#goldfinchfreehold

"Okay, if take out is this good, maybe it's okay thee's no kitchen" He shrugs. Colton seems in a decent mood

Sylvi grins and nibbles on a muffin. "I don't think we can count on this daily, but I'm appreciating it for now." She looks around the room at the others who are stirring and waking. Voices, the occasional groan of hangover.

“Do I smell Cinnamon?”

A Piper with bed-head, or perhaps Couch head, moves over.

“If I’m not interrupting?”

She wears a way—too-big T-shirt that hangs fetchingly off one shoulder and covers all. Is that the shirt Jonas was wearing?

"Come on over, Piper" Colton says

“Jonas left, I think. Patrol maybe, but He covered me up.” A grin. “I wish I'd been awake to see him blush..”

Sylvi waves her over. "There's more food over there," she says, indicating the bounty that SallyMae brought while offering her a cinnamon bun.

“Oooh.” She joins them, plopping down on a cushion, and accepts the cinnamon roll.

"Oh, I guess I fell asleep before the party really got going," Sylvi laughs.

"We troll guys are fragile" Colton says dead pan

“You can be as fragile as you want as long as you're still strong enough to hold a lady up against a wall.”

A wink to Sylvi. Piper is in a FINE mood.

Sylvi gives Colton a kiss and snuggles close again.

Piper's comment gets Sylvi to blush!

But she doesn't disagree!

A pleased sigh. "We done good, didn't we."

She laughs! And munches the cinnamon bun. “Ohhhh this is NOT from the gas station down the street.”

"No! SallyMae brought Lodge leftovers."

BLUSHING but then Colton returns the kiss "You did great. All of you"

She beams at the compliment.

“Did you get the… you know, the woo-woo magic connection to the fire?”

Sylvi considers. "It's...something. I mean...kind of like a little tickle at the back of my head? And I think I had some kind of dream about a firey person...."

She seeks to remember the dream, but it's elusive.

The bale is now not as roaringg as it was, it's not a strong fire, but it is curious, as if getting a feel for its new body which it is he heart of

"It's like...like the fire's wondering what happened? But it's not like with the Chieftain at the Lodge. You know how she looks like she's having whole conversations with the fire sometimes? It doesn't....I don't think I could do that."

For Sylvi, it might be as if a person checking themselves out without their clothes and feeling they look pretty good thanks.

A bit of a grin at that feeling. "I think it's pretty pleased."

"Like, it feels good with where it is."

“I’m glad. I’m glad that IT is glad.”

Colton looks around "How are you going to protect it? Will it have patrols?" He's been storm for a bit now, it gets in your head

"I'm not sure, yet. I need to recruit from everybody here. I mean, it helps that it's underground...easier to defend. But mostly I didn't want the word to get around too much until it was already established and claimed." She looks around the room at the partiers who are stretching and starting their day. "I hope people are willing to put in the work to keep this."

“I…” she starts to talk, then stops.

Sally Mae says "Go on , Piper, without you, this wouldn't have happened"

“It’s just a thought… and I don’t know boo about patrols and security. But I’d say the most important would be to build a sense of community. Common folk don’t go running to the lodge when it’s in trouble because they KNOW it’s protected. But that may also feel inclusive, a bit?

Make this place a place of BELONGING, make sure that everyone thinks of it as THEIRS, to an extent. Then it’s something they need to protect, and will feel for…”

“Let them be needed.” She pinks a little, then shrugs. “Maybe that’s just silly.”

"No, Piper, that's exactly right. That's kind of what I've been thinking. I mean...okay, like, Firnost is protected by a massive scary chimera that nobody screws with, but also if there's a threat, it's everybody's business."

"It does play to both your strengths" Colton admits "Is it wrong to offer help from Dark gate in the form of weapons and armor?"

A small frown. “I don’t want it to be unwelcoming…”

Thinking of armored trolls at the doors…

"Oh I didn't mean troll sized arms andn armor" He seems to read "I mean for whoever is willing to defend the place"

“Armored guards at the doors… or circling around on patrols? Might scare off more than a few.” She nods.

"We're going to needs to fight at some point, Piper," Sylvi says seriously. "But I don't think we need standing guards."

“But a locked prop room with supplies for defense when needed…” a nod

"I want to keep it as open as we possibly can."

A grateful smile as she’s understood.

A nod. "Yeah." Then a thought. "I kind of want people to check their weapons before they come down to the freehold...but not sure we can enforce that."

That's when Colton finds his cellphone and frowns

“Most of the casuals don't have much weaponry. Not like the knights and such.”

A wry grin. “I can check my voice at the door.”

Sally Mae smiles "Good boast"

"I have to go," Colton rises