#rivervale_lodge

"A mix of them. maybe...rent a car, travel to a passenger train, switch to another rental." He muses "yeah, that might work"

"It'll take longer."

"Yeah, but the longer won't be 2 days of driving "

"True." Frank scuffs the ground. "Driving doesn't bother me, of course."

"No kidding, Olgar said you held your own in that arcade game...is there really a Dryad chimera somewhere?"

Frank clears his throat. "Um. Yes. It... was kind of accidental."

"Weird" Olgar says, "Vali says she's a bit... uhm primal"

"I, um, I guess so. We didn't really.... you know, she left to find a tree pretty quickly."

OOC: Pardon, thought I pressed Send BIC: 'uh huh... not sure if we should issue a warning or condoms" Dryly

Tove comes out "Kerri says food is ready"

"Well, let's go in and eat." Fran encourages, and sets out himself.

Tove gives Jaymes a look "Don't worry, Kerri did the cooking" And heads back in.

Frank frowns, and looks at Jaymes.

Jaymes winces at something, then sighs "Ever step wrong with brekke?"

"Well. Yes." (Duh)

"How'd you... make amends? Is there a way to do it without .... talking about feelings?" Nose wrinkle

"No." Flatly. "Apologize. Grovelling can work." He stops, keeping them outside. "Get her something she likes. I buy plants, and I plant them for her. Where she tells me to. And then don't make the same mistake again."

"Look, Jaymes.... do you like Tove? That way?"

"I do, I mean,, I worry I'm too old for her. I'm a young grump, she's an old wilder but.. that's quite a gap, but...who wouldn't like a woman like Tove?"

Frank puffs a breath, amused. "Yeah. Felt the same way about Brekke. Similar age differences too. See how much it matters now?"

"mmmph" he responds cleverly

"She could do better than me"

Frank nods. "I told Brekke the same thing. About myself, I mean."

"So you you're saying smart talented women have no taste?" He replies

"Not in men, looks like." Easy agreement.

"Mm I hate talking abou feelings" Jaymes sighs "Let's go eat."

Frank looks like he'd speak... but then nods and leads Jaymes in.

The meal is excellent.

And the kitchen clearly works

(End Scene)

-----------

Earlier in the day...

Conner goes in, knowing the trods disturbingly well and rushes to his room. right behind him? Oak and.. Siv, who wipes her brow "Freya perserve me. I am never having childlings"

By the balefire, Brekke says, "Indeed? And why, oh why, might that be?" Her brow is arched as she looks at Siv.

Frank looks over as well, from his spot on the floor.

Siv yipes in surprise "Mum! Fancy meeting you here...in.. in your own lodge.." She finishes lamely "Conner got to wandering. I had to follow him home to be sure he was safe. " True as rain that

A glance to da as well

Oak walks right over to frank and wags his tail and waits for a treat, not the begging way, but in the way he does when he's done a good job!

"Well, thank you for making sure Connor was safe. Where did you find he had wandered?"

Frank's beard covers a small smile, and he woogies the dog.

"The important thing is, he's home" She says with a stroke on her chin trying to look wise . Alas, this move works when grumps do it, 16 year old girls? Not so much

It might look like Frank is not paying attention, loving on the dog the way he is.....

Indeed, Oak, a creature with little deception in his heart (Well, okay, he might try to lie about how he starves) seems to glance at Siv then back to Frank, wagging is tail as if whatever job he did involved her.

"That is a very important thing, yes. Home from where?"

"That little scamp scrambled off to Firnost." Siv says

A blink.

Frank STARES at Oak.

Oak gives a dog wag nod combo

"And so you followed him there to retrieve him?"

Frank frowns, but not at Oak; the floor gets it.