#rivervale_lodge

(Fade)

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Olgar looks after they've gone, and turns to his wife "So...you could have gone if you wanted to, you know that right?"

She stands beside him at the door, watching the revelers vanish towards the chosen body of water, and shrugs. "I could have, it's true. But...well, first, it didn't seem right, all three of the Lodge leaders being gone. But also...I'm not much of a fan of sidhe noble parties." She turns away and looks at the remnants of the party here. "Besides...things to do, here."

"Yeah, I suppose. Vali liked your gift a lot. You two bury the hatchet good thing? I was kind of wondering, but he seemed touched"

"Well, I think it's pretty well buried, yes." She starts gathering up platters. "Honestly, I didn't expect the satchel to be such a hit. It just seemed like something he might be able to use. Apparently, it was more apt than I'd might have guessed." Then a look at him. "What exactly did you give him?"

"You pulling rank on me for this?" A grin

"And by that, I mean wife rank"

"If you have to ask, you haven't been paying attention." She gives him a smirk.

"A gift card for racy entertainment. ..and another gift card for sexy lingerie. " Olgar smirks "I want to see him finagle those to Tiffany's satisfaction"

She laughs. "Oh, that explains how carefully those got put away. Well, good. Tiffany looked a bit worried, there. Maybe he can convince her that not all her worries are valid."

"Grump Wilder romances can be tricky. Jaymes and Tove make it work..but there can be an interest gap. As long as he lets her quest now and then or what not, I think they'll manage. Not sure what she's going to do around here" He admits "If I read her right she's moving into the area"

"I wasn't sure, but yes, that's how I interpreted her, too. And...remember, the Chieftain and Frank made it work. He didn't do his togail until...hm...until after he came back and Jessica was here. I think Sylvi was already six or seven by then."

"Six and a half I think... yeah..." He nods "I think Tiff's worried he's going to lose that fun loving pranksome side." He peeks out the window, "But somehow I don't think it's gonna happen"

"It's sure not a given. I mean, look at Vegard! For pranks, Vali comes by it naturally, and is likely to follow Vegard's example." She glances at him looking out the window. "Anything interesting?"

"Just be glad it's chimerical... otherwise it would be a MAJOR Violation of the Escheat." There's a light source not so far away, as if a great bonfire were roaring over ...and up..and up.

Bearing Brekke's face, the chimerical statue's torch casts light gently over the fief.

It may not be AS big as the statue of liberty, but it is at least 4 stories tall..maybe five if you count the torch.

She joins him at the window. "What on...oh....oh dear, that's...." She trails off and shakes her head, grinning wryly. "He just can't let go of the statue thing, can he."

"The chief can be a hard one to openly irk.... gwydion temp aside... he found something that works.. he's gonna stick with it. Though I'm ah.. having a hard time not laughing here. You realize when she returns and see this has gone up..."

He lets it hang

"Oh, Olgar...you don't think it's going to stay, do you?"

"Long enough for her to see... but probably goes down tomorrow"

"Let's hope so." Then a sigh, "Or maybe the damn dragon would attack it and be satisfied." She turns to bring her armload of platters into the kitchen.

"Baby, I don't think.." He follows "I don't know if you should be the Hearth to fight that thing if it comes to it"

A glance back at him, then she turns to start washing. "Why?" she asks over the sound of the water.

"mostly because despite my respect for how amazing and competent my wife can be, I'm selfish and don't want you hurt and this is an honorable out for you by recognizing another Hearth might be more battle skilled. Which one out there must be right? Hell, somewhere out there is a Hearth more battle skilled than me"

"Maybe," she says, then more quietly, "but maybe it's not about fighting skills. Maybe...it's something else."

"Mmph.. yeah, it might be" he says "I can't argue that. Let someone else do it anyway?"

She doesn't answer right away, her back to him, her hands in the sudsy water.

He puts a hand on her shoulder gently. "I know, I'm an unseelie lout and very selfish"

She turns enough so he can see that he got a bit of a smile out of her with that. "I won't insist on going if someone else is a clearer choice. But if somehow we know it's me...then...it's me."

"Well, that's that. And I'll deal with it" He cups her face. "And I'll support you. Whatever happens."

Her expression is both grateful and apologetic. And she still has her hands in the soapy water, but she leans into his touch for a moment, nodding. "Thank you."

"No thanks needed" He kisses her soapy though her hands are, "We're a team. Sides, if I tried to 'put my foot down' I'd have to give up the pink hat I got in DC. It's right there on the inside label.. a whole list of requirements"

That gets a true smile. "Right...and one of them is that you pick up a dishcloth and help me out, here." She rinses off a dish and hands it to him.

"I'm not sure it's that good a hat" But he smirks and takes the cloth and gets to work

"I'm sure." she says with certainty.

"Have you heard any more news about the dragon? Any rumors?"

"Then must be so" Dry dry. At the question , he frowns "More like the work it's given us... trods warped, some near destroyed. Knights of the Way all over are taking this personal as we should. That thing has changed the Dreamscape like a fast moving glacier... if a glacier spat poisonous fire."

She frowns, hands him another dish. "That's insanely powerful. Have you lost anybody?"

He looks grim "None under me, but there's some other squads further out, fellow rovers, said to be missing some brothers and sisters "

A sigh, a head shake. "I hate this thing. And the sooner we defeat it, the better."

"Agreed" he says arms around her, "Did you know our daughter almost gave up cheerleading to fight it?"

Well, an arm around for a moment... he's still got to dry.

"What?" She turns in his arm, accidentally splashing his shirt with suds. "She told you that?"

"Nope. Talked to the DeBukes.. she's upping her Spring lessons..intense. Apparently she was thinking of bailing on cheerleading so she could focus on being better at arts to help against the Dragon."

Kerri frowns, and turns back to washing. "It's...not a bad reason, but she shouldn't have to make that kind of choice, not at her age."

"Clem, pardon me, Chief Clem, talked her out of it... I hate to say this, we might want to let a few of her chores slide a bit so she doesn't have to give up being a wilder"