#rivervale_lodge

His daughter is wating outside the truck, passenger side, arms crossed, body language closed

"Thanks, Da. Let's..let's go please"

"Sure thing, Siv. Is everything ok?" He unlocks her door, offering his hand to help her up.

She gets in on her own but answers honestly "no...no it's not. I shouldn't have come. You were right"

And she closes the door just wanting to get going

Frank gets around to the other side, and in, getting them out of the driveway and back on the highway before saying. "Do you want to tell me?"

"I..."she stares straight ahead "I guess I just didn't realize how plain looking I am before now. Maybe even..ugly"

It's everything Frank can do to keep the rig on the road. "Did someone insult you, Siv?"

"No.. not... in anyway that was untrue. One boy did mention I was..too damn tall but... I guess I don't mind that. it was... I know I'm not the prettiest girl in the lodge. Now you will say otherwise maybe, but sylvi's prettier than me already and she'll be a head turner even more as she gets growed. And Sally Mae is prettier too, but I still thought I was... you know, pretty, or at least 'above average' and.. vain. I know. But ...there were these sidhe girls there in the party and... they were so graceful. I didn't even get noticed when I was near them. I was ..invisible. I've never been that before Da. And.. so I figured I'd hang closer to the commoner girls, even if the boys were mostly still gawking at the sidhe regardless... and ...nope. there was an Eshu girl very exotic, ad a Pooka gal with this fur and... " A swallow "Well, no other way to put it. I was the ugliest girl in the room."

"Siv...." Frustrated, but with caring. "The Sidhe... it's part of their power, their Glamour. They are Dreams of Beauty. We told you that but now you have to live in a world with it. If someone's looking for strictly physical beauty...... but if someone is looking for the beauty -you- have....." He fumbles.

"I know, I know 'a great personality'" Glum

"You -do- have a great personality! And you're talented and loyal and clever!"

"Wow , like Edelwiss, but her hair is nicer" Faux chipper

Frank drives for a little bit further. "Do you want to stop for an ice cream?"

"It's sweet da, but I ... I think I want to go home and get this silly costume off. what was I thinking ? I probably look like a blue book shelf sans books"

A sigh , she fingers her own hair to look at a lock with new distaste "Not sure why I bother to keep it clean. Silk purse, sow's ear"

"Siv King." Frank takes a deep breath. "I don't.... I want to help. I'm worried anything I say will be the wrong thing. How can I help? What do you need?"

"A paper bag with eyeholes?" She lays her head down on the truck's dashboard "it's...okay dad. I.. you're not a girl. You don't..can't know. "

"I'm Liam." Softly. "I know it's not the same thing. But, I know what it's like to let others tell you what you're worth."

She looks at her dad, "Well, that IS Different, but...thanks." She sighs "Seems silly to curse a whole house and everyone in it no matter the time passed. Bollocks. If they knew you like I knew you, they'd know you were a great knight, a grand shaman and mountain and an even better da." but while she tries she still seems listless. She wonders if she really needs to changei nto CLEAN Clothes when she gets home. Not like it matters much

Frank frowns, watching her as best he can while driving.

"If they knew you like I know you, they'd know how beautiful you are." Softly.

"you'r my DAAD, you have to say that. It's like, right there under the escheat"

He chuckles. "Well, yes. But that doesn't mean it's not true."

"mmph" Realizing she may have painted herself into a corner after talking of her father's honor before hand. "it's just... I think..maybe I should talk to mom, or Aunt Kerri...or maybe just face facts and join a bloody nunnery" Mmph

"Well, you know I fully support the idea of joining a convent." Frank says. "And yes. Talk to your mom, at least, but Kerri's got some great perspective."

"Better Kerri wouldn't get ignored at a party. At the least they'd find her 'milfy' whatever that is'

"That's a ... term you should be careful about using. Where did you -hear- that?"

"Zane I think why? what's it mean? MILF?" Curious

Frank sights. "Mother I'd Like to ... Fool around with." Lightly purple.

"Fool arou..." Realization 'OOoooh... "A pause "It's not really Fool is it?"

"Nooooo....."

"You'd really like it if I did't press for details, wouldn't you?"

Studying her father's discomfort

He shrugs. "I'm sure you know the word. It's not a word I allow in my mouth; that's not the kind of person I want to be. And I'm not comfortable thinking about the women I know in that way."

"You're a good man, da. Polite and all. And..no I guess i can't say I would a lad talking about ME tht way either. I'll find another term for Kerri nd her powe over the lads." A sigh "Still would be nice to be noticed, but with sidhe in the world, what's the point?"

Frank drives a little farther. "Well. Sure, Sidhe are stunning.... but there are other ways to get noticed. To get noticed in the -right- ways. I'm sure the kids at the party were nice, but not all Sidhe are. Not all of any Kith are."

"And, you know.... you've met Lady Sparrow?"

"Not well..mostly she comes to see you when she comes at all. You' right though, she makes me look like a dog's shaved rear end"

"No, that's what I'm saying. I won't go into confidences, but she was pretty miserable for quite a while. Beautiful, yes, but not -happy-.... She's much much better now."

"I'm glad. I guess?" Still not sussing it out

"Her looks didn't help her, didn't make her happy, in fact, they kind of worked the opposite way; made her hurt."

"Being that lovely hurt her?" Confusion

He nods. "Yes. Made it difficult for her to be taken seriously, and some of the people who were attracted to her weren't.... there wasn't much substance there. They hurt her."

"That's stupid. She killed thallian, that's useful ta anyone." A snort

Frank nods. "Of course. But because of her beauty, I think maybe some of her peers didn't figure she had it in here to be an Ogrekiller."

"Ha. Bet Olgar hates that title" Then A frown, "is this one of those 'the grass is greener on the other side' thing?"

Frank sighs. "I'm not sure. I guess it could be. You know,not to .... well, creep you out or anything but.... I've been to Courts and met beautiful Sidhe and even worked with some of them... but I'd never seen anyone as beautiful as your mother, Siv. And if you tell her that, watch her reaction."

"I guess..." Not sold, "But if mom wants to look pretty all she has to do is go near mortal women ...I can't hang out in the mortal world as much. I'm allowed one world, and in that world... I'm ugly." Sulk

"We'll get you to the point where you can have both worlds, Siv." Soothing. "Please believe me, it doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing; no matter who your mother is standing next to, she's the most beautiful woman in the room, to me."