#bergen_county

Symon seeks out Dagmar... he checks the usual haunts, Stable, the Barn, etc.

Stable! Well - Paddock.

Star and she are a team, and they require practice. Today it's the quintain.

He leans on the fence, watching. Not in any hurry, he lets her work until she notices him, possibly during a rest.

Indeed, it's when Star needs a break that the troll seems to notice the watching shadow.

Small wave. Star snorts, but she knows the dead-musty-chemical-dust smell of this one well, and she is more interested in the fresh trough of water that Dagmar filled.

"Good job, girl." A pat on her shoulder before she heads over to the fence. "Hey Sy."

Tail swish, and head buried in the water. Then, off to inspect a patch of clover she noticed earlier that needs nibbling on...

Symon nods as she approaches. "You look good out there. Smart horse, good rider. I felt bad for the Dummy."

"Ha. We'll see how it goes on Pennons."

"Did you hear about Ann Marie's latest foundling?"

"Uh... no? New fledge?"

"Not a fledge, but an orphaned boggan kid. She took her in. There's a sparkling clean swath run throughout the house up to 'eh high'". He holds up his hand at about mid-boggan-reach.

Brow.

"How are you and Dirk taking that?"

"So, uh. This might be a big sudden, but... well, Dirk was kicked out into the shed. I know Ann Marie didn't mean it like this, she's just a bleedin' heart, but it's like, now that she has that daughter she wanted, and a boggan to boot, I don't want him feeling like he's lost his place. He deserves better than that... not that I'd ever say it to his face."

He continues, "So I decided to move out. At least, temporarily. Vali is helping me work out the details for lodging... at Rutgers."

A grimace. "He lost his bedroom? That's bullshit."

"...Oh."

He reaches over and lays a hand on her arm, a clammy spot on warm skin heated from sun and exertion. "Come with me?"

She fidgets. "I think I had an offer from them."

"It's only like a half hour drive from here, at best. Barely further than Goldfinch, and Sylvi is still around here all the time. With someone to split with, we can get a private dorm, or there are share houses or apartments that cost a bit more, but I still think we can swing it.."

"Oh..."

"Rutgers is pretty close, I guess."

"It's closer than my dad's work to home, and most commutes. You could be back here any time you need. Weekends too..."

"They wanted me to visit campus."

"That... I mean, then I'd know what the drive was like."

"I'd feel a lot better with you by my side." He says, in a moment of rare candor. "It's a big change, but... I dunno, it feels like it might be right."

"I... get that. Not wanting to do this alone."

"I'm still not sure I want to do it at all, but... sitting around not doing anything didn't feel right either. I figure, if it doesn't work out, I can always drop out, right?"

"I... I hadn't considered that."

"Yeah, I mean, they can't MAKE us do anything we don't want to do." A gummy smile.

"Yeah. Just.. quitting. Like..."

"Just quitting."

"It just doesn't seem like an option, but I guess it kind of is..."

"It totally is. Like... try something, if it doesn't work, why suffer through it? Like if you ordered Lutefisk, and you decided after a few bites it wasn't for you, what's the shame in ditching it for a cheeseburger?"

"I.. yeah. But it's college"

"Yeah. The first two years, though? That's just an associates. That's all I'm going to commit to to start... if I crap out after that, I still have a degree that I can put on a resume to get some easy desk job. Unless I decide I want to go for something specific..." He considers. "If we find off-campus housing, you don't even have to GO to class to stay there. You could switch to a trade school if you preferred."

"That... yeah."

"So whaddaya say? Willing to give it a go with me?"

She bites on her lip.

"Want to go with me on the tour?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm not sure on the dates - it might be too late for Fall Semester anyways, though I hope I could swing something to get out from underfoot earlier."

"Let's do it."

"They keep sending me letters, so maybe not?"

He nods, and gives a thumbs up. "When is it?"

She rubs the back of her neck. "Next week?"

"Two different coaches want to talk to me."

"Oh. Does Rutgers have a basketball program too?"

"Uh... yeah. Just a bit." A hint of amusement there.

"What??"

"Yes, Rutgers does basketball."