#rivervale_lodge

She mumbles something and disappears BACK into the kitchen.

"Right. Some food on the table. Be right back." He heads for the kitchen.

He watches Frank disappear into the kitchen as well - damn, moments before Symon could pull that same trick. He's good. Eyes flicking up at James, and the dish held before him, thin fingers clutching to it like a life raft.

Jayes watchees her go. Rather than sigh, or grumph. he sets his face to his stoic self, then looks to Symon, "How's it going, Symon?"

Another glance at the kitchen as though summoning someone - anyone - with his very will - alas, no results. He turns back to Jaymes and bobs his head a little. "N...not bad. Mister Ironhawk. Or is it Sir?" Cautiously polite.

"I'm not a knight, so Mister is fine, or even just Jaymes I guess." He says, "though I appreciate the sign of respect. You learn anything?"

A swallow, and he sets the plate aside, wiping his hands clean(ish) on the sides of his slacks. "I visited a cousin. Told them what I knew. They think, maybe..." He trails off a bit, eyeing Jaymes. "Why is it Ironhawk?" Emphasis on the first two syllables. "Um. Please. If you don't mind me asking."

"Long story, sum up: I spotted danger, and held a high point"

"Now, what does your cousin think?"

"They hate her. They had her bad enough to go full sith. It's not even light-side, dark-side anymore." He swallows again, inching closer to Jaymes so his voice is less strained to be heard.

"The Entomancer. I don't know if it's a sluagh, a troll, or a fu... forgotten thing that should not be. She... or he.. hates enough to follow her from whatever they think she did to deserve it, to her new life."

"Well, that's messed up" He says grimly, "Sounds like your cousin doesn't know the right pronoun yet, let alone a name"

A faint lift of scrawny shoulders. "That's just what I have. Mister Whithower will paying a visit, he said, soon." Pause, and he corrects. "A visitor will be received, in the next few days, that is. I don't know if it will be he, or another."

"That's my real message."

His eyes flick over to the kitchen door again. "I'd set Lovecraft to watch her, watch for any more bugs. But she's not always best at taking direction that doesn't interest her." A glance down at where the shadowcat has slunk under the table, and is chewing on what appears to be a large slice of ham stolen from the ploughman's platter.

"Appreciate it, " He says, then listens, "Yeah, she's not. Good kid though. Just...she's been through some rough shit. Makes her cautious even when she shouldn't be."

"I meant..." He shrugs, letting the thought trail away. "Why shouldn't she be?" Pragmatic.

"Because treating everyone like an enemy blinds you to your real enemy even more than treating everyone like a friend" A thoughtful look, "Believe me, I know"

"How does she know, though?" Wrapping skinny arms around his sides as though to ward off a chill, or draw the shadows closer around him. "This could be a trap... a shared color, a few feet in height, and everything is just fine and you can trust you all?" His hair flutters in front of his face, showing an exhalation.

"When something seems too good to be true...." He leaves that whisper unfinished.

"that's a pretty elaborate trap ..." he snorts, "And ... " he pauses, "Wait, she thinks it's good?"

he seems almost surprised. "She thinks it's 'good', too good to be true, but that means she wants it"

Frank returns with a pitcher of lemonade.... and that's all.

"I don't know what she thinks." He adds, with a shake of his head. "But someone wants to snuff her candle. Maybe before it becomes a flame big enough to burn them. She's still a fresher and they already are sending minions. Little ones, then bigger ones. What's next?"

"Why are they so afraid?"

Dark eyes, glinting from behind dark hair.

"they're afraid of the same thing she is... what she might become"

A look, "Too bad she can't see how great she can be."

"You can?" His tone, carefully polite and neutral. "Barely know her. She could be something terrible. Unless... you already read her da'an?" Curiousity glinting.

Frank sets the pitcher down on the table with the food and looks around for his own coffee cup.

Finding it, he collects and drinks. Then sighs.

"I've seen her slap down concrete bags to help fight a flood." He says "I've seen her get worried for near strangers or folks she just met. "

"Dark deeds aren't needed to be something to be feared. She could be, could be... beautiful and terrible as the morning and the night... fair as sea and sun and snow on the mountain. Dreadful as the storm..." He hesitates a bit here, exact memory failing, and ends with. "All would love her, and despair."

"No, so maybe whoever is after her IS afraid, and they're the sort that deserve to be," Jaymes thinks.

"Given Vali's Vi-" he stops, "She's a good kid. "

Frank listens, with quiet interest.

"Or maybe she did something terrible in a previously life." Edging towards the wall, further away from expected armspan of the two elder trolls. "I'm not- not saying she's bad. Or was. But maybe whoever sends these bugs has reason to be worried of her. If I could see through the mists, I'd look." A faint scowl.

"Dagmar, I take it?"

"Sucks not knowing, so we focus on what we do know, and what we can eventually know" He says practically, "In the mean time, here, now? She's a good kid in deep. Trying to do the best he can"

"Yeah"

Flicking a glance to Frank, and hesitating. "She should know this too, if I have to say it again."

"Well, pretty sure she'd be happy to hear it from you. She's in the kitchen."

Jaymes raises a brow, "you talking to me, or Symon?"

"Either." He swigs. "Pretty sure it shouldn't be me, that's all."

While the two trolls chatted, Symon has slipped through the kitchen door.

He glances over, "well... that settles that..." Jaymes sighs and looks at Frank, "Frank, she doesn't want me to be her guardian. I want it, but she's afraid it'll wreck me because of her inevitable betrayal or whatever" A sigh "how do I get her to trust this could work?"

Frank shakes his head. "Honestly, not sure. I can't seem to open my mouth and get anything right ayway, sometimes."

"She's a good kid. Could be a great troll. I see it."

"Agreed."

He paces, "I never got married. You know? Never wanted kids before..." A sigh "Now suddenly I want a chance to show her what I've learned. Can I blame you guys for putting this idea in my head and setting me up for heartbreak?"