#rivervale_lodge

the house lacks the entropic elegance sluagh like, nor is it clean and homey as boggans prefer. he has to duck a lot due ot his own height. the house just seems to have one thingg or another to put any kith off it slightly. Is that design? He finds the basement door, andn ggoes down into it, cautiously

He noses a bout.. searching. And finds..nothing. Her basement seems devoid of chimera, and if there is a kithain here...they're really good at hiding

He pokes about a bit.....

Frank finds a washer and dryer.. clothes bundled. He finds an old bike that needs fixing.

He makes note of that. The clothes bundled need cleaning?

Nope.

Anything about the bike that might...............?

The bike catches his eye, and he kens it.. onnly to realize.. he's casting a Chimerical silhoutte.. is there something on his BACK?

Frank doesn't spin, panic, look, grab.... he glances at the shadow behind him and then away. THEN he grabs.

Like pulling a shirt over his shoulders, he grabs and RIPS.

"EEEEEEEEP!" the little thing launches and smacks into the wall with the sound like a hackey sack , the slides down to the floor on onto it's butt almost comically

"Ouchie" it declares

Frank is on guard, but not attacking. "What are you doing here?"

"no smackem whackem" It rubs a clawed hand upside it's ..head which also appears to be it's torso, it's eye blinnking "You want place, is yours boss boss! just no thwap whap slap, kay kay?"

It appears to be about the size of a football, maybe a bit larger if you count the horns

"This is... the place of my lady, who is mine as I am hers. I won't hurt you; you are of this place as I am."

"oh.. you boss is boss lady boss boss? no spy, just eye. no do do bad bad, just wannted hide hide safe space... free now, old lady no onne like like, thought mind mind not nobody. Please to not compulsionn?"

"The lady of this house .... will you come with me?"

"Oh lady here? Bah fah, you like her? She mean . treat all bad bad. thought she like grr gggrr dog, no one come in. You not hurt Blinnkums?"

"You are Blinnkums?"

"Yes yes, blinkums, because blink blink, should be wink wink onnly one eye, but blinkums free now, boss. Don't have to spy spy no more for old master"

the chimera seems happy

aat least with the freedom part

"What master did you serve? The old master?"

"Leech leech.. he make make mee.. to be spy spy... but Blinkums say NO NNO ...refuse look look. Bad bad Leech. But he gonnne. Compulsionn Gone. Blinkum FREE" He spins "But hiding here anyway"

"That must have taken much strength. You are strong, Blinkum."

"I would have that strength on my side."

Blinnky looks startled "Mostly hide hide and run run, and see see.. what Blinkums saw saw , Leech could see see. So Stick head in laundry laundry"

Frank laughs, softly. His beard -parts!-

"Leech IS gone gonen yes?" Hopeful

"Gone, yes."

"Oh good good. Thought so, felt in heart heart" he taps his torso head, and says "Where you want me to go, boss boss?"

"Can you come with me to my home?"

"Yes yes? Blinkums follow nnice boss boss. Climb back back aainn? Legs are short so walk slow slow"

"You may climb on my back, yes. My ... boss .... may have other questions for you."

"Kay kay, " He scrambles up onn the troll's back and onto his shoulder "YOUR boss boss nice?"

"Yes." Frank confirms. And he climbs out and away.

Annd out they go, Miss McGillicudy's house now 'clean' of intruders.

Frank does not attempt to make contact; he just slips away.

And Blinkums goes with him.

(End Scene)

"Was it just me, or did Sylvi seem kinda pensive about the whole leech thing? " Olgar asks Kerri "I mean, I guess I can see why it's worrisome, but ..she didn't have her best 'confidence game face on'"

The kitchen is raher clean, almost as if some one has been sneaking in and helping with the clean up

"Well..." Kerri begins, but then she notices the cleaning that she had intended to do is already done. "Hmmm, somebody has been busy around here...and I know it wasn't Brogan or SallyMae." She grins at him.

"Well, good on Connor and Jack" he says nevermind there are no child sized peanut butter finger prints in odd spots or cookie crumbs. A wink

"Mmmm." She comes close and gives him a quick kiss, then sets about putting away some things she'd brought home with her. "About Sylvi...I think maybe she just has other things on her mind. DarkGate things. Boyfriend things."

"Yeah, I guess." He says after returning the kiss, "Stuff she doesn't want to talk about with her dad things?"

Surprise. "She didn't talk with you, either?"

"No.." A blink "I mean, there was that quick hug, the smile but then.. wait, she didn't tell you how thinngs were going at all? " He frowns "Me neither"