#rivervale_lodge

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Adam rolls up to the Lodge parking area and parks it.

Oak barks a 'hey buddy' bark in greeting

Adam grins. "Hey Oak, how ya doin?" He pets da pup.

Oak wags and play bows happy to see his dude bro battle buddy and even gives him a chance to pet the belly.

"Guess you got here before I did," Zane says walking up

"Got wheels, Dude." Adam straightens.

"So what's up?"

"Well," Zane admitts "I'm kind of wondering if you're going to punch me in the gut"

"No. You want me to?"

Adam seems puzzled.

"Not my kink, no" he admits "But.. I brain whammeid you. You probably remember acting like Oak there? Only .. he has nicer hair"

Oak barks

"Screw you, my hair is awesome." And to be fair, he -does- look good. "Yeah, but I know why. I get it."

"Why didn't you come along man? I still don't understand?"

Adam sighs. "Piper asked the same question, basically. I don't.... Look, -how- could I have gone with you? I was old, and I hurt myself getting out of the dumpster, and I was forgetting everything and on my -best- night I can't keep up with you guys at a run. That was not my best night, Zane. I'd called everyone I could think of to warn them and I just wanted to get the Lodge safe."

"Then you got the truck, but I was confused and it still hurt and.... and I promised Didi I'd take care of her. Promises like that mean something, don't they?"

"Dude..." Zane says "The thing that took longest ,that wasted the msot time, was you fighting us on it. You didn't have to walk on your own feet, we had you. And," Zane says with a sigh "You HAD to be there to undo the magic. Not 'gee wouldn't it be nice' HAD to. I know you don't like being told what to do, but when the magic goat guy best friend who knows more about magic than you do, and his cousin, the goat girl who cares about you and has seen some ugly shit.. BOTH tell you you have to come along, it's not nice to treat us like we're lying to your face. If you hadn't gone, everything would have been fucked. ... oh yeah, the stopped the wizard 'that time' but wizards are wiley...and he might have gotten away and gotten back or hurt your family or who knows.. all wearing yoru face. So instead.. I brainwipe you for your own good... and you know how much I hate that phrase? for your own good? I might as well start setting up the hunger games and wear all white tut tutting"

Adam waves his arms in frustration. "Ok! Next time I lose all the juice and forget what the fuck's going on and can't SEE the goat-people, I'll remember to do what they tell me to!!!"

"Thhhaaank youuu" he says

"And you still had some juice or you wouldn't have remembered the balefire" He says with a huff "Dude, you scared the shit out of me with that. "

the last an admission of fear for losing a friend

"Look, til YOU almost forget everything, don't tell me what you remember and what you don't." Adam huffs.

Zane looks at him, "Dude, I have forgotten myself THREE times since my dream dance. THREE." He holds up three fingers

"Most changelings do it at least once within a five year period. why do you think we cling to freeholds?"

" 'Cause you need the juice. The Glamour." A lesson repeated.

"And YOU needed your body, and WE needed you IN your body to keep that balefire safe." REMINDER "Adam.. dude. I Know more about glamour and balefire than you do" Flatly

"Not arguing that!"

"Sounds like you were about to lecture me on it" Zane says "But fine. " A beat "You okay? I mean... recovered? I don't care what kith or kin you are.. body swapping is... well, nightmare fuel"

A shrug. "I haven't had any nightmares, not that I remember. And everything works." He wiggles the fingers of his hands. "And... I mean, like I said to Piper. It's over. The Lodge and the Balefire are safe, everyone healed up, the bad guy is captured. All good, right?"

"I suppose so..." He says relieved "The wizard got whisked away by a knight in service to...well, this Count who is.. kind of infamous kind of famous"

"Yeah? I admit, I was kinda distracted by that point. What happened?"

"The knight came over, took the wizard in his old beat up body, and whisked him to a prison of sorts in Pacifica... California area. "

"I know where Pacifica is. I've been studying." A mild protest. "Well, good. Hope he rots there." A beat. "Feel bad about Victor, though. Not the wizard whateverhisnamewas but the guy .... I mean, the body."

"Victor died decades ago man, but yeah, me too. I hope he's in heaven or whatever good spot there is for mortal souls"

"Yeah." Softly.

"Anyway." He takes a breath and looks up.

"So... you've been studying? "

"Yeah, that book I had? From the Mountain." He gestures to inside the Lodge and presumably the Mountain within. "Basic, like, history and geography and stuff. And some e-books from the library on the laptop."

Then he looks a little troubled. "And... I gotta talk to Sir Vali."

"Sir Vali? Why? You don't take French"

"Yeah. I guess you could say I want to take court."

"Court? Ah.. wow." he says then ponders "You know dude. I'm not gonna judge this one. If you want to go to courts more often, how can I help?"

A shrug. "I dunno. I have to learn how to act there, and how they talk and what they talk about and.... stuff."

"Heavy work load," he says "I'm worried about the biases you'll face no matter how good you get, but True Thomas is kinian and everyone considers him the greatest bard ever so... it can be done"

"Who?" Instantly alert and interested. "True who?"

"True Thomas? Can never tell a lie. Predicted ..oh dude, you have been cheated. Let me guess, everyone down plays True Thomas.. when they tell you about high King David don't they?" He grins "Dude.. let's sit down, do I have a tale for you"

Adam sits right there on the porch, right where he saw Nadeen sitting.

"I meant inside. I'm thirsty.." A grin "But I can come back out here if you prefer"

"Oh!" He pops up again. "Inside works too."

And they get some sodas, and Zane begins to tell him of True Thomas , the mortal who during the time of the accordance war was truly a mystery "Some say he returned WITH the sidhe, the only mortal ever to have seen Arcadia and lived. Other say he knew when they'd arrive. Thomas himself doens't talk much about that... for he cannot lie and instead hoards great secrets... but he IS mortal... and a kinian of Sidhe blood. What is known... " And he relates the Accordance war... the fall of King Dyfell.. and how true thomas cared for noble childlings ..until the sword Caliburn appeared in young David's hands "And True Thomas said to all, Noble and Commoner alike 'Behold your true King!'"