#rivervale_lodge

"So? Something doesn't hafta be pretty to be worth something."

"I donnwanna talk about it right now. I should rest"

Her boot scuffs the floor and she nods. "Okay. If you wanna do something, let me know. We've got video games and it might be warm enough for basketball."

"uhm.. thanks, Dagmar. Maybe later..yeah, later" She sits on her bed, and flops on it with her back to the troll

"...okay." Uncertain, then. "Bye." And retreat!

Tove sees her come down "Hey? how did it go?"

"Okay..." A look over her shoulder. "She's... well, it was a bad place. I heard... with the girls..."

"Well. She likes Snow. I think we should let her feed her."

"I can get an apple for her..." Then "oh. I thought she was in the mines but if they swapped out... either would be hell"

"It's nice of you to try to help her, but she may need space"

"I get that... just.. wish I could help?"

"We are helping" Tove says "Bit by bit.. step by step, and with patience. She's out of that motel. She's got folks to talk to. She's not in a hellhole anymore. She's on guard, nervous, and who knows what else? But.. well, remember how you were when you first came here?"

"Yeah."

"You came so far, but it wasn't one day, or even one week. It took you time, and slowly, with a little help and a lot of understanding, you became more sure of yourself again, and able to trust."

A slow nod. "Because you all were... safe. So we gotta be safe for her?"

"That's part of it."

"What else?"

"We also have to give her a chance to grow, in her own way. Learn things, or relearn things about herself. You found your interests in superheroes and such after you came here mostly, right?"

"Well, comics. I always liked the movies. And basketball is new."

"Now I don't know how long she'll be here, but for the time we have, patience and kindness will be a lot of what we do"

"I can try. Dunno if I'm good at the stuff like you and Kerri."

"Kerri IS Good isn't she?" A nod "I try to learn from her but wow. "

"Everybody is pretty great." A content sigh.

At that Tove smiles wider "I'm very glad to see you're happy. Now, about Carnivale. What are your plans beside the costume?"

"I'm staying here, with Torrin. He's gonna tell stories and I'm gonna guard."

"You sure you won't be bored?" She says "The stories he'll be telling will mostly be for the little kids"

She shrugs. "I said I would do it. And.. everybody is going to the big freehold, right?"

"Like... I don't... " A frown. "I don't know how it works there."

"And you like things to have structure, something so you know where you're standing"

She nods.

"I don't mind being the guard."

"well, that's what you said you do and I thinik what you'd like to do , so we do it, but never feel too embarrassed to ask us for how a holiday works, okay? Maybe we can help you feel better informed on what's expected so you have a more fair choice. As it is, I'll just have to go to plan B"

"It doesn't sound like my kind of thing. Too many people and everybody is all... like.. wild."

"Well, sometimes wild isn't terrible, and we need to try toget out of comfort zones, but t's supposed to be something you like, not a chore. So I won't push. Like I said, I have a plan B"

"Are you and Jaymes gonna go have fun?"

"We are." She assures, "But that's not plan B. Plan B is..further off"

"What is plan B?"

"Did... did I screw something up?"

"Nope. You can have more than one Plan without something being screwed up. Plan B is, because you are missing some fun on Carnivale, I am pre purchasing anywhere from 6-10 tickets for Captain Marvel when it coems out in the theatre nearby. Now I don't know if it will be good, bad, or average, but it's your kind of movie, and you will have frieneds your own age that you invite and you know exactly what movies require."

"I'm sorry, that means you've got a week or aweek and a half before you get your fun." A smile "But do you like the idea?"

"I... yeah? I wanna see it."

"She looks cool. And she flies!"

" thought you might" she smiles "And yes. SHe looks like a bad ass. I like the costume...the blue and red one"

She nods. "And fire mohawk!"

"Ha.. nooo speaking for myself I'm not doing a mohawk. Ever" Protective pat of her hair 'Oh, that reminds me. Siv showed me your work. WHy didn't you tell me you could do hair?"

She shrugs. "I'm not that good. Like... it's messy on purpose, right? When I was in the group home last year, one of the older girls showed me...."

"Well, it was nice of her." She says "And if you ever want to learn more on hair care let me know"

"I used Jaymes' beard trimmer. FIgured it couldn't be any worse..."

She laughs hten "DId you ask Jaymes first?"

"No. Should I have?"