#bergen_county

A text from Sylvi: TXT: On my way via trod!

Piper peeks at her phone, and looks a bit relieved.

About 15 minutes later, Sylvi texts again: TXT: Which apartment is it?

(Number 3)

A minute later, and there's a knock on the door.

"I got it..." Piper says before Etsi can get up, and she slips out the door before Sylvi can step in.

"Hey, you're a sight for sore eyes. Listen, I'm really sorry I made you come all the way down from Dark Gate. I guess I wasn't thinking... I just - I needed help, and you were the one who came to mind." She fidgets a little nervously.

"it's a party..." Snurfle groan

"No, it's fine!" Sylvi says with a bright smile as she comes in. "Hi, Etsie! How're you feeling?"

Piper nods and opens the door so that Sylvi can breeze through.

The satyr looks terrible... pale and feverish "Dandy..."

"Ahhhh, so you're turning into a pooka, now," she teases lightly. She looks to Piper, "Has she been eating or drinking at all?"

"I had ..soup" the satyress says "I'm old.. and week. Used to I had stamina that I didn'get sick, sick got me"

Piper shakes her head. "Quit that talk already. You're more spry as a dozen rockers I know who look like they're held together by heroin and scotch tape and STILL manage to put on good shows."

"Just a bit of tea, and, well, I tried to make soup." A weak smile.

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but I swiped a bit of Nadeen's fancy tea before leaving the house. I'm sure she won't mind, and why not splurge a bit? Let me heat up the kettle again...." She gets to work in the little apartment kitchen.

"Piper, do you mind playing something? Something...maybe a little more power-ballad-y and a little less head-bang-y?"

"You girls should be having fun, chasing boys... making boys chase you... deciding if you want to let them catch you or throw them back... or maybe just screaming your heads off as you drive blaring music"

"Plenty of time for that," Sylvi replies.

Piper moves over to the stereo and flips through her phone, before grinning and starting a song.

"Sylvi.. you raced down here just because Piper asked?" the old woman blinks "Why... i mean,.. I appreciate it but.."

"Oh, Etsie, come on...don't fuss. I'm glad to help."

A smile and a nod at the choice of music. "Classic."

"It's my fault, Etsi. I'm gonna owe Sylvi big. But I don't care, y'know?"

"Journey? Well, who can be mad at Journey..." She chuckles

The kettle starts to whistle at the crescendo in the first chorus, and Sylvi sets up the tea carefully, stirring the hot water gently with a spoon and humming along with the music.

The music continues on to Boston: Foreplay/Long Time...

Piper can't help it, she plays air guitar along...

Glamour drawn in with a slow swirl...and it keeps swirling as Sylvi brings over the mug. "This really should steep a little longer..." and a smile at the next tune. "Okay, that should do it. Estie, sip this as soon as you find it cool enough to manage."

She passes her the mug, asking, "Did you ever see Journey? Or Boston?"

As the strains die, she puts on Chicago - You're the Inspiration....

"Yeah sure... " She nods "You gotta listen to the softer crowd if you want to humor your friends ..."

A little slower to start, a hint of a gospel feel, but still a definite bop, as the kids these days say.

she blows on the cup, "Hell, I slept with Huey Lewis... Don't ask"

Piper laughs!

"Now that's something they missed in the News."

"I like to think I was the inspiration for his albulm title of 'Hard at Play" chuckle cough, then she drinks

Sylvi laughs at that. "Wow, Etsie!"

The color goes less pale. The woman's features look...less runny

And she watches closely as the satyr sips.

"Hey, good kick"

She quaffs the rest of it

"Maybe Sylvi snuck some of that whiskey into it."

A pleased sigh. "I thought you'd like."

A wink. "Might've."

"You're looking better already, Ets."

"Well, I think it's the spring magic... you know, that art was lost back in my day.. If someone asked Spring magic, they got hopscotched into a garden" Yes, the old satyress sounds better. SHe may not be cured but she's going to be better off

"Heatherbalm is amazing but it only fixes broken, not as good at ailing, at least from what I've seen. Sylvi, you're amazing you know." She watches the Troll admiringly.

"Well, yeah, the Spring magic helps the whiskey," Sylvi grins. "It's called Well of Life. Heals wounds, but also fights off infections. It'll take some time before you're all the way better, but the worst should be past."

"If it's cast by a man-splainer, do they call it "Well, actually"? Piper grins.

A bit of a blush. "I got lucky. Found a skill and a teacher at the right time. Haven't quite mastered it yet."