#rivervale_lodge

Bathrobe, bathroom, wash, dress, get the day started....

Olgar, being unseelie, holds still and keeps his breathing steady and believable so he can keep faking being asleep. Too comfy

She is trying not to think of just now not-into-this she is this morning. Well...Mother's Day is a couple of months...I usually get to sleep in then... A yawn as she finishes getting dressed.

His wife can have the moral victory. He's good with that.

Last night was GOOD. Oh...maybe I'm just stiff from the mechanical bull... And out she goes from their room and to the kitchen.

But not before shooting a final mixed-emotion glance back at her husband. Dammit, I love that jerk.

keep breathing, Ogar, in and out, steady and easy.

And as she approaches the kitchen, she hears ...noise? Someone else is there

"Hello?" She frowns curiously. And still a bit sleepy.

"Oh, Sorry, Hearth" Gerd's voice "didn't know what time it was"

As she doesn't sleep here anymore, this IS a surprise

"Gerd? Are you...what are you doing here at this hour?"

Automatically, Kerri goes to put the kettle on for tea. Which starts a series of other automatic morning routines.

"I uhm.. stayed up all night" A blush "With wudlig .. just.. you know, talking." A blush "Okay some kissing but nothing .. nothing more"

"Oh?" Kerri grins a bit. "I see. Were you here, or at DarkGate?" She knows it's easy enough for Gerd to be in either place quickly.

Gerd blushes "Actually, much of the day he was helping some else oour V day started late and.. uhm. I made him make it up to me" A BLUSH "And we went a couple of places"

"Some of them warm" A confession "Don't tell Piper I wimped out. It's the one thing I can tease her about"

"Made him make it up to you? I hope you didn't make it too difficult for him." A collection of cereal boxes and bowls and fixings and milk for the childlings. She can make all the fancy foods one might want -- childlings will still ask for Cap'n Crunch. With Crunch-berries. "I hope you made it just difficult enough," she adds with a wink.

"And your secret is safe with me. I'm about ready for some warm soon, too."

"No" She blushes "I like to think he .. "Then the qualifier and wink and Gerd actually laughs "thank you for understanding. YOu know if you ever need afew hours somewhere south or something I can help"

"Oh, thank you, Gerd. Of course, there's always the doorway, too," she points out reasonably. Then yawwwns. "Oh! Excuse me," she laughs at herself. And the kettle starts whistling. "Do you want tea?"

"Yes, please. You know, Hearth if you want, I'm up anyway. I can probably take it from here..."

Of course she's wearing the same clothes, which might be a give away to others

"Oh, I'm up now. And you..." She gives her a look. "Hm. Does Vali know where you are?"

She sets out food for Oak and Mackerel. Brown Dog seems to have been adopted by Dagmar's family for the moment.

A BLUSH "Uhm.. probably not."

A dubious look as she sets up the teapot and lets Gerd choose the tea from the special collection, and starts on a myriad of other minor tasks. "That's not wise, Gerd. They need to know where you are in case there's trouble."

She doesn't mention how it's not precisely fair in case they worry about her, but she does say, "Send them a quick text now, let them know you're fine and here with me."

"I don't think they would approve of me being UP all night" A blush "And I was in three locations. I.. "She starts to text

"I didn't say you need to explain all that."

A smile then "thanks. Uncle Vali is great but he's not always good at explaining..well, what it's like for girls my age because he never was one"

"Well, even those of us who have been girls your age haven't had the experience of being you at your age." She pauses and checks that everything is in order. Satisfied, she puts a skillet on the stove and starts to heat it. "So...it was a wonderful night?"

"We held hands and talked and ..well, you know, kissed but.. .nothing more than that "

A pause "Well, that's not true. We laughed and talked and .."

Kerri grins. "Sounds perfect. I'm glad." She puts a rasher of bacon in the pan, and it starts sizzling. A tray of pastries, cut up into small portions, are out on the table if Gerd wants. "Sounds positively romantic, to tell the truth."

Gerd has been helping her with the routine she knows it will enough to aid "It was. One location we get there for the sunset and.. my godness, is it me or does everything look prettier at sunset?"

"Depends on the sunset, but generally, yes." A few more preparations. "Gerd...I'm so glad you and he had a wonderful time. I'm a little concerned you were so far away from people you know, though. You're both young. And...I know you know that sometimes a person's passions can get the best of their judgment." A gentle reminder.

A purple blush "Wudlig isn't handsy by nature He... well I... " A sigh "I can go anywhere in the world.. if I've been there before. Shouldn't I USE the gifts the dreaming and hard work gave me?"

Kerri says, "Gerd, I know that trying to tell you not to travel is a non-starter. That's not what I'm saying. You say Wudlig isn't handsy. Okay...I'm taking that to mean that he...he doesn't go further than you're ready to go. Is that what you mean?"

"Right.." A PURPLE blush

Then realization "you're saying.. that one day I might want him to further than I really SHOULD let him.. is.. is that it?" STILL Blushing

"Oh, Gerd..." Kerri looks proud. "Yes. Yes, that's exactly it. And...it's almost inevitable. At some point. Probably some point sooner than you think," she adds apologetically.

"Oh I hate this" she says Then "Oh, not you it's just.. the old man, he.. said something like this very thing only I like it BETTER From you"

Kerri chuckles. "I learned a lot from that Old Man," she says fondly. "Some of it when I wasn't so many years older than you are now."

"I think even the Mountain would say you're the expert, Hearth Kerri. "

"Well...he was never a girl like either of us."

"THANK you." She looks heaven ward "See?"

"So...since both the Old Man and I agree...you might need to figure out a plan for how to stay close to a chaperone in the future, even if it's an inconspicuous chaperone. If you want...you can tell Wudlig that you got in trouble for being away all night and need to date only near the Lodge. Blame it on me."

"But that's not fair to you..." She says

A shrug. "I can take it."