#bergen_county

At that, Brenda looks him over carefully, "Were you hurt?"

Lily gasps "Oh no, not a muggle."

"Lily, we were muggles?" Her mom reminds even as she looks the boy over.

"We got better," Lily whispers but does look at her feet

He reaches out and pats Lily on the arm reassuringly. "I'm glad you got better. People without sparkles don't understand. They'll call me a mootant and lock me up in a lab and sell me to the cold ones." He has pulled the blanket tight around him again, and whisks his tail away so it's hidden as well. "But this lady didn't seem so bad. But I ran away. Even though she gave me a sugar treat. I feel.... bad."

Lily says "If you had to hide you had to hide, that's part of that escheat, right? You shouldn't feel bad" she gives him a cold and clammy hug

"i'm not sure I'm following all this," Mrs. Thomas admits, "But if she doesn't know your true nature, that's a good thing right?"

He shrugs a bit. "She was awful nice to an ol' stray mutt, is all."

"She had a dog once, a dandy one, and now she's all alone." A sigh. "She didn't even feel cold, even though it's wintery out."

"Maybe she's one of those.. uhm dreamers?" Lily says

"I hope I dind't hurt her feelings by running off when she tried to help me." A huff. "And she'll surely be a'starved to death from lack of donuts given to the ungrateful... "

"Did she only see you as a puppy?" Brenda inquires looking thoughtful

He nods. "Of course. Else I'd be keelhauled, doncha know."

"Chieftain herself would gotta, for breakin' the Escheat."

"Then , later, after some time has passed, if she doesn't come here asking, I may find an excuse to make small talk with her and mention how the puppy's owners came by looking for him, if you want? and found him"

No sooner does Mrs. Thomas say this, when Lily looks up.

"so, it's okay to lie if it will make others feel better?" Lily processes

He answers this for Lily. "Of course."

Lily starts to smile, then remembers her friend is a pooka and sighs

Brenda looks at her daughter, "One has to be careful who one lies to, and how selfish it is. In this case, it's not just any one person's secret, it's all of us, so we can't endanger by talking to non enchanted. Remember, I read you that pamphlet Sir Vali wrote up for us?"

And, his tail gives a tentative wag. "Maybe there is another dog that might want to meet her. Not a Dandelion, but there could be a daisy, or a snowdrop, or even a Violet." A pause. "NOT a lily though. Keeping that one."

Lily smiles toothlessly at her friend for that

"I see, you think she might want a dog," Brenda ponders. "To keep her company?"

He ponders that, and attempts, "I think a dog might want her."

Brenda can't help it, she smiles and only barely keeps from patting him on the head, rather patting his shoulder, "I'll see what I can do. I may ask for help, but it sounds like this lady is worth knowing. Can you tell me where she lives with..." A thought "This make believe map of candyland... and this house being a lollypop?" SHe doodles a lolly pop after drawing some lines in a street like pattern

"Oh! Yes, see, you follow the marshmallow river..." He trails a finger down the road, "And AVOID Mollasses Swamp..." A tentative poke at where the McGillicuddy house may be, "And you'll find the yellow house 4 doors down on Gumdrop lane."

"I think I got it, " Brenda says "Now I know how to win at Candyland," Mrs. Thomas says "Thank you, Connor."

It would appear whatever the kith, moms learn how to speak to kids because they must

He gives a tentative smile up at her.... then slurps at the soda. "Trouble-making is thirsty work." A sudden glance to Brenda, and a concerned tone, "You oughtn't mention this to Hearth, though. I wanted to find her a present to feel better, but then it was all monkeyshines and don't I just know that making fusses will NOT make her get better soon..."

He vows, "I'll let the dogcatchers gobble me all up before wakin' her up!"

"The monkey part I don't quite understand but you've used the term before" Brenda says

"But I will try to tell the Hearth when she gets better, which I Hope is soon"

"It's just that it was a very Snowy day. A fruitful, snowy day."

"Mom, he means snow, she's a monkey chimera, all white fur," Lily says. Though how she learned of snow is hard to say, maybe they met, "She prefers FRESH Fruit" Oh so that's how

He shakes his head, and earnestly opines, "Shan't it just be our story? I would hate if anyone were to be scolded for causing a fuss. 'Specially if they didn't mean to."

He claps in delight when Lily unravels his riddle - quietly, though!

Lily beams proud of herself.

Brenda kisses her daughter on the forehead and then says "I think they're going to wonder what you were doing in a grocery store, Connor, and I'm not sure how we'll keep it a secret for long"

He scuffs a foot. "Not if the grocery store don't tell 'em." He peers up at her, wide eyed and hopeful. "I had never even BEEN in a grocery before."

And then, with innocence that belies his sly intent, he remarks, "It IS awfully important for Sluaghs to know secrets after all. Maybe Lily can keep this one for me."

Lily looks up at her mother "mom, PLeeeeezzeee?"

it's a whisper, but it still has all the passion only a little kid full on beg can muster

"Oh for the love," Brenda says with a sigh "I'll think about it."

And Connor cannot resist giving Mrs. Thomas a quick hug. "Us furry ones have to stick together." He vows, though his beaming smile is for Lily.

Mrs. Thomas hugs him back, "I can decide how sneaky you are intentionally, but you are cute so that might let you get away with it."

"I forgive his cuteness," Lily says somberly

sluagh aren't supposed to like adorable, but for her friend? She'll make an exception

His tail wags. "Do you think Snow made it back okay? It did look awful hard to run when carrying oodles of stolen fruit. Oh! And there was an evil tin-can-man. I do NOT like the Grocery Store much, and Shan't go again." He states with conviction.

"Evil tin can man?" Brenda says confused ".. I will drop by to check on it." I(t would seem her spare time is getting taken later

"You should watch out. He had a BOOMSTICK. Pew, pew."