LO   Patty!!

LO   Look At The Stash @u@

He holds out a glimmering pile of treats. His fingers are splayed out in a way that avoids dropping any strays. You scan the selection and grab a purple one (purple is always your favorite), but not without giving him an inquisitive look.

LO   You're Wondering Where I Got These Huh

PC   <( :)

LO   Well, That's

LO   A Mystery

LO   Louis Candy Mystery Flavor

PC   <( :I

LO   Would It Make You Feel Better To Think Of It As An Act

LO   We Had No Sweets And Now We Do

LO   That's My Trick!!

LO   Appear-ify

PC   <( :/

LO   I'm Not Sharing If You're Going To Keep Making Faces @_@

Finally relenting, you unwrap the candy and pop it in your mouth. It tastes sweet, in a dark berry way.

PC   <( i hope you didnt do anything too bad

LO   What Was That??

PC   <( no bad stuff

LO   Ehh

LO   You're Such A Worry-Wart

LO   So Many People Are In That Store, They Can't See Me At All

LO   I'll Never Get Caught @u@

PC   <( this is too much for no one to notice

LO   Are You Proud?? @u@

PC   <( no!

LO   @_@

PC   <( i dont want to see you get arrested

PC   <( or worse

LO   Or Worse What

PC   <( you know

LO   What

LO   What??

LO   What Will They Do To Me??

LO   What's Worse Than Jail??

PC   <( execution

LO   ..

LO   You're Joking Right

PC   <( ive seen it

LO   Whatever.. You Made Your Point

LO   You're Right

LO   Small Shops Are Getting Too Risky

LO   That's Why..

LO   I'm Thinking Of Upgrading @u@

You tilt your head at them. They give you that toothy grin.

LO   Top Secret, Pat Pat

PC   <( secrets are never good

LO   It's Great For Me!!

LO   Let's Just Say.. I Found Candy Heaven

LO   And I'm Gonna Find My Way Past The Sugary Gates

PC   <( :/

PC   <( is this about the factory again

You're getting a bad feeling from this 'plan'. Thinking it best to distract Louis, you start walking down the street. He follows automatically, carrying the pile of sweets in his shirt.

LO   It's Real!!

LO   I've Seen The Advertisements

LO   It's Confectionary Paradise

LO   And I'll Live There One Day

PC   <( you know thats just where they make candy

PC   <( its not like it grows there

LO   You Don't Know That

PC   <( ...

PC   <( just make sure to find someone kind

PC   <( maybe you can find a nice family

LO   You Make It Sound Like You're Going To Leave Me @_@

PC   <( :O

PC   <( i would never do that!

LO   I Know @u@

PC   <( :I

If it's not the factory, it's something else. Every new day, he finds another reason to stay. He's been hopping from corner to corner ever since the two of you arrived - initially, only for a visit. But all he's done is get into trouble. You hope at least one of the candy shop owners will take pity on him and perhaps offer him shelter. He's not built for this kind of lifestyle.

LO   Oh, Are We Ending The Day Already?

LO   It's Not Even Night Yet @_@

You've arrived at a hidden enclave at the outskirts of the city, near one of the parks. Whatever you can't carry, you keep here.

PC   <( we can enjoy dessert

PC   <( after dinner :)

LO   What If These Are Appetizers

PC   <( after dinner :)

LO   Aww

Louis stomps off to his side of the cave as you bring out your cooking tools and ingredients. You were able to find a nice assortment of vegetables at the market today. Some of them had fallen from booths, the other ones were exchanged for certain items in your collection. Precious-looking stones. Bottles. Pieces of jewelry lost to time. Your inventory is always rotating, but whenever there's an empty spot, you find a way to fill it.

PC   <( does stew sound good

LO   What

PC   <( does stew sound good?

LO   What Do The Fingers Mean? Why Three?

On a less fussy day, you'd sit down and teach him what exactly you're signing. Instead, you bring out the old chalkboard and draw a bowl with some blocky shapes in it.

LO   Oh!! Stew!!

LO   Yes Yes Please

LO   Wait, Don't Tell Me You Got Real Meat??

You match their enthusiasm with a nod. They whoop and cheer, scattering some stray candy on the stone floor.

LO   Meat Stew Meat Stew!!

LO   Meat Meat Stew Stew!! @u@

LO   Thank You Thank You, Patty-Cakes!!

As with most of your dishes, you start with your cauldron. As it warms up over the 'stove' (some rocks and kindling lit with a match), you start prepping your ingredients. You wash the vegetables with some rainwater you have in your jars, and you carefully dice everything into the appropriate chunks. Louis will swallow them without looking, but you try to put some care into the process.

The oils and spices are in your special jars, with extra-special protective covers. You wouldn't know what you'd do if they broke. Good-tasting food is a luxury you're not ready to part with.

LO   What Kind of Meat, By The Way

You make long ears on the side of your head with your index fingers.

LO   Nice!!

LO   Thanks For Not Getting Squirrel This Time @u@

He likes to argue that you always cook squirrel meat wrong, that it's too tough or not juicy enough. You've never met someone who can eat so much yet have such a sensitive palate at the same time.

PC   <( :o

Though it could've been done in 20 minutes, you tend to draw out the cooking process. Stirring and observing your concoction has always been meditative. Soon, dinner is served. Louis gets the bigger portion. While you eat, he talks. You respond now and then, but you mostly listen. Once you're both done, he turns to you, anticipating gleaming in his eyes.

LO   Can You Show Me Something You've Been Working On?

PC   <( :D

With the dull embers of the cauldron fire making shadows dance at the edges of the cave, you demonstrate your newest illusion trick. It requires minimal props - as many of them do by necessity - and mostly focuses on sleight of hand and misdirection. Before his very eyes, a coin disappears from your hands.

LO   Whoa!!

LO   You're Seriously Getting Better Every Day

LO   The Great Pat-Pat, Magician Extraordinaire!!

LO   I Don't Know Why You Aren't World-Famous By Now

PC   <( :)

Maybe because you're too good at making the things around you disappear, you think to yourself as he chows down on dessert.