#rivervale_lodge

"I am not chasing you, Browndog!" A harurmph.

"Yeah. People who do stuff so others can ooh and aww over how awesome they are, but.. behind closed doors?"

"YEah... when they're safe..." She muutters, then looks over at Browndog "Oh he iS SO Disappointed now"

"The worst stuff happens then, yeah...." A brief scowl. Then, more upbeat. "You could bring it, and then I could throw! C'mon, Browndog, here boy!"

Browndog stares, then cautiously, takes the stick to her

"Hey"The nocker grins

"Before I was here, before I was Dagmar, I was a foster kid. Been lots of places... oh, good boy!" Praise, and she moves to take the stick.

this time the dog lets her

But now life is stickless..sad. and empty

"Your dog.. is a dramaqueen"

"He is! Okay, Browndog - fetch!" A toss.

JOY! LIFE! The stick is liberated! And off he tears.

"Well - he's happy?" A shrug.

"yeah, but keep holding fast"

"Some days chase is fun. But I think he'd like fetch, if he could get the concept."

Browndog can be stubborn, but not so stubborn as trolls. Dagmar waits him out, and finally he brings it over again. when she throws it again. He goes after again!

"Hey, you did it. I think"

"For today! We'll see about tomorrow."

"Yeah, got to reinforce. "

"Exactly." Another toss.

"So - where in Jersey you from?"

"Near Jersey City, you know, the big apple's armpit" A grin

"Ha. All those lost New Yorkersm giving it a rep.."

"Yeah... nothing makes you hate new Yorkers like having them for neighbors, but oh no, it's not them" She rolls her eyes

A snort. "They're everywhere. Inescapable. They had to move from the city, but it's so iiiccckkkyyy in Jersey. Whatever, hosers."

"And they act like it's all the turn pike... got some of them act like it's the center of the world, an they've never gone more than 15 miles in anyone direction"

"Exactly! Jerks. I like it here. Not too many of them... Paramus, though?"

"Hey, I've been in the Dreaming for years. So you're more in the loop on Paramus than I am"

"Yeah... I heard time is different there? But, I mean, not that long, if you remember Skyrim..."

"Nah, not that long. " She nods

"Still sucks, but yeah. At least you aren't, like, Frozen Captain America out of touch."

"ha! Nocker America I ain't. I guess you're right...could furking be worse. Man I would hate to show up and discover there were flying cars and I missed em"

"I feel like movies have lied to me for years. We just have google cars that drive themselves."

'huh... google is doing that? well, that means who it'll crash into the most POPULAR spots, not where you want to park" A smirk

"Ha! Probably. I saw one, once - has a little camera sticking out the top."

"Huh... tempting targets- sure would love to..ah..neverminnd."

"They're so tiny, though. I don't think a troll would fit inside. Love to what?"

"nothing" Betty looks to the side then "nothing..important anymore"

"You sure?"

"You know that... I mean, you went through some shit, right? It's okay to still be kind of fucked up or not sure about what's next."

"Look, you know, lots of folks went thorugh the shit.okay? If it were just that... then.. you know, forget it. Just fucking drop it okay? "

"It's... tough, too, when dealing with people who never had to compromise shit in order to survive..."

A grunt and a nod. "Okay."

"yea...poor fucking me..." A snort..then Browndog puts his head in her lap. She sighs "your dog's a moron" But Betty pets him.

"He is. Dumb as a rock." With affection.

Fingers dig in, and Browndog wags happily, eyes closed "Yup. You got yourself a real moron. Doesn't even know to leave a pissy nocker alone." Scratch scratch wag wag

"No sense of self preservation, our brown dog."

"Must be troll influence. You guys re nuts"

"Yup!"

"Pretty sure the whole thing is - honor and love and beauty and all of it."