#darkgatefortress

"So let me get this straight" Colton blinks "Kelby is alive again. Some force intruded on her cycle, showed her a great danger coming.. and she was restored as a member of House Danaan?"

A helpless shrug from Sylvi. "That's about the most sense I can make of it. I know I saw her on the trod from the Yule Star, and she tried to explain it all to me, but it seems there's some stuff she's not really allowed to talk about much. But...yeah. She's alive. We went out for drinks," she adds, still stunned by the ironic normalcy of the impossible return.

"She was kind of a healer warrior combo wasn't she?" He asks

"I mean, sorry to use the past tense but you know what i mean" He adds

"Yeah. She could kick ass back then, and she was a force on the basketball court, but she was..." she pauses "...that battle? They kept her in healing reserve. She wasn't supposed to be in combat, but...it didn't work out that way, then." The sadness comes back, but it's confused. Then a gasp. "Oh, wow....Bertrand...."

"Oh geezus, Bert" his own eyes widen "he's gonna.. oh wow."

"He can't possibly know, right? There's...I didn't think to ask her when we were talking...he..." She shakes her head. "Her family already knows, some of them. They're sure to tell him...right?"

"The DeBukes, Dreaming bless them, are fairly functional within themselves, but they will see this as dirty laundry." Colton ponders"I wonder if she'd like ot make Dark Gate her regular hold?"

"Well, she can't really go back to the Farm, not as a home. Sworn to a House now...they can't have her living there. Which is pretty sucky. But...yeah, maybe DarkGate would work for her, long term." She encourages this idea, as if she hadn't come up with a hint of the notion before discussing it with Colton.

"Mmm if I were smart, I'd sugest she go to Brightwinds or some other remote location" A flicker of humor in his eyes "More chance having your free time to myself"

She smiles. "This is pretty remote already, you know." Compared to Rivervale, at least. "Don't be jealous," she adds, poking him lightly in the chest.

"I'm only part human" he reminds "But you're right, of course. We need healers, we need warriors. She's both. Even if she were a stranger she'd be a possible good choice, but we know her background and training. I'll extend the invitation"

"If she's still the Kelby I remember, and mostly she seems to be, then she won't let you down."

"Agreed. " He nods "Also, if she's here to fight the fell, we'll, we're in a key position to be in that fight."

Sylvi takes a deep breath. "Yeah. I...don't think her coming to DarkGate was all about me being here."

"No? mmm" A nod "All the more reason for me to talk to her then. How are YOU holding up about this? I mean.. you grieved HARD for her"

"It's...uh...it's...weird," she says, settling on an inadequate word. "I still kind of feel, like, happy and relieved and angry and...and I'm not sure what to think. So kind of the easiest thing to do is to pretend like her dying never really happened, you know? Like...like we just haven't seen each other in a while." She gives a wry grin. "At some point it's going to all kick me in the head at once, I'm sure. Aren't you lucky that you get to be the guy who picks up the pieces?" Sheepish.

"I am" he says "In pieces or in whole, if I get to pick you up, and hold you? I am a very lucky guy."

She gives him a wry grin. "Our schedules haven't really given us time for a lot of that lately, have they?"

"I know this makes women just roll their eyes? But I'm definitely feeling the lack and it's frustrating " he admits

"Okay, I'm rolling my eyes, not because of 'feeling the lack' because I totally do, too, but because you're assuming all women do the same thing, you knucklehead."

"Does it balance out if I say 'just like a man'?"

A smile there

She snickers a bit. "Maybe a little.

She reaches out to take his hand.

She takes his hand and he takes hers in return "And you're right, even if all women wasn't already a mistake, YOU are one of a kind"

"Darn right," she agrees with mock seriousness. Then she reaches up to claim a kiss from him.

And they kiss, it's gotten familar, but not boringg. They each know the other means it

"Sooo..." she says quietly, "I'm hoping to make a quick trip down to Rivervale in the next couple of days. A few hours. So maybe we can figure out when I can schedule that when we'll both have some time for each other, too?"

"Definitely. I can't short change some of my officers, they've worked too hard to do that to them , but I'm sure a few wouldn' mind if I asked"

"I mean" he coughs "for the later schedule. "

"Okay. So..." she pauses "When do you get off duty?"

"After this? One in the morning"

He winces a bit "Sorry"

She shrugs. "I can be awake at one," she suggests.

"You sure?" He says but looks, hopeful

"Wellllll..." she grins "I might not mind being woken. If I happened to be in your bed when you got there...."

A grin back "you know where it is.. sheets are clean"

"It's a miracle," she replies with a teasing grin.

At that her boyfriend chuckles "Let's say I have motivation for it to be so. "

"Handsome and smart," she declares.

"I love you" he laughs softly but the statement is no joke

She smiles and blushes slightly. "Love you, too." She squeezes his hand.

"Storm? " A voice says "We have a situation, nothing major but it could be"

Sylvi gives a quiet sigh, squeezes his hand quickly once more, then lets go. She's also curious to hear what this 'situation' is.

The storm gives a squeeze back before the y part and he rises. Suddennly all duty "What's the situation?"

"Odd cloud of darkenss hovering in the sky... thick, could hide enemy chimera."

"You tell the Mountain?"

"Not yet"

"Do so. I'll get a group on the wall.. "