#rivervale_lodge

Kerri gives Sally Mae a quick curious glance, but simply nods and grins. "The numbers know-how does pay off doesn't it?"

"It does" Sally Mae says proud

"Wait, you're rich?" Siv inquires with a lack of tact that she sometimes slips into

"Not anymore, I just paid off my college debt" Sally Mae smiles and evades

"Ahh, true, but do you expect to continue to increase your wealth without the burden of that debt?"

Sally Mae blushes but says "I don't want to assume too much. Never know when a bubble might burst ..but let's just say if things go well, I'll do more than get by."

Siv grins "I need to go get my Yule list. " A pause "Aunt Kerri, want me to take Sylvi's clothes too and put them on her bed? "

A blink. "Ah...yes, Siv, thank you." A grin. "Being good for Santa?"

"WHo needs Santa? We got a rich girl in the house.." Teasing, Siv grabs the clothes for Sylvi as well then heads upstairs.

A soft puff of amusement from Frank

Sally mae sighs good naturedly but a touch worried "While I'm excited to get out a great head start and pay off my college, I do hope this doesn't..ah change things" A look at the Mountain and Hearth "I mean, it really is uncertain how it will continue and it will get weird if folks think I'm captain moneybags"

"I think you will handle it, Sally Mae. You are.... sensible."

"Ohhhhkayyyy, Sally Mae, would you come talk with me in the kitchen for a moment?"

Frank looks quizically at Kerri.

"Thank you, Mountain and." she stands straighter, "Yes, Hearth" and she follows

"Unless you're okay with answering some pushy questions right here?"

"I can read elsewhere." Frank offers, unoffended.

"No no.. Kitchen is my pref..." Sally Mae says "No offense, Mountain, but you shouldn't be banished from the main room on account of me. " She does smile, and then goes to the kitchen

"Pardon us, Mountain..." Kerri follows Sally Mae into the kitchent.

(Kitchen) "Sorry, hearth. I didn't mean anything hateful" She frowns "Did it come out that way?"

And once there.... "Okay, you're being really sneaky about something. What are you into, my dear?"

"No, not hateful! Merely....mysterious."

(Main room) Siv returns ,then blinks as she sees it's just her and her dad "Something I said?"

(Kitchen) Sally Mae says "Well.. if I am crunching the numbers right, then I could rapidly become prettty well off.. and while Adam mostly wanted dross, leaving me mostly to cash... I... it's a bit scary to think I could be able to buy a brand new house on my own in a pretty short term. " a look "Then there's who I am working with besides Adam I mean"

(Pause for Sally Mae and Kerri. Frank and Siv can chatter)

"Might have seemed a little..... greedy."

"Shoot " Siv winces "I was joking. I'll apologize to her later. Seriously, the best part of Yule is GIVING the gifts.... when I get to see smiles slip out on all those big blue frozen faces... or make your beard wiggle"

"Hmmphm."

"Hmmphm. I realize I've out grown the days anything I gave you you'd put on a mantle...or stick on the fridge, but I still like watching you and mom react. Okay, ugly ties on f ather's day are similar but the Yule gifts I honestly try for"

"Your thoughtfulness is the true gift, Siv."

A blush "Ah... i'm a sucker for praise too much I fear." She says "but I'll take it. So... besides the vacation in Nova Scotia,what do you think Mom would like for Yule?"

"Early for it, don't you think?"

"It is, and I guess I've got plenty of time" She admits "Just I'm not always organized" An admission "So I thought a head start. MMm still, no point in stressing true. Oh, closer to now..Dad did you hear Pennons is having a DANCE Competition?"

"Will you enter?"

"Fencing and dancing both" she nods "I think the sidhe are adding more events hoping to distract from trolls crushing them at joust and regular melee. I'll do my part to keep the events leaning blue" A proud look

"I know you will." Quiet pride.

"And, of course, my every win is also a score for the Silver lions." She says with a smile

"True."

"Mmm maybe I'll wear a Rivervale Tabard with a Fiona sash?"

"mm or crimson and silver but with a Rivervale Sash"

(In the kitchen) "Hmm, I think we're coming closer to it...who are you working with?" She grins with the question.

"Well.. Caesar Corralos? It occured to me, since he puts apartments and the like up for changelings... if I want to position Knight Heart franchses.. those are good locations" A blush "So I talked him into a small contract.. so ah.. we have free parking spots and other fun bonuses."

"Ahh." Kerri's expression falls a little bit as she nods. "Well...what's your obligation in this contract?"

"Ah, that's just it... it's not much of one... I might have taken advantage" Sheepish "He doesn't even get priority treatment so much as automaticallly added to the list. Caesar is good at real estate, but he's not on my level"

A tense look. "Really. Okay. Sally Mae...you may have cooked up a really sweet arrangement and come out on top. But I need you to know that Caesar's also connected to some people that...well...it's complicated, but the Chieftain and the Mountain don't trust them, and they're wary of Caesar for that reason. The service he provides in providing housing for local fae is a great boon...but we do try to keep an eye on it to make sure that there's nothing taking hold there that we don't want. Just...be wary."

"I know, I know, that's why I was reluctant to mention it. Because Caesar has his mom, and his mom has Mister Stodgepole." She sighs "I'm not dealing with them, not directly anyway. I'll be on guard"

A blink. "You know that much about it."

"I was taught by a certain Hearth to keep my finger on the pulse of things. Clem knows them. So I know Clem.. so I worked that angle. And.. well, there's the Maudes and Caesar's kids. I'm afraid the ship has sailed in not having DeBukes tied to them a little. CC is a grandmother to the latest DeBukes"

A sigh. "Yes. Like I said, it's complicated. Which is pretty much the biggest understatement since the Shattering."

"I know and I don't want to worry you and the others, but at the same time..." Sally Mae admits "Like you said. I've come up on top. I don't want to beat myself up for success. This proves how I'm more than some girl who can pay the electric bills and one day get hitched. It's.. maybe a bit full of myself, but the idea of pulling down 6 figures with this yearly makes me proud. I don't want to second guess it so much I ruin it"