#elsewhere

Rikki asks after a bit, still focusing "Think we're going to lose our friend to momhood? You know, not that I care, but... fewer parties"

"Lose? No. But we're gonna have to adjust to being friends with a mom. A couple of moms."

"Blasted Breeders" WIstful "Piper always let me be me... and sometimes she let me be batman. I make a good batman"

"Given the chance, always be Batman. Look, if you're thinking that Piper's gonna turn into the kind of sad beige mom who's going to be thinking about how to get her kid into an Ivy League nursery school...I just don't see it."

Rikki perks "Yeah?"

"You're going to have to keep the babies in mind, sure. I mean, when it comes to noise and pranks and stuff...but you're not an idiot. You can do that. And if you can do that...then Piper's almost certain to consider you a good thing in the babies' lives, not a danger or a nuisance."

"In fact...this gives you a chance to explore even more subtle pranks than you've ever done before."

"Yeah? Go on, you smooth talker" She inquires

"Well...I mean, it's gonna take more planning to come up with pranks that get your target without waking up the kids, right? Higher challenge rating."

"On one hand, this is blatant manipulation- I prefer to give rather than receive on that. On the other hand, it appeals to my vanity, and I always go for seconds there" She smiles "Thanks, boss." A beat "Hey, are you okay? You mentioned moms, but yours is gonna be wearing the big hat. Weird huh?"

Sylvi blows out a long breath. "Geez, I actually wasn't thinking about it for a couple of hours there. Thanks," she adds flatly.

"You're welcome" She singsongs 🎵

"But the fact this is a reprieve kind of tells me you're still reeling like you're just got a chair from behind in the wrestling match. Don't tell her I said this, but AS mothers go, yours is not entirely heinous. A bit bossy, but she probably got that from you." Helpful

A smirk. "Again, thanks." Then a shrug. "I don't know. I mean, yeah, it sounds like the Count is making a lot of exceptions for her, and y'know, yay for that. But..." a pause.

"But?" A brow "Or you want me to guess? I got theories."

"Oh, this I wanna hear."

She lists off a few "1- Your mom's neck is too big to fit the guillitine you've been sharpening for the eventual revolution against the aristocracy" She raises a second finger and slips into a tranvslvania accent ala hollywood"2- The Count will bite her neck and make her his bride, bleah bleah... and your dad is getting the garlic" She raises three fingers "3- You're team gold finch, she's team bergen, and you don't like the idea of going nose to nose in the Scrum"

She purses her lips a moment. "Not too far off, I guess." Her turn to count off on her fingers. "1 - I still don't forgive the nearby sidhe nobility -- any of it -- for how they treated her when she was still new to our world. 2 - She doesn't have an ancient oath with the Count the way the Chieftain does, so Hemlock's probably going to respect her less and exploit her more. 3 - If he tries to get control over Goldfinch through her, it's gonna get ugly."

A smile crosses Rikki's face even in mid focus as she keeps the spell going "It may surprise you to know, I have a SLIGHT problem with authority figures. So.. oddly, I think I get it? So hemlock treated your mom bad when she first arrived?"

"Oh, no, not really, at least not that I know of. I mean when she was being fostered at a Fiona court in Manhattan."

A brow lift, "So Jersey and New York City are the same? Careful, you could start a fight" But she nods "Doesn't change the fact they share the system that hassled her, yeah," Rikki ponders "As for the rest, look, your mom makes great pies, I ought to know, I steal them now and then. If Hemlock treats her like shit, he's gonna wear one. Clean up of HIS hair will keep him out f your mom's hair. And as for Goldfinch? mmm you know you got our support if only because we're contrary commoner rebels right?"

"Yeah," she nods with a little grin. "I believe it. And I'm glad, really. I just don't want it to come to that."

A sigh "Sure, if you want it the EASY way. Look, the Count has a weakness, it's the weakness of anyone over baron." She leans over "He can't handle all the baronies at once. If he gets really under our hair, we secretly cause trouble in another part of the county. Easy peasy. And by Easy I mean there might be an invsitgation with chronos and thanes everwyheree, but he WILL lose sleep." Reassuring

"Don't forget to sell tickets."

A grin "I get 30%"