#rivervale_lodge

"We were boys, not to put too fine a point on it, but if this were football we'd be offense, the girls would be defense. We took our balls as far as we could, sometimes to the red zone, and we thought the goal line was the gate to heaven"

Frank frowns, shakes his head.

"Of course, with a face like mine, the girls had good reason to want to be defense," He says "I'm not saying we were sleezee balls, Frank. But.. the consequences weren't as on our minds. With girls? It's different. I'm not saying it's all on them, but they sure do seem stuck if things go wrong more often. Maybe that's me. Were we smarter? In some ways. Leaner times for me. Made me deal with stuff and learn how to survive in ways I hope Sylvi never has to."

Frank nods. "I get that." He says in regards to Olgar's experiences. "Just saying, in general, are Wilder dumber today? Sometimes seems like it."

"Example?"

"Hell, I don't know." A sigh, bite, chew, swallow. "Just seems like we knew what we were doing, at that age." Then he stops, and says sourly. "I just said '.... at that age' didn't I?"

"Yup." he says "Frank, I don't know about you, but when I was that age, I was angry, bitter, and felt unloved. I had a lot of hate in my heart, and it had nothing to do with me being unseelie. If that was 'smart' I hope to whatever is out there that my daughter is never that smart."

Frank nods. "Yeah, I see that."

"It'll be okay, Frank" he assures, a deep breath, "And if either of them gets in over their head. We help them.... and put our fist through a wall when we're alone."

Frank nods. "Meantime, we're going to talk to...." he pauses, thinking, then dismisses it. "... this Dougal, see if we can't get these folks outta there. Leave tomorrow?"

"Sure. Kerri will get us stuff ready for the trip. " He thinks it through, "Vali filling in for Mountain then?"

Another nod. "Should be fine."

"Well, unless there's something else you can think of, I guess now it's just prep for the trip . We'll bring some gear for the trod walk, if we're lucky, it'll be safe, but you never know when an adventure will find you in the dreaming and you'll come out with new scars"

Frank nods, finishing his sandwich. "Sounds good."

"Okay. I'll go tell the other rovers just in case things go south"

Frank nods.

"Thanks, Olgar." Quietly. "I know this isn't your thing."

"Trods are my thing, and pocket Dreaming areas? Very much so." He says "if you mean helping motals? Meh. It's true Rover Focus is usually on the Fae side of protection, but I don't think anyone should be trapped in a box just for playing a game"

Frank chuffs sourly. "Seems to me like that's how people -get- trapped in a box. By playing the game." He sighs and finishes his beer. "Sorry. Getting more grim by the day, it seems."

"Frank, you've never been what I'd consider to be a fun guy, buti t's okay to enjoy the things we got and look at our wins. We've had more of them than losses. And this one hasnt' even started really. Buck up."

Frank nods. "Yeah." He pushes away from the counter. "Ok. See you around dinner." He rinses off the dishes quickly and heads back out to the rig.

On the top of his rig is a towel, and laying on the towel, in shades and a bikini, is his sixteen year old daughter, clearly working on a tan!

Frank's jaw drops.

"SIV!?!?! WHAT THE HELL?" Nearby, and in the distance, birds take flight.

She jerks up, shades making it hard to read her eyes, but her expression seems to be surprise, "Dad? why are you yelling?"

"Why??? What... You.... " He pulls his shirt off and puts it over her, covering the distance in long strides. "What are -you- doing??"

"I.. Getting a tan" She says "Dad, I'm getting a tan. I'm not going to use that orange spray gunk and..dad?" She mutters as she vanishes into his shirt

"On my -rig-??"

"It got a lot of sun, I put the towel under mee so I wouldn't get burned... it's a good platform"

Frank is reduced to sputtering.

"And I used a light sceen suntan lotion and why are.." She pulls at her shirt "What's this? How am I supposed to get near fully tanned i nthis?"

"Right!"

"Huh?" A pause, "Dad. Teenrave magazine says moderate tans are in again"

"I don't care what is IN again, I care what's OUT again!"

"What? Dad.. " A frown, "I'm not doing anything against the rules you and mom set. I'm not hanging near mortals, I'm not going off some strange place without letting folks know. I did my studies today. Why are you being such a ..such... a .." She bites down on whatever

Frank puffs, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Fishie....."

"I don't understand,"SHe hops down grabs the towel and glares at him, "Are you ashamed of me?"

"No, Siv, no....."

"Then what? Da, I love you, but sometimes I feel like I can't do anything around you unless I have it signed by the bloody master of the port, the local admiral, and whatever passes for a town preacher. I wasn't even flirting with some fellow. I was out here alone. I..." She pulls the shirt off, and hands it back to him, "I'll go back inside. In the lodge that I loved a lot more before I knew it was my blasted dungeon" And she whirls to stop off, eyes dark, and perhaps a bit misty at the same time

"Fishie!"

SLAM , perhaps she didn't hear him.

But she's in the lodge, and he's holding his shirt.

"Shit." Heartfelt, and he puts a hand on the rig's fender before patting it and moving back to the Lodge, seeking Siv.

Probably in her bedroom that she shares, as he goes in, he sees Sally Mae at the kitchen door "Everything all right?"

"No." Glumly.

"Silly question I suppose, but, does it involve Siv?" A look up the stair way

"Yep." He pulls his shirt back on slowly. "She went upstairs?"

"Mountain, did you..do you need to talk about this?"

"With her, I think." Grimly.

"SHe's probably not ready for that"