#rivervale_lodge

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Dagmar goes hunting for Connor. She has a ziplock baggie of Tove's pumpkin cookies.

She finds him hanging by the horses again, standing up on the rails of the paddock and leaning over to pat Stormwake's neck. The small heap of carrots helps indicate why the stallion is permitting this, as well as why Star is watching with a bit of evident jealousy.

She hangs back, frowning. The plastic of the bag crinkles in her hand as she nervously tightens her grip.

The boy's pointed ears twitch, and he turns to peer at who is approaching. On seeing Dagmar, he smiles and gives her an eager wave - the action nearly toppling him into the paddock. "Dagmar! I was waiting for you ALL NIGHT." (Unlikely)

Stormwake crunches

"...H-hey Connor."

She pauses, then awkwardly holds out the bag. "I brought you cookies."

"Oh!" He looks a bit surprised, but his tail wags, uncertainly. "I brought you, um. Carrots. They're just as good as cookies, you know." (ding) "I thought you might be mad at me. But I don't know how to make cookies. So I brought horse treats." He slides down off the rails, and faces her a little shly. "Dagmar, I'm sorry you got scolded. You're not a bad dog. But it doesn't feel good to get Talkin Tos." Voice of experience.

"I'm not mad at you." Frown, flush. "I was mad, but not at you. And I was loud, and I scared you, and I'm sorry I scared you."

She huffs once the apology is out, it cost to admit that.

He nods solemnly in response, and replies, "And I'm sorry I was... a secret agent..." ding Frown. "...I was hunting for elusive..." ding, and he frowns. It takes him another false start before he finally manages to blurt out in a rush, "I'm-sorry-I-was-hidin-and-I-shouldna-been-listening-and-I-made-Gerd-get-upset-because-I-was-startled-and-there-was-a-fight!" (no ding!)

"Connor!" Surprised - and touched? "Oh, hey.. oh, hey, it's alright."

"It is NOT your fault." Adamant.

He steps forward and offers her a hand solemnly, unsure if a hug would be accepted. "It's water out of the fridge." Pretty sure that's not how that goes... "Maybe it's no one's fault. SOmetimes things just HAPPEN." Tentative wag.

She takes the hand, ALSO unsure if a hug would be right?

"Sometimes they do, yeah."

"But cookies never hurt...."

"No, they don't"

"Do horses eat cookies?"

"Nope. Cookies are for boys. They do like carrots... now, did you give some to Star, too?"

"I woulda, but she said..." He stomps a foot and tosses his head slightly. "And she's not as big as Stormy, but she IS still pretty big." A pause, and he remarks, "I -AM- kinda Perchal sized. Even if that's all we had in common."

"Well, if you are nice to her, that'll show you aren't Perchal. You have to be patient, and hold still when you hold the treat. Want to give it a try?"

MUNCH. Stormwake likes this system

A gentle thump. "Enough for you. Star's turn."

Stormwake pushes lightly at Dagmar, but only playfully and he does back up for Star

He looks a little unsure, but nots. "Okay. I trust you. Sometimes things can be big and scary just because they're big, or loud, but that doesn't mean they would ever hurt me." He's talking about the horses, of course.

Star comes right up to Dagmar - she WANTS those carrots, and is glad that the Sensible Girl is finally here. A snort and a swish of her tail as she passes Stormwake.

"Exactly. Sometimes... sometimes Star acts up because she's scared, too."

"Now... hold it out so she can reach, yeah?"

He holds out a particularly large, crunchy-looking carrot.

Star, emboldened by Dagmar's presence, sidles over and reaches out to snatch it from his hand!

"Eep!" He squeaks, startled.

Stormwake admires Star's haunches. The mare has attitude, but that's forgivable with flanks so fine. Sigh. When is Spring again?

"It's okay! Tell her she's a good girl."

"I mean, she knows, the vain thing."

"You're a good horsie. Pretty horse. I like your spots! I have spots too, when I'm buddy, jus above my eyes like eyebrows. But I don't have a Star..." He chatters at the horse, and she crunches the carrot. Her ears perk forward, not quite understanding most of it, but she does give a bit of a whinny when she hears her name. That's me! Yes. Admire me.

"She likes to be pat on her neck, like this..."

"Do you think I could ever ride one of the horses? Like in the circus? Would I have to wear a silly hat? And a roofle around my neck?" He reaches out obligingly, and Star tolerates the small hand patting her neck, along with Dagmar's reassuring touch.

"Well, maybe not like the circus, but more like, oh... a cowboy, right? Or a knight."

He ponders this. "I'm much too small to be a Knight. Knights are BIG." He nods at Dagmar. "And I think you have to be Asquired first, and no one wants a teeny-tiny-squire."

Stormwake tilts his head at the boy's words, then seems to fidget

"Well, Knights come in all sizes. Look at the tiny sidhe!"

"But you don't have to be any kind of title to ride a horse."

"The tiny sidhe?" He tilts his head to one side, curiously.

"All of them."

Dag grins a little and makes a show of flexing.

It takes him a moment, but then he giggles when he gets it. "Are YOU going to joust next time? And pop 'em out of their saddles like the head off a dandy-andy-andy-lion?"

"Maybe! I hope so."

Stormwake takes a great inhale, and then slowly releases.

Stormwake is a size changer, able to go from 'medium warhorse' to true heavy charger... worthy of a troll. He tends to stay the latter. Some of them have seen this.

But what they didn't realize is...well.. he can get smaller....

and so he dwindles.