#earthrunes

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Coradel lingers over breakfast in an alcove that overlooks the gardens.

A distant, thoughtful expression as she nibbles on a croissant with preserves.

Someone NEW in the garden, someone Cora doesn't recognize - a wilder, with an unruly mop of grey and white hair and a pair of tattered round ears.

A curious tilt of her head as she watches the unfamiliar person. After a few minutes, she unlatches the leaded window and swings it open, calling out, "Hello. I don't believe I know you." An easy smile as she sips her tea.

"Bonjour, cher!" She waves. "Did you know you have the queen of all spiders here?"

"She's all made of gold and onyx, they MUST be precious, worth a real mint..."

A laugh. "I didn't Well, I'm sure she's happy enough out there, so her value may double. And who are you?" She sips her tea.

"Who am I not?" She bounces over to stand by the window. "Today I am the Grand Duchess of Austria, Australia and Austin Texas, Her Grace Emmaline Dupre, at your service." A sweeping bow.

"I also might be a gardener. Despot of a tiny green kingdom with, as I understand, dancing bushes. Seems a side-effect of a Fiona holding, I'm told. Most curious!"

"Indeed? Well, I'm delighted to meet you, Gardening Duchess Emmaline. I suppose that makes me the Baroness Coradel of the Dancing Bush...though I think my husband might get upset if that title got bandied about too much." A wink and she extends her hand out of the window. "Have you come to reside at EarthRunes?"

She takes the offered hand with a gap-toothed grin. "Of a sorts. Doctor Delores gave me a suite last night - finest one in the holding, you know, with silk sheets and crystal windows - but I think I must really live up to my promise and go back to Aunt Ambrose today. But she's just around the corner. Literally, just there, five steps from the threshold.."

"I did pay to park her, at least. With her hip, she's probably not going anywhere...."

"Well, that will make for a short commute, I suppose." Curious. "I...is this Ambrose someplace safe, locally?"

"Safe? Why, impregnable! Formidable! A third-floor walk-up!"

"Would you believe she was a pooka once? But, alas, that was a hundred years ago."

"Was she?" An uncertain grin. "And...you care for her. That's kind of you."

"She's my great-great-great aunt. She couldn't just be a good aunt, not even a great one, but family is family, right?"

"An overachiever." She finishes her tea. "Well, Duchess...may I call you Emmaline?...it's been lovely to meet you."

Another bright grin. "Well, this has been as nice as Christmas dinner! And I suppose you could call me Emmaline, but don't go spreading that round..."

A pause, the pink tip of her tail curling nervously. "And I can stay about and visit some?"

"Oh, I don't see why not." Easily enough. "Come talk to me more later...and if you haven't already, you should meet Shallimar and Vince. I sometimes don't completely understand what pooka are saying, but I find that the more the merrier."

"The less the more leisurely. Really, a win either way..."

"I suppose!"

"Wunderbar. Oh! Look!" She drifts off, following a swallowtail butterfly.

Coradel watches her go, bemused, and closes the window once more before finishing her breakfast and starting the business of the day.

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A jester, for he is clearly dressed in motley, comes out into the garden to practice walking on his hands. One never know when someone is going to want you that you know? Good at diplomatic functions. THe tail makes it tricky though. One must use it as a balance, but for some reason a white stripped black tail standing out makes some nervous. Ah, the challenges of comedy

"Ye gads, being dangled up side down reminds me of that early morning discussion I had with lady Willow on her first hang over on one of Jack's elixirs"

Now to walk backwards

hand hand pace pace....hoe? "Oh no!"

The gardening tool is new, and he slips and trips over it falling and stumbling on his ass

rolls and tumbles, and gets up dusting himself on, "I just got taken down with a ho... oh gawds, Vashti must never find out I weakened"

"This is vincent's fault, he's like a brother to me, so who else could I put before me... yes, logic!"

Then he looks down, "But if there's a new ho in this hold? Who hired her? It's a Fiona hold, everyone here is generous." Scratching his head

"It's why Vashti keeps me on a diet, sidhe fancies are fattening...the girls pour their excess calories into you in order to stay slim. Treacherous but beautiful." He talks to the gardening tool "Confidentially, they have a thing for boggans- all makes sense now doesn't it?"

And off he walks, curious as half an Eiluned about this new mystery.

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As the jester walks, he might notice that he is being... followed...

A stop, he sniffs the air

The possum also stops, one paw hovering mid-step.

"No, I still smell marvelous" Shalilmar mutters, and turns his head slightly "Oh dear, my one time out with a hoe, and already Vashti has hired a PI."

The possum's tail raises, curling into a question-mark shape.

Step.

..........Step.

He turns, and bows, "A camel meets an elephant. The elephant asks jokingly: “Why do you have two breasts on your back?” The camel replies: “With a face like yours, I’d just shut up.”

The possum drops to its haunches and sits up. Tiny pink hands... give a thumbs up?

"I spy with my little eye" He covers both his eyes letting the hoe fall to the side

"Something purple?" When he uncovers his eyes, he sees a grinning wilder girl.

Emma is somewhere in her early 20s, with a mop of light grey hair and a pair of tattered pink-and-black ears. She is barefoot and wearing a faded calico sundress... which is not purple. Mostly green, actually...