#bergen_county

"...Like the poem?"

"Like, rub-a-dub-dub?"

"Yeah. They're in the deep dreaming, according to Zane...but he says we might be able to find some of their products at Markets."

"The Dreaming is weird."

"A lot of it can be fun! But...I'm not sure I want to lead friends into the Deep Dreaming again unless it's life-or-death, y'know?"

"Right. But still... I've only done a little bit of Dreaming-time..."

"Right, but you're always reliable in case things come down to combat. Want in?"

"Totally!"

"Excellent! Okay, so far it's you and me, Zane, and Lucita. Gonna ask Symon and Dirk and Gerd. I figure having seven in the group is a good sign, but I'm not really totally tied to it."

"...Dirk?"

"Well...yeah. I figure he's a hell of an advantage to us if we need to intimidate anybody."

"I guess..."

She sighs. "Yeah. The feeding-him thing is a factor. But...I think it'll be okay. Besides, if Gerd's with us and he gets into real trouble, can't she flickerflash him back home?"

"I guess..."

Sylvi tilts her head at her. "Okay, so what is it you're guessing?"

"Dirk is a lot, but he's solid in a fight. I don't think there's a better seventh... I mean, Siv, maybe?"

"But Siv sorta... dunno.. "

"Yeah. Siv's great...but she's kind of on the other side of something, and doing her own thing. I don't know quite how to put it."

Then a sigh. "Or maybe I'm selfish and don't want to be upstaged by the Lady Captain. She's a lot."

"Fiona."

"Yeahhh."

"So...okay...let me check in with Symon and Dirk, and then I'll re-evaluate. I'll text you, kay?"

"Yeah, sure. But I'm totally game. I wanna go questing."

"Likewise." She smiles. "Okay...talk to you later!" And Sylvi heads out.

A wave, and she heads back to work on her caving.

Sylvi finds Dirk on patrol

"Dirk! Wait up." She jogs to catch up to him.

"Yeah?" he turns "Look, if this is about eating that political sign it's all about beaitufiucation"

"Nope. And don't the metal posts stick in your throat on the way down? Anyway...I actually want to talk to both you and Symon. I'm getting a team together for a quest."

"I'm in" He blurts

She blinks. "Don't you want to know what it is?"

"Do I get a chance to HURT people without getting asked the whys and whats and stuff? I mean, I loved the raid, got to cut lose, made my bones, but since then it's been like.. patrol patrol patrol.. no don't eat that mail box, Oh look why don't you help me in the kitchen? no yo ucan't crazy clue the wall panels after Symon has squirmed in. No you can't just punch someone for wearing a red hat... well that's MY Culture and those maga guys are appropriating! Red CAP, it's in the name... Hearth Kerri gave me this talk about how I shouldn't shove confederate flags up someone's ass and threaten to floss starting at the wrong end. I mean, I think she laughed later, but I still got the speech. I want to play offense again"

"Uhhhhh...Dirk, I don't know how much fighting would be involved in this. Maybe none. But we might end up in the Dreaming, so I figure it's always good to have another fighter. Dagmar will be there, too."

"Huh? Yeah.. I'm in."

"Okay. Um...we'll have to figure out the how-to-keep-you-fed thing, I know that, but we'll work on it, okay? So...you think Symon is home right now?"

"He was tinking with some watch thing last I saw him but at the house yet"

"Ohh, food? You know I can hunt in the dreaming maybe"

"True! You gotta keep it on the Silver, but yeah." She nods. "Okay, I'm going to go talk to him. You still on patrol?"

"Nah, finishing up I guess you want me to escort you or like just go do some other thing? Kind of bored"

"Up to you!" she smiles.

He shrugs and follows

And it's off to the Lee house.

Symon is in the shed behind the house, and there's a sharp smell of astringent glue and something... musty, to be polite.

"Eww," Sylvi says under her breath as they approach.

The door creeps open. "I heard that. "

"Hey, Symon. Do I even want to know what that smell is?" She looks dubious.

Dirk says "You don't"

"It's a diorama called "The inevitability of demise. Maggots are too squishy to preserve so I had to try molding them out of sculpey."

"Want to see?" Ignoring Dirk, with a serene look.

The look of revulsion doesn't get quelled quite quickly enough. "Um...I hope it won't be a huge insult if I pass. I actually came here to discuss a thing. A quest."