#rutgers

Packing to go home feels a bit odd

And we look in on that as Sylvi is getting her stuff.

It's not like it's a long trip, and she's packed up to relocate more than once...but this time feels different. The apartment's starting to look pretty empty.

She'll be back next year... right? Right. But she has made friends here too. And moving back to her home (Mind you, time sharing herself with Goldfinch) will mean ... well, not being as in charge of herself. Or does it?

It sure was a weird year, school-wise, with the strike and all. But maybe that's how college semesters normally go? Anyway, it'll be good to have a couple of months of normal life. Well, normal for fae.

But yeah...being back with her folks...that'll be nice. For a while.

A knock at her door?

"Be right there!" she calls out, unsticking her fingers from the packing tape that is fighting back as she tries to close a moving box. She gets free and gets to the door, checking the peephole before opening it. No need to be stupid.

Siv waves "Hey. Came by to help with the move if you wanted? "

"Siv!" She opens the door and gives her a big hug!

"Hey" Siv smiles at the affection and hugs back "Look at you, college girl. How are you three?"

"Well, y'know, packing. So the place is a wreck. C'mon in!" Sylvi ushers her in and closes the door. "Dagmar's finishing up with some track team stuff, I think. And Symon...I'm not even exactly sure if he's still here. He might have packed and left all secret-like."

"Or that's what he WANTS you to think," Siv looks around as if expecting a jump scare as she comes in, "I got to tell you, it'll be great to have help with the census if you folks are willing"

"Oh, crap, yeah...I forgot about that. So weird. What kind of help do you need?" She clears a box off a chair for Siv and offers her a soda from the mostly-empty fridge.

Siv takes the soda, "Well, in a nutshell, what mom told me is..." And she relates it

"Hm. Well, you've go the apartments covered, right?"

"So I think what we need is eyes and hands. Dagmar would be great for creature counting as 'resources'" then at mention of the appartments "I can handle those...though I've actually spent more time at the Lodge of late. Piper's been away a lot helping her dad"

She adds "Seriously, this 'anti drag' stuff is insane. "

"I mean, she's doing something important, but that's rough on you."

Siv shrugs "You know, it is, but ... then I thought about it. Mom waits long periods of time some years while da is on the road. Don't hear her bitching. Your mom, sometimes waits for your da while he's gone for a week on the trods. She seems to keep her shit in one sock. Sides, I miss Piper, but I'm also insanely PROUD of Piper. SHe's..." A fond look "She fights so hard"

Sylvi looks a little odd when Siv talks about Brekke and Frank, but then nods about Piper. "She's a tough cookie."

"She is.. what's with the look?" She says "Your brow did that little tremble thing like when I make a crazy move at poker"

She automatically touches her brow. "It did not." Then a shrug. "I mean, you're right. Our moms are tough when our dads are away. But...I mean, sometimes it wasn't that way. I mean, before you got there."

A pause "Tell me?" She puts the drink to the side "And tell me what to lift or pack"

"Oh, yeah, can you hold this box closed while I tape? It's being a pain." As they work, she continues, "So, keep in mind that I was really little. Like...maybe five? But...well, when your dad was gone for years, your mom was really, really sad. I mean...it got really bad. I remember days where the Lodge was really quiet 'cuz she was in a deep brood by the 'fire." She pauses. "I don't remember actually seeing her ever smile back then. Not even a grin."

"But like I said, I was little. I might be imagining, y'know, fitting the details in my memory to the story I learned later."

With two sets of hands, the box and tape are wrestled into submission.

She does so, holding it down, and listens, "Oh..." A pause "Poor mom"

Then she says "I wonder how often she puts on a brave face for me"

"That I don't know. I mean, the times your dad is away now are a whole lot shorter than three years. And they're in touch a lot, so...it's different."

"All I'm saying is...if it gets you blue, don't feel like you're not measuring up to your mom's example or anything."

"Oh, I'll never measure up there... I even wear smaller shoes" A ssmirk

Sylvi laughs. "Most people do!"

"Yeah... " a smile "No, I'm good. It's not like Piper is gone for that long a stretch at a time, after all. She looks after Goldfinch on the regular too."

She looks around. "I'm glad this place came furnished. We don't have to move couches or chairs or stuff."

"Exactly," she agrees. "It's going to be nice to hang out more at Goldfinch again. I miss her balefire."

She keeps working "I think a certain Veep will be glad to have you. "

"Yeah?"

"Well, she is a grump... full of pep but only so much pep."

Sylvi looks up sharply from the box she's filling. "She's okay, though, right?"

"Oh sure, Piper helps her out when she's not on tour with her da, and you know others love the place"

Relieved. "Okay, whew! Had me nervous there for a second!"

The packing continues.

"Look, you are a bit behind, but the Redcap rumble was survived, and the battle of the bands ...well, everyone caught the wayward chimera that spawned"

There are a few moments of stunned blinking.

"I seem to be kinda out of the loop."

"Well, those are the HIGH Points"

"Listen..." she says, "I'm hungry. Wanna break for wings and you can catch me up on the important stuff I missed while doing college?"

"Depends, whose buying the wings?" Elbow nudge

"Hey, starving college student here!" she laughs. "No, totally, I got it. C'mon. The Crimson Knight wings are A-MAZ-ING."