#rivervale_lodge

"Smart move."

A roll of eyes. "Fine. But you get what I' msaying. He's been Gerd's guardian for longer than either of us have been at the lodge and then some... not that I'd put it on Gerd entirely... but you take away his jokes, and what you have is pretty constant grump behavior for the last few years"

"When's the last time he went on a quest for fun? Even his visits to that woman in Maryland are out of some devotion and obligation"

"...Being responsible is grump behaviour?"

"Okay, so he needs to go on a quest. That works."

"I'm not sure it's so simple as that... yo ucan't always undo the wheel by.. well I don't know, maybe it IS that simple" Siv rubs at her horns. She was so sure before she started this conversation.

"Didn't you mom get younger in the Dreaming?"

"Yes but the way they go on I've added 12 years personally. That aside we were on the Sea of ages, and you can't always control that. She's lucky.. she could have come out a crone, or even a five year old with the glares"

She smothers a laugh. "Oh jeez, can you fuckin' see it? Knee-high Chief?"

"After pranks giving I'm a bit sensitive to knee high .." but she chuckles "Yeah... I don't think she was a troll when she was a kid, but her as a troll childling? WOULD BE FUNNY. I admit it." a thought "At least until my panic set in."

"I mean, mom not at the helm and maybe needing to be raised herself.. gah"

A sigh.

"Dunno, wish I could've... I mean..." Frown, shrug.

"Kinda jealous, I guess. Not a lot jealous..."

"Been a childling yourself here? And not gone through hell as a kid like you did? if that's what you're thinking I don't blame you. Sylvi had the most normal child hood of any of us, but you had the roughest"

Grunt, shrug.

"Nothing wrong with wishing that. Sometimes I wish I'd been born regular and I had a great childhood. You might be a little jealous of us, but I do not envy your youth at all. I think that proves we're both sane"

"It wasn't all bad." A touch defensive.

"You don't talk too much about the good ones, or maybe i just didn't listen, I'm sorry if the latter." Contrite

"Just.. I mean, don't want to be some kind of object of pity, you know?"

"Some places were okay. I mean, like, the Browns weren't bad. And, oh, Mrs. Fitz.. she was great, she got me this sleeping bag so I could camp in the den and watch cartoons..."

"Cool"

"And it was mine, she let me take it when they moved me..." A brief cloud, a frown.

"Did you lose the bag?"

Her mouth tugs downwards, a glower. "Yeah. Lost."

"Oh.. worst than lost. I'm sorry"

THen "But.. onto another thing you said? If I ever pitied you before? I don't now. I'm actually envious of you too, a little."

"Envious?"

"Oh gee..let's see.." Siv says "My mom? Not a talker. I am. My mom? Hits like a truck and prefers straight forward fighting? I dance and buckle swash. My mom? loves the woods. Me? I like it, but I LOVE the sea. My mom? Honor, duty, not a big fan of guile? me? I think if rules are meant to last they can bend a little. My mom? A Gwydion? If I eer joined a house it would be Fiona. My mom? Jousts .. and seems to like it. Me? I know just enough physics to realize how crazy the sport is and I' m not a good enough horsewoman nor interested in horses to do it. YOU however... are not a big talker, preer to stand and deliver in a fight, love the woods and its animals, honor and duty ? OOZE through your pores. You're a Gwydion to boot AND a naatural to be the next jouster of Rivervale. You think it doesn't make me a wee bit envious that you're more like my mother than I'll ever be?"

Blink.. blink..

"Oh, no. Siv, your hers. Like, how do you not see that?"

"And I'm not sure I'm a very good Gwydion yet. I'm trying to be, but Chief's just... she's just good at it."

"You think she started out that way?" A smile "Just.. COunt Hemlock saw a troll in glass that said 'in case you need awesome-Break glass' and out she popped like Athena from Zeus's skull full grown and legendary?"

"...Yeah?"

"She assures me she did not. She tells me she was once insecure, she did not feel pretty, heck, she did not even feel strong where it counted. "Siv says "In short, once she was a new troll much like yourself." A bite of her lip "I'm hers huh?I guess I don't see it. I mean... we're really not alike"

"You're both brave, and care a lot about people, and try to do the right thing even if it puts you at risk."

"Same could be said of you, and you have more similar methods" A reminder.

"But you're hers." Stubborn.

At that, a smile "Thanks. I guess you're not much like Tove but if I told Tove you weren't hers I'd get an earful wouldn't I? Yeah."

"Exactly."

"I'm... I'm really glad Tove's around. And not just because she makes Jaymes happy."

"she's great.. gentle and passionate... and she took care of her father and went through the shit on THyle... she's... actually rather brave herself"

Sniff. (OF COURSE she's brave!)

Siv gets the basic, barely "Fine sorry" Then a smile "But I guess my point is, it's okay to be a little jealous and envious as long as we see what it is and don't let it own us. It's something to watch against, and maybe use to better ourselves? "

Grunt. (Seems fair.)

THen a sigh "And apologies. I may have gone in 'very important life lesson mode' which means while I'm not like mom , I am very much occasionally like dad."

THAT gets a laugh.

"Ah well. I'm proud of him too."

"Frank's a'ight."

"He's a good mountain and a great dad. I don't always tell him so. Probably should. He worries he messed up with Jessica, you know? Because he 'wasn't there' nevermind trapped in the dreaming... nevermind divorces are hard"