#earthrunes

Yes, tea seems stocked, and with the rare stuff...

"Some of your own, ah, here we are," The door opens "Zara, you have a guest"

There.. there, the publisher's copy of the unreleased Natira Gold novel... set just so...

"Ah!?"

Pink! And oh, a bow, hand on her chest.

"Miss Zara!" And Natira clips over, taking the sluagh's hand in both of hers and giving it a squeeze! "None of that, I know we're in a noble's hold and all, but oh, I'm glad to see you! Letters are all well and good, not that I'm great at being found as I flit here and there, but there's nothing quite like visiting a friend again."

"Aye, aye... tis.. aye." Blush.

"Oh, is that... 'Tern of Thought?'" A bit of a blush! "You liked it, then! I never could find the right publisher for that one... it means a lot to me that you kept it!"

"Oh, I loved it so! When the two were reunited at the beach.... the winter waves crashing on the boulders at the foot of the old lighthouse..." Swoon.

Releasing Zara's hands, she cannot help but be drawn further in... and takes a long moment in admiration of the library.

It is a well-curated space - places for leisure and research, a bookshelf for the childlings, welcoming seats and a little nook for reading by the window...

And she softly quotes, "When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” And a smile over to Zara. "I see that you must be anything but miserable."

Earl smiles and hangs back a bit

"Oh, I must needs find days to be morose. Tis important, nu? I like rainy days for such, when I may rest mine cheek upon the window glass and sigh..."

A happy sigh. "Nothing like a proper storm and a hot cuppa to put me in a mood to write."

"But - and I am sorry to show up unannounced, it must be terribly rude - but I just simply had to visit when I got your package in the mail."

"After all, it's not MY writing that brings me in today."

A BRIGHT pink.

"Ah, ah.. yes... ah... I can explain that..."

Earl winces. He can guess.

A small glance over. "Earl here, is your... paramour?" She guesses. "Of matters of some delicate nature, would it be best to speak alone?" Politely leaving it up to Zara.

"Oh," Earl says "I apologize. Yes, Zara is my heart. But I will withdraw if it's more comfortable for you two" An offer

"Oh... nay, Earl may be here..."

A hand touches her chest at that, a romantic through and through.

"Then, maybe if we can sit and chat a bit?" She has a satchel over her shoulder that she pulls off, shuffling through to pull out a few folders.

He does pull a chair out for the ladies.

And gets a smile for his troubles!

"I have tea... now, this variety is best appreciated with the softest touch of honey, and no cream..."

She will gladly accept a cup, admiring the tea set as well. And sharing a laugh, "You'll think me boorish, but sometimes I just switch to iced tea in the beginning, so many cups do I ruin forgetting I set them to steep..."

"Heathen" Earl says with a tsk.

"Oh, undoubtedly, but wouldn't it be worse to microwave it back up?"

"Earl likes sweet tea." Affectionate and long-suffering.

And a sip of the tea with evident enjoyment! A moment's pause, and she sets the cup, and shuffles the notes. "I've always enjoyed - no, more than that - I really do value your feedback on my stories. More than once I've taken your suggestions to heart and I think that may have turned a flop into a first draft."

"But, ah. About your submission..." She pauses delicately, and sips the tea, taking a moment to allow if Zara wanted to continue her earlier comment.

"Iowan brainwashing" a blush mutter combo but he silences.

"It was... it was a fit of.... impulse. Shameless impulse."

"Forgive..."

A small frown, turning the tea cup. "It's... you know, I find these days, I mostly re-read my old favorites, ones that have been classics for ages, or branch out into other categories for pleasure reading. Science fiction, sometimes, or mysteries... nothing too close to my own writing. It's not that I don't love others books, but for fear that I may subconsciously pick up on story threads and later, think that mayhaps I plucked them from my own head..."

Earl raises a brow at that

"Nay... it was a mistake, to send..." Faltering, pink.

"It's a lovely story, don't get me wrong! "The Bellflower Weeps"? The name itself is so evocative. Is it referring to the maiden's family line? The pet name that her lost lover had for her, or the town itself? There are layers within layers..." She sets a folder on the table.

"And there are certainly greater coincidences that have happened before..." A second folder held... and then set next to it. This one, shows the title "The Weeping Bellflower". "But, you see, they're nearly identical, enough so that my editor I forwarded it to thought there was a mistake in attachments at first.

"Email is a convenience but a dratted thing as well, or I'd have had a friend whisper up the truth of the matter from the pages themselves, if I hadn't printed copies that don't know anything other than the brand of ink they're made of. But... Zara, is there any chance you may have submitted this earlier? Maybe directly, or under a pen name? It definitely has the... the poignant FEEL I get around you to the prose... but we have to be so careful, people are stupidly litigious these days."

Earl says "Wait, pardon, are you saying you think Zara accidentally ..plagiarized?"

"No.. no, surely..." She looks mortified.

"I'm saying, that we received two almost identical stories, one that I know came from my friend... but one that was received at the publishing house quite a bit earlier."

"So I came as soon as I could to get to the bottom of things - do you put your stories online? Maybe drafts, that someone might have cribbed from?"

"Or, as I said, maybe looked through and thought their own inspiration?"

"I... I put them on a website, aye. Under a false name..."

And Natira sighs. "I'm sorry. Don't worry, I've worked with the publisher for years. We'll make sure that no one puts out your work under someone's else's aegis."

"Wait, can.. we read both, or at least let Zara?"

Offering over the two copies for Zara to view.

Miserable. "I should not have sent it..."