#rivervale_lodge

"I suspect I've heard a few, and Rikki too" A chuckle "But yeah. I'll stay in touch with her. She's fam." A thought "Thanks again for hearing me out. I feel bad for throwing emotional labor on you when everything is nuts but... you have a rep for being good at it so in a way you bring it on yourself" A smile to show he is being tongue in cheek

"Here to help," she says with a wink, reinforcing the stereotype in her own style. "How's your family doing, by the way? All well?"

"Mom's spooked, and feeling helpless.. but fortunately a friend from out of town was visiting and she's awesome so.. she's getting help. Lydia is worried about me, her big brother... and Dad ...well, Dad is throwing himself into his academia I think" A chuckle "Basil wants to fight so he's helping with patrols too"

She nods. "Anything we can do to help Lydia? It sounds like everybody else is managing themselves."

"Just tell her I'm smart and know everything and will be fine, that everyone will be. It's what she wants to believe anyway, and in our world, who is to say a little girl's faith won't make it so?" He rises aznd snatches a few more rolls, now hungry again "Thanks, Hearth. Foreverything" And he slips out

(End scene)