#rivervale_lodge

"Hello, Vali. You've arrived in time for cocoa...I think there's enough in the pot still. Girls, help yourselves. Connor, here's yours when you're ready." Kerri pours the warm cider into a mug and gives it to the boy.

"Marshmallows, Connor?"

"THanks, Kerri, no, I'm good" The oldest wilder says

The glass is promptly discarded on the counter to go for the cider. And, he goggles at Dagmar. "Can I?" Holding out the cider eagerly.

"Don't see why not." A shrug, and a pour of mini-marshmallows.

"Is Gerd slacking off or did this just start without her?" Vali notices the work going around "And do I need to make a run to the grocery for more milk for you?"

He watches them go in with glee, and then makes a game of fishing them out by the edges (trying not to toast his fingers) and gulping them down with evident enjoyment.

"Oh, Gerd!" He looks around suddenly. "Did she go back to the moon without me?"

"Good questions, Vali. She hasn't turned up. This started out as mostly a wilder endeavor." A pause. "You okay? You look upset."

"Sorry, didn't mean to bring down the room, or ruin the kids fun" Vali says

"Something wrong?"

"Little bit, it's... grown up stuff" He says

"We're not children, sir" Nadeen says a bit offended ,then "Well, Conner is. And adorably so"

"They've just had a 'learning experience,' so I'm sure they're happy it's over." A wink to the girls and Connor, then she says, "Ladies and gentleman, can you take your drinks to the other room? Let me talk to Vali for a bit. And tell each other what you did so you remember how to make cocoa for the next time you need to. Go, now."

It's kindly said, but also firm.

"Yes'm..."

"I can grown up too." He offers, and moves over to hold a hand out to Vali - it's filled with sticky-cidery marshmallows that he offers to the older man.

"Thank you, Conner" Vali takes it kindly

He beams up at him, then heads for the other room, slurping at his cider happily.

Eden takes her coco "Thanks for the venom juice" ANd goes into the other room

Dagmar goes, but also looks for a spot with good acoustics to eavesdrop...

Dagmar almost steps on The Varich who has taken that spot already

A finger to her lips and she settles in beside not-Tanya.

"And you, Sir, get to help me clean up when I'm finished with this." Kerri sips at her own cocoa...hmmm, the cinnamon isn't bad.... "So, what's the matter?"

Once the kids are out of he wipes his fingers "ugh. I just got dumped. Hard. TIffany... she ...it's hard to understand pooka at the best of the time, but she was crying. She's...a bad ass. Crying is not her thing. THe big eyes, stealing my last fry, yes, but she doesn't cry."

Vali looks confused, a bit hurt, but mostly confused

Kerri frowns. "Oh, Vali. I'm sorry. And...I'm surprised. I thought everything was going well for you two."

"It was, I mean, great. Kerri, I thought she was... you know, the one? I mean, we joked, we laughed, but when she had the flu I was there for her, when I nearly gave up on my latest book she was there. Now she says our holds are at war and that it would never work and that she got bit and can take a hint."

"Our holds are...what??" A frown. "If they are, this is the first I'm hearing of it. She's a pooka, Vali...are those the very words she used?"

"Pretty much. Obvviously we are NOT at war, but she looked miserable. I asked her if the countess had forbidden her coming here, she said no, it was the OTHER officer, and captains outrank her"

Meanwhile Nadeen listens confused. She, of course, missed Samhain

"The other officer? Who...there are captains at New Agengard?"

"There's a Varich Baron" A frown "But he'd not dare issue something like this with te countess authority"

A frown, fuzzy memories trying to piece bits together. Something familiar...

"Have you asked the Countess about this? I'm sure she doesn't want Tiffany upset, either."

"THea's got a lot moree on her plate than my love life" Troubled

Meanwhile, happily in the corner, he blows sticky bubbles in his cider... la la la. The life of a pup is simple yet sweet.

Eden enjoys her coco, but glances over at the two eavesdroppers

"Of course, Vali, but still...this matters to two people in her life. At the very least, if somebody has declared war between us, she might want to be notified." A slightly wry grin.

"Point" He says then "What do I do if I run into Tiffany?"

"Hmmm...I'd say try to talk with her again. Unless...unless you'd like me to? I could ask for her to come here. I can't promise to be subtle about the reason, but maybe she'll talk to me."

"I feel like a coward, but if you think she'll talk to you, please?" Vali says "She...she's the first grown up mature relationship I've had in a long time, and I am freaking out that she's hurting and I can't help her"

"Of course, Vali. I like Tiffany, and I think you two are good together. If I can help make that happen, I want to try. I just need to get a message to her quickly."

"Thanks."

"I don't suppose you texting her to come see me would be a good idea, but if you could give me her number...?"

The Beaumayn looks very troubled, "I think I blame you guys for this. Get a mature relation ship, find a girl who is more than fun' ' Meet a lady who can hold her own against you and then fight like the devil beside you... all on you guys. And now I'm freaking out over getting dumped" He hands the number over

"Part of the process, I'm sorry to say. Or do you forget what the Chieftain and Mountain were like back in the day?"

"Ugh. I suppose that's a point" A grunt, It looks like he has not slept well

Nadeen shoots Dagmar a look and mouths 'what is going on?'

She takes the number and nods. "I'll attend to this in a bit." She has more of her cocoa, which has cooled a bit. "You need sleep, Vali. I know you're worried, but...well, I guess that's part of the process, too."