#rivervale_lodge

Snort-smile.

He reaches out and pats her on the arm. "I promise to like you even if you're silly or not. Because you're still Dagmar even if houses have rules. And even if you're green, well. Hulk is green, and sometimes he gets mad, and he smashes, but they don't kick him out of the Avengers."

A softer smile at that and she nods. Ear-ruffle. "You're kinda smart."

He beams at her. "It's because I listen, and no one puts me in the punish-room. And I mean it, if they try that on you, I'll chew 'em up, just you see. Even if I'm not supposed to bite, I'll show 'em my teeth and be all , Rrrr, rrrrr!" He makes a growling sound that is almost laughable if he wasn't so terribly sincere.

"I know you would." She means it, too. And she briefly embraces the childling in a slightly- too-strong hug.

He accepts it, and his tail beats a steady rhythm behind him. "Ack, ugh, my dignity."

"Right, right. You go find it, I should be heading home anyhow."

"I better go now though. Someone spilt all the sugar in the kitchen and if they get ants, poor Brogan will be in trouble. And I learnt it's good hospitality to not let your friends get scolded. So I'd best clean it up for him." He waves, and heads to find a broom.

"Okay, seeya later Connor."

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Lily has entered a land of giants. She waited until the dogs were taken on patrol to try this. She doesn't think she can get into the lodge if the dogs smell her. Technically, it's okay to just knock and visit... but she is sluagh. They're supposed to sneak and spy and other matters, and somehow- knocking on the door of the lodge to be let in feels like...cheating.

Yes. A sluagh is born if terror and nightmares, right? Mannerly terror, but still

And she looks for a place to ensconce, and wait.

By and by, a pup comes a 'snufflin by. Tea, stale cookies, and the enigmatic whiff of whatever-is-Primbriar? His tail starts to wag and he whiffs at the air, trying to pinpoint down the location of his friend.

She holds still... kind of delighted. They do have fun games. Also slightly annoyed.

He traces... and goes past where she is. A pause, and head tilts. He circles around - she is... or was.... no, sniff sniff, IS, here. But Where? Finally he plumps his rump on the ground and gives a soft, defeated. "Ooo-oooooooo."

"oh, don't cry." Lily can't help it, "i can scare you, but I don't wanna make you sad."

from behind a book case comes the whisper.

His droopy tail raises back up, and ears perk. He spins in a circle thrice, and then paratatatata- gallumphs up the stairs, and back down again on fewer feet. He peeeeeers behind the bookcase, eyes wide. "Is there a spooky back there?"

"No...." then a pause "except for the speckle bellied tail snipper"

"Oh. That's a terrible thing to have back there. I'm lucky I'm a gecko and my tail grows back. I sell them at the market for dusting."

"Oh yes, it has quite the collection of tails here... waggy ones, fluffy ones, furry ones..." the whisper says

"Does it have a bird-tail?"

"Well, not attached, of course, but yes it has one of those too. Were you looking for one?"

"I wasn't, honest, but I DID hope you might come by. It gets turrible lonesome."

"reallly?" A blush he can't see

"Oh, I found something. It was all rusty-dusty in a drawer but I figured maybe you'd like it?" A bit shy at this offering.

There's an odd popping sound as bones slip and slide and click and.. then..out of the bookcase comes a deformed flat creature, but then she begins to swell again to look more like a proper person with all dimensions "what is it?" her eyes are among the last things to 'pop' at a proper level but when they do they are full of interest.

Connor's own eyes look ready to pop out of his head at the sight he just saw, but he shakes it off and offers out to Lilly... a small silvery tube, hollow - it's a whistle, with a keychain ring on it. Looped onto the ring is a small flower - it's plastic, and fake- maybe not even an actual flower that exists. But he has painstakingly curved the stem around and attached it with a bit of glue to make it a loop that will hang off the ring.

"ooh.." she takes it, "It's pieced together, the sort of thing others might step and ignore, i so FEEL it." she smiles toothlessly

"Now, give it a toot!" He bobs on his heels a bit, expectantly.

she takes a breath and blows not too hard, not too soft

....Is it broken? She can hear the sound of her breath, but nothing more?

"Now try a huff and a puff, like I'll blow your house down!"

"Okay" a deep breath

AND BLOW

Connor claps his hand over his mouth to hold back the howl he wants to give in response! Oak and Edie, if near by, may hear the blast of the whistle... and Lilly likely can hear the ghost of a high-pitched whistle, just on the next plane of hearing. "Sirens! Lights! Alert and alarum!"

She drops it startled and it hit the floor, but fortunately does not break

Brown Dog gave a howl

He looks concerned, hovering nearby. "I'm sorry, is it broken? You weren't 'sposed to hear it, only me and the guardians."

"Are your ears okay?"

"I'm fine, but I worried it hurt you" she reaches out with a slim hand and touches the side of his face near the left ear "did it?"

He leans his head onto her hand. "Oh, terribly, terribly, if only someone could scratch right there, it would all be alright..."

She scratches with deft little fingers "i could hear it, a little...you brought me a way for you to hear me even when I am far away? to make my whisper a scream?"

"It's a secret bird that only we can hear, so if anything ever goes wrong, you can tweet and I'll come and help, it's a bat signal that works during the day."

"you gave me a scream! she picks up the whistle and squees soundlessly, "No sluagh has a scream, but I do, thanks to you." and tucking it into her tattered dress, she moves to hug the boy

He gives her a hug back, and his tail is a flash. "Aw, wasn't nothing. It's really from Miss Tove, to be honest. But I stole her thunder. It's probably okay because her daughter is a storm, or will be someday. Zip zap zoom."

"if i ever go on a murderous killing spree i am saving you for last," she crosses her heart, "cause you're so nice"

"I can't help, but I can dig holes for the buddies." A grin.

"that's very sweet" she says "And you almost found me too... you're the best seeker"