#bergen_county

The crawl space is a blessing, Prissy is back, and banging dirk to apologize. So here Symon is, actually in the crawl space he spoke to Vali about. It's damp, close, and his breath feels pinched... but it's worth it. Quiet, secluded, serene.

And he practices feeling the timelessness of it all

Glamour tingles, and he can feels the stillness as a tangible thing. He can practice now even if only the preperation

Symon focuses. He could almost fall asleep. What is a nap, if not a mystery of time? Will you awaken in 5 minutes, or 5 hours? He wriggles a bit, enjoying the close confines - many would feel claustrophobic, like they were entombed alive, but to Symon? It's a safe space, protected on all sides, muffled from sound, snug as... well, as a worm in a hole.

He breathes slowly, shallowly, and thinks about the nature of time. To be set in stone - more so, because even stone will age, weather and crumble. As constant as the stars - even the stars will wink out and die... it's a pleasant interlude of thought towards the morbid nature of inevitable decay and entropy... but he turns his thoughts back towards time once more.

It is like a meditation, or perhaps a contemplation. He could be working glamour, a cantrip, right now, but would he know it when all is so private, so still? Oddly, that's reassuring. No success, perhaps, but no failure, it just is.

In, and out. He wonders, if he tried a set in stone cantrip here, to halt the passage of time for himself. To hold his breath and see if time swirls past and around without needing to inhale. Would he Expire naturally, would his lungs seize? What if someone was swimming or encountered poison gas? What then? It's a pleasant line of thought.

Finally, an intrusion, unwelcome, but a sign that time is the master thief- his stomach tells him he's hungry

He sighs, and starts slowly wriggling out, and then pauses, thoughtfully. Hunger... hungry. He could set some of his maggots on one of the bird skulls that need cleaning, and then see if he can slow their progress. That's harmless and simple enough to observer. Sure, it's part of the Art that he already knows how to use, but more practice in different applications should help him progress past the annoying plateau. Rather more cheered, he squirms out of his hiding spot, and seeks lunch.

He finds his mother is home! Which is a surprise actually, her social work is keeping her busy and she often is out in the field or at the office. Guess Jonas is back to helping her

"Symon" She looks up from her papers "How are you, honey?"

He brushes a bit of dust from his shirt before stepping up from the landing. "I'm... pretty good." He says, and smiles a little. "Yeah. Pretty good. No work today? I thought your work was never done."

"Oh I'm on hold... " she taps ann ear and refills a bud there under her hair "Could get a call any second regarding the new fledges you helped rescue." She smiles fondly "Symon, two new souls, and you helped get them to safety. I'm so proud. Can I get you food? "

"We have some Budae Jjigae I can heat up" She offers "It's ..ah well aged"

"With spam? That sounds great. I was meaning to see if I could get Dagmar to eat it. Well, fresh. It's WEIRD, but sometimes she likes weird, if it's good. And it is good. You've gotten really good at Korean food, and the fusion stuff too."

"Oh, them. Another pooka, and a clurichaun looking for a fight. I guess they'll fit in as good as any..."

"They'll get a chance to fit in thanks to you," She smiles preenin a bit from the praise "Thank you, Symon" She starts to heat up his meal, just a little how he likes it "Of course, one thing I admire about Korean culture is that it's not afraid of fusing in what it likes. Why when the Americans came in durin the korean war, well, that's when Spam became a hit if I recall what i was told. The Koreans know the secret to a happy kitchen is never be afraid of borrowing ideas that work for you, while treasuring the delights of home"

"Yeah..." He frowns a bit, wondering. "Hey, Mom? Why do you think kithain would run away from a Chrysalis? Like, when it's fresh, and there's just little chimera poppin' off and all the glamour free for soaking up. I don't get it."

"Well if the Chimera are dangerous, maybe" SHe ponders "But then they should grab the fledges if they can. Rigght of rescue is ..well, crucial to us all. Though, I do recall a story about a redcap Chrystladi who came into this world with a chimera that had fear magic... but that's a rare event to be sure. Me I can't other wise imagine leaving two confused souls behind"

"Right? I mean, somewhere else, maybe but in Bergen, pretty much everyone I'm sure knows how the Chief feels about the escheat. And.. I don't know about being afraid. They were veiled, like, they didn't want to be seen. I don't think I'd have noticed or thought anything of it if they were just running. But they were sneaking off." He helps Ann Marie with the bowl, giving it a stir so that the stale rice can soak up a bit of the soupy liquid and get nice and gummy.

"You saw this, veiled figures? " She is surprised "Did you tell the Chieftain?"

"Well.. I mean, if they were just scared and running? There WAS a nasty beast that came up, maybe they had a premonition of it. I can't blame someone for running away from something. I mean." He shrugs a bit. "But I did mean to tell her... if it was worth bothering her about. Could be nothing."

"Mmm" A look "Symon, there's a big part of me that wants to ask if you are keeping your inhaler handy if you're going to go to the rescue of folks, that sort of thing, but that cat is long out of the bag, isnn't it?"

"I wasn't planning on rescuing anyone. I wanted to go see a movie." He sighs, but smiles a little at her mothering.

"Oh the movie, yes, sorry about that, dear," A gentle motion for him to go on and eat while they talk "Yet you did when it came up. Clearly you're made of sterner stuff than those who ran. But we mustn't let the trolls make us too bold by influence. I'm a knight now, and sometimes I positively disappoint I'm sure as the only way I'll duel anyone is over a cook off or making snide comments at a book club" A tilt of her head "Still , I am... proud of you. I don't know if I said that enough"

"Aw, Ma." He ducks his head a bit. "You say it all the time. Not sure I deserve it, but I'd glad you think I do. You know? I'm just... I just." He shrugs, embarrassed. "It's nothing. They needed help, and..." He latches on something. "And now they'll owe me a favor."

She hides a smile "My word, they do, don' they? Good idea, gives you some juice if they try to cause trouble you don't approve of" Oh yes, somber face now

He pushes the food around a little, mashing it up before taking another bite. "Maybe I'll check in on them."

"Well, that's a good idea for more than one reason. Rumor is, Dagmar is in charge of them. They might be a handful even for her and I know she doesnn't mind your help"

He winces. "Yeah, we don't need another Jordan getting under her skin."

"Well, I didn't say that... but yes, Jordan had a rough sttart. Seems to be hitting it off well with Mr. Davidson thouh. I think that Rover sees a bit of his younger self in the boy.. for good or ill. Well, that and he's happy to help any Unseelie just to 'even the numbers'. " A chuckle "Kerri's husband is a fine man, but I swear for a grump he still has a bit of Windmill tilter himself now and then. I'm not sure which Parent Sylvi gets it from."

"Yeah, maybe he ain't a terrible person, but when push comes to shove, I'm siding with Dagmar." He shrugs, that's just the way it is.

A nod of understanding

Clearly his mother sees nothin wrong with that and is not surprised

"So... Prissy is back. Huh. She staying here again?"

"Well, in our she shed set up, but yes... " A sigh "And in Dirk's room quite often. I try not to judge, and he's a good influence on her, but I have HINTED at protection so strongly I feel like a saleswoman at a birth conrol clinc"

He WINCES. "I have to hear it, I don't need to hear about it... but, glad they're happy, whatever. That's two more fighters for Rivervale."

"As longg as it doesn't turn into a fighter breeding program.. oh sorry, dear, you just said" She pours his favorrite tea mix for him

"Tea too? Let me get you a mug. I mean, a cup. We got that chamomile stuff you like. I should get better at serving tea, so I don't feel so much like an intruder at the next high tea. You know, Madame Grey once said that I was, what was it... rihgt. "Singular among the kith, in that I could brew tea so unpalatable that even a sluagh could not enjoy it."

He snickers a little. "Ain't that bad at it these days."

"Thank you, " She sits down "Oh.. Madame Grey sounds a bit prickly, but yes you're better"

"She was a magnificent mentor." He admits. "Even if her brilliance may have been somewhat lost on younger me."

"Well, that's the way it is , dear.. when you'er a childlings, your elders can do no wrong, then you become a wilder, and for a year or three your'rre sure they 're idiots and unjust idiots at that, and then.. later wilders you realize tthey had the nerve to be right quite often but not always... and then you'll become a grump and realize just how much they were scrambling to raise you decently with what little we had" A wink

"That reminds me, I'm going to be doing some tutoring with Sir Vali. I'm helping him out with a project, kinda. I told Da that it's French, and he said I should be working on my Korean penmanship instead." He sighs a bit. "But, French looks better on my transcript, not that I'm planning on anything after high school yet."

"Well, I hope you DO plan, you're too brrillaint to stop after high school, but I'll cover for you with your father" A nod "Just be sure to learn some French as well as whatever else it is"

"Oui." He says, rolling his eyes just a bit.

"Merci Beaucoup" A smile

"Cheonman-eyo." He responds, 'you're welcome', in Korean. "Thanks for lunch."

"You're most welcome" His mother smiles "Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to set to aging now for dinner later this week"

"I will. Thanks, Mom." And he heads out, still thinking about the nature of time, but also about the new fledges now, too.

Symon actually finds Audry outside hte lodge, hitting a punchgg bag with gloves