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“This is Sparkly Sprinkles on location with…I’m so sorry, what was your name again?” Her voice was sickly sweet and her eyes glittered with mischief. Not the good, fun kind. The oh-I’m-going-to-make-your-life-miserable kind.
Figgy gulped. “F-Figgy, ma’am. I’m Figgy.” His eyes glowed as he gazed at the sparkling elf with her fluffy pink pen poised over her notebook.
“Ah, yes of course…Biggy.”
Figgy, enchanted by the chic elf with her long dark hair, big bright smile, and razor sharp nails, gazed at her in adoration.
Pixie rolled her eyes. “Figgy! Get over here and help us plan the fort. You’re in charge of jokes and surprises, remember?”
“Of course! Sorry!” With a bashful smile, Figgy zipped over to the pile of pillows and blankets in the cafeteria of the St. Francis Children’s Hospital. “What’s the plan?”
Nim, who had a grand vision for the massive fort they were about to build, took the lead.
“First, we need to set the tables up in two rows, end to end. Then, we can work with the blankets to make a big enough tunnel for all the kids to go through. Then Lil…”.
“I have a few ideas to add adventure to the experience. Surprises throughout. Pixie will help with the decorations.”
Pixie nodded. “And Figgy will add the jokes to make the kids laugh.”
Figgy cleared his throat, eying Sparkly Sprinkles who stood on the edge of the group, writing everything they said down. “Like, Why did the snowman cross the road?”
Pixie, Lil, and Nim stared expectantly at Figgy.
“To get to the other snowbank!”
Pixie raised her brow. “Er, that’s not–.”
But Sparkly Sprinkles’ tinkling laugh filled the room. “Oh Biggy! Aren’t you just hilarious!”
Figgy blushed.
Nim shook his head. “But it wasn’t even fun–”.
“Come, tell me what other…jokes you have in mind.”
Figgy, bright red with delight, dutifully followed the reporter to the corner of the room where she began talking animatedly and coaxing more lame jokes out of him.
“I don’t like her,” said Pixie.
“I don’t trust her,” said Lil. “What do you think, Nim?”
But Nim was staring after Figgy and Sparkly with a dark scowl on his face.
a pinch of homestead 