j a s o n

merrockite, brother & uncle, army vet, park ranger & professional, full time forest dweller. dog dad to ghost. rp only.

[jaceeverett]

JASON EVERETT DEARBORN. jason, jace, jay, jay-ev. he/him, cis man, july 5, 1983. born and raised Merrockite who left to fight a war he didn't ask for. works as the park manager at Merrock State Park. dog dad to Ghost; little brother to Theo, uncle to Riley, Lilly, Charlotte, Blake. lives in a cabin in the woods, spending his days gardening and watching butterflies.

bio. stats. timeline. connections. wanted. muse. writing ideas.

[jj-hayes]

STATUS: CLOSED (@jaceeverett)

LOCATION: Farmer's Market, Countryside

Now that blueberries were finally in season, JJ found himself at the farmer's market several times a week to stock up on them. Mia was at the stage where there were only a handful of things that she would eat without fussing. To protect his peace and to get her to eat, he liked to have blueberries on hand at all times. Thank God he lived in Merrock. "Don't judge me. I have an almost two-year-old who insists on having blueberries with every meal," JJ remarked when he ran into Jason at the blueberry stall and began filling his basket with several punnets of the fruit.

[jaceeverett]

Whenever he had the chance, Jason liked to stock up the kitchen with fresh produce from the market. It was a good opportunity to give back to the local farmers, to make sure he had the freshest ingredients to cook with. And, of course, sometimes he could get a little snack for himself while he was out, too. An Italian sub was calling his name. "Judge you for buying blueberries? In Maine?" Jason asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice as he gave JJ a look. "In Merrock, in Maine?" for emphasis, given that one of the biggest blueberry farms in the area was right in their little town. "I'd be more worried if you told me that blueberries weren't an important part of her diet. Does she just eat 'em, or do you find fun ways to cook with them?"

[lottienewman]

Lottie laughed a little, "She knows she never gets this much at home which is probably why she keeps asking for it. I will have to cut her off soon." She shock her head for a moment as she tried to keep Maisy close by because if her daughter had it her way, she would be running off to any where she could. She laughed, "Oh of course, it's the only way. I taught Maisy it last year when she understood a bit more and she knows she has to do it now." She giggled as she paid for three tickets for the train ride to the person working there.

[jaceeverett]

Making a soft 'tsk' sound with his tongue, Jason shook his head and shot Lottie a teasing look, "buzz kill." But he also completely understood the need to say no more sugar after a while -- otherwise, someone was going to end up bouncing off the walls, hyper as all get out, and that really didn't do anything to help the situation at hand. "I sometimes have to cut myself off, but mostly when it comes to coffee, so I get it. Couple cups of that in a day, and I'm a whole different person," probably not someone he wanted to be. "Ah, good! Then she's on the right path, we can trust her on the train," he laughed, looking over at Lottie with a grateful smile when she paid for his way, making note to do something special for her and her daughter when they finished. "You want to pick out our seats, Maisy?"

[ben-deluca]

Ben found himself grinning at his friend's laughter, loving that he was able to make him feel comfortable enough to laugh like that. Ben dramatically made a face and shrugged. "I mean, my ma thinks I'm pretty funny." He joked again. It was normal for Ben to be in causal clothes as well, so he agreed with his friend. "I wouldn't have cared, but we probably would have got some looks, for sure." He muttered then gave a half smile to Jace. "I guess we could have ordered it to go though." Ben watched his friend pull his phone out and laughed at how Jace had not checked the message before now. "Hey, I get that." Ben said, considering if he was tattooing he was definitely not on his phone for hours at times. "Oof, yeah, long day deserves a nice steak." He simply concluded. Ben followed along with Jace as they walked towards Overlook's front entrance. "Sounds awesome, dude. I'm sure you're keeping everything in line, for sure. I need to get down there for another hike again soon. But, yeah, work has been occupying my time lately. Especially now that summer is in full swing. I stay pretty booked, which is really not something I can complain about. I like making money."

[jaceeverett]

"That's because she's your mother, she has to find you funny," he said without missing a beat, even while knowing without any hesitation that his own mother would never find him humorous. And honestly, Jason was okay with that. He had long ago given up on the idea of needing his parents' approval for pretty much anything. Letting out a low laugh, Jason reached a hand up to push through his recently-shorn locks, already desperate for the cold months when he could really live up to that mountain man name, go all in on a beard and long hair, sweaters and boots, not worry about appearances. Slow and steady, though. He knew to enjoy each season whil they had it. As they headed towards the front door together, he couldn't help but to laugh, "what, you want me to eat my nice steak dinner in the car, afraid that I'll be too much of an embarrassment to go inside?" Which actually, might have been a good idea. But he could behave himself long enough to have a meal. "It's a good time of year for it, but… I think every time of year is good for a hike," and for the most part, it was. Given that there were always good things to see, and the trails were well taken care of. "Like making money and permanently scarring people, right?" although that part was asked with a grin, given that Jason himself was a pretty big fan of tattoos, as evidenced by how much of his body -- albeit discretely when fully dressed -- was covered with them. "Cool to eat on the patio?" he asked, though he didn't need to wait for an answer as he told the hostess and started following her out to a table.

[jaceeverett]

TASK #35 DEEP DOWN

jason everett dearborn july 5, 1983 hazy summer kid

[jaceeverett]

[bradleyxnewman]

"Well I got one can say thank you for your service," he quipped back before clapping him on the back gently. Bradley had to hand it to those who braved getting in the tank, both because of the dunking part and the embarrassment part. But it was all in good fun. Grabbing his stomach, he nodded and playfully let out a groan, "Yeah. And I had a very light dinner last night and breakfast this morning because I knew how much good food there'd be. And for sure, ending the day on a high note with some ice cream is the way to go." He grinned before see sawing his head a bit, "I'm definitely thinking a hot dog and maybe a burger. And then maybe some fries. See how I feel you know?" He didn't want to overdo it right out of the gate. "I'm doing really good," he replied and strode next to Jason, "how about you?"

[jaceeverett]

"First time someone's thanked me for service that included a dunk tank, anyway," Jason said, a hint of amusement to his voice. Normally, it had to do with his military service, but it was nice to be thanked for the fact that he was willing to get soaking wet in a dunk tank. "Better to save room for it than come here already full and not be able to eat anything at all," which was pretty much the worst feeling in the world -- everyone just wanted good food, that was how it worked. It just so happened that there was too much good food to choose from. Although, Jason knew if there were limited selections, that would be disappointing in a whole different way. "Go with the flow, or... go with what your stomach is telling you, I guess. Either works. But good, I'm glad to hear it," he nodded his head, "things are good, work is busy, but that just means people are coming to the park, so I won't complain."

[ben-deluca]

Location: Overlook, Rural Countryside Who: @jaceeverett

Ben was sitting on a bench across the street from Overlook, a restaurant that he had come to love. Despite being a small town, Ben still found it unbelievable that he knew the owner Dom as well. Ben loved the proceeds going 100% going to support their town. Plus, a special menu? In faded jeans and a black t-shirt, Ben felt he looked casual enough but not trashy like his attire at home alone. He smiled at seeing his friend and stood up slowly. "Damn," Ben gave a little dramatic whistle, "Look how handsome you look. I should have dressed up more." He jokingly teased. "Ay, did you get the link I sent of the special menu? I am fucking sold on a juicy steak though. Maybe I gotta get a combo dish or something." Ben rambled then gave a half grin. "How have you been, man? I feel like it's been a while since I last seen you."

[jaceeverett]

Jason's eyes widened as Benito complimented the way that he dressed, unable to hold back a laugh as he threw his arms out to the sides, "considering we're practically in the same outfit, you're honestly hilarious." If Jason wasn't in khakis or his ranger uniform, he was in a t-shirt and jeans, although that particular day, he had opted for a slightly cleaner than normal pair of boots to complete the look, maybe that elevated him... a tiny bit. "You're lucky I didn't show up in dirty, sweaty work clothes, bud." At the mention of his message, Jason reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone, flicking the screen to life and letting out a fumbling laugh, "I mean, I did now. Admittedly, I haven't checked my phone in a little bit, but. Steak does sound kind of good right now, it was a really long day, and I could eat," which meant that a salad wasn't going to do the job. He gestured for Ben to follow him as he started towards the restaurant and nodded his head. "Good, I've been good, keeping busy at the park since they promoted me to manager, which has been fun. How about you? Getting a lot of summer tattoo traffic at the shop?"

[xcorikhang]

Cori simply shook her head, rolling her eyes at hearing the 'you better'. "Practice shot! That was a practice shot! I just need a little warming up!" Whether Cori was trying to convince herself, those watching, or Jason wasn't clear. However, the self pep talk seemed to work as Cori returned to a throwing stance, calling out, "get ready to get wet!" A couple of deep breaths later, Cori threw the ball, hitting the bullseye. "Hell yeah!" Cori's arms flew up in triumph as she watched Jace sink into the tank.

[jaceeverett]

"Uh-huh!" she shouted back, a low laugh in his throat. But he knew better than to tease, knew that it would only end up riling her up. Jason had known Cori far too long to ever believe that he wasn't going to end up in that tank, and that he would deserve it a little bit, too. Narrowing his eyes, he opened his mouth to say something back before she released the shot and the ball hid the bull's eye, feeling the seat beneath him give way as he plunged into the cold water. He accepted defeat for a moment, before pushing himself back up and letting out a sputtering laugh, climbing out of the tank and shaking himself off like a dog. "Damn, Cori!"

[allisonbennett]

"I try, and sometimes I think that's all we can do." She smiled and looked over at Jason. She didn't always do everything right, but she tried to be a figure in Finley's life that would teach him as much as she could. There were times where she needed help and relied on her friends and neighbors, but it was always best to go to someone she trusted when she needed another hand. "I'd hate for that too. You'd have to look my mother in the eye and explain to her why the family home is no longer in the family." She teased and took a sip of her drink.

"You're not wrong about that. I know one of them is a shooting game, but it's very cartoon-y, so I'm not as worried about it." He didn't have interest in most of the violent games, and she was glad for that. At least this summer he was still trying to explore the outdoors and be out with his friends. "I think giving them a list of maybe five books to let them pick might help, but I do understand why it would be nice for them to all read the same one. It gives them something to discuss, but that's also betting on any of them remembering it." It was always a guess if Finley would, but Alli tried to get him to take a few notes every few chapters to remember if he needed to. "And what? The reports aren't entertaining?"

[jaceeverett]

"Finley's a happy kid," he offered after a moment. Jason didn't know much about parenthood, outside of what he saw his brother do with his kids. It wasn't like they had good parents at home to learn from -- back then, or now -- and that meant that everything that he learned came from the world around him. "Sometimes, I think that's the biggest battle. Just making sure that they're happy and healthy and in a good place, and he is." Any time that Jason saw Allison and her son out together, she knew how much she cared about him, how good he had it just by having her as a mother. "Ouch," he said with a laugh, pressing a hand over his heart, "bringing out your mother for a guilt trip like that? Absolute low blow."

"As long as it's cartoons, it's a little less terrifying," he said with a low laugh, taking a sip from his glass. Maybe Jason was just built different, having felt an actual gun in his hands for far too long in his life, but… he didn't begrudge kids that part of their lives, either. It was different for them. "Yeah, exactly," he pulled his thoughts back to school, "but I guess it's easier for the teacher if they only have to read one, themselves, and can put all of their focus on making sure they actually did read that book. And… I don't know, does Spark Notes still exist? Or any of those sites that you would use for cheating? Well, not you," he corrected with a wily smile, "but me, definitely." Much to the dismay of his teachers. "No. They're not," he shook his head, "important, yes, but sometimes I don't need to read five pages on how bad the Spotted Lanternflies are going to be this year."

[jmiemagvans]

For sure! I’ll let you know! Ha, well I can tell you that every year we have at least one. Mostly people being a bit too ambitious. Nothing too serious has happened, thank goodness. Just minor things. And then the week after too with the leftover fireworks if they don’t use them all.

[jaceeverett]

As long as you don't occasionally mind me moaning about my knee, we should work it out pretty well with a good run now and then. I figured as much -- I worked the overnight shift after the fireworks in town, just to make sure no one camping tried anything they shouldn't, and we did catch a couple of people with fireworks, I had to be the party pooper.

[samuelxkwon]

Sam looked towards the trail, hoping to see further down enough to make a decision. And hoped whatever decision they made, they wouldn't be regretting it. "I can try," he then said when Jason asked if he could contact dispatch from where they were. He pulled his phone and realized that the signal was indeed terrible but he gave it a try anyway. He was hopeful but not the least bit surprised when he only managed to say a couple of words when it connected before he got cut off. "No. I can't reach dispatch. I would suggest one of us go up a tree to get a better service but that's probably a terrible idea," he joked. Not because he didn't think the situation wasn't serious. But he just wasn't sure what else they could do and he was really worried. "I think you should check with the lodge and see if dispatch contacted them. Then we'll decide what we should do because I really don't want to go back only to learn that there's someone injured and waiting for us."

[jaceeverett]

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, knowing that he should have guessed it would turn out that way. This far out, it really was a crapshoot whether or not you were going to be able to get ahold of anyone, if you would even get to connect at all. But that was what he had his radio for, it normally reached a little further and depended on different technology to get the message across. "Oh yeah, that's all we need," he replied with a laugh, "then we'll be calling in rescue for rescue when we either get stuck up there or fall out of the tree." Which was not a good idea. No, this would work. "Alright," he nodded his head, pressing the button and waiting for a return signal before asking for the girl at the front desk, waiting to get a response of 'where are you?' and 'I think you guys should get back here,' wincing a little bit as he looked to Sam. "I don't know, I'm kind of getting the vibes that we should just head back. Sounds like maybe patient zero is already back at the lodge, which means someone just wasted our time."

[candice-j-riley-dasilva]

Candice grinned raising her eyebrows slightly. "Teenagers are little rebels, but I'd thought they weren't that bad here. But then, of course, they are teenagers." she chuckled. "Well now you have to tell me your craziest story while you're doing your night checks or whatever you call them." She chuckled and winced a little as he teased about Bigfoot. "More so you have a witness, but Bigfoot stealing someone whisking them off to wedded bliss in the woods. That would be the second reason." she teased with a soft laugh.

She groaned softly and nodded. "Yeah, it's always there letting it's presence be known. How very arrogant of it." Her eyebrows rose as Jace named off the things that he enjoyed doing for fun. "So he does have other interests than the state park. You're like an onion, aren't you, Jace? You just have to keep peeling back the layers. I'll get to the center. Don't you worry." she smirked, nodding softly. Candice loved a bit of a challenge and she could feel he was going to be one. She watched him as he spoke. She could tell he didn't want to get into the story and she didn't push. "So what's your favorite part of Pride?" she asked leaning back slightly so she could move a bit out of the sun.

[jaceeverett]

"The state park here is considerably more lowkey than the one I worked in before," he admitted with a laugh. But then again, it was like comparing apples to oranges to go from the Yellowstone area straight home to Maine. "I feel like since the tourist industry isn't quite as huge, we do get more locals camping, and they tend to be more respectful than people coming in from somewhere else, so you're not wrong," they knew that it was practically their backyard, that they wanted to keep things feeling good. "That would be a horror movie," he admitted with a laugh, "as for my craziest story… hm," he tapped his fingers against his thigh for a moment, "I've caught couples… y'know, in compromising positions. That happens quite a bit, though, so it doesn't feel crazy anymore. I also caught someone trying to camp on a hammock, completely naked. That was… interesting."

"Poor you," he teased, pushing his lower lip out with a laugh, "but it's very brave of you to come out anyway, since you could have stayed home in bed the entire time." Which might have been what Jason ended up doing if he was in her position. She clearly was a little more on the adventurous side. "Maybe," he laughed, "but I like to think I'm less controversial than an onion. They stink and don't taste so great and half of the world hates them and half of the world likes them," he paused, grinning, "I think to think I'm more like, two-thirds liked." Or at least, he was sort of hoping that it worked out that way. "The community," he admitted, "I'm not really into wearing rainbows and going all out in the aesthetic, but I think just seeing so many people from the community and allies coming out to support them means a lot. What about you? Besides, you know -- partying too hard?"

[xiomara-c]

"Being a park ranger keeps you that busy, huh?" Xio asked. They always imagined it was just a lot of sitting around in the lodge waiting for something to happen, but it was probably a lot more active than that. "Thanks, but I don't know about all of that. I worked hard, but there was a lot of luck involved too."

[jaceeverett]

"It does," he nodded his head, "doesn't matter the season, there's always something to do." Given that the park didn't employ a lot of people, he often found himself working two jobs at once; being the manager and also being the guy who went out on a rescue or took a saw out to take care of a log over a trail, cleaning up a campsite someone left less than pristine. But he would never complain about the work, he genuinely did love it. "But. I'd prefer being on my feet and doing something than the paperwork, so I won't complain," he laughed. As she mentioned luck, Jason see-sawed his head, "that can be true, but I think you obviously have to have some talent to back up that luck, right?"

[merrock]

information

full name: Jason Everett Dearborn

nickname(s) / goes by: Jace, Jay, Jay-Ev

pronouns & gender: he/him, cis man

sexuality: bisexual

birth date: July 5, 1983

birth place: Merrock, Maine

arrival to merrock: local; left after high school to join military, returned to town in May of 2023

housing: countryside

occupation: park manager / ranger

work place: Merrock State Park

family: member of the Dearborn family

relationship status: single

personality

Growing up, Jason was a bit of a wild child, the one lighting the bonfires and screaming 'chug' as he encouraged his friends to down a beer. He loved climbing on the back of an ATV and tearing through the woods, horseback riding, trying to surf. He was always upbeat and friendly, albeit with a chip on his shoulder and a little bit of an ego at play, but… war changes people. As an adult, Jason is more quiet, stoic, broody. He still likes to have a good time, but you're more likely to catch him at home with a guitar and a sketch pad in the middle of his wooded paradise than you are at a club or bar. He's very brave, very adventurous, loyal to an absolute fault, but he can be closed off and it takes a long time for him to want to open up to someone. He spends more time outside than in, considers himself more introverted than extroverted, but if you ask him for help, he'll drop everything he's doing to help you. Just don't forget to put out your campfires.

portrayed by Luke Mitchell; penned by Katie.

full biography / background

triggering / sensitive content warning: military, 9/11, ptsd, depression, mental health.

Jason Everett Dearborn was born not long after the fourth of July in 1983 -- second born to the Clark and Nicolette Dearborn, and forever lording it over everyone's head that the fireworks that light up the sky on Independence Day are a celebration for his birthday. He was a happy baby, with round cheeks and bright eyes, a perfect tag-along to older brother Theodore during his younger years, before he understood the ins and outs of his tumultuous family and began to realize what an afterthought he was to his mother, and how much pressure would be put on him by his father.

Childhood was marked by Sunday morning church appearances with a pressed white shirt and long lectures by his father about how to be good, learning skills he didn't care to learn and being made to feel lesser for wanting to spend his time reading a nature book or taking a long hike by the lake. Add to that a younger brother born from an affair and a younger sister born to fix all the issues, and things began to get complicated really fast, with the once well behaved young boy rebelling in his teenage years. He played sports, but never very long -- he lost interest in football early on, and wouldn't really cut it with wrestling (pulling his opponent's hair a little too hard when he got mad got him removed from the match, and the team), and he couldn't compete with his high school rival when it came to soccer. He did well with art, dabbled in chorus, and excelled in biology, where he could learn about plans, and take that knowledge home to start a garden. But he knew early on that college wasn't going to be for him. The party scene, sure, Jason was frequently found at the hangout in the woods, a worn path from his backyard to the firepit evident even years later, but… not so much the structured learning when he had no path to follow.

Enlisting in the military ticked off many boxes for Jace: an escape from his parents and small town life, finding some sort of purpose for himself, and making his father proud (begrudgingly). He excelled at basic training, always pushing himself to beat out the others, do a little better than the person before him, and he felt like ha had finally made something of himself. Then 9/11 happened. Jason was put into active duty -- six years of it. He saw and did things that he can't unsee or undo for those six years: he was injured twice, lost more friends than he could count, lost touch with his family, and sent home with the recommendation for a purple heart, which still sits in a box under his bed, untouched.

At his first opportunity to get out, he did. He tried to go home, rolling to a stop at that house in the suburbs, but realized that he didn't want to be there. He purchased a camper -- named Annabelle Lee -- and hooked it to the hitch of his Jeep and left. He didn't say hello, he didn't say goodbye. He jut left. The letter his parents received let them know that he was no longer active duty, had left the military, but he didn't tell them where he was, where he was going, what his plans were. Partially because he didn't know. Mostly because he didn't care.

The open road was fun, getting to see the country that he had spent so many years defending, but it was also a dangerous place for a man to be when he was fighting battles. Jason dealt with PTSD, anxiety, depression, on top of lasting health impacts, like the tinnitus in his ear, the creaky knee that probably should have landed him in physical therapy. He found himself doing therapy online, set up in his camper with a laptop, talking to someone who could help him, who encouraged him to find a steady job, to settle down somewhere. He lucked out. An ad for a groundskeeper at one of the parks in Yellowstone. Slowly, Jason learned the ins and outs, worked hard and used his military background to help enroll in Montana State University, where he began to take every class and course that he could involving the environment, agriculture, forestry, anything that would help get him to where he wanted to be. He picked up a side job as a volunteer firefighter after completing training, helping out with wildfires primarily, applying his knowledge of the environment around them to help. And after graduating in May of 2014, finishing all of the courses and training that he needed, Jason became a state park ranger in January of 2015.

He spent some very good years out west, living in his camper, learning the job inside and outside, growing as a person. He made friends with his fellow rangers, with long term campers, he kept on top of his therapy (by some small miracle), continued fighting wildfires, took classes and courses and… somehow found himself on the phone on the cusp of his fortieth birthday with the park manager in Merrock, Maine, asking if they had any positions available. It moved pretty qucikly after that, packing up Annabelle Lee, driving across the country while speaking to a real estate agent about a plot of land he had his eye on, and finally… coming home.

It wasn't necessarily an easy transition to home life again. Jason's father had all but disowned him when he found out that he had left the military, and his mother carried on her tradition of not giving a rat's behind about her second born little boy. His siblings weren't sure if he had lived or died, left in the dark by the Dearborn parents. He reunited with them slowly but surely, briefly volunteering at the fire department with Theodore before switching to full time state park work, taking on the ranger job, and then stepping flawlessly into the role of manager after three years of being mentored by one of the greatest guys he had ever met. He lives in a cabin built by an old friend in the middle of the woods, with a long, winding driveway and space for his husky to roam, and even though he has his moments of wanderlust, Jason is glad to be home.

[alicezhaox]

“I see…” she smirked. “But imagine if it is someone in town, though. Think it would be a wizard of oz situation with them pretending to be them or would it be more obvious?” Everyone probably had their theories. There was no shortage of letters to the newspaper office that had people guessing. What could she do about them and except read and be amused? They couldn’t publish those. “I try! I do my best to help everyone out and do my job by writing about it. And make sure everyone is kept in the loop. I feel like everyone has so many questions that they won’t all be satisfied but we have to try, right?” She took another bite of food. “And you’d think we’d know more as time went on, right?”

[jaceeverett]

"I don't think it would be obvious," he admitted, leaning back a bit against the bench, "I feel like they've been here long enough, if it were obvious, we would know... right? Whoever it is, I feel like they just live an average, every day life around is, which somehow makes it worse." Because they weren't talking about a mansion on a hill or a castle in the woods, that would be too easy. Maybe a townhouse located in the heart of things, or one of the bigger, converted farmhouses... or hell, maybe they lived on Lupine Lane in a trailer, really did their best not to stick out. It was impossible to know. "You would think," he said with a nod, licking a spot of crumbs off of his lips, "I don't know. I guess one thing we know for sure is that they really put the mystery in mysterious benefactor."

[bradleyxnewman]

Bradley grinned and stretched out a hand for the other to shake back. He was happy to see his friend out and about, especially at the carnival whom he was sure they had run into each other as kids there too. "Good to hear," he nodded before groaning, "you mean I missed it? Damn. Would have been fun to see. Plus it's for a good cause so it's a win-win in my book." He was purely teasing of course, having fun with an old friend. "Ah, and that's exactly how I ended up here too. Followed my nose and lo and behold," he gestured about before grabbing his stomach. "Way too many options if you ask me. Like everything sounds, smells, and looks so damn delicious."

[jaceeverett]

Giving Bradley a firm, but warm shake, Jason let out a laugh when he asked if he missed him getting in the tank, nodding his head. "Yeah, and that's my civic duty for the week, I won't be betting back in there." Which was a lie, because if someone asked him to, Jason would do it in a minute. That was just the kind of person that he was, he didn't hesitate. Even for a damn dunk tank. "Kind of hard not to, everything looks and sounds great, as always. I know I want some ice cream, but that's gotta be the treat before you go home, you know?" He crossed his arms over his chest, surveying his options and letting out a breath, "think I might start with a traditional hot sausage and fries, load 'em up real good with vinegar." He started in that direction, knowing Bradley would follow after him, "how's life been?"