#bergen_county

"Fine by me!" Zane says

Adam takes them to the Lodge parking lot.

He gets out carefully, looking around.

She gives Adam a glance, and adds, "We can just check out some of the trails, not need to go to the lodge proper?"

A quick glance at Adam's feet to make sure he's not wearing flip flops or anything silly.

"Up to you guys." Sneakers.

"Yeah, come on, let's go."

Adam nods and grabs his flashlight, a big old-fashioned watchman's type thing, from the car. "S'go."

"How late were you planning to be out?" She grins at the flashlight. "It's not daylight savings time yet..." And then as they are closer to the lodge she notices the Mace overlapping the reality of the maglite. "Oooooh, nice!"

"Yeah." Adam is clearly proud of this. "Got it at Pennons."

"Cool." Zane admits

"Yeah." Adam frowns, looking at it as they walk. "I don't understand it but.... Chief gave me some of that dross at Pennons. Why'd she do that?"

"Well, you squired for her, didn't you?" Easily hopping over a log. "I'm sure she rewards work well done. Oh, that reminds me! Tove said she had something for me. I should swing by soon. But it wasn't finished... I don't want to rush her if she's still feeling urpy." She does look eager though.

"Yeah? Neat...and she's right, dude. You did her a solid. 'Repay all debts' is a big part of the Seelie code. Besides, didn't she say that as you showed her your stuff you'd get more involved in fae life? Sounds like you're impressing her and she's sticking to her side of things"

"You think?" Dubious. "All I did was help Dag. And bring the Chief water and stuff."

"Maybe she wants you to know that she values your help. I mean, it's like baby sitting. Sure I don't mind helping out, but it's never fun being taken for granted. Because then oneday you really need help, and folk might not be there if you didn't let 'em know their help had value."

"Yeah, I get it. But, like, she let me go to Pennons. Wasn't that enough?"

"Maybe not. Look man, you seemed to think she was too hard on you before. Now you're worried she's being too nice? " Zane ssays "Take it as a win"

"I just.... you know, if I did something right I'd like to do it again."

"I think you did. You went to the party, managed not to tick off any stuffy nobles or insult the wrong host, and had a good time. I know I've had my share of hoof-in-mouth moments. Did you know how OFFENDED a Selkie can get if you mistake them for a pooka?"

"Uh, no. I don't."

"We-ell, LONG story short, it WAS a pooka, and I was at the butt of a joke, but the hosting Lord's paramour did not take kindly to me stealing her stole and tossing it in the ocean for him."

Adam listens to this with amazement. "Not sure I understood all of that but the part I did.... DAMN."

"Wow, you stole a .. wait "

"I mean, serves her right for wearing fur, right?"

"Piper, -you- are wearing fur." Adam points out with a grin. "Nicely, too."

That startles her for a moment, and she laughs. "Well -I'm- allowed! Double-standards are fine when they're in my favor."

He rolls his eyes. "Girls....."

A snort "yeah man, can't live with them...painful to live without em"

"And we're back to horny." He says with a grin.

"Ha"

"Trolls have horns, too - and some pooka. Why do we get stuck with the rap?"

"Probably because some of us live up to it" Zane says

"Some? Most! Give our kith credit. We are the best, after all."

"Yeah?" Adam looks Piper over appraisingly.

"Dude? You eying our women folk?" Zane takes on an exagerated drawl, then grins "Kidding. That's troll stuff"

"Hey, Piper's easy on the eyes...."

Zane chuckles "Don't tell me, tell her"

"You are." He tells Piper with a cocky grin.

"You're not too shabby yourself. Do you have a touch of sidhe? Not to be rude to ask, but it looks like you could. And I like it. Full sidhe are... you know..." She thinks for a minute and gives a little shiver. "Intimidating, in their beauty, like? If you get them when they're full-on Dignity mode. I don't know if I could relax enough to enjoy it. But a touch is nice." A grin to Adam.

A sigh "Nadeen"

Adam nods. "That's what they think, yeah. And yeah.... " A wistful sigh. "One of 'em asked the Chief about trading me."

She tosses an arm companionable over Zane's shoulder - and the other over Adam's, just to be fair. "Yeah, I hear ya. ..what's that, Adam? Oh, man. She didn't, did she?"

"No." Not without regret. His arm finds a way around her waist.

""Wow... yeah that's dangerous"

"Dangerous?"

"She was GORGEOUS...."

"That's why she's dangerous... sidhe beauty is a weapon"

A longing sigh.

"When they first returned? Hell, half of all they had to do was show their faces...and we lost a third of our resolve"