#bergen_county

It doesn't sound hostile. Just worried.

And he recognizes Zane's voice.

"Feel sick. Going home."

"Hey man, you're sick? Last I heard I was getting texts asking if I'd seen Nab... then a quick thx kind of thing... and Siv storms by I'm like asking how that turned out, and she informed me she wasn't talking to ..well, she's pissed. And now you're sick? It's me, your friend. What's going on?"

"Same old. Just another thing that probably breaks some rule I didn't know about and I can't fix but I'll pay for later an'.... " he tells Zane about the current situation and background.

"So you accused Siv of something she didn't do? " Zane scratches his head "I mean, the rest I get, no way you could have known that about Nabuni and you tried to do the right thing by Lana and her family ... but that last thing? How is you accusing Siv of doing something she didn't do something you can't know about? "

The satyr seems truly perplexed

"I said she hadn't blamed me -yet-."

"Wow...if that's your idea of an apology it sucks" Zane says shaking his head "Dude. She got made because you included her in a generalization.... you know 'you people' talk? Then when she got tired of it, you made it sound like it didn't matter she would eventually stab you in the back anyway. I mean... "

"Just..wow." Stunned "Look... this can be fixed. Okay?"

"Fine."

Anger seeping away slowly

"Okay... first, you didn't know about NaBuNi... so you and she need to talk. Even if it's NOT at the lodge sounds like she's restored enough fory ou to do that. If you watn, I'll give her word she is 'unbanished' So you two can chat. Listen to each other. Sound good?"

"Sure."

"And you really need to apologize to a few folks, man. Just because you're in the right that you couldn't know doesn't excuse you acting like a Dirk." a grin "See what I did there? The word play? Because Dirk is kind of a ..well you get it."

"Yeah." But he glowers.

"What?" He says throwing his hands down to the sides like "What? Why are you pissed ?"

"Cause I'm pissed about this whole thing!!!"

"I keep trying and it never comes out right!! I don't know the rules til I break 'em!! Now all -this- when I was trying to just lay low and be patient and get to a point where maybe.... maybe..."

"Arrghhhh!!!!"

"Dude, if you had broken your oath you'd be whammied now. You're holding true to that. So don't beat yourself up, but dont' beat up on others either okay?"

"I didn't beat up on Siv! I told her what happened." He takes a breath. "She's more worried about me blaming her than anything else."

"Figure of speech. And you didn't just tell her what happened. " Zane says trying to keep his own patience, "You lumped her in with those blaming you, which she didn't do. Then she told you she didn't like being accused of she she didn't do and asked you if she had done that ..which she hadn't. THEN you told her 'not yet' ... and you don't see how that kind of accusation isn't insulting? It's like AS AN EXAMPLE... hey, you haven't beat up a cripple... 'not yet' is not something you say and just...you HAVE to know what that sounds like right?"

"I'm-angry-!"

"I KNOW" Zane says "I'm a satyr, I get angry too, so does SiV so and Nabuni gets HURT... and Dags gets CONFUSED because she doesn't know how to HELP you and she''s killing herself trying only to have you act cold toh er when yo uvisit... but you're not doing THAT on purpose but everyone FEELS... Satyr here. I have more emotions in an hour than you have all day. I can go from Horny to sad to angry to getting the giggles WHILE horny like that" He snaps his fingers "But the thing is, we have to each respect each others RIGHTS to t hose feelings... we can't act like"I'm angry so fuck your hurt" or "i'm horny so your depression matters not'" Trust me.. I tried. It doesn't help anyone"

"But all that is for every one but me, right? 'Cause Im not Fae. Just kinain."

"see... there you go man, putting words in people's mouths and ignoring..what did I just say?WE have to... I mean, am I stuttering here or are you just so comfortable on that big wooden cross you've built for yourself you refuse to come down?" He shakes his head "You have it rough. You have it hard. And I am not saying 'but think of hte poor starving kinain in Africa' or some shit. What I am saying is that we each have to try to recognize others emotional pains . Look. I'm your friend. Dagmar is your friend. So no, it's not 'everyone but you' because w're with you dude." The satyr throws his arms around the Kinain and .. hugs him!

Adam.... snuffles. And stops breathing, although his heart pounds in his chest.

Yup. Still getting hugged.

Loooonnnnggg snuffle.

"It's okay to get sad too, it really is"

A shuddering breath; if Zane were to guess, Adam is trying not to cry.

"No shame, dude. No shame. "

Adam's pride won't let him cry, but his tangled emotions won't let him relax.

The satyr hmms a power rock ballad "Gonna be a Juke box..hero... with stars in his eyes..."

Adam's spine stiffens in surprise, and he breaks into a wet guffaw. "Dude.....what the hell?" He snuffles and wipes eyes reddened from strain.

"Feel better?" Pat on the shoulder.

"Little." He admits.

"Cool."

A sniff. "Anyone at school saw that, you just became my boyfriend." A weak grin.

"Hey, you know, its' lame, but if you want me to yell 'no homo' real loud, I will" A grin back

"Nah. That crap's BS anyway."

"I don't care about that."

He sighs and looks down, kicking a leaf. "So. Apologize to Hair-Trigger?"

"Well, keep hitting the same spot over and over again and any trigger will go off," A raised brow at the nickname that would be..unwise as well as unfair "But a few apologies might go a long way"

Another scuff. "Who else?"

"Nabuni maybe... not that you were wrong, but that you didn't realize she was bonded to you or whatever... oh, Dagmar. You should apologize to her. I mean, you have no idea how much she's trying to go to bat for you and then when you act distant..it stings her man."

-That- makes him wince. "Yeah. Ok."

"And, of cours,e to your most exellent Satyr friend......shitting you man, you and I, we're good."

"Nah, man. Feel like I owe you."