#bergen_county

"In her blush the rose was born
'twas music when she spoke
In her eyes the light of morn
sparkling seemed to break.

...

Aura Lee the bird may flee
the willow' golden hair
then the wintry winds may be
blowing ev'rywhere..."

She breaks off, catching her breath. "The original lyricist, or poet... whoever wrote this, they MUST have at least been a dreamer, if not Fae themselves..."

"Or a mortal, beloved of a sweet fae maid so that she drove him wild and all he could do was write songs to her." A wink over at him.

"I feel that." He grins back.

"Except I can't do music."

"I love listening to you, though."

"You can't say that you can't do music." She slips off the swing and leans against him. "Not when there is the music of the wind through the trees, the way art makes your heart sing, or the play of skin against skin. All things of beauty have music... or is it just me seeing music in all things?" She muses.

He twines his arms around her, kisses her, nuzzles..... "I meant I don't sing or play an instrument..... but I love the way you put that. It makes pictures in my head."

((Pause? Post again though and I'll answer when I wake. ((HUGS))

((SLEEP!))

She is still humming the song, and once they slip into a kiss, he can feel her leg tapping the rhythm still. As they part, "But what have you been up to? Can't be that busy driving with the lock down?"

A pleased sigh, holding her, his body warm against her. "I kinda got away from it a while but I realized I really wanted more dross and so I picked back up. Turns out Sally Mae hired Eden to drive too, but I get a cut of what she makes so I'm not really losing anything."

"Been knocking school out as quick as I can, so I can work out and try to read."

A grin. "Zane and I went to this Freehold in ... I forget, Grass something, he said. Called EarthRunes." -That- he remembers. "And Sir Vali took me to drive him and Nadeen to Caer Falken." (Odd in that he usually refers to the intrusive troll teacher as "Gardner.")

"Weird." Her nose wrinkles up a bit. "I don't know if I'd trust a pooka driver, what if they took you to the wrong place as a joke and stranded you?"

"Aren't you worried about your reputation?"

"Reputation? You mean as a driver? Nah, most folks can tell the difference between Eden and me." He grins.

"mm. I mean, if it's your business, and she works for you?" Curious. "Or are you both like, just uber drivers working for Sallie May?"

"Mmm... I kinda feel like I'm a junior partner to Sallie Mae -but- she doesn't take most of the earnings so... -and- I get a small cut of Eden's stuff. Sallie Mae organized it all and set it up but I drive."

"I mean, if I heard that when you call for a ride, you might get a polite chauffer, or you might get someone who thinks that filling the backseat with imaginary spiders is a good laugh, I probably would think twice about it." A shrug.

A shudder at the thought.

"Yeah, good point." He sways gently with her in his arms. "If something like that happens, definitely talking to Sallie Mae about it."

A kiss, sweet and simple.

"Mmm, well, it's your business." She answers, kissing him back. "EarthRunes, isn't that where Siv went?"

He nods. "Yeah. Saw her there. Oh -man-....." a longing, wistful sigh of desire.

She blinks, and a smile twists the corner of her mouth. "You miss Siv too?" Interpreting his sigh...

"Her? Nah, not really. When we first met, I thought maybe.... but nah. Not interested. But that place.... EarthRunes.... Piper, you'd love it. It's -so different- from here!"

She shifts, a little uncomfortable. "I'm... not really a fan of court, you know? All those high-n-mighties. I mean, it's a Fiona hold, right? They're not bad, as houses go, but still..."

He nods. "It's Fiona. I saw the Baroness there, she's... -wow- Piper. I mean.... And there was this Dame knight, with this dog that had antlers, and she was.... man..... and Siv invited me and Zane to learn how to massage and these ladies were all... just a sheet, right? And we massaged them and I really did learn some stuff but ... they felt so good.... and after? They just wrapped their towels around and walked away. Down the hall. Just.... I mean, no one at the Lodge would -ever- do that, right?"

She looks thoughtful... and the grin grows.... "I can envision it, it takes a bit of work, but...mmm, not bad. No they wouldn't. That hot spring is WASTED on them, y'know?"

"I would like to see Siv though. She kept talking about taking the Narwhal out, and what with being cooped up inside so much, the idea of being out on the open sea is...." A soft sigh. "Warm winds in your hair, the scent of salt air..."

"You want me to ask her?" He offers.

She looks a little pink. "I kept wanting to call her up, but never did - just wasn't sure about that place. And then it had been so long, that I felt ... I dunno, kinda embarrassed to reach out."

A puzzled frown. "How come?"

"You ever leave a text unanswered for a long time because you didn't know what to say, then it's been a while and it feels weird to reply? Kinda like that. Oh, but I DO miss her."

A smile up at him. "Just one of those, "might have beens"?"

"I didn't know you guys were, like, friends." He shrugs. "If you want, I can ask. Then it's not weird."

"Oh.... well, maybe? If you'd like." She gives him a grin and a squeeze.

He gives her the same back. "Ok. I can do that."

"-ANYway-... yeah, EarthRunes was great and I want to go back really bad. Siv's the luckiest person I know." A soft sigh follows. "And Caer Falken was ... interesting. There was a lot going on."

"I'm not familiar with Falken. What hold is that?"

"Oh, it's the one here! The Count, from Pennons and all? It's where he is. It was -way- different from EarthRunes but it was still... interesting. More complicated. Nadeen surprised me."

(My bad!) "Oh, my brain is just turning to jelly with all this sitting on my butt. Isn't that the one where those jerks wanted your blood?"

"Well yeah, but they weren't there this time." Reasonably.

A scoff. "Well, you should just watch your ass there." And she gives said place a pinch.

"Mmmmm....." He liked it. "I was kinda watching other asses. Oh! There was this girl there. Beautiful. And kinain, like me! Sir Vali said she was Baron Kealan's daughter, though. Warned me off." A resigned sigh.

"And Nadeen.... she's all Ice Queen at first but damn, she was like.... like a razor, throwing shade like a tall tree!"

"Bleh, not my style. I like something warm - not into cool as ice."

Adam grins. "I know, and believe me she's not my style either but.... it was impressive to see. There was all this combat going on with words and, like, fast thinking. Compliments that weren't really compliments. Wicked."

"You say impressive, eh. Seeing them all up on their elf dignity gives me the chills. It's beautiful, but like.. in the way of a... I dunno... like, a jeweled snake that might strike at any moment."

"Yeah!" Enthused.