#elsewhere

Siv and JOnas seem to be almost afixed to Piper, as if they miss her warmth, her scent, very much. Which they probably do.

"I just... I don't want to leave things like this. It doesn't feel right to go back and pretend like everything is okay again, and keep hiding, or worse, make you hide your squire from me. That's why I thought... a Quest. There has to be something I can do, seek, or find that will help me. Or a journey, to help me grow past this. I think this is something I need to do."

"I hate that" Siv frowns "I hate you're right. As it stands I worry that a part of you will resent every time I slip and start to share with you how great my squire is doing or something, or every event we can't be together becausse it means my squire will be there.. I didn't think this through. I guess I never do" She sighs "And, I don't want to be angry with you either, if I gave her up now I'd feel like... really resentful, I don't want either of us feeling that way about each other."

She gives Siv a tight hug. "Maybe this is a good thing." She says, slowly. "Maybe your Squire coming to you was meant to help me, as much as for you to help her. It's a.. push."

"I think I hate this push" Siv hugs back, and Jonas hugs them both

JJJ says "Look, uhm.. Maybe small doses? Meet individual liams on your terms?"

She nods slowly. "But that will take... god, I don't know. Time. Time I don't want to spend away from my lovers, from Goldfinch... I owe them all more than this. That's why I thought if I could find something to help in the short term. A way to borrow some fearlessness, if it existed, some treasure or device.. without... well, otherwise, the best Idea I had was to dope myself so silly I can't focus to be afraid."

"Then, the pool of wisdom might be what you need" JJJ says

"Tell me more about it?"

"I didn't know.. something I drink, would I need to keep going back?"

"Well, it's in the dreaming, of course but the pool ..well, some say it's not something you drink so much as bathe in, others say it talks and tells you shit you remember the value of.. and others say yeah you drink it. I don't know, but I know the path... the trod location you'd need to take to get started."

She nods. Turning back to Siv and Jonas, "I think I have to go. I'll try to return quickly, but... the dreaming is the Dreaming. It's past time for me to try to work on these things."

Jonas frowns "You sure we can't go with you?"

"Siv has a new Squire. I'm not going to take her from that. Jonas... to be honest, I'm kinda... sorta... totally out of my league here. I'm not a seasoned trod traveler by any means... and you know I'm hopeless in a fight. If you could come with me... I didn't want to ask, after I ran off like that..." Her cheeks color a bit.

"Go with her," Siv kisses Jonas, "But.. remember the rules of the quest. She is in charge of things ultimately."

The wind stirs behind them

JJJ looks over "Uhm.. someone you know?"

Only with horns.. and a very familiar face

"Zane?" Siv grins "What are you doing here?"

"A wizard has his ways" Zane declares

"Zuzu!" Piper can't help but exclaim, and rushes over to toss her arms around him in a hug. "I thought you'd been swallowed up by the Frozen North forever!"

He hugs her back "For family emergencies I'm allowed time off" he bumps his horns against hers lightly "You butt head. I have to learn from other sources you've scampered off in a bad way? " He looks her over "I used to have a treasure that helped with negative excess but well, you know that's kind of a dark gate corner stone now. Still, I could HELP."

"You heard who from what now?" She looks baffled, then... "Oh, Ramona." A SIGH.

"I name no names" Zane adds loftily, a bit too loftily, good chance she guessed right "So glad you left the area you were in, made scrying on you much easier. " He looks over to JJJ "It's totally okay, we're couisins, and not in that 'ain't but five women in this village' way"

JJJ chuckles at that

"How did you know I needed you?" She butts him back a bit. "JJJ, this is my cousin - kith and family both, Zane. He's a magician..."

"I knew it, another mu.. wait, Magician?" JJJ blinks

She nods! "He saved a hold from like, an entire dimension of demons behind a gate..." Okay, her intel on this might be filtered through a few boggans and perhaps a pooka.

Proud of her cousin.

"Magic's my passion, there were others involved in half of what you hear of me that sounds good, and.. yaeh, ALL of the bad stuff, I need scape goats" Zane smiles "What's this about a trip?"

"Pool of wisdom" JJJ says and offers a joint

Piper offers a light without thinking, out of habit.

He takes it, "Thanks and.. thanks"

Zane ponders "Pool of Wisdom whoo that's.. it might help but it's not a quick sip and your done. Even success is a bit of a trial"

"Like... some might call this, 'Smoke of Relaxation', or a beer, 'Liquid of Courage'... names can be misleading. But I'll try whatever I can. I mean, my family depends on it." She says this last a bit quieter to Zane.

"Well, I'll help. Who is going with you?" Zane asks "Who else i mean"

"I am" Jonas declares

A grateful look back at Jonas.

"And JJJ said he could point us on the right way..."

"Yeah...but umm the trod I know is in Cali" JJJ warns "Is that still a thing for you?"

A touch trepidatious. "Which part?"

"Oakland" He says as if trying to recall "Not a fun town I hear"

She relaxes visibly. "I can deal with mortal unsavory. As long as I'm outside of his county, you know?"

Siv nods

"Okay, I think the ruler of Oakhold is an unseelie Eshu.. doesn't make him safe but probably not Liam friendly" Zane ponders

Piper slides a hand into Jonas's. "We can handle it."

"Just passing through, right?"

JOnas nods and squeezes "yes"

"Well, shall we? No time like the present?"