#anywhere

MEANWHILE, Connor sees the inevitable nightmare side of the show...

A giant mean cat that has Otto's sister's face "Out of the way, runts! No one around me gets to keep their balls!"

Connor yelps! "Bad kitty! Bad puss puss! No!"

Were an adult here, depending on their own matiurity, the might have snickered, or winced

At first, Otto shrinks back, but then Connor yelps, and the Dachshund goes to the rescue , barking furiously!

Unused to folks standing up to it, the nightmare fluffs, then pops into a burst of chimerical cat hair

"ha," Lily observes, "She was a mere scardedy cat after all"

"Good boy!" Connor praises happily! "You beat the bad guy! That's how we know you're a true shadowPaw initiate. You even have paws! That's special. Most of us don't!"

Otto has changed back, "WOW, I can turn into a Economy sized German shepherd!"

"You're fun-sized!"

The balls have all vanished too, save for one bright rubber ball which the boy claims and he looks about "I was color blind my whole life, but now I'm living my Howl life"

Lily smiles "I'm glad you found a new friend, Connor. Shall I explain the rules to him? Or do you wish to pook to pook about the Escheat?"

"The most important thing to know about where we are is about TROLLS. When you're in trouble, which never happens, they're the best to stand behind. But if you get IN trouble with a troll, it's best to hide. Sometimes they'll WHOMP you on the head." He says soberly.

"Yes, so sad really," Lily nod sagely

"Trolls will WHOMP you?" Otto gasps

"It's okay, they're so strong if they do whomp you it will be over quickly" Lily assures the new boy "But, I think Connor would want you to know that most trolls are quite reliable. You'll find many here. My father's a troll, not the best of them, but that's neither here nor there" she sighs

"Well, -I- never got whomped. You gotta be smart and know that there's somethings what you can play at and something what you can't. And if all else fails, try this." He turns to Otto, and suddenly... his eyes get BIG AND SAD and WATERY WITH TEARS, and his ears go limp and.... oh no, he's showing him the PUPPY DOG EYES.

Otto immediatley gives his friend a hug!

Then realizes "HEY.." ANd he laughs

His tail wagging betrays the sad look, and Connor grins, breaking the illusion. "Okay, now... let's say you were playin' with your best ball, and ALL BY ITSELF it bounced over and broke someone's special something. Show me the look..."

lily sighs "Soft touches abound. Fortunately... I am.. not moved" She had resisted the urge to stroke the boys heads

Otto's lip begins to quiver, he doesn't get crying eyes, but they do get REAL big, "Pllllease?"

Connor whispers, "The tail, tuck the tail!"

"Oh! Drat... " He looks at his tail which is wagging now "Don't give us away"

WIth effort, Otto tucks it andd THEN tries the look

And says "I didn't mean too"

Lily will appraise "I find my urge to do horrible things to him diminishing" She must confess to Connor

Connor beams! "It might not work on your sister, though. Mine sometimes doesn't work on MINE, even though she's not a meany-cat, just 'cuz she knows me too good."

"Yeah, sisters are sneaky" Otto wags "Mine is like, a double agent for the CIA , that's Catty Icky Angry" he pauses , then says "huh... when I talk, what I want to say comes out under my arm pit"

A solemn nod. "It's..." A spooky look and wiggly fingers. "THE CURSE."

"I only have so many coins" Otto says "I can' be cursing all over"

"Unlike the dignified whisper of we sluagh" Lily explains "Pooka like Connor and yourself are unable to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. THere must always be some whimsical ..." she thinks of that big word she heard Zara use "Deviation"

"Lilly can 'splain things better, she's ever-so-smart." He says, with no lie at all.

Lily nod primly

"See, when it's most important, we can say what needs sayin. Except sometimes not?"

"I'm a deviant?" the boy says

"Not until wilderhood" the girl assures , then she nods to Connor "Just so"

Lily then explains the Escheat. Otto intrupts now and then

Connor "helps"!

"AH HA" Otto observes "So that's why it's called Dems MInes!"

Lily sighs and looks to Connor "you realize you owe me for this, yes? You will have to sit still for tea later to make it up to me"

"Will there at least be cakes?" He asks hopefully.

"Yes, and ones that you'll like" she is not a monster. Well, she IS a monster but she's a proper one "But you must call them crumpets"

Otto looks at connor "Crumpets? I didn't know you were a musician"

"Frosted strumpets!"

A heaven ward sigh "pooka"

Otto grins "Tag you're pronoun" and taps Connor and runs

Lily blinks "I was in mid education"

"I'm WHAT?!" He races after Otto!

"Imma gonna verb you 'til you can't even noun!"