#rivervale_lodge

"Both?"

"How can I help? I mean.. you want to talk about it?"

"Dunno."

A nod "Okay. Well. Mind if I talk about it?"

"I guess that's okay."

"Jessica's good at hiding it, but..sometimes I think she resents me showing up out of the blue...as it were. One moment, she's a daughter trying to prove herself to dad who she didn't get to know much of her life... then her adoptive mom.... and then the next blame.. I'm out as a wilder who has had my whole life raised by them. An advantage she never had. I...guess I don't always appreciate what an intruder I am. I only knew she was amazing and wonderful and a hero"

Grunt. (You aren't an intruder!)

A pause and she tries to translate it "I think that was on my side if I read it right so.. thanks? But I am. She feels like... I'm the daughter they always wanted and I got them both to myself when she had whole years without. So to her yeah.. I guess I could see it. And I came on strong, you know? Like I do. I saw her as my big sister and was all HEY Hugs and ... kind of in her face about it." A touch of humor in her sadness, she says "Spoiler alert: I'm not subtle"

Snort!

A smile

"But she was already run off to Mexico when you arrived, yeah?"

"Yeah, already a hero who stopped balor from killing Pooka, and tyranizing the land" A proud sigh "She's amazing."

"I guess?"

"Yeah but I guess what I'm trying to say is.. I didn't think it through how it was me rushing up on her, storming in. And now you're going through what Jessica did"

Jaw-jut.

"I'm not... it..."

"I'm not a bad guy."

"Bad guy? No way. You're... Dagmar, you're good. You know that right? You.. you look out for friends and family. You risk your life for the lodge. You.. worry about the small and furry and.. you're not just GOOD at things, you're GOOD period. " Startled

"you know you're a g ood person right?"

Shrug.

"Well, know it or not you are. I was thinking that you're feeling intruded upon. You know? You didn't ask for this that little kid is on his or her way and it's got to feel like.. less for you when you just got it, right?"

She folds her arms, jaw still set.

"Yeah, well, what kinda person is mad at a baby?"

"A human or part human one" She says

Grunt.

"You know, Jessica got over it, and I'm not NEAR as cute as a baby. So... in time, maybe you and what's her name...oh right, your dad thinks it will be a boy" She rolls her eyes" Will get along too. But feelings are feelings. We don't control them, best we can do is keep them from controling us. "

"So.. how can I help ease the burden? Need me to offer to babysit some so you don't have to?"

HUFF.

"I don't want... why does everything have to be about the dumb baby?"

"Mm fair point. I guess the reason I brought it up is it was ..bothering you. It's not about the baby, it's about how you're bothered. Y'know? "

A shrug

"Doesn't matter, baby is coming like it or not."

"Dragon, too"

"YEah, but our people are going to IT first. If they win, the Barony is safe. " A scowl "if mom died facing it, and killed it. She'd think it was a worthy death. She'd consider it a fair trade. She'd be a legend once again."

But Siv's jaw sets as she says this, and she scowls.

"I'm a terrible person. I"d rather the lodge catch fire than lose my mother"

"Well, yeah."

"Fuck that asshole dragon."

"It's like ... he's not here, and yet everything is in preparation for him... I'm proud of our quest. I am. But I hate that the dragon forced us to go looking for ways to deal with the dragon rather than.. I don't know, something like a cauldron that cured the ill"

"I want to fight."

"Me too" She says "Stupid prophecies and ceremonies" A growl "I can't even fight by my own mother' side"

"Does it really say they have to fight alone?"

"Only a Hearth, Storm and Mountain Unified can slay the dragon... others with them are.. in the way, doomed to die themselves or something" A frown

"Least, ithink that'si t'

"Three versus a dragon doesn't seem fair, either."

"Apparently it's like ninjas.. the few trolls the better they'll fight? Makes no sense but there you have it"

Grunt.

"Whatever. Still sucks."

"SOO much suckage" A nod

Sigh.