Track 3: Puppet Loosely Strung
General Summary
After Areia and Rilla find themselves in the fey wild for the first time, they begin asking the puppet questions about what is happening around them and about the puppet itself.
The puppet reveals its name to be Maña, and that they don't really know too much about the situation overall in the fey wild. Maña explain that he lives here in the trees with other creatures and performs how he reaches the high canopy by leaping up and down as if pulled by strings. When Rilla asks where the rest are Maña ponders and explains they're on vacation, or rather bereavement leave. It is revealed in the recent past an important or influential being in the fey wild has died, and in fact there is a funeral procession for said being passing by at this moment.
The girls decide to lay low and not approach the procession, rather they watch as a parade of human sized fairies with black wings and gowns glide past in the distance to a performance of a mournful funeral march. Maña freezes at the sight of the procession, but after it passes he is still afraid of something nearby. Both ladies follow his gaze to the canopy in time for a long, black creature to descend and attack.
Maña zips back into the canopy while a sock beast fights the party. It has a long cotton body covered in red spots that extends from the forest canopy, its source hidden by leaves. its face is white lace with a cone-like nose. After the party seeming kills the beast there is a sound of shears and the body is severed from whatever it was connected to in the trees. Now on the ground, the sock beast's cloth body splits at its seam to reveal it was stuffed with dead leaves.
A single mote of light floats up from the leaf stuffing as Maña falls back to the ground and jumps to catch the mote and eating it.
"Did that taste good?"
"Very much, thank you."
Maña offers the two girls a wish each despite not typically giving wishes to 'grown ups'. Rilla quickly wishes to fly, while Areia asks Rilla to plug her ears before she asks for her wish. Privately she explains to Maña her quest to find the orc clan she is descendant from. Maña declares they will do what they can and the girls leave the fey wild the way the came.
On the outside they find that it is now morning despite entering the fey wild mid afternoon. Going into town they confirm it is the next day and have a meal together. Pondering what to do next they obtain a newspaper and review the nearby job board.
Rilla hastily destroys the newspaper cover detailing the release party for her father's new book at the Temple to Ladiline, the love goddess, and covers up the ad on the job board to prevent Areia from seeing. The girls look over listings for open enrollment for gladiators at the Coliseum, a security position for an upcoming art exhibition, and finally a mysterious request for a private investigator.
The girls agree to meet the requestor the next day to investigate what mystery lies in wait, and Rilla invites Areia to stay with her at her townhouse. That night, the window to Areia's room creaks open as a mote of light enters and slips into her bag. Shortly after, her stuffed toy begins to rustle inside...
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