#rivervale_lodge

POP!

The tiny square suddenly gives a little pop, and then it begins to expand. And expand. And expand.

What had been a little piece of something no bigger than a Chiclet rapidly unfolds into a vast, buoyant mass of fluffy cotton candy, billowing outward in every direction.

Pink, blue, yellow, lavender, green and every other sugary color mingle together as the mass swells, forming enormous pillowy lobes that tumble gently over one another. Within moments it looks rather like one of those absurd bundles of balloons a clown might be selling outside the gates of a circus, except these are soft, sticky-looking clouds of cotton candy, drifting and bobbing with surprising buoyancy.

The little square has vanished completely, filling the available space until it is less a pile of candy and more a small, floating landscape of rainbow fluff.

Hopefully Amity had the good sense to activate it somewhere with plenty of room.

BIG eyes. Luckily, they have a good-sized back yard...

"LES!"

Not that she won't make a valiant effort... but a redcap won't hurt.

"What the furk , sis?" Les comes into hearing range, "I got a troll as a French teacher and life sucks so I don't wanna..." A sniff "What's the smell?"

"Nuthin! Come see!"

He comes close and then says "Sis, what did you DO?" That said, he licks his chops and approaches.

She grins. "Guess!"

Of course, she already has a mint-green smudge on her cheek and sticky fingers.

"Stand aside, Amity," He rolls his sleeves up, "Redcap time." And he plunges into the cotton candy like this was his destiny! Perhaps it always was

She laughs. (And snags another swag of floss for herself. Waste not.)

She got the right guy for the right job!

Can't accuse her of being stingy. Also, her tummy can only handle so much candy.

There is that. After a while, the redcap is sated enough to ask, "Amity, I know you gotta be you so straight stories ain't your style, but how did you get this cotton Candy? Did you kill someone who owns a factory? Do I need to help you hide a body?"

Les totally would help hide a body for her.

She giggles. "Nah. This was a gift from a grand and noble sidhe lord for my service."

He snorts and laughs "Oh, yeah, and I was making out with a Gwydion chick named Dame Honey for hours."

"And yet you're still in the mood for sugar? Wow!"

"For Redcaps, Die-abeties is more like Meh-abeties. I'm good." He eats more "Good story though."

"I thought so." Amiably.

A pause, "Was it that Brogan kid at the Lodge?"

"Ummm. Have I met him?"

"I think we stole some Milk from where he wworks. He's Baroness Kerri's squire."

"Hey, does she have a house?"

"I mean, not the lodge-house, but a house-house?"

"Although... oh, does she have a house-house that isn't the lodge-house, too?"

Les says "Far as I know? Nah, Kerri's got no noble house. She works for a Gwyd but never got sucked in."

"I mean, with the Tippy-top Highest High King being Gwydion, wouldn't anybody with a title be working for one?"

He looks at her, sometimes he forgets how smart she is, "You got a point, but some work against him to. SIdhe politics, stay away from em."

She whistles, low and mournful.

"Guess that's a point for New Jersey. Who knew?"

"How was school?" He asks "Yeah, I know MOm and Dad will ask the same thing. Think of me practice."

"Oh! My backpack!" She squeaks, alarmed.

"I didn't eat it, well, if it was in the cotton candy I might have," he burps.

"Noooo, I gotta find it because what if someone stole my sweet pencil case?" She's already headed for the gate.

Les follows her, hurriedly./

This would be the perfect time to bike, but Aity makes do on foot. "How was your day? Did you strike out with all the 7 grade girls?"

"I'm just wearing em down," he boasts.

"Like sandpaper!"

She heads in the direction of the bus stop, to the bush where she had hid her bag hours ago.

They look for it, and look for it...

"...nooo..." Very softly, not wanting Les to hear. She roots around the shrubbery, looking under every branch.

(Perception plus Alertness)

(or best guess)

/roll 6

Hoof tracks!

Egon.

Well, panic averted. Irritation instead.

Les says "I cant' find it, you find anything?"