#bergen_county

Dagmar gets lemonade and orange cookies and sandwiches, just like Kerri or Tove would do, right?

Just like

And Tziporah begins the tale. The story is exciting, it is fast paced, with heroic characters, danger and risk abound! It is also taking liberties that border on Pooka isms. Really, Tizzy should have started with 'Inspired BY a true story' .... more than once, Dagmar finds herself wanting to meet this heroine, then remembers this is SUPPOSED to be her.

"... and she sent the nightmare tainted vehicle screaming to Nephilhim! "

Serenity is in awe, "That is SO COOL." She looks at Dagmar "You are SO COOL"

"Uh.. ah..." She's a touch purple.

She suddenly understands Chief in a brand new way!

Tziporah nods as if every word was etched in the stones of the temple of truth "Sir Vali lives still, and there is the proof of it"

"Just wow" Serenity says and not for the first time.

Tziporah takes Dagmar's silence (And stunned epiphany of the Chief's challenges like this) as agreement "It is known' SHe enjoys the meal, but does go through it fast, and finishes "I must be off. Serenity, you are safe here as few other places. "

"Yes, Vali is around. He's the Mountain. You'll meet him tomorrow, probably."

"And yes, I'll protect her. Go, do eshu things."

Tziporah curtseys "Of course, Tziporah the humble greets her fate even now. THank you, Dame Dagmar Hammerstrike. You are worthy of your stories" And she slips out.

Serenity watches her go, then turns to Dagmar "Soo.. I've learned the Escheat, and some of the Seelie Unseelie Codes. Anything else I should know while I'm here?"

"Oof, yeah. Okay, we'll get comfy and go over all the basics. And then we'll get you to the lodge and to Anne-Marie. Mom and Dad'll be home by dinner, they're trolls like me, so don't freak out. Trolls are a kith, and kiths..."

"Are varied." She nods "I want to meet one of each at least" Hopeful

"That can be arranged."

"We have a piskey. He's my age, so a bit older than you."

She nods "Good. I want to know who I really am. I want to know why it feels good to particpate, but not have to be the focus. I want to know why I want to touch things and put them away. Am I greedy? or is it... something deeper? I want to be more than a prop in someone's story. I want to ..." She ponders "I want to know where I'll be happy being just me"

And this is why mentors are almost always the same kith, to get that understanding.

"Piskies ah... yeah, kinda tend to see with their hands. Okay, get Jimmy around, too." She rubs the back of her neck. "I was thirteen when I popped. And... few years out? I think I can say yeah. Being.. this..." An exapansive gesture at both of them. "This is good. Knowing who and what you are is good."

Serenity ponders the huge blue warrior before her and says "Forgive me. I have to ask. When you.. 'popped'.. did you bang your head on whatever ceiling you were under?"

That earns a genuine laugh.

A blush

"Actually, I came out swinging - I was having a very weird day at school, and then I was being attacked by this giant bug, and next thing I'm giant, blue, and had a halberd in my hands."

"Wow.. okay, that seems like a video game level up" She says

"Not far off, yeah. Sylvi - she's a troll like me - caught wind of the glamour and came to fight, too. Brought me to the Lodge after."

"Were you as confused as I was about it all? But also..feeling good to be out of your old skin?" She says "I mean, sorry it's just... even when I was nearly kidnapped a part of me was just glad to find my other half"

"Confused, and significantly less chill than you are. I was pretty hostile and didn't trust anyone."

"Tziporah says Eshu often enter at the right place at the right time, but there has to be risk too for them. So she arrived just in time to fight for me and.. well, that really helps on trust. I liked her. Like her. " A consideration "Also, to be fair, when my parents treated me more like their little actress on the payrole than a daughter sometimes, I still had a pretty easy life. " She isn't totally convinced it is easy "Can't speak for yours before. I don't want to go back regardless "That's true.

"Man, I sure as hell wouldn't want to grow up on Youtube. No privacy."

"Tove won't even talk about me or CJ on her channel."

"Wait, Tove? THE Tove?" She grins and then laughs "Okay, I'm starting to believe Eshu get you where the story is good. I'm a fan. I mean, I'm not always up on the history of her songs and such, but she's super polished but genuine, and her voice is wonderful. And she doesn't suck up to the audience OR talk down to them" Then she adds "No privacy is right. Folks know my birthday. They know where I've gone on vacation. They know my favorite foods. They know my favorite color. They know my favorite animal. WHen I was a kid I just blabbed because I didn't see what harm. I got older, and suddenly I'm like... is my life even my own at all? I won't even talk about the 'fanmail' I got."

"Eshu have a talent." An easy shrug. "And yeah, Tove's great." Looking at the blue complexion is one thing, but the family photos in the living room might bely how Sam doesn't quite match the Nordic Tove or the Bearded Jaymes or the sunny toddler in the middle of the shot.

Nose-wrinkle. "Oh, god, I bet. Gross. Men are so fuckin' gross and inappropriate sometimes."

She looks at the picture "Adopted? That means they picked you. It was from an episode we did, 'chosen love' which may have been cheezy, but it wasn't wrong."

"Oh yeah, almost all men... but one lady who.. well , I don't want to say" Hrumph "Of course, with women fans I get advice slash orders on what i SHOULD or shouldn't wear, or how I should or shouldn't behave because I'm a role model and that's now how THEY behaved or whatever. I play such a 'good girl' because we want it to be wholesome, but some of these people telling me what 'good is' are just.. scary Handmaiden's tale level nuts"

"not my problem anymore" She looks RELIEVED to be speaking of this and seeing in the past tense

"Adopted. After, y'know, all this." She taps a horn. "It wasn't safe to go back to my foster home, not for me or them, and... yeah."

"Why wasn't it safe?" Curious now

"And, honestly, it sounds like it ain't safe or healthy to send you back to that fishbowl."

"Oh" she nods now she gets it "That feeling that was is special in you will be destroyed if you do go back, that KNOWING it ... it's hurtful to all that you are"

She is speaking of Banalty though she may not know ALL the details

She nods. "Some mortal parents are fine. But not all of them."

"Some are what we call kinain - not fae, but they've got the blood, they can understand and remember and kind of cross worlds. You'll meet a few soon enough."

She nods attentively, she IS listening.

She is also, Dagmar notices, pocketing a hand carved coaster from the table

She notes it, but doesn't call it out. She'll figure out a gentle way to ask for it back later.

Indeed, just the taking it and holding onto it for a time seems to lift the girl's spirits "Thank you. Foreverything" She laughs as Brown Dog is nuzzling her as Twobit tolerates. "You have some nice dogs."

The subject turns to animals, and soon... Dagmar's parents come in, and Serenity explains her story. Because they re the most awesome parents in the world, Tove and Jaymes agree with Dagmar on getting Anne Marie's help, and that the young Piskey should be protected.