#rivervale_lodge

Ylva is gathering dead branches under a tree. At least this way she won't make Dagmar upset. The troll childlings's unseelie side is popping in, and Ylva wonders if that's making her extra opinionated. Things are SO different here, and not different in the ways she expected them to be. And people don't want to be called Ma'am, and she doesn't understand why a term of respect isn't, but okay, as long as they don't keep her awaay from the horses. She loves Lady O and hopes she gets to tend to her. Connor seems nice but it's hard to be sure if he likes her back, or just thinks Ylva is such a screw up she needs a lecture? No, that's not fair, he admited to his own mistakes and he gave a nice hug. Yes, she can trust Connor, and she will make it up to Dagmar. She can do this. She gathers more branches as some leaves fall down on her.

What she doesn't see is the spiders that come with those leaves. Most, landing, as if guided, into her hair.

Ylva walks off with the dead branches in arms, and in the tree, another figure smirks with dark little eyes. Lily considers herself a proper young lady, but Ylva has been rude to people of a lodge she cares for. Also... she kept that hug up with Connor for an ... unseemly length of time. That irks. The little sluagh will just have to educate the foolish newcomer with lessons on the import of boundaries.

So Lily slips away.

And Ylva puts the branches down near the lodge pile only NOW realizing her head feels..tingly? she reaches up to a cheek, and brushes at it... a spider now on her hand!

"Ahhh!" The troll girl shakes her hand and tries to flick the spider off... She shouldn't be a wimp like this, but.. oh Dana, are there MORE Of them in her hair?

Screaming, she swats and smashes at her own head, but the spiders just borrow deeper, some bite, which is only fair. "Help! Get em off, HELP!"

To her rescue comes... a pudgy redcap childling

"What's all the noise?" Swilla asks

"SPIDERS!!" Ylva races about , if she were on fire there would now be MORE spiders ala fanning them

Swilla is a redcap, so she knows just what to do

She laughs "Oh my god, you are COVERED, this is HILARIOUS!HHAHAH! " She laughs "I can't even!"

Ylva declares, even as she smashes and scrapes wildly and without much effect "I HATE spiders! I think I got bit.. go get help..., "

"Gerd says we're supposta say please when we ask for things" Swilla sighs "It's STOOPID, but I don't make the rules"

"PLEASE!" Ylva calls out

Swilla ponders this. On one hand, this is FUNNY. On the other hand, she might not be welcome here if she goes laughing at suffering of someone. Also if it happened to her it MIGHT be less funny than if it happens to Ylva. This must be that 'empathy' stuff she hears about. Finishing the last of the apple in her hand , core and all, she says "I don't need to get help." And she moves forward , plucks one spider from the head of the troll, and pops it into her mouth like popcorn. THEN she gets to intimidating!

"JUMP OFF, you eight legged raisins! Or I'll pluck the legs off you and leave you to the flies ! You're lucky you're so small or I'd eat ever one of ya!" The girl taps into her kith... always hungry, always pushing, always always ready to do terrible terrible things.

The spiders are not that intelligent, no matter what a sluagh might protest, but it is as if they have a moment of collective Arachnid clarity. Oh my god, she ate Kenny!

And they flee, the arachnids jumping off the troll's head like rats leaving a sinking ship: A sinking ship on FIRE!

Rather than pursue, Swilla looks over the troll's head. She's got a spiderbite on her forehead, but it doesn't look like those were bad "They're gone now. You'll be okay. Those aren't Brown Recluses or Black Widows or anything really dangerous... So you can stop belly aching" A pause "Though you can keep smacking your own head if you want. It's really funny!"

"Is not!" Ylva insists, though her panic fades as she runs fingers through her hair. She is going to take SUCH a shower after this, with lots of shampoo

"Then you don't know funny," Swilla assures her "I'm no Pooka, but that was grade A comedy right there. Be even better if you were a bitch in some TV show and got what was coming to you. Man I LOVE those. Like horror movies that kill the mean girl first? AWESOME!" Clearly her old corby did not keep her to age restricted material when it came to horror flicks and shows

"I'm not a b.. I'm not a mean girl" Ylva insists. Then she stops, then frowns, "Well, I don't MEAN to be."

"Either you are or you aint' Swilla says "But yeah, I understand. I don't always mean to be a bitch either. It happens but me being one doesn't mean folks are gonna put up with it. Chief Kerri's great but she yanked me in line when I didn't cut shit out"

"You don't have to use that kind of language," Ylva observes, partially because it's less trouble than more rising guilt.

"I know, I don't, I'm not even supposed to," Swilla grins wide "That's why it's fun to do! Shit Fuck Bugger tits asshole dickwad nutsack!" The redcap says happily

"Let me try again," Ylva glares "I maybe rude, but It's not on purpose. You'er being rude on purpose now, CUT IT OUT!" A glare

The cap sniffs then says low, but not so low that it can't be heard "Bitch"

"Argh" Ylva throws her hands up, then adds "And thank you." Reluctant that last.

"Well don't THANK me for calling you bitch, that takes the fun out of it" The redcap sulks

"I'm thanking you for scaring off the spiders," Ylva corrects , then adds "And... Connor said the same things."

"Puppy Boy called you a bitch?" Swilla is stunned "I KNEW I liked him"

Ylva grumbles something about the Code of Dagda, then says cooly "No, he pointed out I need to be more sensitive to people and ASK them how they feel about things. I.. guess I'm not adapting well here after all"

"Oh that's another you problem" Swilla tries to be supportive in a redcap way "You'll get it. I bet you're not nearly as stupid as you look."

"Tha--" Then Ylva glares again.

"What?" Swilla asks confused. This is the problem with being a redcap, folks seem to think you're bad at socializing.

"Nevermind," Ylva replies resigned "It IS a me problem and I'll see to it. " She shudders "man I hate spiders."

"They're quite tasty but so small there's not much point. I just stay hungry" Swilla says "I'm always hungry."

"I noticed," Ylva says "I guess most redcaps are?"

Swilla nods "Yup." She doesn't go into it more than that. How food is the only thing that makes her feel guilt free no shame happiness. It's comforting to bring some joy into your miserable world by having just a moment where you put something in your mouth and get flavor, where you have control because consumption is something you can do anywhere, anytime. They can kick you, you can eat. They can call you stupid , or fat, but you can eat. They can tell you how worthless you are, but the food doesn't care, it just makes you feel good. No, Swilla decides, no body wants to hear HER bitching either.

"I'm going to go shower," Ylva decides, then pauses. She's not been nice to Swilla. She's not been mean. The redcap eating with her mouth open grosses her out. But maybe she shouldn't let her disgust out so openly if it just hurts feelings. I got to think about it as if I didn't know what others want or feel.. YET. Connor was pretty wise. "Thank you again for scaring the spiders. I'll try to get you a sandwich after my shower. I know how to make PBJ or Tuna fish. Which would you like?"

Swilla's eyes light up "Yes."

"No I..." A sigh, "One of each. Okay, but shower first." The troll starts to head in.

"Well, don't take too long, I'm HUNGRY" Swilla calls after.

Ylva's brows knit in troll ("Stupid life lessons")

And she goes off to shower. Swilla will get her sandwiches not soon after, both of em! Ylva will have VERY clean and braided hair.

And... later that night, a sluagh will break out her Quija Board "We summon tonight, the spirit of Kenny. I AM so dreadfully sorry."

(End Scene)

Later, Dagmar is in the Lodge kitchen, banging about. Pumpkin puree, flour, sugar...

Of course, the pumpkin puree is not from a can, but is in canning jars having been prepared and preserved by Kerri's own hand (with some DeBuke tips from Sally Mae).