#bergen_county

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"Holy shit" May says looking around enchanted

"Yup. Freaks me out too," Lupe admits

"And I'm just going to forget this again?" May bilnks

Jaymes looks down at the tall (But feeling short as she eyes up to the troll) girl, "Sort of."

"Sort of?" May blinks "Sort of? I mean.. sir? Mr. King. I ..sort of?"

He sighs, "You'll remember it in your dreams"

"This is so wild. " May smiles

.........

Elsewhere..

"Symon, do you have a gift for Dagmar?" Anne Marie smiles

He looks up from where he was squinting at some tiny stitching. "I've been workshopping something..." he whispers, "But not sure it's coming along like I wanted. Might try something different."

"Do you need help?" She says eyeing it

He leans over, protectively shielding it. "No no... I think I have an idea. Thanks, though."

"That soup you made from the shark fin was really good." He offers, conversationally. "Too bad it's not likely to be something we can have again."

"It's a shame," She says "Though one never knows." She ponders "yes, I have a few ideas there. Did you really enjoy it?" Pleased

"Yeah, I like how it was all... squishy." A toothless grin.

"I'll try to get my hand on more shark fin, though I don't want to risk endangering the poor dears." Anne Marie smiles "Maybe Siv can hunt some chimerical ones"

"Ah, maybe. You don't gotta do that though. Everything you cook is pretty good." A somewhat embarassed look. "At least, a couple days later."

"Thank you, but I'm hardly in the top 5 around this area... not compared to others... but the important thing is your father and Dirk like my fresh food and you like my properly ah.. experienced food" A nod "Speaking of which, let me know if you get hungry again. I worry you starve yourself"

He snorts a little. "Maybe you're not the best by some standards, but I like it."

"I'm used to it, is all." A greyish flush.

"Well," she admits in a rare admission "I do like to think I can hold my own agaisnt mmost of them when it comes to Korean cuisine. " a vanity "Oh! Speaking of which, anything you want me to pot luck for your friends at tthe party and bring there? bibimbap perhaps?"

"Oh, uh... maybe, yeah. Everyone likes beef." A nod.

"Well, Piper is a vegetarian I hear but i don't think she'll be there so... yes... " she smiles "I'll get right on it. " A thought "I best make a bait pot for Dirk too. " sometimes it's just best to sacrifice something straight up to a cap so another thing can be spared

As an aside, "Dirk's kind of envious by the way. He thinks shark killing means you had a 'bad ass' moment"

"What about that cauldron at the lodge?" He scoffs a bit. "I didn't kill shit. Uh, sorry. All I did was shoot it with a fire extinguisher. He's just jealous he didn't get a bite when it was fresh."

"mm possibly, he's a sweet boy in his way, but he does have some disturbing appetites" She says "And he can be jealous. Still, you fought a shaft shark. How many can say that?"

"I'd prefer fewer said anything, honestly. If people think I'm out there patrolling, they might expect me to fight things. And you know I'm no fighter."

She frowns "I certainly wouldn't sleep as well with you in danger. Thank you, Symon. You show more sense tahn some"

And while Anne Marie and Symon talk...

..............

"So where's the birthday girl?" May asks

In her room, fussing over outfits.

Tove says "It's going to be okay" She says "You're going to play basket ball, maybe the shorts? or those new jeans"

"Basketball in jeans sucks...."

"FIne, then go for the storm gray shorts with the piping"

"Mmm..."

Fussing, until she settles on joggers and jordans.

"Those look nice. " tove approves "And Basketball worthy"

"Exactly."

"Come on, your friends are eager to see you" Tove says with a smile

"Besides, if you don't go down now.. I'll be going down the steps... big ole pregnant me" She makes a wobbling motion

"Yeah yeah. Okay, let's go."

And down they go "When I lose this weight the sympathy is over , right?"

"Yup!"

"You will be less top-heavy, I'd think."

A blush at something

"What?"

"Nothing... just your father is hoping not everything goes back to original size I think"