#rivervale_lodge

And Connor trails after her similarly, quite possibly underfoot.

"Juice, and milk, and mix the two together. That's Jack's favorite. He like the lumpy pieces."

Hiding a giggle.

"Hm. Jack doesn't look like a sluagh...."

"You should hear him, he's quiet as a mouse..."

"I do not like em together, and no, Lily's the sluagh" he says "She can stick to walls and can get creepy"

Toast in the toaster. Orange juice in glasses.

"I figured maybe he was one, too, because he doesn't play any music." A sad sigh. "I LIKE music. But I guess I can use the radio?"

"Sluagh are very good at creepy. Earth Runes has a librarian that just POPS out of the shadows."

"I know her! That is my spooky friend. She knows every book ever made and she will even let you read them sometimes, if you don't have jam on your hands." A guilty look at his own hands - how is he already sticky?

"You know Miss Zara? Well, I will tell her you said hello."

"Lily is my LITTLE spooky friend, and I'm sure she likes books, but she likes bugs too. At least, I think she does." He suddenly looks worried. "Or else she doesn't but she is just being polite. How can you tell?" Concern.

"I am sure she appreciates the generosity of the gift. That's what matters." Buttering toast.

"Is Miss Zara the one who sucks the souls out of those who leave jam in a book and puts them IN the book and then they're trapped in the book forever because they didn't learn you only read books with clean dry hands?"

A nod to Jack. "And then she puts you on a high shelf with only spiders and dust for friends."

"Blah" Jack says "I don't want to be a friend to dust"

Connor is washing his hands now.

"Good plan - clean hands, not entrapment."

"So - we have strawberry, grape, or apple."

"Strawgrapple!"

"Grappleberry?"

"What if I do a stripe of each?"

"You can DO that?" He looks awed.

"It's a special trick I learned."

"Jack, same?"

"Sure, but his FAV is strawberry so bigger stripe on that for him?" Hopeful

"I like the grape!" Jack says

"Duly noted." She carefully distributes jelly.

"Thanks, Lady Sparrow, ma'am" He seems to be adapting a warrior fire angel girl being there

The warrior-fire-angel is also wearing a faded "2018 SUMMER FUN AT THE PARK" t-shirt with cuts for her wings, and baggy pajama bottoms.

"Are you living here now?" Jack asks

"I'm staying for a little while."

"If you need space you let me know, I can sleep in a closet. I done it before once" he says

"Do you have a good spot to sleep? I can curl up in the.. hey!"

He sticks his tongue out at Jack.

Jack actually grins REAL big at Connor!

"We have bunk beds, but can share one half. You can even have the top, 'cus if you fall off, you can fly down."

"I have the guest room for now, but thank you. I'll be leaving after we finish the mission." Regretful.

"What's the mission? Does it involve ninjas?"

"Do you have to leave? You could stay, I'm sure. We have room, or if not, Chief will build another one." He nods, seeming certain in this.

"Somewhat, yeah." She hands over the striped toast.

He admires the toast for a while, before taking a big bite. "Ish goob!"

"Well, I'm glad it works!"

When he gets one, Jack goes "oo stripes are good."

"I wish I had stripes. Mackerel has stripes. She's not a fish, though."

"Nope" Jack says. And yes, Mackerel is back in the lodge . She was at Earth Runes but got returned for some reason.

Ladybird noses at Connor's side. She senses a softy!

Oops. Where did his crusts go?

WAG WAG WAG

Jack pets with a non jammy free hand, patting the back part of Ladybird "She's a good dog"