#anywhere

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Zara comes home from college. It still feels a bit odd calling this home, but the house is beautiful, her style, of course. The door is unlocked. Who left it so? Hard to say.

"This is not Iowa!"

In she goes, quiet footsteps, to see who is home.

Or, of course, if something is out of place...

She can smell fresh paints. Earl is working upstairs.

"Do you think I'd be kidnapped?" Jacob almost catches her off guard "That'd be cool."

"It would not be cool, and I would have to cast so many hexes!"

"How are hexes on kidnappers not cool?" he wrinkles his nose at her illogic. "1122 is being mean. He webbed up my peep hole into your room. " A grumph

"Good. I shall make him popcorn."

"I made it myself. The room is yours but the peephole should be mine right?"

"No. Sluagh respect other sluagh's privacy. Peep not in my turf, young punk."

A sniff "Tyrannical haggette, I needs must hone my skills."

He brushes at his lapels as if to accent his talk formal.

"Then spy upon Earl."

"All he does is paint. Or do nice things for you when you're not around. " A snort "BOOORRRING"

"Then spy on Mom. She's not a sluagh. Sluagh don't do that to sluagh, professional courtesy."

"Your'e my big sister, I'm supposed to annoy you." Petulalant, "That allows a loophole"

She raises an eyebrow. "You may annoy me without employing poor manners."

"mean." He observes and goes off the stairs to go sulk.

Leaving Zara's path to upstairs open.

and she definitely hears Earl up there making soft humming noises as he paints.

Up she goes.

Entering in, she sees Earl painting in the main area. Oh, her love. While trolls are attentive, she could come up behind him and deliver his doom. Which is a very pleasant thought. on the Canvas is an almost comical scene... a crowd of rather ugly looking (by human standards) people dressed fancily... and looking with horror as a traditional hollywood babe has broken out of a pod, as if she is too hideous to behold! Such Symetrical features, such clear tan skin, ugh!

Zara curls up in a chair, content to watch him work.

She delights in the notion that at some point, he will look up and be startled by her surprise presence.

And so it does occur, as he turns and gives a bit of a jump of being caught off guard. It's rather delightful, like finding out you can still make a lover blush. "Zara. How long?" His startlement turns to delight, and that's nice too

"Long enough, I like watching you."

"Good. I like when you watch me" He puts the brush down carefully, and moves to kiss her, "How was college?"

"Well... the Baron has a boggan spymaster." Huff.

"You're upset he's stilling a job from some hard working sluagh?"

Despite his humor, she can notice concern in his gaze

"He might be Eiluned himself. He serves, is a loyal liegeman..."

"In short, he's nosy, efficient, AND yet possibly rigid and unreasonable on some matters." a frown, "Did he treat you unpleasantly? "

"Well.. he was polite enough for a boggan."

"He also spotted me through my veil. Most discourteous."

"Discourteous, but it shows either a bit of bad luck on your part, or a remarkable will on his." thoughtful, then a raised brow, "Did you learn anything from him worth knowing? Either by his intent or otherwise? that might balance the rudeness a tad."

"A little, but less than I'd like."

"Mmph" He says "I've been here most of the day, but I did get to meet the neighbors"

"Oh?"

"I think you might be pleased by at least one of them," he says eyes sparkling. It is rare he gets a secret she doesn't, then again, it's not exactly a hard secret to get but still, trolls have a handicap.. being trolls and all

"Oh? Howso? Tell!"

"Remember Gavriella Spinespackle? " he says. How could Zara forget, she met her today at classes, briefly. The bookbinding nocker was almost a room mate.

She nods.

"Apparently she asked Caesar if he was investing in just one house around here... turns out he was not. She's living next door with two other changelings."

"What? Nooo. Nockers all?"

"Nope" Pleased with himself. It's rare he has knowledge she doesn't. Okay, it was handed into his lap, but not the point "Do I get a kiss if I tell you? Or am I pushing my luck as it is?"