#fenixtj

well, other kids. They speak to her in spanish which she doesn't understand

"Lo siento?"

"Slower, por favor?"

"Eleanor." Jessica greets her softly. "How is your Beltaine so far?"

Ariel beams further back in line and giggles .

"Hello Countess Jessica! Very good! Look, see, Salma made me a flower crown! And we had pretty dresses..." She spins. "And Dame Ash took mad and Ariel and Salma to the beach and we met a mermaid and STewart Diego is gonna get us crayons so we can make heraldry!"

Most of the childlings here only speak a little English..and without Salma to translate there is some frustration.

"Please" "Thank You" and "Sorry" seem to be the bulk of Ellie's Spanish, but she tries.

That said, some of t he childlings dont 'seem to mind. one Troll boy close to their age offers his spot in line with hand gestures to Ellie

"Gracias!" Curtsy!

"You met a Mer?" Jessica asks, keeping pace with Ellie as she moves up the line.

The troll boy drifts back again as he lets others do the same

"We did, but he was just a kid like us!"

in fact.. he's going to the back of the line.

"He was so magical.. he had a tail, but then he got on land, he didnt" Ariel gushes "And his eyes were SHINING... and ... oh he was kind of full of himself but then he ...he turned to be nice. Salma helped ..but we met a MER"

Jessica glances back at the troll boy.

"Salma found his coin."

"His coin?"

"He had lost a coin but Salma found it."

"Never a bad idea to turn a good deed....." a bit absently.

"Salma's super smart. She's gonna be a scholar."

The troll boy seems to be counting heads. Checking to make sure the line stays orderly

He is in short, very trollish

Jessica tries to match the boy to a name.....

And it's Ellie's Turn to get a design done, "You must be Ellie, the young girl I have heard so much about" Duff says. He has tattoos ALL OVER him

"You are covered in pictures!"

"May I have a star please?"

"Every picture a story" He says "A star... yes, I think I know the one... A purple star?"

And Jessica sees the boy. She doesn't think he's a DeBuke.

Seems to be a local.

But she can't place him

"Yes please! Purple is my favorite."

"mmm " feeling inspired, he goes to work

Jessica leaves Ellie with Duff and wanders back towards the troll boy. Not a bee-line but something less direct.

"You like Countess Jessica a lot, don't you?"

One redcap boy starts to shove.. only to find the boy has stepped in the way and taken the shove instead

The troll boy that is.

Duff says "You'll like her too when you get to know her"

Jessica observes him indirectly.

"I think so..."

Like most trolls, the boy is stoic. And the redcap glares. Maybe he scares the troll maybe he doesn't the troll boy holds his ground and says in Spanish "Wait your turn, please and do not shove. Or our beltaine may not be so joyous. "

Duff looks at Ellie as he works "Yes, I like her very much. She is very pretty."

"And kind, and wise, and brave and dedicated" Duff says

The Redcap mutters threats but..seems to decide not to fight.. here.

"But stubborn."

"Oh yes, very stubborn" He says "I see you do know her. Well, we must learn to accept peopole for who they are, and sometimes, what might be seen as a problem turns out to be a strength they have learned to use. " He looks Ellie over "I think we're done. Here. " and he turns to show her the pattern

With a handmirror

"Oh! It's marvelous, thank you Mister Duff!"

"You're most welcome..." He says "Next?"

Ellie floats back to wait with Ariel. "What are you gonna get?"