#bergen_county

"..or you think, like, maybe they just don't see it..."

Nadeen touches Dagmar's shoulder. Comfort

She glances over. The little crinkle in her eyes that is also a smile.

"But you didn't DO anything bad, Dagmar." Looking up at her. "You're a hero."

A smile back

She chews on a hangnail. "I've done bad things, though. And felt bad Felt like I wasn't even good enough to be a person."

"Which was nonsense" Nadeen says "But that didn't make her worries any less painful"

"I don't think Dagmar ever did those things." Stoutly.

She falters. "People who... who should have been kind to me weren't, for a very long time. So I figured it was my fault."

"But that's not anything YOU did." He moves over to give her a hug.

"Sometimes people blame themselves for how others act even though we can't control it. We think if they don't love us, we must have done something wrong. Something that makes us unlovable" Nadeen says

A huff. "But then the ones who acted bad are bad. Not you. It's not the same." Squeezing Dagmar's legs.

She leans down to give Connor a hug back.

"I'm sorry people weren't good to Sam. I can't fix what I did, either. But if I'm good now, maybe it will make up. But I just feel like it's... not enough."

"Well, you aren't bad. You're good, and we love you. Chief didn't like the thing you did - so, well, you won't do it again. You'll learn and do better. But Chief ain't mad at you. She loves you, too."

"You're family."

"And you're enough. Right? Just as you are, you're enough. Being Connor is exactly right."

He hugs her back. He may not be exactly convinced of all that, but he trusts his Knight to know what's what.

Nadeen nods

"I still gotta clean up your armor, though. Get it shiny for your next joust. I want to see you pop someone off their horse like a hopscotch."

A quick laugh. "Well, if I gotta, I gotta."

Nadeen snickers

"I just... I just want it to be real clear that I don't want you as a squire just to have somebody do stuff." She scuffs her toe on the boards. "I... I mean, yeah, Chief asked me. And part of being knight and squire is teaching and protecting and all that..."

"What I think is most important is.. like.. I mean, I was talkin' about it before this... I think it's important that you know you belong here and are wanted here. Oaths helped me. They're... magic, right? You can feel them, they're not just words." She bites on her lip, feeling a bit vulnerable.

"Does it matter if I like to do stuff? Too? And the, you know. The other things. Those are good too."

"I like to do stuff, too. I like being useful, I like taking care of the horses, and helping out in the kitchen, and being able to defend everything that matters to me."

A little smile. "Me too. Maybe not the 'fending' part, I'm no good at that. But... I can try to learn."

"Well, everybody has stuff they're good at. I'm strong, I'm good at fighting. You're good at making people feel better. Both are important."

"I look very pretty staring out a window at the lands as if plotting something" Naming her own virtue

"You do!"

A sigh. "You look very pretty whatever you choose to do."

"Thanks" She preeens just a bit

"Do tournaments like Pennons have sword fights, like they have jousts?" Watching Nadeen. "I'd like to see you fight with your new sword. But not if you'd get hurt."

"Or get someone else hurt. Unless it were a monster." He adds.

"Oh, there will be healers nearby, but there will be melee" Intrigued "Yes, I might like testing myself"

"There's lots of different contests at pennons."

"Like - Kerri and Tove bake for it. Maybe Jack could grow a plant?"

"I could test the bakes." Connor offers. "Do not bring Snow this time though."

"I think Snow may end up weaverwarded out of the area" Not sure she's joking

Snerk.

"Okay, well I'll work on the armor now, and then when it's all nice and shiny, I hear that the best thing for getting polishing grease off your hands is really lake water..." He gives Dagmar a hopeful look.

"Oh, the lake sounds so nice and cool..."

"I'm inclilned to agree. I wasn't built for heat" Nadeen sighs

"Yeah, okay, I am totally down for some swimming."

"If there's mortals, you might have to go as Buddy - is that okay?"

"As long as I can get WET!"

"And... Nadeen has to come too? Because if I have no hands, someone needs to help splash." He invites.

Nadeen smiles "I don't have my bikini with me though"

"You can get it! I have LOTS of armor left to do. There's lots of my knight to protect."

Purple.