#bergen_county

Vali pulls out the boxes at his house. The ones with the treasures. "Maybe they don't want them?"

Tiffany says "Yeah, who wants treasure? Blah"

Margilita says "So.. let me furking get this straight. Symon and Dagmar, you owe them. You want to pay them. But they won't show up? So.. bingo, you get to keep it!"

"Not sure that's how this whole 'repay all debts' thing works" Vali says deadpan

It's a couple days before Symon asks Dagmar if they can head over to Vali's together. But they are headed there now!

Tiffany breaks out the Dr. Pepper and Tea

Gerd appears "Am I late? Have they shown up?"

"I thought Anne Marie would never stop, you know, just hugging, and patting, and pawing at me." He whispers to Dagmar as they walk over. "And then Dad brought out my homework - he PRINTED it all..."

"This was a PRIVATE mission" Vali says a bit cranky "How does everyone at this house know about it?"

"Must have been half the trees in Bergen... should sic the Chief on him..."

"THEN I had to convince Anne Marie to let me keep Quetz in the house..."

"But she agreed, right? Quetzl is part of the fam now."

Quetz is currently snoozing in the basement at Symon's House. Dirk pronounced him 'metal as fuck' and Anne Marie is allowing him thanks to his usefullness but wants him to ..stay out of rooms she is in

"Well, he ate this rat that got in while Lovecraft was out chasing away an alleycat... and bam, he's in." A smirk. "I half think maybe Lovecraft chased the rat in, maybe she's getting attached."

And they knock on Vali's door.

A nocker lives there. And a Pooka. Don't push the doorbell.

The door opens, it's Gerd "About time. We were all wondering. Come in.."

"Good she's not jealous..."

"Oh she's jealous... " Gerd says "if by she you mean me." A smile "But Dogmar was so damn cutit's hard to be cranky about it"

Dag smiles. "Connor did SUCH a good job."

"Yeah, none of the buildings were even burnt down or blown up."

"Hey guys, come on over to the table in the dining room" Vali's voice can be heard

"Hey Vali."

A whisper to Dagmar. "he'd better not be expecting us for lunch. Ann Marie WON'T STOP trying to feed me."

And a hand raised to the troll!

Rather than food on the table, there are boxes. Three of them. Cardboard

One is squarish and large. Another Rectangular and large. The last medium and circular

Brow.

"Each of you may claim one prize... but which box has which prize? Oh that's the mystery! Which will it be? "

A glance exchanged with Dagmar.

More brow. "Yeah, that's bullshit."

A nod!

"I'm tired of surprises for a while."

She nods at Symon.

"One mulltipronged item assembly and they come back grumps" he sighs "Fine fine.. go ahead open it up, each of you pick one"

Tiffany gigles "the look on their foreheads though. Like 'are you for real?'"

"What do they do?" The voice of one who has had her share of bait n switch.

"First open them and at least take a look. Geez meet me half way here and admire. I quested hard for these back in the day"

"Goldarn kids these days just want it all on easy mode" Gerd teases her Uncle

"Don't you start" he tells her

A threat of jaw-jut.

"We can start at that." He allows, and reaches to open each box so that they can look in.

Dag, too, opens one of the boxes.

There are no explosions! or pop ups or glitter... it's all straight

"Did your final leg work out on the quest?" He asks, without any of the specifics they were asked not to divulge.

"I did." He says

"It work out?"

And the items appear to be a sickle! with patterns of harvest and skulls. A drum meant to be played by hand. And a stick that does not look like a weapon, too fragile to be a club or staff

Each has glamour

"Not the way I hoped," he admits "But, it helped someone"

His eyes are drawn to the sickle FIRST... but then his attention to the stick.