#rivervale_lodge

Brogan looks at Connor "Want me to dictum it?"

Connor looks uncertain. "Of course, that sounds good instead of asking first."

"Oh," Brogan looks a bit sheepish, and mutters something about sidhe instincts.

Otto says "Coinnor, you're lord howlington, maybe they'll listen to you?"

Connor puts his hands on his hips, and calls up at the UFO, "Hey! OOF-O! Why are you barking up the wrong tree?"

"Poochy must return to his home planet," The voice says "He is redundant. He is superfelous. We have felt his fears on this and know it to be true. He is... a poor copy."

"I never thought that in my many wizened years," The Dachshund Pooka protests.

Connor has heard of things like the UFO... Insecurity Nervousa! Though he thought they usually looked like Weasels or maybe spiders.

Connor frowns, then he has a thought. It is a, perhaps, naughty thought, but he has it none the less. Scooping up a big handful of icy snow, he packs it into a sphere. "Shadowpaw, to arms! Anti-oofo air defense, armed!"

"Welcome to Arf." He says in a deadpan voice, and then chucks the snowball straight at the chimera nervosa.

Brogan grins and scoops a cold snowy pack of revenge, forms it into a ball, and follows Connor's lead. While young, the squire has built his hand and arm strength up tackingly such things as kneading bread and removing tops from jars! His throw is strong!

Otto, who was quivering, forgets about fear as the call ccomes out, his friend needs him! He makes gestures, and joins in "In the words of my generation, Fluff yours!" And multiple snow balls rise up as the legerdemain causes them to launch!

The UFO gets pelted by Connor dead on. IT makes little whewhwew video game sounds of panic that you'd have to be like SUPER old to get (Spaced invaders were all over the place in the early 80s) , but as it zags to the left, Brogan whops it, and then, it tries to be clever and go (No one could possibly see this coming) ..RIGHT! Right into a non deadly barrage from Otto!

"Otto is the fastest paw in the west!"

And that, for once, is not a lie, knowing that the little scrappy dachshund makes up for in speed what he lacks in size.

A voice calls out "And he has friends!" A snow ball whams the UFO from the side, and a young centauress beams calling out "Shadow Hoof answers the call!" Layne grins! / "And how," Jack Flap says hurling his own.

"He's also smart, and fun and my best friend! How many trolls are here? Like three HUNDRED! And not one of them is super-flooper! So Nyah!" He sticks out his tongue.

The barrage of snowballs, taunts, and worse, the ever meddlesome power of Friendship batters the UFO relelentlessly

Otto seems to wag so furiously he kicks up more snow as his friends speak up for him. He is not redantant , he realizes, "I'm a follower!" He says "Leaders need those or they' get lonely and like forget to eat and maybe die."

The UFO Nervousa sparks, sputters, cracks, racing back and forth trying to drop taunts of it's own, but it's so damaged it's pretty weak sauce trying counter attacks like "Oh YEAH?!" and "My dad can beat up your dad." The blasts of insecurity fail to strike true for most.

Connor keeps up the light insults and reassurances along with snowballs.

Indeed, Jack Flap says "Connor's dad doesn't have to beat up your dad, he's got like dozens of knights and a bazillion thanes to beat your dad up before he was allowed across the door mat!" It maybe satyrs can exaggerate a bit, not as creatively as pooka but hey.

The light reassurances from Connor seem to do more for Otto than their mild assuances would indicate, a little compassion and friendship goes a long way, much to the vexation of Evil, Cynicism, and nervousa UFOS! It is written, it is known!

The UFO atempts to flee, but it wobbles and dims dangerously. Otto looks at Connor, "Connor, permission to perform Shadow Paw Shadow Hoof Tap Dance of Justice attack?"

A dangerous strategy, but a bold one. Also more than a little musical.

Connor makes a big show of considering for all of 4.7 seconds. "DENIED!"

"I mean, granted!"

"I mean, you don't need permission, you're a strong independant woman who don't need no man!"

At that, Otto snaps his fingers and does a Z motion with it of agreement, and Layne is launched up into the air. She summoners her own cantrip as she lands on it, and starts tap dancing, her many hooves making cracks as she yells "THe ROOF.... the Roof ,the ROof is on fire!"

"ROOF!" Otto barks in agreement...and perhaps Connor feels an instinctive urge to join in.

The UFO Nervous collapses and pops out of existence at leasst. Layne holds up her hands in triumph, 'We did it..."

"AROOO ROOO ROO ROO!"

Then gravity reminds everyone that it's right there you know? And without a space ship to stand on, the centaur girl starts to fall.

"And that's why I said Shadow Paw Shadow HOof Tap Dance of Justice needed work," Brogan reminds! SIdhe often point out the little flaws in pooka tactics. They can be buzzkills like that.

Connor looks around, then he hops up and down and sings off-key, "Frosty the Snow Pile, was a big and fluffy pile!" As he hopscotches - not Lane down, that's no fun, but a big heap of snow that was shoveled off a nearby path under the centaur.

"With a fluffy... face and a fluffy... butt... and he sat there for a while."

There is a REASON Connor is not encouraged into a musical career...

but bunks be bunks

There must have been some magic in that old snow pile he found, for when he hopped it under Layne, it saved from the ground! She did not go 'Thumpity Crack wumpp' watch her skull integrity go, instead it is POOFY whomp ooo , and there's a centaur angel deep in snow. A thumb , upright, rises up out of the snow angel pit, "I'm OKAY!"

Otto is relieved, "Oh thank goodness, we dont' have enough enough girls as it is."

"This calls for - hot carob juice!"

"YES, it's almost worth Layne dying for hot coco," Jack Flap agrees, and helps Layne out. / Layne hurmphs / "I said ALMOST," Jack reminds wondering why girls are so touchy.

"I'll make some, come on," Brogan says, ever happy to use his Hearth training, and he moves ahead.

Otto gives Connor a hug "Thank you for being the Leaf in me."

"Woof." Connor says, and wags his tail.

Soon all are inside, their heroics rewarded with hot Carob and Hot Chocolate and...well, other tasty hot things! Sally Mae even makes Brogan join his friends while she is happy to tend to them. It maybe that she does not quite get their excited stories of UFOs trying to abduct Otto until he found the Leaf in himself that Connor offered, or why Layne tap danced a victory tune, but she smiles indulgently at least.

Such is the nature of a childling adventure, that old folks don't always know how amazing adventures of kids can be! But, at least they remember the marshmellows and that forgives much.

(End Scene)