#bergen_county

"Surely" SHe says "So off to Mexico to see the young ladies? "

"Pretty much - no reason to delay." She hesitates a moment longer, then straightens up, and nods. "Yeah. On my way. No time like the present."

Tove raises a brow of doubt at the hestiation, "Piper, I'm not as wise as the Hearth, nor as perceptive as Anne Marie, but you seem... something's bothering you. One musician to another, you want to talk about it?" an offer

She pauses, fiddling with the ocarina for a moment. "Ah... Adam and I broke up a couple days ago. I think this trip might help me keep my mind off just... brooding and playing sad songs and listening to depressing tunes. But Satyrs bounce back, so I'm sure to be good as new in a few days, right as rain."

"I mean - for what it's worth? Sad music helped. And ice cream."

"But then again, it might just remind me of our trip there. But I have to go anyways so... into the lion's den, right?"

And a nod to Dagmar. "Sylvi had me covered there, she brought junk food AND mini fast-food pies."

"Sylvi's a wonderful young woman" A nod "And nothing wrong with a bit of sad music. Sometimes we all need to share our howls with the moon as it were. I wish I had words for you that a hundred minstrels didn't have better, but however long this ache, it's real, but it will heal in time. Bittersweet I think is the word. Some of the best songs come from bittersweet"

"Okay... just. Okay." She bites on her lip.

She was stepping towards the door. "Do you want to walk with me to the trod? Or... I mean, if you wanted a trip, you could certainly visit Fenix, you're related to the Countess after all?"

"Dagmar, if you want to go," Tove takes CJ gently and hooks him onto HER Horns

"I'm good. Just.. like, I know we're not... just... "

"Just, like, I think we started off wrong and I would like to be friends, maybe?" Purple, shrug.

"Go on, I know you got stuff to do."

Piper gives a little smile to Dagmar. "I already thought of you as one. So, we're there." Thumbs up.

A shy smile. "Well, okay. Have fun in mexico, yeah?"

A nod, and another thanks to Tove for the work on the ocarina, and she's heading Lodge-wards.

Tove watches her go then turns to Dagmar "She's troubled. And you.. I'm proud of you" A kiss on the forehead

"Well... she broke up with Adam, so... plus.. I mean, she had those guys pawing at her, I know I couldn't have done it..."

"it's a special kind of courage to take those risks" A nod "And the reason I'm proud of you is you learned not to confuse sight of her with heart ache, or at least not the source of it. IT's very hard sometimes"

"Sometimes it is. Not her fault, though. So..." Shrug.

"So you do the right thing even though there's pain. Trust me, that is an amazingly hard thing at times" Tove says then chuckles "Almost as hard as having someone trying to put his foot in MY mouth" She shuffles CJ down into the craddle of her arms "Let me know if you get the urge to travel sometime. I think I've decided it might be nice for you to get in trouble at a place of yOUR Choosing"

"Well - like, I wouldn't mind seeing Siv again..."

"I think we all would. I miss her, she's a ray of sunshine isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is."

"I can't wait until she's a Fiona and she can come home."

"You and her parents both" A nod

"Oh, sure..."

"Well, if you want, go. But you need to either hurry to catch up, or decide what you want to take if you're going after"

"You want to invite Nadeen to go with you?" A thought

"This is her trip, it's fine."

"Okay" A nod "I admit, I like Piper. "

"Yeah, she's nice."

"So when do you want to go?" CJ is being swung back and forth "And i am not pushing you out ... whenver you like"

"Well, Siv's not BEEN at Earth Runes..."

"I suppose not" A pondering

"Where the heck HAS she been? Feels like weeks since she called her folks"

"On a quest, I think."

"Well I hope she calls soon. " A nod

"Yeah, I miss her."

"I see that. Mmm Oh... I've got something for you" She takes CJ "Thought you were going to find it in the projects box. I was going to give it to you for..well, I think helping free folks counts"

EYebrow.

"I know there's only ONE shacklebreaker, but you broke some shackles too... so I added in some broken chains .. " And she comes back with, well, a certain someone's Zodiac symbol charging, with broken chains littered about

The wooden figurine shows motion and ferocity

Dagmar smiles. "Oh, that's cool..."

"I know" Proud of herself "I almost put more of a ram touch but I wasn't really ready for a rambull... rull? Maybe another time. You'll always be my fierce little badger but seeing you on the charge is something." A pause "not that I GOT to see it" Hurumph "Dirty trick having the Hearth yoke me"

"Not sorry!"

"I suppose you'd hurt yourself lying if I tried to insist you say so" MMPH

"Exactly."

"Well, you earned it even if you and your father did set me up " one armed hug with the baby