#rivervale_lodge

"Why from the truck?"

"Not from the truck, the truck is getting us where we'll make the call from. I don't trust cellphones for stability. Come on, humor me. You got in a glass bubble I think you can survive a truck trip"

"Well, yeah.."

When (assuming) she gets in they drive. It's dark, but if she were BLIND SHe'dd know where they were going. They're heading towards their house. Why would they make a call from there? The power's not even on yet, is it?

"It's too dark to work, ain't it?"

"Not too dark to make a call..." They pull up, the trees, as she wanted, still block off much of the view until you're righti n the drive way. He opens the door and she sees...wait, has the outside been painted entirely? Jaymes reaches for some keys and hands it to her by one specific key "Try this at the front door."

"When did..." She takes the key. "Okay..."

She tumbles out from the truck and tromps up the front steps.

It's dark in here. .... how's she supposed to... she could flip a light switch but that wouldn't work would it?

As if to confirm, "Better turn the lights on, I don't want you breaking your legs in a fall"

Flick.

And the lights click on and... it's ..it looks finished! Oh it may need some more furniture, but it's finished!

"Oh, wow..."

"Thanks to friends and family we got it done sooner than sane people would" Jaymes says as he comes in. THe house has a lot of blues , maybe on the floors in one room, the walls in another, but it's... it's just so fantastic!

"Oh, you have a surprise in your room"

"A surprise?" She touches a bit of trim, blunt fingertips tracing the carving.

"Tove and Brekke worked together on that.." He notices where her hands are "Yeah, remember the other house? We almost got? The one thing you liked about it?"

"It was pretty cool, too, but this one... it's perfect, ain't it?"

"It might be now. Go upstairs to your room and turn the light on, seee what i'm talking about"

Tromp tromp tromp, up she goes

When hte light clicks on she sees..her room! Dressed not in girly girl colors, but the ones she prefers with highlights and.. there's a Thor Movie poster framed in glass! And more wood work...adn the shelf with her badger! And the quilt that..well that quilt as if Jaymes didn't hear a word when she said it was stupid and it doesn't look so stupid there...and her own bed!

And....doors that lead open to a balcony! They added a balcony!

Jaymes footsteps come up

She just stares, jaw agape.

"Now, the bed was that style I THINK you said you liked. If you don't like it you may have to put up with a while, or we can sand the frame maybe...but a lot of work went into the wood work with the runes and avenger symbols made to look like runes...oh and some of those DC guys. NEver seen a nordic batman symbol before but they made it work"

"You... all of this?"

"Jaymes, there's a balcony..."

"How'd that get there?" He says with that stoic face, "You want me to wall it off get rid of it?"

"Uh, no."

A few steps, a hesitation, and then the rest of the way - out to stand on the balcony!

and the stars shine over the trees, as if they were a secret vista no one else would know.

"It's so nice out here..."

"Well, the mosquitos might think it's nice in the house, so those plants hanging out there? We want to water them, they drive mosquitos off" he comes out "It's a nice view. Oh, door to the hall locks from the inside. Don't make me regret that. Door out here locks from the inside too though so don't get locked out. That drop could be a doozy"

"It locks? Really?"

"Omigawd, thank you! You watch, I'll be good!"

He bends down, and gives her a brief hug, and a smile has broken through his face, "I got one more surprise. Remember that phone call?"

"Yeah, you said..."

"Yeah, let's go call Sylvi. It's morning where she's at and she made time to get a call from you... land line's in the kitchen the number is on a note near it.... Remember it has a cord so do not run off with it or it'll snap"

"A land line? Man, retro..."

"And more stable, what can I say, this was an old house. When I found out it had one, I decided to get it working. What? I'm going to let a feature go to waste? Go call."

"Siv hinted you might have missed her"

"I don't. Don't need her round at all..." Jaymes doesn't need to be a gwydion.

"Oh that's a shame because she kind of misses you, all of us...and now she's waiting by the phone..."

"Well."

A shrug waiting.

"Do you know the number?"

"Yeah, it's on the note near the phone" He reminds

"Kay..." she dials.

The kitchen, where it is, is just what they hoped for! And it shows that a Hearth gave expert advice!

After just one ring, the call is picked up. "Hello?" It's Sylvi's voice.