#rivervale_lodge

"See, my watch is SUPER cool! There's a little map here, and I'm a dot.... c'mon!" Connor dashes to the other side of the lodge, clear past the stables, trusting Jack to follow. Catching his breath, "And now I'm a little dot HERE. And it doesn't even use MAGIC." Enthralled by the mysteries of Gee-Pee-Ess.

Jack chases after "yeah?"

"And it says how many steps I did, and calories? I think if I do lots of those, I earn more cookies later." He says, not sounding sure, but it's worth a shot.

"Maybe if you get 5000 steps you win a vacation" Jack says "Frequent walker miles"

"I tried to use speedy-steps but it didn't count them. I think maybe that's cheating? Oh, oh, but... this is the best part, the very very best. You have to see..." And he taps gingerly, unsure, but following the steps he thinks he remembers from earlier, and hits the entry that has been labeled for him as 'Lily'.

Lily's number comes up and the phone rings "Hello, Thomas residence?" Mr > Thomas says

"Um, um. Um. "

"Is my friend there?" He asks, shyly.

"Connor? is that you?"

A look to Jack, and he holds out his wrist in a pleading gesture. "It's just us chickens?"

Jack leans in "Sir, it's Jack AND Connor. Is. uhm Lily available?"

And a voice says "Sure. Be a moment"

And Jack pats his friend on the shoulder and smiles "it's good"

His tail wags - Jack is a GOOD friend.

And Ily whispers on the phone "connor?"

"Lily, it's me, Connor, not Buddy, because his fingers are too clumsy to make taps,"

"Connor" A happy whisper "i've missed stalking you the last few days. you aren't being stalked by anyone else are you?"

He thinks about this for a moment. "If I am, they're REALLY good at it and I haven't noticed. I wanted to tell you about a spot I found at the creek? You can take your shoes off and if you're REALLY still then the little fishes will come nibble your toes, and it is REALLY hard because it tickles. I think they are looking for food but not to worry because they can't eat me unless I'm a dead fish, but if I WAS then I would be just fishbones after a week." He tells her, proud to share.

"oh that sounds wonderful" the little girl says "If they did nibble you to a skeleton I would put your skull on my desk. I would. You could make me feel better during mhy home work"

"You can come by and see it? I tried to catch the little fishes to put in a jar but they are too slippery." He grins to Jack.

Jack rolls his eyes "you Do know she's a g-i-r-l, right?" A whisper

Lily hisses at something

Connor gives this a moment of sincere contemplation. "Yes?"

"So is the Chieftain. AND my Knight. And, um..." Thinking. "Oh, the little Countess, and SIR CAPTAIN Siv."

"I..might visit, while I can" Lily finally whispers "Sure"

"And my auntie that gave me the calling thing." A wag of his tail. "And she's a knight too." He cuts off when the soft sound comes from the wrist. "Today?" Hopeful.

"yes. I think so." A pause then a stubborn sound "But I'm not saying when. so I can sneak on you when you drop your guard, and pull your tail"

"Okay, okay.. but, um. If we spot you first, then you have to help us make snacks." He picks a suitably horrendous punishment.

"oh drat" she whispers "very well, i shall agree to this dark pact"

Jack rolls his eyes.

A giggle, and he clicks to end the call. "See, I could talk to her even though she's not here. And now she's coming! And I didn't even need to ask anyone to call for me or go get her." His tail is a flashing blur.

"You're not going to invite a girl EVERY day are you?" Jack says worried "This place is already awash in S Trojans."

"What are those?" Curious. "And no, I don't think so? Lilly is my only girlfriend. Oh, except my spooky friend, but I don't know her numbers. And the Mexico royalties but they're really far away."

"They're right through that door " Jack says "But yes"

"They went off on an adventure." A sigh. "WE need an adventure."

"Well, we can't NOW. you got a girl coming over" Jack reminds with an unspoken current of 'you did it to yourself'

"Aren't girls allowed on Adventures? Peter Pan imported his own."

"Well" he looks aorund "All I know is that girls make you stay clean, even when you want to adventure. They tell you not to poke things with a stick. You have to wipe your feet before you sneak into a monster's lair. Oh, and they stop for tea everytime they see a mushroom ring. Girls slow adventures down is what i think"

"Lily doesn't mind if I get dirty, and she likes bugs and dead things." He defends his friend.

"And the tea at the murhroom rings and the wiping the hooves..err feet?" A brow

"I like tea, it's an excuse to eat cookies." Sly. "We could go eat cookies NOW though...."

"We had cookies last night" he reminds

"That was yesterday." His tone stating that it might as well have been 1,000 years ago.

"TRUE.. it's just.. Brogan has been guarding the cookie jar" A low voice "Sometimes I think he forgets he's ak id"

From the kitchen "Cookies are for winners, Jack" A beat "And you guys need more than cookies to live on anyway"

"See what i mean?" Jack says after Brogan calls out

"We need more than cookies... do you have any pork chops?" Hope springs eternal...

"We are having sandwiches for Lunch" Imperious "Because I have the fixings"

Jack says "He's become mad with power"

"Pork chop sandwiches?"