#goldfinchfreehold

Sylvi looks at Piper. "Maybe her phone died."

Piper throws her hands up. "I knew it, she's offended that we dared call her! She's off doing her important Knight shit and I'm bawling for help the first time a problem comes up..." Her chin wibbles a little.

Sylvi watches the satyr-tantrum start. "Take it down. You know Dagmar. She's not like that."

Piper takes a deep breath and hums a set of scales to herself.

"Good. Then a minor key. Then mixolidian or whatever the heck it's called.)

Her tail still twitches anxiously. It's rather cute, if you're into that thing. But Piper seems unaware of it.

"Should we call back, or...?" Trailing off.

"And it's Mixolydian."

" You can't have blues without it."

Jonas nearby says "Just be patient, dear. Can I get you two drinks while we wait?"

"LeviOsah, LevioSAH, whatever."

Jonas's face twitches slightly, which means he found the '"LeviOsah, LevioSAH,' comment funny but is worried he'll get caught.

"Not from that vending machine. I don't care if if was artificially flavored, turkey dinner soda was nasty and I'm still mad about it." A huff and a mutter about her 75 cents,

"Just outline the basics in a text. She'll get back to us. Just, y'know, word it carefully."

"I'm good for now, Jonas, but thanks."

Piper gives Jonas a hopeful glance. He IS the most organized of their trio...

Jonas seems to have missed the glance ,or he's betraying her by making Piper do it herself. The cad!!

"Jooooonasssssss." She says, and her voice is so well trained she even makes it sound like it's not a whine!

"RIght. Go to that spot a half mile from here and get you your favorite blend?"

Sylvi snickers.

Deliberately misreading perhaps?

She stomps her hoof. "Just for that yes, I'd like a triple grande oat milk chai with 2 pumps of sugar free vanilla and a cinnamon sprinkle. And not from the one on Main street, the GOOD shop over on 7th." A pause, "And something for Sylvi too."

"Uhh. Hot chocolate with a peppermint shot."

He nods understanding. Spousal tribute must be paid when one is willful, and looks to Sylvi "Hot Chocolate with a Peppermint shot . HOpefully won't be long." he heads up the stairs and out.

Piper taps at her phone, then erases it, taps, erases, for several long moments, chewing on her lip.

"Talk it out. I'll kibbitz."

She mutters to herself for a bit, leaning where SYlvi can see her screen.


Sam I think ICE is circling and I don’t know what to do and Corazon’s cousin is gone and what if they come for Siv and what if someone decides to “solve” this with claws and teeth and then everything explodes and I should have just gone to the beach but I didn’t and now I feel responsible for everything

"No... no no no." (DELETED)

She mutters more and tries again, speaking aloud as she taps,

Typing again...

I know you’re busy being heroic in Alaska but some of us are dealing with actual danger down here and I kind of need you—

She stops, "Rather chew off my own hoof..." (DELETED)

"Ooof. Okay." Sylvi puts her hand over the screen.

Everything’s fine! Totally fine. Just minor federal harassment. Probably nothing.
Anyway how’s the snow-

And Sylvi coveres it up

"So...how about this..." She thinks for a moment, then releases the phone so Siv can type....

"How about... Need some advice. How would you handle it if some ice men cometh and there was a concern that somebody might wolf them down?

Piper's brow wrinkles. Clearly that is a bit TOO vague for her, but she ponders and taps...

Sylvi sees the expression and grins. "She'll get enough of that to ask for clarification, at least. Especially if the word wolf is in there."

Hey Sam.
Need your advice. We’ve got ICE sniffing around RV-adjacent spaces. One confirmed pickup in Bergen.
I’m worried about some of our more vulnerable folks… and also about certain hot-headed moon units escalating things if they catch wind.

Sylvi and I are putting together a posse, I think??? No need to leave Alaska unless you think it's needed.

She adds But would feel better with you here. Then stops, and erases that line. FInishing with:

Can you weigh in? Loop Symon if appropriate.

she shifts from hoof to hoof with anxious clattering.

She watches Piper press send, and then nods. And then Piper keeps typing, and Sylvi looks over her shoulder.

"Well, it's sent, and that's that"

As if she just took the SATs or sat for the Bar exam.

"And there's no way she won't get back to you. I'm on that convo, right?" She checks her phone to see if she got the message too.

Little did Piper know what she had set in motion... little did she suspect... Even now, dramatic off panel narrators were using it to build tension...

"Yep, but just us two because otherwise things get too crazy. Hate group texts!"

"Agreed. And now...we wait, and we get nice hot drinks delivered right to us. This is the life."

(Pause)

"And let me just explain to you how the Mixolydian scale works..."

..............