#earthrunes

"Not very well mind but it distracted.. .see..this beanbag thing .." Earl goes into a drunkent slurred explanation of the conversations that happened as best he can recall

August is lost.

"Ah. Ok. Well."

"Earl... could we use the same agents to send a message? On the night of?"

"I don't know, you'd have to find 11two and when he's not with Zara he's snooping... or wooin.."

"Oh. Ah."

"Bronte?"

"not sure she's's ever tracked zara down before.. she goes from scarsdale to library...but far as I know if Zara is hiddein..not eevn a dragon can find her... I'm in love with a sneaky soft hearted ninja witch"

August takes a cocktail napkin and doodles. "Ok. Well. There had to be a way." He slides the napkin to Earl.

He blinks and looks "Oh.. yeah that might... yeah"

Then "But I can't... it's like.. not trusting her if i do that"

He seems imoblized by love, honor, and appletini over dose

August takes the napkin and puts it in his tea.

"May I have another, Jack? " Politely.

"Sure" he says and makes another

"Could you arrange for me to do it?"

Mumble mutter shades of gray slipperly slope zara hating everyone life is notwothliving all is despair appletini

"EARL."

"youth is wasted on the young" Jack mutters

"What?" Earl starts

"Earl, can you GET it?"

"Yes i think so.." He says "And don't yell"

"Sorry." Zara-soft. "Ok, so I need you to stop drinking and sober up and in the morning go get it, ok?"

"I.. think this will bite us in the ass. Everytyhing I try with her bites me in the ass." He sips the coffee, makes a face, and drinks again then says in a seeming non sequeitor "I don't even really LIKE Beanbags"

Jack shakes his head. He's heard pooka that make more sense.

"Earl... do you want me to go get it?"

He huffs "No. First of all you couldn't find it."

"If you told me...."

He downs the cup, then chokes a bit

"I can't TELL you, 'trust' and even if I told you, I don't think you could she has... well, just be glad she isn't into elaborate traps"

"What do you mean, you can't tell me?"

"I can't tell you where she keeps stuff like that, ti would be a bigger betrayal than getting it myself, don't ask me how I feel that way I just do. She loves me, I love her, and I thought there was trust... but I'm not going to ruin trust on myside of things... I Love her and I won't... it would.. no"

"Right, right... you're right. I'm sorry. Look, I know she loves you. Sorry."

"Ok, so... if -I- find out where she is, on my own without you.... is that ok?

"I guess?" he seems lost

"Ok, well good, I'll do that. Ok?"

"I.." A deep breath "I don't own her or my friends"

"None of us do." Resigned agreement.

Earl rises "I need to paint. I'm not good at anything else"

August tries to drag him back down, a nervous glance at Jack. "No, Earl, you're good at.. a lot!"

"Ohk, I also flickerflash...which apparently means I can go anywhere in the world for my girlffriend to be mad at me. Name two other thingsh I'm good at?"

"You're my friend. Someone I trust."

"Doesn't mean I'm good at friendship or trust.. quite the opposite from what Zara texted"

"Oh boy" Jack sighs and cleans

August sighs.

"Help him walk it off for a bit in the garden, will you, August?" Jack asks

August nods and slings a troll arm around his shoulder. "Sure."

The troll goes off... muttering "I reached for the moon... I reached too far... mere mortalz weren't meant to do that... I shoulda known.."

and off the two go

(End scene)