#scarsdale

"Hmm?" And she watches

Zara sees it too, of course, the fellow is rubbing his admissions ticket back and forth, back and forth, while eying the Thunderbird

While Siv may not be art wise enough to know what is going on, Zara is sure it is a bunk

Zara kenns the bunk, trying to guess what it is... fair fortune, likely...

Indeed..

Greedy nocker. This could bite him in the ass, more liely it's going to give him good luck even if it's not in the way he hopes

She leaves it lie... sometimes it is best not to pull too hard on the strings of fate.

"Bad news? " Siv asks

"He's trying to cheat. He'll get some luck. I'm not going to poke that bear."

"Drat. A lucky target can be hard to predict."

"Maybe try the paper he gave Bix?"

"Wait..."

Siv waits

"May you win the short and lose the long - thunderbird's stuck first note of a swan's song..." Oh, he'll be lucky. She won't disrupt his cantrip - but she can control the scope of it.

Siv tilts her head but looks impressed 'You're using his luck up for the car"

"Aye. Less risky than trying to reverse his soothsay."

The image blacks out and Zara gets a bit of a headache

A soft hiss. "And I should not do that through tattletale."

"I appreciate the effort. You okay?" She refills Zara's cup of tea

She nods, but she's squinting.

"I do not think I shall be able to cast again today."

"Then do not, you have done what you can and I know where to find him."

"If we are lucky, Mssr. Slip will have a muscle car."

"Too good for him, but better than the options. SHould I leave the cloth with you to try another day?"

"If you wish. At the least, it will make it hard for him to see more of the Lodge..."

"That was my thought" Siv says "I'm tempted to meet him. See if I can shake things up."

"Mmm... I know not his angle. Leanhaun are oft seducers...."

"He might be Bi, or gay... if the latter I don't think he's as interested in me as well. .not that one can't fake interest. Still, I'm no tramp. I can chance it"

"Aye, but there are arts that can inflame and confuse."

"And while masked agaisnt Soothsay I am not so protected against chicanery and the like..well, true, but by that logic, who is qualified to encounter him safely? Troll willpower is better than naught. I can't hide from my duties"

"That.. aye. Troll willpower is strongest in the face of duty."

"Then I should be the one to risk it, or another of my kith I think meaning no disrespect to you"

She nods. "Agreed."

" I best go.. since fair fortune isn't like to take on me..wish me luck instead?" A smile

A wry smile. "Indeed."

"Oh, I do owe you... so.." Ahem... "This is weird. Earl said you like these." She offers a pen, made of wood where most would have plastic... though of course the metal head for writing is still not wood. It is hand crafted.

"Oh, Earl..." An amused look.

"Please take it as a down payment for your own risks. if it's not Tawdry?"

"Thank you for the pen, it is lovely."

"Thanks, mom handled the wood part... Tove does it for a living, mum does it for love..." A look left to right "No offense to Tove, but mum's carving will always be best"

"Mothers are always best, aye."

She makes a juggling motion "Dad.. Mom... tween the two of them I am not sure who blesses me more, but for all my whinging, I thank the dreaming every day to have them. They must, of course, never hear of this. An embarrassment nervousa would appear and slay me. " Then she waves "I am off.. oh and thank you for the tea!"

"Please do visit again! It was nice." She escorts Siv to her car.

"Troubles aside, it was" She says, and once in her car, eyes the speed limit, then says "Sorry, Dad." And guns it!

A soft chuff in Siv's wake.

The neighborhood seems to collectively give a much put upon sigh at such common shinnagins, but if it could speak, each house, each tree, each fine stone in every garden would speak as one and say 'at least it didn't involve pink plastic flamingos'

Indeed!

Zara returns to her family's house to rest off that headache. Though with the recent challenges to her magic in this investigation, Troll will or no troll will, her sluagh curiosity might be piqued.