#bergen_county

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Symon finds he's exhausted. Pooka that hide what they are by..whatever she did. Trolls that don't read exts. Satyrs who think they're rambo. And Chieftains who seem to assure him he's still himself even Seelie.

Worse, he's had nightmares where - gasp, he's drinking and laughing around the lodge table swapping jokes and patting others on the back and getting patted in return. In this horrible nightmare, there are friends around him, comradeship, and they toast openly to the good fight and heroism.

Okay, not a nightmare by MOST standards

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! He sits up in a cold sweat.

A phantom scaled bone snake perks its head up near the foot of his bed.

He reaches a hand out to stroke the cool scales. "Hey there, Quetz. Did I wake you up? ...do you even sleep?"

Unblinking eyes but the stroking seems welcome as it slides up further. Fortunately, Symon has his room back to himself (Minus Lovecraft and Quetz) ever since they put up that little pod/she shed whatever out back for Prissy. Doesn't stop her from stomping inside the house itself whenver she wants. Dirk annd she have hit that annoying 'beyond sex' stage where each is dealing with emotional attachments and it scares them which, of course, makes them surly..er.

But he has his room back, so at least no one besides Quetz saw him start in his sleep

"Sorry about that." He gets up, pulling off the damp t-shirt and shoving it into a hamper. Another shirt is retrieved off the floor - it's only slightly rumpled, so is fair game and pulled on in proper teenager style, without even a cursory sniff. Who expects a sluagh to smell good, anyways. "Guess I'm up."

And he hears his mother calling for him .. gently

He picks up Quetz and drapes the snake around his neck, and heads to the bottom of the staircase to blink up into the light above. Not having bothered to turn one on downstairs... after all, he can see clearly enough. "Yeah Mom?"

"Honey, odd rumors are going out since yesterday... I tried to learn then, but Zane jabbered so much by the time he left you went to bed" She pours her son tea

He slides into a chair and takes the cup, wrapping finger around the warmth. A frown... "What sort of rumors?"

"Well, I knew you folks helped Hackensack... but a crazy chimerical AI tries to take over? Somehow tied to harsh ballads, a young prince kidnapped? It's still in it's wild stages. Oh.. and that you and others might have been hurt " She looks him over

He reaches out and pats at her arm a bit awkwardly with a clammy hand, slightly warmed by the teacup. "I didn't get a scratch. There were a few injuries, but a last-minute surprise 'chrys took care of those. It was a whole sh.... shenanigan show. But it worked out, I guess."

"I guess" she says and smiles at the arm pat "I guess I best get used to worrying about you. Those trolls are good folks but my they play with rough crowds"

"I suppose it's best you get the story first, Mom, then it can be straight, before anyone else starts telling crazy rumours." He sips at the lukewarm tea, and then gives Ann Marie a cliff's notes version of the tale. From hearing the Rude song being propagated, to investigating the hold, and the rescue.

He points out about the Chieftain getting clued in that the song was a ruse to get her attention, and then immediately deciding they must go to the rescue of the Baron. That the 'Chancellor's' son was being held, and Zane fought courageously to free him... and then the boy chrysalized!

No mention of any pookas, spider or otherwise... to hear Symon tell it, he hung around and listened.

"The boy, McClean - Zane suspects him to be kin. Of the body, not just kith, from prior association of the kid's mom with Prof. Wayburton."

Her eyes widen, and he can see his mother get positively buzzed at this bit of wayburton gossip. Illicit offspring who need love? Boggans love that!

"Zane went alone to rescue the boy? That's... rather bold of him! I thought he thought of himself as a thinking man's wizard"

"It wasn't bold, it was stupid." Symon says, a bit irritated, but momtuition can probably pick up that it's not really Zane he is ticked at. "But it needed done. I guess the Troll aesthetic wears onto him at times, and he had to run to play the hero. Turns out it was good he did, or the kid would have been snuffed by those golems, on to his next life without even popping in this one."

"I have to admit, I was thinking he over reached. I mean, what's the point of all those lodge trolls if you can't use them as a shield wall while you exchange gossip with them?"

"They barreled in to the main dungeon without thinking of the sidequest. Dagmar pointed out that they were THERE already and there was a fight to fight, so... I guess I can't really blame them for not splitting the party towards an unknown vs. the visible threat."

"Oh dear. Some times with trolls you have to be very direct while still mentioning the options you hope they take. They're not stupid, far from it, but they're very... focused. Yes. They don't always get 'sidequests' like you said. Not unless you stress how dangerous it is on both sides. Well, obviously you all got some healing" She clearly has looked her son over "I do wish Dirk had gone with you ... he's feeling surly lately and a just blood letting might calm him down"

"There wasn't any blood, unless you count battery fluid. It was all golems. I'm not sure it packs the same whallop with a redcap."

"I suppose it wouldn't." She frowns "I Hope I haven't made a mistake bringing Prissy in, but the girl needs direction. She had some odd ideas about her worth, and now, thanks to Dirk she's learning Self worth... but of course, the first one she's going to test her self worth is with him because he was kind enough to teach her it" A sip of her own tea "And he's frustrated"

"Maybe they need a quest to go on, or something."

"I'm a bit worried they'll eat each other" She sighs

"Them's the breaks." Symon says bluntly, then regrets it. "I mean... they're not going to do any serious harm. We just need to find something to sic them on together so they can see how they work as a team."

"Oh you're right, you're right" She doesnn't seem offended "I love both of my boys, but I do worry I don't always understand the 'nightmare' kiths." She confesses, then asks "Has it been very hard for you, Symon?"

He colors a bit under her concern. "Nah... nothing I can't handle. A lot of things are easier for us nightmares these days. Bad dreams breed more easily in bad times."

"Oh tell me about it, the office is swarming. " she rubs her forehead "Did you hear about the vaccinne theft?"

That makes him sit up a bit. "Vaccine theft?"

"Yes, horrible isn't it? Finally getting it in droves and it's working.. and some one steals it! Why? I mean, it's not like it's being charged for"

"Was this from Appa's clinic?" He asks about his dad's work.

"It was heading too you that clinic when it was stolen" She says

He scowls. "As is Dad didn't work hard enough to get that shipment."

"All the paper work. You know? Your father would rather do a heart transplant than fill out five forms for the same organization"

Symon huffs. "Do the police have any leads?"

"They seem more interested in keeping it out of the papers" She admits

"That's bullshit. Maybe if the news got out, someone would turn them in."

"The police say they don' want to drive the thieves into hiding . I don't know if I buy that" She admits

"Do you think it's just normal mortal scum? Or anyone on our end of things? I have to think it's mortals, because fae can basically sidestep the virus. ...." He drifts off a moment. "...unless they have mortal fam they're trying to protect. Or if they just want to sell it off. Asshole knows no race or kith, really."

"Language, dear, but you're right about how every faction that lives has their bad eggs" She ponders

He nods a touch sheepishly. "Sorry, Mom. "

"I don't know. Some folks MIGH pay extra to get bumped ahead of the line"

"If Dad didn't have a fast pass as a doctor..." He trails off. "I'd make sure he got one, anyways."

"Now that's an odd idea. What if someone did this for... because they cared. What if it wasn't just greed?"

"It still sucks. You can't steal one dose. Even if it was just a single vial, that's enough for a dozen people."

"True, " She says "Symon, I don't ask you to pry but if you learn what is going on with that, let me know?"