#earthrunes

---------

Somewhere in a healer's room, the last bed is empty. Inside a masonjar, lined with the proper extracts and sealant, is a Flu Chimera. It's wings banging against the glass but weakly thanks to those preventatives. The real flu is bad enough without a chimerical version nervousa having got loose Fortunately, Emma contained it.

In more than one sense of the word.

"Oui, petite monster... but this is the best home for you, no naughty exploits..."

It hissses and coughs and sputters in response.

but sealed tight as it is, no need.

She sets the jar on a shelf and surrounds it with pretty silk flowers so it has something to look at.

It is doom! it is plague! It will not be distracted or contained by me tawdry...oooo is that hand made? what a lovely shade and the stalk looks so real.

"There you go, cher. I'll leave the radio on for you!"

Well, darn it, she's a nice captor. Didn't see that one coming

A knock outside the door, "Emma, are you okay?" It's Oswald.

"No, I'm Emma. I don't know any Oakies Is that french?" She bounces over to open the door.

He grins briefly at that, then "You've really been working hard I was worried you would catch something. Uhmm.. besides that thing in the jar I mean. So Delores wanted me to be sure to tell you that if you felt ill, give us a clue. Also... you know you AND your ..I forget if she's a grandma or great aunt? are allowed to be here on Yule, you're part of the hold after all."

"OH!" Her eyes widen and her ears lift as she smiles. "Absolutely my grandmother, except when she's an aunt. But not an ant-ant, a great ant, she was a carpenter once..."

"I..guess?" He says lost, but, you know, that's okay "She's welcome too. Tylar says she's very nice by the way. Apparently she worries about him and something called a wompalong getting him? But he assures her he's okay. "

"He's a good egg-keeper, right? No wompalong for him! Aunt Erma says he's the worst, ut he can come back any time."

A smile, "I'll pass it on if he hasn't been told directly. Ah, what IS a wompalong?' scratching his head

"Oh, a terrible great beast! Forty feet long! Five cubits tall!"

He makes a note to search 'cubits' online just in case there's truth to this, "I'll keep an eye out. ' He nods "Now, about you? Have you been getting enough food and rest?"

"And as it walks, it makes this 'WOMP-pa WOMP-a' sound with each step." Emma demonstrates, heading towards Oswald and holding out her arms like a terrible maw.

"Good lord" Sounds bad

"CHOMP-pa!" She laughs as she catches him in her arms.

Then he laughs a bit, 'caught' he smiles "You had me going there."

"Well, as filling as Thane might be, I wonder how it compares to a nice lentil salad?"

"The salad we can get. Let's try that shall we?" he twists his being caught to put her on his shoulders, bending down so she doesn't bump her head and caries her "You want to hit a cafe, or Greasers, or the kitchen here?"

"Milkshakes are also a salad..."

"So they are, " A nod "Green milkshakes it is"

She giggles a little, tail wrapping around his midsection for balance. "WOMP-pa."

"Yeah yeah, you tell me to giddy up you'll be walking to Greasers" That threat aside, he does carry her a good way before they get to his car where he sets her down gently. Greasers is not known for vegatarian meals but they actually do make a pretty good salad and yes, on special order, one can get a tofu burger.

And besides, milkshakes and french fries are both vegetarian!

And the milkshakes are the best thing on the menu! Indeed, Emma may fight the urge to make happy sounds. Or maybe she won't fight it at all. The Swirl shakes here are famous!

Oswald's blue fingers creep closer... closer, and theaten to steal a fry from her plate.

"Egads! An Azure Potato-Snatcher!"

"Crikey, what a rare creature... let's see what this beaut does..."

"Safety inspection..." He says very somberly, "It could be a bomb." And reaches for the fry in question.

She crouches down, peeeering over the edge of the table. Her tattered ears betray her mirth.

"He eats bombs! How unique!"

He scarfs it with a crunch, hews once, swallows, then says "Boom"

She notices HE too, has fries.

"Hmmmmm.."

"Hm HMMMmmmmMMmm..."

"I think you might be safe. I can double check" He eyes her other fries "if you need me."

"But who watches the watchers?" Zip goes a hand, plucking a fry.

"Ye gads. Karma attack" He notes "I've heard of this. I never thought it woudl happen to me"

"Nobody expects the Karma Requisition!"

Okay, that gets a laugh, deep bass one from his chest to his lips.

She sticks a pair of fries in her milkshake like antennae.

More amused looks. He takes a fry and tries to draw a smiley face in his shake whilee it's still thick enough.

"Try." One chocolate-milkshake bearing fry approaches him.

He offers his vanilla one with the smiley face, it's only fair.