#rivervale_lodge

Symon arrives at the Lodge, looking for Vali.

And he finds Vali

Vali looks a bit rough, but he's wearing clean new clothes.

Symon raises a brow a bit. "What's the other guy look like?" He whispers as he slides closer into audible distance.

"About 20 Thallian actually, but I had help" He confesses "I know how much you hate being out of the loop. Short version? I Had a vision, sent Sir Frank out on this glorified hunch. Discovered it was a sloppy ass vision but he saved a guy ,and kept a very important object from the baddies. I went to pick up the very important object and came just in time to look like a big damned hero when in fact I would have died if Teaneck didn't have some truly tenacious fighters. Denhelm.. Doomwind whatever her name is a beast of a warrior"

He winces. "And here we were feeling smug about dealing with two."

"You should feel smug. I had a lot more help than you guys did" A smile "Besides, thallian bring out my blood thirsty side so if I live through it, it's a plus over all. Now, assuming you weren't here to get the scoop, what brings you, Pillar of the Mountain?"

"Well, I figured I should fill you in if Dagmar hadn't already. It's common courtesy, you gave intel for the quest, you get the scoop." He starts by telling about the Bogey in the cab, the redcap who was menacing Mugo, and on to the goblin that didn't want them to reach the Countess, and finally that the Tenderpaw was returned. "Dagmar wanted to stick around to try to help root out the rest of the corruption, but I think she managed to realize she can't be everything for everyone."

A pause, "I'm half wondering if she was trying to avoid the college chat again."

Vali looks damned impressed, "Only two thallian, and yet you stabilized an entire region and no doubt impropved the lives for every non noble there. I think bragging rights are yours." Then he frowns at the college chat talk "Damn. I wish I could help her, but as a very biased teacher type, I'm pretty sure at best she'd nod, maybe apologize a lot, and go back to stressing. "

"Well." He shoulders his bag, fidgeting a bit. "Do you know of Anne Marie's latest stray she took in?"

"Cleo, boggan childling, lost both of her parents," he looks about "Scrubbed everything here under five feet, it's amazing the cat here didn't get a shellacked"

A grimace. "Not just here."

"Oh man, tell me she didn't get into your Sanctum Dustorium?"

"Not yet, but she polished the door to a sheen, evicted Dirk from his room, and tried to dress up Lovecraft."

"Right so, the poor girl's soul is floating in some abyss now and you're here to evoke right of rescue? " He is 80% joking then adds "Okay. I heard Dirk volunteered. In fact your mother was so proud of him for it"

A scowl. "She shouldn't be. Making a redcap act counter to his nature shouldn't be something to be proud of. He is what he is."

Vali looks thoughtful at that

"That would be like me being proud that Lovecraft let me give her a bath. Sure, it saves me from getting my arms shredded, but it ain't who she is."

"You're about to point out that as Mountain, with spiritality being under my duties, that I'm oblilgated to promote the rights of the other kiths to be true to the spirit of their dreams, aren't you?"

"And the thing is... Dirk's a foster kid too. He may not show it like... like other kids from the system, but there's gotta be some sensitivity there. New kid comes along and boom, he loses his room? How's that fair? That's gotta mess with your brain, like." He doesn't name Dagmar, but he doesn't have to, not really.

"So where does the foster girl go? If Dirk gets his room back? And.. how do we keep one from scarring without scarring the other?"

He doesn't mock, he honestly wants to know

"I don't wanna say that Mom should have known better, but..." He shrugs. "But it is what it is. I need something from you. As Mr. Gardner and not Mountain Vali, I think."

"Oh think goodness. Mountain Vali hasn't been doing so hot lately. Shoot" Vali says

He resists the urge to roll his eyes at that, and unloads a crumpled folder of paperwork from his backpack. "I need help navigating these scholarship offers. See, I got full ride offers for these..." Ivy league schools, not close by, "And these ones I think are just because I'm Asian and they want to fill their diversity quota... But what I want is to negotiate this into something for Rutgers. The medical campus nearby, and it has to include lodging - private room in the dorms, if not an off-campus stipend. Or, if I can't swing that, I need to know what I need to make up in the difference in a loan or paid in cash."

A pause, and he continues, "And I have to make it look like this was worked out, at least the process started, BEFORE Mom brought the sprog in."

Vali takes a look at the papers, "With grades like these, you should be getting a cozy ride wherever you apply." He looks over "I heard that asian kids often faced a bit of discrimination actually but I see your point about quotas. I can make a reccomendation saying whatever you want and back dating it as a teacher. Right of ignorance requires a little fudging of numbers. I know some folks at that Campus. Not like connected connected, but I took a course there and met an admin. You know how I feel about education, I'll help you get the one you want, sure." A brow "The room and board part surprises me just a bit. That..would free up your basement, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, and maybe I just needed some space anyways, right? I mean, I'm not a KID any more. A man, uh, needs his space." He pauses, looking quite mortified at what he just said.

"Do you think, maybe... Like, this place is pretty close to the Lodge. Dagmar could still patrol... I mean, if it came out that I needed to take a roommate to make ends meet." He fiddles with an envelolope.

Vali, drawing on trollish stoicism, does not laugh or even smile at the man needs his space line. Besides, there's some truth to it, at the rest? "Dame Dagmar has proven herself to be nearly invaluable... but as a knight, she has much lee way in how to interupt her patrols and where she will be needed. I think that area you speak of IS close, and could prosper under Keen Gwydion eyes."

"Also, she'd be a sensible room mate. You might have Odin move in with you if they allowed pets though" he reminds

He considers this. "Lovecraft managed to tolerate Scrot. I think she could handle Odin. Or Odin could handle her. He's scrappy. She's named after an author... he's named after a god. He gets some credit."

A nod

"It's like..." Symon struggles to find the words for a minute. "Like, Dagmar is afraid to grow. Or maybe she's afraid if she tries something new, she'll lose what she has. But maybe if it's not so much that she's leaving, but if it's helping me... I mean, it's not like -I- have any problem trying something new. I'm FINE. But maybe if she THOUGHT I needed someone familiar to help out."

He doesn't quite meet Vali's gaze. Maybe a force of habit from so many damn Gwydions around.

Rubbing at an elbow absently.

"You know, even if you do have worries about trying something new? It doesn't make you not fine. It means you're half human. And if you two help each other out, give each other a chance to grow with a friend nearby? Sounds like a healthy friendship to me. Dagmar's got her hangups. I wish I knew a way to convince her that her mother and father are not giving her up. Honest to gosh, if you spoke troll, you'd know that Half of Jaymes grunts and grrs are about how damn proud he is of her. I tell you something, in a decade or so, we're going to have a very frustrated CJ annoyed his SISTER is the Golden Child. But that's for the future." A look at the boy, "I think you're being both decent AND Savvy to work with her like this. You're not controlling Dagmar, but you are walking alongside her if she needs it. I know you two have the whole Loki and Thor dynamic, but sometimes, and you'll probably take this wrong, sometimes you make a very good Samwise to her very troubled Frodo more than you ever do a smegal."

"SOMETIMES" He adds in case he's injured pride with what is intended to be praise "You're still far sneaker and more devious than Sam"

"Are you so sure I'm not Gollum, masquerading as Smeagol?" He asks, deadpan.

"I can honestly say there are times that i wonder if you're not a diabolical genius playing the longest scheme ever, but at this point the story's been so fascinating I'm rooting for you anyway" Vali admits , he does write books too, and Symon might wonder if he's been co opted to some inspiration

"You got me, it's the long con. Someday, decades from now, I'll admit it with my dying breath."

"And my ghost will pretend he knew it all along to save face"

"Now" A look over those papers "I think we can hook you into Reuters. And... whiel I know you don't want a hand out, between Sally Mae and Caesar, you guys might even get a decent rental compared to the madness sons of adams and daughters of eve are going through if that's what it took."

"I figured there might be a glut of dorm or student housing. If there are still folk wary about COVID or insisting on remote classes... but not sure." He admits.

"We'll work it out. " He offers "Problem with Dorm is making sure they don't segregate boys and girls too much if you guys really want to be room mates. Anything else I can help with?"

He considers. Then he grimaces, and shakes his head, getting rid of whatever that thought was. "Nah. Am good for now. Just heal up. Otherwise Olgar will get upset that you're competing him in the looks department."

"Ouch" He says and nods "Trust me. Wife also is insisting I heal up more. She is POed at me" A thought "Hey, I got an idea. You think a dangerous job busting heads would cheer Dirk up?"

"Does the pope shit in the woods?"

"I have not checked" he admits "But i know Baptists do it in the pond"

Ahem "Okay, that was funnier in my head. Anyway, I have a job for a peacemaker type. I'll put him on it"

He nods. "Thanks. I'm sure he'll appreciate it"

"So will I ...this needs doing and the more I think about it, the more I think he'll do it well. Oh, if you're interested, there's a sealed bowl of chilli that's gotten molded. Add some aged crackers to it and it'll probably be very nice"