#rivervale_lodge

A shrug.

"Maybe," she agrees. "If he maybe-has, have you maybe-given him a chance?"

"I dunno. I say anything he just runs off."

STAB.

"Like...just now?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's practice some more then. You wanted to see how a feint works?"

"Hm." Kerri thinks about that. "Tell me who said what. Word-for-word, if you can."

"Yeah!" He refocuses quickly.

"He asked where the cupboard was, I showed him. He got the door, so I said thanks. Um. I said I had to get back to work."

"He said it was good seeing me, and I said sure, and then he left."

"So...you told him you needed to get back to work...and he let you do what you said you needed to do."

"But it..." She frowns.

"It's how..."

"Mm?"

"He was just looking and... and he just couldn't leave fast enough after I said sure, like that was the wrong thing?"

Scowl, stab, toss.

"Sure, now... " Olgar shows "You get the foe into a pattern," he demonstrates... "And then..." A motion like before, only not berfore, a change over and strike "See, a lot like a fake out in sports. that's a feint."

"What do we have to talk about, anyways?"

"Maybe that's something to ask him."

Adam watches, copies.

"Whatever, he's got other friends now."

"Dagmar...you're trying to mind-read him...and I don't think you have that particular gift."

Scowl.

"I saw his face as he left the stables just now. And I've noticed before. And you, when I came in here. You miss each other as friends. And the healing is going to be difficult. But I think it is time to try to start."

"Some things don't heal."

"I have known very few things for which that is true...unless one does not tend the wound properly."

"I don't wanna talk about the breakup again. I dumped him, right? I gotta dump Nadeen, too, and I don't know how to do that."

"Wait...WHAT?" That's completely out of left field. "You have to do WHAT?"

"Why in the Dreaming do you think you have to do that?"

"Before it gets weird and we can't be friends?"

OLGAR nods at Adam's work, "Not bad, not bad. It's a bluff, so you need to be aware of how you usualy move, look and more. That's why experienced fighters are much better. they know themselves. Now, warriors are always looking to find tells in others, cover their own tells, but if you think someone has found a tell you just can't hide, you can use that to your advantage by setting them off early"

Kerri pauses, then goes to her and rests a hand on her shoulder. "Dagmar, that is why you need to heal this with Adam. You need to do it so you can believe that it can be done, and so you won't stop another relationship for fear of the 'weird.' Please...trust me?" Kerri looks tense and urgent about this.

Adam is -listening-. "Like..... switch up the playbook?"

"It's only a thing because of some chimera. I don't.. I don't wanna..." She looks in the direction of the lodge. "I don't wanna screw it up, right?"

"Yeah, sports allegories work for you I think" Olgar nods "You're a quick study here. Exactly. "

"Does how it started matter? Can a thing not be real simply because its origins are complicated?"

"She can't stay here forever."

"Ok, so... ?"

"Today is not forever. You are not responsible for forever. And when the next part of forever comes...well, love means figuring out those problems together."

"Don't worry about practicing at a slower pace. Slow starts is good. . Learn precision in sparing, then build up in speed."

"And honestly? That's what friendship means, too."

"I dunno."

"I do know."

"You do friends a disservice if you decide what is best for them without inviting their input. They are not your children."

A crease between her eyebrows.

A little light of realization. "Oh. Oh, of course. You're trying to protect her. And him, in a way. From you."

Her jaw juts but there's a quaver in her lip.

"You're afraid you'll hurt them."

"Yeah....." And the boy actually does seem to get the form over speed part. Ok with slow starts, to get better with the right form.