#goldfinchfreehold

A smell of food, REAL food, fills the hold of goldfinch. tthe scent of Meat pies instead of microwaved popcorn, baked potatoes instead of fries from a random fast food chain.

Sylvi is tidying up a studio room, but she pauses and sniffs the air. "Mmm! Who brought real food?" She peeks around the corner to the kitchenette.

Her dad is setting down a package of it!

"Dad! Hi!" She goes to give him a hug. "What's that?"

Olgar looks over at her then returns the hug, "Come on dig the meat pies are delicious. I had one at the lodge and brought this surplus here. You know, it's really annoying that i cannot seem to get a trod hookedup near here... was so annoying I had to eat another meat pie on the way here to recharge"

"At least you kept your strength up," she says with a smile. She samples a meat pie, and sighs happily. "Mom-food. Always excellent."

"I know you'rre a boss lady now" Proud "But you know you can come back home for meals more often than you do, right?"

"I do come home," she insists. "I mean, you're not always there when I do. Plus...well, I'm busy, y'know?"

"I know, I know. Cheerleading captain, hold business, frrickin vampires... and maybe I'm just as guilty when it comes to bad timing for us to be together, but seriously honey, high school food and grub from fast food joints and that weird venndinng machine? Yeah.. your mom and I worry about your dietary nneeds a bit"

"I do get a salad...sometimes..." But as she chews, she looks like she might not remember when the last salad was, exactly.

"Oh we got a salad in here somewhere too, but me? I'd go for the baked potato... it'll come out of this container hot enough to melt butter

"

"I'll share both with you. You probably aren't eating enough salads, either, Dad."

A grin "Well, I admit, my meat pie to salad ratio isn't ideal. Honey, this isnn't a body shamingg thing. It's a quality of food thing. But yeah, let's share mm?"

"Oh, hey, with the amount I'm doing, I could inhale three cheesecakes a day and still keep most of my figure, I think. But..." she pause "...well, I get kinda worried, too." She found some paper plates and has split up the food and shared it between them.

"Yeah?" He helps he set things up and preps the baked potato the way she likes it. "What's worrying you the most?"

"Oh, it's, uh, not the most worrying, 'cause I know it's not happening now, but..." A long pause as she watches him prepare it. "I mean...well...Hearth Agnes is passing. And..." She looks at the food on his plate. "I want you and mom to...be around for a long time."

"Hearth Agnes has at a third of a century over your mother and I. maybe half." Olgar assures her "And... well, your old man keeps tighter patrols these days. Nothing is certain in this world, Rugmonster, but if I were a betting man, I'd say you'll be putting up with us long after you become a grump yourself"

A grin. "Gonna keep that from happening for as long as I can, then."

"FFft easy there, Petra Pan. it'll happen when it happens" A grin back then he sobers "Agnes is a good egg, She'll be back. Hey?" Brigghteinng "Maybe next time as Unseelie?"

"Geez, I can't even imagine that." A nudge. "Eat your salad."

He does, dutifully, munch at his salad first "Okay... you're an honorary DeBuke. I get it, why you hold them extra close to your heart. But, well, it'll be okay to let her start her new adventure whenn and whoever she'll be ... now, how are things here?"

"Well...there's a leak developing in the roof, but it's tiny now, so still time to fix it. And...well, you heard about the vampire." A shudder. "Close thing for Dirk."

"But points for him too, Redcap bragging rights. " A look up "Leak in the roof? You want your old man to thatch it?"

"Thatch? Really, Dad?"

"Sue me, A Knight's Tale was on FX again"

An amused look.

"Well, yeah, if you don't mind? I'll help, but I'd really like you to see what you think."

"Sure... " He nods "I'll need to go back to the lodge and get my tools unnless you have some tools here? "

He has eaten his half of the salad

"Some. Not a lot...." She finishes a meat pie and goes to a closet where she draws out tattered canvas tote with a jumble of tools...hammer, screwdrivers, level....

"Let's finish eating first. Don't want it getting cold' But he does rise to look the tool selection over "Okay... I know you kids are proud, but I'm getting you all a decent tool sett for this hold . This is.. it's making me twitch it's such a mess"

"Well...I'm not going to tell you not to." A shrug, "Yeah, sorry, another thing that's sort of been on the list of stuff that will have to happen...eventually."

"Oh! I don't remember if I told you...there was a basketball scout at school the other day!"

"There was? Huh.. I would have thouht Jaymes would be crowing about it"

"Well...Dagmar was kind of freaked out. She did great...so did May and Lupe...but I think that's because she didn't know a scout was watching. Maybe she didn't tell Jaymes?"

"I think...she's really messed up about the whole going-to-college thing."

"She freaked? Ah I don't like to dismiss anyone's legit baggage, but some days that girl is her own worse enemy" A sigh "Well, far be it from me to narc...but I hope she doesn't sabotage herself . A schoolarship could open doors for her. " He ponnders "Help Tove and Jaymes out too finance wise. Do not tell her that part. it would just freak her out more"

"Yeah, but Dad...what if she doesn't decide to go to college at all?" She's picking at her salad again.

"Well, we can't make her go to college, but we can urge her, try to support her.. assure her it will be okay. " A brow "SPeaking of young women going to college..ahem"

She frowns and rolls her eyes. "Daad...."

"Hey, since the subject is on the table... I am not above pointing out how it might help Dagmar if one of her friends was also going to college" He shrugs openly in his 'you knew I was Unseelie when we sat down' gesture

A brief glare. "That's not fair, and you know it. Look..." she puts down her fork "...I've been building a career of my own for years now, and I've learned a lot about managing my money from Sally Mae. And...there's Goldfinch!" She gestures around. "It's important, and I need to be here to, y'know, take care of it."

"Arrangements can be made... and you have allies here. Just please think about it, kay?" A pat "You finish eating. I'm gonna patch that leak. We got more snow coming in soon"

"I have been kinda looking at Bergen Community," she admits. "Not too expensive, and close by. So...there's that." Definitely an air of telling him something to satisfy the conversation for now. A beaming smile at his mention of working on the roof. "Thanks, Dad. My hero."

"Anytime, Angel, and.. thanks for considering what I said. " He grins and heads up

And Sylvi? Mmm Sylvi finds the dessert her mom left for her. Her favorite!

(End scene)