#rivervale_lodge

"They don't want one."

"Based on...."

"I dunno, I just know!"

"Then you do not know. You only fear."

Frown.

Brow.

"Maybe yeah."

"I think..." she considers "...you may wish to tell them, from the start, that you still wish their friendship even if they do not wish a motley."

A shadow drops down - not in front of Brekke, as he might do to Sylvi. Sylvi would SQUEAK. Brekke might PUNCH.

Brekke does move forward in her chair, startled and ready to attack...but then she eases back as she sees who it is. "Hm."

Mild annoyance at his eavesdropping (figurative and literal).

Dagmar turns purple

He straightens up, and shakes his head at Dagmar. "I probably should have left earlier." He whispers, mostly to Dagmar but also to Brekke, a bit. "I wanted to hear about Silverwolf so you wouldn't have to repeat herself. But then I figured you might get embarrassed that I heard you talk about Nadeen. So I was going to wait you out to sneak off."

"But I can't listen to this. Seriously, Dagmar. For real?"

Her shoulders start to curl inwards.

Brekke frowns a bit but remains quiet.

"I would get it with some of those. Lucia is busy, Zane has a new gig, and Piper's about as deep as a wet paper towel. But really, I'd think you'd have faith in me at least?"

Then she stands and quietly says, "Excuse me." And without another word, she heads for the door, giving them some privacy to talk.

Oak walks with the CHief as if he needed to out. How did the Chief know?

"I.. I.. I didn't think you'd want... like, oaths and formality and..."

"I never asked for any oath because I didn't think we needed it. You know, we're a team!" It's hard to tell, but his whisper sounds a little... hurt.

"You're my best friend..." An edge, a whisper of fear and panic.

"Yeah! And I didn't need a binding contract to TELL me that. Geez... shit. Dagmar, I'm sorry. I should have realized. You're a Knight, you got a House, a Title, all that shit, even a Squire. Of COURSE the words mean something to you."

"I'm sorry..."

"I don't... I... I know you're there for me.. I... I just... I'm sorry..."

"You should be." He says, bluntly. "A little. But hell, I'm sorry too. You didn't think I wanted an Oath. I didn't think we needed one. Can we call it even?"

"We don't need one. I wouldn't ever... I know you don't like that stuff..."

He waits.

"I'm sorry." She repeats again.

"Are you done?" He asks, though not rudely. "Because you said what I think, and now I get a turn. Cool?"

Her hands clench, but she nods. Silent, despite the reactive panic racing in her eyes.

He climbs up to sit on the table top, legs drawn in to fold criss-cross in front of him. This way he can at least look at her without peering up too much.

"I never wanted an oath, like, to Rivervale, or a title. You know that, Chief knows that. I'm a slug, we lurk in the shadows. Recognition isn't our friend. I already get called out to do shit because I'm a 'Pillar', and an oath would just bind me to whatever Whosit the Boss wants done."

"I know. I didn't even tell Chief you were my source." A beat. "She may have guessed... but.. I... I know you don't..." She stops herself. "Sorry."

"When it comes to something that needs to be done, though? When it's something that matters, and is important? Have I ever said no, or backed down, or run off?"

"Never."

He fidgets a bit, uncomfortable. awww, she's going to make me say it.

"YOU matter. YOU'RE important. An oath with you would be meaningless."

Wait, stop, back up. He flaps a hand to give himself a moment to rephrase. "I'm already GOING to do what I need to do to back you up. An oath is just... like, it's like, painting over a mini that came already finished. It's THERE. I was gonna do it ANYWAYS. It never felt like it was NEEDED to me. Not that I didn't want it or would say no."

She fidgets, looking down.

"I know you're there for me. I'm sorry I hurt you."

He offers her a hand, clammy, slender fingered, disturbingly sticky-clingy-fingered.

A hesitation, and she takes the hand.

He squeezes. "You gotta try to see things from my perspective. It looks like - and I'm no boggan, mind - but it looks like you're not so much doubting me, or any of us, but that you don't think you're worth it."

Voice quiet even for a slug. "And that's a different kind of insult, because you're insulting my lack of taste. So even if you don't believe it yourself, you can at least trust MY judgement. Cool?"

Very quietly. "Yeah."

"So tell me about this motley, yeah? I get what you said about folk being busy. If they ain't in, then you know what? It's you 'n me. That way I know you won't leave me behind someday when you go off to be a pro-athlete."

"It's dumb..."

"It's not dumb. Don't you Blues get extra mojo from being oathed? That's a plus. The thing is, you got folk around you - we got folk around US, that we already trust. This is just one step further, making it official."

"I just... it.. I like the idea, like, having it be a thing. Like our D&D party, or the Avengers, or the Fellowship... I dunno. It's dumb."

"It's like an adventuri-"

He laughs, a muffled hiss.

"Jinx."

She blushes again and rubs the back of her neck.

"You really think Dungeon Master Sy is going to call a party dumb? What's dumb is splitting the party, like that time when you guys thought that Balthazar could research in the tower while the rest of you went into the Manticore's den. Zane still hasn't forgiven me for that one."