#rivervale_lodge

"Well. It's like five hundred dollars..."

Low whistle

"Would you like some advice?" Siv says

"Yeah? Don't get your hopes up?"

"Hardly, what's the point of hope if it's low?" A snort "No, rather recognize a few things. Jaymes is a good man, but a proud one. He doesn't like turning to the others for charity and he might have to get you there. So you don't make it charity. Earlier you got paid for washing Vali's car right?"

She nods. "Yeah! Think I could earn five hundred? I'm strong, bet I could do yard stuff..."

"Maybe not five hundred, but if you meet him half way. Earn two fiifty, it'll take the pressure off him, and rather than charity, it'll be hard work but generous kin and friends. Heck, I'd rather pay you 25 dollars to wash my car than pay a stanger 15 for example. I bet if you asked around, you'd find all sorts of situations like that. You never know. Gerd once made like 30 bucks in a single day with a lemonaide stand. Of course, she was young a cute then"

"Yeah, I'm not cute. But I can work hard."

"Maybe I could mow lawns?"

"The hotter it gets, the more others will want you to do it...and you still have some ice powers right? Remember Uncle Vali and his French class recruiting pitch? take a bit of dross , mow lawns and I bet you get a generous deal. Heck, Dad might even let you borrow our mower"

"Maybe! So if I figure out how to earn money, then I could ask..."

"Rarely hurts to" Siv says "Course, I'd ask Sylvi too. That girl's got a gift for haggling...and I'm not sure but I think she's smuggled things into school before and made a tidy profit ,but again, not sure. " A grin "Oh silly me"

"Okay, so mowing, car washing... no lemonade, thank you..."

"Right, and why limit yourself here? " A smile indicating she thinks she's clever, and she might be, "If your'e not too proud, maybe there's work to be had on the DeBuke farm, or at that place Colton is at... Earth Runes?"

"Trods. You know?"

"Ohhh, yeah!"

"I don't think the farm would pay, though..."

"They'd probably do a barter system, but they do sell crops at a profit by taking it through the trods. So it's not like they'd sneer at you for trying"

"Yeah, maybe..."

"But, like, for $25 bucks a mow... I'd only have to do twenty lawns, right, and I could pay for all of it..."

"ONLY twenty is not as easy as it sounds. There's folks around here who do their own and won't hire, and you'll have competition or folks who already have a mower. And Mowing can take a while if they want you to clean the brambles and more as well. Not to discourage you, but don't assume everyone will love you. I tried that once, met Ms McGillicuty... that nixed that idea"

"Um, I know not everyone will love me. But, like, lawns grow - so I could do some more than once?"

"In theory, see, this is how I operate, you have doubts. I help you remove those doubts- then I give you new ones" a pat on the shoulder "you're probably right. You've got time. You've got elbow grease."

"And we have kinain... so, like, that might be a good start. The Wayburtons and the Lees..."

"Yup. And there's Lucia's family."

"heck, the Browns might be happy to pay you to mow even though theyr'e not kinian. I have a hard time picutring Nadeen mowing"

"Oh, me too..."

"But Mr. Brown might appreciate a break"

"The Browns are okay. And loaded."

"There you go" A nod "Worth asking. And if Nadeen says you missed a spot? Chase her around the yard with a mower"

She snorts.

"Okay, that's probably my shoulder imp talking there" She admits.

"Nadeen ain't so bad."

"Well yeah Your'e right. She's gotten better with time. Heck, she's even friends with Klump now"

"Yeah. I am serious, though - I intend to watch out for her, even if I'm released now."

"Better troll than I" she says "but it's good of you"

"Well... I mean... she is here by herself?"

"Less so thanks to a certain satyr, but aye."

A laugh. "Well, that."

A smile "But she coudl use a few more friends true. Not sure ,but she and Sylvi at least seem to work well together on the Cheer squad"

"True! And she has mortal friends, but, like - I think maybe there's just a lot of Troll here."

"Well, part of that is the lodge... outside of it, we're not so spread out. Plenty of fae diversity if you start counting us up. Boggans, Pooka, satyrs... and redcaps and sluagh and mmm yeah. Not bad really"

"But just one sidhe."

"Well, there's Brogan and me own Lump... but they're not regulars I guess"

At the mention of Bancroft she sighs a bit

"What's wrong?"

"oh just the usual drama. " Lie

Eyebrow.

"Shit" she says remembering "It's boons like that that make me a Fiona fan. I'll have you know" Wry

Then "It's not great he..we patched up but it's... getting really real really fast. "