#rivervale_lodge

She grins and shrugs. "I haven't a clue. You're only the second centaur I've met, so I don't know what the norm is for a wilder of your kith." She goes back to washing up as he finishes the pastries. "I heard about you getting caught, about the van. You're all right, though?"

"Yeah... " A proud look "I got bounced around is all"

"Good." She sounds serious. "I think, though, if they had gotten to wherever they were going, it may have gotten much worse."

"Yeah," He sighs "Maybe. " And takes a drink of a Dr. Pepper

"Did they mention where they were taking you? Did you overhear them talking? Whatever they said might be useful, if you can remember."

"I told what I remembered last night to the Chief"

"Good enough," the Hearth nods, satisfied. "Would you do me a favor and grab a dish towel? Having help to dry and stack just makes this go faster."

She indicates where the dish towels are.

"Uhm.. look, I'm here as a guest... and maybe getting paid besides. See you migght not have been told, but I don't do the menial stuff" then he throws in "No offense"

Kerri turns and blinks at him. A mild grin. "You may have mistaken this for a Motel 6. It's not. But if you're fine with lunch being delayed that much longer, that's fine." She goes back to work.

"Uhm.." Something about that grin makes him nervous "Well, see.. I can go anytime I want..."

"True. This isn't Hotel California, either," she says with a bit of amusement. "But you're going to need to find a mentor somewhere. I'm not saying here, necessarily, but we can certainly help you get connected to somebody who can help you learn your skills." She keeps washing.

"Maybe I can be self taught? I'm pretty bright" Arms cross defensively

"I don't doubt that you are. But it's kind of like trying to be self-taught in how to use explosives. Better to have somebody who can share past experience."

"E..e..explosives?" His eyes widen

Kerri kens something... a pocket of what would be his pants... half hidden by his mein. Whatever he's got in his pocket's precious.

(Gollum)

She finishes washing and dries her hands on a towel, looking at him. "Well, metaphorically. I'm told you saw the Chieftain do some pretty powerful healing work last night. The same power can get out of control pretty quickly, too."

"HEALING can explode?" Eyes wider

"Well, sure. Surgeons can heal, right? But those tools could cause harm as well. Same basic principle. Annnnd...hm." She tilts her head a bit, looking at him. "Looks like you might have something on you that's already connected to some kind of power...."

"Me? Lady .." Course correction, this lady knows blow up magics... "Hearth... all I got on me is a wallet with 13 bucks , 2 quarters, and a key chain"

She nods. "Well, it's one of those things. I'm betting on the keychain, personally."

He pulls it out "It's got like two keys on it, hardly useful" But there is also a .. a ladybug pattern in the key chain

And it's the source of the glamour?

It is, and what's more, the Hearth knows enough tales about food that she knows some consider them lucky in finding food and such '"fly to the sky, little ladybird, bring me a piece of bread" is a polish phrase related for example.

"Hm. That's it." She nods at the keychain, then thinks for a moment before asking, "You've been on your own for a while...how have you been keeping yourself fed?" To Jordan, it may seem like a non seqitur question.

He blushes "Well, one time this gguy deliveringg a pizza ttripped... right in front of me.. man I ate well, some polilcy about he havinng to go back and get a new onne? And there was this busted vending machinne.. kept giving my quarters back but giving credit. I got kinnd of tired of fritos"

"Mm-hm," she nods decisively, and taps her finger on the table near the keychain. "That's it. I'm betting somebody special gave that to you. Somebody who cared about you being safe."

"Unless it just showed up at the same time your fae nature did?"

"It's just a junk gift from my gr..." He stops "Someone who I thought was too cheap to get me a decent present for Christmas." He rolls his eyes "Though she calls it yule. guess it doesn't matter, both are made up 'holy days'"

"Oh, now that's interesting," Kerri says, beginning to set up ingredients for making lunch...looks like soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

"Not rreally, it's sense. Religion is the opiate of the masses, get them addicted.." He clearly knows just enough Marxism to quote for his purposes

"Perhaps. Certainly, that's how it works with many banal mortals. But here's the thing..." she turns to look at him. "Yule is what fae call the winter solstice. And that keychain is a fae treasure. I think you might not know this too-cheap person as well as you think you do."

"Dad says she's either a fruitcake, or someone who preys on the guillbitity of others. He says.. said. that.. she used to be more sennsible"

"Mm. Well...your father had opinions. I can't say I agree with him." A pause. "I'm sorry...I know you are likely still grieving your parents' loss. That must be difficult," she adds with sincere but not overblown empathy.

"Well, not like they've gone anywhere. They're dead. There's a nnatural state of de.." A breath "Decay. I's ggonnahappen to everyone I .. L.. " A breath sharper stil "Everyone period"

She looks at him. "It happens to all mortal bodies, yes. But your parents were not old or in ill health, were they? It was not a 'natural' death in that way, was it." A statement, not a question, but her tone is gentle.

"Now they were in their thirites... good shape and.." He puts the soda down "I .. I think .. can I use the bathroom?"

"Sure," and she tells him where the downstairs one is.

She can tell. he's this close to crying or snufling, but too proud to.. yup, there he ggoes racing off to the bathroom

That kid has a lot of grief he hasn' gotten out properly, even after all these months. Not only are his parents dead, the fact magic is real means they died fools.

or so a young 'black and white' teen mind might see it

He needs to purge some of this, but there's so much of it, it's going to take time. She sighs and continues prepping food, hoping he'll find his way back into the kitchen after he's had a bit of a cry...and maybe he left the keychain there...?

As a matter of fact, he did. Maybe it wasn't a treasure before but the yule start lit it up. Maybe it always was. But someone slipped a good luck symbol into a family of naysayers

She doesn't touch it. But she knows he'll be back for it.

Mmmm no doubt the CHief has already considered putting Olgar on this. An Unseelie Male might get him to open in ways a seelie woman won't. .. of course, Kerri can still give a bit of guidance even if that proves to be the case. She's Hearth, and she does a lot mroe than Motel Six ever DREAMED , no pun intended

(End Scene)