#earthrunes

"Oh, my silly scribbles..."

"I like your silly little scribbles" He says

"Well, I like you. Even when you are a silly color."

"Silly? mmm, okay yes, it's a bit silly" He says with a smile

"So see? We're even. Pooka." A sigh.

" I wonder what color Vasthi is? If she's too bright, she might be caught in her own reflection"

"I wonder if my sister is behind all of this..."

He pauses then "What makes you suspect her?"

"Vashti is a pooka, who adores color."

"And folks would probably suspect Shalimar or Vince" He ponders

"She has years of trickery up her sleeve."

"And it pent up as well no doubt, at least for mere pranks."

"I cannot begrudge her a harmless prank."

"Hm. Mayhaps if I behaved as if naught were different..."

"Or fuddled her so she saw you as your normal hue"

THAT brings a smile.

Is he blushing at this suggested sneakiness? LITTLE bit

"My Love is brilliant." A kiss.

He basks in it, then whispers "I must be. I picked you" And a kiss back

It would appear, plans are underfoot.

So, after food... Zara takes Earl's arm, to go for a stroll in the garden

"Earl, Zara," Oswald says as he stands duty.

He looks at Earl enviously "You know, if you glowed..."

"Yes yes" Earl says knowing he would indeed look like a light saber

Zara notices something. Among the trees, she sees a moth!

Swiftly, a gesture...

A simple enough thing, to change perception.

The moth is basking in the many colors of those below..she flutters and turns and.. it is very hard to read a moth's emotions, but Zara, thanks to her years around arachnids, is closer to understanding insects than most. That looked like..surprise!

Zara remains aloof, sh mustn't give away the game...

Oh, now Vashti faces a challenge...show her interest or not?

And she flutters around..behind them... trying to close without being caught

White hair, pale skin... yes, that's Zara... and Earl is still light-saber colored...

The pooka slips behind a tree, no doubt to change.

Earl whispers "Think she'll talk to you or just try to zap you? if it is her?"

A whisper "Sister? You escaped it too?" A whisper few but a sluagh can hear

"I am an excellent hider, Sister Dear. I see you were fortunate."

"indeed, a shadow on the fog, and yes, i evaded the fate of thse poor gloriously hued souls by similar means..........what a horror."

"Oh, dear - it must be so disappointing for thee, thou being s fond of color..."

"sooth," she says from behind the tree, but her wings open and close with delight as she gazes at others. "So you avoided the chromatic curse by..hiding. did you not sleep?"

"What does sleep have to do with it?"

"naught naught...save it seemed to catch everyone off guard and they woke up so... "

Her wings flap and flutter, a quick stattico beat

"Ah. I imagine it would. I had a pleasant tea."

"oh, verily, that violet cup Or.." Then she stills!

"Vashti?"

"ah...sister, didst though ever fear thy touch was waning?"

"No. But you just did." Now she smiles.

"mmph" She says

"Mm?" An arch eyebrow.

"Shall we show our cards on the count of three?"