#bergen_county

More sounds, AND smells, in the kitchen

Sigh. "I'm not gonna be judgy, but if I get to sneezing from the attic funk, I also ain't apologizing for your tender ears. I think Mom has food..."

"Crawlspace funk. Attic sluagh like to pine and mope with dustbunnies and moths and flakey old tomes. Me, I'm a basement sluagh. We like decay and dank, and slime."

He's starting to sound like his old self again!

A snort-grin.

"Yeah, well, you probably still only get one wear before Anne-Marie gets her hands on them to fight whatever mold spores have spawned."

A groan as Anne Marie is mentioned. "...do we have to tell anyone about this?" He asks, looking a bit pathetic. "Maybe I can just let it be known that we broke up. Probably won't surprise anyone."

"Um. I think Tove knows something happened. And Sylvi knows about the treasure. And I gotta own up for breaking a treasure."

"But that doesn't need to be public." He says, his expression a bit pleading.

"I'm not about to go announcing it. But... I should tell the Chief what I did, right?"

He considers. "Why?"

"Because... because I willfully broke a treasure? Not by accident."

"I mean, why would you need to tell anyone? It looks like... you're looking for someone to punish you, like."

"You're not s'posedta break treasures."

He touches her forehead again, softly, brushing a curl out of the way behind her horn. "It feels like the dreaming already punished you for that."

He mutters something inaudible, a grumble.

"Well, if she is gonna get mad about it, the right person is gonna take responsibility. It was my decision."

"You didn't ask for it, and you weren't in a place to stop me, and you ain't gonna pay for it."

"I mean, you don't need to answer to the Chief for what you do, outside of things you're doing for the chief. That's like... if I told Anne Marie that my till came up short at work."

She frowns. "She's my liege, this is her barony, it.. it's the honorable thing to do."

He fidgets, "Feels like going looking for trouble. It doesn't affect her or her barony. The only one that really is affected is Cairrean. What if the Chief tells you you gotta go make things right by her? Would honestly rather handle it on the downlow. But.. I won't tell you how to KNight, that's your conscience...:

"Then I make things right by her. I'm a Gwydion, yeah? How I act reflects on my house, and it reflects on Chief, too."

"And, well, I'll figure out how to protect you, too."

"Ugh." he says, but fondly.

"Listen, you wear your stinky shirts, I do stupid honorable troll things."

"I don't want to tell anyone else about the details, though. No one needs to know the nature of my relationship with Cairrean, or any of that, y'know? If you need to tell the Chief why you broke the treasure, that's you - and I trust that she's no blab. We know that. But... if some yattermouth got wind of it?" He winces. "I'd never live it down."

"Sylvi has an idea, but she ain't one to blab, either."

He relaxes a little. "Thank you." He whispers to her.

A smile. Her fingertips graze his cheek, briefly. "Ok, so I think Mom is worried, Up for food?"

He gives his head a little shake. "I don't think so, but you go ahead. Besides, there are big women throwing heaving things on TV." He gestures towards the set. "Apparently, that's my jam." a gummy half-smile

"Ha."

Another trailing touch, affirming he's solid, before she pulls away. "Mom?"

"Yes dear?" from the kitchen

The door opens a crack and she peeks out "Do you two want some food , either out here on a tray or at the table in the kitchen?"

"Sy isn't hungry." She heads for the kitchen. "Um. Thanks for being cool. Everything is okay now."

She nods "I figured between the two of you, it would be. Want me to bring a tray for you out so you two can watch the shotputs together? "

"I can grab a plate. Just.. " She shrugs. "Checking in? Making sure you aren't worrying."

"Well" She says "I admit, I was.. a little. So thank you. But mostly I was just waiting for the all clear. Thank you for telling me thouogh. Glad you are BOTH Okay"

She nods. "We are, or gonna be, or close enough. Yeah." The smile is tired but genuine.

"My ears are always open to both of you, when and if you wish to use them" Tove assures "Dagmar, come and get your plate as much as you want. Symon? " A beat "Very glad to see you around here again"

He gives her a finger wave from the couch, too far to whisper - appreciating her apparent discretion.

Tove smiles at that, well, a troll smile, then a brighter one for her daughter. She wants to give her a big hug, but... well, later perhaps "Then I'll be in the kitchen then go check on CJ. "

And unless needed, she withdraws

Snacks acquired - SHE at least is hungry - and she heads back to the couch to flop down beside the sluagh. "So. We wanna rewind?"

That this time, she's flopped close enough that her shoulders brush against his? Well...

When there's a lull, and Sy is away to use the facilities, she does send a quick text to Sylvi: TXT: Update: I think we r ok

TXT: K. Think I need to keep an eye out for her? I'm nearby.

TXT: She is on a cruise?

TXT: Assuming she gets off boat, probably have a few days anyway

A pause.