conjurationsandhookah:
Just because of the look in Russell’s eyes - however subtle - Kaden took a a second to make sure he wasn’t dragging anything unsavory in on the bottom of his shoes before he crossed the threshold.
He scratched at the back of his neck a little self-consciously.
“I don’t have a lot,” he admitted. “What could I get for, uh…$15?”
Of course, he also wasn’t one to take money or anything without earning it. He wasn’t a stranger to bartering or trading, either. Though he doubted this guy smoked, so that left any sort of magic or other work he’d need done. One way to find out.
Russell couldn’t help but feel a brief pang of guilt when he realised he had caused the stranger to be self-conscious. That hadn’t been his intention.
“You can, you can certainly get, get a good meal and, and a drink for that,” Russell said, with a small nod. He hoped the customer wouldn’t assume anything from the stammer, “I can get you today’s special sub sandwich, with, with fries, and, and a large drink of, of your choice and, and that would come to, to eight dollars. I mean, that’s, that’s the special of, of the day. Sub Saturday we, we uh, we call it.”
At least then, that would also mean that the man would have spare change for a phone or a bus. The spare money wouldn’t hurt at all.
“And we uh, we got desserts too if, if you decide you, you want a, want a dessert as well.”
It might help if he can get a decent amount of calories in this particular meal. Usually when it came to someone who really needed food, it didn’t matter where the said calories came from.
“Up to, up to you of course.”
Russell was 100% correct on several points - namely that Kaden didn’t really care where his calories came from (especially since he was dead tied of McDonald’s and overcooked garbage from the rolling heaters at gas stations), and that the extra change would get him a bus to...somewhere.
“That sounds like a good idea,” he nodded. “What would I be able to get as a drink?”
He didn’t assume anything from Russell’s stutter. Maybe it was a speech impediment. Maybe it was anxiety. Maybe he was just nervous having someone who looked like Kaden did, in the store. Wasn’t any of Kaden’s fucking business.
He did, however, scoot out of the way a bit as a few other customers passed, trying to keep from any smell he might he letting off from wafting in their direction.
Note to self: look into getting a gym membership to at least be able to shower.
