#rivervale_lodge

Later, with Adam off the ledge, Dagmar seeks the DeBuke kinain.

And finds Sally Mae pouring over some numbers for her own classes

"...hey?"

"Evening, Dagmar," SHe glances up with a smile, "How are you doing?"

"Um. I think I need help. Are you busy?"

"Not too busy to help" She puts things to the side, "is it algebra?"

She shakes her head.

"Have a seat," She motions "I'm all ears. Do you need a drink? "Sally Mae does not have Kerri levels of empathy but who does? And she has been trained so has picked up that SOMETHING is wrong.

"Um. Dr. Pepper?"

"..please?"

"Sure," She fetches a diet mountain dew for herself and a glass of Dr. Pepper with just the right amount of ice for Dagmar and sets it down, "Okay. I'm all ears."

"I'm.. listen, I don't wanna betray any trust, right?"

"But I'm worried about Adam." She frowns.

"Is he in danger?"

"Maybe?"

Her hand drifts up and chew worries at a hangnail.

"I know kinain can't become undone, because they're different, but.. but if he was a fae, that's what I'd be worried about?"

"Banalty can make us forget it just can't undo normally unless we get it ourselvesd. Tell me more?"

"He... he asked if I could make it so he forgot. So he stopped seeing and didn't remember any of this."

"Oh my." Sally Mae says "That's..He's in a very bad way then. And you were wise to tell me."

"He was so excited..."

"Now, I dunno, it seems like everything is spoiled, that it just.. it hurts him?"

"All this from just not being allowed in the lodge?" Dubious

"That's part of it. But.. like... nobody ever seems to let up on him, either?"

A tilt of her head

"Everybody seemed so sure to make sure he ate dirt and learned his place..."

"And to be grateful that he's 'just' being kept out of the lodge, because other kinain, they get enslaved or worse."

"Dirk is being bad. He's good for a redcap, fine, but he's a fucking bully."

"Sylvi thinks he's too uppity, so she's been pretty chilly with him."

"Something bad happened with a chimera today - that got him real upset, it was playing pranks on mortals, sounds like?"

She listens, and indeed takes down a paper and write notes

"Okay. Did Sylvi actually use the word uppity? that you know of?"

"I think something happened with Vali, too, at school. But, like... everything with the Lodge grownups is like... a Serious Conversation, like he broke rules, when he's doign everything we asked, and got pushed into an Oath already..."

"She said he's cocky."

"Cocky... mmm I would say that's not as loaded a term as uppity but... " She writes down something

"But she meant uppity. Seen how she is with him."

"Everybody is so concerned he doesn't know his 'place.' So they keep being sure they make sure he hears it. Again and again."

"So - fuck it, why bother, right? Why hope to be a knight when it's stupid and won't happen?"

"Okay. Everybody? Or just one person on different days?"

"And I can't tell him that's wrong! I can't lie to him!"

"Different people, different days, from Sylvi and Chief and Vali and fucking Dirk..."

"And I know Chief has a duty to the lodge!"

"But, like, it doesn't matter how well they mean it, it's hearing the same thing again and again like that..."

"You believe it. You hear it enough times from enough people, even if it's couched all nice... you believe it. 'You can't be trusted." Or 'you aren't as good.' Or 'you don't belong."

"And so instead of getting to be part of all this, he's being shown he's not wanted. Not that he has to be patient - but that there's no point, because he ain't never gonna belong."

"Okay," She writes some more down "Mmm yes this is a bad time for him. And I'm not being sarcastic or flippant. Do you know any more about this Chimera? it sounds like it put things over the edge."

"He called her Nab?"

"Nab?" A note "Okay, so Nab might have been the straw that broke the camel's back."

"And she was messing with people, but he couldn't stop her. But he thought he looked crazy, interacting with her in front of regular folks."

"Oh." the pencil drops down "That's the problem" A sigh "That poor boy."