#rivervale_lodge

Sally Mae sounds apologetic

Frank -is- ready to march right upstairs. "Well she can damn well -get- ready."

"You go now, she's not going to be listening with anything but her own anger"

"Good! It's my anger that's going to be talking!"

"You're going to make the rift between you and her worse" Sally Mae warns, "Trust me. I've been there."

The Mountain fumes.... but doesn't leave.

"Also, and I'm not married so i wouldn't know, wouldn't the Chief want to know about this?"

"I was hoping to spare Siv that!"

"I think right now she'd rather talk to anyone but you, sorry to say ,sir. " Sally mae "Coffee or beer?"

"Beer."

Then, recalling himself. "Thanks, Sally Mae."

"You're welcome" She gets him a cold beer, one of the better brands, and sets it before him, taking a seat, "I also noticed the young lady was wearing a bikini. Is that part of the problem?"

"Ya think?"

"It's not atypical for girl's that age, " Sally Mae admits, then takes a deep breath, "And I'm sorry sir, taht maybe my fault."

"It's MAY! In New Jersey." He grumbles. "Your fault how?"

"I gave her the bikini" she explains

"You...." his massive shoulders slump.

"Yes." Sally Mae says, "you see, orginally she wanted an all over tan...'all over'"

A deep groan.

"I thought the swimsuit would be... you knnow 'just as good' and also more, well, less upsetting if you heard about it. Unfortunately" Sally Mae says "Apparently because she no longer had anything to hide, she decided to sunbathe in a public place I'm guessing?"

"On the hood of the Rig!"

"oh sweet Bridgit" Sally Mae covers her mouth "pardon my language."

"She -wanted- to set me off..." He growls truculently.

"I don't think so. But I can't claim to know," she says "It does catch a lot of sun where it's at. An you were inside. Your daughter is smart as a whip, but she lives by the seeat of her pants. She's not a planner."

Another grunt, a groan.

"Sorry" Sally Mae says 'But it's what i think is true. Good news , that means she's not trying to drive you crazy, not consciously"

"Bad news means when it happens you're not going to have time to brace for it"

Frank shrugs, defeated. "Like the rest of life."

"Okay," Sally Mae sips her own drink, "Mountain. When you saw her on the rig, what was it you did first thing exactly?"

"..... shouted....." Mumbled.

A dissappointed look "Oh Sir Frank"

"She was.... on the Rig!"

She raises a brow, "Well, you told her not to fool round the Kestrel when it was docked. She didn't have a warning about the rig"

"She's heard enough to know better. We -are- supposed to develop a sense of implict vs explict."

"Well, let's say she is testing boundaries, seeing where the lines are. is yellilng going to help her learn?"

"Well she sure moved her ass when I yelled!"

Sally Mae nods "And did she do or say anything else?"

"..... yelled back at me....."

Sally mae nods "Now, did that strike you as a productive learning experience for either of you really?"

He folds his arms, glaring at the floor. "She got off the rig."

"Maybe it's a good thing I wasn't born a true troll" She muses, then speaks up gently "So she learned her father is nuts and yell at her when she suntans. And you learned your daughter will run away when you yell at her and now how to make her angry. I really do think you should indeed talk to the Chieftain about this before you try to talk to your daughter"

"Hmmphm."

Mountains don't sulk.

"She loves you more than anything, you do know that right?"

"Then why is she growing up?" Mournful, and KNOWING it's an asinine question. "Nevermind. I know. I had more time with her than with Jess, even if I don't remember it."

"She wants time with you too. That weird game thing? "

He nods. "I know. We're all going out to learn more about it. Olgar and I are going in, though."

"No, I mean... she loveed adventuring with YOU. She won't stop talking about it. you, your driving, how 'wickedly cool' you were"

"She won't? I mean, does?"

"Yes" A nod as if howw could you not know this? "She thinks you were an action hero come to life! She got to be with you during that. She's not trying to shut you out at all, Mountain. You two just disagree on what to do with the time"