#anywhere

A sigh. "When? I mean, which time?"

Brekke nods. "It is a complicated situation. Lily mentioned you speaking to her, and then hearing Brenda cry. If you think you know the incident, describe how it happened. If there are multiple times....then are they related?"

Adam looks at his feet, shifts in his chair. "Yeah, well.... she probably means the time after Beltaine. I, uh, I was angry. And rude."

Brekke waits.

"And then I went up to my room. I don't know what happened after -that-." A bit of emphasis directed at Lily, sibling-style.

"Mm." Brekke pauses, then looks to Brenda. "What the Tragos did resolved the matter of Beltaine with the sisters, with the Dreaming, and with me. I do not think it was intended to resolve the the matter that stands between you and your son. You have each hurt the other. Do you both understand that?"

Brenda nods

After a beat, Adam nods.

"Brenda...what were you thinking when you did the act that caused your son to feel hurt?"

"I know my actions with the girls on Beltaine embarrassed him greatly" She says "he was mortified for how it made him look"

"That is not what I asked. What were you thinking when you did it?"

Adam sighs and only just manages to avoid rolling his eyes. He closes them instead.

"Oh... that they had wronged my son, and I would have them repay that debts in one way or another" She says "I think.. I'm not good at Courty extremes" She blushes

Brekke nods. "Adam, when you said what you said to your mother, what were you thinking at the time?"

"I was angry. I...."

"I wasn't angry because I was mortified. But I was. Embarrassed, that is. I was angry because of how wrong it was to do. Just, number one, that .... ok, I know I'm not a satyr, I'm not even Fae." A glance at Kyle, and back to the Chief. "But even I can see that no one should do that to anyone else, and satyrs shouldn't do that -especially-. And number two, if they wronged me then it was -my- wrong to address. Their debt was to -me- not her. I don't need her to fight my battles or pay my debts. I don't need her to, and I don't -want- her to."

Brenda looks miserable

A nod. "Brenda, since what happened on Beltaine, you have learned that Adam and others were impacted by your actions. You have made good on some of that. You have yet to make Adam whole. Adam, you have learned that you impacted Brenda. You also have yet to make restoration." Brekke leans back to consider this.

"Brenda, what do you think needs to be done to make things right with Adam?"

"Well, I was focused on apologizing to those I thought wronged most.. Leya and Lola. That was my priority and I have seen to it as best I can though I am confused by Adam's keeping the grudge with the girls going himself, that's his choice. I..." She frowns "You know, I'm not sure. I am VERY ANGRY at Adam myself on this. I don't understand how he can lecture me, tell me how I'm wrong... yes, I was, and ORDER me not to do things, when he refuses to endure the same.. not even for a moment. The lack of respect hurt, the anger at me, hurt however justified, but the hypiocracy... goads. If our situations were reversed and I'd treated him that way he'd be furious. It's not the anger.. its the assumption that it was his PLACE to order me about like I was ..." A breath "LIke I was UNDER Him"

Brenda seems quite emotionally torn... regret, some empathy, anger, and mostly hurt

Adam blinks and looks at her. "Huh?"

"I'm not keeping a grudge against them!"

"They told me you were. Leya says you tore up the check..." Confusion but she's telling the truth as she knows it

"Yeah. I mean, number one, not keeping a grudge. I tore it up because I don't want it."

A curious look, and she doesn't interrupt the interchange.

"Why do you not want it, Adam?"

"Number two...." he breaks off, looks at the Chief. "'Cause.... I mean, it's just money. I told 'em, ok, fine. Payment for lessons learned. Keep it. I don't want anything from them."

"Adam, do you realize that, to adhere to the seelie code, a fae must repay all debts?"

Brenda clearly wants to chime in on that, but bites down

"Would money really repay that debt? If there's a debt at all? I was stupid, didn't keep a handle on the sitch, got rolled. Like I said, lesson learned." He looks from face to face, mystified they don't get it.

Lily rolls her eyes at her brother as if he's missing the OBVIOUS

Kyle clears his throat "may I?"

A pause, and then Brekke nods to Kyle.

"Son, ah.. you learned long ago not to pick on weaker and smaller guys than yourself, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, well, that goes for any advantage... a smart kid mocking someone who is struggling with Ds in class is just another form of bully. " Kyle says "They used their edges over you to take your lunch money... they were abusers , bullies of another sort. "

"Okay......." following cautiously.

Brekke watches both Kyle and Adam carefully.

" So .. for them, it's not what the money is worth in cash, it's what the money is a sYSMBOL of... by paying you back, they clear tehir own crimes.. they make restitution. It's not about how much you value the money, it's about the action that stains it. You don't care, but to them, you're telling them to keep the dishonor. to keep the stain"

Kyle looks and sounds QUITE trolish as he says this

Brekke nods to confirm this.

Adam looks incredulous at this. He looks at his mother to see if she (a satyr) agrees.

"I talked to them," Brenda says and nods "Given how Leya thought you weren't letting go of the grudge.. that does explain the disconnect. The money is part of the apology... it's the part that shows it's not just words. When you refused your money back, you refused their apology"

Then she adds "Taht's how they SEE it is what i'm saying"

"Hm." Brekke nods. "You did not understand. And they did not understand you. The check is destroyed, so...if you explain to them that you consider the money payment for a valuable lesson, they may accept that."

"I don't care much about the apology, or the money; it doesn't matter to me. But that's going to make it ok?"

"It matters to them."

Kyle nods

Lily mutters something too light a whisper