#bergen_county

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Dagmar is brushing down Star. The horses make her happy and calm, even when everything else is on fire.

Star nuzzles the girl back, feeling oddly maternal, darn this silly condition

"Hey, that's my hair. Silly horse."

Oh huff.. you get to play with my mane. Fair is fair

"Fine, fine."

"Right out there..." Dirk says "you wanted to talk to her, check with the horses"

Dagmar rests her cheek against the black velvet of Star's neck, closing her eyes.

"Thanks." Adam says, without much inflection, and goes to the stable. He knows her habits.

"....hey."

"Hi, Dagmar. I guess we should talk."

"That's what the Chief said."

"Do you want to? I think we should be....."

"Yeah, well."

Adam waits to see if more of an answer is forthcoming.

There doesn't seem to be.

Dirk is nearby but more to beat up on what's left of a dummy

Brushing the horse. Hands busy keeps the head calm. Right?

"Look, I don't know how to do this, exactly. I know I don't want to fight. Not with words or fists. And... I -think- we should focus on the future and not the past."

"I didn't want to fight, either."

"Don't like fighting. Not like that."

"Ok, good. Let's not do that. Hey, at least we agree there."

"Yeah, true."

Brush-a brush.

Star's tail switches a bit at the tension, but she remains calm, and lightly lips at Dagmar's sleeve as she is brushed, grooming back in return.

A soft laugh. "Hey there."

Ear twitch, fair is fair.

"Sorry about... y'know..." Frown, shrug.

Leaning into her brushing hand, a reassuring weight.

A smile at that.

"Do you want to talk about anything?"

"Dunno. What's to say?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry too." He adds. "Things got crazy."

"Oh look, I got a reminder that Dagmar is a big scary monster?"

Adam sighs.

"Sorry." Grunt. Grooming.

"I... I feel like you should be able to feel however you want. And if you want to feel like a big scary monster, cool. And if you want to feel angry, boss. I don't think anyone should tell anyone else what they can, can't, should, or shouldn't, -Feel-."

"That's how -I- feel."

She frowns. "Don't want to feel that."

"I'm cool with that too." Easily.

"Yeah, well."

Adam dips his fingers into a water bucket, splashes lightly.

"Tell you what, then if you feel those things, period, regardless of want or need or must or whatever, then ... cool. That's how you feel."

A shrug.

"Anyway." A verbal echo of her shrug "You cool with talking about what we do now?"

"I guess."

"Ok. What do you think?"

Shrug.

Adam takes a deep breath. "Oookay. Want to tell me how you feel about it?"

"Not really."