#rivervale_lodge

"Enough, yeah."

“For Siv. But I don’t know what she likes.” He moves over and empties his pockets into the table. A somewhat sparkly rock, a dry stick that has the bark peeled off around an interesting whorl, a beetle carapace, and a small lizard. The latter blinks at the sudden light and tries to scramble away, but Connor pounces onto it, cupping gently in his hands so it doesn’t run into a crack.

“Enough...” he shrugs, unsure and echoing Dagmar.

"Ahh..." Brekke leans forward with appreciative interest and nods. "All of these are good. But Connor, the lizard must go back outside. He is a living being, not to be used as a gift. I believe Dagmar would agree?" She works the name introduction in only a bit awkwardly.

"Something for Siv?"

"Hmmph."

He nods solemnly to Frank, and attempts, “It’s her birthday?”

"Probably shouldn't give a lizard as a gift, yeah..."

A curious glance at Frank's grunt.

It seems like a puzzled grunt.

His ears lower a little and tail goes down, and he hurried to the door to let the lizard skitter off. “Bye...”

"Hmm...well, I am not so sure about it being her birthday, but it is nice of you to give her a gift." And she nods approval at the release of the lizard.

“Then she won’t be mad that she turned into a hippogryph. Yeah?” He asks hopefully.

"She turned into a...?"

He nods solemnly.

Frank glances up the stairs, back to the pooka.

"Are all pooka like that?"

He tilts his head at Dagmar.

"Yes." Frank answers. "Conner... can you tell us when she turned into a hippogriff?"

"That's not lying. That's..." she gestures. "I don't know what."

“I’m not very good.” He shrugs, matter-of-factly. “Buddy is better but he got put to bed for the day.”

"You, Connor, are just fine. We are just having trouble with understanding."

"it isn't so much that they lie, Dagmar; in my experience, it's that they can't tell the truth. Exaggeration, obfuscation, shading the truth, not speaking, answering with questions....and yes, sometimes,outright falsehoods."

"However, Conner, we are not upset at you for it."

He ponders a moment and says to Frank. “When we went to Firnost. And I turnt her into a hippogryph.”

"A hippogryph is a chimera that is half horse and half eagle. Is that what you meant?"

"Oh..." She watches Conner, amber eyes narrowed.

He thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. “What about when you mix it with a Democrat?”

"A donkey?"

A slight grin. "I have no idea. Hmm...hippogryph...."

A slight chuckle at Frank.

"Demo... gryph? Demographic? HippoDemo? DemoHip?"

"Jackass?"

He nods encouragingly to Frank... then shakes his head at Dagmar.

"Hippo....hip....oh. Oh, Siv said she was a hypocrite."

"HippoCrat? Hypocrite?"

"And you have to do this every time?"

“You get the prize. Maybe it’s cake?”

A nod to Frank.

"A hypocrite?" Confused.

"Not every time, Dagmar. But it is generally worth the effort."

"Yes, Dagmar, and sometimes it's harder."

A small wag of his tail, then it falls. “Does Siv like cake? She can have mine too. I don’t even -like- cake...”

She nods to Frank. "For making us worry about when she went to Firnost, and then worrying about Connor going there in turn."

A low grumble.

He glances at the adults, then away, not making direct eye contact. “I know the way and it’s out of the way. And now I know it’s a a ‘no way’...” Definition of a hang-dog look.

"MMmm..." He rumbles, nodding. "Well, Connor... yes,she likes cake, but... you didn't make her a hypocrite. Please don't blame yourself."

He opens his mouth, then closes it again.

"We will work out how you can visit Firnost without making us worry, Connor. And I think you look hungry...perhaps there is a bit of cake in the kitchen, if you can force yourself to choke it down."

He perks up, but then remarks, looking towards Dagmar. “If I’m very hungry, is there two?”

"I think there very well could be. Dagmar, would you help Connor locate the cake, and have some for yourself if you like."