#bergen_county

“No one appreciates my art.”

"Gerd really dug your skull."

“You want school back. Hey, really?” He grins. “I’ll give it to her for Yule, since that storm messed up sales. Well, that one boggan wanted to turn it into a bong, but.... I felt bad, but if he’d died from the chemicals used in preservation leaching thought, then -I - end up the bad guy.”

"I do want real school back, yeah."

"And I bet Gerd'd love that for Yule."

“Do you miss normal school? Or just seeing those folk?”

"I mean, I don't miss Mrs. Eberford. Who does?"

"But, like, yeah. May and Lupe and lunch? And just feeling normal."

“I wonder how the wolves are handling school. They gotta learn mundane shit same as we do, even if their war is different, I wonder if they’d do an exchange student thing.” Slowly, thinking. “Everyone needs allies. They teach us a little about their ways, they learn a bit of ours? You could go meet the pack, maybe a day of the week or something, and they can meet a motley. I mean it would need to be pretty restricted, and they’d have to AGREE... but I’d vote that Werewolf 101 is just as valid as Algebra for OUR real world needs.”

"...true..."

“Times have changed. Maybe we can’t have the old shit back, so let’s figure out something new.”

"Maybe. Change can be scary."

"Especially with so much to lose, you know?"

“It’s almost winter, and yeah, leaning the other way can be unnerving. But change can be good.” A small gummy smile. “Take it from me, it’s nerve wracking as hell for ME every spring. But there are other things... any number of things.”

“What about having some classes here? Vali is here, and so is Sallie Mae. Make the students come this way for some classes. Learn about our horses, and Troll Lodge shit vs. troll farm. And even if Half-Sidhe cones along, it’s on YOUR turf.”

“And what about field trips? Take folk to that horse farm you like, call it learning but get free manual labor, and hell, I heard that music class went to PARIS.”

"....maybe?"

“I’m just saying, you’re stubborn as hell, but you don’t give up. You just gotta be stubborn in the right direction. You don’t like how it’s going? Fine. Instead of a step back, try a different direction forward.”

“Just... don’t leave me behind, ok?” He looks away, scowling. He’s NOT vulnerable goddamn it.

"Bull-headed, maybe that's why trolls got horns."

"And hey, we gotta see Vali about that quest."

He straightens up. “Yeah! And if it DOES turn out to be some bullshit learning adventure, I still have that pig intestine.”

"God, Vali would..."

“I’ll go ask him.” A grin crawls across his face. “It’s Friday the 13th, and I gotta get all the use out of that mask that I can before I gotta give it back to Dirk. It’s too bad I didn’t have a machete to borrow.”

"Ha!"

“I’ll mention those ideas to Vali. And I won’t mention you. Cool?”

"Thanks."

"And cool. I... I really don't like making trouble. I know, silly, right? Big brave knight."

“You’re not making trouble. Sometimes things just aren’t going right.” He shrugs. “Leave the troublemaking up to me.”

"Oh, you like that part."

A wide gummy grin. “I do. Now lemme get out of here before your troll parents rush up and eviscerate me.”

"Honestly, CJ is asleep so they're taking it."

A snicker. “Go back to sleep. “ sliding out the window. “He inherited lung from generations of Skalds. You wonder why I visit when he’s asleep?”

""WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"

From below

And by the time Dagmar turns back, the window is firmly latched and use a wave before he vanishes.

SIGH.

It’s 5 am! Time to wake up!

A Grunt groan below. Looks like Dad is getting the baby. Maybe he lost a coin toss