#rivervale_lodge

And so she hauls Jaymes off to the other room.

As they start to open the door to Tove's area "HOLD IT, does he have his groom suit on?"

"There's no rules about groom suits!"

"i'm not taking chances" Tove says "Jaymes go change."

"She said Jaymes needs to cha..."

"I heard her, Sally Mae..." Jaymes looks heaven ward then to Dagmar as if to say 'you see?'

"Hmph. Tove, close your eyes." She opens the door. "Dad, go kiss her." SHOVE.

"What I.. " /"CLose my.." / Impact, a collide and a "Hey I .." "don't look." "I've been trying not to ..." // A kiss and ... then.. they melt together.

Sally Mae watches the happy couple ease tensions the old fashioned way, then looks to Dagmar and whispers "You might just be a genius"

She folds her arms and grunts. A nod.

Sally Mae smiles at that. Then raises a brow as the kiss just keeps going.

Dag shrugs, and gently tugs Sally Mae out to the hallway.

Sally Mae nods and has no trouble with that closing the door "Both of them are being a bit silly. Clearly they'll be fine. But good idea"

"Pretty sure romance turns your brain into applesauce."

A laugh "maybe, but it's a nice sauce" She says "you may find out when you're older that it's not so bad. if nothing else, it encourages poetry" A thought "not always good poetry"

"Or LOTS of singing, if Siv has it right..."

"Girl does not have a volume switch when she's in the mood" Sally Mae agrees, "But bless her. Now, how are you doing? I know you look very smart in your outfit. I saw for myself, but how's school and your friends and all?"

The kinian is tall for a mortal, but shorter than most trolls because she isn't one.

"Well, track is going great..."

"I might get to go to this all-state thing? Like, my distances have been really good..."

"I don't think it's cheating..."

"It's not," Sally Mae says "Take it from some who has lots of cousins with troll strength when she doesn't, your gifts are just that, your gifts. Part of who you are. You still have to develop the skill to use them the best, but never be ashamed. You know what I'm good at? Math. In the past, I felt bad about being good at math, because it was unfeminine, and might make some fellow fellow feel stupid or less. "

"Well, screw that."

"Math people work in offices and make good money."

A nod "Money would be nice, but not my goal. THe thing is, for a year or two, I actually neglected math... and talent? Talent isn't enough.. I almost felt behind... lost my gift, for what? To make insecure folks feel better while being useless to those who might need my skill?"

"Mmph.. it was foolish of me.. and I'm glad to see you're not afraid of being who you are, good at what you are, and building up the rest."

A shrug, but a little smile.

"I learned something in college, a quote. I don't agree with everything the woman says, but I really think she got a piece of the elephant on this one, so to speak. Marriane Williamson... she said.." THe kinain clears her throat

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

"....wow."

Then Sally Mae stops quoting "I learned that in college, wish I heard it sooner. While some of my kin would say Gods or Da'an instead of God, and some might find it a bit conceited... well, ther's a truth to it. You are Sam King and Dagmar Hammerstrike , and Dame Dagmar ap Gwydion, and so much more, and you shouldn't have to apologize for anyone of those... not to me, not to yourself, or anyone. And I sure won't apologize for who I am, not any more." A nod "Help me out if I forget that will you?"

"Heh. I'll try, sure."

"Much obliged, now they might be a bit, how about you switch out of your outfit, so you can join me in the kitchen and we have a nice messy snack?"

"Sounds like a plan!" She tromps off to change

Soon enough, the smell of chilli cheese fries rises

Dag heads down, in a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. She still doesn't show off her arms much, but the hoodie has started to appear less and less as this spring warmed up.

"I do like your hair" Sally Mae observes. Dagmar had it touched up recently, for the wedding beltaine coming tomorrow "Chili cheese fries okay ? I went a bit heavier on the spices like Tove does because I know you like her style best" Not offended by this.

"Well, you and Kerri make really good food, too..."

"I think I want to be a Storm, not a Hearth, but... I like the kitchen, Kerri always makes it feel safe there."

"Hearth Kerri is a marvel" Agreeing "And nothing saying that a storm can't learn to cook. " A smile "or a mountain or even a future chief. Poor Clem could burn water, and it aggravates her mightily." A nod "You're very different from Earl, but he used to find ... islands to go to, not the right word, but places not in the middle of things? the kitchen can be one of those at times. With Earl, well, not sure where he went all the time. That creepy scarecrow.." She shivers "And then sometimes in the wood but we never could find him and he was no woodsman so he must know a place. And back when he lived there, he had this loft above things. Now you, you seem to like perches, where you can keep an eye on things, but not always be surrounded. Am I right i nthat guess?"

"Oh, I don't like being... boxed in... like.. yeah."

"Earl is weird. he's nice enough, but weird."

"He is, I used to be a bit mean to him" A guilty look, then back to the other "And you let me know if people are being a bitch to you. I've been one. I know their tricks. I think, and it's not my place to say beyond as a friend, that I notice sometimes you seem a bit uncomfortable when things are fast and loose and busy. Like you don't know what folks expect of you? am I right of that?"

A bit purple and a shrug. "...kinda. i like to know what the rules are, so I don't screw up."

"Well, sometimes, there are moments ,when there are no rules at least no obvious ones. And there's no shame in just enjoying yourself. I worry you sometimes work against your own fun. But I did think of something that might help you? It's up to you, of course."

She fidgets. "I... I dunno. I wanna do my part, right?"

"I know, but on those days when I don't know what my part is? What i do is..well, it's like driving along a long road and you realize you don't see a speed limit sign. You're worried you'll go too fast, too slow.. so on. So.. what you can do is gauge the flow of the traffic. And you keep pace with that.. .now after that quote about being yourself that may seem the opposite, but what I' m saying is not how to live, just how to navigate certain social situations. For example... if you were in a party, and the kitchen was full and no guards needed.... who would you look to knowing he or she was doing just fine in that situation, someone you trusted?"

"Um..." She frowns, stressed by the idea.

"Let's say some of those of the lodge are there... " She adds

"I'd hang out with Symon, maybe?"