#rivervale_lodge

"Well, he had one, but his mentor is forgetting and can't take care of him anymore. And...I don't know if...I mean, you got really lucky that Jaymes and Tove were there, you know? It was, like, the Dreaming put you all together. But...I guess that doesn't always happen."

"Hey...it's not the same thing, but...do you think he and Eden hang out much? Pooka-to-pooka? I know she's older, but...maybe they both need somebody who understands what pooka-ing is like."

"Oh, that might... her parents suck ass, too."

"And I know how lucky I am... but, like, I also know what it's like when you belong to nobody, I guess?"

"He's young, so, like... dunno."

"Yeahhh...I mean...Okay, don't take this wrong? But it was easy to see you needed somebody, like, real parents, 'cuz of all the fosters. But...I don't know...Connor's so happy all the time, maybe he's okay like this? Or maybe we're just not seeing something he needs because he acts happy." A sigh. "Great, now I have conflict and guilt."

"I wonder..."

"Yeah?"

She trails off, eyebrows and jaw working as she contemplates. "Like... maybe it's stupid but.."

"Maybe not a parent, but, like, a mentor? Grandparent? He had a troll watching him before..."

"And Torrin - Tove's dad, like.. he's got time."

"Maybe? I mean...it's gotta be something Connor wants. And something Torrin wants, too. I don't see him much...you think he's lonely?"

"Sometimes?"

"Well...okay...maybe. We should talk to Uncle Frank about that."

"Yeah..."

"Just thinking, I guess. Kerri is really good with him."

"I mean, your mom is pretty great with everyone."

"Yeahhh...." Something unspoken.

"What?"

A shrug. "Just...sometimes, when I was a kid? It was hard to share her with everybody. You know...she's like everybody's mom, and that's how it had to be. Still does...but I'm more used to it, now."

"Oh, that... " She frowns. "That must suck, yeah."

"Sometimes." Another shrug. "I mean...feels kind of bad complaining about it to you, but...well, sometimes I wanted to feel like the special one, but she really had to take care of somebody who needed it more at that moment." A grin. "Dad was good about explaining it, though. He made it easier."

"Oh, and Olgar is so your Dad and nobody else's..."

A bigger smile. "Totally. I mean, he has his duties and being on the trods and everything, but...yeah."

"But I think you're still special to Kerri. Your hers. It's different, y'know?"

"Oh, I know it. It's just that it used to be hard to remember it, you know? Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I think so."

A knock on the door

Another shrug. "Anyway. Billie Eilish. You totally could. But you could do a lot of things, too. I mean...you can do tight jeans....."

Then she stops. "Just a minute!"

"Hello?"

She goes to the door to open it.

"Hey, Gerd... Connor came up rattling something a connor party.?" Confusion

"Hey! Okay, yeah...you need in on this. C'mon in."

"In .. sure.." Gerd comes in. Siv comes up behind her.

"Okay, brought the stuff you wanted, Sylvi."

"So - well, Gerd's a wilder, yeah."

"But you gotta promise to keep this from Connor. And the grumps."

"Siv, cool, thanks, I'll pay you back." She takes the little shopping bag and sets it aside. "Come on in." Conspiratorial, waves her in.

"Shhh!" Sylvi waves to Dagmar as the door's still open.

She closes it behind Siv, then settles back down on her bed, cross-legged.

"What's going on and..why am I hiding things from Connor?" the grumps Gerd gets.

"So...okay...first thing -- Gerd, you ever heard of the Gloaming?"

Siv is already in likekiy spit.

Gerd blinks 'I'm still part Goth, gloaming is twilight without sparkly vamps. Of course I've heard of it. But you're saying THE gloaming?"

A shared look from Sylvi to the others. "So it's all of us."

"Yeah, lodge trolls."

"All of us what?" Gerd says confused

Siv smiles "You're keeping a Turkey in suspense here"

A sigh. "Apparently, there's a pop-up party that all the local wilders know about except us."