#bergen_county

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Symon deposited at home, Dagmar heads back to the Barn alone. By now, it's dark. She's picked up a few good bruises (thanks, Nazis!) but is mostly satisfied and intact.

She makes her way , and opens the door to her house. There's a lamp on inside. One of her parents , maybe both, is waiting up for her.

"Hey, I'm home!"

She heads for the stairs.

"Mmm?" Her father looks her over "You were in a fight" Not a quesstion "Mortal Bruises. What happened?"

"Oh,,,"

"Well, there were these nazi assholes who threw a brick at some protesters... like, not even at a protest, they were down on Maple, and lost."

"That's close to the lodge" He frowns "They didn't actually touch the building?" he looks her over casually. "Just bruises?"

"Just bruises. I don't think they expected a fight. They thought they were gonna win."

"Though, hey! Piper has a cousin! Not Zane, another cousin!"

"And he's an egg!"

"I shouldn't encourage you to fight mortals... but Nazis? well...they started it, sounds like you finished it. And helped others. Good." Proud look then "he's an egg? Wait.. he's ready to go? Where is he now?"

"At the Wayburtons. I mean, he's theirs."

She stretches, and sets.. is that a shield.... sets the rubbermaid lid down. "So, yeah. Dirk and Symon helped, too. Not too often Dirk gets to let loose, but it it's gonna be anybody, Nazis are fair game."

A frown at something, brief.

"what?" he notices the frown

"Just..." Shrug. "They were jerks."

"Doesn't matter what they said. Been called names before."

Her father frowns, then says "I guess, to us, we're all blue or something like. I forgot what you have faced among mortals." A thought "Frank would be kinder about it, Liam and all, but racism is probably the stupidest thing the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve engage in."

"Yeah, well..."

Shrug.

"I'm not... I mean, I'm not really part of either. Like. Too much for one, not enough for the other, no matter what."

He ponders this, then "I don't pretend to know the shit you caught before this from either side. And your mom, well, on Thyle it had it's own prejudices... but while we may not understand, we'll listen. Support. You want to learn more about heritage and such, that's fine, we'll support that. You don't. Fine too. And we'll also punch nazis by your side if we see them together." A wink at that last

"Well, I like being blue. That's... clear, y'know?"

"Yup." He nods "I like things simple myself. Life isn't always simple, but sometimes it is...a nd I like those moments too"

"It's nice, yeah."

"Went to the Teaneck protest today. That, at least, was real nice. No trouble."

"Glad of that" A nod "We got good folk in Bergen, mostly."

"Yeah, we do."

"The assholes, they were from out of town."

"Some folks are braver in places they're not expected" he snorts

"I guess."

"We told them not to come back."

"Don't imagine they will but we'll keep an eye out. If you don't need the fire to heal up, then that's okay but treat yourself gently for a day mmm?" Not quite a quesstion.The firm father tone. The one that says I only order you around because I love you.

"I was thinking a hot shower..."

"Well earned" he nods , then "Maybe we can make a poppin jay look a bit like a nazi so we can beat on it later"

Snort-grin.

He gives a flash of a grin back and jerks a thumb upstairs to let her know he won't keep her from her shower. He looks.. proud.

A smile, and she tromps up the rest of the stairs

The shower is welcome, keeps the muscles from knotting up.

And our heroine crashes later into her bed.

Plummeting into a deep sleep... only to be woken in the morning by a cat sitting on her.

(end scene)

Elsewhere, Symon happily spends the rest of the evening cataloging his growing collection of Nazi DNA samples.

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