#rivervale_lodge

The lodge has been busy. she knows. Folks leave clues with their meetings and gatthers. Even the ones who try to keep thing clean shift things around. Brekke and Vali were with the twin babies. Lut has been guiding wilders by the stables.

And it's all good. It's the busy-ness of a healthy, active Lodge. It may sometimes be disorienting, but one adjusts, and things get done.

And the thing to be done now is to text Symon.

TXT: Do you have a few minutes to spare? I got a strange phone call, and I think you can help me understand it.

She does not get a response.

Kerri frowns. A lack of response from Symon is not unheard of these days, but....

A text to Dagmar, next: TXT: Have you heard from Symon? Need to speak with him.

TXT: He left here a bit ago. I told him to go sleep.

That phrasing seems odd, but it does explain something. TXT: Okay. I think it can wait until later.

TXT: Everything okay?

TXT: I can come over

TXT: Not sure. Got a voice message from a certain "Karen". I think you know the one. She says it's urgent, but... 🤷

TXT: ...

TXT: Did Chief/V tell you about the necklace?

TXT: The necklace? No.

TXT: That is why she called. It's my fault

TXT: V has what is left of the necklace. Chief knows

TXT: What necklace are we talking about?

TXT: Long. Is Chief there? I broke it, it was ✨ and was karen's

A pause.

TXT: I know I am responsible for the fallout here

TXT: OH. I think I'm beginning to get it. I'll check with her. Maybe you need to wake Symon up? If this is really urgent?

TXT: She probably noticed it was broken. Symon was wearing it at the time

TXT: I am worried about him

TXT: Why doesn't she just ask him herself?

TXT: idk

TXT: Maybe you should come over and tell me yourself what's going on.

TXT: don't want her talking to him alone

a pause

TXT: omw

TXT: Thank you.

Kerri makes sure there's Dr. Pepper available for Dagmar.

It is only a short while before Kerri can hear the roar of the bike outside!

She finishes a few minor chores in the kitchen, doing some prep work.

Dagmar trudges in, shoulders drooping.

Kerri waves her into the kitchen and directly to a stool, handing her the Dr. Pepper as soon as she's seated. "What on earth is going on?"

She slumps in the chair, and doesn't take the drink.

"Dagmar?"

"Symon paid Cairrean to use a treasure on him because when he said he loved me, I said I just wanted to be friends. The treasure made him love her, and he paid for it with, y'know, gifts and things, and he loved her and was happy. I got jealous and lost my temper and broke the treasure while he was wearing it instead of letting Sylvi finish her plan. Pretty sure the backfire hurt him in a magic way. He's acting like a movie love potion went off in his face, with me instead of her as the subject."

Kerri's eyes go wide as she processes this data dump and tries to make it align with what she's already heard in the past from both Symon and Dagmar, separately, about their relationship woes.

"So, yeah. She's probably noticed the treasure's broken. Vali said it used Aphrodesia."

"Maybe..." she hazards "...all of the feelings he's been shoving off have reasserted themselves. That would be really overwhelming."

A scowl. "Aphrodesia gets misused so often."

"Maybe. Except he didn't sleep or eat, because of me."

"If that was a whole month's worth of magic, blown up in his face all at once - and he's dripping with glamour, I could feel it - maybe it went haywire? What he's feeling is, y'know, the spell."

A blink, and she shakes her head. "You know as well as I do that it's not just the spell."

Jaw jut. "He spent most of year wrapped around her finger, spending thousands of dollars on her, I can't... I'm not gonna try and control him, or tell him what to do now."

"I'm not suggesting that. Let me think."

"Some of it is the spell. Dunno how much. He sincerely believed he loved Cairrean, too, when he said it."

She wraps her arms around her torso, looking defeated.