#bergen_county

“Oh? Why’s that?”

" 'Cause I can make better money driving, and it's not like he needs me with everyone going into lock down, or that I should be there, and it eats into my time when everything is normal."

“That makes sense. Just making sure that the owner wasn’t being fresh with you or anything.” Grin.

"Old Greely? Gah." He makes a face, sticking out his tongue in revulsion.

She laughs and gives him a poke in the ribs.

He giggles and rests his hands around her waist.

"Any way, if it gives me more time to earn dross or figure out how to make Glamour, then good riddin's."

"-And- I'm supposed to get better with my weapons, -AND- I guess I should probably work on that whisper thing I did once."

"I guess. But they have like... Trolls and Redcaps to do the fighting, armed with burly muscles or just plain scary-mean enough to ward off any trouble. Why do they need you to fight, too?"

He looks almost affronted. "I can fight! Some of 'em call me a Thane. It's not, like, official, but....."

"I killed that Lyndwyrm thing. I mean, with Oak, but....."

"I'm going to get enough dross to get someone to make me a knife out of one of it's fangs."

She sits up, and rests a hand on his arm. "I'm not saying you -can't-. I just mean, maybe there's something better for you to spend your time doing." Giving the arm a bit of a squeeze. "No one needs to tell me that you're strong. And you've proven you're brave."

Reassured. "Well.... what would be better?"

A droll smile. "Well, you -are- dating a bleedin' heart hippie pacifist. Why not work on that willow whisper?"

"I can do that. Maybe Zane can help?"

"I mean, I only did it the once, and Connor ate the cookie."

"Now that's a good idea. If you want to learn magic, learn from the Magician. Or, the apprentice, in this case. I wouldn't mind learning it myself - or at least trying... though maybe not if it takes too much attention from other things."

A long pause. "The trolls -did- offer to teach me stuff....."

"Like Live Tall and Prosper?" A small grin. "Me, I'd take it second hand from Zane, but maybe I'm just lazy. Is there something more... exciting you want to learn besides just being a Cookie-Whisperer?"

"Take it second hand from Zane? No thanks....." He smirks, not speaking of magic.

"Well, yeah, I guess? I don't know much about what your magic can do."

"My magic? Or Fae magic?"

"Either." A smile, he snuggs her closer. "Both."

She leans in with a smile. "Well, there's the traveler's art - I just know a touch of that, enough to jump around, or bounce things hither and yon. And what you practiced was part of a more primal art - getting in touch with nature is a lot of it, so I bet there's plenty of that at the lodge and the Farm - maybe less so at a Fancy Duchy or Courtier's ball. The elves tend more towards snootier or flashier magics - arts that belong to Royalty and let them control their subjects, or even bend time. The witchier sort - Eilunids - they know how to cast omens to cause fair or foul luck, or get a glimpse into a target's fate - that's also kinda what Vali does, but... not quite the same, as I understand it. The merfolk lay claim to the arts of lust and longing - Sirens, y'know... though Selkies have a strong link to yearning as well, and some Satyr dispute who taught who what back in the day. There are arts to craft oaths, hurt or heal, even ones that let you create chimera - living or objects."

His eyes light up. "Yeah? That's.... wow. I met an Eilunid; he was ok. Kinda better-than-you but..... I think he was trying to help." He thinks. "Do you think being, you know, Sidhe-blooded might help me learn their magics?"

Her nose wrinkles up a bit. "I'm not a fan of those. And as far as I can tell, they're linked to rank. So if you're a... a Count? You can cast your voodoo and then anyone below your rank is forced to dance to your tune. It's a nasty bit of work that they lean on as "proof" that the dreaming recognizes their rights to rule as our betters. I highly doubt you'll find anyone who wants to teach you Sidhe magics at the DeBuke farm... if they even knew it."

"Yeah. Ok." Glum. "I guess something is better than nothing."

"Sidhe also know the art of True Names, which is... freakin' scary. That's like, the old stories about fairies being able to control you if they know your name. Except they could actually rework your entire soul to their liking, if they wanted to. "

A shiver.

"Yeah? Then.... like... how do they not have, you know.... control?"

She gives him a slight glance. "They do.... mostly. You're lucky that you live here, in the Chieftain's lands. She has her own rank and power that protects the Lodge. Most aren't so lucky, and the best thing to do is really.... stay below their radar."

"I've been to Pennons and Carnivale at the ... Count's. The County." He corrects himself. "It wasn't bad."

"Wouldn't you rather know how to trick someone's perceptions, or master the elements, or even changing into magnificent creatures?" Her tone coaxing.

"It all sounds good." Wistful.

"We should go back to the Farm then. Get you a corn-fed wheelbarrow fulla learnin' smarts."

He grins. "DeBukes are kinda cute....."

"I didn't know you had a touch of blue fever..." Teasing tone. "More that you had a fever for someone with a touch of blue."

"Yeah... I miss Dagmar but.... I mean... Sally Mae? And a whole farm-family of similar?"

"Well, it's not like she's dead or something. I never see you talk in school, now that you mention her."

"Was your breakup really that nasty?"

He's quiet a moment. "She.... No, not nasty just.... I'm sad about it but..." He looks away "She had to do it. But. I wish that wasn't it."

"What do you mean, she had to? Did someone make her break up with you?" Her forehead crinkles. "Her dad? He seems the protective type, but not overly so, though it can be hard to tell with Trolls until you get their backs up..."

"No."

Soft. "Just.....I think we weren't a good... couple. Together."

A reassuring squeeze. "And that's totally okay. I just... don't see why you're still tiptoeing around each other like churchmice on a timebomb. It makes things... kinda weird, you know?"

"I know." Sad. "She was my friend. I wanted that..... but...."

A sigh. "Fixing things is for Nockers. Fixing PEOPLE is something a Boggan would excel at. Or, oddly enough, sometimes pooka stumble through it without anyone realizing until it's done."

" But.... trolls... not so much?"

"These are the first ones I've really known." She admits.