#rivervale_lodge

Siv comes into the lodge from a patrol and begins to raid the kitchen

"What is it with.. ah, there it is..." She says

Kerri's there, finishing up with napkin folding. "Something I can help you with, Siv?"

"Pickles and cheese and peanut butter" Siv says "Do we have any to spare?"

"Gotta be all three, dill, not sweet"

"Ah." She grins, and puts some things together. "She's gotten to that stage, then."

"Is 'that stage' where she becomes truly weird in her food selection, not just in variety, but also narrowing it down to 'this combo' or nothing?" Siv asks

"Better living through cravings. The babies want what they want."

"And it sounds like maybe the babies have different tastes."

Siv blinks "I hadn't even thought of that. They're going to have preferences, and differences and.. we're going to have to buy two kinds of everything aren't we?"

"not just identical twos, like, specially selected one for each" Siv looks a bit worn out

"And sometimes you're going to get it wrong...." Kerri says with a tone of familiarity "...and sometimes your children will be disappointed or upset, and you and they will survive."

A weak chuckle "I suppose I can't argue with an expert. Aye.. just, honestly, I thought once we got the doctors picked out and the plans for delivery done, it would be a matter of just a few baby supplies. But apparently it's perfectly 'normal' that she's not getting enough sleep at night, but then crashing during the day. And Morning sickness does not just happen in the morning? That's false advertising. And I WANT to help her but sometimes she's just miserable and I feel like a dunsel"

"'Normal' and 'pleasant' are two very different things. Being pregnant takes a lot out of the body. To look at it from a dark angle, it's an invasion, and her discomfort is essential for the invaders to thrive." A pause. "Sorry, that came out a bit more ghoulish than I'd intended. But it's not just that she's struggling...it's that she has to struggle right now."

A wry grin, "And you know it's going to take her a while to recover after the babies are here."

"The good news is that she's tougher than she thinks she is."

"Aye, she's being very brave too" Proud "I mean, she's really giving up a lot of things she likes for the good of the babies, and trying to follow procedures and healthy suggestions. But I have to be careful in my praise. I called her the best looking cargo ship in the fleet... meant it in good humor" Siv says then says "She THREW a pickle at me "

"You got off easy." Kerri adds another pickle jar to the supplies.

"True, it could have been a pickle JAR" she says "So you're saying attempts at humor are less likely to land right? "

She considers for a moment. "It's going to be almost impossible to predict, but do be careful."

"Right, Bar Mountain Vali from her till this is over. Noted" She says then asks "How are you and Mountain Vali holding up while mom is gone? I know you're both pros, but.. how is everything?"

"All is well," Kerri says with confidence. "Or at least, all is being managed well."

"How's Dagmar taking on the semi Storm duties? She's had a lot on her mind lately "

A sidelong glance. "Has she?" It's not exactly a question.

"As Storm, she's doing well. Anxious not to make a mistake, of course, but so far knows what needs doing pretty well."

"When the time comes...long from now," she adds, knocking on the wooden counter, "she'll do well as full storm."

Siv joins in on the knocking of wood "I feel like between going after 'Lady Highfeather' and the babies prep I have not been as reliable to the lodge as I should be"

Kerri shakes her head. "I felt much the same when I was carrying Sylvi. But that is the point of a Lodge...the work gets done because many know what to do. We cannot all be perfectly available to serve at all times, and so we help each other do the work. I suspect it was much the same on the ship when you were little."

"Oh, I don't remember enough of that. Big blue hands picking me up as I ran laughing... being put on someone's shoulder when there were whales so I could see.." Wistful "Lucky to remember those bits given my upbringing" A pause then "i'm gonna take the babies whale watching when they're old enough." A choice made then "Aye. I suppose you're right. I'm hardly crucial here at the lodge."

A blink. "Not at all what I mean. Unless you think that I'm not crucial here since SallyMae and Brogan can cover for me when needed?"

"Not to mention Gerd and Dagmar."

"Hey, you cut your own job security down, that's on you, it's what you get for being a great mentor at various Hearth Duties. YOu even taught ME to cook" A smile though "And sorry, not what you meant. Old insecurities slipping out, sorry." She looks to young to have 'old ' anything

A brow at the first part, and then she rests a hand on Siv's shoulder. "Siv...whatever it is that makes you worry that you might be less-than, or not needed...I can promise you that even if you could not provide any service to the Lodge at all, you would still belong here. You don't need to earn your place. You belong."

"Most of me knows that " She assures "Like I said, old insecurities. But thank ye. Not much call for a captain here ... and my parents respect I'm GOOD at spy work, but ... not exactly a duty trolls consider honorable, though they're too nice to say"

She gets a text, "oh right.. the goods" She grabs the bag with the pickles, cheese and peanut butter "Got to go, Thanks! Love you!"

"It's a trait that not many trolls will admit to considering honorable. It's necessary, though."

"Yes! May self-preservation guide you!" Kerri says with a grin.

Siv grunts at the first ("It's what i can give") and then at the rest she laughs "No more cargo ship jokes, got it!"

And off she goes, leaving the Hearth to her duties and her thoughts

(End Scene)