#bergen_county

"Hey, Gerd?" Connor asks as they trot along home, after their visit to the Witch of Earth Runes.. "Can I get a thing from you? I could get a different thing, but you're a wisey witch too and it makes more from you. Because you're the smartest at things and you're my sistroll after all."

Is he buttering her up? Maybe, but he ALSO is sincere and means it.

"Go on. Flattery SOMETIMES works" A grin

He pulls out his rather crumpled and folded List O Mystery and carefully crosses a line off. "Key! Acquired!" A grin to Gerd. "But I need something bright. But not always bright. Something bright and dim and on and off. Like a flashlight that you can do the strobey thing. Or a candle in the wind. I thought you might have a candle. Maybe one you used for a bit but it still has some good candling left in it? And you can light it and it goes.... " A vague hand gesture to mimic a flickering flame.

"You want a light with a dimmer switch?" She double checks

He ponders this. "Is it a witchy light?"

"How old is this witch? "

"When was your last birthday?"

She names it

"A flickery flame with waxy home. You have some of those, and I only need one. And I promise not to light anyone on fire. I don't even have matches."

"It can even be my Yule gift." He offers in supreme sacrifice.

"Candles I have, yes. " She nods "And no.. I already have your yule gift, but I can help you with this. I guess I'm asking, is this for Lily?"

"Oh... oh! No, I have to find something for her. I thought I might write her a Last will and tenement. So she knows she can take me away when I kick all the buckets and put me on her mantle for company."

"I need some fancy paper and maybe a ribbon and wax to make it 'fficial like. But I have to do this one FIRST."

"This is a gift for Yule night." Emphasis on the last word

"Okay. So a witch closer to my age than Lily's.. " A pause "Come on. I'll show you something." She leads him to her room in Uncle Vali's house

"This is a wine bottle, empty, of course, of Amontillado." She moves with him "Do you know your friend's favorite color?" She pulls out several candles

"These are just... the pieces. They might all get put in a cauldron to make into a magical stew. So I'm not sure if the color matters... but she likes green and gold." A nod.

"It's not FOR a witch, but I need a witch to make it. A wizard. Jack said he can find me one."

"Pick the one you wwant. " There are all sorts. Black, White, Purple, Yellow, Blue, Green

Green! He points without hesitation.

"Oh, not for a witch?" She says "Oh this may not be what I.. mmm well, let's do it anyway" A smile "hope she likes the classics."

"Even a birthday candle mighta done. But I figure a candle from a witch has more juju in it." A beam at his sister, proud of her witchiness.

"Thanks, Connor" A smile, And she shows him the process, making sure the bottle is clean, then doing artistic drippings...

He can't help but touch the cooling wax, giggling as it leaves fingerprints and bits of green on his hands.

"Just make sure you don't do that when it's too hot" A smile though "it is fun huh?"

"Gerd, how did you learn to Poof-place-to-place? Was it hard?"

"I had an advantage most don't, a natural gift for it thanks to a past life. So it came quicker to me than most" She admits "But it can be learned with practice, lots of it . Some folks say it comes easier to those who are quick thinking, who have good instincts on the fly. "

"now we prep the candle for fitting"

Carefully, she trims the last inch and a half of the candle so that it will tightly fit in the wine bottle’s opening. She shows him and says "Be sure to keep the candle on your work surface as you cut away from your body."

"Can I keep that piece?" He eyes the extra candle bit.

"Quick thinking, like quick silver. And on the fly, like windy-running." He grins at her joke... intentional or not!

"Ha. yes, and yes" When the bottle is completely dry, she inserts the trimmed candle into the opening, light it and allows the wax to drip down the sides.

During this, she guides his hands, showing HIM how to do it, so it can be said the gift is from him

Intent and focused! And somewhat coated with bits of green wax... but it gets done!

"Now... can you light this bit? Just so I can see?" He holds up the leftover stub.

She does

"OooooOoooOO. Now close your eyes, think flickerery thoughts, and blow!" Instructing!

"I do this out of love.. don't start a fire" And she closes her eyes and blows

Piff! The candle goes out! And she gets a hug!

"You're terrible most of the time, but extra so today. I have to go find Jack now. Can you hold onto the bottle for me? I can't wrap it until it's less goopy."

The stub with the burnt wick goes carefully into his pockets.

"I'll watch over it" A laugh and hug back" And text you when it cools enough"

"Okay! I have to find a goat now that isn't a Nanny or a Nonny. He'll probably be staring at the garden again and making sad faces."

"Tell him we have Spring even in New Jersey" She SAYS

"Oh! Gerd, do you know how to go shopping?"

"I have..." A look left, a look right "Some expertise. I trained with the Guru Sylvi, who was herself educated in these things by The Dahli Heartha"

"Do you think you could find a plant? Something in a pretty little pot and it grows inside?"

"Not a flower, that might be GURLY."

"Something for a MANLY he-goat."