#rivervale_lodge

"I mean, if you have your heart set on this place, let me know"

"You wanted to see all three, yeah?"

"You have a point, let's head to the third one" He rises. She was right. This is in much better shape. Less workk, and not a bad price. But as they get into the truck, he's already scratching this one off.

She hunches down inside her hoodie.

"Well actually, your call, BK now or after the third one?" It has been awhile

"Food?" She perks up a little. "Can I get a whopper?"

"Dollar menu's okay, though." She reassures.

"Nah, If I'm going to have a whopper you're going to have a whopper" He says heading toward the local BK. "Unless you want something else. Otherwise seems snotty of me to munch one while you get some itty bitty thing"

"The whopper is the best burger." A firm nod, as if this is absolutely, objectively true.

"Well, come 4th of july we'll challenge that, but for now? Yes, today it is." THey go into the Burger King which seems to have a medium sized crowd. "How do you like your whopper?" He asks "And you want the fries soda meal combo that goes with it?"

"Yes!" A nod. "I mean... yes? And just.. you know, the regular, with all the stuff. And... cheese? Maybe, please?"

"Sure," Jaymes nods "Not a problem. You're earning it helping me pick things out. Go ahead and claim a sitting spot for us or you can wait in line with me, either way"

"I'll get ketchup!" She's off - ketchup, and straws, and napkins.

"Bit of mustard too" he remembers to add "please" After all, the kid is saying it and he appreciates that. Expect it? give it back.

She balances a collection of tiny cups on the napkins, and shoves a handful of condiment packets (and salt, and pepper, and sugar too) in her pocket before hunting for a table. Table, not booth. No squeezing in.

Dagmar notices an old lady staring at her. The old woman seems to be hunched by the years.

She sets up the ketchup cups in a grid, then looks over and makes a sour face at the staring lady. "Got a problem?"

The old lady humphs and goes back to her own meal

GLARE.

Jaymes joins her, the smell of the food on the tray making Dagmar's belly growl, "Everything okay?"

"People are rude." She makes a little pile of packets... several, actually. Plenty of mustard. "I got straws, too."

"Thanks. I got the type of soda I've seen you drink before, but if you prefer, I got this type for me and we can swap." Cups done, and her whopper with... oh it's got everything she wanted, it's huge!(Well, right sized to a troll)

"As for rude people, now you know why I'm not that social" He says

"Nice."

She claims her sandwich and fries and one of the many (many) ketchup cups.

He uses a few himself, then says "I got the feeling you didn't like the second house"

"It's fine." Flat tone, but no hiding the little nose-wrinkle.

"I thought we agreed no bs between us?" He points out

And he takes a bite of his own whopper "Not bad"

"Well, I mean, it's in better shape. Right?" Chomp. Chew chew chew.

"yeah, but I didn't mention it being in better shape. I mentioned you didn't seem to like it"

"Which if you don't, you should tell me. It's a factor and it should be a factor"

A shrug.

He raises a brow.

"It was... kinda plain.."

"It was" He nod, "Kind of boxed in. I mean, that wall? If we had a dog maybe I could see the point of keeping him safe but blah. And I wasn't kidding, next development spurt might go all over that place."

Her shoulders hunch. "I didn't like the wall. Felt... yeah."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing IF, and the odds aren't good so far, if we got that place, that wall would have a huge arch or something torn through it at the least. Maybe all torn down. Now the next place is rough from what i saw, another fixer upper, but it's got more green than the second house"

"The first one just needed paint..."

"ANd a new shower"

"Yeah..." She pokes at the ketchup.

"I wasn't crazy about the exeterior, but once inside? The build, not the colors? Nice. it had character" An admission

The food is delicious

by Bk standards 😉

She nods - food disappearing quickly.

"You gonna finish your fries?"

"I liked the bedroom. It had, like, the little... cut out bit? With the windows?"

"Help yourself" At her eying of his frieds

fries

She steals several. "And it had trees."