#bergen_county

Gerd seeks out Kerri, "Hearth? "

In the kitchen, Kerri looks around as she finishes putting away some dishes. "Gerd! Oh, good, I was hoping to speak with you."

"Something's wrong with Connor" She says hurriedly

A sigh. "You've seen it, too." A nod. "Okay. What did you see?"

And she moves to the dishes to help put them away. "I talked to him..."

"And... he's not acting normally. He's skittish. He's snubbing me for some reason but I can't be sure why. I use the inside jokes only he and I use and he gives it the silent treatment"

"Hmm...as though he doesn't remember them?" A troubled frown.

"Like Lord Howlett never existed" She says

"I thought it might be banality, he might , actually be forgetting, but his glamour seems strong"

"No, I didn't sense a dimming in him...." A pause. "He has been eating voraciously. Far more than I can ever recall."

"What? Please, tell me more. He's my brother" Insistent and begging

"Well..." And she relates the incident of the full meal and then begging for more, the food wrappers in his room, no signs of purging....

"But he loves hot dogs more than hamburgers" Baffled

At the mention of purging, she scowls "Is... maybe i need to move back?"

"I don't think so, Gerd. He's not doing that, as far as I can tell, so it's not a matter of needing closer supervision for his health, I think. But still...." A sigh. "Maybe you could tell him you're worried about him? Try and find out what's going on?"

"I tried, he's ..avoiding me I think, that's why I thought it was something I did"

And Gerd's eyes turn away from the food for a moment.

A deep sigh. "Gerd...it's not just you. He's been odd with me, with Jonas, with the Mountain...." She shakes her head. "He asked the Mountain whether he, Connor, was 'a little shit' and whether bad children would be locked in cages for being bad here. He knows better...or I thought he did."

"Little shit?" Gerd's focus returns "He didn't hear that from anyone here in the lodge. When I find out who or what is putting THAT notion in his head, I'll make sure they learn better."

"The Mountain is going to talk to Jaymes, see if something happened at the store."

She paces and nods "Okay. What about Tiffany?"

"Oh...for the benefit of pooka-speak? That's not a bad idea at all."

"Yes. Tiffany doesn't always like him, I know... because she ..well, I think she thinks everyone thinks she's supposed to play mom as a default and because he's more doggy than boy at times but that's not his fault that's.. well, nevermind, but she can get him to talk.. pooka have that knack even on each other"

She frowns. "I didn't realize Tiffany had that tension with him. I hadn't meant to put her in that position...."

"It's okay, no one did ultimately. THen, of course, she got a nocker foster ..go figure. But I think it was because it was on her own terms."

"Well...in this case, I hope she can put those resentments on the back burner, because I think we need her particular talents."

"And I don't mean munitions."

Gerd nods "She's a Thane of the Lodge, you're the Hearth. She's a solider. Do it from that stance and she'll respect it even if she doesn't like it"

She nods. "Would you be willing, Gerd, to tell her I need to speak with her here? If you wish to tell her your own thoughts on the matter, feel free."

"On it," She says and clicks her heels.

not hard to guess she's bunking

"Thank you!" she says before the girl goes BAMF!

Five minutes pass, when there's a wooosh

And Tiffany is standing there where Gerd was, wearing jeans, and a t shirt "Damn it, Scotty, let me get my jacket"

Kerri has, in the meantime, set out some pastries and a pot of tea. "Tiffany, thank you for coming. What did Gerd tell you?"

"Lord Howlington is in the shit," She says , "He's been Manchurian candidated; and that supplies apparently are getting cut. "

"Well, we don't know exactly what it is that's wrong with him, but it's definitely something. I'm just wondering if you might be able to figure out what the rest of us have missed?" She offers the snacks and tea.

She eyes the tea, "Ah, got anything more South American/Arabian?" Tiffany nods "You want me to Interogate him. Don't bother water boarding, I think he's part lab."

A chuckle. "Sorry, thought you were one of the Tea People. Well, you know where the coffee is, please help yourself and then we can talk more."

Her tail wags "Tea for niceties , Coffee for war rooms" But she gets jojojo and shakes him "Magic bean genie, here is my wish"

Tiffany pours a mug, "Gerd mentioned the pup is hunting burgers as primary target? That atypical?"

"Yes, I noticed that. Then there's the rest...." And she goes through the litany of strange Connor behaviors.

"Peed on the tree in TWO Legs? That's not union!" She says "Do you know which oak got the soak? Which spruce got the juice? Which Ash got the splash?"

"Oh...no, I'm not sure. Jonas saw him doing it, but he's gone to EarthRunes. He should be back today."

"I'll need to go to the scent of the crime, do a little Canine Science Investigation... if you can figure out what smells healthy or not, well, Urine in Luck." She mimes putting shades on.

A pained look, but accompanied by a grateful grin. "Whatever you can determine, I'd appreciate it."

She salutes "On It, Hearthmeister"

Finishing her coffee and a snack "I'll tackle Jonas when he gets here. Vali will be jealous."

Leaving the Hearth with assurances that the investigation is, for now, under way, merely on...paws.

(End Scene)