#rivervale_lodge

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At the area vehicles are kept, the smaller ones

Kerri may have announced that she was going shopping...but she didn't get further than where the bikes are parked. She's half-sitting on her Harley, thinking hard.

Brooding, perhaps. Certainly debating options.

Which is when her husband approaches, as if drawn by the gravity of the weight of her thoughts

She glances over at him, but her expression doesn't brighten at all.

THIS is noticed. He does not assume he is the sun and the moon of his wife's life, but he had hoped he was at least her big dipper, "Let's start this conversation in a way that may not surprise you: Am I in trouble for something I did or did not do?"

A slight attempt at leveity

very slight

"No. It's not you." She shakes her head. Now her frown includes inner debates about what to tell him.

He sits down next to her and stares where she was staring, "mmm" ("Who is it about?")

She considers for a long moment. "Jessica sent the Chieftain and Frank away. I'm not sure why. She wasn't there when I went to talk to her."

A brow lift "Sent them away? " A low whistle

She nods. "I don't have a lot of details. And...Jessica's got the Leanhaun bitch in the basement."

"Okay, isn't the last part GOOD? I mean, Siv said they had it handled when she came in. The 'sent away' part though,mmm."

"It's good." She allows. "But...I don't like it in tandem with the 'sent away' thing. Her steward, Diego, tells me the Duke will be dealing with her." A dubious tone.

"Duke's a Liam kid .. not like he'll be FRIENDLY to a leanhaun" He reminds "But yeah, it's an odd mix"

"Not friendly would be fine. But he might not be UNfriendly enough." A scowl.

"You think the Duke is the reason Jess kicked her own parents out on the first night?"

She considers this a moment, then shakes her head. "I don't think so. Not directly. But...I think courtly justice might not suffice, and it takes too damn long."

"Huh" Appraising, "You feeling a nip of the Samhain already?"

A surprised blink, then a moment of self-assessment. "I...suppose so. Maybe." A pause. "I want something more...expedient."

"Passions can run dark, light, and all the other 30 flavors of ice cream" He nods "And when you do your duty AND it seems to come up zilch, it's all the more pushy. You know that, of course, cuz you've been married to me for long enough... but it helps me when I'm aware of those passions. You realize I'm bursting with obnoxious urges to help you, right?" Almost apologetic

he shoulder leans against her

She gives him a brow. "Help me to resist these ideas? Or to...explore them?"

"Tempting... but let me start with something that may or may not change your choices. I was in the kitchen... saw Sally Mae's note. Turns out that you missed a call from Jessica"

"I expected she'd call. I'll call back later."

"Mmm you punishing Jessica?"

"I'm giving myself time to avoid exploding."

At that, a nod

"Also...I expect she's going to explain herself very reasonably. I'm not interested in reason right at the moment."

"I hope she does... explain I mean. I just think this is likely to steam roll. One trait Jess seems to have inherited from her dad is the ability to be utterly incomprehensible in motivation to everyone else and act surprised when they don't understand. Good folks both of em, but when the walls come up, they act like it's a sin if you knock at the door. Guess all trolls need their privacy, but it's hell on relations of family and such" A thought "Guess I'm glad Sylvi learned to communicate. Yeah, if you're not in the mood to go 'reasonable' then it's good to wait. " Mmmm "I think maybe let the Duke having a crack BEFORE you go vigilante is prudent.. if he botches it, then you have a plan C ready?

"

"And if she manages to get out somehow before then? Say, in transit to her trial?"

"Sounds like a quest" he says

"And.. an excuse to catch her on the road with the freedom to exact your own style of punishment. If she's smart, she'll stay in whatever hole he puts her in"

"Hm." She considers that a moment. "That...might be a better option than what I was considering."

"Well, if you don't mind me asking? what were you considering? maybe it's plan D?"

A long pause before she says, "Still in the planning stages...but I was thinking of finding somebody else who might make a hit."

"Unfortunately, the first possibility that came to mind is probably a very bad idea."

"Oh, this I wanna hear" he admits

Another pause. "Not sure he's still in the business, but he would likely have contacts for who would do the job. He might even get me in contact with one of them...for a price."

A long look "Honey, if you're thinking of the one eyed guy I'm thinking you're thinking of, I think maybe it's a good thing you're thinking again. Look, Right of Life is important, even to unseelie. And while you're feeling the drift now... it'll pass... and you'll be back to your summer side but this time with a horrified 'what did I put in motion' awakening like a bad hang over as you find you helped violate the escheat AND the Code of Dagda over some psycho sidhe. I know you, you want to protect as strongly as any storm, but the hows will matter again to you if they don't now"

"She's a Leanhaun. The hows would matter less to me in that case. But..." she allows "...all of what you said is why I'm not already on the way to Firnost."

"Think on the bright side?" He suggests

An uncomprehending look.

"She's a Leanhaun.. a lot we don't know about them, but we do know they get gray fast. The hold might slow it down, if Jessica allows her to feel it's protection, or if the Duke does... but eventually? " A smile "She might live, but she'll be living it with arthritis and a need for adult diapers"

And that smile is devilish

A smirk. "No lie, that is a spectacular image. But what it means is that she's that much more likely to ravage. And she'll find a way to get somebody to break her free."

"I would not be surprised if SOMEONE had a lock of her hair. We'll keep track of her if need be" He assures