#rivervale_lodge

"You were not here, Siv, and neither was I. Do not second-guess your mother."

She lowers her eyes to look at the surface of the table at which they all sit. Her shoulders slip a bit into a slump she's been fighting off for several days. "I did exactly that."

"No, Brekke. I have notes, after the fact." He stands and gets them. "You chose a -Court-, Seelie. Not a House."

"Fair. I declared that he must have been of a seelie house. Perhaps his true nature was more deeply unseelie."

"But more...I dictated a large portion of his fate. I thought I was helping."

"Unseelie like Dagmar?"

She shakes her head. "Dagmar was seelie by nature, unseelie by circumstance."

"He hurt Dagmar, and never made proper apology. That's on him. In fact, every woman he knew who he dated has a story about his choices, why it ended, what went wrong. Sometimes they take responsibility for their part, but in each tale there is an element of Adam wounding them or their sense of self after a short wonderful period. At his worst, his worst mind you, Adam would have made a fine Leanhaun. I say that not with bias, but with evidence from a half dozen romances. And in the end, when Nab was there with him again, he chose vengeance that would let him feel like some hero, rather than love for the only female creature that subjugated herself to him unconditionally that I know of. Adam Thomas wasn't a good sidhe , was a terrible Fiona, but he wasn't a decent person to begin with."

"He had potential, he had hands extended, and maybe he was getting better, but let's stop pretending he was the victim"

Siv looks to her mother "Don't beat yourself up for HIS poor choices"

"Siv, I understand what you are saying, but his poor choices were in part due to my poor choices. He would not have been put in that position if I had not tried to solve the initial problem he presented." She shakes her head. "He did not have the strength of character to navigate the path he was put on. But...that does not mean he should not be rescued."

"But madness might." Frank says quietly.

" I never said he shouldn't be rescued, mother. I'd fight to save McGillicudy's life.. and at one time did help against a chimera plauging her, and she is a mean woman. "

A blink at Frank. "We should leave a madman in the Dreaming?"

"We should bring a Mad Sidhe here?"

"If he would even survive the trip."

"Right of Rescue seems to limit our options. More than that," Siv says "THe thomases are in peril, one way or another, as well. Aye? I am not Symon's closest friend, that's Dagmar, but I could tell you right now Symon took a shine to Lily right away. If we don't help her by helping Adam, he might"

"If we do not help her by destroying Adam, he might do that as well, for her sake," she mutters.

Siv stops "Wait, what did you say?"

A brow at Siv. "You heard me. Though perhaps I am exaggerating."

"Oh Symon" She says "We can't let him do that. RIght of Life. It would... no no no that would.. we'd lose Symon , it might break Dagmar. I'm not letting my cousin go through that. "

She shakes her head. "I have difficulty imagining Symon undertaking a path that would undo himself."

"I fear it would damage the good man who he tries to hide" Siv frowns "And Dagmar might never look at him the same again." A long breath "Just two years ago this is where I would have snuck out to do this quest my self in some arrogant impulsive 'I must do it so others need not' rationalization. But... I know you two are likely better qualified so let's just curb that Fiona urge a bit"

"Right of Rescue might require weighing the good of the many and the good of the one."

Frank almost says something else, then doesn't.

Brekke puts one hand on Siv's and one on Frank's.

A quiet moment.

Then she releases their hands and stands. "I must go speak to Jordan, and hopefully his grandmother as well. I will tell you what I learn."

Frank nods.

"Signe, stay." She wants to keep the puppy away from whatever this might become.

Signe huffs, but obeys

"I know how you feel" Siv mutters to the dog

A brief snort of half-amusement at Siv, and then she turns and heads out the front door.

Frank stays too.

Siv sighs "Well, at least she laughed a bit, by troll standards, afore she left" A look at her father "You okay, da?"

"No. Excuse me." he climbs the stairs, his footfalls heavy.

"Da? I... " she watches him go.

The door to his bedroom shuts quietly.

A very troubled look, and she glances at the mirror

The mirror looks back at her with the same look.

"Siv, note to self" She says to her reflection "Do NOT jump in that clock first and destroy the trust between you and your parents. Those boneheaded plays NEVER work well"

Her reflection scolds her back, soundlessly.

"Thank you. Needed that" If the clock doesn't have a sheet draped over it already to reduce temptation, she does so. A breath taken

Signe growls puppyishly at the spooky covered form, then settles in. She will guard this thing.

"Good girl, Signe. Remember , we're never sidelined, merely ..dubiously reassigned"

"Woof."

"Yeah, I know, but it's comforting" She looks at the patrol list her mother made, "Maybe I'll be lucky and get to kill something" And takes up a patrol

(end scene)

Gerd flumps

Kerri looks over from where she's checking the linen closet. "Why the flump, Gerd?"