#rivervale_lodge

She brings the hand closer, then further away when it's too hot.

Sylvi watches Siv head upstairs, curious...then remembers she has a job to do, and goes to finish up prepping the replacement pitchers.

"Hey Jaymes."

Brekke turns to Frank as he rejoins them. "A job for a neighbor?"

"mmm " he nods, looks at that fire, looks at the palm "If you smell cooking meat, you've left it too long" Straight faced

"Mowing, she said."

"It's a test of strength! You wanna try?"

A furrowed brow. "I did not realize...when did she start doing lawn work for neighbors?"

"..... I thought you cleared it?" Frank frowns.

"See, you gotta see how long you can hold it before pulling back..."

"Well...I do not object. She is practicing how to live in the world, and she has the tools she needs to protect herself, but...no, I did not specifically 'clear' it."

"mmm " Jaymes looks, "Me, I don't think you have anything to prove Dagmar. You're already the toughest kid around."

"Yeah, but dontcha wanna know?"

Sylvi returns and gives her mother the thumbs up that her job is done.

"Olgar, how goes the battle with the meat?" Kerri grins.

Jaymes answers honestly, "Not at th ost of you hurting yourself, and..frankly, I'm kind of worried child care services or someone will find burn marks on you and raise a stink about it. Sorry to kill your fun, but you did say you wanteed it straight."

"You don't think that's a little.... I mean, if she was mowing, why not just tell us? And if she wasn't......."

"I'm winning" Olgar says over sizzling

Siv comes down, dressed in a sea green tee shirt and dark green shorts

"My hero," Kerri laughs to Olgar, while Sylvi chimes in with, "Go get 'em, Dad."

"She was," Brekke mutters to Frank. "I am sure."

Frank frowns at Brekke, then at Siv.

A huff. "Fiiiine."

And Sylvi, in a burst of mischief, tugs on Gerd's hair gently, and dodges out of reach. "Tag!"

Brekke nudges Frank. "It may be nothing," she mutters.

"Hey!" Gerd gives chase

As preparations seem set, and the meat is in the process of becoming meaty goodness, Kerri gives Brekke a nod. Brekke returns the nod and says to Frank, "Let us talk with her about it later. But for now, will the Mountain say a few words to officially start this night's watch?" Her voice grows in volume as she finishes the sentence, loud enough for all to hear, and the game of tag gets paused respectfully.

Frank gives her a look, and nods. "Friends. Tonight we stand on the edge. Tonight we balance the light and dark. Tonight we watch and guard; we wait, together, for dawn. So turns the wheel."

Siv looks baffled at her faather's frown but then quiets as her dad takes center stage.

"So turns the wheel" Tove's father says

Colton smooths his hair as he approaches and tries not to cause trouble

Sylvi repeats, "So turns the wheel" and then her mother and Brekke take up the phrase as well, "So turns the wheel."

Sylvi's focused on Frank...well, also on not letting Gerd sneak into tagging distance while this is going on...so she doesn't see Colton arrive.

"So turns the wheel" Gerd says perhaps a bit annoyed that Sylvi is evading her

"So turns the wheel?"

Jaymes nods, "that's the expression. Has to do with the cycle of seasons, time and nature"

Vali smlles "And Vanna white"

After the phrase gets passed around, Brekke nods to the group. "Good. Now...eat and enjoy and revel the night!" For herself, the grump Chieftain settles slightly stiffly into her chair which has been brought out from its usual place by the balefire.

Sylvi gives Gerd a glance, and says, "Unpaused!" and turns to run...and slams right into Colton. "Oof!"

Colton smiles, "Hi, nice to see you too" he steadies Sylvi

Then someonee swats Sylvi on the butt, it's Gerd "TAG! Thanks Colton!" And races off

Dagmar nods, lurking and watching for now.

Jaymes says "Come on, let's test our strength eating some of this food"

"Oh!" Sylvi says. "Hi! I...Ow!!!" She glares after Gerd, then looks seriously at Colton. "I'm 'It.' "

"Well, crud. Byt what my teacher says is the transitive property, I guess I'm it now"

"Right!" Trailing after Jaymes. Only a brief glance at Colton, Sylvi and co.

Vali gets tackled from something from the bushes "Hey what the..." /There's a dog pooka on top of him, "Tag. " She says, "That's how we do this right? I mean, troll traditions seem weird to me but I can see the upside."/"Tiffany!" He beams "You made it!"//"Yup. Boss sends her most dignified regards and let me have the night off."

The food is actually pretty good, though it's different from Frank's style. Tove gets some food while Torin talks to some satyrs who have come up about musical differences between cultures.

Sylvi smiles, but shakes her head and puts her hands in the air. "You...get a three second head start." A mischievous grin.

Colton smiles "Even if I want to get caught by you?" But he nods, "Okay" And moves