#bergen_county

Kerri stands and turns to him. "I don't believe I'm done yet, Kyle."

"Kerri, you're upsetting my wife. If someone came into your place and started talking to Olgar about how horrible a father he was, wouldn't you ask them to leave?" He arches a brow "We do thank you for bringing this to our attention, but hammering at it after making the point, however you intend it, seems unnecessary."

"Does it? Perhaps. But Kyle, the point is not that you're both bad parents. You're normally very good parents. And the point is not that you're dealing with an unseelie turn, probably your first. Unseelie bothers some people a lot, but I have an appreciation for it when it's done right. But the way you're doing it is not right. You're letting it mess up your priorities in a way that's upsetting your youngest. Now, she can certainly stay with us at the Lodge for a little while until you're ready to re-assume parental duties in a way in which she feels heard, seen, and valued." Stern, even tone.

"Un... unseelie?"

"Hey, wait, you can't -take- Lily!"

"No, I can't. I'm hoping you'll agree to let her stay with us a few days."

Brenda bristles, "Klye, tell her she's.. tell her to go before I lose my..."

Kyle pats his wife's shoulder, "Brenda, it's okay. The Hearth is a good woman...she's just not aware how she's come across..." A mutter "I hope"

Then he turns to look at Kerri, "Kerri, what's this about an Unseelie turn? "

"Brenda, you tell me. You don't need to turn to have Kyle tell me. You have a voice of your own."

A sigh. "Kyle, you and Brenda are both strongly unseelie right now. I think you'll see it if you reflect on...on the way your strategies have shifted in the last few days. And your priorities."

"We've neglected Lily. You've pointed it out," He nods "And, we agree. I'm just not sure why you insist on ordering my wife about after making your point. Exactly what's to be gained in letting you hold Lily now that we know about the problem? Your husband is unseelie and I'm guessing he's a good parent. Shouldn't our children learn to deal with us Unseelie as well as Seelie? As I suspect your daughter had to?" Smooth. The man is in marketing. How much is fake placating and how much is geniune?

"My husband is unseelie, and he is a good parent. That's because being a parent has become part of his passion, just as caring and providing is part of mine. Perhaps it can be part of your passions as well...but you haven't developed those aspects of your unseelie natures yet. We can help you, but you need to take this seriously."

Adam shifts his weight.

"You can go if you want to, Adam," Kyle says to his son

"N...no, I'd like to stay."

Kyle then looks to Kerri "And you think we're not taking it seriously ?" A frown

Kerri looks to Adam. "I'm sorry, Adam, but this is an aspect of your family that you're going to have to learn about and learn how to navigate. They will have their unseelie seasons."

"But unseelie isn't -bad.- Right?"

"No, Kyle...I think you're taking it opportunistically, and not examining it too closely because it's inconvenient to do so."

"Unseelie isn't bad, Adam."

"I've made a few deals and bargains to provide for my family, and yes, I admit we missed Lily's problem, but given how you're continuing to pressure my wife and dont' seem to respect this is OUR Home, I'm not sure you're going to be a good influence on our daughter, not if your'e likely to undermine our authority of her just like you're ignoring my request for you to leave. If you leave right now, my wife and I will TALK about it, now that we have time to talk having just been informed of our error..repeatedly, and consider your request. If you refuse to leave , then I'm heading over there right now to get Lily."

"Done." Kerri turns and without another word to any of them, simply walks out.

"I can't believe the NERVE of her," Brenda bubbles with outrage now a bit freer, "I mean, I know she cares about Lily and I feel terrible but..."

Kyle puts a hand on his wife's shoulder again "Brenda, we do need to talk. I'm upset too, and guilty. I should be able to work some new ideas without neglecting my charges. But yes, she's clearly of the view this Hearth job means ANYONE's Hearth, not just hers."

Adam seems at a loss.

"They clearly want to hold onto Lily," He ponders "Though I can't quite figure out Kerri's angle on this. What's she gain?"

"Precedent? if she can 'suggest' taking away anyone's child any time once, she can do it again? Then gaslight them into her views and support perhaps?" Brenda suggests

"maybe," Her husband gives her an approving look at thinking it through

"Mrs. Davidson's been pretty ok." Adam sounds upset. "I mean.... to me. And everyone says she's, you know. Cool about stuff."

Brenda looks at her son, about to call Kerri a bitch then, "Well, she is powerful.. I can respect that." Then she sighs "Adam, what's your take on this? I thought you were enjoying that we were letting you do what you wanted to do"

"I am! And I took care of Lily! I mean, I can head up leftovers even if her stuff is gross and I know how to run the laundry machine and it's not like we have anywhere to -go- and I -have- a car if we did! Shit, I mean, shoot, I would have read her a story if she -asked-....!"

"What I don't get," Kyle admits "is how did we just 'become' Unseelie? the way the Mountain and others spoke, while unsained are more likely to slip.. it also involves a trauma or intense stress "

"Uh, I think it also happens at certain times of the year. I think."

"Yes, sweetie," Brenda says to Adam "But we're heading towards Summer. I thought that was Seelie?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"So we're back to why" Brenda says

"Uhhhh......."

Kyle ponders "We need to talk to Lily. I want to make sure she understands OUR Side of the narrative so she can't have someone give her a less pleasing one. Maybe that will buy us time to look into this change, not that I havne't enjoyed most of it. " He looks at his wife, "As I know you have, Brenda."

Brenda admits 'I have," lowering her lashes "Happy to have your back, my dear." A frown "But I don't like the idea of us not being 'good' for our daughter."

"You guys -are- good for her. For us." Stoutly.

Brenda kisses her son on the cheek, then parts "That's my little Crib Monkey"

Kyle says "maybe we get get something out of this... tell them in this trying time, they can watch our daughter but... tell them we're staying away from the bale fire to give her space so we might need some dross?"

"Well, we definitely need to learn more about sluagh that's for certain," Brenda says, then her eyes light up, "Wait.. they're spies aren't they? Maybe we can talk to her, encourage her to nose around, share what she knows with us? It might give you influence over them in the future, Kyle. "

How Adam feels about his parents PLOTTING like this, let alone using the term 'Crib Monkey' (Gained when he climbed out as a baby) is..well, up to Adam

Adam sighs, long-suffering.

"What is it, Adam?" Kyle asks

"That name............."

"You could just -ask- Lily about sluagh." He offers.

"Yes. I suppose I best talk to her. Mmm... yes. Brenda.. tell Lily what we need her to know, put her on the task you suggested, I'll keep the others busy at the front hopefully" Kyle says