#rivervale_lodge

"And oh god, you have no idea. He's a petri dish. But he's a good kid."

"A lot like what?" Rowan asks Dagmar.

She tilts her head slightly, considering.

"Lots of precious things. Most importantly our people, and those we made promise to protect."

"Hm." Rowan accepts the vague answer with a nod.

"Where were you, before here?"

"Baltimore area."

Brow.

"I see why the Mountain wanted to meet you."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Don't you know?" There's a slight shift, subtle - something narrower around her eyes.

"Is already knowing required for you to answer my question?" Rowan's leaning back against the side door, one leg propped up along the back seat, grinning.

"Call me curious."

"Likewise."

"The Mountain knows more about Baltimore than I do."

A disturbing, somewhat grotesque (but... kinda cute in a way?) bird with ragged feathers and an exposed ribcage hops from one of Dagmar's horns to the other. It fixes a beady, glowing red eye on Rowan and puffs up a bit, as best as it can.

Rowan's distracted from the questioning. "Uh, you got a thing...in your horns."

Gerd is focusing on the road, but listens in

"Chimera. He doesn't really have a name."

"We're getting close, but don't worry, it's run by a boggan fam, they'll give us a private table so we can talk safely about changeling stuff."

"Feel like a mafioso in that back room." Her mouth tugs to the side in a half-grin.

A smirk "They hate when you do the movie quotes"

"Ehhhh." She juts her chin and traces the back of her knuckles along her jawline in a characteristic mobster gesture.

A smirk. "I've heard of it. Guess I gotta see it now."

"It's not bad. Here's a lot quieter than a lot of Jersey, though."

"Yeah, I was saying to Tig, this place isn't exactly what I expected, but it it isn't exactly not what I expected, too."

"Man, I hated it here at first. Figured it was podunk."

"It's not?"

She considers.

"It's easy to think there's just the forest. It's not as packed as, like, Englewood or Hackensack, but you can find stuff to do."

"Yeah? You get into NYC much? Definitely want to see what all the fuss is about with 'the Big Apple.'"

"Also, if you don't, stuff finds YOU" Gerd observes "This place has had more shit hit it"

"The City is something. Been there a few times."

"Tell me about the shit? What's some of your biggest hits?"

Narrowed eyes.

That question mostly directed towards Gerd.

"The occasional dragon. We handled it." A touch of flint there.

A nod. "That ain't nothing."

A firm nod back. Her eyes are as golden as a lion or a raptor's - challenging with a gaze.

"We had a corby come through too, also dealt with. Winged Wolves are allies, so there are good encounters as well as bad" THey have pulled up before the restaurant, it's snazzy, classy, but damn it kind of DOES look like Mafia guyss would love it

Rowan hums the Godfather theme briefly before getting out of the car.

Gerd smirks "Oh I like her. She's cheeky"

Unaware of her mistake

"They." Rowan corrects without much ado.

"OH" Gerd blushes

(Pause)