#rivervale_lodge

A knock on the door from Anne Marie

It's opened by Kerri a few moments later. "Anne Marie! Come in."

The boggan looks happy "Oh my what a day" She beams "My boys came back, as you know I suspect. They got me a bottle of wine"

"Oh, that's lovely of them. They're an odd pair, those two, but they're very good sons."

"Do you want something to eat or drink?"

"Oh depends on if it lets me gossip with a good excuse or not. How's Sylvi?"

"Tea it is. Come join me in the kitchen." Kerri leads the way. "She's awfully pleased with herself, but I think it's well-earned. Successful quest and all." She starts setting up the tea.

"Well, she is. Your daughter actually gets my boys to listen, and I can't tell you how much I envy that" Wryly . She loves her boys but they can be a handful. "Honestly, I don't know all they were up to. But it seems to have done them a world of good. I think the wilders have been going a bit nuts."

"They have. And that's with all the freedoms they've had, compared to their mortal peers. I can't imagine what it's like in a mortal household at this point." She sets out a tray of cookies...homemade ones, and decidedly safe.

"Oh, I can tell you but it might depress you" Anne Marie admits

"Oof. You're probably right. Hmm...how do you manage, having to deal with them on such a regular basis?'

"I won't lie, being a boggan is both a blessing and a curse there. Folks might tease we can't help but help, but it also means we are more resistant to caregiver burn out." She says "And I have allies, good cops, young psychologists willing to donate a bit of charity with their time, a few organizations"

The kettle whistles, and Kerri busies herself with prepping the teapot.

"Oh, and Jonas being back is a godsend"

She nods. "You have an impressive network."

"One tries" SHe says pleased, "But also, much credit to the Mountain and other Lilams in the area. I swear, Sir Franklyn is a marvel. He's got more spoons in the pot that I knew"

Kerri nods as the tea steeps. "Frank is surprising. He's so understated, but he's always been a solid support, in one way or another."

"Oh! SPeaking of help... " A pause "Two pooka came by and donated"

"Did they?" Kerri smiles, and all of Anne Marie's senses tell her that the Hearth had something to do with this. "Two pooka?"

"Yes, first was Rikki... she came in, laid forty dollars down and a T shirt, and said 'Here's the money, and if she knew it was a Mafia casino she never would have gambled here' and then left"

Kerri stifles a chuckle as she pours the tea. "That must have been puzzling."

"No, what was puzzling was when her brother came up later, and said 'his sister has amnesia' and handed me another fifty"

"Oh, reeeeeally." A smug grin. "Well, Tikki keeping an eye on things. Good for him."

"Kerri, why do I have a t shirt that says 'I break for Shacklebreaker'?"

"Well, let me tell you what seems to have happened." And she relates the tale of Rikki's entrepreneurship.

"Oh lord, that girl" a look "OH my. So either she didn't pay enough and her brother made her pay the rest, or, he paid out of his own pocket to keep her out of trouble"

"Or he was feeling independently generous after she already paid her total...but somehow I think it's more likely that she tried to hold back some for herself."

"The girl is an unseelie"

"Yes. She's also trouble. The two don't always go hand-in-hand."

Tea fixings are available.

"I don't think she's bad, necessarily. She's not sadistic or abusive, as far as I've seen. But she's opportunistic and immature."

"Must be a handful for her father."

Soon tea is being prepared, "Well, she is a teenage girl" Amused "Aren't all of them handfuls?"

"I know I was," she mutters as she takes a sip.

"Oh my goodness, the things I did to my parents" Anne Marie sighs sympathetically

A dubious look. "You put the linens away on the wrong shelves?"

And a sip of her own, then a smirk "Are you kidding? Please, imagine if you will, 'call of the needy' mixing with 'but I can CHAANGE him'"

"And then imagine a string of jerkass teenageboys" a sip "Each one 'my true love for realz this time'""

"Oh, dear." A laugh. "Yes, okay, your parents must have been having fits."

"And if they didn't like my latest pet project, then they were facists, or racist, or whatever ist... honestly, I found out later my father went to the dentist three times that year because he'd developed a teeth grinding problem" A laugh "I feel bad about it now. "

"To your father," Kerri raises her teacup in a toast then has a sip.

"Hm...are your parents still around?"

"Oh yes, " She says "They're in Vermont now. Lovely little pad, though New England winters are getting harder on mom"

"You're still in touch with them, then."

"Oh yes, not as often as I like" She says "I doubt Symon would remember them he only met them once ,and by met I mean he hid while they visited"

"Now your family, not so close if I Recall?"

"Oh...no. No." A smile.

She doesn't seem inclined to elaborate.

"Oh, I meant to ask...I knew the boys got you wine, but I don't know if there's some special quality to it?"

"Oh you are a woman of mystery, but I'm no pooka to squeeze it out of you"