#goldfinchfreehold

and she cuddles piper

Sylvi gives Rikki a look. "Like I was saying about hurtful...." Half-joking.

"Term limits also allow a troll to say no." Quietly.

Sylvi looks at Dagmar. "Say more?"

"Seelie code says we put duty and honor first. And holding a fire is both."

Sylvi nods, giving her room to continue.

"Just... if there's term limits, it means that other folks will have to step up. That it doesn't turn into feeling that one has no choice but to do it."

"Even if it's just... like, two consecutive terms, and then being able to come back after a break?"

Another nod, and she looks down.

"So you're looking for a way out of duty, even if no one else is fit for the role?" She frowns a bit. "This is sounding bad, but it's theoretical, right? I'm not pointing any fingers."

"Look how hard it has been for Frank." She frowns.

"No, that's...that's not it, Piper," Sylvi says quietly. "I don't think anybody would want to step away if they don't feel there's anybody else who could do the job."

"And no - it's because we can tell ourselves a lie that no-one else can do it. Then it becomes harder and harder to step down and allow others a chance to try."

"That's why it wouldn't be UP to the freeholder. But let there be someone else who is willing, and capable, to start it. "

"Because we CAN do it, and it's our duty, and it's honorable, and then it's.... well. Most freeholders only step down when they die."

Jordan nods "Dagmar is right. Trolls are big ole martyr machines"

"By making it a limit, it's not so adversarial? That folks know change is coming up, and can start preparing?"

Sylvi starts to say something, then stops and listens instead.

"Preparing, yeah." Piper snorts a bit, frowning.

"Piper...are you mad at me about this? About asking the question?"

"At the start of term two, that's three years warning that someone needs to succeed... I..." She frowns. "Sorry."

"Freeholds are... they're like... incredibly tuned to the Freeholder. Goldfinch is what it is right now, because of Sylvi. She's shaped it. Who knows what it would become under someone else? It wouldn't be the hold it is now... and maybe I'm being greedy, but I like what we have going on. I'm not ready to see it change for... for sorry, waht seems to me like no good reason."

Piper shakes her head at Sylvi. "I'm not mad at you... no. But... I guess I'd rather we just keep enoying a good thing, rather than decide it has to change just because.

"Ah, now that's the MAGICAL Side of things vs the political" Jordan nods

A wry grin at Piper. "I thought you were the more unseelie one of us."

She looks uncomfortable.

Others , particularly some other saytrs see piper's point 'it is cool" Lyron nods

"Look, I'd be all about enjoying a good thing. I just worry that a good thing can go sour...and I don't want to make it go sour because I tried to stay in it longer than I should."

"And Dagmar's right, about...about how hard it is for a troll to release a duty."

The wind shifts, the lights dim, and Zane is there. Leaning on a staff

Rikki looks at him "Seriously? How BORED are you?"

The fact that there was wind at all in the basement freehold is another matter.

"Geez, Zane. Little dramatic, huh?"

"Dagmar made a good point, earlier. Most Freeholders are for life. Why the big rush to insist on Goldfinch being- " She muffles a shriek in surprise, and gives Zane a little glare.

"Hey, I've been hanging with a theatre motley" He says with a smile, then steps back as his cus glares

"Course if i'm not welcome.." A mutter

"Don't DO that! I about swallowed my tongue."

"You're totally welcome, we're in mid-chaos already. And there's pizza."

"I noticed .I might have been peeking. I heard' magical' and it felt like a cue" Zane admits "And i might have a solution?"

"As to why, Piper, I guess it's because I read too much about Firnost when I was a childling."

"What've you got, Zane?"

"I heard tales about Firnost, too. That it never had a true freeholder, and it was wild and dangerous. They tried to do some sort of elected kith reps, and that was a fiasco..." She trails off.

Looking to Zane.

Sylvi shrugs and nods at Piper's assessment of Firnost's drawbacks.

"Share the flame, not as equals, but as an alternating Vice Holder and the main holder. This will alter the nature of the place subly, but the vice holder changes every year or three, the holder remains consistent, then the holder does want to step down and knows it's safe to do so, the vice holder becomes the new holder and the cycle continues. Allow the challenge option to keep the tyranny factor down if it helps. the magic will shift. Unlike most freeholds, the Lodge SHARES the fire between the elders, so this should work"

She considers this quietly a moment before saying, "That's...not bad. And it means we'd know that somebody would be ready to take over if needed, not like starting from scratch. And, Piper, it means that there'd be more of the consistency that you want to see."