#bergen_county

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"....I mean, their lips are waaayyyyy up.... oh. More trees."

"Ugh. " Her brother says, then he pauses, "Good news? It's not corn."

"Low bar. Literally, actually. Since it's April."

She skips ahead, looking around. "Maybe we're in Oregon?"

He sniffs the air, "Not enough weed in the air for it to be Seattle."

Nevermind that Seattle is in Washtington.

She calls out an inquisitive coo.

Seems like no matter what these kids do, they can't get away from trolls. Here comes another one headed their way, a female grump who's not too tall by troll standards but still towers over them. She hasn't seen them yet, however.

"Noooooooooooooooo. It's still Iowa!"

She's got a large, shallow wicker tray with a cloth over it propped against one hip.

"How big is this furking state?"

Stealth? What's that, who's she?

At the sound of voices she looks up, absolutely expecting one of the DeBuke crew. She pauses, a bit taken aback by the sight of two new arrivals...especially the unfamiliar redcap. "Hello," she says evenly, watching them.

Amity is short and scrawny - somewhere between ten or twelve, probably, in a bright blue t-shirt and too big overalls. Stubby gray wings poke from fresh slits in the back.

"Hi!"

The Redcap is only 14, but the wilder looms over the hapless Pooka near him. He has red hoodie pulled down, and brass knuckles dangling at his belt.

"Hi." The Cap grunts, with an chin out to show height does not scare him.

"Well...you're both new," she observes. "To here, anyway. Did you just come over the bridge?"

"There was a bridge?" She turns in a slow circle to look back.

"Oh yeah, foot bridge... more music man." An eye roll from the Cap.

A bit of amusement in her features in response to the pooka. "So, you're from the farm. Well...." A nod. "Welcome to Rivervale."

"Oh, oh, Les, you cannot, under any circumstances, call a girl your shipoopie, even if she is from Iowa, that's for SURE."

"It's not recommended," she agrees with Amity's wisdom.

Her wings flutter and make a sharp snapping noise. "We're from the Farm?"

"Is it like chicken pox? Are we farmers now?"

A blink. "Well, presumably that's where you just were."

"Well..." She shrugs. "From is kinda ambiguous, don't you think? We could be from the bridge. I bet lots of trolls come from bridges, historically, actually..."

"We're not from Farm, we're from the big city... Des Moines, but our house got trashed and the blue rescue team saved us so we got homed the farm until our rents can find a new place to settle"

"I was just heading over there, bring a few things." She nods to indicate the basket.

"Is this still Iowa? Your corn is more than knee high." She gestures at the pines.

Her eyes widen a bit at the boy's story. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm glad your parents made it through, though." It's said simply and sincerely, not with undo drama.

"No, Rivervale is in New Jersey. And yes, you've landed in one of the woodsier patches around here. We like it that way."

"I know all about New Jersey, been there lots of times. Batman lives there."

"Yeah well, I aint gonna whine about it," he shrugs, nevermind that has bitched some. "Any way, I... New Jersey? " HE looks around with better appreciation "Like is this the one green patch? Huh."

"Does he. I've never been introduced to him, personally."

"You don't know. He has a secret identity. I'm part Robin, so I can recognize him."

"The larger green patch in the immediate area, but a bit farther south there's a good amount of wild lands. Ever heard of the Pine Barrens? Where the Jersey Devil is from."

A sage nod to Amity. "That's fortunate for you."

Her eyes widen and she lets out another coo. "Ooo."

"Les, cryptids!"

That gets a grin.

"Shit," Les grunts "That's like where a legend Cap lives they say. One of the baddest of the bad." NOW he is impressed, "Look uhm... lady person whose name I didn't catch... is some sidhe lord gonna appear and demand tribute for us walking around here?"

Her eyes twinkle. "I didn't throw it to you, but I will now. I'm Kerri, and it's good to meet you both. Do you have anything to offer for tribute, if one does show up?"

"Hi, I'm More and this is Less!"

"Her name is Amity, like the old haunted house," He corrects "Sometimes she's called Amy, Mom calls her featherhead. And tribute?" He ponders "Can I sell a sister to them?" Clearly a jest.

She checks her pockets, and offers out a river rock, a safety pin, and a stick of gum.

"The rock IS worth more, " He concedes, still picking on his sister a bit.

"Amity like Amicable. But not like Amy-rica. America is Bellicose."

"You wouldn't be the first to sell a sibling," she says to Les. Casting a serious look at the bits and pieces, she nods. "Seems about right. You'll do fine."