#rivervale_lodge

------------

Zane comes in with Vali, the normally energetic Satyr looking miserable and oddly resolved

Brekke sits by the balefire, alone. Apparently, everybody else has been asked to give the Chieftain the room for a while. "Zane. come in. Vali, thank you. Would you prefer to stay and listen, or leave?"

"I think he's under the impression that he's going to the gallows," Vali says "Zane, would you prefer to talk to the chief one on one or? what wold make you comfortable?"

Zane takes a breath "It doesn't matter, Sir. Either way. I'm ready to take my punishment. " The he hangs his head and looks at his hooves, "I deserve it."

Brekke tilts her head slightly, brows furrowed. "Vali, I am going to ask you to stay. Sometimes I am not as clear as I would like, and you might help interpret if that happens. Zane, come closer and tell me what you think you deserve to be punished for."

Zane steps forward "I was hanging out with these two guys from Hackensack...met them at Pennons. I got lots of props, felt liike a cool guy. they got curious about the girls, and I was like oh yeah the girls are hot and bad ass and pretty cool too. I mean, Dagmar's a bit off sometimes but she's got legit reasons right? But hey, we're guys, guys like girls...most of us, and no shame in talking them up. Only then it starts to get... like pushy. How far did I get with them? Man I'd love to say but I gave em the truth- they're friends. Then they're like 'so they're fair game' and I think they mean to ask out so I say sure kinda but Sylvi has a boyfriend I think and you want to give Dags space... and then..." He sighs

"They pull out this treasure, binoculars...it's like a dream come true, you know? And ..I almost say yes. Instead I think of how others are hung up on cllothes, not like most satyrs...and how maybe "I" would liek it but it would make my friends seem cheap and if they want to show, they'd show? You know? so I say it's not cool..." He's rambling

Brekke listens, concentrating...and yes, Vali would recognize that as her Gwydion Boon Face.

"And then?"

"They called me a sissy Sun boy and dickless and...you know... any insult they could. So I kicked em out... of our house... and it sucked because you know, not many satyrs around but I didn't want to be their kind of ssatyr

A slow nod, but she's still frowning. 'And so you feel you should be punished for...?"

and..." A sigh "I KNEW, KNEW they were probably going to go snoop on the girls. But I was so pissed and also annoyed at myself and ... I don't know. I mean I didn't know...know, but in my head I wondered..."

"And I should have liked told the girls! Right? or told you? And no... I just made excuses and like... now I know it happened. Not the details, but I coulda stopped this shit. And instead I gave into peer pressure. My dad's like a genius! My kith is big on doing it's own thing, and I acteed like a herd animal. Socially speaking, I fucked up."

"Hmm." Brekke sits back and looks at him measuringly a long moment.

"Are... are the girls okay? I mean... I raz em, but... are they okay?"

Zane looks iserable

"They are upset and angry. To varying degrees."

He nods

"Zane...you told your peers you did not agree with their plans. You sent them away. Even as they mocked you and called you less of a satyr, you stood your ground. These are not the acts of a herd animal, in my thinking."

"Well.." he scuffs "See.. the thing is, I WANTED to? I mean... I look at girls.. They... they're shapes are very nice, right? I mean, Vali knows..it's all swervy swervy bouncy bouncy" Zane looks at Vali

"Most guys do lika da bouncy" Vali agrees with him.

An eyebrow at Vali.

"Right... so I almost, I almost said yes to the whole thing. What if I sent them a way not to defend the girls, but because I wanted to save myself from ...you know, joining in? I acted all above it, but now I wonder if I was just selfish?" Zane says

Vali gives a shrug and mouths someething to Brekke while Zane isn't looking. "Well, we DO. Second the poor kid is kicking himself"

A serious nod. "You are concerned about your desires. But I am concerned with your acts. You considered your friends' desires, their desire to be in control of who sees their bodies, and you made that part of your decision. I think that is important."

"There are times I want to do things I should not. I would not wish to be judged on those thoughts when I manage to control my behavior. I hope I would not judge you more strictly."

"YOU have ..." Zane seems startled "Sorry it's just, trolls always seem above it all, you know? Dad says your kith is naturally resilient to Temptation"

"we're resilient, not dead" Vali mutters

A slight grin. "As Vali says...one cannot be resilient to something that is not present. How long ago did these young men come to see you?"

"Well, I met them at Pennons, hung with once or twice, and then.. I guess then the other night when they went off with the binoculurs? I didn't knowa bout the treasure until that night"

She nods. "Perhaps your best option would have been to alert the girls between then and now. Or to alert one of us," she nods to Vali.

"Yeah, Sorry about that" Zane says "I mean, yeah.. I mean, I fought by their side at pennons and then didnt' fight more FOR them when it counted for more than prizes. " A sigh

"I was not there, but...Vali, is it fair to say that the girls defended themselves effectively when the invasion was detected?"

"VERY" Vali nods "Dagmar restrained herself in a way that ...you know, was not easy for her. Siv was ready to tear a new hole as well but it was Sylvi who taught the best lesson. She blinded them temporarily, but they didn't know that. "

Brekke nods, then looks back to Zane. "At least reassure yourself that they are well. However...I do understand your concern. What do you think you should have done instead? How should you have 'fought more for them'?"

"I should have warned them, you know, that these jerks were making noise about checking them out. I mean, I hate to be a narc, but we're almost am motley right?"

Zane then adds "Pretty cool by Sylvi though. bet they nearly peed their fur"

Brekke nods. "Then I think you have learned well. I want you to explain to each girl what happened, and what you know you should have done. As for punishment, though...that is for the boys who did the deed. We have their names, and we know they are from Hackensack. I will not ask you to identify them further if you do not wish to do so. They have already had the consequence of being badly frightened. I will speak to their lord about further punishment."

"Okay. I'll apologize to them, but I think I'd rather take a kick in the ass than get a hurt look when they found out I wimped out" zane sighs dramatically, as is his kith's wont. "And if you want more info on them, I don't have much but its yours. I think they spied on others too..with the binoculars, I mean."

That gets a frown. "That is important information. Is it suspicion or fact?"

"Suspicion" He admits" They bragged they used it lots of times, and then said a 'lottahotties in Rivervale'.. so it could have been boasting"

A deep breath, and a slow nod. "Thank you. I will make sure to question them on that matter. And Zane...you did not 'wimp out'...you stood up to them and said no when they were pressuring you to say yes. I do not think that the girls will be hurt by that...but if they are, I hope you can regain their trust."

Zane cheers up a bit, or tries to, "Thanks, Chief. Dad's right. You're a good and fair leader even if you can be headstrong"

Vali keeps his face CAREFULLY balanced

An eyebrow. "Headstrong? Indeed?"

"Yeah, " Zane says "it means stubborn." Helpful

Vali's lip twitches JUUUST a bit

"Indeed." A slow nod. "Did he specify about this stubbornness?"

"Nothing specific ... I remember him saying something about you couldn't take praise somedays if it were delivered in suppository form and it makes it harder to advocate for your policies when you won't advocate for yourself"