#fenixtj

After Beltaine, things settled into something of a routine again, but a busy one. Asylum seekers are helped, the holds are prospering, there's an actual increase in dross in the area as the liams cultivate dreamers ... despite being a miserable crime ridden city, the sun shines in Tijuana.

And Jessica finds herself busy in another way, folks are coming to her more openly and petitioning! Asking her to settle matters over who can muse where, and if one can have dibs on dreamers. How do you split a treasure? Can they enchant a kinian cousin for the first time? Diego looks a bit ill at times, after all, treating Jessica like a noble isn't what he hoped for , but he endures. Mitra smiles a lot more.

Jessica does her best to be fair and impartial, keeping the well-being of the mortals as a priority, but not THE priority.

It's noted, and the Seelie among the area seem to approve a great deal, some unseelie mutter that it's getting so someone can barely take a nip with all the liam around and this pro dreamer stance... but even some of them realize she's not a fanatic .

The petitioners take up a bit more time than before, but not that much more. And she gets to the end of the line near enough. A tall figure, troll judging by the blue on the arms showing, approaches with a hood and cloak seeming almost like a pilgrim with an oak carved walking stick

Jessica nods respectfully for him to proceed.

Turns out to be a her, for her voice is female, and her frame under the cloak lighter "I request a private counsel with the Flamefree. I would seek her wisdom on a personal matter"

Jessica tilts her head slightly and glances at Mitra, the redcap brothers, Diego. Her question, clearly Safe?

the Redcaps nod

Jessica nods slowly. "For a Kithmate, of course. Please let us have the room."

THe room clears out, she was the last petitioner after all, and Siv removes her hood "Hi, Sis. Sorry to come unannounced, but..." She shrugs "Somethings don't work well by text"

Jessica's eyes widen. "Siv!?!?" She gets down and gives the girl a hug. "You came!"

She hugs her sister, "Well, school's not out at jersey yet, but I hoped you wouldn't mind a quick visit before a hopefully longer one? I really could use an ear to talk to. And, you sound surprised that I'd want to. You're my sister, daft girl, one I kind of admire mm? " a rallying smile but only for a moment berfore "I'm in a pickle and I need some advice... it probably will sound silly but I just can't bring myself to talk to mom , or even Aunt Kerri about it." She does look flustered

"Jeeze, Siv, sure, are you ok?" Worried, and family-familiar at that. "You want some water or something? Let's sit down."

"It's so stupid, I mean, I ..sometimes I ask myself how I get into these things. " She takes a seat and if water is passed she does take a gulp "First, let me say mum and da appear well and happy. They've had some odd things happen to them too..involving magic cookies? And that's kind of how MY situation started.." She pauses, "I'm doing it again, making it all about me. How fare you before I go on?"

They each have a glass of water. "Siv, talk. What's going on?"

"Okay, I eat the darn cookie, and it's actually fun... for a few hours, I was a sidhe. I don't mean looked like a Sidhe, I mean I got to feel what it was like to really be a sidhe. They're very... certain of somethings and there's an intricacy to their thinking beyond mere ego, but I think I am glad to be a troll. Well, during this time, I went to seek out my boyfriend, Bancroft. A thane, and an autumn sidhe of House Scathach he is, handsome and tall. His father a Scathach sidhe like himself, and his mother a troll.. went by the name thalla if you know any stories. I thought he'd find it a turn on, or at least amusing but instead... he took one look when he realized it was me and ranted about how I'd been ruined." Siv frowns "At the time, I took it as meaning the ONLY thing he wanted about me was my trollishness. Oh Lump put his foot in his mouth with me there... not sure if your fellow has ever just said THE wrong thing, but for me, this qualified"

Jessica sits there with her mouth open, but her eyes darkening.

"Well, I lost my temper with him...and boy sidhe temper is... it's different, but it was still mine and I've always had the worst poker face of the family. I gave him what for, broke up with him and so on. Later, talked to mom... oh she turned sidhe as well for a time... GORGEOUS.... dad, dad went boggan. My word that still boggles...but I ramble. She pointed out she and father had had some pretty good rows before they got married. and so on. Then later, Sylvi decided to 'patch things up'..." A mutter "Stole my car, but she was a Piskie at the time... see what I mean about those cookies complicating matters? And... well...."

"Mom... dad... what?!?!"

"Yeah, sorry, big info dump all the sudden. The cookies changed your kith, think it's random. Temporary, though at the time Bancroft did not know that and I wasn't sure. Back on the subject, Bancroft did not take rejection well.. which.. shocked me. I mean he's.. so trollish himself, very hard to faze. Apparently he tried to quit his commsion, go back to Hibernia and the like. Also may have gotten drunk...but he was sober if messy when he came to me after Sylvi dropped him off... " Mutter " in my stolen car" then not muttering "He..apologized, he said he realized he DID admiree much about me that was Trollish and perhaps he needed to examine himself, but it was not the only reason he loved me, and that he was wrong to not take it more fairly. It was a good apology. A great one, and he opened up about how much I meant to him, how much he really loved me. And then..." A swallow of nervousness "He asked if I would move to Hibernia with him. You know, live together"

Wow, not a single chance to recover in this conversation, the hits just keep on coming.....

"Right... and I... I was ready to maybe forgive him, but I got scared when he said that. Because it was SO tempting.... I mean, I'm 17! I love him but is it a love that's meant to last? I'm thinking of breaking up with him to figure myself out for a time, but I'm not sure if.. if that's me being cowardly or smart. "

"Sis, I don't... I mean, trolls are true, they're loyal, they're steadfast ,so why am I not ... saying 'yes' swearing oaths and shacking up? What's wrong with me?" Siv's eyes are threatening to wet. "I love him right so I should just DO this?" It's not meant to come out as question but it does.

Jessica sucks down her initial anger and shock at various points of this debacle and takes Siv's hand. "I'm probably the -last- person who should give you advice about this, Siv. C'mon. Let's talk and I'll do what I can." She takes them on a modified patrol, using some of the time to organize her thoughts.

She walks with her sister, reading her rapier "Oh this is Quill, got her from Count Jude. Nice little weapon eh?" It's troll sized so by human standards hardly little at all

On the hot streets of Tijuana. "Count Jude gave you a blade?" Impressed to the point of shock again.

"Well, traded. I got another one in an adveture..." She relates her carnival tale, the whole thing. Siv speaks excitedly of it "...and so I saved a mortal life. Felt good. "She gawks at the styles "I think I love some of the Spanish architecture here and there, and the colors of the doors and paints are so bright"

Jessica nods, but she's still sunk in thought. "Ok. In a nutshell. I think, you'd know if you wanted to Oath to him and/or move -anywhere-. Sometimes we care about someone but not the way we should for either of those steps. Sometimes feelings can change, grow... or even dwindle. But an Oath... you have to know you want it, Siv."

"You might not feel or think you're -ready- for it... but you have to want it."

"I... don't know .. I Want to oath to SOMEONE, you know? I love being in love, it's warm and wonderrful and hot and exciting, and sometimes scary... and often hard but it's .. well , True Love Conquers all. I BELIEVE That. I just don't know for sure if it's him, or if I'm ready. You're always seem so confident, you know how much you want, what you want, and in what fashion. I don't have your self discipline or common sense. I .. I REALLY was tempted...but I'm not sure if it was because it was with him, or just..the idea? you know?"

Jessica nods, every much resembling their sober father. "Well, I'm not always confident or know what I want. But thanks for saying so. I'm glad you enjoy the way you feel, nothing wrong with that." A block or so goes by. "You know, mom and dad went on a quest before they Oathed. Maybe you could think about that."

"You mean, quest with him to see if we're meant to be? " A nibble of her bottom lip, resembling more the nervous Dagmar (not that Jessica knows her well) than her stoic mother or sister, "I suppose I could ask the Dreaming to sort it out. Mum and Dad might be... less than happy about that idea"

"Why?"

"Sis, I have a condition, like the arcadians, where baNality hits me hard. It makes them powerful protective. Now you'd think that that would make the Dreaming THE ideal questing place for me, and it does, but mom and dad almost visibly cringe when I say the word quest. The hoops I had to go through just to drive...." Grumble a bit then "Also dreaming quests are... well time gets bent on them. It's not just mom and dad who might not like that. Rivervale is my home port, and it and they need me. I can't just desert them"

"Then don't quest in the Dreaming. They didn't."

"But mom and dad will..they didn't?" She says "What did they quest in?"

"I mean, obviously the mortal world..but details?"

"The World. They drive from Rivervale to Alaska in the rig, and then back."

"The rig, of course it was the rig" She chuckles at something "Da is crazy about the rig. Make Uncle Olgar bonkers how often da doesn't even THINK of trods"

Jessica nods seriously.

"A roadtrip... with Bancroft?" A pause "Well, I know who'll be doing all the talking" Wry

"Well, maybe not a road trip, but.... dunno, just an idea. It should probably be something you both want to do."

"I think..that has merit." She admits "Thanks, sis. I .. that helps. I mean, it gives me an option. He wanted me to go with him to HIbernia, it's not unreasonable for me to insist we try a third alternative to see how it goes" She says "i'm still not sure about him and I but at least this something that migght lead to answers instead of my spinning my wheels "

Jessica nods. "Sometimes that's the worst. When you feel like you don't have options."

"yeah, like you're in a long dark tunnel and there are no doors, no windows... just the sense that you're only going forward to whatever someone else planned for you. " She shivers "I've always hated that. I need to be able to act on my whims , I need to move like the wind and go here, or there... just because it's there. You know?"

"It's different for me, but I think I understand."

"Yeah, how about you? I mean...what do you need to be happy?"

"I figure it out, I'll let you know." Dryly.

"Ha. " She says without malice, "Well, I hope you have more happiness in your life. You deserve..." She looks down an alley, "Should someone following us concern us?"