster, or.. that spider guy, he was in the American Gods TV show. You gotta be careful, but generally the ones I've met are pretty lighthearted. They can't tell a straight line to save themselves, though."

"Uhhhh...that's not the comparison I'd make."

(that in response to internet trolls)

"Oh.. okay.. now I feel like I've insulted two kiths"

He says "Sorry about that"

She laughs. "You get a year and a day of a pass, so make the mistakes now and not later."

They find the Dyer room, #1.

She knocks, shave and a haircut...

"You're a newbie, it's all good."

"Thanks I.."

TWO BITS knocks back

"Damn OCD" Rikki opens the door "Hey" The raccoon girl beams

"Hi, Rikki." Sylvi smiles. "Got a few minutes to talk?"

"Hi again Rikki! This is my cousin I mentioned, Basil. He's never met a pooka before." She introduces, naively not realizing that she hung a FRESH MEAT sign on his back, theoretically...

"And I think you know Sylvi!"

"I sure do! Her mom let me live" RIkki says and looks at Basil, "mmm have you taught him about the matriachial nature of our society yet??"

A grin and a slight eyeroll. "I'm sure he'd be willing to learn."

"Matriarchial? Huh.. lots of cultures lean towards that..." He pauses "So... is succession through to the eldest daughter?"

"What, you've been here two days and already looking to inherit the apartments? Sorry to tell ya, but Osborn is just the Super, not the owner." A grin.

"Ohhhhkay. before you two get started...Rikki, gotta talk with you about Mr. Hayes and the whole...situation."

"Sylvi is a master negotiator and got a plea bargain for you." Piper pipes in.

"Well, maybe. Depends on whether you agree."

When they explain the need for FOUR hours of work without pranks ... "And then you haggled him down to one joke an hour right?"

"I don't think he was in a haggling mood. Now, you could probably TELL jokes..."

"I wonder what kind of construction work he was looking for help on. I saw you on the balconies, I bet you'd be a whizz on scaffolding if they needed someone to climb up or down."

"Um...I thought it sounded kind of reasonable, actually. I mean...I wasn't there, but that prank sounded kind of mean," she says apologetically.

"Yeah, if what Piper says is how it goes, then maybe this would be a way into getting some paid work?" A suggestion.

"I ... look, I'm chronically horrible.. I can't help it," RIkki says "Piper here is an angel. I saw her halo and hung a SIGN on it.. I gave kids Rainbow blammos and bragged about it on Samhain to your mom's face. I'm a rotter"

Basil looks confused "Anyone understand any of that?"

"Not even for four hours," Sylvi encourages.

And Piper gets an odd expression on her face, being called an angel. Bemused, almost.

"What if Piper and I agreed to let you prank us for two hours each, afterwards?"

Then to Basil, "She's saying she doesn't know if she can do it."

"I think."

"Sometimes penitence... sucks. But you gotta remember the important thing here. Repaying the debt. Regaining your honor. A POOL BEFORE SUMMER ENDS."

"two hours each after?" Rikki says..then mutters "if we had a pool I could wash dad's french toast"

"Yeah, but you've gotta make it the whole four hours with doing all the work they ask you to do, and with zero pranks. And I think you should try your best to apologize to him, too."

"And invite the guys over... in the sun, without shirts!" A grin, encouraging. "If you have clever hands like they say raccoons do, you'd be good at putting on sun screen.

Sylvi facepalms.