#rivervale_lodge

"Flossing and practice " She says

"Hey, what's the next Fae holiday?" He finishes up his meal and takes the plate to wash.

"Well, the Greening, but it's more a willows thing. "

"What's that about?"

"Spring and childlings"

"Cool."

"So, but not like Carnivale."

"Certainly not. Now Beltaine? YOU are going to love beltaine. Lots of heing and sheing there"

"What's Beltaine?"

"Samhain sweeter and some would say sassier sister, the triumph of Summer over Winter, a fertiilty festival "

He perks up. "Yeah?"

"It is a nighttime, Spring, fertility festival celebrating life and love. and, traditionally, was when the Seelie nobles would take over , though as they're in charge most of the time it's redundant. Even the most Unseelie Kithain feel powerful thoughts of honor, and beauty take them. Why, Symon will probably be opening doors for ladies"

"That sounds awesome. Are kinain allowed to celebrate it too?"

"Well at the farm they sure as hell are, we'd riot otherwise and I think here too."

"Sounds cool!"

"You might like it, styles vary. It can be lazy, or quite ceremonial . For example, if the Chieftain were so inclined, she might ask Olgar to come forward and lay a weapon at the foot of a tree, to show unseelie yielding to Summer for taht day"

"Yeah? Why him?"

"Well, I suppose Dirk or Symon could do it, but there's a limited number of regular unseelies here"

"Do kinain have two sides like that? Seelie and Un?"

"Sure we do, it's not as strong, but legacies are in our souls , mortal though those souls aree, too"

"Which one are you?" He finishes washing up his dishes and leans against the counter.

"Most DeBukes are Seelie most of the time" AN amused look "But one never knows, mid riffs might come back in fashion"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind, family in joke" Or Innie and Outtie joke depending

"Oh, ok. What am I? I mean, how can we tell?"

"Is there a way to just ... see it?"

"Certain arts, treasures.. but mostly it's how you act.. it has an echo.. but it's stronger in Kithain"

She ponders "You could ask Sir Vali or Mountain Frank to Omen you. That might tell"

A face. "Not -that- interested...."

"Adam, for someone who once wanted folks to give him a chance, yo ucan be awfully hard on folks"

"What?"

"Just saying snubbing both those folks, both who have nearly died for the lodge before and have tried to help everyone, including you, seems a bit hypocritical after how you felt left out."

Adam frowns, bordering on sullen. "Mr Gardner's up in my business, I never -asked- him to. And the Mountain...."

"And the Mountain?" A brow

A sigh. "Look, if someone gives you a creepy vibe, aren't you supposed to pay attention? Believe it?"

"Depends. In the end, you have to judge by deeds, by acts. And the Mountain might be 'cursed' but he's a good man. His actions are good. As for Vali, he's a teacher, your grades ARE his business"

"My -French- grade, maybe."

"Ok, look, how do -you- get past the vibe thing?"

"Like bad Body odor on a guy who can't help it. "

Adam gets a look, and....yep, he checks his pits.

"YOU can do something about it" She says "But some folks honestly just stink"

"But what do you -do-?"

"Endure it, but don't blame the person for being the victim of something. I mean, goodness, of someone is in yuour way in a check out line and you find out he's got shakey hands because of parkinsons so you ahve to wait , do you blame him? or realize he's one of the unlucky ones? And does it make him any less moral?"

"No.... no, I get that." A thinking frown.

"Maybe you're more attuned to it than some, I don't know. Me? I get a gut instinct to back away, not trust. But then my brain kicks in and I ..push it to the side"

Adam gives her a little sideways look. "And.... you figure the Mountain's worth it?"

"I know he is. You're talking about Mountain Franklyn King, who has used his lore to bring down a dragon, who has brought down dream rapists and ravagers, who has freed enslaved mortals including kinain. He is a knight of the road, which is more important than a title, he is a shaman who saves the down troden, who would die to protect non changelings like you and me. Is he worth it? Chieftain Brkke wouldn't have given her heart to him if he wern't"

Adam thinks about that. "I guess...... I can try."

"Thank you, Adam."

He smiles. "Hey, for you..... least I can do!"