#rivervale_lodge

"Maybe...that isn't your job? I mean, maybe you need their help to fix it."

"I don't want to hurt them, or stress them out, not with the baby and everything..."

"Well...yeah...but how's that working so far?" Sylvi asks with an apologetic tone.

"I shouldn't have skipped gym."

"But, uhg, we're swimming."

"Yeah? So...oh...oh, yeah." She frowns. "Well...since your folks know, maybe they could give you an excuse? Say you've got a rash or something? Just for now...."

"I mean...you'd have to talk to them about it, though."

"Tove's getting me a long-sleeved suit."

Sylvi grins a bit. "They make those?"

"Tove found them." A little smile.

"There's this blue and black one, really cool. Not froofy."

"Hey...hey, what if we all get them? All our friends? Then it can be, like, a trend."

Her eyes widen. "Yeah?"

"Well, I don't think I'd want to wear it in summer, but it's February, not like we're gonna try to get tans right now. Where's Tove getting it from?"

"Online?"

"Oh, man.. Sylvi, I... you're amazing, like..."

"Okay, I'll poke around online, and if I can't find them, I'll ask her."

A shrug, but she smiles. "Solidarity, right? We got this."

"I'll start a group chat, share the idea. Can't guarantee everybody will do it, but even one or two would be a help, right?"

Dag nods, eyes bright.

"Okay, then." Then a yawn catches her by surprise, a big one.

"Thanks, Sylvi. You really are the best." A quick, impulsive hug.

"And you should go to bed."

A surprised squawk as she's hugged, and she manages to give a hug back. "Yeah, I really need to...sounds like Colton's going to go overboard tomorrow." She doesn't sound disappointed by that fact. A stretch, and she get up to go upstairs. "G'night, Dagmar."

Brown Dog and Oak are already snoring together.

"Night"

And she heads out for home

Sylvi climbs the stairs. She's still got about a half hour of makeup removal, skin care, teeth care, and checking in with Colton before she actually gets to sleep.

For Sylvi, sleep will come after the nightly ceremony, Colton does flirt with her for at least fifteen minutes by text. And then she dreams happily

And Dagmar, loaded with goodnews, is greeted by Raindrop the flying horse, and Two bit.. and her folks... and yes, Odin wants someone to pet him now. Five strokes on one side, five on the other, a chin scratch for a half minute, then he will nip- as is custom

And it is well.

(End Scene)

The smell of bacon and eggs from the lodge kitchen.

Sally Mae sighs as she knows the date. Valentine's Day, and here she is, the best looking of the DeBuke Kinian (Just ask her) and are there candies for her? Chocolate hearts? Flowers? No. She has flirted with Carawyn, but the sidhe has been very busy and while ever polite, he hasn't made any moves in the romance department.

The kinain woman looks in a nearby reflective surface. She's not looking for marriage. She's still young. "But would it be so much to ask, to have a man see me not just as pretty, or nice, but special? To see in me as much as I hoped, but more than I see myself? "

"I wouldn't last five minutes against that stupid bechdel test I suppose" She says making sure the bacon doesn't burn

"And I'm talking to myself, yes I am" She sighs then looks about "I guess folks are sleeping in this morning" A thought "or not sleeping in...lucky ducks."

She knows that the Mountain and Chieftain are private about their love lifes, but one can't be blind to the 'meetings' on the Kestrel, or for that matter , how sometimes the Mountain asks the Chieftain to talk to him about something in his truck. They are definitely not dead.

A smile on her lips as she thinks of Hearth Kerri. Sally Mae is handling breakfast this morning by request, and with the Hearth recovered, there's little doubt in Sally Mae's mind that Olgar is being 'thanked' and how, for his tending to his wife while she was sick. And, to be fair, Olgar has a more romantic side than some know. They're less sly about their romantic ventures than the Chief and Mountain, but that isn't saying much.

Sir Vali has his Tiffany. Sally Mae has to admit, she doesn't know what to make of Miss Van Hunt. She's an action girl type, soldier for pete's sake, who dealt in bombs, and now is a thane. Yet she does adore her Damsel and keeps him on his toes at the same time. No doubt they've encouraged Margilta to be elsewhere for most of the day, and who knows where Gerd can be.

Thinking of Gerd makes her think of the younger set. Ha, some of them are but a year or two younger than Sally Mae.

Then there's Dagmar. Sally Mae sure doesn't blame her for taking it slow. She's heard enough about adoption services to know some of the kids end up pretty scarred and pretty scared both. While she hopes that some day the knight finds the right person, it will take time she supposed. Sides, the girl seems , overall, happy with her life. Might be Dagmar's the smartest of us all. You're allowed to put a bit in a horse's mouth , and if the cat gets fussy you put it outside for a bit. Easier to manage than men

Sylvi has her worried. The young woman is clearly exhausting herself, pushing her wilder energy to the test. While Colton is a good lad, he needs to set down with Sylvi and tell her to pace herself better. Mind you, he best be careful how he words it. I swear, Rivervale girls are even more stubborn than DeBukes

More likable too, she mentally adds with some resentment. Her briddge with her family isn't burned, but she's still got a match handy.

Then there's Siv, who doesn't even see what's happening to her. Not the joining of House Fiona, but the fact that she's come to that place where not only is she like to leave the lodge more and more, she almost has to She's so afraid of breaking her parents hearts, but not a day she doesn't want to see and do more. It's not that she doesn't love Rivervale. But the girl paces like a caged panther when there are no duties for her here. I think the Mountain sees it, and he's torn.

She and Jonas are a hoot. Sally Mae thinks, Not sure why she asked me how to make a man feel like his ideal self without compromising herself. Where on earth did that notion come from? Her advice had been to think of what Jonas values were, and which of those values Siv admired... and then support and praise those. Man is, woman does might be bit sexist, but often does be the way we think. If Siv can focus on what Jonas does, she will probably find the values.

Kerri, she knows, would have been the better one to ask. Oh well, she hoped it helped.

Soon, omelets, eggs, bacon, and biscuits are all done.

Connor has been a bit quiet lately, moping around a bit - but the smell of all of that is more than the boy can resist. He leaves the blanket nest where he was curled up in Gerd's - no, his - closet, and troops down the stairs, rubbing at a sleepy eye.