#rivervale_lodge

SHe waiiiits...

Dagmar does NOT stop stirring until the last possible second.

"Okay, watch out...." Kerri dumps the popcorn into the bowl...and it looks like every single kernel popped. "Okay, ready Gerd? Dagmar, let me get the chocolate...." She takes the top of the double-boiler, quickly dries off the bottom with a rag, and passes it to Gerd. "Drizzle, not dump, okay? Dagmar, use the spoon to stir the popcorn gently."

"Okay!"

Nods and complies.

Kerri supervises, making sure the burners are turned off.

And drizzling...

"Ok, this is gonna be awesome.."

Gerd does a good job of making it all even

And soon it is a yummy looking mix. "Perfect. Nice job. Now, let it cool a bit while we clean up...."

"okay. .uhm.. need me to lick the laddle? to keep it clean?"

"Well...I think Dagmar gets that job, but we could use a spatula to clean out what's left in the pot, and you can lick that clean, I think."

She hands Gerd a spatula to get to work. "It's still pretty warm, remember. Careful."

"Ooo. Good job."

"Okay..." Gerd starts cleaning

She drags a fingertip through the still-liquid chocolate. "Thanks, Kerri."

Kerri nods. "My pleasure. When nothing seems to suit, it means I need to make something new."

"Because you're awesome. Even if I don't think I want to be a Hearth, you know?"

"Hearth is what i wanted to be." Gerd says

A brief laugh. "Well, thank you." She sets to work doing the cleaning that involves less licking of utensils. "That should be ready to eat just about any time...and I think there's enough for the two of you to share with Connor, if he's around.

"Is it, Gerd? Well, I think you'd do well with it."

"Thanks. I do like the food part.. but the cleaning part isn't as fun" She confesses

"Cleaning isn't THAT bad..."

"I'm gonna be a thane first, I think. Maybe a rover after high school."

"Going to be all the things?" Kerri is amused.

"She's multiclassing" Gerd says

"Well.. like, I want to have adventures and I want to protect people from bad guys, but... I don't think I want to leave here too soon?"

"I'll be fifteen at the end of the month."

"Makes sense to me" Gerd says "Siv is looking antsy sometimes, but she says this will be her home port, and if she has a homeport at 17, no reason it can't be our home port too" Lick lick lick

"Well... yeah, kinda?"

"C'mon Gerd, let's claim the BIG couch..."

"Ooo! Movie time?"

"Yeah, sure! What's popcorn without a movie?"

"Okay uhm.. Wreck it Ralph 2? Uncle Vali bought the DVD"

"That's what you want? Sure..." She sets up the TV for DVD.

"yay. Thank you"

"I haven't seen this yet. have you?"

"No. I missed in the theatre cuza school keeping Uncle Vali busy"

"So good for both of us!" She takes a handful of popcorn. "Oh, man, Kerri's great..."

"YUP. We're lucky to have folks like her." Happy

"Yeah." Sigh.

"I think..s ometimes I feel guilty about being happy here? Like.. Like I'm betraying my mom and dad who died and I'll never see again?"

"But then I think on it... and... I know they want me to be happy. And around good folks like Uncle Vali, Chief Brekke and all the rest. "

"I don't think they'd want you to be sad, always, not if they loved you."

"THey did..they loved me lots. That's why it hurts that they are gone. " A hug "And I am so happy you got folks that do love you, for like the first time"

She purses her lips. "Well."

"Well, Jennifer... she tried."

"Yeah... it doesnt' mean folks are bad if they don't LOVE you, it just means they weren't the right mom"

"Yeah. I guess."

"And Jaymes and Tove, they're great."