#rivervale_lodge

Kourtney , Hearth of DeBuke, knocks on the door

Kerri opens it. "Hearth Kourtney! Welcome, come on in!"

The Hearth of Rivervale is smiling but looks just a bit tense.

"I heard about your emergency, ma'am" Polite, Kerri IS an elder "Hearth to Hearth I thought I'd help out. Got a barrel of coffee out here. Plain but good. " She is carrying the barrel, troll strength put to noble use

"Oh, Kourtney, thank you." True gratitude. "We've been managing, but it's good to have multiple sources. Please, put it here. I hope this doesn't put a strain on your reserves at the Farm?"

"Oh no, we aren't so far from civilization that we don't have alternatives. Though I dare say that's al lwe can provide. Would we could do more." A look over as she puts it down where told "How is the Chief? Must be like Mountain Emmit without his pipe"

"Well, she seems to be compensating by doing even more patrols than usual. Frankly, better than her reaction when she automatically turns for coffee and is reminded that Jo Jo isn't there. It's a bit of a shock to be without such a regular fixture of the Lodge."

"Oh ... yes" Sad

"I'm actually planning to visit Jessica and see if we can make some arrangements for beans directly from Mexico."

"Of course, they don't grow near Fenix, but still within the country."

"That's brilliant. I'm sure she'd be delighted. what will you do with the excess when Jo Jo returns?"

"Well, I'll certainly need to return the Farm's favor, won't I?" A grin.

A smile is returned on the young lady, "THAT and you won't have to find a place to store everything so it won't take up your room" SHe says "Hearth Agnes taught me that while we do this, this is when gossip is permitted with dignity. Anything new and juicy on the Lodge side?"

A laugh. "Well, we can't have gossip without a bit of drink and a bite. I can offer you coffee, tea, soda...? And you'll have to test the cranberry scones I just made."

"Sprit or Mountain Dew if you have it?" She says "Wouldn't take the coffee as others appreciate it more. Cranberry Scones? I dare say I've not done that one yet. ' A sigh "my crowd likes the traditional blueberry ones and might balk if I changed up too much"

"Well, come on, see if you like them." She leads the way into the kitchen and provides a Sprite and a scone. "You could always sort of add them in gradually, an 'option' with the regulars. That's how I get this crew to try new foods."

"And the Storms think THEIR work is hard" A sigh then a smile "I did get some of the kids on prune juice when they started watching some old star trek re runs? Got a worf fan or two."

"I sometimes wonder if that's why the writers put that in there. Now...let's see....gossip."

"It's funny...with more of the wilders frequenting Goldfinch, there aren't a lot of surprises here at the moment, outside of Jo Jo's illness. Oh, you heard about the chimerae being abducted and put on display?"

"No, what happened there?"

Sip

Kerri may find the coffee she has, if she is drinking coffee, is a bit..weak. Odd. It was good earlier

"Well..." Kerri starts to relate the story, but does stop and frown at her coffee after a sip. "Hmm."

She listens then notices the pause "Everything all right?"

"It's..." She shakes her head. "Maybe I should brew a pot from what you brought. This seems to have gotten stale pretty quickly."

"Oh, sorry. The sprite's good"

"I'm glad. Let me know if you want more." She continues to share some of the news that Sylvi and Dagmar shared with her as she opens the barrel, enjoying that waft of coffee scent, and setting up a fresh pot to brew.

"That menagerie sounds horrid" The younger Hearth says "Glad they stopped that. Oh, sspeaking of critters and Sylvi. The horses miss her at the farm. Let he know she's always welcome to burn off stress with a gallop if she has the time?"

"Oh, thank you for that. I'll let her know. I think sometimes she worries about taking advantage of the benefits of the Farm if she's not there to support it regularly."

"Oh please, Earl sightings are rare and we tend to him when he comes by. Ditto for others wandering about. Hope Yves and Eulalie are no trouble?"

"Trouble? Hardly! They've been wonderful help." The coffee is nearly ready. "Now, tell me a bit about what's new at the Farm?"

"Good to hear... and well, I'm not one to go around spreading rumors..." slyly "But it turns out that Zeke, one of our Kinain fellows ended up hired to do lawn work for a group of women at this little cabin they rent out for their book club. He's been trying to figure out why every week there's something out of place that he thought he had handled. The ladies are still paying, of course, which is odd as you'd think they want their money back. Now Zeke's a strapping lad of 23, and his employers are womein in their early forties or so... well, we whisper things and find out that the one moving things back or undoing his work are the ladies themselves! We also find out, he works with his shirt off..."

Kerri chuckles. "Well, have you all informed Zeke that's he's being paid to be eye candy? If he doesn't mind, that's one thing. But if he does mind, that's another."

'We're too busy giggling about it" She admits then adds "And can you believe that the Chief tells me as Hearth that's MY task? '

"Telling him that is"

"Well, the Chief must trust that you'll do the job in the best way possible."

"I suppose, but as I'm younger than him I wonder if he'll think I'm joking. Truth iss, it's good money and he can use it, but yes, not if he feelsi t's dishonorable. " then an ahem 'of course, on the flip side oft hings, one of our own ladies got a job offer at a strip club...she almost hauled back and slapped a face off. it's being built not 10 miles from our farm. Can you believe it?"

The coffee is done

"Well, make sure Zeke knows that these aren't your thoughts but that other people have been suggesting it's the situation. You're just the messenger." She pours herself a cup. "As for the strip club...well...I'm no prude, but those places seem to attract predators. Any idea what their rules are?" She takes a sip, expecting something much better than the previous cup.

Its good, on the first sip....

but the second is less so

"Truth to tell, no. The elders are yanking a lot of lads by their ears though. We're not to go there period. But I talked to a boggan who says she thinks the new owner is a kithain"

Kerri looks relieved on the first sip...then disappointed after the second one. "Oh?" she says distractedly.

"Aye. I mean sre hope it's not unseelie sleezeball... " she notes the look "Everything okay?"

It's ..just okay, at best.

"It...it was okay." She frowns. "Maybe it's our water?"

"Oh my" She suddenly forgets gossip and looks at the thing "May I?"

"Sure. I mean, it's...okay?"

She gets not a glass of coffee, but ..water from the faucet ,and sips "I like our well water better, but this tastes fine"

"Then...I don't understand it. Does the stuff you brought require some different special technique I missed?"