Late Night Scout - The Castle Under the Swamp

Around 10 'o clock at night, two little girls marched through the swamp, not seeming to mind where they were headed. They were singing some song about peace and love, dragging behind them a red wagon full of girl scout cookies.

The King in Yellow rouses slowly as his servants bring him word of the intruders. Curiosity was a weakness of his, so he slowly slips through his home to find the adorable trespassers. Black eyes fall upon tumor while he remains cloaked in shadows. He scans their thoughts, aura, the area around them in the world of the dead...

Well after dark in a wood rumored to be haunted, two underage girls come calling with cookies? Something was a miss...

As he looked closely, he could see they were as they seemed - regular little girls. The taller of the two had a much prettier singing voice, and seemed unshaken by the area. When one of the wheels of the wagon would get stuck, she would calmly pause, turn to unstick the wheel, and then continue on her merry way. The younger one was nervous, her hazel eyes darting this way and that. Addison is so crazy.. She was thinking to herself, her little arms wrapped around her middle, as if that would protect her.

The King in Yellow smooths out his linen robes before donning an appropriate Mask. A beautiful teenage boy with blonde wavy locks and crystal blue eyes. He activates a few gifts to aid with his charm.

He hums a tune enchanting as he can, allowing the pair to hear him long before he emerges from the trees. He stops as his eyes fall on the pair and offers his most winnings smile.

"Oh! Hello there. Are... " he looks over their shoulders curiously. "Are you lost or something?"

A meek "yes" came from the littler of the two, who hid behind the taller girl.

"Nope," The older responded, a bright smile lighting up her face. "This is where we were assigned. Do you want to buy some cookies?"

The King in Yellow as his blonde self nods slowly and looks around theatrically.

"Assigned a swamp, dear girl? That doesn't seem a bit, I don't know, strange to you?"

He leans in a bit, looking over their wagon.

"Addison says we're trekking places others won't, and making our rounds later than most. It's our new business strategy." She offered the information freely, shrugging cutely. "Sometimes I think she is a little strange, but she looks out for us."

The little girl peeked out from her hiding place, big, bright eyes focused on him skeptically.

"Who is Addison? Who are the two of you, for that matter?"

He flourishes a bow, takes a step closer and offers his hand to the elder.

"They call me King, so we won't be unfamiliar. "

"King?" The eldest smiled again, taking his hand and giving it a dainty shake. "I'm Claire, that's Rachel." She nodded her head back towards the young one still cowering behind her. "Addison is the leader of our troupe."

The King in Yellow places a firm kiss on the girls hand about the knuckles before straightening.

"'Well met, Claire and Rachel. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Addison sent you out here to find new customers? Is she waiting somewhere?"

A sweet giggle spilled from Claire's soft pink lips at the kiss, a gesture she'd only seen in those old movies her mother watched. "I don't know, she's probably back at HQ."

"And what of your parents, sweet girl? Did they just leave you and your pretty friend to wander dark swamps alone?"

"No, our entire troupe is from an orphanage. Addison convinced the scouts somehow to let us all in - she's our scout leader."

The King in Yellow nods slowly. He had tried to get all the orphanages in the region under his sway at one point. This one must have slipped through while he napped; mores the pity...

"We that is delightful, sweetlings. And I would love to purchase a few boxes of cookies. Would you be so kind as to walk me to my home so I can get some cash? I have hot cocoa or coke for your troubles."

"Cocoa!" The little one behind Claire piped up excitedly, at last a smile brightening her features.

Rachel laughed, tightening her grip around the wagon's handle. "That sounds great! We don't have any Samoas left.." She wrinkled her nose cutely. "But I don't like those, anyway."

The King in Yellow nods amicably and begins leading them deeper into the swamp.

"Tell me about yourselves. I don't often get visitors. What you like, what you think of scouting and the orphanage. What you think of your leader back at HQ..."

They follow, both at ease at this point. It was obvious someone had talked them into this being a good idea - no normal little girls would be this comfortable in such a creepy location. Claire did most of the talking. "I'm Claire, I'm 9. I had a dog named Rosie, but she had to go when my parents died. I like scouting, Addison has brought us in first place 2 times in 2 years so far. She says we move so that we don't make the other people in the other cities mad.

We don't live at that orphanage anymore, we just moved three months ago to here. Addison said it was just in time for cookie season. She's really smart, and super nice. Sometimes she says things that don't make sense, but it's okay, because she loves us."

With each answer to the King's questions, Rachel was nodding her agreement in silence.

The King in Yellow nods, "And she said there would be new avenues for business in the swamps? Curious... how many are with Addison? Just girls your age?"

He guides them past the wards which would baffle and lead them to wandering aimlessly for days. Finally they come to the stone outcropping with the warn steps going down.

"Does Addison ever meet with your clients? I'd be curious to talk to her..."

He descends the stairs and opens the heavy wooden door with the arcane inscriptions on the surface.

"She said Girl Scouts had hit a brick wall with their 10-4 schedule, door to door and in front of grocery stores. She said we'd need to explore new boundaries, and so far it's working pretty good. There's like.. I dunno. Like, 20 of us? Five to eleven?"

"23, including Addison." Rachel chimed in shyly.

They didn't seem too phased by the appearance of the entrance of his house, merely curiously looking around.

The King in Yellow smiles at them, "hmm... well, come along. Leave the wagon, I will send someone to fetch it."

He stepped into his home and held the door wide for them.

Claire dropped the handle to the wagon easily, making a rather unpleasant sound as it hit the mud. "I doubt there's anyone else in this area who's going to steal them." She giggled, the idea silly to her, before she headed into his home - Rachel close in tow.

The King in Yellow ponders a moment. She knows so few are here to steal, yet came here to sell.

"Does Addison add girls or do girls ever leave your troupe?"

As he passes a strapping purple hued man armed with a curved sword, "Fetch thier wagon and bring it to the foyer. "

He smiled at the girls pleasantly before guiding them along the stone halls to a warm and brightly lit sitting room. He gestures to an overstuffed chair before settling into one if his own. He rings a small silver bell and a clockwork maid looking to be made of pots and a tea kettle rolls into the room.

"Fetch cocoa for my guests, please. Plenty of marshmallows and cream. And have a bath drawn. "

She chortles mechanically and rolls out in a quiet puff of steam.

Claire and Rachel watched this in wonder, their faces lit up more so than on Christmas. It took a moment for Claire to regain her sense of place to answer his question. "No, we're still the same original crew that came from Little Lambs. The only person who left was Mariah - she left when she graduated girl scouts."

The King in Yellow ponders a moment as the muscular fellow brought in their wagon.

"Well that is good. I hate watching families get torn apart. What else do you do besides girlscouts?"

"We play. Addison makes sure we have food and stuff to do." With a toss of her silky, fine hair, a happy sigh escaped her lips. "She loves us."

Rachel nodded again, hugging onto Claire's arm like one would a Teddy Bear.