#rivervale_lodge

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School is underway, and with Saddie Hawkins coming soon, there's a definite sense of panic among the dateless.

Boys who have yet to be asked out feel their egos dwindling. Girls who ask boys out and get told nah...want to kind of die. And many thorugh out the school are silently in unison about this wondering 'what knobhead thought this was a good idea???!'

And yet, there are success stories. Some girls who always wanted a particular boy to ask them out , dare to try it and succeed now that it's okay! A few boys are stunned to learn a girl likes them, and wants to know them- and that..feels pretty cool. This, some conclude, is a GREAT idea

And then there are those that just aren't feeling like themselves.

Take on Gonzalez . She's used to the intensity of the game, she can handle that. But this stress is getting to her. She's not herself lately.

Agitated, moody, more than one comment about her being 'on the rag' is muttered and she hearss, oh yeah, and looks like she might rip a head off shoulders. Which doesn't help the accusation.

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Dirk is annoyed and goes looking for Symon.

Symon is out in the shed. With permission from father, he has moved aside the lawncare equipment (not needed until spring, anyways) and set up a small table where he is currently hunched over in the dark. A strong, unpleasantly astringent chemical scent is in the air.. and a hint under that of rot.

A sniff and snort and the door swings open without much warning, "Hey, dickweed... you gave me a problem"

He twists and blinks at Dirk, fumbling over to pull the chain so that the lone swinging bulb lights up. "I gave you your $10. If you spent it already, that's not my fault."

On the table before him is a mismatched array of what looks like medical equipment, chemical bottles, little knives and glue and cotton, and... feathers?

"Yeah, but it's your fault now I'm dateless! She asked me ou-t, but I figured what the fuck, some other chick is gonna want the Dirk meister. I mean, if Zane gets a date I gotta right? i shot her down But no other girl is asking me out. I gotta hope one does. It's weird"

He blinks. "Why do you care?"

"I don't" He snorts .."much"

He nods slowly, scratching at his head a bit - hair held back from the table of goodies by a headband made of one of Ann Marie's handkerchiefs - now stained, possibly irreparably, with... juices. "Last I knew, Gonzales was still single. Scuttlebutt was that she was too raggy to even ask anyone. Or maybe afraid that she's been so bitchy that no one would say yes." A moments thought. "I think that mousy girl in 2nd period science didn't ask anyone either... uh. The boring one. Susie? Julie? But she'd probably die of fright if you got near her." A compliment, this.

"Yeah, one thing about latina chicks , they're tough. " Dirk has not yet grasp the nuance of positive racism and thus sees no problem declaring this truth. "how do I get her to ask me out?"

A snort. "You're asking ME? Try Zane. I only got someone to go as a beard."

"Pretty scraggly beard" He snorts "yeah, Dags got you as a shield I.." His dim eyes light up with a 20 watt fury "hey, maybe Gonzalez wants a beard too"

He grins. "Yeah, if you approach it like that." A solution means that the cap isn't mad at him? Yesss.

"Cool . I'll go talk sense to her" He says then "if she shoots me down, I'm gonna eat your weird chemicals"

"Don't worry, you'll get them in the end." His eyes gleam. "If you play your cards right, I'll even give you a cool pose..."

"HuH? You're gonna shove them up my ass, that what your'e saying?" Flat teeth

Hands flash up in front of him, held defensively. "What? No, gross. I just mean when you die... uh, probably in some huge battle, and take like, 50 of 'em with you, I'll m- er, setup up your corpse in a fierce pose to keep scaring people after death." Narrowly realizing that the word "mount" may cause further misunderstandings!

"Oh... uh.." Think on it. Flint and Flint collide, no steel up there. "uh okay. I gotta find Gonzalalez and let her know about my brilliant idea so she can cover her shame" Stomp stomp stop and he's gone

"Uh, maybe try phrasing it differently! He hisses after Dirk. "Even if you mean it like that, uh. Make it sound like she's doing you a favor, and she might be happier about it. Girls, y'know."

If Dirk heard, hard to say.

Lovecraft rubs against Symon's legs, and ..snickers?

He frowns down at her. "If he kills me because his plan doesn't work, then no one is going to clean your eldritch litter box."

"Him? " The shadowy cat cleans herself "Dagmar gonna love that you sicced cap on one of her friends." Lick lick clean clean

A grumble as he slides to the floor and scratches the shadowcat under her chin. A small chunk of... leftover debris.. from the bird he was working on dropped before her as an offering. "I'll warn Dagmar, maybe she can referee. Dirk respects her... at least her strength. She could whomp him in a fight. Then it's not on me." He nods slowly, then fetches his phone to send a quick warning to Dagmar to be on the lookout for a grumpy Dirk approaching Gonzales. 'maybe you can prevent him from sticking his foot in his mouth and getting hers up his ass. if not, it should be a good fight.'

Lovecraft takes the scratch, and the offering then sways out, "Mmm note to self: need spare for litterbox care- just in case"

and out she goes, leaving Symon alone with his experiments and new concerns.

He watches her go, then returns to the work at hand, absently flicking the light back off as he reaches for the chemicals.

Maybe Dagmar will text back later, but for now? he has his studies.

................

Siv shovels snow, and sighs at the car shaped lump

"So how long until you get a license?" Dagmar asks, watching Siv dig.

Moral support.

"Got one" She sighs "But I"m not allowed to drive my car until the snow clears"

"And maybe not even then" Scoop

"Let's just say, my folks are a lot harder to please than DMV"

Scoop

"Can you drive me?"

"We could, like, just go places."

"..like, movies?"

"Well, eventually, sure. If folks are reasonable. Mine and yours." She smiles "Be a pretty lousy cousin if I didn't give you a lift now and then, wouldn't I?"

"I dunno, I haven't had a cousin before..."

"We