#rivervale_lodge

"I wanted to. I wanted to punch that smug look off her stupid face."

Scowl. "I'm bigger than her."

"Code of Dagda." A nod.

"I can't punch her, I sure as hell... I mean, Connor?"

"Acting like I'd hurt Connor? For no damn reason?"

"No reason? You said you saw red."

"Only after she was going on about how I was the bad guy."

"Mm." Another pause.

"Is there anything else you think I should know?"

"Connor had already run off. When I saw red, he'd run off but Gerd had to stick in another word about how I scared him. My yelling is scary, but Princess Hotshit, she's perfectly innocent in all this."

Brekke raises a hand. "Enough. I am calling Gerd back in. Understood?"

"Fine."

Not really true, per se.

A nod. "Gerd." Brekke calls out just loud enough for her voice to carry to the girl who is likely listening on the other side of the door.

A moment, then the door opens "You call for me?"

Glower.

An eyeroll at the glower

Sneer.

"Come and sit."

She does

Brekke takes a minute to look quietly at both of them.

"What I hear from both of you is troubling. And it is, I think, a question of trust."

She's settled back into the sullen glare.

Gerd bites her lip, tempted to say something.

"Dagmar, you do not trust Gerd with personal details about your life. "

"Gerd, you do not trust Dagmar to be able to control herself."

"Do you find each statement accurate?"

"Not exactly, though that's part of it."

Shrug.

An eyebrow at Gerd. "Gerd...have you ever known Dagmar to use her rage against an innocent?"

"Ive known her to bully people before, though that was before her saining. "

"That is not what I asked."

Snort.

"Let me be precise: Have you ever known Dagmar to physically harm an innocent?"

A pause "not physically, not that I've seen."

"I have never seen such, either. What I have seen is, even in her deepest panic or rage, Dagmar has harmed objects or even herself before she would harm an innocent."

Gerd frowns "Harm an innocent physically..yes"

She shifts her weight, silent and scowly.

An eyebrow. "There is not one of us at this table who has not harmed another emotionally."

"Most of us don't keep going when a kid is terrified or plagued with guilt. "

"This again?"

"AGAIN? You know, you threatened me... and then got all bitchy when I didn't kiss your ass and told you I'd defend myself if you tried..."

"Gerd...you feel you are protecting Connor. Dagmar, you can understand how it feels to want to protect another."

"And that? I could let slide... but Connor is tearing himself apart feeling bad and you won't stop. I dropped it. You kept it going"

A blink. "Connor is still feeling badly about this?"

"He blamed himself, chieftain. And whoever's fault it is it sure isn't his."

"Fuck it. Fine. I'm a big bad bully. I'm awful. I'm a bitch. Alllll my fault."

Brekke raises a hand to stop Dagmar. "I have not yet spoken to Connor. I will deal with that another time. Let us only speak of what happened before Connor."

Gerd says "You wanted to know how I knew... and stormed offf.. so I told you, trying to let you know it was something I stumbled onto... I wasn't prying.. I honestly thought it was GOOD News... and instead you ball up your fist... and tell me to fuck off... and I'm trying to figure out what i did to deserve that..."

"Dagmar...can you explain that to Gerd? Why it upset you?"