#bergen_county

Sylvi nods, accepting this as familiar. "They've gotten through stuff before."

"Nobody is leaving right?"

"Except for a road trip with gerd.. dad's sure sticking around" Siv looks at both "And.. I'm sorry guys. I shoudln't have texted off like that. It was a selfish bitchy thing to do. I was just tired of being ...not trusted"

"Your folks are really private people, Siv. I don't know if that means they don't trust you."

"I mean, like...I used to ask my mom a lot about her family and stuff. But she never told me much. And sometimes it really bothered me, but eventually I got around to realizing it's because she doesn't want to talk about it. It's not about me."

"Maybe, but I somehow can't shake that feeling" A frown

"If it was about me, I might sulk but take it better. It's about my father clearly hurting himself with lies and he won't let me help him"

A look at the other two girls "Can we all agree we HATE being helpless?"

"We do."

"But.. like... letting people help is scary. Even if you want it."

"Even if you love them, it's... it's really hard."

"That Dad puts up with me, like... you know? I know I'm not.. not very easy..."

Siv nods "No, you're not, but you're always worth it" A side hug

"And I hide stuff, especially when things hurt. So.. like.. if your Dad is hurting and hiding it, it's not... like, that's not on you. You're taking blame the same way you're upset he's taking blame."

Sylvi nods slowly. "It's not always easy to...well, to accept help? I don't mean to welcome it, but to, like, believe that it'll actually be helpful."

"I suppose" An admission to Dagmar, then a nod to Sylvi "Yeah, so..either of you hurting or worried or something and hiding it?"

"So maybe he can't accept that thinking of things a different way is right, or will make a difference."

At Siv's question, she gets a little wide-eyed and then looks away and clears her throat...but doesn't say anything.

A sip of lemonade. Yes, that's the ticket.

"Because otherwise, I'm gonna change the subject to how annoying it is that Dagmar, who is the youngest of this trio and a fellow troll is TALLER than either one of us... and I.." She pauses and looks at Sylvi "Sylvi? Sylvia dear?"

A shrug. "Nothing, don't worry about it. Dagmar, when does basketball practice start up for school?"

Because that's a smooth change of subject.

"Wow... back to hiding stuff... real smooth, Davidson" A brow "Come on, we're friends, hell, we area ll family"

"Yeah, and sometimes a person feels stupid about stuff and doesn't want to discuss it, okay?" Perhaps a little sharper than she meant it to be.

"Sorry. Just...don't worry about it."

A brow lifts... "KInda gunna now" She answers "Just to be contrary and not because we care" A wink

"Feels like a truth-or-dare game now," Sylvi mutters, taking a bite out of a cookie.

"Fine, flat out trade, I confirm everything straight forward... my dad's 'preferences' considered and.. yeah, ignored. He's wrong. I don't bow to preferences that cause pain to those I love. In exchange, Sylvi, you open up with what's bothering you. Repay all debts, open council style"

Another wide-eyed look. "Siv, don't. He may be wrong, but he's still your dad, and he asked you not to tell."

A brow "I think we all know I've leaked enough that you've guessed the big story behind it. Though there is more yes. Fine. " Siv looks at Sylvi "But you see why Dagmar and I might want to but into your bussiness? Because we love you and frankly, closing off stuff isn't always healthy. Hell, we might have opinions"

"Not healthy, easy to do."

"If not us... I dunno, Tiffany? Eden? Pooka are easy to talk to."

She looks uncomfortable. "It's not a big thing, really. I mean...things are going great. The theatre is almost up and running, we handled a ravaging situation, Colton and I are doing great, stuff's pretty secure at the Fortress...things are good at DarkGate."

"Yeah, but how are things at Sylvi gate?" Siv notices it's not about Sylvi but others

A little shift. "Well...Tiffany was up just the other day, already."

A BROW

"Why do I get the feeling I'm gonna wish I spoke pooka?"

A bit of a smirk at SylviGate. "Trust me, SylviGate would be a much nicer looking place."

"Ha" Siv can't help but laugh at that "Yeah, Dark Gate is imposing and important, but it's also.. well... dark"

"So dark," she nods. "I mean, people are trying, and there's some bright spots, but...well...it's no Rivervale," she says wryly.

"Are you okay?"

She presses her lips together and grins, nodding. "Sure. I just..." A swallow. "Kinda forgot when I agreed to go up there that, y'know, the pandemic would be over someday, and...and I'd miss my senior year here." Another wavery grin. "Stupid, right?"

"I don't think it's stupid" Siv says and puts a hand on Sylvis hand "You have friends here, you miss them"

"Not stupid."

"Maybe - I know it would suck, but there's a trod..."

"And you ARE Rover trained" Siv adds

Sylvi gives Siv's hand a quick squeeze, then shrugs. "Kind of impossible, to do my duty up there and be down here for school every day."

"Why? You'd have to go to school somewhere."

"And I've been trained by a Rover, Siv. Doesn't mean I've been trained to be a Rover."

"I've been doing mostly distance learning and independent study with the Farm. No real classes in the last year, mostly."