#bergen_county

Piper ensures that Rikki is wrapped in a warm robe, has a cup of something hot in her grasp, and is toweling lake water out of her hair before she finally says, "Okay, NOW do you want to tell me what this is all about?"

"We kept on trucking, got our kicks from route sixty six... searching for the mythical sense of humor in a mountain. The quest failed" Sips

"Can you try again? In theoretical terms."

Holding up a bag of ice against the goose egg on her head.

She holds up her cellphone. there's a picture of Frank's truck in front of Carhenge, Nebraska

Blink. Blink blink blink.

And another one with it in front of the Route 66 Mueseum

And another picture of it at the head of a gay pride parade being used as a float by a lot of half dressed men, some with glitter, some not

"Then a Mountain came down on me"

"Oh, oh no." She gives Rikki an aghast look. "You didn't."

"yes, Piper. I had sex with the Mountain" She nods saggely, then rolls her eyes

She exhales, pbpbpbpbppbbt, a Frustrated sound. And then takes the phone, and flips through pictures. A muffled snort. "Elvis?"

"He's public domain now, baby" Rikki says "Anyway, we even saved this loud mouthed sluagh... and ended up in a car chase with that gain? What are the? The road picks? Wear a lot of blue? Then POP, Bop! Shove! Mountain migrationn. Do we get thanked? NNOOOOOOO"

"How'd you hurt your head? You didn't get into an accident, did you?"

She steeples her fingers, but with a wide gap between the finger tips, like an upside down V. then she makes a scowly face, and makes a BOP motion downward with her hand

"He PUNCHED you?" Shock, and then anger. "Just because you played a little truck hookie prank!?"

"Jesus REALLY wanted the wheel"

She rubs at her head

A hiss of sympathy and she carefully hands Rikki the icepack. "Hold this there."

She does

"How is this NOT funnnny?" She asks

"I mean, I think it was pretty hilarious, the big rig took out on the road... and sure I can see being MAD, but he's... well, first of all HUGE. He could have seriously hurt you! Where does he get off just whacking you?"

Rikki says "Forget it, Jake. It's Troll Town"

"He can't just use his authority to... to beat up anyone who ticks him off!"

"To be fair, he never reached for his mounntain badge, just his 'muh truck' certificate"

"It's still not right."

Rikki says "I would agree, but April Fools isn't a sidhe holiday"

She humphs "Somehow I get the feelin the man is going to carry a lunch about this"

"Well, you know I have your back."

"yeah well, I'm gonna catch shit, you might not want to play toss with me"

Piper sits up. "You think I'm gonna abandon my friend just because you got in some trouble? Think again. That'd be a pretty lousy friend, wouldn't it. I'll forgive you for saying it once."

Rikki says "or what, you'll spray sunshine and optimism on me? Please no stop the brutality" but she smiles and pats Piper's hand

"The Chief and Mountain are reasonable. Give them some time to cool off and see what they say then." She says, reasonably.

"I don't know.. the way the Mountain Acted, you'd think the Chief was sharing him with that truck" She says with a sigh "Damn it. How is it NOT funny? A truck on tour, sending post cards"

Piper scratches a horn. "I don't quite get it myself. I guess if someone took the Narwhal and sent "Wish you were here" cards from across the globe... well, -I-'d think that was hilarious. But I guess Siv wouldn't think so. And... he's a good man, Mr. King? But I can't imagine where Siv got her sense of humor."

"Ugh. Now you make me feel like taking people's Stuff for a tour might be wro. wro.. whatever that word is" A frown "Yeah, Siv did give me the fishie eye in the hallway"

"Siv's here?" Piper can't help but perk up.

"Oh sure in my pocket"

Piper sticks her tongue at Rikki.

Rikki frowns "Do you think I went overboard? Like.. deep dive?"

"Well... what do YOU think you did? Borrow your bosses car? It's more like... hmm... if someone snatched your boss's baby on a surprise tour de france, leaving hints about where they went, but no idea who did it or what their ulterior motive was. Like, what was that Liam Neeson movie? Taken?"

"I mean, that truck is his baby. Siv told me about this one time she was sunbathing on it, and he about lost his shit."

"Holy crap. I have to save Eden from his particular set of skills? SHIT" She rises "I gota go...maybe if I tell them that it was all my plan and I kidnapped Eden they'll eat just MY Face"

"Hey, in for a penny, in for a pound. Do you want me to come along? I can help translate, or try at least. I've gotten pretty okay at understanding, I think. Or for moral support?"

Then she laughs. "Or as a proper goat, maybe immoral support?"

"I want everyone in trouble with me" She rolls her eyes and walks off "Big blue babies. Can't even take a joke I donn't..."

Whether the satyress follows after, is up to her... but that's for another time

(End Scene)