#rivervale_lodge

"That's the Chieftain's birthday, too, y'know," Sylvi points out. "She doesn't like for people to make a big deal, though."

"Well, we have a LOT of childlings right now..." She chews on a hangnail.

"...so we make a big deal because it makes the childlings happy," Sylvi agrees.

There's a magnificient stallion pooka in the center of the magazine, in Stallion form, of course.

Pardon, POOKA

"They've been cooped up..."

"Yeah. Hey, Eden, are your folks making you stay at home all the time? I mean, I know you got out today."

"I thought Greening was a Willows Kingdom cultural event more than apples?" Jonas says "oh wait, you're saying use the Greening as partially a cover to covertly celebrate the Chieftain's birthday . Isn't that a touch duplicitous?"

"I Hermonie them" She says

"I am a gwydion, Jonas! Not a duplicitous bone in my body!"

Jonas raises a brow and chooses, to have another sip of his drink

Sylvi nods at Eden. "Must be kind of easy when you can just..." she makes a snaking motion with her arm.

Then she snickers outright at Dagmar.

"Shit, it's gonna be two whole years."

"You mean, since your chrysalis?"

"Yeah, easy as pie" Eden looks into her milk quiet "Like blowing out a candle and watching them light up"

A look at Eden. "Well, I figured you'd get out the door first...? Somewhere they might not notice snake-you?"

She nods. "Sain day's the fifth."

A frown.

"Eden, you deserve better. They're jerks."

Syvli nods agreement.

"Happy Sainesta" Eden says and smiles "Look I... I know I squeeky wheeled and this is probably tied to that, but it's okay. If everyone was happy who would listen to country music?"

She scowls.

"They're abusive."

"Just cause they don't hit you doesn't make it okay."

"I am Satan's love child, they can't touch what they don't worship" She says

Sylvi ignores the squeaky wheel comment. "I'm with Dagmar on this."

She rolls her eyes. "You are Eden, and you are a nice girl and make a cute snake and snakes are just little silly noodles, not evil. I've met evil, and you're not it."

"Wait...wait...." Sylvi's smile goes away and she looks at Eden. "You 'Hermoine'd' them?"

Eden starts to sniffle then her eyes pool a bit, though it's hard to tell if it's out of gratitude to Dagmar or guilt as she answers Sylvi "Yes...little chick and Anery... and boom... George Bailey"

Wide eyes. "Wow..."

"Wait.. wait, maybe this means she doesn't have to go back?"

"Eden, that's...is that what you meant to do?"

"It has to be renewed," Jonas says "Wait, you do this daily don't you? or near to it?"

Eden looks back and forth then... "If I don't go back who feeds the cats? And of coursee not, who would want to block away banality? And an apple a day is my specialtay"

"It's merely conjecture, but it sounds as if Eden's only regular social contact are with parents who don't notice or remember her and she essentially lives in isolation in her house" Jonas says

"Social distancing before it was cool" Eden shrugs

"Um...just saying...that's not good."

"It's...okay...so it's a trade up between total banality and total isolation there. Eden, there's gotta be a better way. I wish you'd told somebody. The Mountain doesn't know, does he?"

"I told him I was..." Her eyes lock on Sylvi "He DID tell the whole world"

She blinks. "Huh?"

Jaw-jut.

"You shouldn't go back."

"You said Lordhillside by name, he told you everything... you'r only helping me because you're a big fan of..." She starts to glare into her milk "I'm 9 to 5..."

"What?"