#rivervale_lodge

Vali rubs his forehead

Kerri sets down four vessels in front of him: a mug of coffee, a glass of water, a can of Dr. Pepper, and a shot of whiskey. "Take your pick. Or have them all."

She's not smiling. She doesn't like seeing him like this.

"I am this close to getting oathbroken" He says quite seriously and takes the shot of whiskey

Brekke is seated across the table from him, her brow knitted with concern. "That must not happen," she says quietly.

(Kerri and Brekke both?)

(Yup.)

Vali looks aT the Chief, "Chief, I feel a bit whiney saying this, but your husband is .. frustrating. He insisted I talk to you rather than assign him any duties that would be under my perview. At the time, it felt like if someone told the hearth 'screw you, I don't do dishes and if you don't like it go to the chief'. I'm swamped. I'm behind a deadline as a writer. I'm this close to getting fired at the school. And worse, I'm neglecting my wife and kid. I don't know if I'm being fair, and hoped to get the hearth's view first, but since you're here, it's best to lay it out
"

and he relates his last encounter with Frank (see above), "Now I know part of it is he goes a bit tarzan, but he does not go stupid"

Brekke clears her throat and looks down. "It is his nature, now, yes. Not stupid."

Kerri frowns. "I'll be right back," she says firmly, and she heads outside to seek Frank who was last seen working on the Dawntreader.

Indeed, he's coming up the walk; getting dark 'earlier'....

"Oh shit" Vali winces as Kerri heads off

Brekke watches Kerri go with an expression of wariness. "Yes," she agrees with Vali.

"Frank," Kerri says as she sees him on the walk. "Come inside. We need to talk."

"Pardon, Chief. When I took this job, Mountain had TWO Pillars to help out, and could assign folks on odd jobs. That seems to have changed. And the guy with the most qualifications to assist is looking for every excuse to avoid it. The question is why"

Frank regards Kerri with a little suspicion as well, but grunts and follows her in.

Brekke shifts and looks down again. "I can understand it. The reluctance." But she quiets again as Kerri leads Frank inside.

Kerri point Frank towards the seat next to Brekke at the table, and fetches a glass of cider to put before him. She refills Vali's whiskey, gets one for herself, checks Brekke's coffee (Brekke declines a refill), then finally takes a seat next to Vali, across from Frank.

Frank takes a seat slowly.

Brekke gives him a brief glance of welcome, but looks away again, her gaze on her coffee mug.

Kerri tosses back her whiskey, sets the glass down firmly, and says, "The Mountain needs help. Frank has the experience. Frank has duty to the Lodge. Frank should help him." Firm, cold logic.

No, not logic...human resources and accounting.

"I appreciate that, Hearth. I didn't mean to have this encounter so soon mind you, but then I can't bitch about being ignored then complain when it's attended to I suppose" A concession then he says ""Look. I'm a troll too, but if I don't get answers, good soothsay or not, I'm not going to have the information I need to problem solve, and I've got a problem. Because I'm this close to having to quite some major facet of my life, and I'll drop Mountain before I have my wife leave me as she heads back to Charm with our baby. Did you know she's making that noise?"

Brekke shakes her head. "That must not happen," she repeats. Then she looks to Frank. "Can you do it?"

Frank thinks about this. "You three in agreement about this?"

Vali's fingers tap on the table, a light drumming

"Frank, 'can you do it'? Is your question. Please. Answer that first."

A long pause "Yes."

"Thank you" The Mountain says "And I agree that you need to help me, but arguably right now I am a heavily biased vote."

"Are you three in agreement on this?" he asks again.

"Which this am I agreeing to?" Vali says "I feel like I need a lawyer before we proceed sometimes"

Kerri gives Frank a narrow look. "I feel a bit like you're setting up a reason why we'll regret it. I hope I'm wrong. And yes, I agree on you supporting Vali as Mountain."

"That you need help, and that you want me to be that help." Frank clarifies for Vali, then nods acknowledgment to Kerri.

Brekke puts a hand on Frank's arm briefly. "Yes. Please."

She takes her hand away again, and looks to the others.

Frank nods. "Who else?"

Kerri says, "As support? Seems to me that could be the first thing you do to help him -- help him find new Pillars."

"I would deeply appreciate it if you would act as a Pillar of the Mountain" Vali admits to Frank "Not full time, not with the same work load you had as Mountain, but yes, at least as much as say previous pillars helped. I'll be looking for another. But currently my selections are .. not going to be popular"

Brekke's brow furrows. "Not popular?"

"It will sound like an Eiluned POwer play and it's not meant that way" Vali explains "But the next logical choice is to have Siv quit her day job as the Marina is going to be closing soon for winter anyway, and put her to work as Pillar. In short, where the father won't serve, the daughter would. She's not as well versed, but she did grow up learning a lot of lore from birth on"

Frank frowns... no, that's a scowl.

"She would need to learn," Brekke points out quietly.

Kerri notes the scowl. "What's that look for, Frank?"

"She's at least a third of the way trained" VaLi shrugs "Which is a third more than anyone else save Frank and Me. Zane is at Dark Gate, Symon at Rutgers and I'm not going to tell them to get back here. Also I think Symon will lose my number if I get him officially. I have a few others I'm considering but I don't have TIME to gamble with my truheart oath"

"What if Siv doesn't want to quit her job?"

"She has a duty to Rivervale," Kerri points out evenly. "And as Vali says, the job will quit her for the season, regardless."

"When Samhain ends, she'll hit full Seelie again, and she'll do her duty, because that's what Seelie trolls do. " Vali nods "We all dig in. Hell, Olgar's proudly UN Seelie and he still goes to work grumbling and grousing... but he goes. "

"You can convince her, Frank, if she is unwilling," Brekke says quietly. "And it is temporary. She can help determine new Pillars as well."

"I want Frank as a pillar to repeat myself" Vali says "And I get it, he'll have long hauls, but I don't see how when he's here he can't assist. Or is it too big a demotion?"