#darkgatefortress

A car pulls up to the Sylvi/Nadeen Manor

Sylvi looks out through the window in the door. Anybody she knows?

Yup, Tiffany, Thane of RV, wife of Vali

She comes out of her car, getting some bags

Sylvi opens the door and comes out with a smile. "Hey! Tiffany!"

"HEY kiddo... swanky place, is this where you keep your male harem?" She has not seen it before

She laughs. "Mostly it's more like a dressing room at Fashion Week. What are you doing here?!"

"I got lost on the way to Buffalo, while I was here I thought I'd drop off somethings for you two crazy kiddos in your mad plots to conquer the world" SHe moves up. Smells of home..err Rivervale in the bags

"Wow...that's amazing! Come on in, let me help with those." Relieving Tiffany of a couple of the bags.

Of course, Kerri has loaded Tiffany down with clothes, food and.. well, whatever would want to smuggle to her daughter and Nadee

Sylvi leads the way into the house and to the kitchen. "Here, we can put stuff on the counter. Is there anything that needs to go in the fridge?" She starts poking around and unloading. "Ooh! Mom's pastries!" Those get opened and set out on the kitchen table right away.

She looks around "The socks have to go into the freezer, it's summer time. So? Havinng a blast?"

A snicker at that, and she makes a quick inventory of the bags, prioritizing perishables. "Well, busy mostly. A lot of stuff going on. And..." She gets a good look at Tiffany now that there's not so many tote bags in the way. "Wow! Um...didn't you just announce you were pregnant, like, a month ago? Or did I get the news late?"

"uhm... " She looks down then at her "Are you callinng me fat??"

"I'm calling you showing."

"i'm an early bloomer," She shrugs "So, how are things showing here? got that theatre packed yet?"

"Well, it's still coming together, but it's getting closer. And there's a trago that wants to do a local Renaissance faire, and they're also interested in performing in The Music Man, so that's going to be great."

"Oooh! Neat socks!"

She sets the brightly patterned pairs of socks on the counter.

"So you're enjoying yourself and love it here?" tiffany slips in the boon confidant all subtle like

"Uhhhh...." She quietly unpacks a container of cookies and sets it on the counter, fiddling with it a bit so it's square with the edge of the counter. "I'm doing good work...." she starts, then shrugs with a little embarrassment. "It's not Rivervale, of course. And...I kind of didn't realize I was going to miss senior year with my friends..."

"Yeah, senorities is more fun with friends"

"Well, the alternative is enrolling here, where I'd have to make new friends while they all know each other, or continue with distance learning and non-traditional stuff through the Farm. Which has been good...but...." She trails off and shrugs again.

"But.."

An embarrassed half-laugh. "It wasn't what I had in mind when I imagined it back when I was a freshman. Then again, nobody has had the kind of education they'd expected over the last couple of years."

A nod and a pat on the shoulder "Glad you found wherre you want to be.."

A blink. "Um." Then a deep breath and a shrug. "I've got a job to do here."

"Right... Duty first.. and no passion ever... Seelie Code line number 6"

That gets a pout. "Hey, don't tease me. I took an oath to stay here."

A tilt to her head, and a worried look "is the oath the only reason you're hanging around?"

"N-no. No! I'm doing good work. I'm making a difference. And my boyfriend is here. There's lots of good reasons for me to stay here."

"So you want to stay" A nod nudge

"I--" A sigh. "Does want really matter?"

"Mmm " Tiffany says "What would you tell Dirk if he was in a place he didn' want to be but felt he had to be?"

A weary look. "I'm not a redcap."

"Neither is your dad... and he oathed to be Red Rover, but worked it to stay near your mom because uhm... some reason"

"That's different."

"Oh?"

"Well...yeah. And besides, I am close to my boyfriend."

"Yeah, and he'd never make time for you if you were a whole trod away"

She frowns. "Oh, of course he would. But..." An exasperated sigh. "My oath, remember?"

A nod

"Cuz, y'know, oaths are a kind of a big deal for trolls," she says a bit sharply, pacing a little.

Then she stops. "Oh, Mom would kill me...I haven't offered you anything to drink."

"What would you like?"

"Well, whiskey is num.." She taps her belly with a sigh

"If only you had water?"

A smile

"So you sold your soul forever with an Oath?"

She gets a glass of cold water from a pitcher in the fridge and hands it to Tiffany. "Not forever. A year-and-a-day. The traditional time."