Bea & Ryan (and maybe Violet eventually? IDK!): 2:00PM
As hot as it was out on Austin's streets, it was even hotter in the Burger, She Wrote truck. Ryan stepped out into the sun and found a bit of shade next to the vehicle, just as the lunch rush was beginning to slow. With a paper basket full of chili cheese fries in his hand and his sunglasses on, watching the Austinites amuse themselves with the water, it almost felt like an afternoon from back before the zombies had come. Almost.
Wide-eyed, Bea’s gaze was drawn to the food the guy in front of her was holding and before she could even really help herself, she groaned out, “That looks so good. Is that chili cheese?”
"Uh, what?" He couldn't help but put his free hand over the basket, very protectively, as he blinked at the girl who'd just approached him. "Hi. Do I know you?"
“No, I don’t think so. My name’s Bea. What’s yours?” She asked, grinning broadly despite the hesitant vibe he was giving off.
"Ryan." Despite his misgivings, especially as they pertained to the chili cheese fries he'd slaved over just then -- okay, he could make another order if she really wanted some -- her grin was weirdly infectious. Still, he wasn't about to give in just yet. "I work at the truck," he added, nodding sideways towards it.
“Really? That’s so cool. So that means you’re from outside of Austin then? Where are you from? What’s it like up there? Is it totally weird being here after living in, like, a real civilization since the zombies came?” Bea asked, the stream of questions coming out all at once, leaving no time for Ryan to answer in between.
Did it necessarily have to mean he was an outsider? For all she knew, Ryan and Violet could've hired local staff to help out. (It wasn't a bad idea, actually.) Still, Ryan had to admit her guess was right and he couldn't just ignore the questions.
"Yeah, we are. Chicago, and it's…" Ryan shrugged one shoulder, wondering how best to describe the city. "Safer and cleaner, so I guess you could say that. But Austin's kind of on its way there." If they could tamp down on the rampant crime and get ahold of their zombie population, at least, but he didn't say that part out loud.
“I visited once before, like, you know before things were so shitty,” Bea over-explained, before continuing, “I was young but I thought it was nice. The aquarium was super cool,” she smiled, before quickly and mostly accidentally looking at Ryan’s fries again. “Austin’s already come so far so it’s totally going to keep getting better.”
"Yeah? It's pretty cool. Was, I guess. But still kind of is." He watched her watching his food, considering this, before he extended the paper basket out to her. "Where are you from? Here?"
“No, not really,” Bea said, reaching out and taking a fry. “I mean, I moved here before the rising because my grandparents were getting old and stuff and my dad wanted to take care of them. So I’ve lived in Texas since, like, I started High School. But I still say I’m from California because it’s where I grew up. Have you ever been to San Francisco or Berkeley?” She asked, before finally popping the fry into her mouth.
"Yeah, a couple of times. With my parents in high school. I always liked it when we went there." Simpler times, just like her visits to his hometown, and the mention stirred up the usual bit of sad nostalgia that came to him whenever he thought about his family. He guessed it was probably the same for her, especially considering how California had ended up, and that little human point of similarity made him suddenly feel like he and this girl could be friends. Ryan offered her a smile. "You probably know all about this city, then."