#rivervale_lodge

"You send her away, and that'll just be proof. Doesn't matter how nice you make it - doesn't even matter if she'd fit in better there. It'll still be the kind of rejection you can't brush off."

A wry grin. "Well, I've known very few trolls who haven't wondered whether they're 'troll-enough' at one point or another. It's almost a given."

"She even sniffs you thought about it, and that'll wound her deep."

"I still haven't heard what the hell she said?"

"Nothing that matters, because she's a damn kid!"

"And I ain't gonna... dammit, you need to be on her side!"

A surprised look at Vali points out that Dagmar succeeded in distracting Kerri from the question.

Then a narrowed look. "Dagmar, if what she said is bad enough that you think it would turn us against her, we need to know what it is."

Vali shakes his head "Words matter, even for kids. As a teacher I have to explain sometimes to younger folks about that, and it's not easy, but you still have to do it. If she is using racial slurs ..."

"It's NOT!"

Her eyes widen. "She didn't!"

"She's a lonely, vulnerable, messed-up KID."

"Good. Because while the South is not the repository of all bigotry like some yankees think, it can still be a problem no doubt" he says "And I would want to nip that in the bud for the good of her own heart and soul"

"And the problem is me!" She pounds a fist against her chest. "My reaction."

"Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on what you were reacting to."

"God dammit."

At that Vali's face softens a bit but he nods at Kerri's focus

"Dumb shit. Being 'ma'am'ed and called old and her bein' pert when I was grouchy."

"Not lockin' down my annoyance enough."

"Sounds like it happened a few times."

"I'm the grown-up!"

"I'm a Knight."

"You never blew up at me, even when I was a total shit!"

"I never blew up at you. I may have expressed some frustration off to the side. And also, Dagmar, I was already a grump before I knew you."

Vali winces at something "Well, at least part of that I've dealt with before. Gerd got in trouble in school here when she first arrived for using Ma'am. And Dagmar? That teacher that wrote her up was a lot more reactionary than you were. As for the old thing, you're not the first. Ask Siv. Whether someone means or does not mean insult doesn't mean that words don't strike us to the core sometimes. I assure you, I've gotten some zingers used on me in school that cut to the bone. .. I just did what you did and held it in and bleed when the students weren't around."

"Impact matters more than intent," Kerri agrees. "Whether she means it or not doesn't particularly matter if it hurts."

"I didn't hold it in enough." Sullen.

"Well, I've spent more time in Willows than either of you I believe. And I've given students the 'power of words speech ' in private more than once. Do you guys want me to try to teach her empathy while Dagmar teachers her horses?"

"I disagree. Sounds like you held it in too much. Don't wallop her, but don't let her hurt you, either."

Kerri considers, then sighs a bit. "I should probably be able to do it, but Mountain, I'm not exactly in the right mind-set at the moment to accomplish it well."

"It was dumb and I should have been able to let it go."

"I disagree. And I'm not wrong."

"Not to suck up to the new Chief, but I agree with Kerri. She's not wrong," he looks at Kerri "I think, thanks to Siv's help ,I'm getting more spare time again. I'll work with teaching Ylva trollish history as taught by trolls and... entwined in that, some sensitivity and emotional intelligence"

((If Dagmar forgot to set a timer)) Kerri says, "Check the cookies," automatically.

"Oh, shit." Cookie check!

"Don't expect to be a miracle worker, Mountain, but do what you can. Also, a field trip or two to the Farm might not be a bad idea. Eventually a sleepover, but that should be sometimes not so close to Samhain."

"Field trip might be nice." She inspects the cookies.

....they're burnt.

"Best of both worlds" He nods "Dagmar, I want to apologize. Not for the burnt cookies, though that's a tragedy we can fix by all enjoying some Reese's cups. But for letting your duty at teaching horse care and riding expand into other lessons I should have been handling as a Mountain."

They're not very burnt, just the edges a bit. "Still edible," Kerri declares.

"No," she says to Vali without looking at him.

Grunt ("Damn")

"I wanted to make her feel welcome. I fucked it up."

She frowns at the cookies and sticks the second pan in the oven before scooping the first onto a cooling rack.

"You know, I fucked up with you once or twice, Dagmar. I remember, but you've forgotten. She'll forget, too."

"And yes, the Chieftain swears, get used to it."

"When did you fuck up? Everyone here was... I dunno, a miracle."

At that Vali laughs "Oh my goodness, you have a very forgiving memory, Dagmar. And I don't mean with Kerri. I tried way too hard to be the 'cool teacher' with you and Symon and the others. I should have just been Vali."

"I'm not going to tell you, because I kind of like the miraculous-memory." A smirk. "But I definitely got on your wrong side enough for you to raise your voice at me and be sullen."

"I mean, I did that to everyone. I was pretty angry and scared, all the time."