#rivervale_lodge

Gerd glares but seems less willing to challenge Dagmar than Vali, indeed, she almost looks eager to challenger her uncle, "Whatever, I I'll go do the stupid report." SHe glares at her uncle "This is Fascist"

"Nein" Vali says to her straight faced.

MASSIVE eye roll, and Gerd stomps off back to the lodge.

A shake of her head.

Vali sighs, his face falling now that Gerd is not there. "I'm not sure why she hates me now, but I hope it ends soon." He begins gathering up the course, cleaning up

"She doesn't hate you."

"She's doing a good impersonation "

"She's... angry at being a little kid, and doesn't want to be one. And you're, well... the man. You're the grown up, and easier to direct everything at rather than inward."

"There's probably a lot of inward anger, too."

"Inward? For what? " That seems to worry him more "She can't help growing up"

"No, she can't. But... shit, you can want and not want something - right? And feel like you're being left behind, and be scared of screwing it up, of one mistake meaning you're rejected?"

"She doesn't seem scared of being rejected, it's like she's trying to get me to reject her... or atl east her crappy attitude. And I'm not rejecting her anyway, she's family"

"But.. yeah I guess you can want something and not want something" A thought, a sigh and he keeps cleaning up "You really are getting faster, Dagmar. More importantly, you're learning to fight smarter"

"She.. well, she needs to see what the limits are. Like... to feel safe? She can change, and still..still come home?"

She chews on a hangnail. "Like... easier to get in a fight over hair, but what if she's gay? What if she wants to, I dunno, be unseelie or smoke some weed?"

"I think I understand, I'm not crazy about it, but I understand. If she wants to be unseelie, well, Olgar will be smug but fine. If she wants to smoke weed? Hell no she's too young. If she's gay? Big whoop. "

"Well, it's easy to say it - but it ain't words. She has to see and know that it's gonna be okay if she changes."

"Words are easy, and you can't trust'm."

"You'd think after all our years together I'd get a weee bit of slack" He says with a sigh then "But thank you. This.. helps"

She shrugs. "You get it worst because you're her safest person."

"Sorry it ain't better news."

"But it's honest news, and I appreciate that. THanks" He says "I might joke around, but somethings are serious."

"Well... just.. like, just don't give up on her?"

"I won't" He says quite somberly "Ever. " A sigh "her togail is coming. Everyone has hinted at it... even Gerd herself. I'm going to miss the sweet little kid she was...even if I plan to be proud of the woman she's going to turn into" A grumble 'The inbetween years of hellbeast worry me"

"I... well, I was too old for a togail. But it seems like Sylvi and them turned out fine?"

"She did" He nods "Say, how are you doing on the whole knight Gwydion wow what a surprise after party?"

"Um... ok?"

"Things have gotten better."

"Better is better" Vali nods "Practicing with the lie detector?"

"Practicing? No. It just sorta hits."

"So wehn I tell you that I am a Proud Trump Supporter and find Star trek dull. Which I totally am and DO... does it register?"

She pulls a face and nods. "Sorta.. twinges, there." She points at a spot on her head.

"Maybe the Chief can help, but you might want to practice. Everyone complains about Gwydions 'peeping them'... but as soon as you need a mystery solved you guys get trotted out like polygraphs.. only you work better"

"Well, it doesn't help with pooka."

"No. I imagine not" he fights a smile "And yet the Chief tends to like Pooka I think."

"Well, Eden's nice..."

"Gives me a headache, but nice."

"And Connor is a sweet kid" A nod

"Same, yeah."

A thought with a sigh "Eden's in for a hard patch. Her familhhy isn't even. but ...well, very devout, and there Eden who is who turns into a snake. In the next year she's going to..' Vali stops "nevermind. It's not important."

That last part was a lie. Whatever it is, it's important.

Eyebrow.

"Okay, it is important but I shouldn't talk about it" Truth.

She nods. "Prophecy rules."

"No offence, but I'm real glad I didn't get your house. I wouldn't want to see stuff and then not DO something."

"Oh.. it's not that we don't do something.. it's that...you have to wait for it. For the right time, you have to hope you've seen it all correctly... and then act. Not right away. " Amused "you think all those times I've shown up in your life were accidents? "

"Well, how often have you..." A frown.

"How often have I helped behind the scenes or ' just happened' to be there for you? or for folks period?"

"..right..."

"Wow, more than a few...your dream dance.. and a good idea that Jaymes was comingI had a vision of a giant being pulled from the seas and he had Frank's face but wasn't Frank... I saw visions of you with bugs. And I knew Sylvi would be going North for a time. Siv? Siv is a cipher. I can't ..." A shrug "LEt's just say she gives oracles and soothsayers fits. But you? Well, all of you, I have tried to coax."