#anywhere

At the motel teenagers joke about...

The word is sore...Kerri acted like she had the resiliency of a 21 year old... and she certainly had the fun of one! Drinks, mechanical bull riding, dancing, and demands on her husband's body that put him through paces while testing her own limberness... she was ravenous in all experiences and didn't give a damn about what it looked like... she almost got into a fight... and was almost disappointed when the other party backed off... so add to what positive adjective you want to the word: deliciously, delightfully, naughtily... happily even... but...however you describe it... sore. Her body now explaining, that she is not a wilder... that hot tub and whatever was in that drink were great but maybe in smaller amounts and...yeah... she takes inventory of the twinges. Somethings she might regret. A few she can't quite bring herself to regret at all. But slowly something does dawns on her...


This is not how a respected member of the PTSA normally behaves.

The bed is a bit on the small side, and she's pretty sure if she or her husband gave it a shake, the frame might come apart after last night.

But she's hoarded or discarded the blankets as suits her and fluffed her husband beneath her.

She works her way to bleary wakefulness and tries to get up...but, oh, no, that's a Bad Idea. A groan as her head drops back onto his chest.

"morning party girl... or should I say noon?" A chuckle deep. She might resent that chuckle, but he groans a bit himself as he moves an arm. GOOD... as long as she's not suffering reminders of time's cruelty alone.... or perhaps she's better than that? 🙂

She's not. He earned his share of this pain. Another groan. "Noon? They're gonna charge us extra...." She shifts again, a bit more successfully this time and manages to sit up...kind of. It's a wavering kind of sit.

"Covered. " he says noting she's showing financial concern when last night it was all 'make it happen'.. oh sure ,she sweet talked a great price, but the point was she didn't even hesitate. He puts a palm on her bare back as she sits up. Was a time I'd have pulled her down again.... but we might need to talk, and while I'll never admit it... Recovery time ain't what it used to be Then again, as he watches her contours move however stiffly, he might find himself motivated pretty easily. Ah well, "Been a while since you last jumped in the winter olympics when it wasn't Samhain."

She half turns to look at him, her unbound hair mostly hiding her profile. After a moment, she mutters, "You're complaining?"

He raises a brow, "You're kidding right? "

That gets a bit of a grin. It might want to be a smile, but it's tired. "Well, okay, then."

Still, she's not feeling unseelie now. When Honor is a lie, you don't worry that you left Sally Mae and your squire on duty longer than you intended. You don't hope no one you knew saw you riding a mechanical bull with a beer in your hand so it doesn't complicate things for your kid. Though to be fair, even SEELIE now if some busy body gave her grief about she'd likely give a piece of her mind. But a bit of more... honorable duty bound thinking is back.

"Babe, I love you no matter what... both sides are just a part of the sexy wholeness that is you..." Olgar says "But you're not a casual flipper. So I'm wondering if there's a situation that eased you down that road you want to talk about?"

She's still replaying the night before in her head...and she covers her face with her hands. "Nobody got video of that, did they?" She doesn't address the other question.

"Hold on.." He reaches to the small table at the side and holds up his phone, it's not state of the art but it can and does record video... which shows her...

(Pick one)

A) Arm Wrestling with a mortal biker, and slamming his fist down and taking money from him in a bit, flexing and going "Anybody else?"

B) Riding a Mechanical Bull holding on with just one hand, the other holding a beer.. she's not sure where the hat came from.

((A)) Eyes wide. "Oh, no.... Olgar...."

C) In the hot tub singing and showing a bit too much over the water singing "I know what boys like, I know what boys want"

OOC: A It is 🙂

BIC: "Relax, no one else recorded it, and you made fifty bucks" Oh he finds this funny

((So very NOT C!!!))

OOC: I thought I was pushing my luck with that one 😉

A wince and she stands to say something...but then wavers, putting her hand on the wall to steady herself. After a moment, "....ow."

He gets up, and rubs at her shoulders gently, "Easy. Want me to get some lotion, or maybe hit the hot tub again, this time for therapy?"

She's pretty sure that if CSI looked for a match for the bite mark on his shoulder, they wouldn't have to search far.

"I need to get back. I told Sally Mae and Brogan...." A frown...what did she tell them exactly? "I should get back."

"Okay, yes fine. But Kerri... you've been dodging what I asked about for a full minute now."

She frowns at the bite mark on his shoulder, not meeting his eyes. "It's nothing. I must have just...taken a walk on the wild side, that's all. It's nothing."

And he is breaking out lineament. She should recognize it, it's something she helped make to ease sore muscles.. heck, she even added a touch of lavender to the mix "Hold still... and nothing?"

"Nothing," she repeats, groaning slightly as his hands go to work. "Nothing...important. Don't worry about it."

"Nothing I didn't buy, not to offend... Nothing important? Okay.. .out of respect for you, I'll buy that.. .for now... but we're partners, babe. And I remind you you haven't let me get away with that closing up like a clam stuff, at least not for very long either. If I didn't know any better I'd swear you were spooked by something. If you're worried about snide comments from those hags on Picket street.. " A snort "don't. You'd eat them for lucnch, Summer OR Winter side up."

Still, she notices he looks a bit concerned.

And not because of those 'hags'

A sigh as she glances at the phone again. "Eating them is not an option, hon. And...okay...I guess...." Some kind of decisions, and her tone shifts. "I'm just tired of feeling like Alice on the Brady Bunch. I think that's it. The Chieftain and Frank and you are all fine...but I think all the various assorted wilders sometimes forget."

"Vali giving lip again?" A frown

His hands work her over, slowly.. and darn it, it's good stuff , heating and cooling just right. This formula works pretty darn well for a non magical one... something to be proud of given how she improved it with practice

A twinge as he hits a sore spot. "Not since last time, with Gerd....but...I think that's part of this. And then Gerd...rearranging the kitchen for her tea things...." Her voice drifts a bit as the salve sinks in.

"Yeah I'm not one to think a guy should say 'hormones' but.. in all honesty? Puberty is not being kind to her.... and that includes mood. I think she goes after you for the same reason she goes after Vali... you're an authority figure. Remember that time Sylvi deeeliberately ignored me about that narrow trod? And she also stole that cake to impress her friends when you were going to use it for someone else? It's no surprise wilders at that age challenge where they think we're 'thu boss'" A grunt "But no, you are not 'Alice' ... Alice didn't handle a third of the stuff you do. I think maybe even you forget all the 'emotional labor' you do, and no I am not being sarcastic. Being the shoulder everyone else cries on is hard damn work. I get a break by long lonely stretches of silver... you? they know where to hunt you down."

"Not that my boyish looks normally draw crowds for sympathy" Her husband mugs for her, his blighted features easy for her to not even notice after all these years.

That gets a smile from her, and she reaches to touch his face, not even remotely upset by it. "I don't mind that, though. I don't mind...I even like being able to help them. It's when they forget that I'm equal to Storm and Mountain...." she trails off and frowns and...shifts uncomfortably.

"You think they do? " He asks

A shrug. "Seems that way. Frank gives wise counsel. The Chieftain's in charge of all major decisions and battles. I...get more toilet paper."

A snort "Please, the place would fall apart without you. Gerd's being a little Bitch, yeah..right age for it... but our daughter loves us and if she has doubts about the lodge it's more the 'why are the nobles in charge' than 'what does mom do' ...and she's matured some. No longer as 'I don't like the world and all grumps are blind' as she was. That visit to a decent sidhe hold seemed to help...which you had a large part of. And Dagmar thinks you're amazing. Honestly, I think if you and the chief barked different orders at the same time, she'd jump to do yours first and then feel confused and guilty after. Not that I'm saying we should experiment mind you"

She's quiet for a long moment. "Maybe."

He ponders "look.. i think part of it is.. your domain and duties are easier to intrude upon. The storm , not the chief, sees to battle..well, when a fight isn't going on... at best you could argue patrol assignment is it. The mountain... well who is going to mess with a balefire and the 'spiritual cermonies' tend to be mostly on infrequent holidays... the learning of arts is more voluntary. YOUR duties lie at the art of every day life, the essentials that you can't avoid or do without. Not just food and cleaning, but keeping everything flowing... so naturally they're more likely to stumble upon it because your influence is omnipresent. In that regard.. I think the Storm and Mountain have it easier. And here's the other thing, when the Chief wants counsel, she MIGHT let me pipe up, or Vali chime in or whatnot, but you're one of the three. Has SHE ever treated you like the hired help?"

An immediate head shake. "No. Never. Neither has Frank." A sigh. "You're right, Olgar. And I know it, in my head...but sometimes...well, you know how it gets."

"The heart is its own beast," he nods "But if the wilders are having troulbe grasping what you do.. may I suggest you step up something to the next level?"

She turns to look at him. "Next level?"

"Yeah, you already direct them to wash dishes, or clean and such to help you...well, if they've mistaken that for 'what you do' then they're clearly ready for the next stuff. Draft em. I don't mean just chores either. Those EVERYONE should do.. as you explained to me when you once poured two weeks of my own discarded socks on me ... remember that little moment first six months of our marriage? anyway... drag em off to pay utilities. Have them shop and wait in long lines for the best equipment and suppliies that they seem to think just magically appear . Set them down and let them crunch finances... you know how many kids graduate high school and don't know how to pay bills or balance their bank account? Have Sally Mae supervise them and then you check in at the end of the project... or watch them yourselves or make them watch you. If they get bored? GOOD. Maybe they'll see some labor isn't swinging an axe or muttering old psalms about Dana.. some labor a lot of hurry up and wait, dotting the i's and crossing t's and if you don't it all falls apart. I mean, that's just my suggestion, but I say the next one that seems to disregard you? They just volunteered for Hearth Bootcamp."

A fond grin at the sock story, and a mutter of "...you never did it again..." Then she considers the rest. "Maybe. I mean, it's a sure way to make sure none of them want to follow in my footsteps, but...well, it might work. It might also be an enormous pain in the ass, but...I'll consider it." She nudges him. "You're kind of smart sometimes. For a Rover."