#bergen_county

"Dunno. For... I dunno.."

"Wouldn't you want someone better? A girl that doesn't have... issues? Janice and Mary Ellen both like you, from the team, and they're both really pretty and..."

"Sam?"

"Yeah, they're pretty and all but I like you."

"Look, maybe us dating isn't going to be a thing forever, but .... it's us, now? And part of us dating can be kissing. If you want. If you don't, we can talk about that. But I know right now I'd really -really- like to kiss."

She looks down at their clasped hands and nods.

"That might be nice, yeah."

"So......c'mere?"

She leans down, eyes closed.

He kisses her. Soft pressure, relaxed lips, faint flavor of bean buns.....

It takes a moment, but Sam does relax, and even kisses him back rather than just standing there passively.

Adam increases the kiss, just a little, then eases back and parts. "Wow." smiling.

"...wow." She agrees.

"More?"

"Mmm... not... not right now? Is that okay?"

Adam nods. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you want." Still holding her hand. "But I liked it."

"...me too."

"Well good!"

"You're good at it."

A broader grin. "Anytime......."

"They say practice makes perfect." He points out reasonably.

BLUSH>

Adam seems jazzed up, energetic. "Ok, so.... so.... we rode the horses and kissed......what do you want to do next?"

"Well, that's a full day already, isn't it? Um. Want to walk to the lake?"

"Heck yeah!" Wow, he really likes that idea.

"Well... okay!" She takes his hand again.

Adam, smiling, walks with her to the lake; she might need to lead, as he's not sure about walking from here.

Dagmar knows the woods well - pointing out bird's nests and hiding rabbits and mushroom-rings...

A winged wolf might be seen catching a breeze

"..... is that.....?"

"Oh! Yes, they live here, with their babies!"

The wolf seems not to be hunting, but just enjoying the shifting winds of the seasonal change

"So.... what should I expect with this Pennons thing?"

"Well, lots of people... mostly fae, but there will be other kinain."

"Since you aren't fighting, you'll be part f the crowd. There will be bards, and jugglers, and all kinds of buskers..."

"Sounds like.... like a fair? But you said there'd be jousting and fighting too. Like... have you seen a Renaissance fair?"

"I've heard about them, but I've never been to one."

"And yeah - I'm hoping to fight in the melee. Chief'll joust the Baron of teaneck, that's what we're helping with..."

Adam nods. "Right. Is he a jerk or something? Didn't you say we should go to Teaneck?"

A raven watches them from a distance

"No, he's not a jerk - but Pennons is about the fighting. So it's tradition."

"Oh." Adam thinks about that. "Guess there isn't really a holiday like it, you know, on the regular calendar."

"Nope, this one is special to us!"

"What about other holidays?"

"Oh, we have lots. After Pennons, the next'll be Samhain. Halloween."

"Now, I told you about Seelie and Unseelie, right?"

"Halloween?" He perks. "Yeah, you said. Different codes about how to live and how to .... uh, follow the rules."

"Yeah.. well, that is when we switch."

"You -switch-??"

"Everybody's Unseelie on Halloween."