#fenixtj

Jessica finishes her meal.

"I guess I'll go do that," The Scribe says "Unless you need me, Countess?"

"Of course we need you. But you need this, and we'll get along without you for a bit. A month, at least." with a smile.

"I don't mean to leave right away. I was just going to go have a meal with my husband" She says, then smiling she says it again "MY husband. My HUSBAND. Weird and wonderful. Pardon. " And she heads off

Likely hearing some bird only two can know the music of

A soft chuff of laughter and, if she's allowed, she'll move along.

Maria and Rosa watch her go pleased, "Well, Constance is not going to annul the marriage, samahin or not"

And Jess checks in on Lily before heading back out on patrol.

Lily is fully healed, and wearing a brand new dress, well, new to her, but old as suits sluagh

She sees Jessica and curtsies

"Do you like my dress? It's a bit 1930s but that WAS the time of the great depression" She says as if that is the merit to it

Jess bows back. "I do. I'm glad you like it too. Can we provide you an escort? Or... I mean, have you learned what you wished to learn?"

"Oh, there is always more to learn" she says "Why, is there more here to spy on I've missed? You aren't involved in a scandal are you? I'm not really mature enough to appreciate those. Squire Velvet delights in them. Too many boggans in her life I fear"

"I am not, to my knowledge." Jess answers gravely.

"Well good, they appear to be frightfully dull useful only for extortion," A brief pause "I prefer the term Extortion to blackmail. One I trust told me the X made it cool"

"It is a good word." she agrees.

"Yes, sometimes I suspect it is a trick to force me to learn the proper spelling of words, but then, I do not wish to be an .." She ponders "ignoramus. Yes. That's the word. Most unsettling that."

"It is also a good word, and yes. A state to be avoided."

"Thank you" A nod "You are not an ignoramus," She tells her, "But to answer your question I think I am ready to head home. "

"Thank you for that." seriously "Will you take an escort? I would feel better if you did."

A fond look "Trolls are terribly burdened by the need to be needed aren't they? Very well. If it is no trouble then," With manners "I thank you kindly and accept your offer of escort"

"Very welcome." and she finds a Thane to take her home.

Thane Coy is not happy to have his meal with his new wife intruded on to escort aanyone and... that's why it didn't happen. But wouldn't it be funny if he had been?

Rather, that boggan thane who had been so useful escorts her there instead

Best that way.

As Jessica watches the girl step out with her escort, the passage opens and someone else comes in, bedraggled and looking like she's a touch hung over, her slovenly dressed sister says "Hey sis. How goes?"

"Better than you are, looks like. Want a hair of the worm?"

"Yeah sure" She says "Only I don't remember what worm I ate"

"Well. 50-50." Jess leads the way to the alcohol.

"If you want a shower and clean clothes, we have that too."

She looks down "These are my clean clothes. I woke up in a costume this morning"

"Ok." She offers Siv the bar.

Siv takes a seat "how 's it going with you? Good Samhain, what you recall?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad" She says and means it

She gets a drink "My job at the marina is over. "

"Ok."

"Um. Is that a bad thing?"

"Kind of" A shot "I do have to pay rent, but it was going to be closing down anyway. I mean, I got it part time, come in now and then to maintain some of the boats. But I... well, even at the chcangeling discount rate, I won't be pulling my own as much. Had to quit anyway. I'm... a pillar of the mountain." A started look as if she can't believe it, and isn't sure she likes it

"What happened to Vali?"

Siv says "Well, turns out when you're a full time high school teacher, a writer with deadlines, a father of a little kid with a wife who works for the fire department being a Mountain with zero help starts to load up on you. " Siv frowns "Tiffany was ready to head bacck to charm with their son. So that's the story there anyway. Sis, I don't know if I'm qualified for this. Yes, it's just assisting, but compared to Symon and Zane, both of who have moved on, I'm ... pretty weak sauce in magic. I know the troll lore, of course. Da told me stories. I read up on them. Mom got me studying Norway and the trolls there.. but I didn't mean to USE the lore.."

"Yeah." Jess considers this "What are you going to do?"

"My duty. Samhain's oer... isn't it? I just... I worry about da"

"It's after the 31st, yes. Why are we worried about Da?"

A troubled look "Sis, for awhile now Da has been avoiding giving advice of any sort. He helps iwth a car engine, then seems to run if you ask his opinion. I...I don't know what to do. It's like he's lost his nerve , or atl east his belief in himself."

Jess considers this.

"Or. He doesn't want to be Mountain."

"I'm sure he doesn't, but that's not what I said. I sazid he's not giving advice of any sort."

"Now he might be confusing giving ANY advice, or dispensing ANY wisdom with being the Mountain, but if that's the problem, it's still a problem. That's not a mountain thing, that's a being a part o the community thing. "

"And Da? Has clocked out of being part of our society if it doesn't involve heavy lifting, patrols, long hauls, and auto repair" A troubled look "I never seen him like this. He told me to back Vali, so I'm backing Vali. But I'm worried"