#goldfinchfreehold

a somewhat contrite and VERY tired gold finch arrives towards the window

refilling the the spot it left

and looking just a bit winded

And if Sylvi gives it a look, it tries to hide behind the logo

She sighs. "It's okay. You were worried about her. I am, too."

And she sends another text.

The goldfinch looks miserable

After waiting for and not getting a reply, she sighs and puts her phone away. "I guess I should check her lesson schedule, see who I need to cancel." Another look at the window and its sad occupant. "We're going to figure it out," she promises.

the goldfinch nods and begins to sing a melancholy sounding but hopeful song, perhaps mostly to itself

Syvli can feel an attempt to comfort her back

A small grin, and she goes to make the cancellation calls, assuring people that Piper is fine (which she hopes is true), that it was a family emergency (which is almost kinda true?), and that she'll call them back as soon as Piper is able to hold lessons again. "If I can find somebody to cover her lessons, would you be interested?"

A few agree, others.. skirt away. PIper is the one who earned their trust

Sylvi totally understands that, and she apologizes again for having to cancel.

A text to Tove. TXT: Any chance you'd be willing to cover a few of Piper's classes for this week?

TXT: I suppose. I am giving one already. It depends on the timing?

She shares the schedule of the students who agreed to have a substitute. It's not the end of the world if you can't, but it would be a big help.

TXT: I'll be happy too. But is Piper sick?

TXT: Honestly? I'm not completely sure. Not my story to tell, though, I'm sorry.

TXT: If there are other ways I can help, let me know, but yes I'll handle her classes this week

TXT: You're the best, thank you. I'm not quite sure how Piper charges them, but we'll figure out how to compensate you.

TXT: Your help with the plagurist has already worked wonders, thank you

TXT: 🙂 That was a TOTALLY worthy cause, and kinda fun, too!

TXT: Well her name is mud, I would feel guilty under other circumstances. Irony, it helped boost my sales as the chatter drew attention. Remind me never to get into a flame war with you

TXT: 😁😇

TXT: _👍 👋

Romona, the oTHER Boggan girl, this one sans wings, comes in about then

Sylvi looks up from her phone. "Hey, Romona!"

"Hey" She says 'Oh my god I have the juciest gossip"

I bet I've got it beat, Sylvi thinks, but all she says is, "Yeah? I'm all ears!"

Excitedly romana relates all that she overheard.... which, in some ways yes, Sylvi already had been told, but Romana was THERE, or atl east eavesdropping, so a LOT MOre details flow

Her eyes widen at the report of the fight, and its outcome. "Crap. Crappity-crap," she adds, then bites her lip as she looks to the bird in the window again. A deep breath. "Well...okay, that's bad. But lovers have fights. I think they'll get over it."

"Yeah, that's what we thought about Zane and the Mountain, and Zane hasn't come back .. not even for the retirement party"

"He's been back. Not a lot, but...he's in a good place with DarkGate. I mean, he pretty much fixed it, y'know? And...Piper did the same here. She'll be back."

"Oookaaay.. but Siv has been working her new squire like a drill sarge, mostly to take her mind off things I suppose, and I think she'll give up her left arm before she gives up her squire now, but Piper is ... I don't know, I don't want to say triggered but.. maybe it fits? By ANY sidhe Liam, which I did not see coming..... then poor Jonas caught in the middle. Did you know I saw him drinking the other day? I mean, not drunk, but out of all the three he's the one who hits the hootch the least"

"Wait...drinking where? A bar?"

"I dropped by the appartment, he opened the door , he was drinking alone"

A frown. "That's not good," she observes the obvious.

"I know, right? Siv has gone uber troll, duty duty duty with squire, Piper is feeling ALL The feels... and... Jonas can't help either of them. Your kith hates being helpless as badly as mine does I think"

"I can promise you that I will have talked to Jonas before Piper gets back. And I'll try to corner Siv, too." A pause. "What do you think of this Kassedy girl?"

"I don't know her, but I DID ask around. Apparently as soon as she got found out to be a Liam, no non Liam would touch her as a squire with a ten foot pole.. and the knights that were willing to overlook it already had a squire. Did you know she got beat up by two squires for trying to move in on THEIR Knights? Childlings can be monsters, even the non redcaps"

"This was at Caer Falken? Does the count know?"

"Probably not... you knon how it is with kids, snitches and stitches"

She frowns. "Yeah, but I bet their knights know, or at least have a suspicion that something was going on." She looks like she's ready to face down those very knights and give them a piece of her mind.

"You'll have to get behind Siv on that" Romana says "Anyway, you can see why Siv is reluctant to tell Kassedy 'Hey kid, my girlfriend hates your house so I have to dump you' on the other hand, Piper's past means she's got some scars"

"Yeah...." Ramona can practically hear the how do I fix this gears turning.

"Pushing a satyr doesn't work, I think. And pushing Piper, especially, seems like something that would backfire." Thinking out loud.

"Far as I can tell, no one's pushing, Siv's thrownn herself into her duty annd.. uhm well, you heard about Jonas. IS Someone pushing?"