#rivervale_lodge

“Mm.” She nods and is quiet for a moment before saying, “I think law enforcement is a reasonable goal, and you could be very good at it. I also think it is important, though, for you to pursue what you wish to do. Is this your desire? Or is it what you feel is expected?”

"Well, you did mention trucking... " He ponders "Sir Frank's pretty tough. And I guess you don't hafta be a people perrson. I didn't consider that." then "As for the cop thing, I get to bust heads. I'm good at that. And I got part training in enforcing. But that's just it, no one expects ANYTHING of me."

A brow. “I do.”

He looks surprised then looks to his shoes, and almost sheepishly says "Thanks. Mom just wants me happy. Which is great but not helpful, you know? Dad? Dad's focusing on Symon. He's the talented smart one. Doc will blow a gasket if Symon does't go to college, with me? I think he's figuring I need to aim lower. I probably do, but ..." a curse under his breath "He was the one who helped me get my grades up to Cs and Bs"

“Cs and Bs?” She sounds surprised and pleased by the latter. A nod. “Then why can not you also consider college, if you wish?”

"Well, I can, but the Admins just remember the OLD me... the teachers are okay, but none are scrambling to save my future cause they're swamped and eihter saving the F troop from failure or helping their aces. " A scof "I improved myself into the spot that folks just shrug at. to be fair, it's only 2 Bs and I still get a D nnow ad then"

“Well…have you asked Sir Vali? As a teacher, he may be able to offer a recommendation.”

"Vali's a new dad, new Mounttain, and ggot his classes doubled ... and is trying to keep writing. "

“And is a teacher. A teacher who, I believe, would be on your side. Otherwise…who are the teachers who have seen you achieve the most progress?”

"Mister Storm? He teaches history ? He says I'm a scary ass bastard that makes Patton look sane, but I've really got a knack for remembering the atrocities of history and the dates of the bloodiest battles. He says I might have made a good hun, not just a mook, but a raid leader" PROUD

A blink. “This sounds like somebody who understands you, I think?”

"yeah, he's crippled.. err lame? I.. his legs don' work whatever the damn term is. He asked how he could get me interested and help my grades up. So I studied, there's blood thirst and hunger and rage in a lot more history than I realized! " Proud, then he adds a Caveat "I thought the holocaust would be kind of redcapish? But's not... turning death intto an assembly line? Killing folks in chambers instead of having the guts to take them downn yourself? Man, Nazis ruin everything... bureaucratic genocide is banal"

“Mm. Anything done with detachment generally is. So…I suggest you talk with Mr. Storm. Ask his thoughts about you going to college. Who knows…perhaps you could be a history teacher, yourself.” She seems serious.

"Uhm.. Chief? folks don't LIKE redcaps. I mean, you can learn to like A redcap , but we don't do public speaking too well"

A half-grin. “Perhaps not, then. Although…many people fear their teachers, also. At any rate, speak with Mr. Storm about college and career. And know that I will write a recommendation if you need one.”

"What's the catch?" He asks "I mean, you gonna tell me I have to save puppies or something att college? When we started this you always had a catch. I did' mind so much. Seelies are all 'repay all debts' so I expect a catch. Just curious what it is?"

She regards him for a moment. “Do you need a catch?”

he seems even more surprised by this, then thinks it over "You might want to tell me that if it all falls apart, I'm to suck it up and ask for help from you or someone else. I can get stupid proud" Self awareness has always been one of his knacks

She looks genuinely proud of him at this. “I can agree with that. That is the catch. Ask for help when you need it. Not ‘if’ for there is no doubt that you will need it. Everybody does, sometimes.”

"I will" true "If I don't fforget" also true "Whhich I'll try not to do" true yet again "thanks Chief. I'll talk to Mr. Storm."

“Good.” A nod.

"Guess every wilder in senior year is stressing about a future . No one wants to leave Rivervale which limits options.." He stretches "Seems stupid to me. Sure I'd miss it if I had to be a way, but way I see it, it's all just an Autumn World quest. Go out, consult some tweed wearing mentors, solve their stupid riddles, finish the labors, try to loot treasure to pay your way, decide if the folks on the same quests are rivals, foes, or tolerable enough to form a group with, maybe snog a damsel or dude in some down time, then back to the next Sphinx in Tweed, and finally graduate with the magic diploma of 'folks have to take your shit as having substance' and make your way home and kill folks who moved in on your estate or wife or whatever while you was gone"

A blink. “I cannot condone the methods of the last part, but…have you said this to the other wilders?”

"Said what to em?" his brows knit then "Oh, that college is an Autumn World Quest? Nah. They didn't ask. And they wouldn't likely lissen to me anyway"

“Tell them I told you to share it.” It sounds like a directive, not a suggestion.

"Uh" Really confused "You're the boss" he scratches his head "but why?"

“I have my reasons.”

"Kay. " He shrugs "Sure. But they're all smarter than me so I don't know how they'll take it. Stil, I'll deliver"

The redcap asks "you go to college?"

A nod. "I did. Majored in forestry."

"Huh. How hard was that?"

"Hmph." Her brow furrows. "That was a very long time ago, and before I knew of this..." she indicates the Lodge and, by inference, the fae world. "I think...I think the classes were not very hard for me. I was interested in what I was learning."

"Huh. Dagmar might be good a that"

"Mm. She might be good at many things." A nod.

"She's nervous"

A brow. "She told you this?"

"I'm not bright but I known her for years. And Symon spent lunch with her"

She taps a finger sharply on the table. "No more of that."

"Symon can'tt have lunch with her ?" BLink "Okay. But he won't listen to that order"

"Not what I meant. Stop saying you are not bright. You are canny and clever in the realms you know well. I will not hear more of that talk." A pause, then she relents. "Do you know what concerns Dagmar?"

"Mom won't let me say it either... " As for Dagma I thought I tole you... the college thing? It's freaking all the seniors out, but if Change were fire, Dagmar would be frankesien's monster.."

"Well, yes, she does not react well to change. But I wondered if it were something more specific than that."

"Could be the scholarship offers the jocks are getting. Makes it real"

"Mm." She nods. "I have been meaning to speak with her."

"the system sucks... meaning for fosters... wish she could put behind her, but I got shit I can' shake either"

"I think that is true for all of us, in our ways," she says quietly. "If it would ever help to speak about it, I can listen."

"It's cool. Mom ... well, when she wants to learnn about somethihng, she fids out how"

A brief amused sound. "Yes, she does."

"Oh, fore I forget... I went lookin for more Children of Lilith, but no more vamps that I seen but while I was looking I did see another shifter... but it weren't no werewolf. I... saw a lady.. turn into a bear. "

"A bear." She makes a mental note, but does not seem surprised.